This was, principally a repositioning cruise and as such, sea days outnumbered port visits by 3:1. Embarkation at Singapore was one of the best that we have experienced within our 15 cruise career. Transfer from Singapore centre hotel to Stateroom C509 was just 30 minutes. The cabin was adequate and the balcony enormous. Great choice of TV channels kept us entertained while we unpacked. So far, so good......

We signed up for the All Inclusive drinks package which should benefit any moderate drinker taking more than 8 beers, ciders, wines and cocktails per day, including dinner. Any less and you should pay as you go. Good choice of branded drinks in all categories but there were some shortages in the more popular bars throughout the cruise.

The menu reflected the Diamonds previous itinerary around Japan and whilst there were always adequate Western choices on the menu, they were fairly limited and lacked imagination and variety. We chose Anytime Dining and never had a problem finding a sharing table in any of the restaurants at our chosen time. Perhaps a contributory factor to this was the propensity for majority of Australian guests ( 80% of the clientele ) chose to take the Guzzle and Go buffet option in Horizon Court. This was partly because they don't like to miss any of the sparse entertainment options around the ship and partly because most Aussies consider formal dress to be trainers, rather than flip flops with their shorts and vests. Read more