The Sapphire Princess features exotic destinations and gorgeous scenery not typically found on most sailing trips, making for a trip that your family is sure to remember. The Sapphire is a 2,700 passenger, 18 deck cruise liner which sails around Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, South America, and South Pacific.  These longer sailing trips are perfect for filling summer breaks and family getaways. The extra-long trips are rare, so book early! The Sapphire departs from a variety of ports varying between Los Angeles, San Diego, Sydney, and Vancouver depending upon the itinerary.

After a recent partnership with Discovery, the Sapphire has plenty on board to keep younger passengers happy with fun AND educational activities. The Discovery at Sea program is a recent addition to the Princess cruise line, featuring lecture speakers and interactive activities based on shows like Shark Week Mythbusters, and Gold Rush. Stargazers should take advantage of the ship's observation deck where lights are turned off for constellation viewing. A 'Wizard of Oz" sing-a-long is also popular with families, a great time for old fans of the film and newcomers.

In addition to this, water lovers will adore the ship's five pools, perfect for swimming the day away or taking part in poolside competitions like pool volleyball. Families with less-than-great swimmers may want to opt for the kid's splash pools, although kids MUST be potty trained to use the pools. As usual with most Princess cruise liners, the kids and teens areas are a huge hit with families. Younger kids age 3-7 can enjoy The Treehouse's puppet making and painting crafts, kids games like Bingo, and other organized activities. The Lodge is a club for slightly older 8-12 kiddos with arcade games and opportunities for kids to make friends on the ship. The typically harder to please teens will find a place of their own at The Beach House, a teens-only club for socializing, relaxing, and organized events like pizza parties and hip hop dance classes. 

Even on the longest of sailing trips passengers may find it difficult to experience everything Sapphire has to offer. Theater fans will not be disappointed by the numerous Broadway-style productions, stand-up comedians, and magic acts available in the ship's theater, each production an enjoyable event for all members of the family. A Movie Under the Stars event is perfect for families after a long day of fun (make sure to grab a bag of complimentary popcorn as well!). Daily fun has no limits with art auctions, wine tastings, culinary/dance classes, and Festivals of the World events to fully immerse yourself in the culture of your destination (on select sailings). For parents looking for a little alone time, to take advantage of the numerous bars and lounges or casinos perhaps, group babysitting is available on board with a charge of $5 per child, per hour. 

Each ship has a variety of fun activities for the whole family, so be sure to check your ship before you cruise to view what's available. Whether you're 8 or 80, there's no reason not to have fun on your getaway at sea; before breaking off into everyone's activities, enjoy some time together by planning to meet for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. 

This is the time to make memories and nothing could be more memorable than setting up a shore excursion for the whole family. Plan your shore excursions ahead of time for the best chance at booking your top selections.

*Please note it is often cheaper to book two staterooms or two connecting cabins instead of one large stateroom suite - plus it gives you a second bathroom.*