Newbury to Princess and Going on Diamond

Hi everyone, we are asking for my sister and her husband who are going on Diamond Princess for their first cruise. We have been on lots of cruises but not with Prjncess and we would like to help them with any tips you can pass on as we want to make this such an enjoyable cruise they do it again with us! Thinking of things like drinks prices, speciality restaurants, prices and are they worth it, any copies out there of the daily program for sea days to show them things that are on, etc

Any help much appreciated! [emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]

Hi everyone, we are asking for my sister and her husband who are going on Diamond Princess for their first cruise. We have been on lots of cruises but not with Prjncess and we would like to help them with any tips you can pass on as we want to make this such an enjoyable cruise they do it again with us! Thinking of things like drinks prices, speciality restaurants, prices and are they worth it, any copies out there of the daily program for sea days to show them things that are on, etc

Any help much appreciated! [emoji4][emoji4][emoji4][emoji4]

Hi Wendy & David

It's nice of you to enquire on behalf of your sister and brother in law so I thought someone should reply. I'll try and answer your questions from our Princess experiences.

We don't buy the drinks package. We enjoy wine with dinner and the occasional lunch/pre dinner drink so buying a bottle of wine at dinner and a beer or wine here and there, suits us. Most of the wine is from Sonoma/Napa Valley but there's often a good merlot from Chile or Argentina about $30 USD (including gratuity). That's close to the cheapest bottle price. There's also a reasonably priced beer or wine (mini bottles) package available through room service to enjoy or your balcony. The final cost works out much cheaper for us than if we had the package. My husband has a coffee card for his cappuccino addiction;)

In our opinion the specialty restaurants generally aren't worth the money. The Italian restaurant, Sabatini's, along with the pizza bar near the pool, serve American style Italian which doesn't match the flavours we take for granted in Australia. Think 'ketchup' instead of tomato paste. Besides, the same food is available at Horizon Court on Italian night!

We choose anytime dining and are happy to sit alone or make new friends. We generally arrive between 7-7.30 and never have to wait long. It's nice to dress up on formal night - nothing fancy but a jacket for him and a nice outfit for her. We like to have lunch in the dining room when we can too.

The Princess Patter is delivered to your cabin every night and outlines everything happening onboard the next day. Daily activities include bingo and trivia, movies under the stars, interest group meet ups eg card players etc. We like the lectures and it's good to get the port lecturer's input. On Celebrity this was a shopping guide but our experience with Princess is that the port lecture is about the port. Doesn't mean they don't take other opportunities to sell you stuff ;)

Hope this is of some help.

.... we would like to help them with any tips you can pass on as we want to make this such an enjoyable cruise they do it again with us! Thinking of things like drinks prices, ....

There should be two happy hours each day.

One somewhere such as the Wheelhouse bar from 3-4pm, and a late one in Skywalkers 10-11pm (I think)

Buy a drink and get a second (same drink) for $1.

Thanks guys that's great info. We'll be going on the Emerald in November so good advice for us too! Cheers Wendy

I've got 34 Patters from the last few weeks, but haven't had time to even think about scanning them yet. (20 for sea days)

However all the normal actvities, some that stand out

Trivia a few times a day

Line Dancing

Hula dancing

Zumba

Tap Dancing

Art Lectures and auctions

Quilling and paper crafts

Enrichment lectures and post talks

MUTS

Ukulele lessons

Eating, lots and lots of eating

Cooking demonstrations

Card and Board games get togethers

Bible study

Drinking

Did I mention eating, LOTS and Lots of eating

Ships tours

The above were offered either every sea day or every two or three sea days.

Anything else that interests you I can see if it was offered

I always get the soft drink package, but not everyone will get value from it.

It includes Gun Soft drink, mocktails (normally about $5 each) shakes (Normally $2.75) and hot chocolate.

Costs $7 a day, so will depend on your drinking habits, for me a real no brainer.

One small tip though get a drink from one of the pool bars first up and use that cup all day for refills from all bars (they hold a lot more), and just replace the cup when you are near a pool bar.

We had ATD this time, normally prefer traditional set time.

But it worked fine, we tended to rock up at about the same time each night to the same restaurant and had the same waiters.

We are bits of ant social hermits so generally had a table for two. but in realty they are so close you can easily have a chat with your neighbours anyway.

I keep any visits to the specialty restaurants for special occasions or when a peek at the menu leaves me feeling less than interested.

The menu is posted outside each restaurant early in the day (they are all the same other than the specialty restaurants) so you can have a looksy.

The Trident Grill does a nice burger, I was underwhelmed by the range of Pizza on offer at the pizza bar, wife loved the green tea ice cream at the ice cream bar.

Thanks GUT2407, that list of activities is great. We are finding on celebrity that they are doing less and less dancing craft etc and it's all bingo and sell sell sell, so getting very boring!!

Thanks GUT2407, that list of activities is great. We are finding on celebrity that they are doing less and less dancing craft etc and it's all bingo and sell sell sell, so getting very boring!!

No worries, any other activities ask and I'll have a look when I finally find the patters among all the dirty clothes.

I forgot bingo.

I've got 34 Patters from the last few weeks, but haven't had time to even think about scanning them yet. (20 for sea days)

 

Hello Gut

Can you tell us anything about the wine lists on Diamond? Are there more Australian and New Zealand Wines or is the wine list still heavily weighted towards Sanoma/Napa Valley?

I've got 34 Patters from the last few weeks, but haven't had time to even think about scanning them yet. (20 for sea days)

 

Hello Gut

Can you tell us anything about the wine lists on Diamond? Are there more Australian and New Zealand Wines or is the wine list still heavily weighted towards Sanoma/Napa Valley?

 

 

I'm a non drinker so didn't pay a lot of attention, however I am also from the Hunter Valley and did notice a few local brands, sorry I know that's not a lot of help. I also saw a few labels I know from WA and SA.

 

 

I'm a non drinker so didn't pay a lot of attention, however I am also from the Hunter Valley and did notice a few local brands, sorry I know that's not a lot of help. I also saw a few labels I know from WA and SA.

 

That's a huge help really. In other parts of the world Princess generally carry Oyster Bay and Koonunga Hill if you're lucky, so if you saw brands you recognised from across Australia that's excellent. A very welcome change. Thanks for the info.

 

That's a huge help really. In other parts of the world Princess generally carry Oyster Bay and Koonunga Hill if you're lucky, so if you saw brands you recognised from across Australia that's excellent. A very welcome change. Thanks for the info.

 

They had Oyster bay, other brands I saw or in some cases am pretty sure I saw included

 

Penfolds

McGuigans?

Tulloch

McWilliams

Lomboch (sp)

Petersons

 

They had Oyster bay, other brands I saw or in some cases am pretty sure I saw included

 

Penfolds

McGuigans?

Tulloch

McWilliams

Lomboch (sp)

Petersons

 

For a non drinker you've done exceptionally well ;)

Thank you.

 

For a non drinker you've done exceptionally well ;)

Thank you.

 

Wife says they had Champagne fom Pettersons in the Hunter, must have missed that one Col won't be happy if h hears I missed his label.

Thanks guys that's great info. We'll be going on the Emerald in November so good advice for us too! Cheers Wendy

Hi Wendy & David

I'm wondering if your sister & brother in law have sailed yet? Did they enjoy themselves?

And, how was your cruise on the Emerald?

Were either of these cruises ex Sydney?

It'd be good to hear of your experiences.

Hi Wishfulone, we haven't been yet[emoji22] My sister goes in March and we go to NZ on Enerald in November so let you know then[emoji4]

Hi Wishfulone, we haven't been yet[emoji22] My sister goes in March and we go to NZ on Enerald in November so let you know then[emoji4]

Hi Wendy & David

I just reread this and realised we may be on the same cruise as your sister. Where's she sailing to/from?

She's going from Sydney to Sydney in March just a week

She's going from Sydney to Sydney in March just a week

Ah, she'll be onboard the Diamond before us. I'm sure your sister and brother in law will have a great time. They'll be able to post before we leave!

Please translate:Rock up? Newbury??? Thanks

Please translate:Rock up? Newbury??? Thanks

Rock up = arrive (generally unannounced)

Please translate:Rock up? Newbury??? Thanks

Pretty sure Newbury should have been Newbie.

And Newbie means new to.

And Newbie means new to.

And I will be a newbie on the Diamond next month, my first cruise down under. I am so excited about it!