We have just returned from a fabulous trip aboard the Diamond Princess. After a disastrous trip a few months ago on NCL's Pride of Aloha, we were not sure about cruising again. We are avid cruisers and were really brought down by our experience with the Pride (happy to read in Cruise Critic that they are trying to get better). We had booked this cruise in the beginning of the year and, due to our bad NCL experience, our once great feelings on cruising, were pretty low. We were so impressed with everything that happened on our latest cruise, we immediately booked another Princess cruise for next year.
Embarkation out of LA was handled quickly and very positively. The ship itself is beautiful with a wonderfully grand, yet intimate, feel. Oue cabin, which was an oceanview for two, was very nice, especially the excellent amount of closet space.
Meals on this ship were great! Much better than RCL, NCL or Celebrity. Only Crystal Cruises topped our expectations over the Diamond, and that's saying a lot! All of the different dining rooms made for a pleasurable experience each evening. Four different dining rooms, plus the alternative, Sabatini's, were all excellent. Great service, hot, well made food and wonderfully attentive personnel, made dining a must! The Buffet was superb in all facets, including large selections of GOOD, HOT food each day. This was the first time in all our cruises that we actually ate a DINNER at the buffet as it was so well done.