Diamond Princess -Princess Cruises
Fast Facts
Vessel: Diamond Princess
Cruise Line:Princess Cruises
Star Rating: 4 stars
Tonnage: 115,875 GRT
Max Passenger Capacity: 2674
Entered Service: February 2004
Facilities: You'll find four swimming pools, nine whirlpools, a library, casino, self-service launderette and playrooms for teens and children.
Entertainment includes a show lounge, two entertainment lounges and several bars and lounges with live music. There are 28 cabins with wheelchair access.
Cabins:There is a range of cabins to choose fromn pillows each night. There are 67 interior cabins with no view and many outside view cabins on the Emerald Deck have their view obstructed by lifeboats.
For further information contact: 13 24 69 or visit www.pocruises.com.au
Diamond Princess
The popularity of the visit by the Sapphire Princess has prompted her twin, the Diamond Princess, to venture south for three months.
How do you top the largest ship ever to sail Australia? Do it again, of course. Following the acclaimed debut of the Sapphire Princess to the South Pacific in 2004-2005, Princess P&O Cruises will offer a repeat performance of sorts by sending sister ship Diamond Princess to Australia, New Zealand and east Asia for 2005-2006.
Last year's programme was a big success, said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises' Senior Vice President of Sales and Customer Service. "Voyages were selling out well in excess of six months prior to sailing. For the 2006 season, we are building on that momentum, and the Diamond Princess will take over as the largest and most amenity-filled vessel ever to sail Down Under. We're offering a longer, three-month Australian season. The focus of the 2006 product is the 12-day sailings that take in the best of both countries, Australia and New Zealand. So you visit Sydney, Dunedin, Christchurch, and then you see the fjords. We believe it's a fantastic cruise product and that's why we're seeing such a response."
The Diamond Princess at 116,000 tons, is the identical twin to the Sapphire Princess, and both are based on Princess Cruises' highly acclaimed Grand Class. Even before it was launched, though, the Diamond Princess had a colourful history. In fact, if the ship had been the object of tabloid fascination, the headline would have read "Switched at Birth". Originally designated as the Sapphire Princess, this hull (number 2181) was renamed after a shipyard fire forced a juggling of the construction schedule at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan. The result was a flip-flop. Diamond Princess would make its debut a year later than scheduled, while the fire-damaged hull (number 2180) would set sail a few months afterwards as the Sapphire.
Structurally, the Diamond Princess is visibly derived from the Grand Class of 109,000-ton vessels. The most obvious differences lie around the funnel. Two cigar-shaped pods on either side of the stack are part of a hybrid propulsion system that combines a gas turbine engine with a diesel-electric power plant. Employing the hybrid system allows the ship to run clean in environmentally sensitive destinations such as Alaska, where the ship will operate a summer schedule of seven-day departures. Visible emissions have been a source of friction with local residents in recent years, and several cruise lines have been fined for exceeding regulatory standards.
Behind the stack lies the Skywalker's Disco, a glass-enclosed structure placed above the top deck. Unlike the original Grand Class ships, this element has been nestled closer to the superstructure, providing for a more integrated look. The decision to downplay the disco was made at least in part to create a visible distinction between the Diamond/Sapphire twins and their predecessors in the Grand Class, which have the famous "trolley handle." Just as the handle has become the hallmark of the Grand Class ships, the cigar-pods make the Diamond and Sapphire instantly recognisable whenever and wherever they pull into port.
But while the disco may no longer be the visible symbol of the ship, it still provides an important and enhanced purpose. On the Diamond Princess, the disco's interior space is larger than on previous vessels, and a long balcony has been placed around the exterior, affording bird's-eye views over the aft end of the ship. At night, the room pulsates with dance music, but during the day its atmosphere is exactly the opposite. If you crave peace and quiet, this is the place for reading a good book or just watching the wake create ripples in the ocean.
An imaginative new public space, aptly named Club Fusion, is located at the rear end of the promenade deck. Part disco, part lounge and part casino, Club Fusion is an all-in-one nightspot for late-night revelry. The synthesis is innovative and vaguely reminiscent of the multipurpose lounge under the dome of the 1991-built Regal Princess, which last visited Australia and New Zealand in 2003. Whereas that space was surrounded by 270 degrees of windows, Club Fusion envelops party-goers with 31 high-definition video screens. A spiral staircase leads to the Wake View lounge, where a bar area provides more panoramic views from the stern.
Eateries aboard the Diamond Princess have seen some changes since the vessel first entered service on March 13, 2004. Originally, the vessel sailed with a unique scheme of four themed restaurants, each with its own specialty menu. There was an Italian room, a Tex-Mex room, an Asia-Pacific room and a room for steak. However, this arrangement ultimately led to confusion and, according to some reports, congestion at peak mealtimes. As a result, Princess has abandoned the themed concept and returned to a more simplified system. Each dining room now serves from the same menu, although passengers are still free to choose between Anytime Dining - which allows guests to select their own dining time - or traditional dining, which serves dinner in two scheduled seatings, typically at 6:30pm and 8:30pm.
In addition, Princess has added a Sterling Steakhouse alternative restaurant (a US$15 extra charge), which operates nightly in the top-deck Horizon Court. Other dining options include Sabatini's trattoria (a US$20 extra charge restaurant); poolside hamburger grill, ice-cream bar and pizzeria; plus a 24-hour bistro/buffet. To help passengers navigate among their dining choices, Princess has implemented a new concierge system, which made its debut with the Diamond Princess. Staffed by dedicated representatives using a specially designed reservation system, the idea is to allow guests to schedule their meals in person or by telephone for one night or the full cruise. Passengers may also use the system for other reservations, such as spa appointments.
As for private verandas, there are 748, which represent about 78 percent of the outside cabins. These balconied accommodations come in 17 different categories spread over six decks. The smallest measures 15.6 square metres for a standard ocean view. The Grand Suite tops the list at 123.5 square metres. Dcor is in the familiar Princess palette of light woods and soft pastel fabrics, with mirrored accents to enhance the overall effect of spaciousness.
While the ship offers a number of innovative twists and wrinkles, it also relies on a proven formula. Traditional Princess flourishes include a Wheelhouse bar, filled with nautical imagery and memorabilia, as well as an Explorer's lounge for cabaret and dancing. A sports bar, art gallery, wedding chapel, Internet centre, library and writing room are among the ship's litany of public rooms. Resort-style recreation includes four adult pools (one with retractable canopy) plus a putting green and golf simulators. The Lotus Spa comes complete with an amphitheatre-style lap pool, a design first introduced on the Grand Princess. The pool itself is suspended between decks for a sunken effect.
As noted above, itineraries for the Diamond Princess include a longer, three-month season of 12- day Australia/New Zealand cruises, which may be combined with a five- to seven-day land tour. Itineraries sail between Sydney and Auckland, calling at Melbourne, Hobart, Dunedin, Christchurch and Tauranga, and scenic cruising through spectacular Fiordland National Park.
In east Asia, Diamond Princess offers a succession of cruises that begin on September 24 with a 17 day trans-Pacific crossing from Seattle to Osaka, Japan, following the ship's 2005 Alaska season. From here, the Diamond Princess commences a series of five 11- to 19-day cruises that survey fascinating Southeast Asia and China.
Ports of call span an eclectic range of countries with highlights including Nagasaki (Japan), Vladivostok (Russia), Shanghai (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Hong Kong and Singapore. Subsequently, the Diamond Princess arrives in Sydney, whereupon the Australia/New Zealand schedule begins on January 8 and continues through April 2. After that, she bids farewell to the southern seas with a 29-day South Pacific/Tahiti/Hawaii odyssey that brings her back to North America's west coast just in time for the 2006 Alaska season.
Written by MT Schwartzman - Issue 21 Spring 2005