I have just got off the Diamond for the third time in 10 years . In nearly 40 days at sea , I have never had anything except wonderful service and a fantastic time aboard . The ship is going in for a refit in march and I can see that there are parts that have deteriorated over time , as you would expect , but that dosn't detract from the reason that you go on a cruise , to enjoy yourself .
The food was great ( i am so over eating ) the staff were exeptional and the fellow passengers were wonderful . We cruised from Auckland to Sydney with 5 port days as well as a day cruising the sounds in southern New Zealand which were very similar to what we saw in Alaska , but with better weather . We had Christmas day and New years day on board and loved every minute of it . The ship was decorated throughout and everyone was in a great mood . Honestly , some people are never satisfied .If you are going to complain about this voyage then you are either very thin skined or need to spend more money on a luxury ship . This is a 5 star vessel and lives up to it's reputation in every way .
One thing I didn't know when boarding is that the casino now gives out points that build up into cash refunds on your next cruise . It was nice to get a letter before disembarking to discover that my wife and I can recive over $ 600 in cash on our next cruise ! This will go a long way to pay for our spending .
The cabin is a little on the small side , but there is no external noise , and the bed was wonderful . The bathroom was good , the shower and water presure was good . I would recomend this cabin to anyone .