Favorite ship?

[Old As Dirt Mom]

1. Zuiderdam

 

2. USS Independence CVA 62 on a 9 month Mediterranean Cruise. Although I did not have a Veranda Suite and never did find the Pinnacle Grill or the Spa:rolleyes: .

 

 

I like SeaRay's response!!:D

 

As for me:

 

I've sailed Zaandam and Amsterdam, they're very refined,

Part of the "R" class, they're two of a kind;

I'll be cruising on Noordam, she's new and she's grand,

She's taking me up to see the "Great Land"!

 

G-d willing, I hope that one day I will be

Upon every HAL ship that cruises the sea!

 

Here a ship, there a ship,

Get me on a "dam" ship!:)

[localady]

I like SeaRay's response!!:D

 

As for me:

 

I've sailed Zaandam and Amsterdam, they're very refined,

Part of the "R" class, they're two of a kind;

I'll be cruising on Noordam, she's new and she's grand,

She's taking me up to see the "Great Land"!

 

G-d willing, I hope that one day I will be

Upon every HAL ship that cruises the sea!

 

Here a ship, there a ship,

Get me on a "dam" ship!:)

 

Karin-

You are quite a poet,

don't ya know it????:D

Wonder if HAL has an opening for that???? :cool:

[serendipity1499]

We had that same "spectacle":rolleyes: on Ryndam a couple of weeks ago, despite several P.A. announcements from the C/D not to do it. Why do some people think that by "camping" out in the area in front of the gangway and on the adjoining stairwells on disembarkation day, they will get off the ship faster?

 

John I agree that always seems to happen on final disembarkation on all ships..

 

However, as we only book outside cabins mid-ship..All of our cabins have been either on Dolphin or Main Deck..When you have large groups of pushy passengers on the Vista ships who insist on being the first ones off the ship in every port, it can be very uncomfortable for those of us who would just like to go to our cabins after breakfast & disembark later..In addition you have those who are on tours who insist on waiting in the stairwells until their color is called...This happened to us on the Westerdam constantly..I had one man put his arm out to block me after I politely said, "please excuse me I just want to get back to my cabin" when I tried to get through the crowds on the stairwells..We could not use the elevators & had to walk down those staircases with people sitting & standing on them & refusing to allow us to get by..We rarely book ships tours & either hire cabs or book through a local agent..This allows us to disembark the ship later than most..There is also a big difference between 1200 people & 1800 trying to disembark in port..

 

And Lisa I agree with you that this thread is not about "My ship is better than yours", however I only took you up on your bet & replied to your Question..

Quote Why are so many so dead set against the Vista Class yet my bets is they have never set foot on one? Is it just a preconceived idea that they are sure they will hate them? Unquote

 

I would never presume to question your love of the Oosterdam or Sail's love of the Noordam & respect both of your opinions.. However, I do resent the fact that you questioned our opinions & erroneously assumed that most of us had never been on a vista ship & asked if we had a pre-conceived idea about them...:( Assumptions are rarely based on fact..

 

Of my 13 cruises (not all on HAL) still do not enjoy the larger ships as much as we enjoy the smaller ships..

 

Betty:)

 

P.S. However if the price was right, & the itinerary was interesting I would never say "Never Agin"..Might even like to try the new Noordam & see what all the hype is about! LOL

[ejbmorr]

JUST Curious......

 

Have you actually been aboard a Vista? Seen one? Viewed the gorgeous Noordam? Of course it's your choice whether you wish to sail one or not.....but I do wonder if you dislike them so strongly sight unseen?

 

Thanks if you care to comment.......certainly no need to. :)

 

 

 

I couldn't quite decide if this was an open question or if there is a poster called "Just Curious". In case it is asked of other above posters I am including our reply.

Yes, we have sailed on the Oosterdam, on the third of its inaugural year cruises to the Mediterranean and then on the Maiden cruise of the Noordam. Both cruises on both beautiful Vista class ships were wonderful, as are most cruises on most ships.

In answer to the OP's question though, our FAVORITE Holland America ship continues to be the Rotterdam VI.

Isn't it great that everyone does not choose the same ship as his/her favorite. That would be one crowded cruise ship!

[mamaofami]

"Isn't it great that everyone does not choose the same ship as his/her favorite. That would be one crowded cruise ship!"

 

Isn't that the truth. Just wondering. For those of you who picked the Prinsendam,I know she is smaller but what makes her so special?

[serendipity1499]

"Isn't it great that everyone does not choose the same ship as his/her favorite. That would be one crowded cruise ship!"

 

Isn't that the truth. Just wondering. For those of you who picked the Prinsendam,I know she is smaller but what makes her so special?

 

How right you are! Why is it my favorite ship? The Prinsendam reminds me of an elegant old European Hotel & is designed for the longer ocean-going cruises.

 

The walk in-closets & the storage space in our Outside cabin was amazing! This ship does the more exotic itineraries & can get into some of the off-beat ports that other larger ships can't do... The ship is only 673 ft. feet & carries 793 passengers & a crew of 443..Most of the passengers were repeat HAL cruisers & they all were very well traveled and refined.. Never saw or heard anyone treating the staff or their fellow passengers rudely..

 

The entire staff is very friendly & anticipated our needs..I believe they have the cream of the crop on the Prinsendam..We were made to feel very special..We had the best dining room service of any HAL cruise..It reminded us of our first cruise on another line, way back in the '70's.. The staff seemed happy & you could tell they were thrilled to be on the "Elegant Explorer"..

 

Capt. Christopher Turner was friendly with both passengers & crew...Even the Salon staff (Steiners) mentioned that our Capt. made everyone feel as if they were part of his family.. Had my nails & hair done several times & was never pressured to purchase anything in the salon! Did not use the self service laundry, but it was nice knowing it was there in case of emergency...We made use of the ships laundry for $12.00 a bag several times..

 

There was only one mid-day announcement when both the Capt. & Peter (the CD) gave us a quick run down of the heading, weather, sea conditions & daily activities... We especially enjoyed the lecture series about the Amazon..Christine, the delightful Hostess, often conducted small intimate interviews in the Explorers lounge with Lecturers & individual performers.. Everyone enjoyed Peter's interview with Capt.Turner, in the Queens lounge.. All the seats in the Queens Lounge are good ones..We also enjoyed Peter's (sometimes corny) stories &/or jokes every night..LOL..The photographers never pressured us to have pictures taken..Thank goodness!:)

 

The disembarkation in all Ports, as well as FLL was handled in an efficient & timely manner...

 

I've probably left something out..The wonderful stories told by Grumpy & Slinkie (last year) & Arzz (in Jan or Feb, 2007) say it much better than I ever could..

 

That's it in a nutshell.;) ..LOL Betty

[arzz]

Understated elegance is a big part of what makes Prinsendam so special -- also she has a truly fantastic crew. The atmosphere on board is not one that centers around pressure to indulge in all things "with extra charge" -- but rather one that says, "this is your home and this is what we have for you to choose from to do today."

 

On our recent cruise we received very little of the nightly piles of "paper" advertising the art auctions, the spa, the casino, the culinary arts classes, bingo, dinner at the Pinnacle Grill, etc. There was typically just one sheet tucked in to the daily program. What a relief that was, and it certainly reduced the amount of paper that needed to be recycled. The intercom was used once a day for the report from the bridge. There was no "hawking" of daily bingo, etc. It was assumed that we had all received our daily programs and that we could all read and budget our time and go where we choose, when and if we chose to go. The only time the intercom was used to advertise daily events was when there was a significant change in what was planned as well as the couple of days that we had on our cruise when the daily program was not printed.

 

The intercom in selected public spaces (Crow's Nest and outside decks) was used by our naturalist guide as we moved through the Chilean Fjiords and Antarctica. We also had great speakers in the Explorations Series.

 

The public spaces on the Prinsendam are delightful and beautiful and she has an excellent collection of art, sculpture and photos that are found all over the ship. The vases were filled with exquisite fresh flower arrangements. And then, there are the really special and unique places on board, like the Pinnacle Grill.

 

And, I cannot leave this without praising the walk in closets on board. We were in a dolphin deck outside cabin, nothing fancy -- but that walk in closet, once it was provided with enough hangers, easily stashed all that we had brought with us for our full 24 days (including gear for tropical through Antarctic weather) on board. Though the total cabin area is a little smaller than on the other HAL ships that closet and the shelving unit in the corner made our space not only livable but not claustrophobic for our long cruise. And I truly appreciate the cabin furniture arrangement with the couch on the wall by the window so that we could sit in the cabin and appreciate the view during the day without having to climb on or over a bed that is set just under the windows. What is up with that arrangement anyway?

 

The ship is large enough to have a wide variety of people on board but small enough for both passengers and crew to get to know each other.

 

I hope this helps.

[bob brown]

Of the HAL ships I've sailed:

Rotterdam (twice)

Noordam

Ryndam

I especially liked the layout and the higher speed capability of the Rotterdam.

I liked the great cruise staff and the Signature of Excellence features on the Noordam.

I liked the smaller passenger load on the Ryndam.

Next I'll try the Maasdam, which should be similar to the Ryndam.

[dakrewser]

Simply put, the Prinsendam represents everything that's right about Holland-America and nothing that is wrong.

 

It's not for everyone, of course. It's a laid-back traditional ship with fascinating itineraries and a fantastic crew.

 

I've not sailed Windstar, but I expect their ships & cruises to be similar to Prinsendam.

 

The Prinsendam has none of the forced joviality of Carnival/NCL, none of the faux elegance of Celebrity, none of the stuffy atmosphere of Crystal or Seabourn.

 

It simply is the finest, most memorable cruising experience for those of us who enjoy cruising.

[Willem Ruys]

easy one... the beautiful and elegant msMAASDAM:D

and in second place the beautiful and elegant msSTATENDAM

 

and third...the beautiful and elegant msROTTERDAM

 

but after sailing in 98 different ships, of which I worked in 14, my all time FAVORITE ship is the t/nCRISTOFORO COLOMBO

[cruznon]

Oosterdam's my favorite!

[LHC]

I love the size and feel of the Volendam. To me this size ship is perfect. All the HAL ships are beautiful to the eye, clean, well maintained and the crews do an outstanding job of making people comfortable.

Linda

[Palms2Pines2Sea]

As Brian stated previously, one's love affair with Prinsendam begins at first sight. From a distance, and from right alongside, she looks like a very sea-worthy ship, and not like a floating resort hotel.

That impression is reinforced once onboard, where the nautical feel is brilliantly carried out in the public spaces, and in the choices that were made in her interior design.

HAL's crew is superior on all the ships, and I suspect it is the marvelous care that we are all given as HAL passengers on any of her ships that keeps us loyal. But Prinsendam, now there's a real ship!

[Cruising-along]

1. Amsterdam

2. Rotterdam

(so far.......really looking forward to sailing on the Prinsendam next year) :D

[amusea]

I sailed the Prinsendam when it was the Royal Viking Sun. I think the ship is the perfect size. It handles the seas well and still has an intimate feel. The biggest thing that changed when it went to HAL was the one seating at dinner was eliminated.

Ships this size including the Oceania ships are really my personal choice. But I think the Prinsendam is more seaworthy since it was built for world cruises.

By the way, the walk-in closet in the standard OS cabins has a mirror image in the large bathroom. They are side by side. It does reduce the size of the cabin somewhat but the cabin is so well laid out that it is of little consequence.

I also like the location of the cabin door. Each two cabins has a small entrance foyer off the main corridor. I wonder why that design has not been duplicated on more ships. I know that some QE2 cabins also have that feature. I guess it is "wasted space".

[ejbmorr]

Amusea-

Do I remember correctly that the "foyer" area also had a door? I think once we were on either the QE II or the RV Sun and had two adjacent cabins. This feature made it very nice as we could keep the door directly onto the main hall closed and the two inner ones open and then close the doors into the actual cabins at night, as well as the door on the corridor.

You brought back a memory that had been filed in the "inactive folder"! Thanks. EM

[LindaRH]

I have to admit...I loved most of the HAL ships in one way or another. The Zaandam was one of my favorites. We've been on her twice. Before and after they renovated her. Both times were great! We did a full-transit through the canal with the Zaandam. I'll do it again in a heartbeat!

 

We also liked the Oosterdam..however we prefer the smaller intimate ships.

 

Another favorite is the old Noordam. We miss her terribly :( . But we will be on the new Noordam later this month. I know she is not the same as the old....much, much bigger. More like the Oosterdam. But we will love her just the same.

 

We like all the ships for different reasons.

[tim agg]

If time spent on board is indicative, then Veendam wins for us - with over 40 days aboard and ten more coming soon; followed by Ryndam, then Zuiderdam and Zaandam. We also have fond memories of the old Rotterdam, Noordam and Westerdam.

[boards]

So far we has cruised on four of the Hal ships and they all are our favourties. I hope to try the Rotterdam next year.