Sapphire Princess Cruise Ship Guide: 2025 Refit, Cabins and Verdict

Photo: Sabung.hamster | Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0; crop by CruisePing.

CruisePing verdict

Sapphire Princess is one of the more attractive older Princess ships after its October 2025 drydock. Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill materially improve dining, while the covered pool, traditional lounges and moderate capacity suit long and cool-weather routes. Cabins remain a 2004 product, so the ship should still be chosen deliberately.

Sapphire Princess at a glance

Cruise line	Princess Cruises
Ship class or type	Grand-related Japanese-built sister to Diamond Princess
Entered service	2004
Last major refurbishment	October 2025 drydock
Gross tonnage	115,875 GT
Length	290 m / 952 ft
Guest capacity	2,670 to 2,680 guests in current official Princess sources
Crew	1,100
Passenger decks	18 decks in official ship data
Cabins or suites	About 1,337 staterooms; official category totals are internally inconsistent
Accessible cabins	27 wheelchair-accessible staterooms
Dining venues	Four main dining rooms plus Makoto Ocean, Crown Grill, Churrascaria, Sabatini’s, Alfredo’s and casual venues
Bars and lounges	Crooners, Wheelhouse, Explorers Lounge, Club Fusion, Skywalkers and Wake View Bar
Pools and hot tubs	Multiple pools and hot tubs, including covered Conservatory pool space
Library	Dedicated library; former Internet Café space now houses Makoto Ocean
Spa and fitness	Lotus Spa, fitness centre, sports deck and The Sanctuary
Children’s facilities	Princess youth and teen centres for ages 3 to 17
Adults-only facilities	The Sanctuary and quieter traditional lounges
Wi-Fi	MedallionNet available; long routes and packages affect value
UK departures or deployment	Mediterranean and Northern Europe in 2026, then Canada and New England; Japan deployment expands in 2027

Best suited to

Northern Europe, South America or long-voyage travellers who value weather-protected space
Adults wanting traditional lounges, a library and a less dense feel than Crown Class
Passengers interested in the post-2025 Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill additions

Think carefully if

You are relying on a pre-October 2025 tour or deck plan
You expect the drydock to have created new-generation cabins
You want large family attractions or a very broad entertainment catalogue

The booking decision

Sapphire Princess returned from a two-week drydock in October 2025 with Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill, alongside general refurbishments. The ship then moved through Mexico, South America, Antarctica, Mediterranean, Northern Europe and Canada programmes, with a Japan reunion alongside Diamond Princess planned for 2027.

That range suits Sapphire’s strengths: covered pool space, several lounges, a library and lower passenger density than Crown Class. The ship remains a 2004 design, so choose it for route, public spaces and refreshed dining rather than modern accommodation.

What the 2025 drydock changed

Makoto Ocean replaced the former Internet Café on Deck 7, while Crown Grill replaced one of the previous dining-room spaces. These are meaningful venue changes, not simply new signage. Current official deck plans should be used for restaurant location and nearby cabin decisions.

No full current third-party tour met the standard strongly enough after the drydock. Older tours show a superseded dining map, while one recent video relied on stock footage and contained questionable feature claims. Excluding a misleading video is better than adding one for appearance.

Layout, Conservatory and long voyages

Sapphire has multiple dining rooms, Princess Theatre, Explorers Lounge, Wheelhouse, Crooners, Club Fusion, Skywalkers and Wake View Bar. The covered Conservatory pool area is valuable in poor weather and on cool itineraries.

The ship carries roughly 2,670 to 2,680 lower berths on 115,875 GT, giving it a more favourable broad passenger ratio than Crown Class. It is not a small ship, but public spaces can feel less compressed. Long corridors and lift distance still matter.

Cabins and official-data caution

Current official sources agree on approximately 1,337 rooms but the published category totals do not reconcile cleanly. This guide therefore avoids presenting a false precise breakdown. More than 700 balconies support scenic and long routes.

Cabin design reflects 2004. Mini-suites offer a much better sitting area, while standard balconies can be tight inside. Use current room photographs and the post-drydock deck plan. The 27 accessible cabins need exact configuration checks.

Dining after the refit

Four main dining rooms are joined by Makoto Ocean, Crown Grill, Churrascaria Brazilian Grill, Sabatini’s, Alfredo’s, International Café, buffet and casual food. This is a strong catalogue for an older ship and gives Sapphire a clearer identity than many Grand-related vessels.

Premier becomes more credible when several specialty restaurants will be used. It remains expensive on a long itinerary. Calculate the full duration, reserve priority meals and check which venues are included under the fare rules for the booked date.

Northern Europe, South America and Japan

Sapphire’s weather-protected spaces suit Antarctica-linked, South America and Northern Europe programmes. The ship can also support long repositioning voyages because the lounge and dining spread is broad enough for repeated sea days.

Japan deployment in 2027 will invite comparison with Diamond Princess. Diamond has Izumi Japanese Bath and a more explicit Japan identity. Sapphire may suit passengers who prefer its current dining map or a particular itinerary.

Before you book Sapphire Princess

Use post-October 2025 deck plans and restaurant information.
Choose the ship for weather-protected public space and itinerary, not cabin modernity.
Check package value over the full length of a long voyage.
Compare Japan sailings with Diamond Princess rather than treating the sisters as identical.

Sapphire Princess compared with other Princess ships

Ship	Main difference	Choose it when
Diamond Princess	Japanese-built sister with Izumi bath and Japan focus	Choose Diamond when Japanese facilities matter
Crown Princess	Higher-capacity Crown Class with 2025 refresh	Choose Sapphire for lower density and covered pool space
Coral Princess	Smaller destination-led ship	Choose Coral when lower capacity matters most

Sapphire Princess Cruise Ship