What Happened To The Prinsendam - 12/6/06?

[KAKcruiser]

Does anyone know the new schedule for the Prinsendam at the beginning of December 2006? Apparently they cancelled the Orinoco River cruise and none of the reservation agents at HAL have been able to find out what has been substituted. I really find this hard to believe.

[Krazy Kruizers]

No one seems to be able to find out what is going on.

We all got wind of this cancellation this morning when GrannyPL mentioned that she was notified that the cruise was cancelled and she was getting a refund.

[Grumpy1]

I posted the following on the other thread where the cancelled cruise was mentioned, but then saw this thread and figured the reply was probably more appropriate her:

 

My guess would be a drydock. There was a thread just after the first of the year where the OP was ranting and raving about how bad everything on the Prinsendam was and how it should have been drydocked BEFORE her expensive holiday cruise instead of AFTER. Maybe HAL is taking her advice.:rolleyes:

 

I know that the schedule for 2007 world cruise was to be finalized about Mid May and hopefully published about July 15. If a decision has been made to use the Prinsendam for a second world cruise or some long cruises to compliment the world cruise, a drydock would probably be in order. By drydocking in early December, the post drydock bugs could be worked out before the start of long cruises.

 

Grumpy

[Esme]

I have an old drydock schedule that shows wet dock from 11/30/06 - 12/04/06, but obviously they have changed that.

 

Maybe they are putting her into drydock early December, so that she will be all spiffy for her Christmas/New Years cruise and then the WC.

[basildog]

Yikes. We're on the Prinsendam in September 2005. I hope she's not falling apart! One of the reasons we took this cruise was because of the ship. Getting back to the beauty of sailing on a classic smaller ship. I'm plugging my ears because we're having a great time no matter what.

[KAKcruiser]

If they were going to drydock the ship, why not just say so? Why doesn't anybody know the answer? Could they really not know where the ship is going?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Is it going to be a mystry cruise?

[wannacruisemore]

Where did you find a schedule for which ships are in drydock????

[GrammyPL]

The Orinoca Cruise was a 16 day cruise and I can't believe they will leave her in dry dock that long. Yes--we got our money back. But I wish we could have taken that cruise. Some say that she will be in dry dock for 6 days and then have a 10 day Caribbean cruise. We have made reservation on the Zaandam for Oct. of 2006 for the Sea of Cortez and Hawaii instead. (Back to Back) Penny

[Barocl]

There was a whisper about six months ago that HAL had her up for sale. Maybe someone took the bait. Take care.

[KAKcruiser]

But, the holiday cruise is still scheduled.

[stormyc]

The Orinoca Cruise was a 16 day cruise and I can't believe they will leave her in dry dock that long. Yes--we got our money back. But I wish we could have taken that cruise. Some say that she will be in dry dock for 6 days and then have a 10 day Caribbean cruise. We have made reservation on the Zaandam for Oct. of 2006 for the Sea of Cortez and Hawaii instead. (Back to Back) Penny

 

I'm so sorry your original cruise was canceled, but it sure sounds like you landed on your feet! Sea of Cortez and Hawaii back to back - nice. :)

[KAKcruiser]

GrammyPL,

 

Did HAL offer to switch you to another cruise and give you shipboard credit or did they just return your deposit?

[Krazy Kruizers]

GrammyPL

I am also curious if HAL just refunded your deposit or refunded your deposit AND gave you a deal on your new cruises along with some shipboard credits.

[sugnessie]

I am quite upset that the Orinoco River Cruise has been cancelled. Our travel agent hasn't even let us know about this. I sent her an e mail yesterday after I read this thread. We paid the deposit of $1700 back in March as we definitely wanted that cruise! I called HAL reservations yesterday and the agent told me our refund would go back on our credit card in "6 weeks or so."

No mention of any reason or any compensation for our disappointment. The reservations agent told me they were replacing it with a 10 day cruise. I said we don't want that, we want our money back, and she said the booking had already been cancelled. ??

[serendipity1499]

There was a whisper about six months ago that HAL had her up for sale. Maybe someone took the bait. Take care.

 

Oh dear... hope you are wrong!:(

 

We're booked on the Amazon Explorer Cruise next April & are really looking forward to it..Wanted to do it this Nov., but there was only one open Cabin & we needed two, when we called in Feb..

 

 

Made other arrangements to go on another line to Santiago via the Canal this Nov.

 

But we would be very unhappy :( if we could not get to go on the Prinsendam next April..

 

Happy cruising everyone..

[GrammyPL]

No---Hal did not give us anything but our money back for the deposit. I wasn't expecting one since we had reserved one day and and the next they canceled the cruise. Lucky--but it was to early to get airline reservations. To tell you the truth I never even thought of getting extra money for a canceled trip. Penny

[serendipity1499]

Woops...My friend just pointed out that you all are talking about Dec..2006 not 2005..Phew!:)

[sugnessie]

The mystery continues.....my travel agent called HAL this morning and was told that she should have received a fax from them saying the cruise was cancelled. Travel agent did not receive a fax. They told her they were refunding my $1700 and it would show up on our credit card in 4 to 6 weeks.

 

In the mean time, I received an e mail from HAL today....

"Thank you for your e mail regarding your Dec, 6, 2006 cruise on board the beautiful ms Prinsendam.

 

No, the cruise has not been cancelled. We have a new reservation system, therefore you have a new booking number. For a new confirmation, please contact your travel agent directly."

 

Does the reservation department have a clue of what is going on? I thought they were more professional than this!

[Krazy Kruizers]

If the cruise hasn't been cancelled, then why is HAL cancelling everyone's reservations and refunding their deposits?

We have reservations on the Ryndam for this November and the Amsterdam for Mar/Apr 2006. And when I checked HAL's website, our old booking numbers work for immigration forms and they also show up for excursions.

[sugnessie]

Krazy Kruiser, thanks for your input. Our travel agent called HAL again and they told her the Orinoco River cruise definitely has been cancelled and they said they did not know why, which she doubts. I think the person who answered my e mail through reservations, did not know what she was talking about. I looked up our April cruise on the Ryndam, and it still has our original booking number.

[helenp2]

I posted the following on the other thread where the cancelled cruise was mentioned, but then saw this thread and figured the reply was probably more appropriate her:

 

My guess would be a drydock. There was a thread just after the first of the year where the OP was ranting and raving about how bad everything on the Prinsendam was and how it should have been drydocked BEFORE her expensive holiday cruise instead of AFTER. Maybe HAL is taking her advice.:rollbefore the start of long cruises.

 

Grumpy

 

 

I was on last yr's holiday cruise and it should have definitely gone into drydock before that cruise. This cruise was very expensive and the ship was in dire need of a facelift.

 

Interestingly, we had dinner one evening with the future cruise planner that was on board. He stated that HAL had so many complaints on their Orinoco River cruises that he was having a very hard time trying to sell this yr's Holiday cruise on the Prinsendam due to the itinarary.

 

We did that cruise on the Volendam a few years ago and it was dreadful. Hot, hot, hot - horrible smells - nothing to see. Just not worth wasting your time or money on.

[GrammyPL]

We did the Amazon 28 day cruise on the Prinsendam in Nov of last yr. The Amazon is right on the Equator and yes it was HOT-HOt-Hot-/ But if you are doing the Amazon or the Orinaca Cruise you better be perpared for hot weather. I will say that our Amazon Prinsendam Cruise was one of the best curises we have ever taken. You have to remember it is going to be HOT and also that part of Brizel l is 3rd world and you better expect it to be dirty. Penny

[Krazy Kruizers]

We did the 16 day Orinoco River cruise in 2003 on the Rotterdam.

Of course it was HOT - HOT - HOT!

But we loved that cruise and if it hadn't been for the fact that we would have had to fly home from Ft Lauderdale on Dec 23rd, we would have booked that cruise.

[SeaPeaInn]

We are taking a 25 day cruise on Oceania. It is Miami to Miami.

 

Are there any things you can think of that are must do on this cruise up the Amazon?