Diamond Princess Review
southampton observer
10+ Cruises • Age 70s
Rating by category
Cabin
Value for Money
Embarkation
Dining
Public Rooms
Entertainment
Fitness & Recreation
Service
Additional details
Sail Date: May 2016
Cabin: Balcony
Our cruise was part of a package that started with 3 nights in Tokyo then a flight to Osaka with 2 nights there. We then joined the ship at Kobe for the cruise after which we spent another night in Osaka before flying home. It was our hope that the trip would give us an introduction to Japanese culture as well as being interesting, stimulating and enjoyable. Looking back I would have to say that it exceeded our expectations. We will sail with Princess again.
Embarkation
Seamless and quick. Welcomed on board to sounds of shamisen player then to cabin to be met by steward who proved to be first rate throughout the cruise. Went to breaking of sake barrel at 3.30 and enjoyed my first taste of the national drink. Safety drill was in English and Japanese, so pretty long. But sitting in an a.c. theatre made all the difference. Noted about 75% of passengers were Japanese: so glad I'd at least learned some basic phrases, such as thank you, excuse me, good morning etc. Actually not necessary as most of the Japanese had better basic English than my limited phrases: funny in lifts etc. Japanese guy says hello in English I say hello in Japanese!!
Cabin Review
Balcony
Cabin BE
Usual standard that we've come to expect from Princess. Cabin steward fantastic, shower curtain ugh!, balcony a little worn, bed comfortable, plenty of storage.
Wow! A kettle in the cabin and a plug socket that fits a UK plug. No noise from outside. Slept really well.
Port Reviews
Kobe
Not Kobe as we only embarked and disembarked there. Below is some info on the ports we visited. I cannot seem to do this any other way.
Hakodate.
Ship docked out of town. Free shuttle to town (NOT an easy walk). Dropped off near station. Morning market well worth a visit. Then walked up hill to various churches and good view.
Muroran
Again docked out of town. no free shuttle but for 1000 Yen you can take a local bus tour to visit 7 sites of 'interest'. You could take multiple rides. Packed bus! Cape Chikyu worth a look, very pretty and the stop where you can view the Hakucho bridge is ok. Local market set up on dock side good. Fantastic goodbye dockside show by local kids.
Kushiro
Yet again out of town but free shuttle to Moo and Egg building. Local chamber of commerce had set up stalls where tourists could try on a Kimono , practice calligraphy and much more. Very friendly. Visited the Nusamai bridge with 4 statues depicting the seasons, naked women: bad luck for winter?
Otaro
Walked into town: a good walk. Sakaimachidori street: lots of interesting shops reasonable prices. Otaro canal a pleasant walk if weather fine.
Aomori
Free shuttle although pleasant walk back across bridge. Visited Wa-Rasse museum where floats from previous years' Matsuri festival are on display. Also various interactive activities. A most enjoyable experience.
15 Helpful Votes
Find a Diamond Princess Cruise from $138
Get special cruise deals, expert advice, insider tips and more.By proceeding, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.