With Amsterdam leaving the fleet what ship will be doing the " World Cruise" ?

[Hflors]

Since the news of Amsterdam leaving the fleet, I guess the next question is if and when cruising resumes, w:-)hich ship will be selected to do the annual HAL World Cruise when it is scheduled.   Volendam is now the oldest ship in the fleet maybe HAL will use her.  (Likewise HAL could also use Zaandam).  I'm not sure HAL would use one of the larger ships as reading the blogs of passengers over the years it seems to me that Amsterdam was never at capacity.  But I am not a HAL expert.  Which ship do you think HAL will use for their "World Cruise" in the future???

 

Btw: just checked my favorite "go to" online cruising TA.  Amsterdam, Maasdam and Rotterdam have already been deleted from HAL's list of ships.  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

It has already been announced: https://www.hollandamerica.com/blog/topics/news/four-ships-to-leave-the-holland-america-line-fleet-in-2020/

 

In summary - The 2021 World Cruise has been cancelled. The 2022 World cruise will operate on Zaandam and have the same itinerary that the 2021 cruise was to have. Zaandam will also replace Rotterdam for the 2021 Grand Africa. If HAL operate a 2022 Grand South America I expect it will be on Volendam. 

 

Going forward these two ships most likely will be used interchangeably for Grand Voyages and other longer or more specialized itineraries, which may be fewer in nature and not repeat from year to year, as they have in past. 

Edited July 17, 2020 by AtlantaCruiser72

[Hflors]

I am really behind the times.  I didn't know the 2021 world cruise had even  been cancelled.  Here I am booked on a 10 day caribbean cruise in December for my anniversary.  I guess I can kiss that sailing good bye!  Thanks for the info.

[Roger88]

Well, we all expect Cruising to be back like anytime soon. I have friends working in a tourist business and they tell me that they are ready to start operation right from the first news about all the limitations being cancelled. I wonder whether it will happen today or tommrow. In any case I am sure that anytime soon we will here some good news 

[kazu]

4 minutes ago, Roger88 said:

Well, we all expect Cruising to be back like anytime soon. I have friends working in a tourist business and they tell me that they are ready to start operation right from the first news about all the limitations being cancelled. I wonder whether it will happen today or tommrow. In any case I am sure that anytime soon we will here some good news 

 

Bolding is mine - sorry, but I don’t think limitations will be cancelled for some time to come and cruises will have a quite a wait before they can restart.  JMHO.

[dogs4fun]

2 hours ago, kazu said:

 

Bolding is mine - sorry, but I don’t think limitations will be cancelled for some time to come and cruises will have a quite a wait before they can restart.  JMHO.

Yes, I believe that yours is the more realistic forecast.

[Sir PMP]

3 hours ago, Hflors said:

I am really behind the times.  I didn't know the 2021 world cruise had even  been cancelled.  Here I am booked on a 10 day caribbean cruise in December for my anniversary.  I guess I can kiss that sailing good bye!  Thanks for the info.

It sure looks like it, but maybe the Caribbean will be open by that time..

[Infi]

If/when things get back to normal, I wonder if HAL envisions using the Zaandam and Volendam as the Amsterdam and Prinsendam replacements (respectively). Zaandam to do the WC and any exotic sailings in the Fall (Grand Africa, Grand Asia, Tales of the South Pacific), and Volendam to do the Grand South America and Grand Med, possibly with exotic itineraries in between. 

 

The question of future deployments and itineraries is the biggest one for me in all of these shifts. HAL is known for its unique and exotic itineraries and regularly receives awards for them. Itineraries are what drew us to HAL in the first place and one of the things that keeps us coming back time and time again. With only two smaller ships to cover these routes (and, arguably, they are the best choices to provide exotic itineraries - it's harder to fill a Vista or larger for these types of sailings), will HAL's biggest selling point - its varied itineraries - disappear?

[atexsix]

Are the Zaandam and Volendam going to get some TLC?  They were aging a lot less gracefully than the Amsterdam/Rotterdam (based on reviews I've read...the Zaandam was fine when I last sailed her).

 

Personally I'm just sick over this, but understand they have to do what they have to do.

Edited July 17, 2020 by atexsix

[travelholics]

We travelled on Zaandam and Rotterdam in the last 8 months and found our cabins on Zaandam far nicer (O/V cat C) New bathroom with shower. On the Rotterdam a pipe burst and flooded our room and several  others. Happy to sail on Zaandam again, booked on Volendam for Sept 2021

[rkacruiser]

Having sailed on both Volendam for three long cruises and the Zaandam on the South America/Antarctica itinerary which is a less "long" cruises than the Asia Pacific Maiden Voyage for Volendam, either of these ships will are able to provide world cruise guests whatever experience they ever had on Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Prinsendam.  

 

They are fine sea boats.  If the Volendam can handle--which she did--the mountainous seas that we experienced crossing the Northern Pacific, her sister and she can handle world cruise guests' expectations.  

[AtlantaCruiser72]

As both Volendam and Zaandam are essentially the same hull design and spec as Amsterdam & Rotterdam there is no worry that they can fulfill any mission those ships undertook.  Amsterdam was unique in that she had Azipod propulsion and a higher maximum cruise speed, whereas the other 3 R ships had traditional propulsion systems. 

 

The biggest difference is the mix of Pinnacle, Neptune and Vista Suites.  Volendam and Zaandam have fewer Neptune Suites than either Rotterdam or Amsterdam and both only have 1 Pinnacle suite.  This means less potential for upsells from Vistas as compared to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  Amsterdam had 2 Pinnacle Suites and 50 Neptunes, Rotterdam had 4 Pinnacle Suites and 34 Neptunes.  By Contrast Volendam and Zaandam each have 1 Pinnacle and 28 Neptunes.  Volendam and Zaandam have a higher number of Vistas however at 154 each compared to Rotterdam at 152 and Amsterdam at 120. 

 

The one notable difference between Zaandam and the other 3 R class ships is she has not yet been retrofitted with Lanai rooms, which makes the suites come at that much more of a premium over oceanview cabins.  I am not sure if they will convert some C grades on Lower Promenade Deck to Lanai category before the Grand Africa 2021 or 2022 World cruise.  Many seem to prefer Zaandam for this very reason over her siblings as there are more publicly available loungers on Promenade deck, rather than reserved for the Lanai rooms.

[Indianadaytripper]

27 minutes ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

As both Volendam and Zaandam are essentially the same hull design and spec as Amsterdam & Rotterdam there is no worry that they can fulfill any mission those ships undertook.  Amsterdam was unique in that she had Azipod propulsion and a higher maximum cruise speed, whereas the other 3 R ships had traditional propulsion systems. 

 

The biggest difference is the mix of Pinnacle, Neptune and Vista Suites.  Volendam and Zaandam have fewer Neptune Suites than either Rotterdam or Amsterdam and both only have 1 Pinnacle suite.  This means less potential for upsells from Vistas as compared to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  Amsterdam had 2 Pinnacle Suites and 50 Neptunes, Rotterdam had 4 Pinnacle Suites and 34 Neptunes.  By Contrast Volendam and Zaandam each have 1 Pinnacle and 28 Neptunes.  Volendam and Zaandam have a higher number of Vistas however at 154 each compared to Rotterdam at 152 and Amsterdam at 120. 

 

The one notable difference between Zaandam and the other 3 R class ships is she has not yet been retrofitted with Lanai rooms, which makes the suites come at that much more of a premium over oceanview cabins.  I am not sure if they will convert some C grades on Lower Promenade Deck to Lanai category before the Grand Africa 2021 or 2022 World cruise.  Many seem to prefer Zaandam for this very reason over her siblings as there are more publicly available loungers on Promenade deck, rather than reserved for the Lanai rooms.

we don’t know that those Lanai rooms aren’t going to be added since those rooms were sold for 2021world , and going onto 2022 world . There is a cost to adding these rooms which Holland may not want to absorb, for a ship this old

[Storylady]

3 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

As both Volendam and Zaandam are essentially the same hull design and spec as Amsterdam & Rotterdam there is no worry that they can fulfill any mission those ships undertook.  Amsterdam was unique in that she had Azipod propulsion and a higher maximum cruise speed, whereas the other 3 R ships had traditional propulsion systems. 

 

The biggest difference is the mix of Pinnacle, Neptune and Vista Suites.  Volendam and Zaandam have fewer Neptune Suites than either Rotterdam or Amsterdam and both only have 1 Pinnacle suite.  This means less potential for upsells from Vistas as compared to Amsterdam and Rotterdam.  Amsterdam had 2 Pinnacle Suites and 50 Neptunes, Rotterdam had 4 Pinnacle Suites and 34 Neptunes.  By Contrast Volendam and Zaandam each have 1 Pinnacle and 28 Neptunes.  Volendam and Zaandam have a higher number of Vistas however at 154 each compared to Rotterdam at 152 and Amsterdam at 120. 

 

The one notable difference between Zaandam and the other 3 R class ships is she has not yet been retrofitted with Lanai rooms, which makes the suites come at that much more of a premium over oceanview cabins.  I am not sure if they will convert some C grades on Lower Promenade Deck to Lanai category before the Grand Africa 2021 or 2022 World cruise.  Many seem to prefer Zaandam for this very reason over her siblings as there are more publicly available loungers on Promenade deck, rather than reserved for the Lanai rooms.

Actually, there were plenty of loungers on the Amsterdam this year even with the conversion to Lanai cabins. Henk got rid of the metal/net loungers on the promenade deck and bought or had transferred loungers from the Prinsendam. So even though, there were approximately 40 loungers reserved. There were more than 40 loungers added! Hope they moved them to the Zaandam.

[Cruising Is Bliss]

Does the Zaandam still have the Explorations Cafe?

[Indianadaytripper]

2 hours ago, Cruising Is Bliss said:

Does the Zaandam still have the Explorations Cafe?

It does right now.

[KirkNC]

One of the problems I have with lanai cabins is the reserved loungers.  Every time we are on the promenade, 75% are empty.  If I want to sit I have to use one in a less desirable location (obstructed view).  
 

It will be interesting on the 2022 world.  The repeat cruisers are not open to very much change.  Now we have a new ship, a new Captain, already got new flower people, who knows if Henk, Crystal and/or Hamish will be back as well as the “regular “ crew.   Plus the experience of being dumped on the dock in Fremantle was less then ideal.  I think some in more marginal health may reconsider the risks associated with long cruises.

 

.

 

 

[Horizon chaser 1957]

14 hours ago, Indianadaytripper said:

we don’t know that those Lanai rooms aren’t going to be added since those rooms were sold for 2021world , and going onto 2022 world . There is a cost to adding these rooms which Holland may not want to absorb, for a ship this old

 

 

I suspect those who booked Lanai cabins on the Amsterdam will be upgraded to Vista suites. The Zaandam has significantly more of those than the Amsterdam does. It would be more cost efficient than an expensive refit to add Lanais at a time when money is tight.

[rkacruiser]

20 hours ago, AtlantaCruiser72 said:

Amsterdam was unique in that she had Azipod propulsion and a higher maximum cruise speed, whereas the other 3 R ships had traditional propulsion systems. 

 

Regarding Amsterdam, you are correct as to propulsion, but I am not certain that is correct relating to maximum cruise speed.  When Rotterdam VI was built, her engines were designed to provide the highest speed of any ship in the Fleet.  During her build stage and before she was known as Rotterdam VI, her nickname was "Fastdam".  

 

Recall this Winter when there was a need for a HAL ship to rendezvous with the Northbound Zaandam near the Panama Canal to separate ill and non-ill guests from the Zaandam for a return to Port Everglades.  Among the HAL ships available at the time in the Pacific, the Rotterdam was assigned that role because of her available speed to get to the rendezvous.  And, I think, get the guests to Port Everglades as quickly as possible.