Single cabins on Prinsendam

[rafinmd]

Has anybody ever stayed in one of the single cabins on the Prinsendam. Most of the time I've looked they have been more expensive than solo occupancy of a regular cabin, but I'm looking at a cruise where right now they're about $800 than a regular cabin.

 

Thoughts from those who have seen/used them.

 

Thanks

 

Roy

[RuthC]

There are three single cabins on the Prinsendam. Two are outside cabins, furthest forward; one is an inside, just aft of the forward elevator.

 

I have never been in the outside cabins, but did meet two women traveling together who did have them. They were very happy with the cabins. Since the ship is so small, even though the cabins are forward, they really aren't all that far away from wherever you want to be.

 

I did stay in the inside cabin. It is on a lower deck, taking the same amount of space as the doubles along the same passageway.

Since there was only one bed, there was room for the extra furniture, like table and chair, that were squeezed in the doubles. The walk-in closet couldn't be walked into the same way it can in the outside cabins, but was huge, and all parts were easily accessed. I knew it was roomy enough for a world cruise worth of clothing.

The desk had drawers, and the "entertainment center" had plenty more storage space.

The bathroom was very roomy.

[rafinmd]

The ones that came up in my trial booking were the outside ones. They look awfully small on the deck plans but it sounds like they should be very nice.

 

Roy

[cb at sea]

Is that $800 more than 2 in a cabin? Cabins are priced on DOUBLE occupancy.....you need to stop thinking about "per person" pricing!

[Cruiser 4 Life 66]

Is that $800 more than 2 in a cabin? Cabins are priced on DOUBLE occupancy.....you need to stop thinking about "per person" pricing!

 

If hotel rooms aren't priced for double occupancy then cruise ship cabins shouldn't be either. It's discrimination against solo travelers. You have to keep in mind that price is not just for the cabin, but for all you can eat food for two people, transportation costs for two people, entertainment costs for two people, etc. Why should I have to pay all the costs for an invisible person? I am actually saving the cruise line money, they should be charging me less, not more.

[TrolleyGirl]

If hotel rooms aren't priced for double occupancy then cruise ship cabins shouldn't be either. It's discrimination against solo travelers. You have to keep in mind that price is not just for the cabin, but for all you can eat food for two people, transportation costs for two people, entertainment costs for two people, etc. Why should I have to pay all the costs for an invisible person? I am actually saving the cruise line money, they should be charging me less, not more.

 

I think if you re-read your own statement your will see the answer as to why you should pay more for a single person in a cruise stateroom. If you think about it hotels do not include all meals (some do have breakfast), they do not include entertainment, or transportation as you pointed out. All these features cost the cruise line money. The cruise does not just offer a bed for your money. They also have the wait staff, room attendants, bar attendants, dancers, musicians, on staff medical teams, etc. These all contribute to the bottom line of a expense report. Hotels do not have all these expenses or if they do, for example, meals, that cost is paid directly by the consumer.

 

If cruises offered single rates for all rooms, a ship which typically has a maximum capacity of 2,000 guest could potentially sail with only 800 guests on it. That would hardly be a profitable venture.

 

I'm sure its a bit frustrating to pay the double supplement. But I don't believe HAL is trying to discriminate against the solo cruiser.

[take us away]

No matter how much we complain or beg or ... the single supplement is here to stay! and I think it is industry wide so we are stuck. Sometimes you catch a break and a discount on the supplement. To assuage my feelings, I just remember what it would have cost if I was still paying for 2 people but sadly the DH has since gone so I am solo.

[cruz chic]

No matter how much we complain or beg or ... the single supplement is here to stay! and I think it is industry wide so we are stuck. Sometimes you catch a break and a discount on the supplement. To assuage my feelings, I just remember what it would have cost if I was still paying for 2 people but sadly the DH has since gone so I am solo.

 

Although I don't like the single supp I understand it. What I don't understand is paying almost the double occupancy for a price of a cabin that was specifically built as a single cabin. That should have a single price.

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Although I don't like the single supp I understand it. What I don't understand is paying almost the double occupancy for a price of a cabin that was specifically built as a single cabin. That should have a single price.

 

This is the point. When I cruise in a studio cabin on NCL, the price is very reasonable. Sometimes surprisingly so (e.g. $524 including taxes and port fees for a 7-night Iberian peninsula sailing last October). By contrast, I booked and cancelled a 10-night southern Caribbean sailing on Koningsdam in a single outside cabin that had a rate of $2,600. And yes, that's substantially more than I would have paid for an inside cabin with a 100 percent single supplement. So far in my experience, the only brand that has single rates regularly available that are well below 200 percent is Norwegian. :( Incidentally, I replaced the Koningsdam sailing with a P&O cruise to the North Sea for 10 nights. That's booked at $2350 for a single outside cabin, but it's only 160 percent of the rate for double-occupancy passengers, so that's not so bad.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Cruiser Bruiser

[cruz chic]

This is the point. When I cruise in a studio cabin on NCL, the price is very reasonable. Sometimes surprisingly so (e.g. $524 including taxes and port fees for a 7-night Iberian peninsula sailing last October). By contrast, I booked and cancelled a 10-night southern Caribbean sailing on Koningsdam in a single outside cabin that had a rate of $2,600. And yes, that's substantially more than I would have paid for an inside cabin with a 100 percent single supplement. So far in my experience, the only brand that has single rates regularly available that are well below 200 percent is Norwegian. :( Incidentally, I replaced the Koningsdam sailing with a P&O cruise to the North Sea for 10 nights. That's booked at $2350 for a single outside cabin, but it's only 160 percent of the rate for double-occupancy passengers, so that's not so bad.

 

That is highway robbery for the koningsdam cabin. Hal will likely be having a fire sale on that cabin 2 months before it sails :rolleyes:. Nice price on the ncl cabin.

[rafinmd]

Well, I booked Cabin 100 for the November 2, 2017 Prinsendam Transatlantic. It's all kind of a strange coincidence that looks like it was meant to be, and came up real quickly.

 

I'd been booked on a Crystal Serenity transatlantic for about the same period. Just yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon Crystal announced that they were redeploying the Serenity to North America in 2017. Just on a lark I looked at the Prinsendam schedule and it is the only voyage on HAL's schedule for November 2017 (and the only ship on their schedule after September 2017) is the Prinsendam. I just tried a test booking. Usually the Prinsendam's solo rooms are more expensive than solo occupancy of a comparable double cabin but not this time. A double occupancy OV cabin is 1899, the solo cabin is 2499, solo occupancy of a double cabin starts at 3411, and a verandah would have set me back 4998. By contrast the Crystal crossing was 5430.

 

It's still not clear that I will do this with a couple of hurdles in the way. I'm booked on a yet to be finalized first half of an Amsterdam Grand Asia voyage. The Amsterdam schedule goes through Alaska, ending 9/24. My goal is to take the Amsterdam to the end of the first leg somewhere in Asia, and fly to Rome to pick up the Prinsendam. If that connection will not work, I think I will give priority to the Amsterdam. Crystal may also come up with an offer on the cancelled cruise that's too good to pass up.

 

I think the relative pricing of a double cabin, solo cabin, and the single supplement is fairly reasonable.

 

I do also have plans to test NCL's studio cabins as well as the Konigsdam solos.

 

Roy

[KruzPrincess]

I'm resurrecting this thread.

 

Does anyone have pictures of either of the two single OV cabins? They are 100 and 101 on the Upper Promenade. I've been searching and can't find any images. I've read a description, but I'd love to see a picture.

 

Thanks.

[silvercruiser]

Cruiser Bruiser....were you able to transfer the deposit and insurance money to the new cruise when you switched to a different cruise?

[Cruiser Bruiser]

Cruiser Bruiser....were you able to transfer the deposit and insurance money to the new cruise when you switched to a different cruise?

 

Fortunately, because the cruise was booked so far in advance, the deposit was fully refunded with no penalty. I'm still eager to do a 10-11 night Southern Caribbean on Koningsdam, so I hope the prices become more accessible at some point. Perhaps when Pinnacle II is the newest ship in the fleet.

[silvercruiser]

That's good news, because I'm cancelling a cruise I booked in Dec. 2015 for next October. (Getting too scared about Europe and I've already been there lots of times.) I board the Westerdam next Sat. for 30 days and will talk to the Future Cruise Consultant about switching to another cruise that's around the same price. (Have two in mind.) Since final payment on the Oct. cruise isn't until July I hope I can do this and also transfer the insurance of $548 that my TA said had to be pd upfront. I've been so used to Princess, who let you insure just before final payment that it never even occurred to me that there was a danger of losing all that money.

Glad yours worked out ok and I'll keep my fingers crossed for me!

[scluvsrain]

SilverCruiser - looking forward to meeting you next week on the Westerdam!

[silvercruiser]

I shipped my very large suitcase ahead of time via LuggageFree. Just tracked its progress and it arrived in San Diego this afternoon. Can't wait!

[sail7seas]

That's good news, because I'm cancelling a cruise I booked in Dec. 2015 for next October. (Getting too scared about Europe and I've already been there lots of times.) I board the Westerdam next Sat. for 30 days and will talk to the Future Cruise Consultant about switching to another cruise that's around the same price. (Have two in mind.) Since final payment on the Oct. cruise isn't until July I hope I can do this and also transfer the insurance of $548 that my TA said had to be pd upfront. I've been so used to Princess, who let you insure just before final payment that it never even occurred to me that there was a danger of losing all that money.

Glad yours worked out ok and I'll keep my fingers crossed for me!

 

Seeing your TA should have known HAL's policy about the insurance and seeing she should have advised you accurately, is she not willing to 'make this right' for you with HAL? Wouldn't it be good for her to do the negotiating to see your insurance is transferred rather than leaving it to you to handle while on your vacation? I would object to her not standing behind her work and making it my problem to work out. Is it not her problem?

 

Sorry if I have interfered where not welcome. :o

 

[the2ofus]

I visited a friend who had this cabin during our Med and TA voyage. It is very compact but well arranged. It was several years ago and my mental image is a bit hazy. I seem to remember that the outside wall was at an angle, following the shape of the bow. She thought that for the price, the cabin was a good value for a single traveler. There were a couple of days when the ship encountered some wave conditions and my friend said she really felt the motion.

 

That said, I think the Prinsendam handles wave conditions better than most other HAL ships. Would love to sail on her again.

[KirkNC]

Although I don't like the single supp I understand it. What I don't understand is paying almost the double occupancy for a price of a cabin that was specifically built as a single cabin. That should have a single price.

 

I agree with that. Of course those cabins would sell out quickly. I was not even aware that the Prinsendam had single cabins.

[silvercruiser]

sail7seas ... You summed it all up perfectly. It's what I've been saying to her in a series of emails this week-end. I've been a very good customer of hers for 10 years and don't expect sloppy work. This is a very high end agency that prides itself on being so excellent, yet I'm beginning to feel like just a number.

[scluvsrain]

There are three single cabins on the Prinsendam. Two are outside cabins, furthest forward; one is an inside, just aft of the forward elevator.

 

 

 

I have never been in the outside cabins, but did meet two women traveling together who did have them. They were very happy with the cabins. Since the ship is so small, even though the cabins are forward, they really aren't all that far away from wherever you want to be.

 

 

 

I did stay in the inside cabin. It is on a lower deck, taking the same amount of space as the doubles along the same passageway.

 

Since there was only one bed, there was room for the extra furniture, like table and chair, that were squeezed in the doubles. The walk-in closet couldn't be walked into the same way it can in the outside cabins, but was huge, and all parts were easily accessed. I knew it was roomy enough for a world cruise worth of clothing.

 

The desk had drawers, and the "entertainment center" had plenty more storage space.

 

The bathroom was very roomy.

 

 

 

You said there was only one bed. What size? Twin? Double?

[RuthC]

You said there was only one bed. What size? Twin? Double?

It's narrower than a standard twin bed, probably close to half a double bed. Adequate enough. You can roll over, but only by rolling on an axis.

It was more the size of what beds used to be like on ships ages ago, but at least it's not a thin mattress on a slab of wood! Much more comfortable than those were.

[scluvsrain]

Seriously? Narrower than a twin? Oy. I couldn't imagine sleeping on that. The regular twin they use is the smallest I could do. My feet stick over the bottom as it is. I don't want to be rolling into the floor in my sleep. Yikes!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[KruzPrincess]

I visited a friend who had this cabin during our Med and TA voyage. It is very compact but well arranged. It was several years ago and my mental image is a bit hazy. I seem to remember that the outside wall was at an angle, following the shape of the bow. She thought that for the price, the cabin was a good value for a single traveler. There were a couple of days when the ship encountered some wave conditions and my friend said she really felt the motion.

 

That said, I think the Prinsendam handles wave conditions better than most other HAL ships. Would love to sail on her again.

 

Thank you! I did find a diagram of the cabin on another site. It looks like there's only a desk type chair in the diagram. It is a decent price for the cruise I'm looking at.

 

I would still love to see a picture if anyone has one. Anyone?