DIAMOND PRINCESS - LIVE / ON BOARD REVIEW 6 May - 16 May

[trintrav]

This is a WORK IN PROGRESS - We are four days into our 10 day cruise on the Diamond Princess.  Questions?

 

For a little perspective, this is our 68^th cruise, but first on Princess.  We are Elite/Diamond members with NCL and MSC (Yacht Club only), and have cruised also with RCL, Carnival, Azamara, Viking (River only), and some others that are no longer around.

 

Japan was on our bucket list and had a cruise booked there with NCL during the end of Covid, but that was canceled as Japan was not yet opened.

 

Then, this deal came up with Princess and we couldn’t pass it up.  We originally booked an Oceanview cabin, but bid the minimum for an upgrade and got it.  We also purchased the Princess Premier package,  More on that later.

 

After reading some recent reviews, we were a bit concerned about booking this 20 year old ship.  Driving up the ship n Yokohama, you cant help but notice the exterior is “tired”.  Some rust lines visible, glass is faded, etc.   All those expectations  dissolved once we were inside.  The inside is immaculate.  Carpet is all new, as is most of the upholstery/fabrics.  Yes, some of the rails need to be refinished, but all in all, the Diamond is spectacular inside.  She reminds me of what cruising was when we started cruising in the 80s.

 

Our particular sailing is a 10 night calling on Kagoshima, Jeju Island, Otaru, Hakodate, and Kushiro.  This sailing was the week following Japan’s Golden Week, so I think the sailing was far from fully booked.  Id say about 80 percent of the guests were Japanese with the balance being from Australia, Canada and the USA.

 

We flew into Japan from the USA two days in advance and stayed in Yokohama.  Fantastic city with a lot to see and do.  We stayed at the Sheraton Yokohama Bay and it was an amazing stay.

 

The pier in Yokohama is pretty cool.  Unique in that people/locals can line top deck the pier to wave farewell to the ship.  We arrived at about 1pm and check it was super efficient, even though we did not have status and board with the masses.   We ordered our medallions in advance and had the “Green Line” which helped speed things up I’d say.

 

We are ones that typically don’t take the ships excursions, but this is unlike other cruises where it is easy to DIY at the ports.  It can be done with some advance planning, but we only booked this two months in advance and many excursions were sold out.

 

I will try to keep this review chronological, and comment on things like food, service and entertainment at the end.

 

KAGOSHIMA – We hired a private guide, and she was amazing.  Highly recommend her.  She was inexpensive, and took us to all of the major sites in her own vehicle.  I can provide her information, but we booked her with GOWITHGUIDE    The weather in Kagoshima was amazing.

 

PRINCESS CHEF’S TABLE -  We consider ourselves “foodies” and love the chefs table experience.  This was no exception.  It was an amazing evening and the food really good, and presented very well.  We had the Premier Package, so we opted to choose our own wines from the package rather than pay an additional 40 dollars for the wine pairing part of the package.   Without the wine add on, the cost was 100 pp.  Well worth it.

 

MAIN DINING ROOM FOOD -  Very impressed.  The food is the same in all four of the main dining rooms.  Service is consistently good.  Some waiters are faster than others, but all good overall.  The food was plentiful and many options each night to choose from.  There are Japanese options as well as  more western dishes.

 

SUSHI Restaurant – Amazingly fresh and inexpensive.  With the Premier Package we could eat there every day for free if we wanted to.  With so many options for lunch / dinner, there is not a bad choice.

 

MAIN BUFFET – Wow, I expected this to be an area that was lacking.  Not at all.  The food was always hot, well presented and tasty.  So many options including Japanese, Filipino and western food.  Breakfasts has so much more variety than any other cruise we’ve been on.

 

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island – We also hired a private guide here that picked us up right at the port and took us to all the major sites ended at a local market.  Money well spent.  We especially enjoyed the local lunch stop that was included in the price we paid.

 

IZUMU JAPANESE ONSEN  -  This is a unique feature of the Diamond Princess.  A semi-authentic Japanese Bath separated by gender.  There are four large tubs on each side along with sauna and/or steam rooms.  In true Japanese custom, there is no clothing allowed.  Its no where near as authentic as the onsens in Japan, but you get the feeling.  On this particular cruise, there were no days where bathing suits were worn or mixed bathing hours.  It was not very well used.  I purchased a pass for the 10 days, and most times, I had the entire onsen to myself.

 

For those that enjoy FREE sauna/steam options, there are those facilities available in the Lotus Spa locker rooms.  You can go anytime from 6am – 10pm without a reservation or check-in.

 

TO BE CONTINUED

 

[arizonaperson]

@trintrav great information so far. Wow 68th cruise! 

[nattie]

Thank you so much for your review! We are sailing on Diamond 7/1/24 and looks like our cruise is completely sold out.

Can you please elaborate on any shows in the main theater? I am looking for anything that is local culture related or similar if any. Also any other events on the ship that are culturally oriented? 

[trintrav]

We have been attending the shows every night. Two shows daily 730 and 930pm.  We are on day 5 and so far only one production show. The other shows are a variety. A rock violinist, a world famous harmonica musician from Malaysia and an Elvis tribute. All very good.   There are some Japanese cultural events during the day and late afternoons but we haven’t been to any yet.  Walked by one the other day that was in all Japanese so we didnt  stick around. 

[cr8tiv1]

@trintrav  What a lovely review.  I did a Diamond cruise last spring.  Perfect timing for the Cherry Blossoms.  So far, you have voiced the same sentiments that I had when I was on the cruise.  I had been to Japan before so skipped all of the excursions and did most on my own.  It is too bad that Diamond "parks" so far away from the city.

 

Please do me a favor.  My friend is the Assistant Maitre d' on the Diamond.  Yalcin can be found up in the buffet/Lido Deck.  I just chatted with him and his contract ends probably when you get off the ship.  Stop by and tell him Renee said hello.  He's tall, bald, and will be wearing a dress shirt.  Hard to miss.  Good guy to meet and get to know.

 

Thank you.

 

 

[rwmiller]

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on Diamond Princess this August (8/15-9/4) so are eager to hear how things are onboard the ship. Glad things are going well for you - we are really looking forward to our cruise.

One question - have you been to Churrascaria Grill? We haven't booked it as the location doesn't seem as nice as Crown Grill on other ships and the Brazilian style of dining is not a favorite of ours. 

 

Thanks and keep up the reporting!

 

Bob

[trintrav]

2 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@trintrav  What a lovely review.  I did a Diamond cruise last spring.  Perfect timing for the Cherry Blossoms.  So far, you have voiced the same sentiments that I had when I was on the cruise.  I had been to Japan before so skipped all of the excursions and did most on my own.  It is too bad that Diamond "parks" so far away from the city.

 

Please do me a favor.  My friend is the Assistant Maitre d' on the Diamond.  Yalcin can be found up in the buffet/Lido Deck.  I just chatted with him and his contract ends probably when you get off the ship.  Stop by and tell him Renee said hello.  He's tall, bald, and will be wearing a dress shirt.  Hard to miss.  Good guy to meet and get to know.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Sure.  Will do 

[trintrav]

We are going tonight.  Will let you know.  It’s a sectioned off area is the buffet where we sit every morning. So ambiance definitely not great 

[trintrav]

PART TWO

 

 

 

ITALIAN RESTAURANT – This came as part of the Princess Premier Package and after reading many reviews on this experience, I was disappointed. Probably my least favorite meal in the five days we’ve been on board.  The food was bland.  I had the Eggplant Parm and it the eggplant was chewy.   The pasta dish was the Lobster ravioli and that was pretty good.  You only got two through.  Service was slow and inattentive.

 

PRINCESS PREMIER vs PLUS package  -  We chose to upgrade to the PREMIER package mainly for the extra wifi devices and included gratuities. The internet is blazing fast considering it is satellite.  You are able to stream movies, facetime, etc with no issues.  I even tried to connect my firestick to the TV and it would have worked, but coudnt get the fire stick to attach to the wifi for some reason.  I was able to stream anything from my phone and ipad.

 

The Princess Prizes piece is a joke.  It never worked for us and the app would lock up.

.

The free juice and specialty coffee was a nice feature and we used it every day

 

There is reserved seating on the main level of the production shows only. 

 

The drink selections above 15.00 were few, but interesting.  That said, Princess has the largest drink menu of any ship we’ve been on in the past.  Plenty of selections under 15 for the Plus package. 

 

The wines however were a problem.  I always tried to order wines from the Premium list only to be told they were not in stock  This happened just about every night.  A bit disappointed in that.

 

With the Medallion Class, you can order anything from anywhere on the ship and what you ordered is brought right to you.  Plenty of included selections in the PLUS and PREMIER package and gratuities are included in the package price.  Room service orders (including cocktails) were never more than 10-15 mins away.

 

Would I opt for the PREMIER package again on a future sailing?  Probably, but mainly for the 4-devuce wifi ioption.

[OzKiwiJJ]

1 hour ago, cr8tiv1 said:

@trintrav  What a lovely review.  I did a Diamond cruise last spring.  Perfect timing for the Cherry Blossoms.  So far, you have voiced the same sentiments that I had when I was on the cruise.  I had been to Japan before so skipped all of the excursions and did most on my own.  It is too bad that Diamond "parks" so far away from the city.

 

Please do me a favor.  My friend is the Assistant Maitre d' on the Diamond.  Yalcin can be found up in the buffet/Lido Deck.  I just chatted with him and his contract ends probably when you get off the ship.  Stop by and tell him Renee said hello.  He's tall, bald, and will be wearing a dress shirt.  Hard to miss.  Good guy to meet and get to know.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Please also pass on regards from Julie and Rolf to Yalcin. We met him on Coral on several cruises we did during the Australian restart in 2022. We're back on Coral at the moment doing the world cruise and we miss him. 

[roblc1]

I would love the information on your guide for Kagoshima.  Thanks.  

[trintrav]

9 hours ago, roblc1 said:

I would love the information on your guide for Kagoshima.  Thanks.  

You may need to DM me. Not sure they allow me to post publicly 

[cr8tiv1]

Cruise Critic DM is disabled.  

[roblc1]

There is no DM.  But thanks anyway. Is that really a cruise critic rule ?

[seachelt]

Thanks very much for your review. We will be on the Diamond for the first time in January 2025 and are looking forward to Australia / New Zealand.

Have you seen any options for a pop up Pub Lunch for casual dining? Glad to hear that you like the Sushi for casual dining, we will be trying that.

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise!

Seachelt

[trintrav]

On 5/11/2024 at 10:10 PM, roblc1 said:

I would love the information on your guide for Kagoshima.  Thanks.  

Try g n a r l y dot r e c e i p t s  at g m a i l

[trintrav]

12 hours ago, seachelt said:

Thanks very much for your review. We will be on the Diamond for the first time in January 2025 and are looking forward to Australia / New Zealand.

Have you seen any options for a pop up Pub Lunch for casual dining? Glad to hear that you like the Sushi for casual dining, we will be trying that.

Enjoy the remainder of your cruise!

Seachelt

Nothing yet.  I read about a pop up crab shack lunch but haven’t seen anything.  Maybe the last sea day 

[trintrav]

On 5/11/2024 at 7:06 AM, rwmiller said:

My wife and I are celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary on Diamond Princess this August (8/15-9/4) so are eager to hear how things are onboard the ship. Glad things are going well for you - we are really looking forward to our cruise.

One question - have you been to Churrascaria Grill? We haven't booked it as the location doesn't seem as nice as Crown Grill on other ships and the Brazilian style of dining is not a favorite of ours. 

 

Thanks and keep up the reporting!

 

Bob

Churrrascaria was great. Not the best ambiance but the food and service was impeccable.   Not very well attended by the locals.   The meats were great as were the cocktails and salad bar.  Beef short ribs were out of this world.  They will bring you as much as you like 

[trintrav]

 

THE CREW – With maybe one exception, this is by far the happiest crew that we’ve experienced as a whole.  Truly, always friendly and caring.  Its amazing to see.  Many have been on the  Diamond for many contracts, and even were on during the Covid Ship crisis.  The cruise directors, (Dave and Keiko) work well together and are both friendly and approachable.   The bartenders are always attentive and willing to help with drink selections.

 

 

OTARU – One of our favorite ports.  We hired a private guide/interpreter who happened to be a retired school teacher from Sapporo.   The cost for the day for his services was less than 200 USD.  We saw some local sites around Otaru, and rented Kimono’s for an hour for some great pictures with cherry trees around, and along the canal.   He took us off the tourist trail to a local mall for some shopping.  He was so helpful with helping us find things

 

HAKODATE – We coudnt find an available guide/interpreter, so opted for the Best of Hakodate excursion offered by the ship.  It rained the first 2-3 hours, but cleared up and turned out to be a nice day.  The guide was excellent, as were the stops and lunch.  It was a stress-free, albeit expensive tour day.

 

The SEA DAYS for us are for relaxing, staying in bed, going to the SANCTUARY for a bit, back to bed, etc Just overall relaxing days with plenty of options for those who want to stay active.  Sunbathing is not popular with Asians, so always plenty of deck chairs all over the place.

 

STATEROOM – We had a balcony stateroom kinda forward on Deck 11.  The room, like the ship itself, is 20 years old, but has been upgraded with a large flat panel television with the medallionNET features.  Free Movies, live television, FOX NEWS, MSDNC and some others.  Plenty of TV options.  Kudos to Princess for the movies being free.  The Wifi is blazing fast and I had no problem getting on my VPN for some work.  The bed super comfortable, and AC cold.  We slept the balcony door open most nights.  I love the room layout.  Different than most ships with plenty of closet space.  The closet is sort of a walk in style next to the bathroom.   I LOVE LOVE LOVE how the cabin door unlocks as you walk up to it.  No fumbling to find  your room card, or having to touch the medallion to the door panel.

 

TO BE CONTINUED.

[nattie]

Thank you again for all your feedback and insights!

[trintrav]

On 5/11/2024 at 1:17 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Please also pass on regards from Julie and Rolf to Yalcin. We met him on Coral on several cruises we did during the Australian restart in 2022. We're back on Coral at the moment doing the world cruise and we miss him. 

 

On 5/11/2024 at 6:23 AM, cr8tiv1 said:

@trintrav  What a lovely review.  I did a Diamond cruise last spring.  Perfect timing for the Cherry Blossoms.  So far, you have voiced the same sentiments that I had when I was on the cruise.  I had been to Japan before so skipped all of the excursions and did most on my own.  It is too bad that Diamond "parks" so far away from the city.

 

Please do me a favor.  My friend is the Assistant Maitre d' on the Diamond.  Yalcin can be found up in the buffet/Lido Deck.  I just chatted with him and his contract ends probably when you get off the ship.  Stop by and tell him Renee said hello.  He's tall, bald, and will be wearing a dress shirt.  Hard to miss.  Good guy to meet and get to know.

 

Thank you.

 

 

 

On 5/11/2024 at 1:17 PM, OzKiwiJJ said:

Please also pass on regards from Julie and Rolf to Yalcin. We met him on Coral on several cruises we did during the Australian restart in 2022. We're back on Coral at the moment doing the world cruise and we miss him. 

We met the legendary Yalcin.   Great guy.  He’s staying on an additional 20 days becaus his replacement is sick. 

[chepar]

On 5/10/2024 at 5:32 PM, trintrav said:

The drink selections above 15.00 were few, but interesting.  That said, Princess has the largest drink menu of any ship we’ve been on in the past.  Plenty of selections under 15 for the Plus package. 

 

The wines however were a problem.  I always tried to order wines from the Premium list only to be told they were not in stock  This happened just about every night.  A bit disappointed in that.

I am looking to sail on the Diamond Princess next March and it will be my first time on Princess.  Most of my previous cruises have been with Celebrity with a few earlier ones on Holland America and Royal Caribbean.  The last cruise I was on was pre-Covid (2018) and the one I had scheduled for fall 2019 was canceled.

 

I always get the highest level drink package offered because I like single malt scotch and the lower tier drink package price limit wouldn't cover it.  I have been searching this forum to see if anyone had posted a drink list anywhere but haven't been able to find one yet.

 

I'm really only considering a drinks only package (not adding Wi-Fi and other benefits).  Are the drinks selections above the $15 that you've seen of the mixed drink type?  I'm not a mixed drinks person.  Just trying to figure out which package would cover my single malt scotch.

[cr8tiv1]

@trintrav Thank you so much for relaying my message.  He is really a wonderful person.  Looks like you were in the MDR?  What was he doing there?  Anyway, glad you found him.  Do you mind if I share your photo with Yalcin?

[arizonaperson]

@chepar Here is what I found Scotch wise on Princess, some of the menus may have increased the price ,this is approximate at this point. Some of the ships mix the menus from Scotch and then some include them under the whiskeys. Someone had posted what they could get on the ocean now menu and then the other menu is from Crooners, it does not seem like every bar has scotch .

Maybe you can find someone that is on the ship ( The Diamond) that you’re considering or booked on and maybe perhaps they would post the scotch menu for you , that way you can decide on a drink package.
I believe you can maybe look at a few of the bars once you get on board to see if they have the scotch that you would like and then purchase the beverage only package?? Of course you would have to purchase it on the first day or you’d be losing out on the package per se.

Edited May 14 by arizonaperson

[chepar]

5 minutes ago, arizonaperson said:

Here is what I found Scotch wise on Princess, some of the menus may have increased the price ,this is approximate at this point. 

Thanks so much for this! 

 

I did some googling and was able to find a 2024 whiskey list that I assume is representative of a selection that may be found on any of their ships.  Unfortunately, there were no selections from Islay, which is my preference.  But I do like a good bourbon and I was able to find several under the $15 cap that I would be happy with.

 

Now I'm just trying to figure out if there is a Plus beverage only package or does the Plus package have to come with the added Wi-Fi, 2 casual dining meals, 2 desserts, etc.  The bundled together package is very different than what I'm used to from Celebrity (although it's been a while so maybe they're bundling packages together too now).

 

I am still very early in research mode - I was just asked by my parents to accompany them a couple days ago on this trip because they are too old to travel alone and requested the added assistance.