Weather was good, but that's all...
Diamond Princess Cruise Review to Alaska - Gulf of Alaska
7 Night Voyage Of The Glaciers Southbound (Whittier To Vancouver)
Sail date: June 29, 2013
Ship: Diamond Princess
Cabin type: Balcony
Traveled as: Family (young children)
Reviewed: 11 years ago
Review summary
My main issue with this cruise was the service. I am quite unimpressed with Princess's decision to hire crew from eastern Europe and Asia, particularly since their English language skills were not up to par. I'm not blaming the individual crew members for anything - they did the best they could. However, the people doing the hiring should pick more wisely. 1. Most of the wait staff were east Asians with poor communication skills. When the staff doesn't understand what "on-the-rocks" means while taking a drink order, there is clearly a problem! 2. We were traveling with a handicapped person, and we were given tables with steps to get to them even though they knew we had someone in a wheelchair. 3. In general, the service was mediocre - not what we expected after cruising with Royal Caribbean... 4. One of our stops (Juneau) was very short. Since we already had 3 full days on the ship itself, it would have been nice to have more time at the few stops we did make. While the landscape in Alaska is beautiful, and the glaciers are spectacular, the reality of the cruise was that there was simply not enough good staff to make this a truly memorable event.Ship experiences
Food and Dining
Onboard Activities
Entertainment
Children's Programs
Service and Staff
Ship Quality
Cabin / Stateroom
Ship tip
IF you're doing anytime seating, make reservations in the morning to avoid waiting for a table for dinner - esp. with a party of 6+.