Diamond Princess: Princess Cruises' new vessel sparkles with personal choice options

Cruise Travel, July-August, 2004 by Georgina Cruz

Debuting last March as Princess Cruises' largest ship to date, the 116,000-grossregister-ton/2,670-passenger Diamond Princess--the first major cruise ship built in Japan in more than a decade--is a gem when it comes to personal choice options. Built at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, she could be called a Grand-Princess-Class-Plus ship, or if you would, a Grand-er vessel, as she expands upon the popular design introduced with the 109,000-grt/2,600-passenger Grand Princess in 1998. And the Diamond Princess also advances the line's concept of "Personal Choice" dining with an unprecedented number of themed restaurants for Princess.

With five main dining rooms, there is literally something for everyone onboard. For starters, the International Dining Room is a traditional, two-dinner-seating restaurant for about 500 guests who enjoy having an assigned table and time. It's located aft on Fiesta Deck 6, the same location as one of the Grand Princess's three main restaurants, but here boasts the addition of a bar. Four smaller dining rooms are available for passengers selecting Princess's "Anytime Dining" option.

These four restaurants (carved out of the space occupied by two large restaurants on Grand Princess) seat 230 passengers each and have themed decor and menu. On Plaza Deck 5, the Vivaldi features Italian cuisine, while Sterling offers a steakhouse menu; on Fiesta Deck 6, Santa Fe serves up fajitas and other Southwestern fare, and Pacific Moon has sushi and dim sum among other Asian specialties. Service was friendly and attentive throughout.

Whether a guest opts for traditional seating or Anytime Dining, the best of both culinary worlds is available. Diners in the four themed restaurants have the option of ordering from the International Dining Room menu every evening. And passengers who select the traditional seating dining room can also choose from one of the themed restaurants' specialty menus each evening. Brilliant!

Another dining option is the trattoria Sabatini's on Promenade Deck 7, Princess's alternative Italian restaurant ($20 fee). Dining here is a feast, with waiters bringing an array of appetizers, pastas with a variety of sauces, the entree (tiger prawns over langoustine, any one?), and scrumptious desserts. "It's like an Italian-style wedding banquet," said Beniamino Acier, maitre d'hotel.

The line's bountiful no-fee/24-hour Horizon Court Buffet/Bistro (Lido Deck 14) is hugely popular, and understandably so--with succulent papaya and mangoes among the breakfast offerings and lobster thermidor for dinner on formal night. "We are finding that some guests do not want to dress up on formal nights, but they enjoy lobster, so we have it for them in the casual restaurant," said Rai Caluori, Princess's senior vice president, hotel operations.

For a snack or lunch without having to stray far from Lido Deck's two main pools, Prego serves freshly made pizza, and the Trident Grill offers hot dogs and burgers. And to satisfy cravings around-the-clock, there is 24-hour room service.

Guests make dining reservations using another Diamond Princess innovation: "Princess Concierge Service." staffed by concierges using a new computerized reservation system. Passengers make their choices through a special telephone number or in person at each restaurant. Depending on the success of this service, it will be rolled out to the rest of the fleet and expanded to spa treatments and other types of onboard reservations, Caluori said.

Also new is Princess's largest Internet Cafe (Promenade Deck 7) offering 29 work stations (35 cents per minute) and an actual care serving pastries and coffee. Additionally, the ship features wireless internet access in the Grand Plaza atrium (Plaza Deck 5) for passengers who bring their own laptops ($10.50 for 30 minutes).

Other innovations include an enhancement of Princess's trademark Skywalkers Disco & Observation Lounge (Deck 18). On this ship, it is 35 percent larger and has a new 125-foot terrace with views aft--great for those who want to take the night air. Club Fusion on Promenade Deck 7 is a new, multi-purpose space (replacing the Vista Lounge on Grand Class vessels) serving as a dance club, theater, casino, and game-show venue. It boasts 42 high-definition video screens mounted on columns around the room, state-of-the-art sound and lighting, and table-top machines.

A spiral staircase leads from Club Fusion to the Wake View Bar below, a great little wood-paneled lounge decorated in tones of forest green and brown; seating only 47 guests, it's an ideal spot for pre-dinner cocktails for passengers dining in the International Dining Room. Other intimate spaces include the Lobby Bar (seating 52, on Plaza Deck 5) and Crooners, the martini bar (seating 52, on Promenade Deck 7).

The Grand Casino, adjacent to the three-deck-high Grand Plaza atrium, has an African safari theme and features the latest Vegas-style games as well as 269 slot machines. Other nighttime options abound, including 14 lounges and bars--two for each night of the cruise! There is live music in the atrium and production and variety shows in the 705-seat Princess Theater (Fiesta Deck 6 and Promenade Deck 7), a state-of the-art Broadway-style theater with a warm burgundy color scheme, proscenium arch stage, and excellent sightlines (only two pillars support the entire lounge). "Piano Man," a top-notch show that debuted with the ship, salutes luminaries of the key board and received a standing ovation.