letsgonow
August 10th, 2008, 08:40 PM
Following are some thoughts and opinions of my recent Prinsendam cruise - July 17 through August 7. The ship sailed from Dover, and called on four ports in Norway, three in Iceland, two in Greenland, as well as two in Scotland, before arriving in Amsterdam. This was our second voyage on the Prinsendam, the first being a 34 night Transatlantic in 2006. We have 130+ days on HAL, elite status on Celebrity, platinum on Princess, diamond on RCI, and also cruise on Carnival and NCL.
Cruise Critic roll call:
We had a wonderful roll call, with close to 50 people. Lots of information was shared, and two independent tours were arranged for those interested.
Embarkation:
We arrived at the pier in Dover at 11:30, and there wasn't a single person in line for check-in. We soon found out that the computers had crashed, and we received a numbered card for a delayed check-in. There was a very nice lounge area, and we met up with several Cruise Critic posters. The time went fast, and we were onboard within 45 minutes. Our staterooms were not ready until 1:30, so we had a nice lunch at the lido buffet.
Meet & greet:
There was an informal meeting of Cruise Critic members after muster drill. Many showed up, and it was nice to meet so many people.
AYWD:
We were very happy when we discovered that two of our tablemates from our 2006 Prinsendam cruise were also on this voyage. Both of us had requested late, traditional, dining, and were given anytime dining. We decided, in advance, to give it a try (and be positive). When we arrived at the dining room at 7:00 on the first evening, we were told that there weren't any tables available. Then we were told that there "might" be a table ready at 8:00. Discouraged, I asked "will we have an 8pm reservation?" The response was a definite NO! Then I asked who exactly liked the anytime dining? At that point, we were offered a pager, and told that the wait would most likely be less than half an hour. In my opinion, they were hoping we would go to the lido for dinner. The pager lit up at 7:20, and we had a very nice dinner at a table for six.
The next morning I set the alarm so I could telephone, at 7:00 in the morning, for a reservation. It was no problem to reserve a table at 7:15 for the next two evenings. All was well until the third morning, as our preferred time was already taken by those making reservations the morning before. Therefore, a reservation must be made each day, for the next day. At this point we had a table that we really liked, as well as a fabulous waiter (Rinto). So, we asked if we could have a standing reservation - waking at 7:00 every morning was getting old, fast!! The gentleman at the door told us NO, as that would be the same as fixed seating. I said, very nicely, that we had all requested traditional seating. He took our information and told us he would look into the matter, and also told us that those above him would not be happy. From then on we had a standing reservation at the same table.
I did hear from several others onboard that they had absolutely no trouble walking up, at anytime, and being seated.
The outer, window, tables on the Prinsendam are set aside for anytime dining. When we were finished with our dinner, we would have to walk through all the waiter stations. It was disruptive for the staff, but that is the only way to exit the room, other than parading through the fixed seating section. We had a very nice assitant waiter, but rarely saw him before he served our coffee during desert - he was too busy with other tables.
Food:
Our dinners ranged from very good to excellent. The four of us ordered different entrees each evening, and everyone was almost always happy. For breakfast and lunch, we enjoyed both the dining room and the lido. On most days there were usually lines at the lido, as everything is made to order. Yes, you have to wait longer, but it is hot and cooked as you wish.
Meet & greet:
We had an organized, ship sponsored, meeting at 11:30 on the first sea day. Coffee, juices, and cookies were served, and the Hotel Manager, Beverage Manager, Guest Relations Manager, as well as Captain Gundersen all made an appearance. The captain is very entertaining, and had all our attention when he was speaking. There was a mention of visiting his stateroom during the voyage, and he said he would get back to us. Later in the cruise, we all received a written invitation to meet in the crows nest and then tour his quarters. It was fun to see his stateroom, but I am a little surprised that we weren't offered a glass of sparkling wine/mimosa/etc. Believe me, he had a welll stocked bar in the living area!
Ports:
The sea days on our voyage were foggy and rainy, but the sun always made an appearance for the scenic cruising and port stops. We could not have been luckier!
Drydock:
The bathrooms were redone during the dry dock, and they are beautiful. Marble and granite, in shades of taupe and black, have replaced the salmon colored tiles. A nice improvement! We had a midship cabin on the dolphin deck, and I hope the small sofa is scheduled to be recovered in the future (heavily soiled would be an understatement). The walk in closet had additional shelves added.
Final thoughts:
The Prinsendam remains one of our favorite ships - the perfect size, combined with great service, makes for a wonderful holiday. If we are lucky enough to sail on her in the future, I would prefer traditional seating.
Cruise Critic roll call:
We had a wonderful roll call, with close to 50 people. Lots of information was shared, and two independent tours were arranged for those interested.
Embarkation:
We arrived at the pier in Dover at 11:30, and there wasn't a single person in line for check-in. We soon found out that the computers had crashed, and we received a numbered card for a delayed check-in. There was a very nice lounge area, and we met up with several Cruise Critic posters. The time went fast, and we were onboard within 45 minutes. Our staterooms were not ready until 1:30, so we had a nice lunch at the lido buffet.
Meet & greet:
There was an informal meeting of Cruise Critic members after muster drill. Many showed up, and it was nice to meet so many people.
AYWD:
We were very happy when we discovered that two of our tablemates from our 2006 Prinsendam cruise were also on this voyage. Both of us had requested late, traditional, dining, and were given anytime dining. We decided, in advance, to give it a try (and be positive). When we arrived at the dining room at 7:00 on the first evening, we were told that there weren't any tables available. Then we were told that there "might" be a table ready at 8:00. Discouraged, I asked "will we have an 8pm reservation?" The response was a definite NO! Then I asked who exactly liked the anytime dining? At that point, we were offered a pager, and told that the wait would most likely be less than half an hour. In my opinion, they were hoping we would go to the lido for dinner. The pager lit up at 7:20, and we had a very nice dinner at a table for six.
The next morning I set the alarm so I could telephone, at 7:00 in the morning, for a reservation. It was no problem to reserve a table at 7:15 for the next two evenings. All was well until the third morning, as our preferred time was already taken by those making reservations the morning before. Therefore, a reservation must be made each day, for the next day. At this point we had a table that we really liked, as well as a fabulous waiter (Rinto). So, we asked if we could have a standing reservation - waking at 7:00 every morning was getting old, fast!! The gentleman at the door told us NO, as that would be the same as fixed seating. I said, very nicely, that we had all requested traditional seating. He took our information and told us he would look into the matter, and also told us that those above him would not be happy. From then on we had a standing reservation at the same table.
I did hear from several others onboard that they had absolutely no trouble walking up, at anytime, and being seated.
The outer, window, tables on the Prinsendam are set aside for anytime dining. When we were finished with our dinner, we would have to walk through all the waiter stations. It was disruptive for the staff, but that is the only way to exit the room, other than parading through the fixed seating section. We had a very nice assitant waiter, but rarely saw him before he served our coffee during desert - he was too busy with other tables.
Food:
Our dinners ranged from very good to excellent. The four of us ordered different entrees each evening, and everyone was almost always happy. For breakfast and lunch, we enjoyed both the dining room and the lido. On most days there were usually lines at the lido, as everything is made to order. Yes, you have to wait longer, but it is hot and cooked as you wish.
Meet & greet:
We had an organized, ship sponsored, meeting at 11:30 on the first sea day. Coffee, juices, and cookies were served, and the Hotel Manager, Beverage Manager, Guest Relations Manager, as well as Captain Gundersen all made an appearance. The captain is very entertaining, and had all our attention when he was speaking. There was a mention of visiting his stateroom during the voyage, and he said he would get back to us. Later in the cruise, we all received a written invitation to meet in the crows nest and then tour his quarters. It was fun to see his stateroom, but I am a little surprised that we weren't offered a glass of sparkling wine/mimosa/etc. Believe me, he had a welll stocked bar in the living area!
Ports:
The sea days on our voyage were foggy and rainy, but the sun always made an appearance for the scenic cruising and port stops. We could not have been luckier!
Drydock:
The bathrooms were redone during the dry dock, and they are beautiful. Marble and granite, in shades of taupe and black, have replaced the salmon colored tiles. A nice improvement! We had a midship cabin on the dolphin deck, and I hope the small sofa is scheduled to be recovered in the future (heavily soiled would be an understatement). The walk in closet had additional shelves added.
Final thoughts:
The Prinsendam remains one of our favorite ships - the perfect size, combined with great service, makes for a wonderful holiday. If we are lucky enough to sail on her in the future, I would prefer traditional seating.