Review Sapphire Princess - California Costal - Apr/May 2012

[Cruizer]

The outside of the hotel ...

 

[Cruizer]

And finally to the former winery ...

It looks like this machine was used to the put the corks in the bottle ...

Look how big these barrels are ...

San Francisco will follow soon.

 

[TexasSue]

Beautiful photos. Thanks so much Susan

 

[Cruizer]

Well, it looks like I've posted Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada, which just leaves San Francisco ...

Good morning San Francisco ...

Golden Gate Bridge ...

 

[Cruizer]

In the bay on the way to pier 35 ...

 

[Cruizer]

We have arrived at pier 35 ...

 

[Cruizer]

The bridge ...

Alcatraz ...

The view from Coit Tower ...

Regent Seven Seas Navigator on the left, Sapphire Princess on the right ...

Alcatraz ...

Sapphire Princess ...

Oakland Bay Bridge ...

 

[Cruizer]

Downtown from the Coit Tower ...

Alcatraz from the Coit Tower ...

Pier 39 from the Coit Tower ...

Alcatraz and Pier 39 from the Coit Tower ...

Sapphire Princess as seen while walking back to the ship from the Coit Tower ...

 

[Cruizer]

Sunset ...

Night time in San Francisco ...

 

[Cruizer]

If I posted all my pictures, there should be 216. Next I'll see if I can post my videos.

 

[Donna - dsw]

Loved the review and all the photos!

 

[Funnel]

Great review and great photos! :doubleup:
I really enjoyed reading and looking at all the photos. Now I'm looking forward to the videos too!
Thanks, Cruizer!

While talking to someone the subject of fuel usage came up. And the person I was talking to mentioned that the QE2 gets only six inches per gallon. I know this is false and I tell him. He is not convinces. So I explain, at six inches per mile that comes to over 10,500 gallons per mile (actually 10,580 gallons). It is about 3,500 miles from New York to London. So that would require over 35 million gallons of fuel. Even at fifty cents per gallon that comes to over $17,500,000. I don’t know how many people the QE2 holds, but it is less than the 2600 the QM2 holds. At $3,000 per person (I sure the average is less) that is only $7,800,000. That is less than half of the alleged fuel consumption. Simply put the ship gets a lot more than six inches per gallon. I believe the figure is actually about 50 feet per gallon, which is one hundred times better than the alleged figure, bringing the fuel costs down to a more reasonable $175,000.

If I have done all conversions litres/gallon and km/miles/feet correct I think the figures for a 58 000 GRT ferry between Sweden and Finland is about 100 feet per gallon. It is very dependent of speed though - a couple of years ago the crossing took about 15 h in one direction and 17 h in the other (one hour time difference between Sweden and Finland and they had the same departure and arrival times - local time - in both ports) and the difference in fuel consumption was 50% (40 metric tons versus 60 metric tons).

I think your estimation (or was it a scientific calculation maybe?) of 50 feet per gallon is reasonable for a cruise ship.

Interestingly enough, this little baby...

...at 8600 GRT only makes about 90 feet per gallon. She's tiny compared to the big ferries or cruise ships, but speed costs a lot of fuel (she makes 40 knots).
By the way - she is not sinking, just all cars in the forward part have been offloaded. :whistle:

A couple of birds (I should have taken a photograph of the sign that said what they are called) ...

I think the one to the left is called Bob and the one to the right is Jim... :whistle:

/Erik

 

[Cruizer]

Now lets see if the videos work ...

These two are of the Sapphire Princess on a normal sea day (very small waves in the ocean). Also, the first one is my first video ever ...

Sapphire videos :: RRI.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

Sapphire videos :: RRII.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

Here is the one of the Sapphire Princess on a really smooth day ...

Sapphire videos :: Smooth.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

Here is the wake from the Sapphire Princess taken on the same day as the smooth video ...

Sapphire videos :: Wake.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

And here are a couple of the seals in Ensenada ...

Sapphire videos :: Lotsofseals-action.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

Sapphire videos :: Sealsswimming.mp4 video by ZefH - Photobucket

 

[Cruizer]

That is strange - all the videos work except the first one. Is this another case where the first one doesn't work and has to be posted twice?

If so, I'll post it twice and if the first one doesn't work, try the second one ...

http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/ZefH/Princess%20Sapphire/Sapphire%20videos/?action=view&current=RRII.mp4#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs18.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb103%2FZefH%2FPrincess%2520Sapphire%2FSapphire%2520videos%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DRRI.mp4

http://s18.photobucket.com/albums/b103/ZefH/Princess%20Sapphire/Sapphire%20videos/?action=view&current=RRII.mp4#!oZZ2QQcurrentZZhttp%3A%2F%2Fs18.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb103%2FZefH%2FPrincess%2520Sapphire%2FSapphire%2520videos%2F%3Faction%3Dview%26current%3DRRI.mp4