M.S. Le Diamant

[Crowsnesters]

I hope this is not a double post. I have logged off and watied over an hour and it is still not here so again. We have booked an "expedition to Antarctica" with Gohagan and Co. on the M.S. Le Diamant. We have booked a catagory 3 Torquoise deck cabin. I can not find a good deck plan or more than just limited information on this ship. I know it was originally "Song of Flower" on a now defunct cruise line and was last renovated in 2004. Does anyone have any more information? I have also posted questions about the trip on the Antartic board. :)

[deck 9 001]

Here is a current deck plan.

 

Hope this helps you.

 

Mike

 

[nowornever]

We sailed on Diamant as part of the Tauck Chilean Fjord trip in Jan/Feb 06. It was absolutely the most delightful ship EVER & the staff is amazing. I can only hope you will have Capt. Etienne Garcia. He will make your trip the best ever. It's part of the Compagnie de Iles du ponant (sp?) http://www.ponant.com/index.php?module=galerie&opt=1&cat=1&code=27 I think we were on Emerald Deck, but I never heard anyone complain about any cabin. They had just been re-done when we were there & had everything you needed, smallish baths but functional. The food & staff were amazing & Capt. Garcia launched the zodiacs at every opportunity & went with us quite often - his enthusiasm was contagious. He had the staff hoist up ice chunks to put in the very small pool & we had "LeBar-B-Que" around the ice filled pool! I'd be very surpised if you didnt just love it. If I can answer anything else about the ship for you, I'll try to remember (sometimes very taxing on this brain!) I envy you!

[Crowsnesters]

Thank you for your help. We went to company's web site and checked out the photos etc. We are even more excited now than before. :D

[JDRMYS]

Song of Flower sailed for Raddison Seven Seas Cruises (now Regent Seven Seas). It's the only Raddison/Regent ship that we never sailed on. Being a francophile -- I've sailed on almost every French ship company -- I'm really anxious to take a cruise on le Diamant. Perhaps next year!

[nowornever]

check with Tauck, they use ships from CIP for their trips, Le Levant, Le Ponant...nothing this year with Le Diamant or we'd be first to sign up! We were just on Levant for the Black Sea...it's showing a little wear & tear & needs updating....but it's a delightful little ship.

[keltic]

I have sailed many times in different cruise companies, and Le Ponant is so far the best cruise company ever. Not on the Antartica though.

 

However I have only praises for the crew, the best food (sublime french patisserie), and lovely discerning interiors. Cabins are really huge, and with some luxury details like the L´Occitane toilettries.

 

There´s a kind of open bridge policy by which capt garcia welcomes everyone and explains everything.

[nowornever]

Please post your thoughts on Diamant when you return & let us know if you were so lucky as to have Capt. Garcia. Safe travels.

[nowornever]

I just discovered in my Word file a review I did of the Diamant & submitted (unpublished) to CC. If you would like to give me your e-mail address, I'll send it to you since it may (or maynot!) be of interest.

 

Bonnie

[trumbull]

My husband and I are scheduled to sail on Le Diamant next May as part of a college alumni tour arranged through the Gohagan company. I've read different things about the ship. Do you happen to know if the "alternative dining" option costs extra? Is there room to store a large suitcase in the cabins? Is there a casino? (Not important; just wondering.) Anything anyone can add would be most appreciated. Thanks, in advance.

[nowornever]

No casino, no extra $ for very small dining area just outside bar & plenty of room in our cabin for luggage. You're gonna' LOVE it! Pls. see my offer to send a review we did if you want to give me your e-mail. We LOVE Le Diamant & can only hope you will have Capt. Garcia. (see above.)

[vjt]

No casino, no extra $ for very small dining area just outside bar & plenty of room in our cabin for luggage. You're gonna' LOVE it! Pls. see my offer to send a review we did if you want to give me your e-mail. We LOVE Le Diamant & can only hope you will have Capt. Garcia. (see above.)

Dear Nowornever,

I am so glad to hear that you have a diary of your trip on Le Diamant. She doesn't photograph awfully well, and my mother wants to sail with me on her for a northern European cruise for which there are other options.

Is there any chance that you could email me your writing?

Thank you so much. vjt

[nowornever]

no problem, just post your e-mail & I'll send it asap - (I really don't think there is a big security problem by posting it.) I'm envious! I don't see that Tauck is doing anything on it this year - only Le Levant & Le Ponant.

[aspinall88]

I have sailed many times in different cruise companies, and Le Ponant is so far the best cruise company ever. Not on the Antartica though.

 

However I have only praises for the crew, the best food (sublime french patisserie), and lovely discerning interiors. Cabins are really huge, and with some luxury details like the L´Occitane toilettries.

 

There´s a kind of open bridge policy by which capt garcia welcomes everyone and explains everything.

Hello Keltic: "not on the antartic though' What is the reason?

[aspinall88]

I have sailed many times in different cruise companies, and Le Ponant is so far the best cruise company ever. Not on the Antartica though.

 

However I have only praises for the crew, the best food (sublime french patisserie), and lovely discerning interiors. Cabins are really huge, and with some luxury details like the L´Occitane toilettries.

 

There´s a kind of open bridge policy by which capt garcia welcomes everyone and explains everything.

Hello Keltic: "not on the antartic though' What is the reason?

[Reddy-roo]

I just discovered in my Word file a review I did of the Diamant & submitted (unpublished) to CC. If you would like to give me your e-mail address, I'll send it to you since it may (or maynot!) be of interest.

 

Bonnie

Hi Nowornever, I noticed that you had said you had done a review of MS Le Diamant. I was wondering if you still might have a copy that you would be willing to share? Also wondering if you could shed some light on dress code on the Expedition to Antarctica. My friend and I (both women) are heading out in January and hoping that with the restrictive baggage weights, that the dress code isn't super-formal (no room for ball gowns!) ;)

[keltic]

Hello Keltic: "not on the antartic though' What is the reason?

 

 

Well, I sailed on a Iberian Peninsula sailing onboard Le Diamant. I don´t have Antartica in mind as long as I have other options in the markets. I am affraid it could a too monotonous route and overprized at the same time. However I don´t phase out anything.

[nowornever]

I do indeed have the review & if you'll post your e-mail, I will be happy to send it. By the way, when the Wind Star which we were on, was anchored in Santorini in Sept., the Diamant was right next to us....what a gorgeous ship!

[hrprof]

I sailed on the Song of flower years ago - it is indeed a great ship. The Antarctic, however, calls for some features that I was unaware that the S of F has. Does it have an ice strengthened hull? How does it manage the storage and launch of Zodiacs? Storage of boots and other gear? Only 100 people at a time can land on the continent at one time, how is this handled?

[nowornever]

When we were on the Ushaia - Valpo Tauck chartered Diamant almost 3 years ago, it had just completed an Antarctic cruise. Gear was stowed on the drop down stern deck that becomes the loading dock for the Zodiacs. Zodiacs are "hanging" both port & starboard & are launced with a winch (hope my "nautical" terms are ok) & taken to the stern for loading. It was a very smooth operation. Our magnificent Capt., Etienne Garcia was not shy about launching them whereas I understand the other Capt. is not so generous with them. Anyone considering this trip might want to check to see if Capt. Garcia is running the show.....he is beyond amazing!

[Crowsnesters]

I started this thread over a year ago before our Antartic trip and just stumbled back on it today and was surprised to see it still going. We had a wonderful amazing trip. La Diamant has a double hall and was fitted out for antartic cruising. Casptain Eteinne Garcia was indeed wonderful letting us stay as long as possible at each site and where there were whales and marine life to be seen. Also allowing the one passenger in a wheel chair to have 2 private zodiac cruises in the small zodiac. We were devided into 4 color groups and one color group would be called to the lounge and thence to zodiac area and then a second group, once the first came back then the third and after the second group came back then the fourth. The groups were rotated, we never had a situation where one group did not get to go.

[nowornever]

So glad to hear you enjoyed our favorite ship & hands down, our favorite Capt. Did he still deliver those charming "wake up calls?" "This is your Capt. calling from the bridge, I could not wait to tell you where we are....etc." Who was the Cruise Director? Was it Jerome? He's one of the funniest people I've ever met. His bingo games were like going to a comedy club. What wonderful memories. Would love to hear more about your trip!

[bahrain_not_dubai!]

do you have to speak french to be able to take advantage of this cruise line?

[nowornever]

Not on our cruise which was a Tauck charter so may have had an "all English" requirement. We had American naturalists on board but if you had French speaking only ones, it might be a problem. Capt. Garcia speaks fluent English as did the senior staff. Of course the service staff is mostly Phillipine & Indonesian & speaks fine English. The French staff speak to each other, of course, in French (and you just KNOW they are talking about YOU!) Maybe crowsnester had a different experience.

[Crowsnesters]

Yes, Captain Garcia did those wonderful wake up calls. Jerome was not the cruise director. The cruise director was Florin. He was funny also, although I don't believe we had bingo. Our trip also completely in English (well almost) having been chartered by Gohagan Co. for about 12 different University Alumni groups. We had various professors lecturing during our free time. On the almost completely in English the wake up call recording was in French as was the computer e-mail command. We managed to negotiate both without knowing French. We had help with the e-mail (the last person who had done it).