Having sailed on both Carnival and HAL, I was quite impressed with the Diamond Princess. It was a lovely boat with good service. There was not a great deal in the way of entertainment if you are looking for lots to keep you busy. However to me a cruise should be about relaxing so it was not a major problem. People were friendly and the staff were very attentive. The Cruise Director did not have a great deal to say - pretty much nonexistent.
Food choices were good and the passengers did adhere to a standard of dress in the dining rooms as well as in the buffet. The cabin was clean and storage was good. There were no noises inside the cabin. As we were on the Lido deck we had no-one overlooking our balcony but we could see onto those below. I would not be happy about that if I was on a lower deck.
We decided on a shore excursion in Tasmania (Wildlife Cruise) which was absolutely the highlight of our trip. It was informative and fun and worth every cent. Disembark was the quickest I have ever been through which was great...
Our cabin was a standard size but good storage in open wardrobe and under the bed. There was very easy access to all outside areas with lift and stairs also close by. It was a good choice of cabin which suited our needs. We had no noise issues. Our cabin steward Rechie was terrific and was always on call. Very friendly and did a great job. Bathroom on the small size compared to previous boats but served the purpose.
We visited Port Arthur and explored the grounds. It was quite an eerie place but interesting.
We had an hour and a half bus trip to where we boarded the boat which took us out of a bay into the open sea. We explored the cliffs and sea caves and saw dolphins and seals. After this adventure we boarded our bus which took us to Stewarts Bay for lunch at a resort. This was lovely and we also snuck in a visit to the Federation Chocolate Factory. Had a great day!!
We didnt book a trip but boarded the Hop on Hop off bus which takes you all around the city. We spent our day shopping at the factory outlets
We live in Sydney and boarded the boat