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A very enjoyable holiday - recommended |
| Reviewed By: Hassan, London on 31st May 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Princess Cruises |
Times cruised before: 3-5 |
| Cruise Ship: Diamond Princess |
Sailed:
April,
2008 |
| Destination: Hawaii |
Age: 26-35 |
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We sailed on the Diamond Princess to Hawaii on 1 April 2008. If you've never been to Hawaii before, this is a really good way of seeing all the islands have to offer instead of the usual Honolulu trip most people make for around the same amount of money.
The ship is a good size. We did not feel it was too big at all and for a ship sailing at full capacity of nearly 3000 passengers, it did not feel crowded in the slightest. There was always a sunlounger available away from other people if you wanted it or a secluded spot on deck.
We stayed in a grade JJ inside cabin on Baja deck towards the back of the ship and were pleasantly surprised by how big the room was. I've sailed on Costa and RCL before but this room was by far the biggest and had no problem with wardrobe or drawer space.
The cabin was also two away from the laundromat, but there was no noise from it at all.
We chose Anytime dining, but contrary to the current Berlitz guide, the 4 Anytime dining rooms do not all serve different food - they all serve the same menu, but each restaurant has a 'signature dish' in line with that themed restaurant. We went to dinner at a variety of times between 18:30 and 21:00 and not once did we have trouble being seated at a table for 2.
Food was ok - very plentiful at the buffets, but we did notice a slight lack of vegetables with meals in the dining rooms, eg one carrot, one potato and one sprig of broccoli was the usual accompaniment. There was also plenty of fish and seafood every day.
Unlike other ships, free fruit juice is only available at breakfast in the buffet restaurant. There is an 'unlimited fountain drink' offer you can take up where for $69 inc tax you can get unlimited coke, sprite or root beer throughout your cruise. We opted for this and found that instead of buying one for each of us, we could just buy one and share the drink between us each time.
Free ice cream is also available at the buffet from about 15:00 - 16:00 every day if you don't want to pay at the ice-cream bar.
There were 3 formal nights and each night there were the usual formal portrait sessions onboard, but each night there were 6-8 different backdrops to choose from that changed each session.
Entertainment wise, we only went to a few shows, but each time they were packed out for both seatings. On offer was the usual cabaret acts, magician, comedians etc.. The crew talent show is a must-see!
Onboard activites were very good and we always felt there was something do to from quizzes to bingo to arts and crafts to sporting activities. Entertainment staff were very friendly and helpful.
The 5 day crossing to Hawaii was not too bad for this time of year. As one who usually suffers from sea sickness, I was fine dosed up on the usual tablets. The weather got better with each day of sailing.
We went on 3 excursions - the Maui Ocean Centre which felt a bit rushed for the 2hrs given which included 45mins travelling time to get there and back; a Seahorse ranch in Kona which was well worth the money as you get to have seahorses cling on and wrap their tails around your fingers; and the fern grotto and river cruise in Kauai, also worth the money for the beautiful scenery.
In Honolulu it is very easy to get around by bus yourself - $2 e/w - so it is easy to see many of the sights on your own including Pearl Harbour and Wakiki beach.
Hilo is an industrial port with not very much to see within walking distance if you don't opt for an excursion. However there is a free bus that goes to a small shopping mall about 4 miles away.
The sailing back was a nice time to relax after having spent the previous 5 days busy walking around and sightseeing. The weather is obviously dependant on whether you can sunbathe on the way, but for this time of year it was not too bad, albeit a bit cloudy some days.
There's not much to say about Ensenada. If you don't go on an excursion there is just one main shopping street to see which takes about half an hour.
Embarkation and disembarkation was very quick and efficient.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable holiday. We would sail on the Diamond Princess again and recommend it to others.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Food always plentiful - the chateaubriand was to die for! | | Entertainment |  |
| Did not go to that many, but the ones we did were enjoyable | | Shore Excursions | |
| Some excursions are overpriced, especially in Honolulu but some of the others where you really needed transport to get there were great. | | Staff | |
| Cruise director and assistants were always very friendly and helpful | | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| Always something to do for everyone | | Cabins | |
| Inside cabins were spacious - I had a peek at an outside cabin and it appeared exactly the same size, but with a porthole... | | Overall Rating | |
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