Friends of Brenda-Diamond Princess-9/30

[wizard-of-roz]

Our first Princess cruise on the Diamond to Puerto Vallarta-September 30, 2006 - was AMAZING!

I travel with my 70 lb, black lab, Hearing Dog named Brenda. And, it's not always easy...in fact, it can be down right difficult, at times!

Thank you to all my wonderful fellow passengers who made me, Morey and Brenda feel so, so welcome! Your warm "hello's" every day, your friendly pats and even moments of "down on the floor" fun with Brenda were so charming and endearing!

The many pictures that were taken of her, alone, were so cute! Your albums will be filled with her!

The crew of the Diamond went out of their way to make Brenda feel special! It's not always easy to cater to a hairy, 4 legged passenger but once her potty box placement got straightened out, the rest of the cruise, for all of us, was a breeze and a delight!

Our Cabin Steward (Alexandur) couldn't have been nicer! Our waiters (Raul) and (Hugo), in the Vivaldi Dining Room, always greeted us in the most charming and welcoming way! And, gave us the best service (5 Star all the way)! Being a Friend of Brenda helped!

Princess really does go the extra mile to please!!!!!!

The food, in the dining room and the buffet was so good. The selections were varied and delicious!!!!!! The layout of the buffet can be a bit confusing but once you get the lay of the land it's do-able!

The lack of ice cream (whenever) was sorely missed but if you remember when it's available; just get in line. And, of course you can always get it in the dining rooms! The coffee was fine (my husband is a coffee "freak" and he didn't have any complaints)! I brought my own case of caffiene free diet coke and had it delivered directly to my cabin, upon arrival.

The high tea was delicious, well stocked and nicely served!

The beds, in the cabin, were so comfortable (some of the best we've slept on), on a cruise ship! The towels were luxurious and thick; the room service was great. The continental breakfasts were very welcoming but I'd like to see full breakfasts served in the cabins.

The ship was kept immaculately (considering she was running on full)!

"Brenda" had so much fun; she especially liked chasing her ball on deck and in the Wheelhouse Bar! To all of you who cheered her on....kudos to you!

The ship staff were all lovely, friendly and very entertaining. I would have liked to have seen a more festive "Goodbye" from them! I'm used to more being made of the last day of sailing. Rather than worrying so much about settling the tab! Way too much was made of that! I prefer a more "gala goodbye"!

"Brenda" loved going to the shows and sitting in her seat to see the dancers, singers or comedians. You all stopped by; asked good questions and always had a lovely pat for her!

Again, thanks to the Cruise Critic members who were on board with her and brought her special gifts....Liz (a stuffy with a squeaky inside) and Robin (a chili pepper designed kerchief)!

We'll be on NCL Star on November 14th, we'll see if "The Friends of Brenda" club will continue! :p I'm looking forward to the weather, in Mexico, not be so stifling hot and humid! No more travels to Mexico before November or after April!

How would I rate Princess on a scale of 1-10 - 10 being best....definitely a 9+! :)

Roz

[lovebug33]

Glad you had a great time! It's so nice to hear somebody who had a great time, especially with the extra stress of bringing your service dog on board!

[tnkrbell13]

I loved reading your review! I'll admit, I was being nosey...I wanted to know who Brenda was.

You must have had a room that has had the bedding upgraded, all I hear about is how horrible the beds are. We'll be on the Diamond in January, and I know we won't be getting one of the comfy ones:(

 

Glad you had such a good time!

[sasa]

I loved reading your story about your service dog.. hopefully I'll get to be a Friend of Brenda someday.

 

I have a Golden Retriever and when I'm away from home, I usually love to get a "fur fix" when I can find one. Isn't it amazing how a dog can bring people together and make them behave publicly in ways they normally would not? ;)

 

You brought a gift to everyone's cruise, I'm sure!