My boyfriend and I departed on February 12, 2005 for a 7 night Mexican Riviera cruise on the Diamond Princess. This was my fourth cruise and his second. Our previous cruises were on Carnival. We are a professional couple in our 30s with no children and were looking for a relaxing vacation. I read the reviews of other people before our departure and felt well prepared for what to expect on Princess.

Embarkation began at 12:00, but we weren't there to see it! We arrived at the pier about 3:30 p.m.. We handed our bags to the porter at the cruise terminal and walked through the embarkation lobby with our case of wine and champagne. We were the only people there, aside from staff. We were on board in about 5 minutes.

We went to our cabin first, where two of our bags preceded our arrival. Our cabin, P208, was in the Forward of the ship on the Plaza deck (deck 5). We had an ocean view, but no balcony. Our room had a queen size bed, vanity with three small drawers, two nightstands, a TV and an empty mini-fridge which we quickly filled with our wine and champagne. I had also smuggled in a liter of Ketel One in a water bottle; that went into the fridge as well. Read more