We have sailed 2X with Pacific Aria and now did our second trip with the Dawn due to the kids section as we took our son and his family with us which made it their 1st cruise and our 4th cruise. Needless to say the kids play area was too cold for the kids so there were hardly any kids in there, the main pool was very dangerous as it just went down so he couldn't swim in there as hot tubs just too hot but you could have up to 12 kids in it at anytime.There was hardly any entertainment for the little kids. They only had 2 waiters on top so you had dirty plates and glasses sitting there for hours, no waiters to come and take your drink orders unlike the 1st time. The Aria was on top of their game on that one at all time. Plus the Aria has 3 free restaurants as to only 1 on the Dawn. The Aria Pantry also had more selection as oppose to the Dawn pantry. The waterfront restaurant, I will give our waiter Khaled for table 4 10 out of 10 as not only was he entertaining with my grandson, but alway very polite and helpful. The whole ship could have done with more of him. The entertainment fell down badly. I would rate 2 out of 10.Not good at all. I bought some inch of gold jewellery and when I got home, found that I was given a dodgy clasp that didn't open or close.Won't make that mistake again. The staff although tried to be happy, you could see they were very tired which was sad to see. Needless to say my son and family will never cruise again and we will never cruise the Dawn again. If I could get my money back I would as I paid for all 5 of us. We like to go every 6 month so it will be the Aria until the new port is open with more ships on offer. Read Less

We chose this cruise to visit Vietnam and Hong Kong and finish with a stint in Singapore. this segment was 22 days. - we were medically disembarked on day 18. Please read on to the Cunard Cough Embarkation was so smooth and took just minutes. The Cabin 8114 was clean, comfortable and the steward wonderful. Dining in the Lido Buffet offered a wide variety of choices of excellent food. Unfortunately the furniture in the Lido needs a very good clean and the chairs were very grubby and the salt and pepper shakers were the main source of germs. The main restaurant was very disappointing. The offerings were average at best and the service was not up to the food and service standard that we experienced on the Queen Elizabeth a few years ago. Mock cream was offered with desserts. MOCK Cream!!!!! when you can get fresh whipped in the Lido buffet - that was not logical, fine dining Vs buffet and we got mock cream. Might sound picky, but the rest of the food followed suit. The entertainment nightly and offerings during the day were very good. Excursions were well managed, Tender ports took forever to get off, so get down early if you are doing a self-tour as these leave after the excursions. MEDICAL CENTRE - excellent service for all those who became sick, and those with the dreaded CUNARD COUGH. Yes, it has a name, This cough is a virus and was rampant on our cruise. It put too many passengers in sick bay and resulted with us getting pneumonia and having to leave the cruise early to get specialised hospitalisation and treatment. Many passengers didn't like getting treatment on the ship as their travel insurance was not top notch and they didn't want to pay, therefore they coughed and coughed and gave it to many others. The doctors and medical staff we give 1000%, we would not be here writing this without them. Yes our travel insurance paid up but we were very honest with them and took out extra and got their approval to cover pre-existing conditions. Would we go again - no, we felt the overall standard on this cruise was not what we enjoyed a few years ago, and on review we will not take the health risks. Read Less

We have always wanted to cruise on Cunard and we weren't disappointed. Queen Mary 2 was just as we expected. Great service, great food, plenty of space and a touch of class. We had 14 days on the ship and the dinner menu was different every night. Our table of 4 in the dining room all enjoyed our meals and the friendly Maitre De, Elvis, checked every night to make sure we were happy. We requested our favourite deserts that were not on the menu and he made sure that we got them the next night and any other night that we requested them. I don't normally like the buffets on cruises but Kings Court was one of the best. We quite often don't eat until 2.00 pm as we have late dinner and they were always replenishing the dishes with fresh food. Other ships we have been on you get the scraps at that time. The variety and the quality of food was excellent. Different stations for each type of food. We particularly like the Sushi station, which was always topped up with fresh sashimi, as it was quite popular. The deck chairs on the promenade deck were excellent for viewing the sights or just reading a book and catching the breezes. We only saw half of the shows as 10.30 pm is a bit late for us to go to a show. Would prefer if they put the shows on before dinner. The shows we did see were very good. Their broadway shows could have been better and we had seen some of the acts on other cruise lines but that happens when you cruise a lot. This was number 40 cruise for us but our first on Cunard. We will definitely cruise with them again. Read Less

We only decided on this cruise due to the price. We were not looking for a cruise but this one "appeared" on our email and we could not ignore it. And we are sooo glad we didn't ignore it. Best holiday ever!! If we had stayed at home and ate at a Michelin rated restaurant every night, we would have spent more than the fare for the cruise- and missed out on the other meals, ports of call, entertainment etc etc. Gotta experience it to appreciate it.... what can I tell ya? Apart from the fact that this liner is a mechanical marvel and physically huge in size, it has everything you could want on a holiday. The formality of dress after 6pm may not suit everyone but, there are plenty of cruise ships available for the more casually inclined. QM2 is the only liner in the world and should be appreciated as such. I have read negative reviews of the ship and encountered people during the cruise that had a whinge. Seriously... you will find people everywhere who will complain that the sunrise isn't to their liking, or their Verve Cliquot is half a degree below optimum temperature and you need to ignore them lest you become infected with their misery and snobbery. Read Less

Im a platinum member of cunard which means i have traveled a lot on all there ships mostly on QM2. the food in the britania resterant always arives less than worm although presentation is good,even though the ship has undergon a big re-fit it is still tied in parts its saving grace was getting rid of that terrible palm court. the shops are exspensive as products can be got ashore at a better price toiled papper is appoling and cheep staff seemed always to be stressed ,but always,well mostly are plesant . the big pluss are the new single staterooms although you cannot book the on the saver fair,disspite what cunard tell you,cunard were the very best at one time now they are only good to ok christmass is not recomended on cunard,not my opinion but having spoken to passangers who had don christmas told me it was only ok. Read Less

We enjoyed the 13-night, Brisbane to Kobe leg of Queen Elizabeth's 2017 world cruise. Embarkation at Brisbane's temporary international cruise terminal at Fisherman Island was smooth and we were quickly in our balcony cabin 6030. The cabin was quiet and comfortable although we initially found the air-conditioning to be cold and drafty even at the highest temperature setting, but after being adjusted by one of the ship's technicians it was fine. It's a beautiful, well-maintained ship. I particularly liked the Royal Court theatre, the Queens Room, the Golden Lion pub and the two-level library with its quirky spiral staircase. Almost all of the public areas of the ship are attractive, well laid-out and easy to navigate. I also liked the Pavilion Pool area and was able to swim laps in the pool late in the afternoon most days, at times when the pool was usually uncrowded. We had a table for two during the second (8:30 pm) dinner sitting in the lower level of the Britannia Restaurant. Although the portions were generally small the food was tasty, nicely presented and we had two fantastic waiters. However, we found the second sitting a bit too late and if we go with Cunard again we would try to get reservations for the first (6:00 pm) sitting or to upgrade to the Britannia Club, which has open seating from 6:30 pm. We had breakfast and lunch in the Lido Restaurant where the food was of reasonable quality although the service was, perhaps understandably, somewhat impersonal and definitely less friendly than the Britannia Restaurant. We particularly liked some of the guest performers in the theatre but were not so impressed with the Cunard in-house performances, where we found the singing in the Broadway and West End productions a bit repetitive and shrill. The theatre's resident band was, however, very impressive. The musicians in the ship's various lounges and nightspots were also very good. Being from Queensland we had visited Cairns several times before, so my wife elected to stay on board during the ship's first port of call, Yorkeys Knob. I made a quick return trip to shore, primarily to get some photos of the Queen Elizabeth at anchor, despite the inclement weather. The second port of call was a sunny, but very hot and steamy Alotou (Milne Bay), Papua New Guinea, where we both took the opportunity to have some cold drinks at the Alotou International Hotel located nearby, on the bay. The third port of call was Okinawa, Japan, where we just visited one of the main shopping streets on a fairly damp, overcast day. The final port on this sector was Kobe, Japan, where we dis-embarked and stayed at the Okura Hotel in a room having a great view of the harbour. From there we saw the Queen Elizabeth depart later that day. Overall, a great cruise on a beautiful ship with a friendly crew (and a very personable captain). Hopefully we'll get the opportunity to travel with Cunard again. Read Less

We have heard great reviews about this ship approx 1hr after boarding I wanted to get off and out of there when you walk in there is nobody to greet you and show you to your rooms which you can not access until 1300hrs this is beyond a joke as I am disabled and needed to have a rest. Inside this feels very closed in and cramped it needs to be opened up more from what I could see around the ship this needed a serious overhaul with everything as everything looked to old hat in the way things are done I have disembarked today and was glad to get off the staff when available were help full but it looks like this is sailing on the cheap. This seems to very under staffed with the way things are done around the ship. If this is a preview of what the other R.C.ships are like this has turned be of going with them. Entertainment was good if you could afford to play the pokies or spend you time at the bars the shows when they were shown was good. I had noticed that around the ship that some of the power points were hanging out of the walls and would consider dangerous as some one getting to close could rip their leg open or worse get a electric shock. Because there was not much to keep the children occupied they would run stupid like getting lifts and keeping them so no other pax could catch them I had seen this happen for approx 15 min. Where was security to keep them in check and also stop them from running around the decks and knocking pax over but I know they will go to almost any length to annoy other pax Read Less

This was our 3rd time on QM2 as we enjoy the ship so much, we prefer the refined elegance and the ship itself more than the theme park gimmicks of other Lines, (I am a great fan of the tradition and romance of the great Lines of the past). Embarking was a breeze, had to walk a few steps from the temporary tent to the gangway, a nice touch was the white gloved bell-hops posing for a photo before walking up the gangway. I knew the ship inside out and obviously researched our stateroom location well in advance hence finding our way was no problem, I dont know why some people moan about not being shown to their room, I mean are you 5 years old? It was first time in a sheltered balcony (previous time was in a glass front, deck 11) and we were very happy with it, I was aware of the issue being the height of the opening and thus it was not a disappointment. It was great to have access to the wind and sun and for the price we paid, it was a steal. Overall the service was its usual high quality, food superb, possibly the standard was better in kings court for some dishes (lamb cutlets!) , we used to get pre-dinner snacks from KC and take back to our room to go with wine or two. Then to Commodore club for a martini and then the fabulous dinner in Britannia. The weather was a little up and down and one odd thing I have not experienced previously was the kitchen exhaust fumes swirling back onto the pool area out the back, lasted a few days and must have been a following wind. Luckily it was ok for the King Neptune crossing the equator ceremony which the wife and I took part in, a lot of fun! During the force 8/9 gale, QM2 was a stable as ever which is one strong reason we like travelling on her, plus it is about the ship and I like to try to appreciate what it was like back in the 1930's hey day of great Liners. While she is showing some signs of tiredness, this is to be expected just before a major refit. Loved everything about her (apart from the fumes a few days), and despite 16 days on board we still did not do everything we wanted, I was certainly keen to go back to the high tea, it was so cool, but alas other eating/drinking seemed to always take priority! We only did 1 organised excursion, that being Shanghai which was reasonably good, now having been there once I would do it myself next time. At Kota Kinabalu we took a local ferry to an island in the marine park, all very good except for the terrible garbage in the water, pretty disgusting. At Cairns it was torrential tropical rain so we didn't get past the yacht club where the tender dropped us (Yorkey's Knob), we had visited it before and was nice to have another few hours there drinking and catch up with the club's manager again. We did a tour of the galley and loads of seminars and shows, all fantastic. Getting off in Hong Kong was perfect, we were up at 4am to watch the amazing arrival and after breakfast, walked off at 7am with our bags and no queues, straight into a taxi and off on our sightseeing tour. Already looking to get back on board next year! Read Less

My husband and I joined Queen Victoria in Brisbane and sailed through to Hong Kong in March 2016. We are Ballroom Dances so Cunard suits us really well. We love that you can get dressed up every night. Where else can you go to a silver service restaurant for dinner, straight after that have a short break of dancing in the Queens Room before heading off to the theatre for a live show and after that head back to the Queens Room to Ballroom Dance to a seven piece orchestra until midnight - every night of the week!!!! Ok sometimes when the vocalist was performing we felt that we could do a quickstep, cha cha and waltz all in the same bracket because he kept changing the tempo - but that gave us something to laugh about. The professional dance couple on board, Dan and Oleana were amazing to watch as well as being very good at giving dance classes each sea day. They were always very friendly and very lovely to speak to. There was always a great variety of food that was very well presented. Nothing was ever a problem for our table waiters. Our stateroom was clean and very comfortable. We hope that Cunard keeps with the traditional side of cruising, and never looses the prestige of the dress codes that they have in place. Also we finished our cruise on a high having won the Queen Victoria Dance Competition, so so much fun for all of those dances that want to cruise. Read Less

After many cruises we decided to try a Cunard luxury cruise (from their advertising blurb) on Queen Vic. First impression Arrive up the gangway & be security checked. Find your own way to your cabin (you have been given a ships map) Other ships at least have staff to direct you to your cabin, not Cunard 2nd impression 1st night in dining room. No breads on table, waiter serves you one bread roll & one portion of butter. Other ships have plates of ass. rolls on table & plenty of butter, you don't have to ask for a second roll. Hardly a luxury approach to dining. 3rd impression When ordering the main meal (entrée) I asked for a Caesar salad & told it was not available I could only have that which is on the menu. A little off-putting when Cunard tell you that you may have anything. It was available upstairs in the Lido bistro not in the dining room. At this time my idea of luxury travel has suffered a major set back. 3rd impression 1st morning breakfast in Lido, asked for grapefruit & told it was only available in the dining room, asked for smoked salmon, "sorry it is only available in dining room" So next day we ventured to the dining room for breakfast & had grapefruit & smoked salmon with an omelette which had been in a Bain maree for a considerable time, underdone toast & one portion of butter with cold coffee. So much for the luxury breakfast experience. Upstairs, hot coffee, stale bread rolls & yesterdays croissants but made to order omelettes, whoopee. The sad food experience goes on with a very poor selection in the bistro compared to Princess or Celebrity. Entertainment in my opinion was one step short of a disaster with English "comedians juggler, magician" & other guest entertainers of very ordinary talent performing 9 nights with the exception of the ship's singers & dancers; they were great but after 4 night in 18 they got a bit boring. You would see better shows at the local hall not on a 5 star luxury ship. Credit where credit is due; the ship was beautifully maintained, bar staff were top class, wait staff did a good but not spectacular job. Segregation of world cruisers & the hop on hop off crowd (1000 Aussies) was annoying; if Cunard want to segregate them & us they should go back to the 30'es & not run a hop on hop off boat The dress code didn't seem to be enforced very well as there were people around the ship in the evening not dressed according to the ship's rules. Many people ignored the hand sanitizers in the Lido & I'm surprised that there wasn't an outbreak of norovirus. On the health issue the ship was full of people with a cold or flu, we avoided the dreaded lurg by keeping clear of the cougher crowd & spray disinfecting our room every time we went in after a theatre or lounge visit. Another evergreen is the criticism of ship's tours & transfers, Cunard didn't let us down with their overpricing, e.g Hong Kong airport transfer US$35 (HK $ 280 pp) local taxi HK $ 230 for 2 pax incl luggage & a 34 minute ride door to door with no waiting for Cunard to fill the bus before departing. In Bali we hired a car with driver for the day cost was A$76 for 6 pax not A$ 75 per person on Cunard bus I wouldn't consider going on another hop on hop off cruise if it was free. The Cunard experience was not what I expected compared Princess, Celebrity or Holland America Read Less

Being our first ever cruise, I had no idea HOW I would occupy 9 days - There was happily no problem however, as the provision of a good variety of entertainment was excellent, along with exceptional service from Alexander Gahol (housekeeping for our room number 6630) and our waiter for table 31 in the Romeo & Juliet restaurant, 'Elford'; ALL staff aboard were very pleasant, but these 2 guys did exceptionally well with their friendliness and hospitality! Our stateroom was much larger than I’d anticipated, and left nothing to be desired (except the LONG walk to and from the nearest elevator, given that we were right at the stern) My only minor complaints are: Air conditioning in most parts of the ship were too warm (21'C would have greatly improved this!) to the point of being uncomfortable (HOT) I found. Also the temperatures seemed to vary quite a lot from area to area, but I do understand that this is difficult to avoid with a ship having doors opening and closing all the time. The elevators seemed like there was no air-conditioning at all in them, and others agreed about this. The no smoking policy from private balconies is a little tough on smokers, given how far a walk it is to the nearest smoking area. 99% of all resorts / accommodation we have travelled to world-wide, allow smoking from the balcony. A noteworthy point too, is that people’s drinking glasses left around the smoking areas did not seem to be collected by staff very often, and this could easily be an injury waiting to happen. Royal Caribbean WEBSITE is greatly inaccurate in many ways - Information on the site (i.e., cost of on-board internet) is vastly incorrect (States $35 per 15 minutes; whereas on-board it is actually $20 per day). ON that topic, I tried several times to create an account for internet access and was not once able to. I felt a little disappointed at the last 3 days of the cruise, just very slowly returning to Brisbane from New Caledonia; surely we could have overnighted at one or two of the ports, i.e., Vanuatu or Noumea, making it then possible to undertake a full island tour etc. Failing that; a circuit around the islands or even a slow journey circling or stopping at nearby Fiji would have greatly improved the content of the cruise. Disembarkation at such an early time whilst on holidays, were a bit of a shock also, when compared to normal check-out times of motels etc. On the positive side; The hand sterilizing stations found at all locations of the ship, are a great idea and I have no doubt that this vastly contributes to infection control, which many people are justifiably concerned with on ships in recent years. I would and shall HIGHLY recommend Royal Caribbean to all of my contacts without hesitation. Speaking to many passengers, they all said that this is the best cruise line they have experienced out of the many (in most cases) that they have cruised with. I will definitely look at the Royal Caribbean option first, when choosing our next voyage, which hopefully won’t be too long from now! The cruise really taught me that, it was more about the JOURNEY, than the destination. We both thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Read Less

We have been on many cruises from Australia, Hong Kong and New Zealand, and this one was by far the best. The ship is beautiful, and the service impeccable -- when I asked at the purser's desk for more recommendation cards, I was told with a rueful grin that so many passengers wanted to commend the staff that they had run out of cards. The service in the midships bar and the Britannia restaurant were particularly to be recommended. Food in the Britannia was great, if not memorable. The sommelier was very attentive, and soon knew our favorite wine, which was a Cunard blend, so that the bottle was ready and waiting when we arrived. The alternative dining was not as good -- too much meat and too little garnish, and poorly presented, in both alternative restaurants -- but we were very happy with the main dining venue. And the buffet was wonderful for breakfast and lunch. Plenty of space so the tables were not crammed together. Read Less

I was very disappointed after the first night in my junior suite as it was directly underneath the pool deck. Constant scraping of chairs and pounding feet throughout the day and the night. Paying more for a suite I would have expected to be told of these problems. I will NEVER book a room underneath the pool and restaurant/entertainment decks again. A BIG MISTAKE!! The food in the buffet dining room was very average. The dessert bar was terrible with little choice compared to a previous Princess cruise we did last November. However, we enjoyed the speciality restaurants! It's just a shame we had to pay for good quality food. Here is a tip!!!!! IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR CRUISE EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY YOUR ROOM. TELL THEM! I was offered a generous discount on my next cruise which I was happy with for all the inconvenience I was put through. Read Less

Boarding was very quick and the first impression of the Aria was very elegant ...until we saw our cabin! We had cabin number 9024, a so called upgrade. It was smaller than a broom closet, had no couch or fridge and you could hardly get inside without hitting the bed. We had trouble getting the big suitcases in. The cabin was definitely not newly refurbished. Carpets were old and worn and the bathroom had mould in the corners and loose tiles in the shower. The shower did not work properly from day one. The water could not be regulated and we ended up being scolded by boiling hot water. The plumber finally set it on cooler on the third day of our voyage numerous unaddressed complaints. Dining was quite nice; we did like the free Italian and Chinese Restaurants. We also appreciated the new dining concept that replaced the traditional buffet. Much cleaner and less waste. Unfortunately, you had to be very careful where you sat because condensation water kept dripping from the ceiling onto the tables and chairs. They also had to have buckets to catch water from the ceiling near some of the Food outlets during the whole of the voyage. We looked forward to playing tennis onboard but the tennis court was never available. It was used for everything but tennis despite there being a basket ball court as well. Segways, volley ball you name just no tennis. The pool in the Oasis was not very clean. They never changed the water despite it being closed for nearly half a day due to the water being very cloudy. YUK Showers in the Oasis had tiles missing and had rusty spots as I found out when my shower in the cabin didn't work. Entertainment was 5star as always on P & O. The captain also did an excellent job avoiding heavy seas. We vowed to enjoy our cruise and so we did but we will not go back onto the Aria. Read Less

A couple of years ago we managed to book a 2 night cruise on Queen Elizabeth - we were so impressed that when the opportunity came up for a short trip on the Queen Mary 2 during her world cruise we jumped at it. We joined the ship in Brisbane where embarkation arrangements were fairly chaotic. Check in and issue of cruise cards was completed on board which made a pleasant office environment for the shore based check in staff. Once we had completed the formalities there was no one to welcome or direct us so we found our own way. We had expected a little better of Cunard. We were very pleased with our Princess Grills suite on deck 10 although initially surprised that the design of the ship had us looking down at the lifeboats rather than the water when on our balcony. Our first lesson in the differences found on an ocean liner rather than a cruise ship. Our cabin 10063 was well equipped and well located in the centre of the ship. The bathroom was roomy and there was heaps of closet space for a long cruise. A couple of days is not long to get a true feel for a ship but we certainly enjoyed our time on board. The ship is lovely - full of interesting memorabilia and a quiet classical atmosphere. Most of the staff were courteous rather than friendly and we didn't see any of the officers wandering the ship and talking to people as we often have on other cruises. We did like the bridge viewing area and the opportunity to see all the controls. We missed the outdoor areas that you usually find on cruise ships - the shaded sitting areas, the alfresco eating areas and the friendly bars but we could see how the layout would be ideal for transatlantic crossings. The promenade deck was spacious and well used. The Commodore's Club, the library and the Grills and Concierge lounges were some favourite places to spend time. The planetarium was a great experience and the guest lecturers were excellent. We enjoyed the shows we saw and the very talented musicians playing around the ship. We only met our stateroom attendant once - just after we boarded - but our room was kept clean and tidy and we were very comfortable. We really enjoyed our meals in the Princess Grills dining room - although it is less spectacular than the one on the QE it is a very pleasant venue. Food and service were good and I loved the Wedgewood crockery. A cup of tea tastes so much nicer in a Wedgewood cup! I was surprised to be told on the last evening that they could not do me a crepe suzette for dessert because I had not ordered it in advance. That struck me as rather odd but other than that we found the wait staff helpful and friendly. Our curiosity about the QM2 was satisfied and it would certainly be the ship I would choose for a transatlantic. Next year we would love to do a short trip on the Queen Victoria so that we have had the pleasure of sailing in all three ships of the line. I don't think Cunard will tempt us away from other cruise lines - their prices are high and they are seldom in Australian waters. But it was an experience not to be missed Read Less

My wife and I have cruised many times with Princess, 21 times in fact. We are both in our early 60's. I have just read a review of this Cruise posted by photomavin71, really, his critique is so wrong (in my opinion) and in the opinion of many fellow passengers, I am wondering if he/she ever left the Cabin. We found the service on board as good as I we have received anywhere in the past, be it on land or at sea. The Crew, Table Waiters, Drink Waiters, Reception Staff etc. were always happy, helpful, courteous and on many occasions went out of their way to assist in a way any land or sea based organisation would be proud. The ship was presented as one of the cleanest vessels we have sailed on. The Dining Rooms, Service and Meals were 1st Class. We were welcomed by name every time we entered a Dining Room, we were asked our preferences and each time those preferences were met with a courteous smile. (photomavin71) was critical of the number of older people on board. We never had any problems with people using walking aids or motorised aids. In fact we commented on how few there were. There was virtually no congestion anywhere, except trying to get a seat in the Explorers Lounge at Show time. More on that later. Wake up, photomarvin71, firstly, it was a 28 day cruise. Not many younger people have the time or money available to do such a cruise. Yes, I would estimate that many passengers were retired, as we are. Photomavin71 should consider he/she will also be "older" one day and having read the critique, I don't want to be on any ship he/she is on. Some of his comments were also completely disrespectful to the older people. Yes one person was airlifted from the ship., I don't know the reason, but I could almost guarantee it was not because that person was "frail." I hope photomavin71 never gets sick and requires urgent Medical attention. Enough of this "unhappy" soul. We found most Ports amazing and welcoming, with greeting from local volunteers on arrival. Information was readily available with many well priced tours to choose from. Bali is Bali. It is not Australia, it is not a rich country. The tours from what we saw and heard were well organised and gave passengers reasonable value for money. The Chef's Table is highly recommended. We went twice, both times, 4 people from our first Table came along for a 2nd visit. At $95.00 per head, it is worth the money. The Maitre D' Francois Ferat and the Executive Chef Nilo Palma play of each other really well and add to the experience. The wines served are very good and the photo of the evening and the Princess Cookbook per couple is part of the deal. The Ship: our Cabin, interior L233. By taking an Interior Cabin we have more spending money and can cruise more frequently. Our Cabin Steward, Ekka was outstanding. You name the superlatives and he was each one. Our Table Waiters, exceptional, entertaining, simply "Marvelous". We chose Anytime Dining for the 1st time, (as it is not available on Princess ships normally based in Australia) and found the experience of being able to move about, meet more great people, enjoy various venues is something we will miss if not available in the future. Our drink Waiters knew our names from day one. welcomed us at every opportunity and were always there with a smile. Deck/Pool areas are open, spacious, well presented and deck chairs were always available. CRITICISM: The Explorers Lounge was small considering the shows, events that were held there. It was one place we found to be crowded, although we always managed to find a seat. The Grand Plaza - Lobby Coffee Lounge is small and difficult at times to find a seat. I have been told however that in the near future this area and the Plaza will be refurbished and redesigned with increased seating. The entertainment was reasonable and enjoyable. We didn't experience bad entertainers, some were just a little better than others. The Cruise Directors Staff were very good, especially a young Korean Lady named "Song." I would love to have her on every cruise. She was Brilliant. The Princess Show Group were very good with a new show that we hadn't seen previously. The Port Information presentations were O.K. However a little more research would have come in handy., especially re Darwin. Generally, in summing up, if you want a Party Ship, Diamond Princess is NOT. If you are looking for a friendly, happy and well present ed Cruise Ship, Diamond IS. Yes, passengers are older than what you would find on a Party style ship. However, a little research on what you are looking for will always be advantages when booking any cruise. As I said earlier, we are in our 60's and found it very enjoyable with a great mix of mature aged people. I would recommend Princess/Diamond to anyone looking for a relaxing, safe and fun Cruise. My wife and I are leaving on the Sun Princess, Cherry Blossom Cruise at the end of April, if that Cruise is near as good as this last one, we will be very happy. Read Less

Queen Elizabeth didn't disappoint we were apprehensive about our cabin 1001 on deck one, but it was spacious and very clean with a big picture window. The bed was like sleeping on a cloud, with the best linen I have ever seen on a cruise ship. We dined in the Britannia restaurant breakfast lunch and dinner, I have worked in restaurants many years and I can only say the food was amazing, Not only that but we sat with many interesting people during these meals. people complain about the food but they eat on the buffet well a buffet is never going to give you the quality of the silver service restaurant. On a few occasions we managed high tea in the Queens Room, which is not to be missed if you can fit it in The staff are friendly and most importantly happy in their job. We talked to a waitress and said they are treated fairly and given time off which on other cruise lines this is not always so. The only criticism I have is the shows are aimed at an older crowd but Cunard should remember that just because they are old they are not dead. I love the classics and opera but why cant they throw in some 60s 70s and 80s nights in their shows I am in my mid 50s as were many others who said they would enjoy a bit more diversity in entertainment. Overall an amazing 13 days that I hope to repeat in the not to distant future. Read Less

We had 13 nights which was certainly enough. Our only other cruise was with Cunard and the difference is startling. The pressure to buy drinks, especially by the pool, was at times insolent. The food was standard British fare, plenty of potatoes, at least two different ways every meal, well that will fill you up. Chips everywhere. On this note, Marco Pierre White why did you lend your name to this poor excuse for an exclusive restaurant on board? With a stairwell coming out in the middle, people strolling past, and food no better than the main restaurants I cannot see why he did it. Most cruise ships have a signature restaurant which you make a booking for and pay extra and which you are happy to pay for as the food and service is special Not so here. This one was free except for a dinner surcharge and as such gave no special food or presentation. Menu read well but the presentation and cooking was ordinary. Please Marco review your involvement. The theatres were small and the entertainment was constantly suffled around to fit people kn if an act was popular. On a positive note the cabin, balcony, was excellent, great to have a bath and a good sized bathroom. Our cabin steward did his job well. Read Less

Our balcony room on the 12th deck was good and could not fault steward services. However, I find it most objectionable that on a 12 night cruise for the cost, bed sheets were only changed once - after five days. I would expect and would get better than that in a Motel. There were far too many children- 480 we were told on this 2,200 passenger cruise. There were times when it was impossible to get near the swimming pool because of unruly teenagers who were not checked by deck crew (or parents!) even though signs clearly said that diving and jumping in pool was not allowed. For almost the entire length if the cruise there was dripping from ceilings in various locations to such an extent that buckets had to be out in various public areas. Whilst formal dining restaurant had excellent service and food choice, attitude of buffet restaurant staff was generally just not good enough. There was also a poor lack of ship activities on shore days for passengers who did not wish to go ashore. No movies or activities which we have had on other Princess Cruises. We were on the cruise over Christmas and a disappointing quality of activities for this occasion. Generally entertainment was tired and disappointing. To top off the whole experience there was a nasty virus which hit many of the passengers during the Cruise and it just made us look forward to the end of this cruise. Read Less