Odyssey_Driver

Thanks for the tips. :)

We were originally going to book through Carnival directly, but as their website kept crashing, we decided to use an online TA (Where we found a better deal with OBC anyway), so we've booked that way and asked them to ensure the staterooms are linked for dining purposes.

Craig :)

Good Afternoon,

When booking two staterooms together (Two twin's for a family of four), if the same dining times for each stateroom are selected through the Carnival Australia booking dialogue, will the two staterooms be seated at the same table?

What is the best way to request a 4 person table? Carnival Legend if that helps.

Should we email the on board maitre'd?

I have taken a look using the search function, but I haven't found anything quite on point to my query.

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Craig :)

I'd just like to add a couple of things to all the wonderful suggestions that people have made already, as someone who has spent a great deal of time in Dunedin.

Along, and just off the Main Street in Dunedin, George Street which passes through the Octagon and becomes Princes Street, are lots of cool Op shops/second hand stores. Best to check on Google exactly where!

If you're looking for a place to dine on the night you are there, I am of the opinion that the Italian Restaurant "Etrusco", on Moray Place, is very good, possibly the best restaurant in town.

If you are looking for a cool cafe, The Dog with Two Tails is also worthwhile.

I should also add that Toitu Otago Settlers Museum is very worthwhile, and comes close to the quality you can expect from Te Papa, The National Museum of New Zealand.

Craig. :)

We had a flat screen. We were in a balcony on the Aloha deck.

 

IDK about the HDMI source. I'll ask my husband. He tends to notice those things.

Thank you for filling me in.

Craig :)

Thank you for offering your experiences.

In the staterooms, were the new type of flat screen/entertainment on demand TV's fitted, or were these still the old set time programming systems?

Did you see a way to plug an auxiliary/HDMI source into the TV, and select it?

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Craig :)

I also should have asked, on Diamond, how does one get to the forward viewing platform above the bridge?

Looking at the deck plans, it appears that access is via the Lido Deck. Looking at photos of Diamond, access appears to be via the Sun Deck?

Can anyone shed some light on this?

Thanks :)

Thanks!

Yeah, I was meaning when they weren't serving beverages - I've read some "Princess Patters" that show of course that not all bars serve drinks at all times.

But it is good to know that I'll be able to use them regardless of being open, or shut.

Thank you everyone. :)

GUT2407,

Thanks for that tip - I'm pretty keen on burgers and other grilled (But cheap and deadly) foods, so I'm sure it'll come in handy.

:)

I'd like to thank everyone for their responses to this thread.

Thanks also to Vibe Guy for the tip about the Wake View Bar access - I had seen pictures of the bar, and I did think it was a little odd with the windows being so high, and the chairs so low, but none-the-less it looks like my sort of place - few people, heavy wooded paneling, and arm chairs.

You've all been really helpful! Now just to play that waiting game until January 2018.

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Craig :)

I also thought I'd ask, I read threads about people who request alterations to their meals in the the MDR, eg; exclude this, add an extra portion of that, could I please have this starter as a main, etc.

Are the wait staff still able to do this, given the nickle-and-diming nature of cruise lines these days? Some of those threads seemed a little old, so I thought I'd ask too!

Thanks :)

Hi Keith,

Thank you very much.

Indeed, I love driving my little van! They're not very well liked it seems, amongst my colleagues and friends. But that doesn't matter!

Regards,

Craig

Good Afternoon,

This is my first post on Cruise Critic.

Extra brownie points for guessing what my username is in reference too; Don't overthink! ;)

I'd first like to thank everyone who does post here for all the helpful information they have provided. It was with this in mind that our family has booked our 3rd-ever (Doesn't that seem like and excessive thing to say?) cruise aboard the M/S Diamond Princess, from the 11th-25th of January 2018.

We were initially looking at an RCI cruise on Voyager/Explorer around those same dates, however after perusing these fora, Princess seemed like better value and suited us more!

I have found our Roll-Call, I have just not joined yet. :)

In the past we've had two cruises on P&O Australia, aboard the M/S Pacific Star, Carnival's original "Tropicale". So I'm thinking that the Diamond Princess will be a significant step up! We booked an Interior and an Ocean View previously, we're back to Interior again as that fits our budget.

One aspect of the two previous cruises aboard the Pacific Star that did not impress me was the availability of food - when food was out, it was was great. (At least to pre-teen me. We sailed a very long time ago.) But there was very little flexibility of food delivery - if you weren't in the buffet at Breakfast or lunchtime, that was it until dinner! And for dinner as I recall, only the MDR was included in your fare.

Now having browsed these fora, of course the variety aboard Diamond will be orders-of-magnitude greater I am sure. I have also read the Princess Document supplied as an attachment.

But I did want to clarify, more for my own assurance purposes, especially after reading reviews of experiences aboard Carnival and RCI, when, for example, the Buffet, Grill, or Pizza bar is open, will food be served at all hours that they are listed as open?

We have late traditional dining selected, and if we come back from a shore excursion after the ship-board luncheon in the buffet and MDR is finished, will there still be food around for the taking? I expect of course that during "transition periods" in the buffet, for example, there may be a lesser range being served as they set up the buffet for dinner between lunch.

On reviews of Carnival and RCI cruises, Cruise Critic members have mentioned that outside of "traditional meal hours" (My own phrase), food aboard is lacking in availability.

Of course unfortunately Diamond lacks an International Cafe, but what we have not experienced, we may not miss.

This is all moot of course as the cruise is booked and paid for, but I was just wondering.

The other petty questions I had to ask regarded the use of lounges during the day.

I'm the sort of person who likes to sometimes read a good book inside, rather than out in the sun - at least I'll leave more deck chairs for those sunning!

There will be the full width Promenade with loungers, one of the great features I've read about Diamond, but what about suing the bars on that deck to read inside.

Is it permitted to for example, during the day, sit in the Wheelhouse Bar and read a book? I'm sure they won't be serving drinks, but will the doors be open so people may circulate? I love the heavy woods/armchair environment. Or the Wakeview Bar, for the same purpose?

And for Skywalkers - can it be used during the day to read/people/sea/watch? I know that it will be closed some time before 5pm for the Suites dinner pre-drinks event, but what about before that time?

I'm sorry about the length, there is no TL;DR!

Thanks and Kind Regards,

Craig :)

dining-options.pdf