Why does the Prinsendam depart from Ijmuiden

[Topsham]

Ijmuiden as a port of call (not embarkation/disembarkation) may be good for cruise line shore excursion sales, but not that good for the DIYers. Too much time wasted traveling into and back from Amsterdam. It is a pity that the fast flyer hydrofoil stopped operations now that there are cruise ships calling at Felison. I would have hoped for a limited schedule that coordinated with ship's time in Ijmuiden.

Haarlem is a good option as noted by PastyAnne and Ine. But what else?

In addition to cost saving, I thought that HAL's use of Felison might also have been motivated by a show of support for the new terminal in the Netherlands.

 

 

 

The ships (ferries) seem to manage... some 4 million passengers a year.

 

16 miles from Ijmuiden from Amsterdam.... can't take that much time...45 max... traffic permitting. By the time your ship is in the North Canal... the ships kicking off in Ijmuiden and on their way. I'd surely prefer to be at Amsterdam, but if I was in Ijmuiden I wouldn't think about it. Ships like Saga bring their passengers into Amsterdam by coach and drop them off at Centraal Station. Supposed to a nice scenic drive. Again... made lemonade.

 

Think about the stop at Zeebrugge to Bruge. Just about the same as Ijmuiden to Amsterdam. I didn't find it convenient... but wish I had two days there!

 

Note the name of the quay in Ijmuiden is named as Halkade. I wonder why? Or is should be written as HALkade ?!!!!!

[Topsham]

It happens every now and then that ships are diverted to Rotterdam because the winds are too strong to thru the locks at IJmuiden a nice surprise for us. A few weeks ago the MSC Splendida came to visit, but biggest surpris ewas to see the Queen Elizabeth making an unscheduled stop at the most beautiful city in the world.

On topic : IJmuiden is just as boring as Amsterdam.....

 

 

LOL.

 

I see you were on the 2011 transatlantic to New York. One of my best voyages. If it was available every years I would do it. But 11 days? Not enough. I got ashore about before noon in NY. Went for lunch at le Veau D'Or... then came back to ship for boat drill and return to Queenstown and Rotterdam. Spent three days before and two days after the transat crossing... as Hotel de Rotterdam. Best of all... two dinners at Restaurant De Herberg.

 

Stephen

[Dave in NJ]

Hi Stephen:

 

I too was on the 2011 Transatlantic, Rotterdam to NYC via Southampton. And in fact you and I had lunch together with Ben Lyons one day. A terrific cruise experience enhanced by the many special folks on board, the little museum collection in the Crow's Nest, and special little commemorative gifts we received, and I too would do it again in a heartbeat! If I recall correctly the Captain was Rik Kroombeen, Hans Dernison was Hotel Manager, great engine room tour by Chief Engineer Willem Zuiderman.. My sympathies to those who missed this one-time opportunity.

Edited September 1, 2015 by Dave in NJ

[Ine]

The ships (ferries) seem to manage... some 4 million passengers a year.

 

Note the name of the quay in Ijmuiden is named as Halkade. I wonder why? Or is should be written as HALkade ?!!!!!

 

Sorry Stephen but cruisehips donot dock at Halkade, that is the place for the fishingfleet and the daily ferry to Newcastle (that is where most of the mentioned 4 million passengers sail on). Seldom a ship docks there nowadays.

Cruiseships (and Prinsendam) dock at Cruise boulevard/IJmondhaven, a terminal opened a few years ago. More south (you can find it at google maps).

[JB&JLG74]

I have not let the move to Ijmuiden stop me from sailing on the Prinsendam, but I do prefer Amsterdam. I may be drinking lemonade in Ijmuiden, but I'd rather be drinking a Pina Colada in Amsterdam.

One downside to Ijmuiden, we just found out that some friends of ours will be disembarking Prinsendam on the day that we embark. But because of the location and lack of good transportation we are both using the ship's coaches. This schedule prevents us from meeting up, which we could have done had the ship docked in Amsterdam instead of Ijmuiden (still drinking lemonade, though).

[Bodger]

We were on the Prinsendam that returned to Ijmuiden on August 19th. I understood this to be the first day of the big tall ship sail-in that happens every five years. Seeing some photos, I can't imagine the Prinsendam getting in and out through all of that traffic.

 

The cynic in me sees the costs being shifted over to the passenger for the transport. Taking the HAL transfer going and the excursion to Edam that dropped us at Schipol afterwards cost us about US$220, as I recall. (It was the only option other than spending even more time at the airport.)

 

I am sure that additional port fees to dock in Amsterdam would have been less than the transfer costs, and we would have had a better time.

 

John

[rotjeknor]

LOL.

 

I see you were on the 2011 transatlantic to New York. One of my best voyages. If it was available every years I would do it. But 11 days? Not enough. I got ashore about before noon in NY. Went for lunch at le Veau D'Or... then came back to ship for boat drill and return to Queenstown and Rotterdam. Spent three days before and two days after the transat crossing... as Hotel de Rotterdam. Best of all... two dinners at Restaurant De Herberg.

 

Stephen

 

Absolutely the best trip sofar ! I enjoyed the talks by Bill Miller, Pasadena Roof Orchestra, dinner at the Captain's table. In fact I enjoyed everything including the storm off the west coast of Ireland , made it really like a TA crossing.

Glad to see that you enjoyed Rotterdam !

[rafinmd]

LOL.

 

I see you were on the 2011 transatlantic to New York. One of my best voyages. If it was available every years I would do it. But 11 days? Not enough. I got ashore about before noon in NY. Went for lunch at le Veau D'Or... then came back to ship for boat drill and return to Queenstown and Rotterdam. Spent three days before and two days after the transat crossing... as Hotel de Rotterdam. Best of all... two dinners at Restaurant De Herberg.

 

Stephen

 

I'm trying to put that cruise into perspective. My first modern HAL cruise was the July Eastbound TA which I remember as 9 days NY-Ireland-Rotterdam. Was the 11-day the Westbound prelude or something else?

 

Roy

[Ine]

We were on the Prinsendam that returned to Ijmuiden on August 19th. I understood this to be the first day of the big tall ship sail-in that happens every five years. Seeing some photos, I can't imagine the Prinsendam getting in and out through all of that traffic.

 

The cynic in me sees the costs being shifted over to the passenger for the transport. Taking the HAL transfer going and the excursion to Edam that dropped us at Schipol afterwards cost us about US$220, as I recall. (It was the only option other than spending even more time at the airport.)

 

I am sure that additional port fees to dock in Amsterdam would have been less than the transfer costs, and we would have had a better time.

 

John

 

August 19th indeed was the craziest busiest day in 5 years indeed. Sail Amsterdam took place, a great event for those interested in tall ships and others. All along Northseacanal and in Amsterdam thousands of people watched those ships. Many roads along the canal were closed for traffic.

Interesting to see was the replica of Halve Maen, the little ship once sailed by Henri Hudson and still in the logo of HAL.

Cruiseship during those days were docked in a different place as tallships took over the cruise terminal.

Edited September 2, 2015 by Ine

[Dave in NJ]

The first segment (westbound) was July 3 - July 12, 2011. I think Stephen is including his pre-cruise days.

[PatsyAnne]

I do think it would have been better PR for HAL to at least for the first 1-2 years of using this terminal provide a lot more information about options, and possibly lower cost and more openly available transport to the ships. Last year it was a serious exercise in web searching with many dead ends (ferries anyone?). We had someone on our cruise who didn't realize until the morning we sailed that it wasn't from Amsterdam. We knew, but sometimes I'm a little detail oriented (obsessive).

[JB&JLG74]

Yes, we did a lot of web searching last year, to include getting a taxi to meet us at the Beverwijk train station -- we had to pre-book because there are no taxis just waiting for fares. Finding a taxi was a challenge as the Felison Terminal's website doesn't list local taxi companies. Better access to information would have been greatly appreciated.

[sail7seas]

August 19th indeed was the craziest busiest day in 5 years indeed. Sail Amsterdam took place, a great event for those interested in tall ships and others. All along Northseacanal and in Amsterdam thousands of people watched those ships. Many roads along the canal were closed for traffic.

Interesting to see was the replica of Halve Maen, the little ship once sailed by Henri Hudson and still in the logo of HAL.

Cruiseship during those days were docked in a different place as tallships took over the cruise terminal.

 

I saw some photos of Sail Amsterdam on Facebook and they were fabulous. Windstar ship was there and guests/crew had such a great treat to view it all. :)

 

Edited September 2, 2015 by sail7seas

[Ine]

I saw some photos of Sail Amsterdam on Facebook and they were fabulous. Windstar ship was there and guests/crew had such a great treat to view it all. :)

 

 

It was amazing how thousands and thousands of people watched the sail in, it could be seen live on TV too. Amsterdam was filled with all those people, not only walking and visiting ships, also thousands of small ships sailing along there. It realy was a highlight!

On youtube many videos are published, (I donot know the maker of it) but this is one of them:

Edited September 3, 2015 by Ine

[sppunk]

Sail Amsterdam reminds me of Rotterdam World Port Days, which we were in the middle of last September. What a crazy, crazy atmosphere on both land and water. It was amazing.

[rotjeknor]

Sail Amsterdam reminds me of Rotterdam World Port Days, which we were in the middle of last September. What a crazy, crazy atmosphere on both land and water. It was amazing.

 

WorldPort Days are this weekend again in Rotterdam. We happen to have a party onboard the SS Rotterdam on saturday. Also booked a cabin , looking forward to spending time onboard this fabulous ship and being able to see the stuff going on in the harbour :)

[Topsham]

Did you sail her when she was the Rembrandt, Stephen? I didn't know that.

How was she, as compared to her previous life? And especially as compared to her last cruise as the Rotterdam! THAT was an experience! ;)

 

Hi Ruth,

Sorry. Forgot this one.

 

Yes, one great voyage in REMRANDT. A few of the SOLAS changes... not much but Lynbaan was a less beautiful. In the few year the ship was very much as ROTTERDAM. Service was not quite to HAL standard but it was still quite good. They tried very hard. It was a but funny. A lot of the passengers went about knew more about the ship than the staff and crew did!

 

One day the Maitr asked my about the thin wire running the length of the dome over the dining room. He could not work out what it was for. I smiled and said, "The tent. To make up the tent when on formal nights to decorate the room." At night someone put the lights on at night... the overside lights for boat embarkation. When promenading the deck at night the lights were quite necessary so some of 'us' turned them off. Well, we knew where the switches were. ;-)

 

On the arrival off the Hoek van Holland ... the first time back since 1972...they had very loud Caribbean playing from the decks. Completely unsuitable for the occasion. I went to one of the Lido people and I asked them to turn the music off. They said, "This I the way we do it on Premier." "Well, you are NOT doing it on this day!" Promptly I went to the music centre in the Lido and turned all the music off. They tried to turn it on again and thankfully the Cruise Director came and told them, "Turn that stupid music off!"

 

A lot was good though. A special table was set up every evening up in the Sky Room. All original HAL silverware... the old HAL stuff... china etc and for $30 you could have a portion of caviar with a glass of champagne or frozen vodka. Very good. Nice touch. Should have been doing for HAL years ago!

 

Ritz Carlton.... afternoon high tea. More like Cunard than HAL. First time it was tried... the water was almost too old to make tea. Next day was fine.

 

ROTTERDAM was still a good ship!

 

Stephen

[RuthC]

Thank you for taking me on your stroll down Memory Lane. You know so much about all the little, itty-bitty details of that ship! It must have been fun knowing more than the people who were running it.

 

Ah, tea in the Ritz Carlton! Sounds elegant.

[Lemur]

Note the name of the quay in Ijmuiden is named as Halkade. I wonder why? Or is should be written as HALkade ?!!!!!

 

Hi Topsham,

 

Sorry, it is a coincidence. Hal is short for Vishallen (Fish halls) and kade means quay. So, it's the quay at the fish halls.

 

And the decision to have ships in IJmuiden has nothing to do with space in Amsterdam. It's entirely financial. When the quay in Amsterdam is full, the extra ships are sent out to an industrial area of Amsterdam called Westpoort (West port).

 

I know because I can see those ships from my office window here in Amsterdam.

 

Happy sailing,

Lemur

[Topsham]

Ine,

 

I am walking back through time... at Amsterdam in the early 1970s.

 

Recently I purchased the full set of the TV series put out in 1972 by UK Thames TV 'VAN DER VALK'... a police Inspector.. 'Commisar van der Valk'.

 

Old style compared to today. Mostly British actors, but all on location in Amsterdam.

 

Good stories and a great music theme.

 

Saw them when first played in the 70s. Nice way to walk back in time now on DVD!

 

Stephen

[Brandis]

I was also lucky enough to be on an Iceland cruise with Prinsendam from Copenhagen to Amsterdam which ended at the docks in Central Amsterdam.

 

To our surprise, we arrived a day early (well, in the evening before departure morning), probably to give us the chance to see the sail into Amsterdam. We hoped that we would be able to leave the ship in the evening to do some sightseeing in Amsterdam, but we were only allowed off the ship in the morning.

 

Short question: We are booked on Prinsendam again in June, leaving from Ijmuiden. At what time does boarding usually start?