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Disclaimer -We would like to pass on our impressions and thoughts of our cruise experienceto anyone planning for or getting ready to participate in a similar Itinerary. Everyone knows that reviews are subjective. One person’s gold is another’s trash. That said please remember this is our personal impressions and yours, of course, will vary. We ignore postings that are made in responseto our reviews that merely seek to flame. We will review subsequent posts in order to provide answers to questions asked. We appreciate this understanding. Please ignore any spelling or grammar errors –we want to get this posted swiftly before we lose focus on our experiences. Thank you.
Travel andEmbarkation - We are a semi-retired American couple (both 65 years of age) living as expats in an Asian country. This was our sixth cruise (3 on Princess and 3 on Norwegian). We were accompanied on this cruise by two of our granddaughters (age 14 and 12). We chose to make all our own arrangement for this trip including direct reservations with Norwegian Cruise Lines, air travel, hotel, and transfers (control freak syndrome).
We flew in two days ahead of the 25 June sail date so we could enjoy some time in Copenhagen with the girls. Our pre-cruise stay was as the Scandic Copenhagen (Vester Søgade 6 Copenhagen V) located just across the street from the Tivoli Amusement Park where we spent a good part of Sunday. We also visited the statue of the Little Mermaid. The weather was great.
On boarding day we took a taxi cab from the hotel at justafter 10:30 AM and arrived at Passenger Terminal #2 just prior to 11:00 AM. After dropping off our bags we walked directly to security and then to check-in without waiting in a single line. We walked on to the ship within 15 minutes of exiting the Taxi.
The Ship – Itis big. The Breakaway had just come out of dry dock recently and I have to say that the ship looked to be in excellent condition. We saw no signs of damage from sailing into Winter Storm Grayson last January. We also saw no evidence of on-going maintenance during our cruise such as what occurred on the Norwegian Sun during March 2018. Our mini-suite was Port Forward on the 8th deck and we generally walked the stairs and rarely took an elevator so crowded elevators were not a concern. We did noticethat often there were many waiting to ride.
We did not use the casino but we did walk through thearea a couple times and noticed a very heavy tobacco odor permeating the area. We decided that after the first day when walking from the front to the rear of the ship we would simply walk down a flight of stairs, crossed under the casino and walk back up the stairs on the other side. The odor, while evident is not, in our opinion, something to get into a huff about.
The often mentioned vibration in the rear of the ship isa fact. As our cabin was forward the only time we noticed it was when we were having a meal in either the Manhattan Room or the Buffet. It seems that at certain speeds there is a very noticeable “rumble and shake” at the stern.
Our granddaughters thoroughly enjoyed the swimming pool, rock climbing wall, rope course, and basketball court. The weather was agreeable most days. There are two swimming pools on deck 15 (one adult and one open). Both are small and certainly could be a real problem during a cruise in a warmer location but this cruise was in the Baltic.
Our Cabin– We had a mini-suite with large balcony on Deck # 8 Port Side Forward. Our cabin steward was very intuitive and was always available but never intrusive. He was very friendly and always helpful. Towels were replaced almost as soon as used and the room serviced regularly. The room was kept very clean.
We had a large sized bed located by the balcony door. The two girls used a convertible sofa and a Pullman bed. Both reported that the beds we comfortable. The room is more like a superior balcony then a mini-suite in size. The bathroom was very large and had a big glass door shower with a rain shower head and multiple body jets. If you would like separate shampoo and rinse you should consider bringing your own. We were not a fan of the product provided. The bathroom was spotless.
With the four of us I must say that storage space was acommodity. We managed. We had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs,and a large table on our balcony.
The television was surprisingly small and the channel selection was non-existent but useful for checking your shipboard accounts and reservations. Ship announcements were not broadcasted into the rooms so you had to listen from the outside if you wanted to hear the public announcements.
We had a 250 minute Wi-Fi package which lasted for the entire cruise and was fast enough to use our Voice over Internet Protocol application on our Cellular Telephones to made calls the girl’s parents.
There was a coffee maker with free coffee provided in our cabin but we did not use it as the coffee available at many locations around the ship provided plenty of very satisfactory coffee.
Dining &Entertainment - We ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet on deck 15. Breakfast was the standard fare with omelets made to order and a wide variety of breakfast foods to choose. In our opinion the buffet was well designed with adequate seating. The staff was very fast at removing plates and silverware and cleaning tables as people left. We never had a difficult time finding a seat. We found the food in the buffet to be generally good but quite repetitive. One thing that both my wife and I found a bit irksome was the nightly themes in the buffet. Highly advertised Russia Night, American Night, Grill Night, etc. never materialized. There may have been a couple of added entrees but certainly not a“Theme Night”. Others may have had differing impressions. The girls fell in love with the self-serve soft ice cream machine in the buffet.
We had dinner twice in the Manhattan Main Dining Room. Both were excellent meals. Having reservations we were seated immediately. We did notice a slight lag in service but the menu items were always appropriately hot, warm, or cold.
On the first sea day we ate at the Cirque Dreams and Dinner Entertainment venue. It was an excellent show that the girls obviously enjoyed very much. The food was OK and of adequate quantity but the menu was very limited.
On the second sea day we had dinner at Norwegian CruiseLine's hibachi-style Japanese restaurant -Teppanyaki. It was very entertaining and the food was very good.
Tours –We booked all our tours through NCL. As everyone knows this is a more expensive option but the benefits of ease of booking, guaranteed return to the ship, and tour operator vetting are hard forus to ignore. We did not want to take any risks with our grandchildren. A note to those of us who need to take a bathroom break often – Make sure you avail yourself at every opportunity as we found that facilities in all ports are somewhat limited and there are usually long waiting lines.
Rostock Germany – Picturesque Views & Molli Train. It was a great tour with an engaging guide. The short train ride on the narrow gauge coal fired steam train was very interesting with the shake and rattle and smell of the smoke was such a treat. We had German Chocolate cake and coffee/tea after the ride in a local hotel.
Helsinki Finland – Highlights and Architecture. We toured the former home of Finnish architects Eliel Saarinen, Armas Lindgren, and Herman Gesellius. The home was built in 1902 by a beautiful lake. The home is meticulously maintained and contains much of the original furniture. Later we stopped at the Senate Square in Helsinki where we saw the Lutheran Cathedral, and the Presidential Palace. We later visited the Temppeliaukio Rock Church (the highlight of the tour for us).
St. Petersburg Russia (2 days) – We visited the Hermitage Museum, Catherine’s Palace, and Peterhof Grand Palace along with an extensive bus tour of the city. Tours at all venues were extremely crowded with many (many) busses and tour groups all contending to view the exhibits at the same time. Our guide for the two days was a wonderful lady who was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She kept us all together and engaged with commentary and interesting conversation. There is very much information available on line and in other places concerning the exhibits in these locations so I will skip and lengthy dialog except to say that anytime you can get to see a da Vinci painting or a Michelangelo sculpture almost within arm’s reach you should jump at the chance. I remain in awe.
Tallinn Estonia – Upper Town and Kadriorg Palace. We dida walking tour of Tallinn Old Town where we entered the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral which has numerous gold icons and mosaics. We visited the Kadriorg Palace (now a museum) built by Peter Great in honor if his empress wife Catherine I. Our tour guide was an engaging lady who kept everyone’s attention with knowledgeable and interesting dialog.
Stockholm Sweden – Best of Stockholm. We visited the museum of the Swedish warship'Vasa', once considered one of the world's largest and the pride of Sweden's mighty navy. The present museum is built around the 17th century warship which sank in Stockholm's inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. Next we visited Stockholm's oldest and coziest quarter, the old town of Gamla Stan. We viewed the exterior of the Royal Palace and walked through the narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets. No opportunity was provided to enter any of the buildings. Our tour guide was somewhat inflexible and allowed no one to divert from his schedule or direction. Several of the tour participants asked to use a restroom but he continued to talk about glacial retreat while we suffered. We finally bolted from the group and went around asking for directions to facilities. We regret having taken this tour under these circumstances. Otherwise – Stockholm is a very beautiful city with much to see.
Overall we had a wonderful time and would recommend the Norwegian Breakaway and the Baltic itinerary. The Breakaway is a great ship for families having facilities for everyone. The one area for which we would like to see change is more family entertainment in the theater. Mature themes kept us from attending all but one of the shows – Burn the Floor – which we greatly enjoyed.
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Please find copies of the Freestyle Daily for all nine days of the cruise below. Hope someone finds them helpful.
NCL Breakaway Baltic Day - 001 Op.pdf
NCL Breakaway Baltic Day - 002 Op.pdf
NCL Breakaway Baltic Day - 003 Op.pdf
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Disclaimer -We would like to pass on our impressions and thoughts of our cruise experienceto anyone planning for or getting ready to participate in a similarItinerary. Everyone knows that reviewsare subjective. One person’s gold isanother’s trash. That said pleaseremember this is our personal impressions and yours, of course, will vary. We ignore postings that are made in responseto our reviews that merely seek to flame. We will review subsequent posts in order to provide answers to questionsasked. We appreciate this understanding. Please ignore any spelling or grammar errors –we want to get this posted swiftly before we lose focus on ourexperiences. Thank you.
Travel andEmbarkation - We are a semi-retired American couple (both 65 years ofage) living as expats in an Asian country. This was our sixth cruise (3 on Princess and 3 on Norwegian). We were accompanied on this cruise by two ofour granddaughters (age 14 and 12). Wechose to make all our own arrangement for this trip including directreservations with Norwegian Cruise Lines, air travel, hotel, and transfers(control freak syndrome).
We flew in two days ahead of the 25 June sail date so wecould enjoy some time in Copenhagen with the girls. Our pre-cruise stay was as the ScandicCopenhagen (Vester Søgade 6 Copenhagen V) located just across the street fromthe Tivoli Amusement Park where we spent a good part of Sunday. We also visited the statue of the LittleMermaid. The weather was great.
On boarding day we took a taxi cab from the hotel at justafter 10:30 AM and arrived at Passenger Terminal #2 just prior to 11:00 AM.After dropping off our bags we walked directly to security and then to check-inwithout waiting in a single line. Wewalked on to the ship within 15 minutes of exiting the Taxi.
The Ship – Itis big. The Breakaway had justcome out of dry dock recently and I have to say that the ship looked to be inexcellent condition. We saw no signs ofdamage from sailing into Winter Storm Grayson last January. We also saw no evidence of on-goingmaintenance during our cruise such as what occurred on the Norwegian Sun duringMarch 2018. Our mini-suite was PortForward on the 8th deck and we generally walked the stairs andrarely took an elevator so crowded elevators were not a concern. We did noticethat often there were many waiting to ride.
We did not use the casino but we did walk through thearea a couple times and noticed a very heavy tobacco odor permeating thearea. We decided that after the firstday when walking from the front to the rear of the ship we would simply walkeddown a flight of stairs, crossed under the casino and walk back up the stairson the other side. The odor, whileevident, is not in our opinion, something to get into a huff about.
The often mentioned vibration in the rear of the ship isa fact. As our cabin was forward theonly time we noticed it was when we were having a meal in either the ManhattanRoom or the Buffet. It seems that atcertain speeds there is a very noticeable “rumble and shake” at the stern.
Our granddaughters thoroughly enjoyed the swimming pool,rock climbing wall, rope course, and basketball court. The weather was agreeable most days. There are two swimming pools on deck 15 (oneadult and one open). Both are small andcertainly could be a real problem during a cruise in a warmer location but thiscruise was in the Baltic.
Our Cabin– We had a mini-suite with large balcony on Deck # 8 Port Side Forward. Our cabin steward was very intuitive and wasalways available but never intrusive. Hewas very friendly and always helpful. Towels were replaced almost as soon as used and the room servicedregularly. The room was kept very clean.
We had a large sized bed located by the balconydoor. The two girls used a convertiblesofa and a Pullman bed. Both reportedthat the beds we comfortable. The roomis more like a superior balcony then a mini-suite in size. The bathroom was very large and had a bigglass door shower with a rain shower head and multiple body jets. If you would like separate shampoo and rinseyou should consider bringing your own. We were not a fan of the product provided. The bathroom was spotless.
With the four of us I must say that storage space was acommodity. We managed. We had two lounge chairs, two regular chairs,and a large table on our balcony.
The television was surprisingly small and the channelselection was non-existent but useful for checking your shipboard accounts andreservations. Ship announcements werenot broadcasted into the rooms so you had to listen from the outside if youwanted to hear the public announcements.
We had a 250 minute Wi-Fi package which lasted for theentire cruise and was fast enough to use our Voice over Internet Protocolapplication on our Cellular Telephones to made calls the girl’s parents.
There was a coffee maker with free coffee provided in ourcabin but we did not use it as the coffee available at many locations aroundthe ship provided plenty of very satisfactory coffee.
Dining &Entertainment - We ate breakfast and lunch in the buffet on deck15. Breakfast was the standard fare withomelets made to order and a wide variety of breakfast foods to choose. In our opinion the buffet was well designedwith adequate seating. The staff wasvery fast at removing plates and silverware and cleaning tables as peopleleft. We never had a difficult timefinding a seat. We found the food in thebuffet to be generally good but quite repetitive. One thing that both my wife and I found a bitirksome was the nightly themes in the buffet. Highly advertised Russia Night, American Night, Grill Night, etc. nevermaterialized. There may have been a couple of added entrees but certainly not a“Theme Night”. Others may have haddiffering impressions. The girls fell inlove with the self-serve soft ice cream machine in the buffet.
We had dinner twice in the Manhattan Main DiningRoom. Both were excellent meals. Having reservations we were seatedimmediately. We did notice a slight lagin service but the menu items were always appropriately hot, warm, orcold.
On the first sea day we ate at the Cirque Dreams andDinner Entertainment venue. It was anexcellent show that the girls obviously enjoyed very much. The food was OK and of adequate quantity butthe menu was very limited.
On the second sea day we had dinner at Norwegian CruiseLine's hibachi-style Japanese restaurant -Teppanyaki. It was very entertainingand the food was very good.
Tours –We booked all our tours through NCL. Aseveryone knows this is a more expensive option but the benefits of ease ofbooking, guaranteed return to the ship, and tour operator vetting are hard forus to ignore. We did not want to takeany risks with our grandchildren. A noteto those of us who need to take a bathroom break often – Make sure you availyourself at every opportunity as we found that facilities in all ports aresomewhat limited and there are usually long waiting lines.
Rostock Germany – Picturesque Views & Molli Train. It was a great tour with an engagingguide. The short train ride on thenarrow gauge coal fired steam train was very interesting with the shake andrattle and smell of the smoke was such a treat. We had German Chocolate cake and coffee/tea after the ride in a localhotel.
Helsinki Finland – Highlights and Architecture. We toured the former home of Finnisharchitects Eliel Saarinen, Armas Lindgren, and Herman Gesellius. The home wasbuilt in 1902 by a beautiful lake. Thehome is meticulously maintained and contains much of the originalfurniture. Later we stopped at theSenate Square in Helsinki where we saw the Lutheran Cathedral, and thePresidential Palace. We later visitedthe Temppeliaukio Rock Church (the highlight of the tour for us).
St. Petersburg Russia (2 days) – We visited the HermitageMuseum, Catherine’s Palace, and Peterhof Grand Palace along with an extensivebus tour of the city. Tours at allvenues were extremely crowded with many (many) busses and tour groups allcontending to view the exhibits at the same time. Our guide for the two days was a wonderfullady who was extremely knowledgeable and personable. She kept us all together and engaged withcommentary and interesting conversation. There is very much information available on line and in other places concerningthe exhibits in these locations so I will skip and lengthy dialog except to saythat anytime you can get to see a da Vinci painting or a Michelangelo sculpturealmost within arm’s reach you should jump at the chance. I remain in awe.
Tallinn Estonia – Upper Town and Kadriorg Palace. We dida walking tour of Tallinn Old Town where we entered the Alexander NevskyCathedral which has numerous gold icons and mosaics. We visited the Kadriorg Palace (now a museum)built by Peter Great in honor if his empress wife Catherine I. Our tour guide was an engaging lady who kepteveryone’s attention with knowledgeable and interesting dialog.
Stockholm Sweden – Best of Stockholm. We visited the museum of the Swedish warship'Vasa', once considered one of the world's largest and the pride of Sweden'smighty navy. The present museum is built around the 17th century warship whichsank in Stockholm's inner harbor on her maiden voyage in 1628. Next we visited Stockholm's oldest andcoziest quarter, the old town of Gamla Stan. We viewed the exterior of the RoyalPalace and walked through the narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets. No opportunity was provided to enter any ofthe buildings. Our tour guide wassomewhat inflexible and allowed no one to divert from his schedule ordirection. Several of the tourparticipants asked to use a restroom but he continued to talk about glacialretreat while we suffered. We finallybolted from the group and went around asking for directions to facilities. We regret having taken this tour under thesecircumstances. Otherwise – Stockholm isa very beautiful city with much to see.
Overall we had a wonderful time and would recommend theNorwegian Breakaway and the Baltic itinerary. The Breakaway is a great ship for families having facilities foreveryone. The one area for which wewould like to see change is more family entertainment in the theater. Mature themes kept us from attending all butone of the shows – Burn the Floor – which we greatly enjoyed.
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Thank you so very much for your time and efforts in getting the word out. Wife, two grand-daughters and myself are on the 25 June - 4 July cruise and we had so many questions and you hit the nail on the head. We are very glad you had a good time.
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A few pointers and bits of advice for anyone sailing on the Getaway in the Baltics this summer!
Thank you very much for a very helpful trip summary. DW and I along with 2 teen age granddaughters are on the 25 June 2018 Breakaway sailing with a very similar itinerary. Your astute commentary provided us with much helpful information.
One question – you mentioned that the large balcony was not very useful due to the weather. Our granddaughters would love to use the water park. Do you think that might be in the cards?
We are glad you had a great time and thank you again.
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They change every few weeks.
Free at Sea change – opportunity for savings
We (4 of us - DW, 2 teen age granddaughters and myself) are booked (mid ship mini with balcony) on the Breakaway 9 Day Baltic sailing (7-16 June 2018). We always book directly with NCL. Our original booking was made on 19 December2016 for a total cost of $5755. Included in that package were 250 minutes of internet time and a dining package (3 meals for two of us) in specialty restaurants. We picked those “free at sea” options without much enthusiasm because there were offered and the most appealing of available choices.
Yesterday we noticed that a new “free at sea” option (free 3rd and 4th person) was applied to this sailing.
After a short friendly conversation with a very helpful agent we had changed our “free at sea” options and lowered the total cost ofour cruise to $4732, a saving of $1023. We lost the internet and dining packages but we received $240 on board credit and $50 excursion credits.
We realize that many may value the UBP, Dining Package, or other “free at sea” offerings and this may not appeal to them. We just wanted to let others who may be interested know.
We wish everyone fair winds and following seas.
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Just returned home from a 7 night cruise on Breakaway... feel free to ask any questions, etc. I will post a review in a few days.
Looking Forward to your review. Hope you had a great time.
Out last 3 cruises have been with Princess which we enjoyed very much but we always chose our cruises for the itinerary. We will return to Norwegian (Breakaway) for a Baltic cruise in June 2018. Any first hand knowledge and tips about the Breakaway would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance.:)
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We loved loved loved this trip. It helps that we had sunny gorgeous days in Finland, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Oslo and Bergen.
Thank you very much for a really good review. My wife and I are considering a similar cruise with out two oldest (teenage) granddaughters, possibly next year. Your thoughtful commentary and photographs have just made us more sure that this will be our next destination. We sailed on the Star a number of years ago and liked the size and feel of the ship. Sorry you had issues with your neighbor. Some people are not happy until they have made everyone else as miserable as they are.
Thank you again.
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Really? I have never heard of this. Perhaps back in the day of the Titanic but... really?
I may be out of touch but I have never heard of boarding "by deck". Once upon a time the "3rd class passengers" had to stay "below decks" and weren't allowed to enter the first class (or even second class) areas but these days passengers in the Owner's Suite and passengers in IF cabins are pretty much treated the same. Yes, there are a few perks but not all that much and certainly people aren't boarded by which deck they are on. Sheesh... That would mean that inside cabins on Plaza deck boarded before any of the suite passengers.
I'm not sure where you got this idea but it doesn't apply.
Please don't misunderstand. I am not attacking you or belittling you in any way. I am just a bit boggled. You are as "good as" and as "important as" any other passenger on a Princess ship. There is no reason you should have to wait until some other person who is not even there yet has boarded. Many folks arrive late and board immediately and like it that way. Others arrive early and board immediately and like it that way. There really shouldn't be any sort of class system on a Princess ship. (Yes, I am aware that there are a few who would disagree but...).
If I have misinterpreted your post and (hopefully not) offended I do offer my sincere apology. Hopefully you enjoyed your cruise.
As I said in my original post I believed that others would have differing opinions (all of which I consider valid).
My understanding of brand loyalty and privilege is based upon my personal life experiences. I was born in the United States but have lived my entire adult life in Asia where the order of things may be a little different. This has made me a little more accepting of authority than I might have otherwise have been if raised in a more western environment. I felt uncomfortable when I checked in earlier than the published schedule indicated that I should have. I think that if everyone actually stuck to the schedule than it would be a much more pleasant experience for everyone. Just saying……
Thank you for your comments. I didn’t feel attacked or belittled.
We did in fact have a great cruise. Princess was the consummate host provided a great vacation experience in a very challenging area of the world in a safe and comfortable manner.
The below is a quote from an email I received from Princess just prior to boarding our cruise in Singapore. I see from others who posted similar schedules that Princess does in fact board by deck regardless of class of cabin.
START QUOTE FROM PRINCESS
“Thank you for your attention to this notification.
IMPORTANT NOTICES PROGRESSIVE CRUISE CHECK-IN INFORMATION
To help facilitate a smooth start to your voyage we have implemented a progressive cruise check-in schedule. Please arrive at the time listed below. If you have purchased a Princess Cruise Plus Package/Transfer, your check-in time will be provided at your hotel or the airport. Guests travelling on shared transport or arriving as a group will be checked in together. Priority check-in will be available to guests with a Preferred Boarding Pass within your allocated time. Please do not arrive prior to 12:30 PM as your cabin will not be ready. Boarding will commence shortly after check-in. Once onboard, enjoy a meal at Horizon Court which remains open throughout the day to serve you.
12:30 PM - Baja Deck - Cabins on this deck begin with B
1:00 PM - Caribe & Dolphin Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with C & D
1:45 PM - Aloha Deck - Cabins on this deck begin with A
2:15 PM - Lido & Emerald Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with L & E
3:00 PM - Plaza & Fiesta Decks - Cabins on these decks begin with P & F PASSENGERS”
END QUOTE FROM PRINCESS
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Just received email from Princess about our cruise on the Grand 9/25/16. It is to notify us of the Progressive check in times. We are on Aloha deck. They are giving us 2:30 check in time which stinks. We are Platinum so are supposed to have Priority boarding 2:30 is not priority it's the last group to board. It also says Priority check in will be available to guests with Preferred Boarding during allocated time. What does that mean?
So my question is will they let us board earlier or make us sit & wait? We cruised a year & half ago and did not have this progressive check in. Want to go MDR for Lunch and get settled before Muster this does not give us much time. Anyone have any experience with this?
Sent from my SM-T330NU using Forums mobile app
My wife and I just completed out third Princess Cruise and received our “Ruby” level at the end of that trip. We believe strongly that brand devotion should be rewarded and that those very well-traveled should be afforded special treatment for their devotion. It only seems fair. I am sure that there will be comments from others who hold a dissimilar view. To each their own.
During our most recent cruise we purchased a hotel to pier transfer from Princess. Our room was on the Dolphin deck and we should have been boarded after the decks below were completed. We were at the mercy of the transfer and found ourselves virtually the first to board the Diamond. We literally walked off the Princess Bus and up to check in with a choice of every position, all being open. Feeling a little out of place we asked about progressive check in and were told it was not enforced and only a suggestion. I don’t know if this is true worldwide but in Singapore it was. We hope you had a great trip otherwise.
The various membership reward levels are described best from the Princess Web Site cut and paste below.
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Hi fellow princess cruisers.
Thinking of taking a 15 nighter on the diamond princess. For those who have done similar cruise, do you recommend it. Is February a good time to cruise this region????. Ship leaves from Singapore and goes to Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. How did you find the ship?????.
Regards bob.
My wife and I did a 14 day on the Diamond from Singapore to Yokohama this past April. We did a review of that trip. it is located at:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2348924
We hope you find it helpful.
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Even though we have only been on five cruises the Direct versus TA decision has always been one that we ponder over. We have booked both directly and through a TA with good results both ways. As we got a little more experienced and bold we have mostly booked direct. As control freaks direct seems to be more comfortable.
Our booking process for our last cruise went something like this:
September 13, 2013 – directly booked a Diamond Princess Lido balcony (BF) for $3149 PP for a 14 day cruise from Singapore to Yokohama, Japan (April 14th – 29th 2015)
August 5th 2014 – Due to job related issues had to delay out cruise until the following year. We called Princess directly and within 15 minutes we were rescheduled for a similar itinerary departing Singapore on April 11th 2016 for the same amount of money ($3149 PP). Princess made the adjustment without adding rebooking fees.
October 29th 2015 – We received an email from Cruise Critic Price Drop that the Lido balcony was now priced $2699 PP – a total savings of $900. We again called Princess directly and after a 10 minute conversation our new booking confirmation was in our email inbox. No additional costs associated.
On March 8th 2016 – We received an email directly from Princess announcing an Upsell opportunity from the Lido Balcony to a forward Mini-Suite for $299 per person. We had just hours to react and accept or decline the offer. Another call directly to Princess and we were booked into a forward mini-suite (ME) for a total of $2998 PP.
If we had booked through a TA many of these changes would have had charges attached. It is also very likely that we would have not received the Upsell offer in time to take advantage of the upgrade since the TA would have received the offer first.
We have read some of the horror stories of impolite and curt agents who answer the telephones at Princess and other cruise lines but we can categorically state that this has never been our experience. Each and every agent we have spoken to at Princess and Norwegian has been pleasant, helpful, and professional in answering our questions and reacting to our requests for change.
Other may have had other results. Just our two cents.
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I have not been there for several years, but when I was, Japanese law prevented Princess from allowing Internet while in Japanese waters.
At night the ship would go outside of Japanese waters and turn the Internet back on, but this was not always announced. The ship needs it for communication back to the home office.
A news article from the past:
I have been living and working in South Korea for over 30 years and work in the telecommunications industry. I make several trips to Japan every year for business. I am not an expert in satellite communications but one thing that I am sure of is that Korea and even more so Japan keep a very tight hold on the satellite frequency spectrum within their countries. Obtaining permission for satellite landing (setting up and operating a ground station) is a lengthy and often expensive proposition in both countries. It is very logical from my understanding that there are some restriction on earth station (in this case ship station) operation within close proximity to Japan.
On the bright side I can say that during our April cruise while in Japanese waters and while docked in Kagoshima and Osaka our internet worked very well. We were very pleasantly surprised when not only were we able to browse the internet but our commercial Wi-Fi based telephone worked every time we wanted to call our children. We made several lengthy calls from the ship to our family in North America over the internet at basically no cost. Maybe Princess has worked out the issues associated with operating within Japan to our benefit. This seems more likely since the Diamond Princess sails almost exclusively in Japan for six months out of the year.
On a side note, the individuals who were on the Diamond Princess that assisted us with setting up our Wi-Fi connection on our personal equipment are top notch. They are Friendly and Helpful, though obviously over worked.
We wish you a great voyage and vacation.
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We just spent 28 days (June 2016) on the Diamond Princess. Many of the English speaking passengers frequently said this is not their Princess from earlier cruises but a modified Japanese version. Hope this provides help to those that are already booked or considering booking.
Some comments attached---[ATTACH]390026[/ATTACH][ATTACH]390026[/ATTACH]
Thank you for your very well written review about the Diamond Princess during the summer Japan cruise season. We had many questions concerning the how and where of things in Japan which you addressed in your comments. I am sure that it will be most helpful to those who are considering a cruise on the Diamond Princess in and around Japan.
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Hi, could you tell me if US $ was also accepted on board and in Japan?
thanks, Nicole
Sorry it took me a while to write a response. I was on trips to Okinawa and Washington State this past month.
The on-board currency during the cruise was the US $ but most all transactions on the ship were done using the cashless system (using your room key card and the credit card or cash deposit set up during the check-in process). We have lived in the Republic of (South) Korea for many years and have taken many trips to Japan. It has been our experience that the US $ is not widely accepted in Japan. Getting local currency both on and off the ship should not be too difficult. Others may have had a different experience than us.
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When we visited Nha Trang in April, there were shuttle buses to take us from the tender wharf to the centre of the city. Was this shuttle not available on your visit?
We were glad to write the review. There is very little information available on the Diamond lately. IMHO the Diamond is a great ship with great ports of call.
Yes there were shuttle busses available to downtown. We did not get off the ship until afternoon because DW had an Spa appointment in the morning. We don't really enjoy the mad dash for early tenders so we took our time.
We wish you a truly wonderful cruise.
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Just curious, I forgot to ask onboard....if you are due a refund back from your account, how long before Princess will post it on your credit card?
Thank You!
We were on the Diamond Princess Singapore to Yokohama trip (11-25 April 2016) and had $79 of on-board credit remaining when we disembarked. We received a check yesterday in the mail. We were told on board on the last evening that if we had a balance of less the $25 we should go to pick up the money at the desk in the atrium. Anything over that amount would be mailed out. It worked just that way.
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We are empty nesters (mid 60’s) who have chosen princess for our last 3 cruises.
The first Princess cruise was because of the itinerary - we wanted to see Australia and New Zealand. The second Princess cruise (Alaska) was because we got a good price and the sailing date matched our available time frame. Our third Princess cruise (last April – Singapore to Yokohama) was because we like Princess.
We have two other cruises under our belt - both with NCL and both enjoyed very much.
Princess just seems to feel right – rarely has the food been a disappointment, rarely have we been less the thrilled by the staff, and rarely have we felt that we did not receive value for our money. We have always used princess hotel pre-packages and transfers, and while a little costly, we feel the peace of mind well worth the expense.
Likewise we always book directly with Princess and we have always been treated fairly and with respect by their agents.
At the end of our last cruise I realized just what Princess had delivered – a truly memorable experience in safe, convenient, and worry free manner. We don’t have vast experience with which to compare with other cruise lines – we just know what we like. We chose Princess
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Thank you for your very thoughtful review. Having sailed on the Diamond twice I have often wondered about the Sapphire.
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Ship Diamond Princess
Class Gem Class
Deck Dolphin Deck
Stateroom # 2-216
Category Mini-Suite
Port/Starboard/Bow/Stern Port (Forward)
Connects With Cabin # N/A
Accessible No
Quiet Yes
Balcony Size Ample
View Unobstructed
Privacy Issues None
Wind No wind issues
Soot No soot issues
Problems No issues
Comments We enjoyed this cabin and location very much. The bed was very comfortable (though pillows were overly soft and we basically got lost in them).
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Don't know if mattresses have been replaced or not (no past experience to compare it to), but we were on the Diamond 11 - 25 April in a mini-suite, and our bed was lovely. Pillows a wee bit soft for me, but not a deal breaker, that's for sure!
We could not agree more (It's like deja-vu, all over again). We were on the Singapore to Yokohama 11-25 April 2016 cruise (also mini-suite) and we found the exact thing. The bed was the best we have ever had on a cruise but you said it - the pillows were so soft we got lost in them. I don't know if the beds were new or not but we were very satisfied. Satisfaction, as we all know, is subjective.
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Patters for this Diamond Princess cruise can be found here --> http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2349448
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For those interested we have posted copies of the Diamond Princess Patters for our 11-25 April 2016 Singapore to Yokohama Cruise on the flickr website. Please let me know you are having problems accessing these documents.
Hope that they are interesting and helpful.
Captain’s Log – Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 11 – 25 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskyfgUey
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 11 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskvzRjf6
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 12 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskvzRCG6
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 13 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskyRi5R5
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 14 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz966Ee
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 15 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz96jtF
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 16 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskyRiCRh
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 17 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskyRiMmU
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 18 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz96XpV
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 19 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskvyMfg9
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 20 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz2Lc4A
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 21 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz97kjr
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 22 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskyRjkS5
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 23 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz97DGZ
Diamond Princess Patter - Singapore to Yokohama Diamond Princess 24 April 2016 https://flic.kr/s/aHskz97PAr
Baltic Breakaway Daily Posting - 25 June to 5 July 2018
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
The rope course was open everyday (except during rain) along with the pool. The rock climbing wall was open every afternoon too. We had good weather most of the time.