Diamond Princess Review - Coastal cruise, detailed ship review

[Commodore Suzy]

I have also submitted this on the Cruise Critic review page -

 

DIAMOND PRINCESS REVIEW 5/1/04

3-NIGHT COASTAL CRUISE.. LA TO VANCOUVER

 

Who “we†are

My husband and I are two 35-year old professionals. He is a Financial Analyst, and I am a travel agent.. but in a prior life I was a CPA. (I’m so cruise addicted/obsessed I had to become an agent.)

 

I am commonly referred to as “Suzy Cruisy†as that is my online cruise chatting screen name, and the name I call myself when contacting my cruise clients. My given name is Suzette, under which I have my other reviews listed on www.cruisereviews.com, and when I refer to my husband, I will mention Charles. We have been together for over 7 years, but are still “newlyweds†as we only married in September 2003. Of course, we were married at Sea on the Star Princess by the Captain. So, if you want to learn anything about Princess weddings, you might wish to look up that review as well.

 

The cruise

There is absolutely nothing to write home about regarding this cruise. We sailed from LA (San Pedro) to Vancouver (Canada Place) for three nights, two days, no ports. The purpose of this little getaway was solely for relaxation, and to get to know the brand-new Diamond Princess real well. She is not only new, but a new class of ship for Princess. And I can say that she is definitely my favorite ship so far, and I’ve sailed a few .

 

The Dining

I realize some folks think cruising is ALL about the food, but its not. I’d say maybe 80% is a better guess. For those new to Princess, or cruising, I’ll explain Princess dining in general. Then I’ll elaborate in the Diamond Princess dining experience, how its different, and just THE BEST.

 

On most cruiselines, the main dining choices are two “fixed†seatings. You are either assigned early or late traditional fixed seating. In this traditional dining experience, you would sit at the same table, with the same dining companions, with the same waiters, at exactly the same time every night of the cruise. Cruises were like this because of the large number of folks that needed to be fed, and it was the most efficient to feed them “en masseâ€.

 

On Princess, you can choose “traditional†or “Anytime Dining†as part of their “Personal Choice Cruising†concept. With Anytime Dining, your dining is much more flexible, even though you will order off the same menu as those folks that are in the traditional dining room. (The menu changes every night, usually with a “themeâ€, so you don’t see the same stuff twice during your cruise unless it’s a real long one.)

 

Basically, Anytime Dining is like walking up to a restaurant at home. You walk up when you want during the hours they are open (usually 5:30 – 9:00pm), tell them how many are in your party, and they seat you as space becomes available. If you go during the “peak†hour of 7-8pm, then you might have to wait for a table. If you go much earlier or later, you can usually get seated right away. Also, just like at home, you can make a reservation if you are sure in advance that you want to eat at a particular time, at a specific table, or with a specific waiter.

 

How the Diamond (and its sister Sapphire) are different:

The Anytime Dining experience on Diamond has been taken to ANOTHER level. There is not just one, or two, Anytime dining rooms that have that evening’s menu.. but FOUR uniquely-themed dining rooms. Now, its REALLY like a restaurant. The four themes are Southwestern, Asian, Italian and American Steakhouse. When you walk into one of these, you will have not only the nightly menu placed in front of you, but also a supplemental menu that has selections based upon the “theme†of the dining room you are sitting in. You can order off both, mix and match, etc!

 

The only “catch†is that its more important now to choose to make reservations. Each of the four themed dining rooms are small, so they fit a very limited number of people at once. I found on my short cruise that the American Steakhouse dining room (Sterling) was so sold out it didn’t even take walk-ups.

 

Also of note is that the four Anytime Dining rooms are laid out exactly the same and have only ONE large, 10-person table. There are quite a few 4 and 6 person tables, and LOTS of tables for two against the wall.

 

Also, if you choose traditional dining on your Diamond or Sapphire Princess cruise, you won’t feel left out either. They rotate the special dining room menus in the traditional dining room as well, so the folks that enjoy the traditional experience can enjoy the specialty dishes.

 

Other dining options:

Princess has 24-hour room service, and buffet, if you don’t want to have dinner in the main dining rooms.

 

They also have an Italian restaurant called “Sabatini’s†that you can choose to pay a service charge to have either lunch or dinner in. The courses keep coming in here, and the very best waiters and waitresses are in here.

 

For an even more casual dining experience, they have a hamburger grill and pizza in the afternoon out by one of the pools. They also have “Scoopsâ€, a premium ice cream bar that has an extra service fee (that I always refuse to partake in). Free ice cream is available in the buffet in the afternoons.

 

Breakfast, lunch, and “high tea†are always available in one of the main dining rooms each day also.

 

You will be given a “Continental Stateroom Breakfast†door hanger on your first day. You can make selections from here and hang it on your door at night and get your breakfast delivered in the morning. If you don’t get a door hanger the second day, ask. Also, you can order whatever you want on the door hanger, not just what is pre-printed. Just write what you want in the margin, but remember to write EVERYTHING you need. For example, if you order pancakes, remember to also order syrup.

 

Entertainment

Like most cruiselines, Princess has “Vegas Style†production shows in the Princess Theatre on some evenings. Other nights, the main entertainment is a magician, or a singer, or a Comedian. We saw a good new production show called “Curtain Upâ€, which we enjoyed a lot.

 

In addition, as part of the “Personal Choice Cruising†concept, Princess will have lots of other evening entertainment choices in other venues. There might be a funny, audience-participation show, like “Princess Idolâ€, in one lounge while the main show is going on in the Theatre. Musicians playing various types of music will be playing in the different lounges throughout the ship. If you want disco, there will be something. If you want swing, there is usually one. If you want piano, there is usually one, etc.

 

The greatest thing about “Personal Choice Cruising†is the variety and choice you have. By simply looking at your daily activities list in the Princess Patter newsletter, you can see what entertainment is happening that evening that you want to partake in, and schedule your dining times around it! If you want, you could catch two different shows most nights. Also, on a weekly cruise, the production shows usually repeat in case you miss it the first time.

 

Seminar @ Sea

If you want to learn something new while you are at sea, then you can participate in one of Princess’ new enrichment programs. On my cruise, only “pay extra†computer training classes were offered, but I know they do offer some complimentary classes on other topics on the longer cruises. Pottery is one of the more popular ones during this new concept’s first year - 2003.

 

The Diamond

There is something I can’t explain that makes me love Princess ships’ décor. They use lots of teal, earth tones, and medium oak – and everything is warm. The cabins have their beige and white “fabric looking†walls, rather than stark white panels found on some other lines. You don’t feel like you are on a ship, you feel like you are in a regularly-constructed room. On the Diamond, it was even better for me. I took lots of pictures of the carpeting. (Charles laughed at me.) I particularly loved the décor in the Casino, as it was a Safari theme and there was big murals painted on the walls, and the carpet had lions and tigers, etc. in it. Fabulous.

 

For those new to Princess, the ship is 113,000 tons, holds 2,670 passengers, is 970 feet long, and has 750 cabins with balconies. She is one of Princess’ largest. However, she won’t feel that way when you are on her. One of Princess’ taglines is “Big ship choice, small ship feelâ€. What that means, is that its big so there are lots of different things to do and see to suit your tastes, but you will not feel like you are in a big place. Where other lines have massive dining rooms that seat 1000 people at once (big, grand, and LOUD), Princess has 5 smaller main dining rooms. (I’ll discuss dining it its own section.)

 

For those used to Princess ships, the Diamond class has passenger sleeping decks nearly identical to the Grand-Class ships (Grand, Golden, Star).. but some differences in the public areas.

 

Some of the features of the Diamond are:

 Basketball & tennis court

 Jogging Track

 BIG Spa, with a “swim against the current†pool (see below for details)

 Cyber golf (pay extra.. hit against a screen)

 Mini-golf 9 hole course

 Ping Pong tables

 Shuffleboard

 Extra-large chess board out on deck

 Neptune’s Reef large outdoor pool with two spas

 Calypso Reef large pool with retractable roof and two spas

 Paddling Pool (deepish pool in the back)

 Two more spas up on the deck slightly aft of Skywalkers Nightclub

 Terrace Pool for adults only at the extreme aft

 Children’s areas for different age group kids 3-17

 Princess Theatre for large big shows

 Skywalkers Nightclub.. offering great views from its perch high above the ship between the aft and the center of the ship, and great disco dancing at night

 Wheelhouse bar for lounging and dancing

 Hearts & Minds wedding Chapel / computer training @ Sea

 Shopping

 Multiple smaller bars

 Internet Café and Coffee Bar

 Explorer’s Lounge (more dancing and shows)

 Art Gallery

 Club Fusion.. for lounging, dancing, “nightclub atmosphereâ€.. screens showing those dancing on the dance floor

 The “Wake Bar†for a quiet drink

 Churchill’s Lounge for sports and cigars (bad combo I think, but, whatever!)

 Many shops in the central Atrium area

 Casino with many types of table games + slots

 Library, with CD listening stations (cushy chairs you can plug headsets into)

 Writing Room where you can sit and write or read and enjoy the view

 

For those who have been on Grand-class ships before, and are only thinking of the differences… I really like the moving of Skywalkers from the extreme aft to the new center/aft location. I personally always loved the Skywalkers old location, but sun lovers will REALLY like the tiered new look aft. Its beautiful seeing all those layers of wood, pools, and wonderful sun.

 

The wake bar is absolutely nothing to write home about. If it had some better windows, it would be cool. Also, having to walk across the dance floor of Club Fusion really limits its use. I mean, when they are having some kind of activity there, like Bingo, you aren’t going to want to get up and walk right in front of everyone to go down there.

 

Lastly, Club Fusion in the place of the Vista Lounge is probably good. It seemed that many folks never made it up to Skywalkers for their “disco†dancing time. Having this additional great dancing venue with the TV screens everywhere is a good change. I think it will take some the crowds out of the Explorer’s Lounge in the evening. I’m not sure if the few slots and video poker they put in there is going to work out, but those machines weren’t even functioning in my cruise.

 

Cabins

On this cruise, I sailed in a mini-suite for the first time. I’ve now tried all the different types, and think the mini is by far the best. Depending on your personal preferences, you can choose the cabin right for you. Insides (no windows) will always be the cheapest. Then oceanview, balcony, mini-suite, and full suite. I enjoy the balcony and above categories simply because you get the fresh sea air. I tend to think the insides and outsides are “stuffyâ€, but I can still handle sailing in them if the price is right. I think a “port intensive†cruise would be best suited for an inside. You’ll be so tired, you won’t be doing anything but sleeping in your cabin. On a cruise with a lot of sea days, you’ll be on the ship more and, therefore, might enjoy a more spacious cabin.

 

Balcony cabins are nice, but there isn’t really much space for lounging in them. The balcony itself is the most spacious area of the cabin to “hang out†in. This is why Charles and I thought the mini-suite was the BEST. Along with a much larger bathroom with a bathtub/shower combo, we loved having the comfortable sitting area to lounge in.

 

We had a full suite for our wedding, but don’t think its worth the cost as compared to the minimal benefits above the mini-suite. The minis are abundant enough to sometimes get great discounted prices on, and the full suites don’t generally offer any discounts.

 

Diamond-class ships offer a nearly-identical cabin arrangement as compared to the Grand-class. This means the following as far as balcony and mini-suite cabins are concerned:

*Aloha and Baja balconies are smaller, and fully covered from above. They are not good for sun bathing, but are great for more privacy from above.

*Caribe balconies are the largest on the ship and are half open / half covered

*Dolphin balconies are fully open to above

*Emerald balconies are fully covered

 

Remember that all Princess sailing passengers are entitled to a bathrobe to use while onboard. You don’t have to be in a particular category to get this perk. If you don’t have one waiting for you in your cabin, just ask your steward, or leave him/her a note.

 

Lotus Spa

The spa on the Diamond is big and fabulous. I’ve never seen a nicer one. There is lots of Asian-style décor, and more types of steam showers and saunas than I’ve ever seen! They also have some hot stone beds (in a curved recliner shape) that you can relax on before a treatment. I heard great things about them.

 

The only drawback is that the spa is directly below “Center Courtâ€, so you might hear a basketball bouncing the whole time you are doing your relaxing treatment. Very strange. I don’t recall having this problem on other Grand-class cruises, but maybe no one was playing at the time. They certainly had the spa and Center Court in the same place.??!

 

The Menu of Services:

Ionitherimie Algae Detox – the “lost inches†thing $119

LT Oxygen Lifting Facial – 50 min for $99

Aroma Pure (Seaweed Massage) – 1.5 hour $158 – on float bed $173 – with Spa mini facial $208

Aroma Stone Therapy – 75 min for $175

Asian Lotus Face & Body Experience – 1.75 hours for $215

(this is a reflexology massage, scalp massage, & 45 min facial)

Frangipani Scalp Massage – 20 min for $29

Couples Massage – 50 min $247

Full body Massage – 50 min $99

Deep Tissue Massage – 50 min $104

Reflexology – 50 min $99

Aroma Flex – 50 min $99

Manicure – 45 min $40

Pedicure – 45 min $55

Rasul couples mud and steam treatment - $75

Various prices for hair cut, color, style in the salon. Updos are listed for $30, $35 & $45

Alpha Relaxation Capsule – 25 min $45, 45 min $60

Metabolism test & body fat Composition Analysis - $ 30

Various Cycling, Yoga and Pilates classes - $10 fee

Other stretch and Aerobics classes are free

Personal Training available for a fee

 

 

I personally did the Oxygen Lifting Facial on this cruise, as when I am pressed for time or money that’s what I like best. On other ships I’ve raved about the Frangipani Scalp Massage, but didn’t try it on this ship. My friend did and said it was great. My husband and I have tried the “Rasul†couples thing on another ship, and I would say to save your money. There is no need to pay $75 for you to slap gook on each other, sit in a steam room, and shower it off.

 

Overall

I always love Princess cruises. This ship is no exception and I would highly recommend it!

 

Happy sailing!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT -->Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Diamond Princess 5/1/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[srphnx]

Very detailed review, we were on for 7 from 4/17/04-4/24/04 and are back again on the 5/22/04 and both sailings from 11/27/04-12/11/04. We didnt' take the notes in a week that you did in three days....GREAT JOB.

 

The only thing that I didn't see you talk about was how nice the balcony was on Skywalkers great place to see it all and be nearly alone. The burden of the watching the tiny bikini's wasn't too much of a spoiler.

 

Life is at it's best when your address floats

<FONT color=red>Alaska</FONT>

Diamond Princess 05/04 ~~ Mercury 06/02

Rhapsody o.t. Seas 05/98 ~~ Legend o.t. Seas 09/95

<FONT color=red>Mexican Riviera</FONT>

Diamond Princess 12/04

Diamond Princess 11/04 ~~ Diamond Princess 04/04

Sea Princess 01/02 ~~ Vision o.t. Seas 04/02<FONT color=red>

West Coast-Baja Mexico</FONT>

Ecstacy 09/01

<FONT color=red>Eastern Carribean</FONT>

Century 12/97

<FONT color=red>Western Carribean</FONT>

Century 9/96

 

[Jim & Louise]

Thanks for such a detailed review Suzy. We'll be taking our first cruise in November on Sapphire Princess (30 days!?!?!)

 

Your review has given us the best 'overall' impression of what to expect so far.

 

Thank you!!

 

Jim & Louise

[Guest]

Great review Suzy - one thing to add about the spa and the basketball court above. Most of the treatment rooms on the other Grand Class run under the jogging track, so that can also be a distraction during a massage. Unfortunate design issue on these otherwise marvelous ships.

 

-------------------------

Sun Princess, 03/2004; Pacific Princess, 07/2003; Star Princess, 05/2003; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Grand Princess, 10/2002; Sun Princess, 05/2001; Sun Princess, 04/2001; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Sun Princess, 09/2000; Regal Princess, 10/1999; Sun Princess, 08/1998; Holiday, 05/1998; Westerdam, 09/1997; Regal Princess, 11/1996; Royal Odyssey, 09/1995; Starward, 11/1993

 

 

[MTS]

Great in depth review! Thanks Suzy!!

 

I'll be sailing on her May 8th in an Emerald deck, Vista Suite. I'm very excited.

 

Thanks again! ;-)

 

MTS

[Cruselover]

Thanks Suzy. We are thinking about Diamond Princess on the Mexican Riveria next year. I was going to post a question this morning about dining on Diamond Princess, but your review took care of that for me!!

 

We just completed a fabulous week on Caribbean Princess. We share your love for Princess!!

 

Thank you very much.

 

Spencer

[mii]

Thank you Suzy for the complete review. We will be on the Sapphire in October so I was really interested in this review. The one thing I would like to ask is on other Princess ships they had the Lido bar on the Lido deck where that was always a great place to meet for sailaways and for CC groups to meet. But when I looked at the deck plan there was no Lido bar but there were two bars, one called Calypso and I forgot what the other one's name was. Are those two bars a great place to be on sailaway. Any info would be helpful.

 

 

Marilyn

[Crowsie]

 

Suzy..you're the best!

 

Sky Princess 01/1999 Australia and New Zealand

Sky Princess 03/2000 China

Royal Princess 02/2002 South America

Golden Princess 05/2003 Med

Sapphire Princess 03/2005 Sydney to Bangkok

 

 

March 2005 - Sydney to Bangkok on the Sapphire

 

[Cruise Junky]

Hi Suzy, we're on the same itinerary next week on the Island Princess. Can you tell me what the weather was like and the Sea conditions? We're also in a mini-suite and I'm wondering about sweaters for the decks.

Thanks

 

Island Princess

Some Ship, Some Itinerary, Somewhere in the Med.

Mexican Riviera - Rhapsody of the Seas

11 Day Circle the Caribbean - Splendour of the Seas

Alaska - Dawn Princess

[Commodore Suzy]

srphnx.. I liked the "balcony" on Skywalkers, but to me it was more of a stairway landing to get down to the lower decks than a "place" in itself. I watched the sailaway from there. Sorry, I have no interest in bikinis.....

 

Bdjam.. yeah, jogging track, basketball court, above spa is not smart. I think I must have lucked out and had no one working out there in prior Star Princess cruises. I was definately under basketball for my facial, my friend was under jogging for her seaweed wrap. Some clients were complaining loudly about it.

 

MTS... You'll love the VS. My friends traveling with me had one. The only complaint they had was the weird configuration of bathroom and closet doors. I have a photo of the Jacuzzi tub, the bedroom area and the balcony they let me take if you want to email me for them. My email is in my profile.

 

Marilyn.. They do have the Mermaid's Tail Bar on Lido between the grill and the pizza. Is that the bar you were speaking of? Or are you thinking aft? There is a bar in the back there and it would be a great place to meet. My CC group met in Skywalkers, but lost track of each other when we filtered outside. I think that aft bar would be better. Its SO wonderful in that aft section with the tiered pools and no Skywalkers shading from above!!!

 

Cruise Junky.... The weather was nasty. Big winds all the time, sun sometimes, fog sometimes. Dress warm, but also realize that you can find plenty of sunny places that are out of the wind too. If you have never done a Coastal, be prepared for constant motion. Northbound bucks the current the whole way, and its worse from Monterey to mid-Oregon. We had very rough seas, lots of sick people, and were slightly late getting to Vancouver. I always try to get a midship cabin on a Northbound Coastal. I go every year, as its right past my busy time of year, so I am prepared for the rockin and rollin!

 

 

Thanks for the kind comments everyone! Laura Sterling says the review was successfully posted on the reviews section, so as time passes you can find it there.

 

Cheers!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Diamond Princess 5/1/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[drzx2]

Suzy--Did you mention cabin D736 (minisuite) in another posting? I have a recollection of someone asking you to view that room if possible. Sorry if I missed your reply. We are booked in that cabin for Alaska, and are contemplating a change. Thanks----pat

[joanne1]

Suzy Cruisy - it sounds like the perfect career to me!! I am going to be on the same cruise up as Cruise Junky - Island Princess leaving May 12th and it will be my repositioning cruise. Your weather warnings definitely gave me somethings to think about. Can you tell about formal night on a 3 day - did many people dress up? How formal? Did the dancers perform any other night besides Curtain's Up? What was offered on the other nights.

 

Joanne

 

05/12/04 Island Princess

03/25/04 Island Princess

08/15/03 Majesty of the Sea (b to b)

03/26/03 Sun Princess

12/15/02 Grand Princess

[pocka]

Your review was so thorough. We were also on the repositioning cruise and had a great time. Spent time in the Spa steam rooms! Wow, the mint room is so relaxing it should be illegal! Didn't hear any noise while in there. At least I don't think so, it was a very zoni experience. Loved the rough seas. Walked the promenade and literally had to hold on while walking around the bow. It was great!! Guess lots of people were sick in forward cabins but Horizon was busy in the morning. Thought I would add a few observations. Love the small dining rooms. Each dinner was a private outing rather than a requirement to make small talk with strangers. Food...most very good, some good and a bit not worth the calories. Winners were the NY steak and prime rib in Sterling. The duck was good in Pacific Moon but scallops were sandy in my daughter's shrimp/scallop dish that was otherwise very tasty. Pacific Moon dessert is quite a novelty but the mango cream is not super flavorfull. We enjoyed the sushi but aren't hard core sushi eaters. Everything at Vivaldis was very good. Had the veal chop over osso bucco on waiter's recommendation. Pastas are always great. The lemon sorbet deserves raves...could eat a quart of it. Food not worth the calories was the dim sum basket. All 3 items were over-fried and fillings were nondescript. French toast in Horizon would have been good if they had let it absorb more egg mixture. Bacon at Horizon wasn't cooked evenly and had to set aside a number of undone pieces. The apple pie at Sterling had good apples but the crust wasn't pie-like. Pineapple, as usual, was wonderful. Such a treat to go in and snag a piece of succulent pineapple whenever the urge strikes. We all loved the ship -- never felt crowded. Would return in a minute!

[Lynda90]

Thank you so much Suzy! What a great review. I will be on the Diamond to Alaska on May 29th. We were upgraded from mini to Premium Suite on Baja aft. Do you know what the difference is between Vista and Premium? I can't wait. Also, is there a charge for the Sterling and do you leave a tip in the PC restaurants or is that part of the automatic.

 

Thanks,

Lynda

[AliMar]

Awesome review, Suzy! Thanks for sharing so much information with all of us. We sailed the Diamond the week prior to your repositioning cruise and fell in love with her! Just a beautiful ship. Loved Club Fusion! Spent way too much time in there sucking down those Rum Runners! Yummy! Hope we can cruise together again soon!

 

Cheers!

 

Alicia

 

**Anxiously Awaiting**

Star--11/7/04--Western Caribbean

Star--11/14/04--Eastern Caribbean

**Beautifully Done**

Diamond--4/24/04--Mexican Riviera

Star--10/18/03--Mexican Riviera

 

[Commodore Suzy]

Pat.. Yes, I examined that cabin D736/D737 and just posted on that string again. No couch, handicapped, twins only, etc. I personally didn't like it. Loved the regular mini I had.

 

Joanne.. How formal you dress is a personal preference. My husband owns a tux and looks great in it, so he wore it and I dressed in my usual very nice formal. I think overall there were more "dark suits" than tuxes for the men, slightly less formal than a longer cruise, but folks still followed the rules I felt.

 

Entertainment.. In the Princess Theatre Comedian first night (Jim McDonald.. seen many times), Curtain UP production show second night, Entertainer "Tony Tillman" third night... singer and dancer dude. Very good. They have a second production show for 7-nighters, but it wasn't offered for us. Don't know which will be offered for you.

 

pocka.. thanks for adding some details from another perspective!

 

Lynda.. no real difference between VS and PS suites. Your balcony will be partially open to above, watch for folks dropping stuff. Be sure you have your robe on . NO charge for Sterling on Diamond, its just a dining room, not a specialty "pay extra" dining room. PC Restaurant dining tips go on your bill, no need to pay extra.

 

Alicia...I SO hope we can cruise together sometime again! Glad you loved the Diamond as I did!

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Diamond Princess 5/1/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[Lynda90]

Suzy: Thanks for the reply. I'm a little disappointed to find out that our balcony is only partially covered. When I spoke with Princess I was told it was covered. Oh, well, I guess we can live with it.

 

Lynda

[Commodore Suzy]

Lynda..its better than most side ones that are uncovered. If folks go to the aft railing next to the terrace pool and look straight down, they can see the outer part of your balcony, the railing and part of the deck chairs, etc. They actually have to GO to the railing and look straight down though.. its not like an exposed one on the side where you're out in front of absolutely everyone every time you step to your railing.

 

I took a photo of this view if you want to see it. Send me an email (in my profile) and tell me you want the overhead pic of the PS Suite on Diamond.

 

Suzy

 

NEXT --> Monarch family weekend 10/15/04 & Grand Galveston 12/11/04

Diamond Princess 5/1/04

Star Princess 10/18/03 -- Wind Star Honeymoon 11/14/03

Star Princess Wedding 9/24/03 -- Mercury 10/5/03

Vision of the Seas 10/28/02 -- Amsterdam 4/22/03

Sun Princess 5/10/02 -- Star Princess 6/15/02

Carnival Holiday 9/8/00

[tomcarson]

thanks for the review. Sounds like a beautiful ship.

[Logie]

Hi

 

Suzy great and very complete review. How the heck did you take so many notes in such a small amout of time.

 

The only thing I would say different is that I loved the wake bar and spent the better part of all three nights down there. We called it "The Super Secret Bar". One of the bartenders I remember from the Island was working down there. What I liked was that it was quiet yet they had tv screens of the Princess Idol that was happening above so it we could see it when we felt like watching and talk or whatever when not. Only thing is it was smokey.

 

Ate at Sterlings, Sabatini's and Sante Fe room and all three meals were excellent!!

 

Lynn

 

 New Year's on the Star Princess "Just book the cruise" 12/26/04........

 

 Baltic Cruise on the Grand Princess-I can't wait 05/19/04.....

 

 

Sapphire Princess 2 night Pre-Inaugural Cruise 6/11/04

 

 

Carnival Holiday 92, RCCL Viking Seranade 00, NCL Norway 01, Star Princess 02, Star Princess, 02, Star Princess, 02, Dawn Princess 03, Golden Princess 03, Golden Princess 03, Island Princess 03, Dawn Princess 03, Grand Princess Happy New Year 03, Diamond Princess 04

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[MouseMan]

Suzy,

Just wondering if you tried the coffee, and has the taste improved at all?

 

Rhapsody of the Seas "97"

GRAND Princess "98"

DIAMOND PRINCESS 11/06/04

 

"AND AWAY WE GO"

 

Proverbs 3:5

<')))><

 

 

[FredS]

Coffee tasted alright to me, but then when you have an addiction, you just need the jolt and don't really taste anything. I have tasted better, but it was not "spit-out" coffee.

[westcoastvecs]

most thorough, excellent review i have ever read-thank you suzy! first i had heard that there is a tennis court and ping pong! cool.

[RDR]

Mouseman the coffee hasn't improved. I was also on the Diamond's repositioning but if you can believe this I found one woman who said she "liked" the coffee. I just had to tell someone.

[TootyJane]

Great review Suzy. Thank you for taking the time to post it. We're on the Diamond next March and are so looking forward to it!!

 

Lisa

 

2-14-04 Seabourn Legend

 

6-19-04 Disney Magic

 

3-19-05 Diamond Princess