Diamond Princess Review
Diamond Princess Round Aust/NZ 33 nights
Rating by category
Additional details
This was a great itinerary and a long cruise which we thoroughly enjoyed. Our cabin (E217) was kept in very good order by our always cheerful cabin steward Ronaldo. The ship was in good condition and there was always somewhere quiet to be found to sit. We had Anytime Dining which suited us, and we ate breakfasts most mornings in the MDR, with room service breakfasts on most port days.
We found the meals choices and standard to be very good, with the exception of the last few days of the cruise when some of the menus were repeated. The quality of the entertainment was variable, as was to be expected on a cruise of this length, however most of the acts were very good. The Cruise Director moved the show times forward part way through the cruise to alleviate the crowds for the early shows, unfortunately this was only a temporary move and you needed to be in the theatre more than 30 minutes before some shows to get a seat.
The coffee lounge was inadequate for the amount of people on the ship with limited seating. We rarely saw anyone in the Kai Sushi restaurant, and thought this space could be better utilised.
Cabin Review
Oceanview (obstructed view)
The cabin was clean, with everything working as it should be. The obstruction was only partial, taking up the lower third of the window, allowing us to still have good views. We heard some noise from the theatre, mainly in the afternoons during rehearsals.
Port Reviews
Sydney (Australia)
Sydney is a fabulous port, with many attractions within walking distance of the Overseas Passenger Teeminal.
Darwin
We have been to Darwin many tines before so we just walked into town to stretch our legs. The heat and humidity was oppressive and we were back on board in time for lunch.
Bali
We caught a taxi to Kuta Beach, had a look around some shops, then found a quiet and relatively deserted bar overlooking the ocean and spent a wonderful few hours away from the hustle and bustle.
Geraldton
The highlight was viewing the HMAS Sydney memorial
Perth (Fremantle)
We caught the train into Perth, then one of the free CAT busses for a tour around the city. We did a tour of the Perth Mint which was interesting. We also visited the very good Fremantle Maritime Museum and the Fremantle Markets.
Adelaide
There were no shuttle busses into the city and consequently the train was packed to the rafters. This meant regular commuters at the stations along the route were not able to bowrd the train, which was not satisfactory. We caught a tram from the city to Glenelg where we enjoyed a feed of fish and chips.
Picton
We had a beautiful day for our day in Picton. We spent many hours just walking around the town, the foreshore and visiting the local markets. It was a lovely town.
Wellington
We spent the day walking around in 110 kilometres an hour wind gusts. The city itself was uninteresting, but the Te Papa Museum was excellent.