Diamond Princess cruise ship: Japan cruises and who it suits

Diamond Princess at a glance

Line

Princess Cruises

Class

Grand

Entered service

2004

Gross tonnage

115,875

Guests

About 2,706 (double occupancy)

Crew

About 1,100

Part of the Princess Cruises fleet. Sister ships: Grand Princess, Caribbean Princess, Sapphire Princess, Crown Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess. Home ports: Tokyo, Singapore.

Diamond Princess was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan, completed in February 2004 and in service with Princess Cruises from March 2004. It is about 952 feet long, with 1,337 guest cabins and about 1,100 crew. Princess gives its capacity as 2,706 guests. Its only identical sister is Sapphire Princess, built at the same yard.

Where does Diamond Princess sail in 2026–2027?

Diamond Princess spends winter 2026–27 on Southeast Asia cruises from Singapore, then sails Japan cruises from Tokyo from March to November 2027. It returns to Singapore for winter 2027–28 and is back in Tokyo from February 2028, according to the sailings already on sale.

• November 2026: last Japan cruise of the year. A 14-night Far East cruise from Tokyo in mid-November ends its 2026 Japan season.
• December 2026 to March 2027: Southeast Asia. Princess bases both Diamond Princess and Sapphire Princess in Singapore from December 2026. Diamond Princess has 10- to 16-night Southeast Asia cruises from Singapore, and a 15-night voyage in March brings it north to Tokyo.
• March to November 2027: Japan from Tokyo. 8- to 24-night Far East cruises from the Tokyo area. Princess calls its 2027 Japan season its biggest yet, with two ships, 78 departures and voyages of 7 to 28 days. See our Asia and Japan cruise guide.
• November 2027: south again. A 28-night Southeast Asia voyage from Tokyo takes it back to Singapore.
• December 2027 to February 2028: Singapore. 12- to 26-night Southeast Asia cruises, before the 2028 Japan season from Tokyo.

Sample Diamond Princess sailings. From-prices per person, checked October 2026.

Departs	Line and ship	Nights	Itinerary	From	Link
Nov 11, 2026	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	14	14 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,252	Check price
Dec 9, 2026	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	10	10 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$2,009	Check price
Dec 19, 2026	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	14	14 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$3,259	Check price
Jan 2, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	12	12 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$2,290	Check price
Jan 14, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	12	12 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$2,479	Check price
Feb 13, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	16	16 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$3,159	Check price
Mar 1, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	15	15 Night Southeast Asia Cruise (from Singapore Singapore)	$4,264	Check price
Mar 16, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	11	11 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,762	Check price
Mar 16, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	23	23 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$4,854	Check price
Mar 27, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	12	12 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$2,082	Check price
Mar 27, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	24	24 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$4,084	Check price
Apr 8, 2027	Princess Cruises, Diamond Princess	12	12 Night Far East Cruise (from Tokyo Japan)	$1,992	Check price

What is a Diamond Princess Japan cruise like?

A Diamond Princess Japan cruise is a round trip or long voyage from the Tokyo area, usually 8 to 24 nights, with many port days around Japan’s four main islands. According to the 2027 announcement, the season includes cherry blossom voyages that follow the bloom from south to north, festival cruises with late-night stays, circle-Japan trips and Okinawa and Taiwan itineraries.

The festival cruises time late-night port stays for the Aomori Nebuta and Tokushima Awa Odori festivals. Onboard, Princess adds Japanese touches: regional dishes such as noodles and sushi, Japanese whisky, sake and shochu, rakugo storytelling, karaoke and folk dance performances.

Sapphire Princess sails from Tokyo in the same season, until it leaves for Australia in September 2027. If a Diamond Princess date doesn’t fit, check its sister.

Who it suits

Japan travelers. Most of its 2027 trips are Japan cruises from Tokyo, long enough to see several regions without changing hotels.

Travelers who like a mid-size ship. At about 2,700 guests it is much smaller than the newest Princess ships, with a traditional layout and adults-only space in The Sanctuary.

Spa fans, for the Izumi bath.

Who should look elsewhere: anyone who wants to sail from the US or wants a newer ship. For a Princess ship on US routes, see Crown Princess or Discovery Princess.

What is inside Diamond Princess?

The ship’s best-known feature is the Izumi Japanese bath, which Princess calls the largest Japanese bath of its kind at sea and lists as exclusive to Diamond Princess. It has indoor and outdoor areas with hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas. Men and women have separate facilities, except for one outdoor hot tub where swimsuits are required.

• The Piazza: street performers, boutiques, the International Café and Vines wine bar.
• Shows and nightlife: the Princess Theater, a casino, Movies Under the Stars by the pool, Club Fusion and Skywalkers Nightclub.
• Bars: Crooners, the Wheelhouse Bar and Good Spirits at Sea.
• The Conservatory: an enclosed top-deck area with a freshwater pool, two hot tubs and a bar.
• The Sanctuary: adults-only space to relax, plus the Lotus Spa and fitness center.

Cabins to pick, cabins to avoid

Cabins run from interiors and oceanviews to balconies, mini-suites, Reserve Collection mini-suites and suites. Princess lists a Two Bedroom Family Suite that sleeps up to eight, with two bathrooms.

Pick:

• The family suite for a larger group: two linked rooms forward with a shared living area and balcony.
• Cabins near the aft Terrace Pool, such as balcony A752, for quick access to the quieter pool.
• Midship cabins on a lower deck if you get seasick; they move least.
• Inside cabins for the lowest fare on a long voyage.

Avoid or think twice:

• Cabins directly under the Lido Deck pool area, where deck chairs are moved early and late.
• Forward balconies L200, L201, A104, A201, B104, B107, C104, C107, D104 and D105, which are windy at sea.
• Obstructed oceanviews on Deck 8, where lifeboats block the view, plus a few forward cabins on Decks 10 and 11 that look onto the bridge.
• High aft balconies B750, B751 and B753, where soot from the funnel can settle.
• D226, D229, C610, C611, B708 and B711, next to the laundry rooms.

Dining and activities

Princess lists the main dining room, the World Fresh Marketplace buffet, Prego Pizzeria, the Trident Grill, the Crab Shack lunch pop-up, La Patisserie, Swirls ice cream and afternoon tea. Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria, the Churrascaria Brazilian Grill, Makoto Ocean, the Chef’s Table Experience and Ultimate Balcony Dining carry an extra charge.

Kids’ clubs cover ages 3 to 7 and 8 to 12 (The Lodge), with the Beach House for teens 13 to 17. Drinks, Wi-Fi and gratuities are extra unless you buy a Princess Plus or Premier package; our Princess line guide explains what each covers.

Sister ships

Diamond Princess’s identical twin is Sapphire Princess. The two hulls swapped names during construction after a fire damaged the hull that became Sapphire Princess. Their design is a wider variant of the Italian-built Grand-class ships, so Grand Princess and Caribbean Princess have a similar size and feel.

Diamond Princess FAQ

Where does Diamond Princess sail in 2027?

Southeast Asia from Singapore until March, Japan from Tokyo from March to November, then Southeast Asia from Singapore again from December 2027.

Does Diamond Princess sail from the US?

Not in 2026–2027. All of its sailings on sale start in Tokyo or Singapore.

How big is Diamond Princess?

About 115,875 gross tons and 952 feet long, with about 2,706 guests and about 1,100 crew. That is mid-size by today’s standards.

Is this the ship that was quarantined in 2020?

Yes. Diamond Princess was quarantined in the port of Yokohama from February 4, 2020, after a passenger tested positive for COVID-19, and at least 712 of the 3,711 people on board tested positive. It returned to service in November 2022.

What is the Izumi bath on Diamond Princess?

A Japanese-style bath with indoor and outdoor areas, hot tubs, steam rooms and saunas. Princess lists it as exclusive to Diamond Princess.

Is Diamond Princess a good ship?

We don’t publish ratings for ships. It is an older, mid-size ship whose appeal is the route: Japan from Tokyo and Southeast Asia from Singapore. Compare Princess with other lines on our cruise line rankings.