Live from Diamond Princess

[calikak]

Hi all! We are somewhere off the coast of Mexico headed towards Puerto Vallarta. Weather has gotten a lot warmer with more humidity, and we had a bit of rain today, possibly related to Hurricane Paul, which may affect our stop in Mazatlan. Will keep you all posted. Captain has just told us they're monitoring it and will let us know as the time progresses, but it's predictied to be in Mazatlan when we're there, so we're just assuming we won't stop there unless there's a major shift in forecast track.

 

Let me see if I can answer some of your questions:

 

Soda card is $3.95 per day, so that'd be times 7, plus tax.

First formal was last night, and in Cabo.

 

Hi Becky and Hi Todd! Sorry to hear about the suicide on your cruise, Becky, that's got to be sad, but glad it was otherwise fun. Todd, nope, no ham, the Prime Rib was insanely good though! The ham in the buffet yesterday was just so-so, so I figured I'd go with the old stand-by.

 

Yes, there is Chambord, we've already had quite a bit of it. Will try not to drink them out for you. :D

 

Never seen any parsley on any of our plates at dinner, nor kale.

 

Tennisobo, will try to post tomorrow after our stop in PV about the time we get in.

 

Dinner so far has been normal sailaway menu, then last night was the Captain's Welcome menu, and tomorrow is Continental--with some changes, they don't have the frogs legs anymore. Interesting.

 

I know there are other questions I missed but the art auction is calling, so I'll try to answer them later. Have a great day, everyone! :)

[critterchick]

I got off the Diamond Sept 30 and the groups in the wheelhouse were the Bruce Gordon Trio and Spiro Duo. The Bruce Gordon Trio is a 30-50's era song trio and is very good. They will be on until March. The 2nd is a duo and had just got on that week and are okay. They do more modern songs, but use a canned music type thing to go along with their singing.

 

Hope this helps

 

Shelley

 

Thanks, Shelley! There was a really nice group called the Night Lites (a father & his 2 sons from Budapest) that we're hoping to encounter again someday. We don't sail until May, so there's hope that they'll pop up again.

[kman48]

Beth,

 

I was afraid you might consider it an imposition to ask you just to look in the bars, maybe ask a few questions. But you went way above and beyond--sampling, yet! Thanks for the info, and I hope you and your friends are having a great cruise!!

 

Kent

[LAC2]

We'll be sailing same itinerary in 33 days (yeah!!). Hope Hurricane Paul avoids you and you have wonderful seas. Love the live posts. Thank you.

[andrea63]

I am enjoying your posts. Thanks! We went a few times at this time for my Birthday, but it was always way to hot and humid. I hope the weather gets better for you! Have a great week!!!!!:)

[Scotto97]

Thanks Cali for the menu and formal nights update - fantastic !! It will make it much easier for us to plan our cruise on the 4th. I wish you the best of luck with the weather, and look forward to your next post.

[Scotto97]

Cali - you wrote:

 

Dinner so far has been normal sailaway menu, then last night was the Captain's Welcome menu, and tomorrow is Continental.

What was the menu for Monday? (the night you wrote the post)

 

Thanks

[star gazer]

Calikak,

The last report on Paul is that it will make land fall Thursday at Cabo, but is downgraded to a 1.

[calikak]

Hi all! It's a lovely day here in PV, somewhat overcast but nice and hot. :D Just had a lovely conditioning neck and scalp massage today, totally the best bargain in the spa in my opinion. They are pushing the product a lot but that's to be expected. Let me see if I can catch up on some of your questions:

 

We did notice some parsley last night, I hadn't noticed it before but it comes on the Shrimp Cocktail. :D Still no kale in sight.

 

I mistyped about the menus: so far, we've had sailaway, then Captain's Welcome, then Continental was yesterday (Monday). Tonight is Italian.

 

Hi Jean! I thought about you as we were sailing out! Hope all is well. Ditto what someone else posted about the combos.

 

I haven't seen any flavored Stolis on board, just flavored Absolut. I also prefer the flavored Stolis to the Absolut ones, but that's what they've got. We brought some booze onboard in Nalgene bottles in our carry-ons and nobody said a word about it--please don't turn this thread into a booze smuggling debate, I'm just posting that for everyone's reference.

 

About our precruise stay, we stayed at the Marina Hotel in San Pedro that's now a Doubletree. It's very nice and clearly newly renovated but the shuttle service to the pier is hit-or-miss. We couldn't get an appointment for a shuttle until 1:15 and even with the appointment they were still doing the 12:45 people at 1:15, so we just called a Checkered Cab Co. cab and they sent someone right out. Would highly recommend doing this instead of waiting on the shuttle if it looks iffy. Also beware that the service in the restaurant is painfully slow there. But the rooms are quite nice and I would definitely stay there again.

 

Still no word on what'll happen with the hurricane, since now there's a tropical storm warning for Mazatlan for tomorrow. Will let you all know when I know. Had a great

 

We seem to be having some sort of electrical testing today because the lights have flickered off and on a couple times and they announced they were doing testing with the elevators.

 

Tonight is Island Party night. Last night was the crew talent show which is not to be missed. The finale is an amazing performance that no one will ever forget.

 

I'm off to my horseback riding excursions with tequila tasting at the end of it, will post about how it goes in my next post! Hope everyone is having as good a week as I am! I will try to answer more questions later if you have them.

[sonomaphil]

We did notice some parsley last night, I hadn't noticed it before but it comes on the Shrimp Cocktail. :D Still no kale in sight.

 

Well, I guess that will be OK! If I have too, I won't let it ruin my vacation! LOL :p

 

Thanks for your updates! :D

[AZAaronBoy]

I haven't seen any flavored Stolis on board, just flavored Absolut. I also prefer the flavored Stolis to the Absolut ones, but that's what they've got. We brought some booze onboard in Nalgene bottles in our carry-ons and nobody said a word about it--please don't turn this thread into a booze smuggling debate, I'm just posting that for everyone's reference.

 

I didn't see a thing :cool: but I will be bringing a bottle of Stoli with me to tide me through. No matter what even if I don't get to keep it I will enjoy the cruise and experiment with other drinks.

 

Also for others that are going on the Diamond you can download webcam desktops with a picture of the ship and a live webcam window. http://www.princess.com/downloads/

 

These are available for a few other ships as well. I have had the Diamond up for a month or so now getting ready for my cruise. Just thinking if I was onboard look where I would be.... Definately gets you in the cruising mood.

[survivor]

Glad you are having a great time! Hope the weather continues to be good. we are leaving on Nov. 11th and all this info is just great. Just wondering if the ship is cool during the day and in the Traditional dining room at night. Do we need long sleeves or short sleeves during the day, shorts or pants? How is the Horizon Court, still be run poorly or have they fixed the problem of the lines? Also is the Piano Man on this cruise? Looking forward to your updates and Thanks for posting :)

[wizard-of-roz]

We were on the Diamond, September 30th, to the MR. What a beautiful ship! We had traditional dining and ate in Vivaldi, with Raul as our waiter; he was such a gentleman and made our dining experience the best. Try the Osso Bocou (sp) it's to die for! The lamb chops, salads, desserts and ice cream were the best!

The buffet experience was very good. I know there's a lot of complaints about the lines and layout....no matter where you eat at a buffet, there will always be the folks who: butt in; walk backwards; act rude; or can't make up their minds. I thought the choices; flavor and staff were A+. My only complaint: where's the chocolate cookies??????? And why is ice cream such a valuable comodity?

Parsley? Pick it up and move it out!!!! Tell your server to remove it before it hits the table!

Entertainment was good! Not great! Not enough from the main singers and dancers! What they did was wonderful; they should have done more! IMHO!!!!

 

The layout of the ship never makes you feel like there's almost 3000 people aboard with you....you heard me...our cruise was running at FULL!

The weather was horrific....100% humidity with 102 degree heat! It was stifling. A short walk on shore elicited sweat all over your body! The air inside the ship was a blessing. It can get a little cool so, bring some long sleeve shirts or a light sweater!

 

I will NEVER cruise, to Mexico, between June and November, again!

 

I definitely have fallen in love with the Princess experience. Their customer care is amazing!

 

They had balloons placed in our doorway, with a sign wishing my DH Happy Birthday and the Matre'd sang to him at dinner! Nice touch!!!! :p

Have fun on your cruise. We're trying NCL on November 14th.....we'll see!

[mississauga]

Glad to see you are at sea after your start. We will be onboard this ship Mar 3 and am wondering as we are to fly in two days earlier into LAX. Should one stay in that area or Long Beach, San Pedro, etc. How were your transfers with Princess? Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Would be interested in knowing about your cruise. Thanks

Chris:)

 

If you are flying in 2 days early, might I suggest that you rent a car from LAX? That way you will have transportation for the 2 days pre-cruise. There is nothing to see in the San Pedro area and even in Long Beach, it would be nice to have a car to see the sights.

Enterprise is the only car rental that has a facility for return of cars in the San Pedro area. ( unless it's a Saturday ) If you rent from any other car rentals, the return will have to be made in Long Beach. It's about a $20 taxi ride from Long Beach to the San Pedro pier.

[calikak]

Hi all! Had a great time horseback riding, would highly recommend that excursion. It was a nice small group and the horses seemed mostly very sweet (one was a bit nippy at the other horses but nothing really scary). Countryside was gorgeous and the guides were great.

 

Captain is on the speaker right now...he says it'll be a close call but we should still be able to dock in Mazatlan tomorrow, although it'll be rainy. The storm slowed down and it's weakening to just a tropical depression so it's no longer supposed to be a problem for us. Guess a lot of other cruise ships have rearranged their schedules and have missed ports or are going to ports in different orders, but it looks like we'll be fine. He's still not promising anything but he sounded pretty confident we'd be in port tomorrow.

 

Update for the booze smugglers: they were collecting bottles at the gangplank today, and man were there a lot of them! Guess we have a lot of tequilla drinkers onboard! :)

 

About the temperature: yes, it gets cold in some of the public rooms during the day. It's a bit chilly here in the internet cafe right now, and I'm wearing a sweater! The Explorers Lounge is where I've been the most chilly, it's positively freezing in there. Haven't been as cold in the dining rooms, though.

 

One other thing I forgot to post about before: Eric Waugh, the artist, is onboard this cruise. They've had him painting things and you can go and watch him. He was also at the art auction yesterday and bought the same Todd White serigraph that is hanging on my living room wall right now, Drink of Her Choice. I wanted to go up and thank him for validating my taste in art, but I didn't have the courage. :)

 

sonomaphil, I knew you'd be heartbroken...:D I hope your cruise is as much fun as ours has been so far!

 

That's all for now, hope everyone is having a good week! Feel free to post more questions if you have any and I'll try to answer them.

[tennisobo]

Beth: Sorry to bug you, but what time were you able to go ashore in PV? I'm still trying to figure out if we can make the whale watching excursion at 8:30 AM.

 

Thanks!

[sonomaphil]

sonomaphil, I knew you'd be heartbroken...:D I hope your cruise is as much fun as ours has been so far!

 

I'm sure it will be! It's all what you make of the vacation! :) I figure with minimal parsley and no towel animals how can I go wrong? :D

 

Maybe we'll see you on the one nighter SEA-VAN next September on the Golden! Already in my planner! Excellent chance for 2 cruises. One night in between then VAN-SFO on the Coral. 2 for 1 special! No PSA! Platnium here we come! :D

[Scotto97]

Cali,

 

Glad you're having a great time !!

What's the age mix of the passengers on your cruise?

Do they have a band playing around the main pool area?

[tennisobo]

As I was doing more reserach, there has been mention of the fact that there are time changes involved with visiting the Mexican Riviera ports.

 

Which ports did the ship have the same time as the port, and which ports had a different time than the ship?????

 

Thanks!

[Lynda90]

Beth, thank you so much for sharing your cruise with us. I also appreciate your mentioning the Doubletree. I will be staying there prior to my cruise in January. Think I will just plan on taking a cab to the pier. You mentioned the slow service in the restaurant. Is there only one or do they have a snack bar of some type for light meals?

Can't wait for your next installment. :p

[Nobbi]

Thanks for the updates on the storm. I will be on the ship next week and was wondering would was happening to ship and ports this week.

 

Enjoy!!!

[ScootRN2]

Captain is on the speaker right now...he says it'll be a close call but we should still be able to dock in Mazatlan tomorrow, although it'll be rainy. The storm slowed down and it's weakening to just a tropical depression so it's no longer supposed to be a problem for us. Guess a lot of other cruise ships have rearranged their schedules and have missed ports or are going to ports in different orders, but it looks like we'll be fine. He's still not promising anything but he sounded pretty confident we'd be in port tomorrow.

 

HI BETH:

THANKS SO VERY MUCH FOR LETTING US KNOW ABOUT YOUR WEATHER CONDITIONS.

WE JUST GOT OFF OF THE DIAMOND PRINCESS OCT 14. THE WEATHER AT THE PORTS WERE HOT, HOT, HOT

THE TEMPS WERE IN THE MID 90'S WITH 100% HUMIDITY.

WHEN I HEARD ON TV ABOUT HURRICANE PAUL, I WAS WORRIED ABOUT YOUR CRUISE. I KNOW CARNIVAL & ANOTHER CRUISE LINE DID CHANGE THEIR ITERNERY.

IM GLAD THE WEATHER IS SORT OF WORKING OUT FOR YOU - I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD BE AHEAD OF THE STORMS.

GOOD LUCK ON THE REST OF YOUR CRUISE & FROM WHAT I SEE ON THE WEB CAM, YOU MADE IT TO MAZATLAND, EVEN THO THE WEATHER LOOKS A BIT DREARY.

BY THE WAY, IT WAS A WONDERFUL WONDERFUL CRUISE. WE LOVE PRINCESS & THIS DIAMOND PRINCESS CRUISE WAS #15 & NOW WE ARE ELITE PASSENGERS.

TAKE GOOD CARE & HAPPY CRUISING

MYRA

[rkaplan]

Looks like everyone is going to be on this cruise in Jan. Has anyone every had cabin E735? Also anyone that has cruised in the past. . . in the winter months do you see whales? I just booked today and I am starting to get excited. Guess the diet starts today.

 

Thanks for any info!

[wizard-of-roz]

I've been on Emerald Deck. Not in your exact cabin but on that deck.

We had an inside/handicap cabin. It was huge! With a living room/wet bar/two tv's/a convertable sofa/ a foyer with lots and lots of closet space/a lovely desk area and so many hangers I had to take some off and store them on the shelf.

We had more cupboards/shelves and closet space than we could use.

I truly could have cruised in this cabin for months and never felt the walls closing in!

Our Cabin Steward was Alexandur, he was wonderful!

We're hoping to stay in that exact cabin on our next Diamond cruise.

[cynbar]

Looks like everyone is going to be on this cruise in Jan. Has anyone every had cabin E735? Also anyone that has cruised in the past. . . in the winter months do you see whales? I just booked today and I am starting to get excited. Guess the diet starts today.

 

Thanks for any info!

Yes, we sailed the end of January and we saw plenty of whales ..... and dolphins too. There goes one now....