If you could choose ... Prinsendam or Volendam?

[HeatherInFlorida]

I need a little help from my friends:) ! I'm so torn between 2 cruises ... one I've already booked on the Volendam, but then I saw one on the Prinsendam that just seems too amazing to pass up.

Both are 10-day Southern Caribbean late this year, but the Prinsendam includes Turks & Caicos, San Juan, Nevis, St Lucia, St. Barts and St. Thomas (we've never been to Turks, Nevis or St. Barts).

But the Volendam has 4 wonderful days at sea which I just love. So I'm terribly torn and waiting for DH's feelings as well.

I'm holding Cabin 197 on the Prinsendam! I've seen several posts about this cabin including amazing praise from BillS (I think).

The Prinsendam would take us back to the days of the joy of a smaller ship with fewer passengers.

So I thought ... let me ask the experts! Help!

[jhannah]

DW and I have sailed The Elegant Explorer twice. Does that tell you what we think of the ship? The Prinsendam is unique among HAL ships. A more intimate feel. A strange feeling, at first, to be able to go from the aft dining room to the forward show lounge in about 120 seconds! The ports sound wonderful to me. Sea days are great, but these would be interesting ports to visit.

 

So the Prinsendam gets my vote. Good luck.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Jim, thanks so much for your feedback! I was hoping some more of my "guys" would weigh in, but I don't waste any time. I booked it!!! So excited and thrilled to be taking a journey on an under 1000 passengers ship again. I wasn't sure we'd get to do it again in my lifetime.

 

We'll just have to do the Volendam another time:) .

[GrammyPL]

Heather - You will love - love - love the Prinsendam. I know we did and hope to be able to go on her again. Penny

[SheilaNC]

Don't know either ship, but...I love the itinerary. We've been to most of the islands except Turks and St Lucia (would love to see them as well) and would love to return. Good for you. You'll love seeing how different they are from the typical cruise stops. Good for you!

[HeatherInFlorida]

Heather - You will love - love - love the Prinsendam. I know we did and hope to be able to go on her again. Penny

 

Thanks, Penny! I looked at all the "virtual tours" and she looks so magnificent. Also, we were old Royal Viking fans so it's fun to know she was once part of that line.

 

After I booked, I went back and looked at Sail's thread where BillS posted how much he loved this cabin. Reading further someone remarked that a person on the port side in the same cabin moved after 2 days because of terrible vibrations and noise from the adjoining cabin. I'm hoping someone responds about that ... not that I'm changing now! I'm too excited about this ship and itinerary!

 

Sheila, you should come! It's 12/2. St. Lucia is absolutely magnificent.

[Aussie Gal]

Heather,

 

We have also been on the Prinsendam and loved it. We cruised from Athens via the Black Sea to Venice in 2004. We had a mini suite and it was superb. I love the smaller ships and if I could would sail on them all the time but as you know we go for the itinerary first.

 

You will love her and her Captain and crew.

 

Jennie

[jhannah]

... terrible vibrations and noise from the adjoining cabin.

I could go somewhere with this one ... but I won't! :D

[Pudgesmom]

Heather,

 

I know you've already booked, but I'm glad you picked the cruise with more ports. You know, you can always have a "sea day" while the ship is in port! But it would be very difficult to have a port day while the ship is at sea!!!!

 

It looks like a great itinerary. I have been looking at this smaller ship. I think we might also try it in the next year or two.

 

Beth

[M.S JAZO]

OMG, Heather, I have been looking around at cruises, and i am in the same postion right now, Prinsendam or Volendam, and all with the same reasons, St Barts and Turks sound wondeful, but the extra few sea days on Volendam are just to tempting. What to do What to do?????????

[sail7seas]

I'm so happy for you, Heather. We looked at that cruise and were choosing between Maasdam's 11 day cruise over Christmas and New Years and that one.

 

Actually, you may remember I started a thread here a few months ago asking about Prinsendam.

 

That's a great cruise you booked. I hope you look forward to it excitedly and have a wonderful time. Of course you will!!!

 

[HeatherInFlorida]

Beth, good point!!! LOL:D . And one I thought of when deciding believe it or not.

 

M.S. Jazo, originally we were on the Volendam 11/3, but I cancelled today in favor of this. As Beth said, I can make a sea day out of a port day. I just love these ports and the ship itself just beckons me!

 

I looked at Shipcafe's photos and that did it!

 

Sail, thank you ... love to have you change your mind and come with us, but I know how you love "your" Maasdam!;) I read your thread on the Prinsendam before making this changed.

[ger_77]

We've sailed on the Prinsendam and would go back in a heartbeat! We weren't sure we'd like sailing on such a small ship, but were thrilled that by the second or third day, most of the crew, including chefs, knew us and greeted us by first name in the morning as we came into the Lido. It was such an intimate atmosphere, unlike some of the mega-liners sailing today. You won't be disappointed booking onto the Prinsensam - let us know what you think of "The Elegant Explorer".

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[Grumpy1]

Well, of course you realize, Heather, that this is the last cruise before Prinsendam goes into drydock, and you just KNOW they will be running out of food, and the crew will be busy with preparations for drydock and won't be able to give you their full attention, and.... OK, I Hope you realize I'm kidding:D

 

I think you've chosen well... a fantastic ship and a fantastic itenerary. What more could you ask for? And having a seldom used hot tub about 10 feet from your cabin door... does life get any better?

[HeatherInFlorida]

Grumpy!!! You're so mean!!! You had me goin' there for a second:D .

 

No, I don't think life gets any better. Of course there's a seldom used hot tube on my patio, too, but somehow this one is more inviting!!!;)

 

Ger77, that's one of the beauties of the smaller ships. This was how it was for us when we started cruising in the early 80's. It's what we were used to for so long. I'm thrilled to go back to that feel again. I'm only afraid it will spoil us, but we'll see.:)

[CruisinMK]

They always give the most interesting and exotic itineraries to the smallest ships. I admit I often go for bigger/newer ships if the itinerary is the same, but so often smaller ships have much better itineraries and that is more important to me. Some of the bigger ships have decent size pools you can actually swim in, and I admit I really miss that on a smaller ship. However, some of the bigger ships now have terribly small pools as well. Bigger ships are more likely to have a happening dance floor. :)

 

That Prisendam itinerary is awesome for the carribean, I would jump on it.

 

My best dinner dining experiences have always been on the smaller ships, I don't know what it is... it's more special and you get to know people better. The difference between a small ship and large ship can easily make it feel like a different cruise line.

 

As an aside, I've frequently noticed that Holland America is often just smarter at designing more compelling itineraries than the competition. If it weren't for that I probably would have never ended up trying them.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Better still - why don't you change your cruise again and select one that sail7seas will be on???

[HeatherInFlorida]

Better still - why don't you change your cruise again and select one that sail7seas will be on???

 

KK, I would have LOVED to!!! I'd love to sail with Sail :D and also because Laura (EKerr) is on that one as well. Unfortunately it was just too pricey for us so we couldn't do it. I have a feeling I'll be running into Sail on a cruise one day. In the meantime, I tried to get her to switch over to this one!!!

[cactuslady]

I haven't been on Volendam (and probably won't), but I would cruise on the Prinsendam again in a heartbeat. It doesn't matter to me where she's going. But it looks like you have a good opportunity to experience this wonderful ship on a shorter cruise close by. She often gets the world cruises and other longer itineraries in faraway places.

 

Besides, it's so much fun to be on the ship that squeezes into the little cove while the big ships head for some other island.

 

(Not to mention the odds at Bingo are much better with a smaller crowd. ;) )

[jhannah]

Hey, Cactuslady! Good to see you again. Donna and I are sailing the new Noordam 7/20 Western Mediterranean. You and Bruce should join us! It's a great companion to our Eastern Med we were on.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Cactus Lady, you are exactly right! That's why I was so thrilled when I saw this 10-day Southern route with the most amazing ports ... islands the larger ships just don't get to visit!

 

I could not be happier with this choice ... :) ... one of the many reasons I love CC. I would not have found this if not for some threads I came across about Prinsendam.

[CruisinMK]

Besides, it's so much fun to be on the ship that squeezes into the little cove while the big ships head for some other island.

 

That's a big reason the smaller ships often have much better itineraries. Far fewer ports the big ships can pull into, often more industrial... Even if they tender in they have too many people for some ports to handle.

[lizzielady]

Can you see the Green?

You will LOVE the Prinsendam--it is really the best! Congratulations! In my explorations of the ship last fall I never saw anyone in the spa and very few on the sundeck. A private yacht?