The Future of the Diamond Princess

[jow623]

What is everyone's opinion of the future of the Diamond Princess?  Curious, as we are booked on it a year from now.  Thanks!

[kenexx]

Wouldn’t bother me in the slightest to go on it. It will be totally disinfected.  

[voljeep]

where is it now ? crew ? what's going on ?

[snoozecrooze]

The disinfecting process is as follows here: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/search-best-class-provider-disinfect-diamond-princess

 

It was scheduled to resume operations on April 29, 2020. Of course, now that date is pushed back, and we'll see what will happen come that time, but given all of this, the ship should be ready to go by then.  

 

I read (but don't completely recall) that a relief crew is manning the vessel in Yokohama, but it doesn't include any more than the minimally required roles. All of the original crew that were on the ship was either repatriated or quarantined in Japan and now presumably back home. 

[AtlantaCruiser72]

IF Princess were to downsize their fleet at all related to knock-on economic effect of Corona Virus I could see Sun, Sea, Grand and Pacific being parked mid to long term (9-24 months) to reduce fleetwide capacity.  We could also see Star transferred out of the fleet to P&O Australia (or parked) sooner than intended if they really need a capacity cut  Additionally there may be some changes to their deployment strategy as well by having fewer ships in each region over the next 12-24 months.

 

A whole heck of a lot will depend on how long it takes to mitigate the health situation worldwide and when vaccines/treatments become widely available to help prevent re-emergence of the virus.

[Roberto256]

1 hour ago, jow623 said:

What is everyone's opinion of the future of the Diamond Princess?  Curious, as we are booked on it a year from now.  Thanks!

 

They should change the name of the ship.

 

That's what carnival would do.

 

See "Carnival Triumph"...

[AF-1]

Diamond Princess is still sitting at the dock in Yokahama Japan.  

[KreinKrunker]

1 hour ago, Roberto256 said:

 

They should change the name of the ship.

 

 

Not again!

[satxdiver]

First the Diamond has to be deep cleaned to make sure no virus has been able to survive and the ship is medically clean to receive pax.  I would imagine they are having a hard time getting that done.  I would assume then that they will either take the ship to drydock (has to be scheduled ahead of time so probably not) or wet dock where the ship will remain in the water but will have upgrades installed, things replaced, etc which is a never ending cycle for any ship.  I do not expect the ship name changed but weirder things have happened.  

 

I am aware of Carnival's penchant for changing a ship's name particularly when that ship made the front page because it lost power in the Gulf and set there for days before being rescued.   Nice touch Carnival but we all have google and it still is the loser ship.

[geoherb]

Carnival did not change the name of the Triumph until the ship underwent a major refurbishment six years after the notorious incident. 

[Justalone]

2 hours ago, jow623 said:

What is everyone's opinion of the future of the Diamond Princess?  Curious, as we are booked on it a year from now.  Thanks!

 

Question:

• Would you sail on the Diamond Princess once it has it's cleaning, and returns to service?

Or, will there always be a lingering doubt in your mind, that no matter what Princess says or do with cleaning the Diamond,  it will still be an Covid-19 infested cruise ship?

Maybe, Princess will rename the Diamond, avoiding the stigma of being the “quarantine ship”.

Or, Princess sells the ship to another cruise line?

For me, it is risk versus reward to cruise.  Cruise vacations for me is non-essential travel.  I follow the science, and it is telling me to avoid cruising at this time..  I will not cruise until a Covid-19 vaccine is developed, tested, and safe for the public.  It could be 18-24 months from now.  For now, it will be staycations, and road trips for me.

Wishing safe travels for those who have made their risk versus reward assessment,  and decide to still cruise on Diamond, or any other cruise ship, the  near future.🙏🏼

 

Edited March 13, 2020 by Justalone

[californiagirl]

The name Diamond Princess has had problems from the beginning.

https://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=652

After the fire in 2002 the then Sapphire Princess became the Diamond as they were being built semi-simultaneously.  Essentially they switched the names of the ships.  I think the name Diamond Princess should be retired much like a catastrophic hurricane.

 

[Roberto256]

7 hours ago, satxdiver said:

First the Diamond has to be deep cleaned to make sure no virus has been able to survive and the ship is medically clean to receive pax.  I would imagine they are having a hard time getting that done.  I would assume then that they will either take the ship to drydock (has to be scheduled ahead of time so probably not) or wet dock where the ship will remain in the water but will have upgrades installed, things replaced, etc which is a never ending cycle for any ship.  I do not expect the ship name changed but weirder things have happened.  

 

 

No need to imagine...

 

Princess let an RFP to "Clean and Sanitize Diamond Princess".

 

This was posted to cruise critic a few weeks ago:

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22495-princess-issues-rfp-to-clean-and-sanitize-diamond-princess.html?fbclid=IwAR3NaIjiHFxsuErzbPWEGxUGg7kjBjkHEpApXA9aTEAOdQw4K4M46eRLMc0

 

Princess says its ships will be going to "a soft layup position"

 

 

[adam7392]

7 hours ago, Justalone said:

 

Question:

• Would you sail on the Diamond Princess once it has it's cleaning, and returns to service?

Or, will there always be a lingering doubt in your mind, that no matter what Princess says or do with cleaning the Diamond,  it will still be an Covid-19 infested cruise ship?

 

 

 

If someone in your house gets corona virus or in a relatives house would there be a lingering doubt in your mind so you wouldn't go back to the house ?

 

Any sane person would obviously would say 'No' and the same logic should follow for this ship, any other ship, your place of work, local supermarket, car dealership, sports venue or any of the 1000's of other places where someone will get the virus and people will return to.  Why should the Diamond Princess be any different ?  

 

[Expat Cruise]

The Diamond Princess is a great ship it is not going anywhere. Princess is not going to cut back ships the demand on Princess ships has always been very strong.  Some have suggested that Princess should long term park some ships. Sorry you do not long term pit assets worth 100's of millions into long term parking. All the ships will be back in service, it may take some tome to get the ships up to the sold out level Princess has been on but it will happen. 

 

In the meantime I think for the next 1 to 2 years we will see get deals on Princess Cruises. I'm looking forward to doing my 3 to 5 cruises per year with Princess, the ships crew and sailings are great and always will be. 

 

[Roberto256]

46 minutes ago, adam7392 said:

If someone in your house gets corona virus or in a relatives house would there be a lingering doubt in your mind so you wouldn't go back to the house ?

 

No.  But, I probably wouldn't want to sleep with their pillow, either.

[Wehwalt]

Sell her. Bring the next possible new build to Japan with huge PR campaign about every detail. In the meantime keep the PP out there. 

[Jetstreamer]

The Diamond Princess was a big story with a lot of media coverage but a LOT has happened in the past month and people will mostly forget as more bad news comes in to eclipse it.  People who said they would never travel on that ship are finding the virus on their doorsteps and this gives a completely new perspective.  

 

I predict the Diamond will be back in service as soon as Princess is back up and running and the Japanese open up their ports.  It might not be as soon as May but it will be back before long. And it will have the same name!

[jow623]

Have been reading reviews of the Diamond Princess before the virus.  Many negatives about the ship. 

We booked a Japan Cruisetour for Oct 2021 before the virus hit.

1.   What do people think about a refurbish of the ship?

2.   I can't find reviews of the Cruise tour (3A).

 

Has anyone been on it?

 

Many thanks!

 

[Cruise Raider]

There is zero chance that viable strands of CoVid-19 RNA is on the Diamond Princess now ... key word here ... VIABLE!  All mattresses, bedding, etc has been swapped out and a deep cleaning has already taken place.  If someone gets sick on that ship now, it is because some infected person brings it back on.  

[Earthworm Jim]

On 3/12/2020 at 8:24 PM, satxdiver said:

Nice touch Carnival but we all have google and it still is the loser ship.

 

But how many people will realize it's the same ship when they are searching carnival for an prospective cruise? Damn few. Heck, the name Carnival Triumph wouldn't even ring a bell in most peoples memories anymore.

[caribill]

6 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 

Heck, the name Carnival Triumph wouldn't even ring a bell in most peoples memories anymore.

 

Especially since it is now named the Carnival Sunrise.

[Earthworm Jim]

5 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Especially since it is now named the Carnival Sunrise.

 

That was the point. If the premise is that Carnival changed the name from Triumph to Sunrise to avoid the negative association of the Triumph fire and "poop cruise" incident, my contention is that effort was wasted because the average person wouldn't remember it was the Triumph anyway.

[ICUQT]

I had a Highlights of Japan cruise on Diamond scheduled for July 2020 which I cancelled. Princess canceled about ten days later. Anyway, the ship has had a soft goods turn around and completely disinfected. Right now IIMHO it is no worse than any other ship on any other line. It's clean. I am more concerned with the development of a vaccine over the course of the next year than worrying about the chances of Covid being onboard. I will take Princess at their word a through cleaning has taken place and will be maintained. I have booked the same cruisetour for September 2021 on the same ship and weather  or not I sail will be based on common sense, medical guidance for Covid and the development of the vaccine.

[AF-1]

ICUQT;  thanks for answer;  you make perfect sense. Have a great weekend.