Diamond Princess

The 2004-built Diamond Princess cruise ship is the 4th vessel in Princess Cruises' GRAND-class series. Her sisterships include the Caribbean, Crown, Golden (Carnival Adventure), Grand, Emerald, Ruby, Star (Carnival Encounter), and Sapphire.

The vessel (IMO number 9228198) is currently UK-flagged (MMSI 235103359) and registered in Southampton.

History - Construction and Ownership

Princess Cruises is a USA-based cruise line headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. Originally a subsidiary of P&O Princess Cruises (founded in 1977), the company merged with Carnival Corporation in 2003, becoming part of the world's largest cruise shipowner. Among Princess Cruises' assets is the private resort Princess Cays on Eleuthera Island in the Bahamas, located approximately 80 km (50 mi) from Nassau.

With a capacity for 2,700 passengers, Diamond Princess debuted in winter 2004 as the fleet's largest vessel and the first cruise ship built in Japan in over a decade. Her restaurants and diverse lounges are well distributed, reducing crowding and giving a more intimate feel.

The ship feels expansive at times—especially when navigating long corridors—but remains family-friendly with four swimming pools, a splash pool for kids, a spacious youth center, and a wide range of entertainment. Couples also enjoy the variety of dining options, including many tables for two.

Decks and Cabins

Diamond Princess has 16 decks (13 passenger-accessible, 8 with cabins) and 1,353 staterooms in 33 categories. Most accommodations are 170-ft² balcony cabins (522 total). Nearly 75% of all outside cabins feature private step-out balconies. The ship has 27 wheelchair-accessible cabins. The largest accommodation is the Grand Suite (615 ft² / 57 m²) with a 115 ft² / 11 m² balcony.

Dining Options

Most dining venues aboard Diamond Princess are complimentary, including the five main dining rooms—Vivaldi, Pacific Moon, International, Santa Fe, and Savoy. Additional free options include a buffet, pizza station, grill, and an ice cream bar. Each main dining room shares the same menu with a few venue-specific signature dishes. When sailing with a majority of Japanese guests, entrée portions are intentionally smaller. On less full sailings, some dining rooms may remain closed.

• Savoy Restaurant – Aft dining room with traditional seating (5:30 p.m.) and Anytime Dining (8–10 p.m.); offers British-style pub lunch on select sea days.
• Pacific Moon Restaurant – Forward dining room open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner (Anytime Dining).
• Vivaldi Restaurant – Aft dining room, dinner only with traditional and Anytime Dining.
• Santa Fe Restaurant – Forward dining room, dinner only (Anytime Dining).
• International Restaurant – Aft dining room with two dinner seatings (5:30 and 8 p.m.).
• Sabatini’s – Italian specialty restaurant (reservations recommended).
• Trident Grill & Prego Pizzeria – Complimentary fast food stations.
• Horizon Court – Buffet-style self-service dining.
• Sterling Steakhouse – Specialty restaurant offering steaks and seafood.

In April 2024, Princess Cruises announced that starting September 14th, three new main dining service options would be introduced fleetwide: Traditional, Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime. Each ship will designate three separate dining rooms to accommodate these options, integrated with the OceanNow service for anytime ordering and delivery.

Entertainment and Amenities

The 2-deck Princess Theater hosts production shows, magicians, comedians, and bilingual performances (English/Japanese). Afternoon movies are shown in both languages on alternate days.

Evening entertainment includes live music and dancing at multiple venues. Options range from ballroom dancing at Club Fusion and DJ sessions at Skywalkers Nightclub to live piano at Crooners Lounge. Themed parties like Rockabilly, Country & Western, and Caribbean deck events are also featured.

Entertainment and leisure venues include:

• The Piazza Atrium (3-level venue with live performances and bar)
• Princess Fine Arts Gallery, Photo Gallery & Shop, Platinum Studio
• La Patisserie (specialty coffee), Library, and 24-hour Internet Cafe
• Churchill Lounge & Bar (sports and smoking lounge)
• Casino, Crooners Lounge, Explorers Lounge (karaoke, comedy, auctions)
• Wheelhouse Bar (piano lounge by day, English pub by night)
• Club Fusion (dance classes by day, nightclub by night)
• Scoops Ice Cream Bar, Outrigger, Tradewinds, Wake View Bars
• Lotus Spa, Beauty Salon, Fitness Center with Aerobics Studio
• Wedding Chapel, Movies Under the Stars (outdoor LED screen cinema)
• Video Arcade, Teen Center, Youth Center with paddling pool and outdoor area
• The Conservatory and The Oasis (relaxation areas), The Sanctuary (adults-only)
• Calypso Reef & Pool, Neptune’s Reef & Pool
• Jogging Track, Sports Court, Mini-Golf, Shuffleboard, and Cybergolf simulator
• Skywalkers Disco & Nightclub

Itineraries

Diamond Princess operates seasonal itineraries in Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. In winter, she sails from Yokohama (Tokyo), offering Japan-centric cruises. Princess Cruises scheduled the longest-ever Japan season with Diamond Princess, including itineraries from Kobe and Tokyo, visiting 38 destinations across 7 countries during the 2018 season.

In 2020, her Japan program included 50+ departures to over 50 destinations across 11 countries, with sailings themed around cherry blossoms and summer festivals.

Highlighted 2020 itineraries:

• 8-day “Japan Explorer with Kumano Fireworks” (roundtrip from Tokyo)
• 9-day “Japan Explorer Spring Flowers” (roundtrip from Tokyo)
• 14-day “Borneo and Japan” (Singapore to Tokyo)

In August 2020, Princess Cruises canceled Diamond Princess' winter 2021–2022 Asia itineraries. On August 18, 2020, the ship’s inaugural South America and Antarctica season was announced (Fall 2021–Spring 2022), replacing Sapphire Princess.

New itineraries included:

• “Andes and South America” (Dec 1, 2021; Mar 19, 2022)
• “Antarctica, Andes and Cape Horn Grand Adventure” (Dec 1, 2021; Mar 5, 2022)
• “Antarctica and Cape Horn” (Dec 19, Jan 4, Jan 20)
• “Cape Horn and Strait of Magellan” (Feb 5, Feb 19, Mar 5)
• Repositioning cruises between Los Angeles and Singapore/Yokohama via Honolulu

These South America voyages featured scenic cruising and calls to Santiago, Buenos Aires, Montevideo, Rio de Janeiro, Lima, Punta Arenas, Falkland Islands, Cape Horn, and Strait of Magellan, with optional excursions to Iguazu Falls and Machu Picchu.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the ship was out of service from March 2020 to November 2022, with South America 2021–2022 and Japan 2022 programs canceled. Operations resumed in November 2022 with roundtrip California-Mexico cruises from San Diego.

In 2023 (March 13–November 9), Diamond Princess completed 57 cruises (43 unique itineraries) from Yokohama and Kobe, visiting 38 ports in Japan, China, and South Korea.

Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess is one of the company's GRAND-class vessels and a sistership to the Sapphire Princess. Diamond was the first Princess ship constructed by a Japanese shipbuilder—Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation. Unlike her fleetmates, Diamond Princess is uniquely designed without stern spoilers.

The ship’s godmother is Yoshiko Tsukuda, wife of MHI’s President and Chairman, Kazuo Tsukuda. The christening ceremony took place on February 26, 2004, and the inaugural cruise (maiden voyage) departed on March 13 from Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera.

A notable fact is that the vessel’s hull was originally intended for the "Sapphire Princess". However, after a fire damaged the decks of the ship under construction (already named "Diamond Princess"), the names were switched. The unaffected hull—originally Sapphire—was completed as Diamond Princess to meet delivery timelines.

Diamond Princess is powered by engines capable of running on both HFO (heavy fuel oil) and MGO (marine gas oil). While MGO is significantly cleaner in terms of emissions, it is more expensive. However, in destinations with strict environmental regulations, such as Alaska, MGO is preferred and more cost-effective in the long term due to compliance requirements.

In 2017 (April through November), Diamond Princess was deployed on Asian itineraries, homeported in Japan from Yokohama (Tokyo) and Kobe (Osaka). The cruise program included ports of call in South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, China (Hong Kong), and Vietnam. Following the drydock refurbishment in Singapore (March 28 – April 5, 2017), Diamond Princess became the third ship in the fleet (after Royal Princess and Majestic Princess) to showcase the new Princess Cruises livery design.

The ship’s current Captain is Stefano Ravera, brother of Captain Paolo Ravera of Sapphire Princess.

Diamond Princess Refurbishment 2019 Review

Diamond Princess underwent a major drydock refurbishment in Singapore (January 19 – February 2, 2019) as part of Princess Cruises' USD 450 million “Come Back New Promise” fleet-wide renovation initiative.

Key enhancements included:

• “Movies Under the Stars” outdoor theater upgraded with a 7.1 surround sound system
• New dynamic LED lighting added to the pool deck
• Princess Casino received new carpeting, televisions, and lighting fixtures
• Lotus Spa and Fitness Center updated with new treatment rooms, a refurbished beauty salon, and the latest Precor fitness equipment
• Explorers Lounge, Club Fusion, and Princess Theater were outfitted with new digital audio systems
• New furnishings were installed in the Horizon Court buffet area
• Japanese-style bidet toilets were added in all public restrooms and all Suite bathrooms

Following the Coronavirus outbreak in February–March 2020, the ship completed a Level-3 deep cleaning project conducted by Belfor USA (a recovery and restoration company founded in 1946). The vessel, docked in Yokohama, was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected under the supervision of Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Upon successful inspection, the ship was certified to leave Japan. While in the country, Diamond Princess also entered a local wetdock for interior refurbishment. All mattresses, pillows, linens, draperies, and curtains were replaced, along with routine maintenance tasks that had been previously scheduled.