A Six-Star Mixed Bag
Written: Jul 10 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Great itineraries, food, service
Cons: Ship needs sprucing up (Nov 99)
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| mrsibf's Full Review: Radisson Diamond |
Our cruise was 10 days in Oct/Nov 1999. We began in Rome, thence to Florence, Cannes, Barcelona, Malaga, Cadiz, Casablanca, terminating in Madeira. This "repositioning" itinerary (just prior to a transatlantic crossing to Puerto Rico) was spectacular. We found the ship itself to be a mixed bag of superior food and service, but somewhat worn facilities and one significant mechanical problem.
First, the plusses. The Diamond has great food and very good service by a (mainly) northern European crew. The crew was uniformly polite and respectful. We never had a problem getting a table for two or as many as we had going during the single-seating dinners. Room service was incredibly fast! The no-tipping policy aboard is refreshing (although we did leave a modest sum for our cabin attendant). We liked the all-inclusive feature (wine with meals, stocked bar upon check-in). The cabins are quite comfortable and plenty spacious. Although our weather throughout was calm, I'm sure the SWATH hull design and stabilizer system would minimize roll. Public areas were fine, though not spectacular. The fitness center is first rate, especially for a ship of this size.
Now, a few problems (for us), some of which may have been corrected. During our voyage, our cabin and a number of others (but not all), did not have hot water for the better part of the first three days. Worse, we were not informed of this problem and what was being done about it until we complained. Our cabin also showed signs of wear - frayed seat covers, a small leak in the ceiling that had obviously been there for awhile. The Diamond was scheduled to undergo a mini-overhaul upon arrival in Puerto Rico, so hopefully these problems will have been addressed.
On this cruise, at least, the Diamond seems to cater to an older crowd. At 55 and 42, my wife and I were clearly in the youngest 5% of passengers. I've been told that this can often be the case on the longer, repositioning cruises. Prospective cruisers should simply be aware of this if it's important to them one way or another. We just got a little tired of talk about "retired folks" stuff.
We did not do most of the shore excursions, preferring to find our own way around. My impression is that they were pretty standard stuff. You can often rent a private car with driver for less than the cost of the group tours. Watch out for language, though! The exception for us was in Casablanca, where we did take the (very interesting) tour of the Hassan II Mosque and Rabat.
The Diamond is a very nice floating hotel. Its itineraries are great, as are its food and service. Once the problems noted above are fixed, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to the right kind of passengers.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mrsibf
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Location: Atlanta, GA
Reviews written: 9
Trusted by: 3 members
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