Diamond Princess Review - 10/9 Mexico Cruise

[spingal]

I just returned from the 10/9 Diamond Princess Cruise and as usual had an awesome time. Yes, there were some SMALL things I would have changed BUT overall it was a wonderful week!! :D :D

Here is my review….

Embarkation – My parents and I arrived at the pier at about 12:40. We drove since we live in San Diego. Dad and I dropped Mom off at the curb, a porter took the luggage and then we parked the car. The parking at San Pedro is very convenient and we were able to walk back to the pier. The previous passengers had been late disembarking but we didn’t realize that until we were on board. We are Platinum cruisers and my parents were in a suite so our check-in was easy because we were the second folks in line at the Platinum/suite line. Once we had our cruise cards, we walked right through security and were in our cabins by 1:20!! Later, we discovered that we boarded at the end of the first group of passengers. Many people were unhappy about the boarding process but it was not Princess's fault. It was LA immigration!

Cabins – My folks were in C750, an aft suite. It was a nice cabin but the balcony was crowded because part of the ship’s structure went through the balcony. That made it hard to arrange the furniture. But it was a MINOR inconvenience. But if they had to do it all over again then they would have booked C752, the suite that was next to them. That balcony was HUGE!! I was in C746, an inside cabin only 2 feet from the door of my parents suite! The week before I left, NorcalGuy reported that he had vibration issues with a similar cabin on the Sapphire. While I didn’t notice anything unusual, please note that the aft cabins do move quite a bit – especially on the return trip. And we had “slight” seas!! Can’t imagine rough seas! I definitely felt vibration but it was because of the ship’s movement. Since I am a LIGHT sleeper, I did not sleep well all week and would not book an aft cabin on any ship ever again! It was nice to have an inside cabin when I wanted to take a nap – I did this in port days since I wasn’t sleeping very well. And I had plenty of room – but I was alone in this cabin.

Room Service – We ate breakfast on the balcony a few mornings and never had a problem with room service. They always got the order right! Be aware that they do always arrive before your intended time. It we ordered between 8:30 and 9 then they normally were at the suite by 8:20! And we were able to order hot food – bacon, eggs, etc. since my parents were in a suite. My room service menu for the inside cabin was only for continental breakfast. Every night my parents had canapés delivered the suite. It was very nice – definitely get the strawberries!! They are BY FAR the best.

Room Steward – Gerald WAS GREAT!!!!! He took wonderful care of us. He took better care of us than the guy that was our room steward in the Grand Suite on the Caribbean Princess (Rueben). Gerald got us wine glasses, exchanged our soda for diet soda, left us plenty of ice and overall was very pleasant. And on the nights we had canapés, he always delivered extras – more than we had in the Grand Suite! Plus one morning my Mom lost a contact lens. Gerald got the plumber to come to the cabin to try to see if it went down the drain. What service!! Unfortunately they did not find the lens!

The Ship – The Diamond is now my favorite!! She is a beautiful ship and I like the new amenities. I used the Internet Café frequently, the 4 PC Dining Rooms were wonderful, the Promenade deck has lounge chairs (YAHOO!), the back of the ship is open since the disco is in a different location, Horizon Court is big with lots of tables, the Wheelhouse Bar is spectacular – I could go on and on!! And we never felt crowded. Even the elevators are better – they are faster and you wait less time. And I love the décor they use on the ships – the pastels are warm and inviting.

PC Dining – We did make reservations for every evening but it wasn’t easy!! Since my parents were in a suite, they were supposed to get preferred dining reservations. Well, only if you argue with the concierge and then ask to speak to a supervisor!! In the end, we were able to have our own table every night when we wanted. But it was a bit of a hassle. We talked to the Captains Circle gal when we disembarked and she said that the PC Dining reservations are still a huge challenge for Princess. I really liked the dining rooms. Each one is decorated differently and they are quieter since they are smaller. Every night you are given the menu from the traditional dining room plus a small list of specialty items from the dining room you are eating in. High points are the onion rings in Sterling, the Kahlua rice pudding in Santa Fe and the Ravioli in Vivaldi. We did not care for the Pacific Moon menu but that is because we are not sushi or seafood eaters.

Food – Overall the food was wonderful!! I thought that Horizon Court was much better than the Caribbean Princess. And we had great meals in the dining rooms. Loved the pizza, did afternoon tea one day and it was very nice. We did carry on wine when we embarked and did bring OPEN bottles to the dining room and were not charged corkage. But I understand this can differ by ship and dining room. And if you like margaritas, then definitely try the 24 karat one!! YUM! GREAT MARGARITA!! And the coffee and OJ were not bad!! Especially the OJ – it was excellent in comparison to the OJ on the Caribbean Princess. We did bring a coffee maker for our cabins but we really didn’t need to. While our coffee was better, we were fine with the ship’s brew.

Entertainment – Overall excellent!! Piano Man is one of the best shows I have ever seen. We saw Don Friesen (comedian) and if he is on board – DON”T MISS HIM!! We laughed so hard. Other entertainers were Tony Tillman and Blair Shannon – we really enjoyed them too. There was another production show later in the week called Undercover. It was OK – not great. I would skip that one! And they showed movies in some of the public rooms –Troy, Harry Potter, Stepford Wives, Spiderman2.

Ports – We didn’t take any excursions. And I do regret not doing that in Puerto Vallarta. We talked to numerous people who loved the Jungle Canopy. So next time, I will definitely do that excursion! It was HOT in PV. We went to Pipi’s for lunch, shopped and returned to the ship around 3. In Mazatlan, we shopped at the pier since we have been to Mazatlan on previous cruises. In Cabo, we just shopped. So overall, the ports were quiet for us. But it was nice to enjoy the ship while everyone was off on excursions!

Captains Circle Party – This is the only really bad point about this cruise!! :mad: The Captain was RUDE! He actually took my Mother’s hand and pushed her through the line. And then towards the end of the hour, they announced that we “should finish our drinks and head towards the door so they could get ready for the next party (we went to the early party). WOW!! That was a first. Everyone was really grumbling. We talked to the Captains Circle gal about that too and she told me that she reprimanded the guy that asked us to leave (Greg, assistant CD). And on the way out, we wanted another drink and had to BEG for it!! Yikes – not the type of service that will keep past passengers returning!

Cruise Staff - Billy Hygate was our CD. He was OK. Really missed Graham from the Caribbean Princess!! Overall we did not think much of Billy and his staff. But that didn't really bother us. They don't make or break our trip. But I still missed Graham!! Donna, one of Graham's assistants is now on the Diamond, (I saw her at Island night - she is taking over on the 10/16 cruise for one of the assistant CD's) and hopefully she will liven it up!!

Gym/Spa – Never had a problem getting equipment but we did not go early in the day. You can get a treadmill if you go after 11am. They have wireless headsets that you can use to watch TV while you are working out. Each piece of equipment has its own TV. I really like that!! I did have a massage one day and it was GREAT!! Ask for Susana. And she did not try to sell me anything. But be aware that the Diamond does not have port day pricing that is cheaper (like the Caribbean Princess). So just go ahead and book on a sea day. They did have some port specials but they were not the same treatments – it was a mix and match – you picked two 25 minute treatments for $79. Not bad so book early is that interest you. The appointments fill quickly.

To be continued....

[spingal]

Final part...........

Overall service – Definitely a mixed bag. :rolleyes: I can not stand the maitre d’s in any of the dining rooms. They are rude and treat you badly. We chose to sit alone at our own table and for some reason that perturbed them!! Especially for breakfast and lunch. And the waiters were good – not great. Only exception was Dana in Sterlings and Michael in the International Dining Room. But we did not let this take away from our dining experience!! It was more of an inconvenience.

Pursers Desk – WOW! Finally they are nice!! That was a first for me. Normally they are rude!

Casino – Machines were tight. Be prepared! Of course we are not big gamblers. Only play 5 cent and 25 cent machines. Woo hoo!!

Shops – Great sales!! I bought a nice Sapphire/Diamond ring for a great price.

Disembarkation – Overall was fine but it does take longer to get off the ship in LA than it does in Florida. For some reason, immigration is SLOW!! We waited in the Elite/Platinum Lounge and it was crowded – so get there early! But it was nice because they have coffee and Danish for you while you wait. We were home in San Diego by 1:45 -- much nicer than having to fly home!!

OVERALL – It was another wonderful week on a beautiful Princess ship. There were MINOR things that could have gone differently but NOTHING that will take away from the marvelous week on the Diamond!! I highly, highly recommend this ship.

Please let me know if you have any questions! It is so hard to be home :eek: but the Island Princess to Hawaii is only 6 months away! And I also have an open booking to who knows where! :confused:

Jamie

[melissa_bel]

Welcome back Jamie, a well-written and balanced review I really enjoyed reading it. I'm glad you and your parents had a great time.

[roadrunner454]

Glad to hear you had a good time and would do it again.We are going in Nov.and can`t wait. Thanks for taking the time to post.

[sunsetme]

thanks for the review. I liked your comparisons with Caribbean Princess.
5 weeks to go for me!

[spingal]

Roadrunner54 and Jdechter,

Have a wonderful cruise!! I hope your trip is as great as mine was!! :D

Melissa,

Thanks!! We definintely had a great time!!

Jamie

[gipper77]

Spingal - We are on the Diamond, 11/6. DW has been on the Diamond 3 times and I have been twice. When we dock in San Pedro in the past we were able to be some of the first off at 8:15. The question is, on your cruise what time did people start disembarkation?

I'm glad you had a good time on the Diamond. we love that ship. We were on the Island in Alaska this past September. It is not the Diamond but you will enjoy the Island.

[Hornet]

Thanks for the very informative review, Jamie. We'll be on the Diamond in less than two weeks. We'll also be on the Island to Hawaii in 2005 ~ haven't set the date yet. We loved the Island for our first Princess cruise last year.

It's too bad they changed the second musical because everyone loved Curtain Up which was on the Diamond in Alaska. Is it just not a great show or do they need more rehearsals? I am looking forward to Piano Man. The comedians seem to change often too.

Thanks ~

[spingal]

Gipper77,

People starting disembarking around 8:30. We were off at about 10:45 and I estimate that 2/3's of the folks were gone. It was slow! Sometimes 30 minutes would pass before the next group was called. But the good news is that it really spaced people out and the luggage areas and the area outside of the pier were not overly crowded. I was on the Caribbean Princess earlier this year and people were disembarking so quickly that the luggage areas were VERY crowded and people were pushing and shoving -- it was not a nice experience.

Hornet,

Undercover was a "silly" concept. Unfortunately I do not think more rehearsals will help!

I can't wait for the Island Princes. That cruise is 15 glorious days!!!! I hope the next 6 months goes quickly!! With the holidays, I am sure it will!

Enjoy your cruises on the Diamond!!!!!

Jamie

[Cessna140]

Hi
We are sailing on the DP in January. There are 6 of us and we are waitlisted for first dinner ( we know it will never happen ) so we are planning on going to the dining room of choice on day one and asking for a certain time reservation for every day of the cruise. Do you think this will work? Or do you have any suggestions? I imagine a little showing of the "green" may help here?
Thanks,
Marcia

[spingal]

Marcia,

If you plan to eat early (I assumed so since you wanted first seating) then you will be fine. They will only let you make reservations for two days at a time so you will have to call more than once during the week to get your reservations. My suggestion is to eat at around 6pm. And if you do not care about the dining room then go to Pacific Moon. That was always the easiest to eat at. Sterling is by far the most popular.

We did not need any "green" but I am sure that can not hurt. On embarkation day, the dining staff will be at a table outside Sabatinis so you can "grease" the wheels appropriately if needed! ;)

Jamie