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 restaurant
• Sterling Steakhouse – Specialty restaurant offering steaks and seafood
• Kai Sushi/Makoto Ocean - Specialty Japanese restaurant
• Savoy Restaurant/Crown Grill - Steakhouse/specialty restaurant

In 2026, the ship introduced two specialty dining venues - Makoto Ocean and Crown Grill. Both are offered at a $55 cover charge per person, but are complimentary for passengers with the Princess Premier cruise package.

Makoto Ocean (Deck 7, replacing Kai Sushi) serves Edomae-style sushi developed by Japanese chef Makoto Okuwa. The menu includes items such as truffle salmon, snow crab temaki, and toro tartare, alongside traditional Japanese beverages and craft cocktails like the Genmai Negroni and Kodai No Hana.

Crown Grill (Deck 5, replacing Savoy Dining Room) is Princess Cruises’ signature steakhouse restaurant. Its menu features premium aged beef, selected chops, and fresh seafood.

In 2024, fleetwide were introduced three distinct dining styles: Traditional (early/late seating), Reservable, and Walk-in Anytime (open seating). Each ship designates three separate dining rooms to accommodate these new options, which are integrated with the OceanNow service, allowing guests to order anything, anytime, and delivered anywhere on board.

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.