Diamond Princess 5/15 Alaska Cruise Pictures & Review

[S&T]

My cruise pictures are at: http://community.webshots.com/user/fusco9800

 

 

 

This is a review of the now-infamous 5/15 sailing of the Diamond Princess.

 

SUMMARY

 

The ship is beautiful but very big. The food selection is good and the quality is pretty good considering the volume that is prepared. We were extremely pleased with the cabin and restaurant staff. The very personal service at Sabatini’s was also great. We found the entertainment to be OK (some great – some duds).

 

Overall, this cruise met our expectations and we had a great time. There were many things that Princess could have done or handled better, however, it would not stop us from cruising Princess again. On the other hand, it did nothing to instill any brand loyalty in us either.

 

DETAILS

 

Seattle – We drove to Seattle the night before and found a hotel that would let us leave our car for the week. Woke at 6am and drove down to pier 30 to see the ship. It was enormous. Went back to the hotel, ate breakfast and waited for our ride to the pier.

 

Embarkation – Arrived at the pier at 10:30am. There was already a line of people who needed to drop off their luggage. However, the receiving door was not open. We noticed that the previous cruise passengers were still disembarking. Since the ship was in port so early this morning I thought we should be boarding soon. However, more and more passengers kept coming off the ship….and our line got longer and longer. The port crew moved people to compact our serpentine line since the newly arriving passengers were now lining up in the parking lot. The first rumors we heard was that the delay was caused by the ship arriving late. We knew that wasn’t correct. Later, we were told that US Immigration delayed the disembarkation. I’m not sure if we really knew why it took so long. Anyway, the baggage door opened around 2pm. We dropped off our luggage and then stood in the ticket line. Got through that line around 2:30pm and then off to the security screening line. Finally got onboard only to stand in the cruise card picture line. Why did we have to stand in four lines? Finally got to our room after 3pm.

 

The ship – Very big and nicely decorated. Looks just like all the pictures posted on the websites. No big surprises. However, it did take us about a week to remember where everything was located.

 

Our room – We booked a balcony cabin specifically for Alaska. This was our first balcony and we really enjoyed it, however, we still plan to book inside cabins on some of our future cruises. We left the curtains open and usually woke up before 4am. Spent hours on the balcony watching the inside passage slowly sail by – until shipboard activities started. It was amazing. Our cabin steward was first rate. He always greeted us by name and was always willing to accommodate our needs (which weren’t too many). Our cabin was always made up and organized – which was amazing since we were constantly on the go and we were very messy.

 

Restaurants – We only at in the International, Santa Fe and Horizon Food Court. We chose Traditional dining – first seating. I think we were really lucky that we booked early because the waitlist for our seating ran into the hundreds. The International dining room menu was pretty much the standard Princess menu. (My only other cruise with Princess was 15 years ago and the menu seemed exactly the same – I was hoping for a little change). On four of the non-formal nights we were also given a chance to order from the other anytime dining restaurants. I found the anytime dining restaurants to have very limited menus, thus, I mainly ordered from the International menu. (I felt that I can cook a steak, prime rib or lobster at home – I wanted dishes that took time to make and were inventive). Overall, I thought the menu selection was good and the food quality pretty good for such a large operation. Our waiters were great and the other restaurant staff very pleasant. The Horizon Court was a different affair. We only ate snacks and a few lunches there. Too many pushy people and the staff were not as attentive. The food selection seemed OK but the quality was just OK.

 

Entertainment – We really enjoyed some of the shows and were bored with others. Pianoman was very good as was one of the comedians. The other comedian and hypnotist were boring or just OK. We thought the main shows on our NCL cruise last year was much more professional. Several of the lounge acts (singers, piano players, etc.) were also very enjoyable along with a few martinis. The games shows (The Weakest One, The Princess Price Is and Princess Idol) were pretty good. However, with all the sightseeing in the early a.m., some of the contest were a little too late for us.

 

Ports of call – Juneau was just OK. Walked into town and took the $10 shuttle (school) bus to Mendenhall Glacier. Just did the photo trail and caught the bus back to town. Walked through the shops near the docks and then went back to the ship for dinner.

 

Skagway was enjoyable because we left town during the busy midday rush. Rented a car from AVIS, drove up the White Pass, through British Columbia to Emerald Lake in the Yukon Territory. It was a very scenic drive with snow covered mountains, frozen and melting lakes and very few tourist. We highly recommend this trip.

 

Tracy Arm was tremendous. The waterfalls, valleys, snow covered mountains, icebergs and glaciers are very beautiful. We dressed warmly (although it was a clear sunny day) and sat on the balcony for hours. The ship cruised by the scenery about six knots and we had a very relaxing time. Got close enough to the glaciers to see them but the ice kept us from getting much closer.

 

Ketchikan was a very cute town. Due to the limited time in port, we just walked around the tourist area. Wished we had more time to explore – maybe next time.

 

Victoria – oops. Our ship was blown into the dockside and was unable to get properly docked. Passengers were not allowed off the ship. We felt really bad for our newly-made friends that had excursions planed. It is such a beautiful city, but since it is only about ten hours from our home we were not bothered by missing this stop.

 

Debarkation – Wait and more waiting. We went to sleep before we left Victoria so we did not know that our ship would be arriving in Seattle late. Since we drove to Seattle, we were not worried about missing a flight. However, there was a lot of people scrambling to make new arrangements. Left our things in the room and tried to keep entertained during the long, long, long wait. Spent several hours in Skywalkers talking to other passengers. Around 3pm we decided to gather all our things from the room. Noticed that there was a new nameplate under the room number sign. Finally were able to leave the ship and leave the pier around 4pm.

 

Overall – This cruise met our expectations. We had lots of fun. It was well worth it.

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[cujosmom]

S&T - Thanks for the review. We have also booked a car through Avis in Skagway to drive to Emerald Lake in Sept. Someone on another thread said Avis did NOT take credit cards which seems very odd to me. Can you verify if they accept a credit card for payment or if you had to pay by cash?

 

Until we set sail to Alaska on the Serenade of The Seas

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[twtypy]

Originally posted by cujosmom:

S&T - Thanks for the review. We have also booked a car through Avis in Skagway to drive to Emerald Lake in Sept. Someone on another thread said Avis did NOT take credit cards which seems very odd to me. Can you verify if they accept a credit card for payment or if you had to pay by cash?

 

We rented a car at Avis in Skagway on 5/10/04, we wanted to pay by cash. They only accepted a credit card to rent the car, then when you return car they will accept cash or you can leave it charged to your card.

[S&T]

Yup, AVIS does accept and want a credit card.

 

What I've seen posted in the past is that AVIS doesn't ask for a credit card number when making a reservation. That caused some (including myself) to worry that their reservation would not be honored. At least for me, everything worked out fine.

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[B J]

Has anyone tried Sourdough Rentals? He was recommended by Yukon.

 

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance!

 

Vision of the Sea/ Alaska Northbound 9/3/04

[kimba595]

S&T - Thank you so much for those pictures! They are breath taking! I loved the ones of Emerald Lake.

 

Quick question... where was your cabin? I'm on the Sapphire on 7/18 and am on the Aloha Deck, cabin A514. I believe the balcony is covered, but I don't know if I'm looking down on others.

 

Thanks again for the great pictures! ~Kim

 

Alaska Bound on the Sapphire Princess

 

[S&T]

Kimba - We were in A228 (on Aloha Deck). I believe that all balconies on the Aloha Deck are covered and that you'll have a similar view to ours. The Caribe and Dolphin deck balconies will be exposed below you. We liked our balcony for the cover and privacy.

 

Have a great cruise!

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[Italy52]

S&T -- Thank you for your honest/thorough review and the beautiful pictures.

 

Regarding Mendenhall Glacier, did the busses run frequently? Where did you get them? How long was the bus ride? Did you feel it was worth the trip, or do you wish you had taken a tour of the glacier? We are trying to decide whether to do as you did or take a tour. Thanks in advance for your reply.

[S&T]

Italy - There seemed to be several vendors that ran shuttle buses to the glaciers. Most seemed to be $10 roundtrip per person. There were many booths right next to the dockside Visitor's Center (on the dock infront of one pier, but about 200 yards from our pier). The ride took about 15 to 20 minutes each way. I think most companies ran their shuttles about every 1/2 hour. Check with the vendor.

 

Was it worth it? Sure, but we really didn't have anything else we wanted to do that day either. We had thought about spending several hours hiking on the trails near the glacier's Visitor's Center but got lazy. (We only got a few hours of sleep since we woke up at 3am to watch the scenery on the inside passage from our balcony). So...we actually only spent 30 minutes on the photo point trail and caught the bus back to town. We didn't even go into the Visitor's Center at the glacier. I was told later that the exhibits were interesting but we just wanted do a little shopping and head back to the ship. The bus ride was interesting since the bus driver told us a little about the area and pointed out a few bald eagles. We really didn't feel the need to get up-close and personal with the glacier so it was fine for us. However, our tablemates enjoyed the helicopter trips to the glacier. They said they really liked climbing up a small wall of ice. I think it's all personal preference. Sorry, I know it's not much help.

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[Italy52]

S&T Thanks much for the response, you were very helpful.

 

If you don't mind, could you tell me the number of your balcony cabin? Thanks again.

[S&T]

We were on the Aloha deck, port side towards the bow, cabin A228.

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[buzz888]

S&T - thanks for the great review. We'll be be driving to Seattle as well and looking for a good park & cruise hotel. Which hotel did you stay at?

 

We thought about the taking the White Pass railroad, but driving sounds a bit more economical for 4 of us. How long was the drive to White Pass? Were the roads clear?

 

Do you recommend any other things to do in Juneau? Sound like you don't need to book this shuttle ahead of time on the ship.

 

Your pictures turned out great, what type of camera did you use?

 

Any suggestions are welcome as this is our first trip to Alaska as well.

 

(Judging from the pictures, I think we'll need to pack warmer clothes & jackets)

[S&T]

Buzz - We stayed at the Silvercloud Inn Lake Union. It was $99 and they let us park our car for the week free. However, we almost had a problem with parking because the reservation clerk didn't know that they had to get their manager's approval to give us parking for the week. If you try the Silvercloud, make sure that the reservation clerk gets the OK from the hotel manager.

 

In Skagway, we rented a Toyota Solara from AVIS for $67. The gas ended up being $15. The roundtrip drive from Skagway to Emerald Lake takes about 4 to 5 hours at a leisurely pace. (The drive to the top of White Pass takes only about 30 minutes) There are a lots of photo ops on the way to Emerald Lake so plan to stop often. Even on May 18, the roads were clear. It was sunny, clear and about 70 degrees that day so we didn't have any driving difficulties.

 

As for Juneau, we were thinking of doing Capt. Larry's whale watching boat tour (not sold through Princess) but decided that our balcony cabin was enough of a splurge. So, we just took shuttle bus to Mendenhall. There seemed to be a number of tour vendors right at the docks that sold city tours, Mendenhall shuttle buses, etc.

 

My photos were mostly taken with a Toshiba 3330 digital camera while a few were taken with a Canon Rebel film camera. I can't say I really recommend the Toshiba and may be getting a better digital camera soon. It does an OK job, but some of the other digitals seemed to get sharper images.

 

We had great weather on our cruise and were relatively warm most of the time. I tend to want to keep on the warmer side and wore more clothes than necessary. However, I've been told that Alaskan weather can be unpredictable so be prepared for anything.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Diamond Princess 05/04 - Alaska

NCL Star 09/03 - Hawaii

[buzz888]

S&T - thanks again for the info. I called the Silvercloud Lk Union, but it was totally booked for the nights we wanted.

 

We've now got a reservation at the SC Broadway location. It's about 15 mins further, but it's a new property. Hopefully it'll work out ok. I'll check the Lake Union location from time to time, to see if any there's any cancellations.

 

I'm checking the boards for the 1st sapphire review, but it only sailed out yesterday. (hopefully it'll get good reviews like her sister ship, the Diamond.

[paradise4ever]

Wonderful Review. Glad To Hear You Had A Great Time. We Are Booked On The Diamond Mexician Riviera. I Loved The Pictures Of The Ship. Thanks

[emmysmom]

Thanks so much for showing your pictures - they are beautiful. It makes it that much harder waiting for our turn to cruise!

[srphnx]

Great pics, we were on the week after. looking makes me homesick for our girl.

[fusco9800]

(I had to change our user name because I forgot my password and never got a reset email after a number of attempts. So this is really S&T replying)

 

Srphnx - We miss the Diamond also. During the long wait to disembark on 6/22, we thought about you since we remembered that you were on the next cruise. There were rumors of your cruise being cancelled and thought it would be horrible since all of the passengers from your cruise were already in Seattle. That thought kept us from being upset about missing Victoria and getting off six hours late. It was a great trip for us, but we do miss the Martini Bar. Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[NitaBcruising]

Thanks so much for posting your review and pics! Your pics are wonderful! I even enjoyed the Oregon pics! :)

[dougp26364]

Thanks for posting the review and the pics. We are considering sailing Alaska for a third time in 2006. While we've enjoyed our sailings on Royal Caribbean, we'd like to sail out of Seattle next time. It's cheaper airfare for starters and my wife has always wanted to see Seattle. This would be a great way to combine a cruise trip with a two or three night stay in a city. Plus, I'd like to do a slightly different itenary.

[edYYZ]

S&T/fusco9800, we were on the exact same cruise as you. Thanks for the great pictures! By the way, there are two that I really like and was wondering if I could get them from you by email or something (so the resolution is higher than 640x480)? They are the atrium picture (3/60) and the champagne waterfall one (56/60). If you could email the highest resolution version you have to edATnsioDOTnet (AT=@, DOT=., sorry, typed it out this way to prevent bots from picking up my email for spam), I'd really appreciate it! I'm actually wondering if I'm in the champagne waterfall one! :D

[Tantsee]

S&T,

Your pictures were great! I especially enjoyed your Oregon pictures, as I am from Eugene. Made me a little homesick, in fact. :(

 

Thanks for sharing.

[cruising mama]

we are leaving in two weeks. I can't believe I will see all the beautiful sights that you just saw......

[fusco9800]

Necrosis - Hope you got the pictures I emailed.

 

Mama - Hope you have a great trip.

[edYYZ]

Necrosis - Hope you got the pictures I emailed.

 

Mama - Hope you have a great trip.

Yes I did get them. Thank you very much, they were great!