Anyone taken diamond princess to south east Asia??? B

Yes. What they don't tell you is Chinese drivers are crazy! It's quite a ways from the dock to train station in Tianjin. Take the high speed train, Tianjin to Beijing because it is 78 miles and there will be terrible traffic. Better to get reservation if you can. If you haven't been, go to a Chinese restaurant where no one speaks English and have a ball. We did.

Yes. What they don't tell you is Chinese drivers are crazy! It's quite a ways from the dock to train station in Tianjin. Take the high speed train, Tianjin to Beijing because it is 78 miles and there will be terrible traffic. Better to get reservation if you can. If you haven't been, go to a Chinese restaurant where no one speaks English and have a ball. We did.

Thanks for that, we already have a transfer booked from the port to Beijing as part of a non Princess package we have added on. 3 weeks in China so plenty of opportunity for the Chinese Restaurant experience!

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Does anyone know if talks/advice on each port of call are available on the Diamond Princess Grand Asia trip from Singapore to Beijing? My wife and I are going October 25th

We had NO port lecturer on our SE Asia trip from Fremantle to Tokyo.

It was very disappointing and sorely missed.

They said the lecturer was taken ill and they couldn't find a replacement.

Such a shame.

Not sure on your transfer but my experience says just rebook on the hi speed as the bus ride is from hell. Takes 45 min instead of the obligatory 3-5 hr. You aren't going into anything you have ever dreamed of as Beijing traffic can get tied up for 12 hours. Be sure to get some food after departing the ship if possible. Food at MCDs isn't even what you expect but it is pretty good. They call Kentucky Fried Grandfather Colonel, Everyone eats Chines food for breakfast.

The brain is the most outstanding Organ in the body.

It work's 24 hr/day, 7 days a week without stopping.

Right from your birth until you fall in Love!

Has anyone done this cruise in December? Any pointers about the weather?

thanks

We sailed on the Diamond last spring (March/April 2015) from Singapore to Hong Kong (with two stops in Vietnam) and we had an incredible time! The ship was in fantastic shape, the service was excellent (as always), and the food was superb.

The weather for us was good, but very hot and humid in Singapore and Vietnam (which is completely normal). Just be prepared to sweat more than you probably ever have in your life, and you'll be fine. ;) Everyone else will be sweating too, so it's not like you'll feel out of place! The weather in Hong Kong was perfect in April--a little humid, but very comfortable.

Our favorites sites were the following:

Singapore: The Gardens by the Bay are amazing and well worth the visit!

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam: We took the Princess shore excursion that included stops at the post office, the Notre Dame Cathedral, Reunification Palace, National History Museum, and the Thien Hau temple. A very robust tour and a fascinating city!

Da Nang, Vietnam: We took another Princess excursion to the Imperial City of Hue, which is similar to the Forbidden City in Beijing, China, but smaller and less restored (which, in my opinion, made it more interesting). We also took a dragon boat ride down the Perfume River, which was incredible as well!

Hong Kong: As another poster mentioned, Victoria's Peak is an absolute must-see! Gorgeous views and lots of shops and restaurants up there as well. I also recommend getting out to Lantau island, which is home to the Tian Tan Buddha (or the "Big Buddha") and an incredible sight to see as well!

Whatever you decide, you will have a fantastic time! :)

We did B2B Diamond cruises in August.

I'm really glad to read the post about dining because I thought it was my imagination. The service was ok, but the food on some nights was totally uninteresting and rather blah. Several times we checked the menu and went to the buffet. The "every night" side was Japanese items; the salmon was good. On the right side there were an additional couple of Japanese items each night along with a few Western items. Some were good. Some were not. At least 2 night we went up to the buffet an hour or so after dinner!

There was an excellent selection at the buffet. The noodle station varied daily (described in detail in an earlier post).

There was some entertainment in Japanese only. Most was bilingual. On the first leg, the Japanese only show was repeated later that evening in Japanese and English; on the second leg both shows were Japanese only. I was not happy as both shows were "standing room only." They should have moved this to a bigger venue or perhaps added an "English only" session. Most activities around the ship were bilingual.

The library was good. The guy in the internet cafe was a blast. But overall, I was less impressed with the ship than I had been with the Caribbean Princess a few months before. There is no International Cafe. The "Lobby Bar" is a very poor substitute. Guest Services was overall excellent, but tried to tell us that we would be "fine" with our assigned disembarkation. When we were finally allowed to get off the ship, we found our transportation quite upset and wondering where we were! (we told them we couldn't have a 9:10 disembarkation time with a 9:00 pick up time!). The excursion desk was also great.

In Hong Kong, pop into any restaurant on the street and eat. Just point to the pictures, (ask if they speak English first, someone always does) You get great meals cheap and clean. I love that place.

Can someone tell me where Diamond Princess berths when in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia?

Can someone tell me where Diamond Princess berths when in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia?

It will be a tender just off the main area.

It will be a tender just off the main area.

Our itinerery doesn't show tender for this port but it does for other ports.

What do you call the main area? I'm booking a non-ship tour and I want to tell them where to pick us up.

From memory the port isnt large enough for a cruise ship. Your tour will know exactly where you will berth or tender. Its a small place.

We've sailed on the Diamond three times and have another 2 cruises booked on her. She is a wonderful ship. We've done Asia on her twice and New Zealand once. Here's a few more things to add to the essentials to take when touring in Thailand and Vietnam in particular.

 

Bring a small fan. It gets SO hot. On one tour the gift shop at a small museum sold out of souvenir fans to hot sweaty cruisers.

 

I think someone has already recommended hats and sunscreens, but a folding umbrella wouldn't go astray as well, for both rain and heat.

 

Be aware of dress restrictions particularly in Thailand. Certain types of clothing are not allowed in some areas. Your tour should explain this, but it is confusing. For example, 3/4 length pants were fine for women, but not full length. I'm still not sure why. They usually have sarongs that can be borrowed if your outfit isn't approved...and yes, they look you over before you can enter some places.

 

Rest rooms can be primitive. Take either toilet paper or wet wipes. Also hand sanitizer and tissues. Often there is no soap or toilet paper. If you're taking a bag, make sure it is the type you can wear cross body or around your neck as there is often nowhere to hang it when using the rest room.

 

Be careful crossing the road. As many have said before, the traffic is chaotic!

 

In complete contrast Japan is very clean. No need to worry about rest rooms there. It's also very safe and the people are very helpful and respectful.

 

I think the Asia cruises are wonderful because you get to experience such a wonderful array of different cultures.

 

On the Diamond, make sure you try out the Izumi bath house. Usually on the Asia sailings the inside baths are used naked with women in one section and men in the other. The outside spa area is mixed and clothed. Even if you don't feel comfortable using the inside baths, do try the outside area. You don't have to do the 'naked thing' to use the outside spa. ;)

 

Finally, the Japanese style toilets on the Diamond. You will never feel the same again. I just wish we could install one in our home here in Australia. :)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Re the Japanese toilets....you can, and you should. Had ours for years and wouldn't be without it.

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we have just came of the diamond princess after a 17 day cruise from japan (yokohama) to singapore.

i would love to say everything was sweetness and light but it was far from it.

the first point was the visa we were told we needed for shanghai , we were told we would not be able to board the ship without it. this was not the case and most of the passengers put in a grievance with princess saying we were misinformed . A passenger with all the correct paper work and visas got a call from reception to say she was being escorted of the ship in hong kong and would have to make her own way home, this went on for 3 days before they realised they had made a mistake and she was allowed to stay, the whole ship knew about this and was appalled, the lady called mary received a bottle of wine as a sorry . we are waiting for a reply from princess also.

the quality of food has gone down hill with very small portions being served in the dining rooms, we had to eat in the buffet a couple of times after we had our evening meal, the general feeling on board was the ship has gone down hill.

i read on here someone has said to book all excursions with princess , i would not book any as they are so expensive some were 160 dollars to hcmc , i organised 2 tours, 1 to bangkok and the other to hcmc both were fantastic days out and a guarter of the price.

dont get me wrong not everything was awful , the places we visited and the price we paid was fantastic , generally the food was fine and life is what you make it , we have made friends for life and that counts for a lot

I guess those issues won't bother a lot of people including me. I don't like large plates of food - turns me right off. Visas are always problematic and not the responsibility of the cruise line to sort out as all passengers have different passports. Ships excursions are always more expensive.

I guess those issues won't bother a lot of people including me. I don't like large plates of food - turns me right off. Visas are always problematic and not the responsibility of the cruise line to sort out as all passengers have different passports. Ships excursions are always more expensive.

Those issues with visas did bother people a lot and that was people from Australia to the states and especially the Mexican people who got foisted off in Hong Kong.

It caused a lot of upset on the ship .

The food portions were not small they were tiny we are not big people by any stretch and I know big portions can put people off but to walk away from the table still feeling hungry!!!

Those issues with visas did bother people a lot and that was people from Australia to the states and especially the Mexican people who got foisted off in Hong Kong.

 

It caused a lot of upset on the ship .

 

The food portions were not small they were tiny we are not big people by any stretch and I know big portions can put people off but to walk away from the table still feeling hungry!!!

I tend to just get visas and don't rely on the cruise line advice. If the MDR is serving three courses as per normal then I'm pretty sure I won't go hungry. Guess I'll know in a few weeks.

Bali visas are free yet we still have to pay a processing fee to princess. Meh. I'd rather not pay but won't let it ruin the trip.