Embarkation: We arrived at our port of call in Los Angeles (San Pedro) around 12:30 p.m. We knew that we were going to use the long term parking lot because we wanted the freedom to bring back any gifts etc. that normally we would have to think about if we had to fly. Since we live in Los Angeles, we could walk off the ship early and not worry about flight luggage weight requirements. The Diamond Princess looked great and the luggage employees immediately took our luggage off our hands and onto the ship. Once inside, we were greeted and asked to sign a sick waiver and to proceed up the escalator to our check in line. It was very easy and noticeably there were not hundreds of people waiting in lines as I expected. Almost the same amount of people as the Monarch of the Seas had in October. The international line had about 15 passengers in it and surprisingly some of them became our best ship mates onboard. Although we were booked on the Emerald Deck (8), we inadvertently landed in the Dolphin and Lido deck line. The wonderful counter lady happily checked us in with our online boarding pass and passports and all we had to wait for was our Princess sea pass that doubles as your room key and your onboard ship account. Our card was behind the counter of the line we should have been it, but we got it and proceeded to the security line. This was fast and easy and the next thing we knew, we took our welcome aboard photo and in ten minutes we were onboard the Diamond Princess.

Diamond Princess: I must first say that in October 2007 a bunch of us were on the Monarch of the Seas in Ensenada and we remember looking across at the Diamond Princess and wishing we were on such a huge ship with all of the balconies. It reminded me of some of the Celebrity ships I had been on only in that manner though. Well, now I was on the Princess ready to explore its inner workings. The first thing was to visit the Guest Services desk and to inquire about an upgrade. Since we only booked this cruise two months in advance, we were just happy to get onboard. Well, no upgrades were available and I sort of expected that. Our stateroom was E225 on Deck 8. The room was very clean and cozy with two twin beds that could be pushed together under the ocean view window. We were very relieved to find the lifeboat outside of our window was not blocking any of our view. Our itinerary noted that we would have "a fully obstructed view." This was not the case and you can imagine how happy we were. The room had a reading chair and glass table, a mini-refrigerator with most of things I requested online, your usual small television, fully mirrored desk and nice curvature wooden trim that separated the sleeping area from the closet and bathroom space. The closet was big enough for two people, especially with a sailing of this duration and another closet with cubby holes and your own private safe. There were also extra drawers of storage under the end tables and mirrored desk. In addition, the bathroom had Eucalyptus shampoo, conditioner and lotion from the Lotus Spa. The shower head was new, but the only complaint I would have here was the angle of the toilet and the lack of a bathtub. But then again, that's what the pool and Jacuzzi's are for. Just kidding. Moreover, the doors were inset which allowed a little more privacy when grabbing your Princess Patter each day. This was your onboard guide to everything that was happening on the ship that day. Read it. After putting up our Aloha door sign and lei, and meeting our stateroom attendant, Marlon, it was time to explore the ship.

The first thing you notice is that this ship has a lot of nooks and crannies and is laid out in a less symmetrical manner than other ships we were on. The centrally located 3 level-atrium is where everything is branched out from. With a piano and lobby bar on the lower level, the gift shop and stores on the second and the wonderful Crooners Bar with piano at the top, you could not help but want to people watch or check out a game of Scrabble from the Library or partake in your first cocktail and explore the public areas of the ship. The passengers were of all ages although mostly older and from all over the world. In a nutshell, there was a bar or lounge that could accommodate or be found relaxing to most people. An ATM machine was available also in the Casino. Read more