Diamond Princess
Product brand
UnclaimedA British-registered Grand-class cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, known for its Asian and Australian itineraries and its 2020 COVID-19 quarantine.
Last updated October 14, 2026
Overview
Diamond Princess is a cruise ship operated by Princess Cruises, a cruise brand within Carnival Corporation & plc. The vessel entered service in March 2004 and is British-registered. It was constructed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan, making it the first Princess Cruises ship built in a Japanese shipyard. Diamond Princess belongs to the Grand-class family and is often described as part of the wider Gem-class subclass, alongside its sister ship Sapphire Princess. The two vessels are distinguished within the Grand-class fleet by their 37.5-metre beam, wider than that of the other ships in the class. The ship was created for long-distance leisure cruising and has historically served a geographically varied schedule. During northern-hemisphere summers it has operated itineraries in Japan, Alaska, and other parts of Asia, while southern-hemisphere seasons have included Australia and New Zealand. Its routes have changed over time in response to seasonal demand and fleet deployment. Before 2014, the vessel alternated between glacier-cruise programs in northern waters and voyages from Australia and New Zealand. From 2014 it increasingly operated round-trip cruises from Yokohama, with Tokyo and Kobe among its Japanese ports. During the 2016–17 winter season it sailed from Singapore, visiting destinations including Kota Kinabalu and Nha Trang. It later returned to Sydney for an Australian season and subsequently spent much of 2018 on Southeast Asian itineraries involving Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Diamond Princess is a large diesel-electric cruise ship. Its power plant combines four Wärtsilä 46-series diesel generators with a General Electric LM2500 gas-turbine generator. Electric propulsion motors drive fixed-pitch propellers, while bow and stern thrusters assist maneuvering in port and confined waters. The gas turbine can be used where stricter emissions requirements or higher speed make it operationally advantageous. In 2017 the ship received a hull air-lubrication system intended to reduce friction, fuel consumption, and associated carbon-dioxide emissions. The vessel’s construction history is linked to a naming exchange with Sapphire Princess. A fire affected the ship originally intended to carry the Diamond Princess name, delaying its completion. To preserve the planned delivery schedule, the names were exchanged between the two sister ships under construction. This made the completed vessel the Diamond Princess and allowed the delayed ship to enter service later as Sapphire Princess. The ship has experienced two widely reported infectious-disease incidents. In February 2016, a norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak affected 158 passengers and crew members. In early 2020, the vessel became one of the most prominent early sites associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. After an 80-year-old passenger who had disembarked in Hong Kong was later diagnosed with COVID-19, infections were identified among passengers on the ship’s next voyage. Japanese authorities quarantined Diamond Princess in Yokohama on 4 February 2020. Of the 3,711 passengers and crew members aboard, at least 712 eventually tested positive according to the cited contemporary reporting, and deaths were later recorded among those infected. Passengers and crew underwent further quarantine or isolation arrangements after disembarkation. The ship was cleaned and disinfected, was cleared to sail again in March, and departed Yokohama in May, although its planned 2020 cruises were cancelled. The pandemic produced extensive public, scientific, and media attention, as well as books and documentary coverage. After a prolonged lay-up, Princess Cruises announced a return to service in 2022. Staffing problems led to cancellation of the first three months of planned cruises, but Diamond Princess officially resumed operations in November 2022. It remains an operating cruise ship, although its exact deployment varies by season and com…
History
Diamond Princess was built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries at its Nagasaki shipyard for Princess Cruises and began operating in March 2004. It was the first Princess Cruises vessel constructed in Japan and one of the largest cruise ships built by Mitsubishi since Crystal Harmony in 1991. The ship and its sister, Sapphire Princess, were developed as a wider Grand-class variant, commonly called the Gem class. Their beam is approximately 37.5 metres, compared with about 36 metres for other Grand-class ships. The ship's identity was affected by a construction incident involving its sister vessel. The ship originally intended to be named Diamond Princess was delayed after a fire damaged decks during construction. The two vessels exchanged names so that the undamaged ship could be delivered on schedule as Diamond Princess, while the damaged ship later entered service as Sapphire Princess. Diamond Princess also differed from several earlier Princess ships by omitting the large overhanging stern structure associated with the Skywalkers nightclub design. Operationally, Diamond Princess has been deployed as a seasonal and regional cruise ship. Before 2014 it alternated between northern-hemisphere glacier cruises and southern-hemisphere voyages from Australia and New Zealand. From 2014 it developed a stronger Japan-based program, including round trips from Yokohama and calls associated with Tokyo and Kobe. It also operated winter cruises from Singapore during the 2016–17 season, with ports such as Kota Kinabalu and Nha Trang included in selected itineraries. The vessel later returned to Sydney for the 2017–18 season and spent much of 2018 in Southeast Asia, linking ports in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Diamond Princess uses diesel-electric propulsion. Four Wärtsilä diesel generators provide the principal power supply, supplemented by a General Electric LM2500 gas-turbine generator. Two electric propulsion motors turn fixed-pitch propellers, while six thrusters support low-speed maneuvering. A hull air-lubrication system was installed in June 2017 to reduce resistance, fuel use, and carbon-dioxide emissions. In February 2016, the ship experienced a norovirus outbreak that sickened 158 passengers and crew members. Its more consequential public-health episode began in January 2020, when an 80-year-old passenger embarked at Yokohama, disembarked in Hong Kong on 25 January, and was subsequently diagnosed with COVID-19. During the next voyage, cases were identified among people aboard the ship. Diamond Princess was quarantined in the Port of Yokohama on 4 February. The event became a major early case study in cruise-ship transmission and quarantine policy. At least 712 of the 3,711 passengers and crew were reported infected, and deaths occurred among those who had been aboard. Passengers and crew were later disembarked and subjected to additional quarantine or isolation measures in Japan and other countries. The vessel was cleaned and disinfected, cleared to sail in March, and departed Yokohama in May. All of its 2020 cruises were cancelled, and the ship remained out of normal service for an extended period. The episode was documented in journalism, passenger accounts, and film. Passenger Gay Courter published the book Quarantine! in November 2020, while the HBO documentary The Last Cruise examined the voyage and its quarantine. Diamond Princess was announced for a return to service in 2022, but staffing shortages delayed the first scheduled cruises. It ultimately resumed operations in November 2022 and continues to operate under Princess Cruises, with routes determined by seasonal deployment and market demand.
- 2022
Return to service
[1]Following pandemic-related lay-up and staffing-related cancellations, Diamond Princess officially resumed service in November.
- 2020
Yokohama COVID-19 quarantine
[1]Diamond Princess was quarantined from 4 February after COVID-19 cases were identified aboard.
- 2020
Post-quarantine departure
[1]After cleaning and disinfection, the ship departed Yokohama on 16 May; its 2020 cruises remained cancelled.
- 2017
Hull air-lubrication system installed
[1]The ship received a hull air-lubrication retrofit intended to reduce fuel consumption and related emissions.
- 2016
Norovirus outbreak
[1]A gastroenteritis outbreak attributed to norovirus affected 158 passengers and crew members.
- 2014
Japan-based itineraries expand
[1]The vessel began undertaking more round-trip cruises from Yokohama, serving the Tokyo and Kobe markets during the northern summer.
- 2004
Diamond Princess enters service
[1]The ship began operating in March 2004 after construction at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Nagasaki, Japan.
Products and positioning
Premium full-service cruise ship offering destination-focused itineraries, onboard hospitality, dining, entertainment, and seasonal voyages across Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and other international markets.
Cruise travel · 2004
Diamond Princess cruise voyages
The ship's core offering is accommodation-based cruise travel. Itineraries have included Japan, East and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, and glacier-cruise destinations. Voyages combine transportation between ports with lodging, dining, entertainment, onboard recreation, and optional shore excursions.
Cruise-ship services · 2004
Onboard hospitality and leisure
As a full-service Princess Cruises vessel, Diamond Princess provides passenger cabins, restaurants, lounges, entertainment, recreational facilities, and port-based excursion access. The exact facilities and programming can change through refurbishment and itinerary deployment.
Brand decisions
2022
Post-pandemic service restartStrategyBackground
Princess Cruises planned to bring Diamond Princess back after its pandemic-related lay-up.
Action taken
The restart schedule was revised after staffing problems caused the first three months of planned cruises to be cancelled.
Aftermath
Diamond Princess officially returned to service in November 2022.
2020
Quarantine and suspension of normal operationsOtherBackground
COVID-19 cases were detected after a passenger from an earlier voyage tested positive, prompting Japanese public-health authorities to act while the ship was in Japanese waters.
Action taken
The ship was quarantined in Yokohama, passengers and crew were tested and isolated, and the vessel's planned 2020 cruises were cancelled.
Aftermath
The vessel was cleaned, later cleared to sail, and remained out of normal cruise service until its eventual return in 2022.
2017
Hull air-lubrication retrofitStrategyBackground
Cruise operators have sought to reduce fuel use and emissions through vessel-efficiency technologies.
Action taken
Diamond Princess was fitted with a hull air-lubrication system.
Aftermath
The retrofit was intended to lower hull resistance, fuel consumption, and associated carbon-dioxide emissions.
2004
Naming exchange with Sapphire PrincessStrategyBackground
A fire delayed the ship originally intended to be delivered as Diamond Princess.
Action taken
The names of the two sister ships under construction were exchanged so the undamaged vessel could enter service on schedule as Diamond Princess.
Aftermath
The delayed vessel later entered service as Sapphire Princess, establishing the final identities of the sister ships.
Recent events
- 2022
Diamond Princess postpones return because of staffing problems[1]
Other
The first three months of scheduled cruises following the planned post-pandemic return were cancelled because of staffing issues.
- 2022
Diamond Princess officially resumes service[1]
Other
After its pandemic-related lay-up and schedule changes, the ship returned to commercial service in November.
- 2020
Diamond Princess quarantined in Yokohama after COVID-19 cases identified[1]
Other · Regulation
Japanese authorities placed the ship under quarantine on 4 February after passengers from the vessel's itinerary were diagnosed with COVID-19.
- 2020
COVID-19 infections on Diamond Princess exceed 700[1]
Other
At least 712 of the 3,711 passengers and crew were reported to have tested positive during the quarantine and subsequent follow-up period.
- 2020
Diamond Princess cleared to sail after cleaning and disinfection[1]
Other · Regulation
The ship was reported cleared to resume sailing on 30 March after cleaning and disinfection procedures.
- 2020
Diamond Princess departs Yokohama after pandemic lay-up[1]
Other
The vessel departed Yokohama on 16 May after the quarantine episode; Princess Cruises cancelled its remaining 2020 cruises.
- 2016
Diamond Princess reports norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak[1]
Other
An outbreak confirmed as norovirus affected 158 passengers and crew members before or during the ship's arrival in Sydney.
Sources2 sources
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