Prinsendam

[red4lisa]

Wow, I would love to travel on this ship! Love all the comments!

 

Lisa

[kazu]

Wow, I would love to travel on this ship! Love all the comments!

 

Lisa

This ship is not a typical HAL ship Lisa.

 

built by a luxury cruise line and despite age and changes - for me, she still shines:)

 

she's not young - I was nervous the first time we booked and warned DH. He was enchanted instantly.

 

The charm of her is not just the uniqueness, nor the small passenger load, nor the higher crew to passenger ratio, nor the crew who "know you" quickly, nor the unique itineraries she can do and the ports she can get to that no one else in the HAL fleet can (if you pick the right itinerary) - it's everything about her - the crew (very special), the ship and the itineraries.

 

Happy to sail on her again.

[rkacruiser]

This ship is not a typical HAL ship Lisa.

 

built by a luxury cruise line and despite age and changes - for me, she still shines:)

 

she's not young - I was nervous the first time we booked and warned DH. He was enchanted instantly.

 

The charm of her is not just the uniqueness, nor the small passenger load, nor the higher crew to passenger ratio, nor the crew who "know you" quickly, nor the unique itineraries she can do and the ports she can get to that no one else in the HAL fleet can (if you pick the right itinerary) - it's everything about her - the crew (very special), the ship and the itineraries.

 

Happy to sail on her again.

 

kazu,

 

Eloquently, you stated the same concern that I had to my traveling companion when we chose to book the Prinsendam's Christmas/New Year's Cruise for 2015. For those holiday cruises (of which there are not many), it ranks as #2. (Only the original Royal Princess, which was our first holiday cruise, ranks as #1.)

[saltshell]

HAL canceled Egypt and Turkey ports, so I have switched cruises. No longer Ancient and Holy. Now am booked on the Princendam River Explorer. Itinerary looks interesting and quite diverse. Has this cruise been done before; anybody know. I'm excited but will have to wait.

[idiebabe]

For many of the reasons that Kazu and others mentioned we also find the Prinsendam to be a wonderful Ship and would sail her again in a heartbeat! :)

 

Both of our Sailings we stayed in a Signature Suite which we really enjoyed! We have friends that we have sailed with in both the "older" Vista Suites and the "New" Vista Suites. After seeing both we would avoid the "newer" ones. The "newer" VS's are a different configuration (I believe Halfacts has some pics where you can see the difference). They have a low, loveseat (no arms if I remember correctly) which is probably equal to 1 1/2 times the size of a regular chair where the "older" VS's have a full loveseat (with arms). The "newer" ones also have the bed by the Sliding Glass Door. The "older" VS's has the Seating area by the Sliding Glass door. We thought the Seating area in the "older" VS's was much nicer!

 

Enjoy your Cruise on her! She really is a Wonderful Ship! :)

[kazu]

HAL canceled Egypt and Turkey ports, so I have switched cruises. No longer Ancient and Holy. Now am booked on the Princendam River Explorer. Itinerary looks interesting and quite diverse. Has this cruise been done before; anybody know. I'm excited but will have to wait.

 

I believe this is a totally new itinerary. One of the joys of the p'dam.

 

I looked at it hard and found it totally enchanting. Timing was just a bit off for us.

 

It looks like a fabulous itinerary to me.

 

I think you just nailed a fabulous cruise :)

[shrimp56]

I can't wait to board Prinsendam on August 4 to experience the "quirks", some of which I remember from her older sister Royal Viking Sea, which was my first cruise & ship. We were in the smaller dining room and LOVED it. Their "Crow's Nest" was one of the first of its type. I remember just sitting as we entered various Norwegian fjords and being totally astonished. The layout of that room was a bit different than HAL ships and from deck plans I've seen HAL has retained some of that.

 

We will move up in the world though. In the late 70s I was in a cabin near to the stern on Dolphin Deck. This trip we graduate to Main Deck and forward. BTW the indented entrances make the cabins a bit quieter. And although Royal Viking dea was only about 550 pax before she was stretched, the elevators were pitiful back then.

[woodinville cruisers]

We have our first Prinsendam cruise booked for fall next year. Does anyone have any experience with the inside cabins on the promenade deck. I've seen photos and they look amazing but I've also read that they have quirks. Any information would be appreciated.

Mary

[OlsSalt]

........ And although Royal Viking dea was only about 550 pax before she was stretched, the elevators were pitiful back then.

 

Could it be the more robust Scandinavians, for which this ship was originally designed, were more likely to use the stairs?

 

There was a running joke with a European friend who called stairs "Merken Barriers" - Merkan being a slang for President Lyndon Johnson's Texas twang - Muh fellow Ah-merkans.

 

Seems every time Americans saw stairs they searched instead for an elevator. Just wildly guessing here, but maybe originally they did not expect the elevators to get that much use. Because the Prinsendam clunky, cramped and slow elevators are indeed one or her quirks. To this Merkan. Lining them with mirrors is one more Prinsendam quirk.

[kazu]

We have our first Prinsendam cruise booked for fall next year. Does anyone have any experience with the inside cabins on the promenade deck. I've seen photos and they look amazing but I've also read that they have quirks. Any information would be appreciated.

Mary

 

RuthC has done inside cabins on this ship I believe and is an "inside cabin expert" IMO. She is cruising right now (on the Prinsendam) so, if no one else answers with experience with them, I would ask this question again in about 5 weeks when she will hopefully see it upon her return.

[red4lisa]

This ship is not a typical HAL ship Lisa.

 

built by a luxury cruise line and despite age and changes - for me, she still shines:)

 

she's not young - I was nervous the first time we booked and warned DH. He was enchanted instantly.

 

The charm of her is not just the uniqueness, nor the small passenger load, nor the higher crew to passenger ratio, nor the crew who "know you" quickly, nor the unique itineraries she can do and the ports she can get to that no one else in the HAL fleet can (if you pick the right itinerary) - it's everything about her - the crew (very special), the ship and the itineraries.

 

Happy to sail on her again.

 

My parents, many years ago, sailed on a Royal Viking Ship, the Prinsendam is the closest I will ever get to having that experience. I will start watching her itineraries. Thank you for your comment!

 

Lisa

[BJzink]

We have sailed on her three times for just 80+ days ;) and will be on her again next spring (I usually do a live thread in case that helps).

 

We love the ship. She's not necessarily for everyone, though.

 

Any particular questions? Just ask, happy to help.

 

Just remember, we're prejudiced ;)

I'm sailing on her for the first time in October - 14 Day West. Mediterranean. Wondered if there's a chance that the passengers do a little more "Gala" on Prinsendam for the Gala Nights? I have some lovely gowns that I'd like to take, but don't feel comfortable being dressed up when the majority of passengers make very little effort. I don't understand why - a sparkly blouse or sweater doesn't take any more space in the suitcase than a plain one. Over the last 20 years the "special" nights have all but disappeared.....

[OlsSalt]

I'm sailing on her for the first time in October - 14 Day West. Mediterranean. Wondered if there's a chance that the passengers do a little more "Gala" on Prinsendam for the Gala Nights? I have some lovely gowns that I'd like to take, but don't feel comfortable being dressed up when the majority of passengers make very little effort. I don't understand why - a sparkly blouse or sweater doesn't take any more space in the suitcase than a plain one. Over the last 20 years the "special" nights have all but disappeared.....

 

In 2013, we saw the whole range of gala wear - DH always wears a tuxedo and I wore both long and very dressy shorter cocktail. Mediterranean and Black Sea. If there is a ship to still fully celebrate gala, the Prinsendam in the one.

 

We recently let ourselves get talked out of gala on a shorter Caribbean cruise, and surprise, surprise, I have never seen such display of really lovely long gowns on a HAL ship in years. We regretted our own decisions to forgo the gala dress-up fun, and will not make this mistake again.

[kazu]

I'm sailing on her for the first time in October - 14 Day West. Mediterranean. Wondered if there's a chance that the passengers do a little more "Gala" on Prinsendam for the Gala Nights? I have some lovely gowns that I'd like to take, but don't feel comfortable being dressed up when the majority of passengers make very little effort. I don't understand why - a sparkly blouse or sweater doesn't take any more space in the suitcase than a plain one. Over the last 20 years the "special" nights have all but disappeared.....

 

 

I think you will see that there is more "Gala" on Gala nights. that has been my experience in Europe on her. I've seen lots of sparkly blouses or sweaters and certainly long skirts, gowns, whatever. Not everyone will dress to this level but a lot do dress very nicely.

 

It's a general statement based solely on my experience. I think you will see many people dressed nicely and not feel out of place if you choose to do so.

[Copper10-8]

Prinsendam, born Royal Viking Sun in 1988 after being built in Finland; almost 30 years old and still going strong! only HAL vessel left with open bridge wings; Really like that ship! :D

[rkacruiser]

My 2 Royal Viking sailings were aboard Royal Viking Sky (prior to being stretched). I don't recall elevators that were as small as Prinsendam's elevators, particularly her aft lifts. I wonder if HAL, when designing the S-Class ships with the Crow's Nest, didn't copy the design that RVL used with their Lounge above the Bridge. (What was its name?)

[shrimp56]

My 2 Royal Viking sailings were aboard Royal Viking Sky (prior to being stretched). I don't recall elevators that were as small as Prinsendam's elevators, particularly her aft lifts. I wonder if HAL, when designing the S-Class ships with the Crow's Nest, didn't copy the design that RVL used with their Lounge above the Bridge. (What was its name?)

I've been racking my brain to remember the name of the forward lounge... did some searching. Windjammer Room. And the big lounge was Oslo Lounge

Edited June 24, 2017 by shrimp56

[rkacruiser]

Thank you shrimp56!

[iamcruisingagain]

For many of the reasons that Kazu and others mentioned we also find the Prinsendam to be a wonderful Ship and would sail her again in a heartbeat! :)

 

Both of our Sailings we stayed in a Signature Suite which we really enjoyed! We have friends that we have sailed with in both the "older" Vista Suites and the "New" Vista Suites. After seeing both we would avoid the "newer" ones. The "newer" VS's are a different configuration (I believe Halfacts has some pics where you can see the difference). They have a low, loveseat (no arms if I remember correctly) which is probably equal to 1 1/2 times the size of a regular chair where the "older" VS's have a full loveseat (with arms). The "newer" ones also have the bed by the Sliding Glass Door. The "older" VS's has the Seating area by the Sliding Glass door. We thought the Seating area in the "older" VS's was much nicer!

 

Enjoy your Cruise on her! She really is a Wonderful Ship! :)

thanks for the info.

[GYMIL]

Question about future Grand Med. Prinsendam? I was told by a Holland agent that the 2018 G. Med. will be the last - that they are not planning on continuing the Grand Med. Has anyone else heard this? I really hope I was just given false information.

Jim & Wools Tucson, AZ.

[durangoscots]

Unfortunately you heard right. The 2019 Grand South America/Antarctic is 80 days instead of the usual 68 because there is no Grand Med to follow. I don't know if the ship's schedule for after the Grand SA has been released but I suspect it will be northern Europe.

 

Susan

[GYMIL]

Wonder why the don't do Grand Cruise FLL to Lisbon the north to Baltics for 55 to 60 days and back to FLL or New York?

[kazu]

Wonder why the don't do Grand Cruise FLL to Lisbon the north to Baltics for 55 to 60 days and back to FLL or New York?

 

I can't guess how they do itineraries but at that time of the year the Baltics would be a tad cool most likely. Earliest Baltic cruise is normally May.

[rachelsnana]

Copper10-8,

Do you have a picture of the Sea View Bar on the Prinsendam? DH loves his cigar and I think that is where he is permitted to enjoy.

[catl331]

... a picture of the Sea View Bar on the Prinsendam ...