catl331 Posted June 4, 2018 #26 Share Posted June 4, 2018 (edited) 1. Amsterdam - partly because it was our first HAL ship 2. Nieuw Amsterdam 3. Eurodam 4. Noordam 5. Oosterdam 6. Koningsdam - too far from traditional HAL. Only scores this high because of some new features. 7. Zuiderdam 8. Maasdam 9. Prinsendam - too pricey 10. Veendam - too many problems the last time we sailed her Ryndam would beat Veendam if it was still in the fleet. Haven't sailed Rotterdam, Zaandam, or Volendam. Edited June 4, 2018 by catl331 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irish Eyes Are Sailing Posted June 4, 2018 #27 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Hands down, the Eurodam for many reasons......loved it. Least favorite? The Veendam....also for many reasons. Never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted June 4, 2018 #28 Share Posted June 4, 2018 S. S. Rotterdam V My first cruise experience in 1970; my traveling companion and I chose her after considering many others: North German Lloyd's Bremen was the runner-up followed by Grace Line's Santa Rosa or Santa Paula. We seriously considered Commodore Cruise Line's Boheme as well which is still sailing, interestingly. I have long wondered: if we had not chosen Rotterdam V, what would our cruise experience have been? Would I still be a cruising aficionado? We sailed Rotterdam V I her first New Years Eve and also for Millenium Christmas and NEW y years. : )A bea utiful ship and shame they ruined her a ft pool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sail7seas Posted June 4, 2018 #29 Share Posted June 4, 2018 S. S. Rotterdam V My first cruise experience in 1970; my traveling companion and I chose her after considering many others: North German Lloyd's Bremen was the runner-up followed by Grace Line's Santa Rosa or Santa Paula. We seriously considered Commodore Cruise Line's Boheme as well which is still sailing, interestingly. I have long wondered: if we had not chosen Rotterdam V, what would our cruise experience have been? Would I still be a cruising aficionado? We sailed Rotterdam V I her first New Years Eve and also for Millenium Christmas and NEW y years. : ) A bea utiful ship and shameful how they ruined her a ft pool. IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quartzsite Cruiser Posted June 4, 2018 #30 Share Posted June 4, 2018 But of the current fleet, I would have to say the Prinsendam is my favorite. She, too, was beautifully designed, with well thought out touches. The atmosphere on that ship lets you know that you are special, and everything will be taken care of for you. The Prinsendam for all the reasons RuthC said. We've spent 285 days on board the EE, so it feels like home. Our other favorites are the R and S class ships as we prefer the smaller ships. So far we have only sailed the Westerdam of the larger ships. It just does not have that HAL feel for the smaller ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
navybankerteacher Posted June 4, 2018 #31 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I’d say Prinsendam - for size and layout - yes, I suppose she is “too pricey”, but quality does not come cheap. After her comes Maasdam - also for size and layout —she has everything the Vista’s have, just a bit more compact. Other than these the Vistas are the only ones I know - I like them all, but cannot recall any real distinctions among them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tennessee Titan Posted June 4, 2018 #32 Share Posted June 4, 2018 16 ships, 18 favorites..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisbu315 Posted June 4, 2018 #33 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I was reading a thread where someone commented that Nieuw Amsterdam was a nice ship, but not their favorite. It got me wondering. What is your favorite HAL ship and why? I feel like my response is inadequate because I've only sailed on 3 HAL ships, but I'll give it a go anyway. :D We did enjoy the Nieuw Amsterdam especially the Tamarind. But we really enjoyed the Westerdam and would count it as the favorite. The size of the ship just seemed perfect for us. Prinsendam by a wide margin. Her size enables her to visit very unique ports where larger ships cannot call. Also, because the number of passengers is small you get to know them and the crew much better than larger ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freestyling Posted June 4, 2018 #34 Share Posted June 4, 2018 To date on the ships we have sailed on I would say Maasdam...perfect size however we love the Tamarind and good beer ( grand Dutch Cafe ) so the Koningsdam would be second. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajMom96 Posted June 4, 2018 #35 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Nieuw Amsterdam and Eurodam because they have the Tamarind restaurant and a separate Silk Den for cocktails. Next favorite -- Ryndam -- did quite a cruises on her. Sad when she left the fleet. I’ll have to agree with KK, Koningsdam first, then the Nieuw Amsterdam because of the Tamarind! That is a very special restaurant. The Koningsdam gets a slight edge over the Nieuw Amsterdam because of the “help yourself” snacks and apps at Billboard Onboard starting in the afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajMom96 Posted June 4, 2018 #36 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Prinsendam by a wide margin. Her size enables her to visit very unique ports where larger ships cannot call. Also, because the number of passengers is small you get to know them and the crew much better than larger ships. I would like to try the Prinsendam some day, it’s just so expensive. I can do two-three cruises for the price of one on the Prinsendam. [emoji12] Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KroozNut Posted June 4, 2018 #37 Share Posted June 4, 2018 1. Amsterdam - partly because it was our first HAL ship2. Nieuw Amsterdam 3. Eurodam 4. Noordam 5. Oosterdam 6. Koningsdam - too far from traditional HAL. Only scores this high because of some new features. 7. Zuiderdam 8. Maasdam 9. Prinsendam - too pricey 10. Veendam - too many problems the last time we sailed her Ryndam would beat Veendam if it was still in the fleet. Haven't sailed Rotterdam, Zaandam, or Volendam. Curious as to your particular reasons for placing Niew Amsterdam over Eurodam on your list since they're sister ships in the same (Signature) Class and are nearly identical in terms of capacity and design. Is it perhaps because NA is a few years younger and a little fresher, or maybe the different decorating themes... the food? Happy to see though that they're both near the top of your list. We haven't sailed either ship, but will be sailing Eurodam later this year. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted June 4, 2018 #38 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I would like to try the Prinsendam some day, it’s just so expensive. I can do two-three cruises for the price of one on the Prinsendam. [emoji12] Ah, but you can't go to all the ports the Prinsendam goes to on the other ships. The Prinsendam gets into small ports that are too far away from the coast, or don't have adequate infrastructure for larger ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted June 4, 2018 #39 Share Posted June 4, 2018 We sailed Rotterdam V I her first New Years Eve and also for Millenium Christmas and NEW y years. : )A bea utiful ship and shame they ruined her a ft pool. Rotterdam V was a very different ship from Rotterdam VI, though. Other than the same name, and that both were flagships of the fleet, they really didn't have much in common. Rotterdam V was unique. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare rafinmd Posted June 4, 2018 #40 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Haven't yet sailed or booked Zuiderdam, Noordam, Eurodam, or Nieuw Amsterdam, and am yet to sail on Volendam or Westerdam (both in July). 1. Prinsendam\ 2&3. Amsterdam and Zaandam (perhaps SLIGHT edge to Zaandam) 4&5. Statendam & Ryndam 6. Rotterdam V 7. Rotterdam 6 8. Maasdam 9. Veendam 10. Koningsdam 11. Oosterdam. Roy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rkacruiser Posted June 4, 2018 #41 Share Posted June 4, 2018 Rotterdam V was a very different ship from Rotterdam VI, though. Other than the same name, and that both were flagships of the fleet, they really didn't have much in common. Rotterdam V was unique. Having sailed on both Rotterdam V and VI, I agree mostly with RuthC's comments. Rotterdam V was unique in many ways. Rotterdam V's La Fontaine's Dining Room Ceiling and the sculptures adorning the Dining Room walls were memorable. RuthC previously mentioned the unique staircase separating First/Tourist Class when the ship was in trans-Atlantic service. It was artfully designed. The entrance from the foyer into the Smoking Lounge with that large globe is memorable. The Ritz Carlton's murals which have been replicated on the forward wall of Rotterdam VI's Upper Level Dining Room add to Rotterdam VI's connection to Rotterdam V. I don't understand Sail's comment about the alteration of the aft deck of Rotterdam V. I last visited Rotterdam V a couple of years ago when she was docked in Rotterdam and serving as a hotel ship. Its condition is as it was when I last sailed on her in 1996. I'm thinking that she is thinking about the aft Rotterdam VI's aft pool deck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted June 4, 2018 #42 Share Posted June 4, 2018 I don't understand Sail's comment about the alteration of the aft deck of Rotterdam V. ... I'm thinking that she is thinking about the aft Rotterdam VI's aft pool deck. I agree, since Sail's post also mentioned being on the ship for the Millennium, and for her first New Year's Eve. Rotterdam V of course left the fleet on September 30, 1997, and had her first NYE back in the 1950s. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bennybear Posted June 5, 2018 #43 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Nieuw Amsterdam for the Tamarind and the aft wrap Neptune, sigh. Loved the Noordam first time sadly she needs work now and the Zuiderdam looks lovely after her refresh. We also enjoyed the Rotterdam and are looking forward to trying the Maasdam. We will have to try the pinnacle class but are a bit reluctant as the promenade looks disappointing now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aruba Posted June 5, 2018 #44 Share Posted June 5, 2018 But of the current fleet, I would have to say the Prinsendam is my favorite. She, too, was beautifully designed, with well thought out touches. The atmosphere on that ship lets you know that you are special, and everything will be taken care of for you. I agree with Ruth. Although we only had the opportunity (so far) to sail on Prinsendam once, it has always remained our favorite. PS - our cruise paths have not crossed, Ruth, since we met you on Ryndam but hope to sail with you again some day on another dam ship :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuthC Posted June 5, 2018 #45 Share Posted June 5, 2018 PS - our cruise paths have not crossed, Ruth, since we met you on Ryndam but hope to sail with you again some day on another dam ship :) Oh, I would love that! I'm still sailing, so it's possible we'll meet again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Gail & Marty sailing away Posted June 5, 2018 #46 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Any Holland American ship Sent from my SM-G930T using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquahound Posted June 5, 2018 #47 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Celebrity Eclipse. Oh wait..HAL ship...sorry. That would be Nieuw Amsterdam. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fouremco Posted June 5, 2018 #48 Share Posted June 5, 2018 Celebrity Eclipse. Oh wait..HAL ship...sorry. That would be Nieuw Amsterdam. My picks exactly! (y) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruiseMob Posted June 5, 2018 Author #49 Share Posted June 5, 2018 This has been so interesting. Our next ship is the Amsterdam, which is new for us, and very exciting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catl331 Posted June 6, 2018 #50 Share Posted June 6, 2018 (edited) Curious as to your particular reasons for placing Niew Amsterdam over Eurodam on your list since they're sister ships in the same (Signature) Class and are nearly identical in terms of capacity and design. Is it perhaps because NA is a few years younger and a little fresher, or maybe the different decorating themes... the food? Happy to see though that they're both near the top of your list. We haven't sailed either ship, but will be sailing Eurodam later this year. :) N.A. and E are really a toss-up, with N.A. getting a slight edge for decor and being newer. We've sailed E three times, NA twice. Similarly Noordam and Oosterdam are a toss-up, with N getting an edge for having the Explorations Cafe/Library down on deck 3 rather than in the Crows Nest. Haven't been on N for 9 years though, so I don't know about the condition now. I’d say Prinsendam - for size and layout - yes, I suppose she is “too pricey”, but quality does not come cheap.The P-size is nice, and we liked the Lido/Canaletto better than other ships of her vintage, but we did not feel the ship was sufficiently different from Ryndam or Maasdam to justify the price differential. We didn't have a suite, so the only area that we thought was more "elegant" than the S-class ships was the Oak Room. Did not like the very noisy MDR or having the noisy bathroom door right next to the bed so that when either of us used it at night we woke the other. Did not think the walk-in closet was a plus. Maybe the problem was that we were expecting much more after all the hype we had read beforehand. Edited June 6, 2018 by catl331 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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