Prinsendam - anyone on her recently?

The Prinsendam I know is a much smaller ship so the reviews are not as readily available. The reviews that I have found are quite varied. If anyone here has sailed on her in the last 6 months or so, I would appreciate your comments. I realize that this is the oldest ship in the fleet but her unique itineraries have me intrigued.

MaryLou

The Prinsendam I know is a much smaller ship so the reviews are not as readily available. The reviews that I have found are quite varied. If anyone here has sailed on her in the last 6 months or so, I would appreciate your comments. I realize that this is the oldest ship in the fleet but her unique itineraries have me intrigued.

 

MaryLou

MaryLou - I'm shy about 8 months = hope this helps though.

We sailed in November last year for 20 days on her.

I was really worried as I saw mixed reviews so to speak and got on with great trepidation as she is not a young ship. But this was the itinerary we wanted and I wanted to try her.

I have to say that we became a fan within 20 minutes. The ship is gorgeous. The rooms are well laid out.

This is not the typical ship where every room is the same - that is not necessarily the case - so look at the deck plans.

I posted a review on cc and found it ironic that someone else gave it bad ratings - why? because we couldn't tender to St. Tropez (a storm wiped out the dock) Cinque Terre was ruined by mudslides. is this the ship's fault? no - but I sensed that this impacted their review.

I found the ship in excellent shape - I have never seen so many officers (including the captain) inspecting cleaning jobs.

The Crow's Nest is a joy on this ship - nicely done. The dining room is fantastic - no closed doors and if you are doing fixed dining - use the 'secret staircase' - I felt like a princess walking down and it was so close to our table.

The staff in absolutely incredible. They know you well and go above and beyond to make sure you are having a good time.

The Adagio Strings were the best I have ever seen on any Hal cruise or any cruise ship. The violinist was absolutely incredible and a showman.

Food on the ship was very good. Too good. Only letdown was desserts. But then again, how much food do I need?

Some of the entertainment was really good. Single performers at time but absolutely incredible.

The lecturers were very good.

what can I say - IMO the Prinsendam does some things a 'step up' from the other ships and it is a jewel.

I'd book another cruise on her in a minute. Oh wait a minute I did;)

One of the ships I would contemplate tackling my first 31 day cruise;)

Beautiful ship, beautiful service, great crew.

Here's the thing - if you want a floating hotel - it's not for you.

If you want to be on a ship - she's a jewel.

Hope this helps a bit;)

Marylou...I echo Kazu's sentiments..We cruised on the Prinsendam for 28 days in 2006 to the Amazon..I'm pleased to say that we have another 68 day Cruise planned on her next Jan around South Amer./Antarctica.. The Prinsendam is our favorite ship in the fleet..

I've been a bit ambivalent about this cruise, only because I wonder how it will be to be on a ship for 68 days.. However, I'm pleased that it will be on the beautiful Elegant Explorer..

The ship reminds me of an old elegant European Hotel..

It's beautifully appointed & kept in tip top shape..Food & service were both wonderful..Then entire crew was friendly & attentive...Even the little gal, who I once met cleaning the Ladies room, always made it a point to say hello to me & ask if I was having a nice day when she passed us on the deck or in the corridors..It was also nice to see the Officers out & about..We often saw the Capt. in the Lido talking to members of the crew & they all seemed to be such a Happy crew..And BTW the walk in closets are a dream!:D We book outside cabins & spend our days out on the lovely wrap around Promenade deck...If' it's raining or nasty we head up to the beautiful Crows' Nest..

We especially enjoyed the lectures of John Harrison, Explorer of the Amazon..He had been back packing & canoeing into the Amazon many times..He was quite entertaining as well as knowledgeable..We purchased his book while on board "Off the Map" & could not put it down..It was scary & sometimes hilarious.. I'm taking it with us to read again, as we are going into the Amazon for the third time on this cruise..

The CD had interviews quite often with not only the Captain but others working on the ship as well as many of the Entertainers..

As Kazu says, if you prefer the larger ships where there is something to do constantly & large production shows, with big casts, perhaps this is not the ship for you..But if you enjoy quiet elegance, I heartedly suggest you try it..

Cheers...:)Betty

Thanks to both of you for reassuring me that I should try this lovely lady! The reviews have been mixed, but you do need to consider what the actual complaints are. We are seasoned travelers and have been on over 50 cruises, but have never tried this ship. We were so intrigued with the variety of ports and now are really looking forward to our upcoming cruise.

Again - I appreciate your glowing comments and hope to add a positive review when we return.

MaryLou

:)

Thanks to both of you for reassuring me that I should try this lovely lady! The reviews have been mixed, but you do need to consider what the actual complaints are. We are seasoned travelers and have been on over 50 cruises, but have never tried this ship. We were so intrigued with the variety of ports and now are really looking forward to our upcoming cruise.

 

Again - I appreciate your glowing comments and hope to add a positive review when we return.

 

MaryLou

MaryLou - I really hope you enjoy the Elegant Explorer as much as we did.

Our captain was incredible - the ship is a delight - and honestly I am not a HAL cheerleader - I'll put my questions or doubts where they belong.

It's a smaller ship so you won't have some of the amenities on other ships (but pretty darn close) and we really enjoyed it and her fabulous crew.

compare this to the Nieuw Amsterdam (and yes she has a lot of fans - but I'm not one of them). OK cruise - but definitely the last ship on my bucket list so I decided to 'risk' the older ship. Best decision of my life:)

If it helps you, when I was looking at another cruise DH really liked the itinerary - but as soon as he heard the ship - I heard book it:)

We wish you fair winds and following seas and hope you have a wonderful time:)

I wouldn't miss ports and itineraries that I wanted because of the ship that was taking me there.

We were on the Pris. in 2007 - 56 days and 2012 Grand South America and Antarctica this year, 68 days. Now, the upcoming 64 days, 2013 Grand Med.

The ship looked better than '07, had a more roomy feeling and a very clean ship.

For several days on & off, the AC was acting up - the staff was all over the cabin adjusting and fixing, then the front desk called to check, no problem getting anything taken care of.

We are not stuck on only going on this ship - we loved the Eurodam, Crown Princess & Queen Mary 2, to name a few. The itinerary on Prinsendam is great for this cruise.

Enjoy, MaryAnn

Agree with the others: you can't beat the Prinsendam for the terrific places you get to visit.

The Pinnacle Grill is the most beautiful in the fleet.

Agree with the others: you can't beat the Prinsendam for the terrific places you get to visit.

 

 

The Pinnacle Grill is the most beautiful in the fleet.

OMG - how could I have forgotten that:eek: The PG here was the BEST I have ever seen - not just it itself - but the staff and the PG staff. With luck, if Daniel is the PG manager you are truly in for an experience:D

By the way, Prinsendam will be in dry dock in the fall of 2012. November 15 – 28, 2012 – 14-day Dry-Dock in Freeport, Bahamas (before the 23-day Amazon Explorer cruise). This should be a chance for them to fix some small faults and clean up some old stuff. Having never been on board, I can't add much to the comments above, but I am definitely looking forward to a great Grand Voyage around South America in January!:D:cool:

I appreciated all the comments since we will be on the Amazon Explorer right after dry dock.

Karen

Thanks a lot

A smaller ship, unique, does most of the long cruises, most returning Mariners....on our list to try that is for sure!:)

A smaller ship, unique, does most of the long cruises, most returning Mariners....on our list to try that is for sure!:)

I hope you try her Carol and enjoy her as much as we did:)

She's a different ship and IMHO an Elegant Explorer:)

We did not have a great experience on our August 8, 2012 trip on the Prinsendam.

We are seniors and were not aware that a "Guarantee" or "Upgrade" can be a nightmare as it was for us. We advise: Get a definite room assignment. Be aware that if you book a "guarantee or upgrade" in the BC category (on the Upper promenade) you can be "upgraded" to an AB category on the lower deck and in the very rear. On this particular ship the noise and vibration were so bad that we resorted to trying to sleep on the tiny couches in the lounge. Of course, if you live under a subway or close to train tracks and are hard of hearing you might find these rooms OK, especially if you don't mind a surprise shower every now and then from the deck above and don't mind a little soot. Have fun. The food on Holland America used to be good and it probably still is but we were really too tired from not sleeping to enjoy it.

We were on the ms Prinsendam last March and April and thoroughly enjoyed our voyage in a lower cabin.

Barbara

We just got off the Prinsendam after a 14-day voyage. I am giving you my honest assessment of this old ship. We loved the small size and the friendly crew. But, there are just some things you can't ignore such as the old heating (or lack of) system, and other things that did not make for an enjoyable cruise. When you pay so much for a vacation, you expect to receive the basics. For the majority of our cruise, the temperature in our cabin was 61 - 65 degrees at night. Way too cold for us Floridians. In the daytime it was better because the sun shined on the glass balcony door warming the room. The thermostat did nothing to ever change the temperature in the room.

Every morning I would politely call guest relations and tell them how cold we were and they would send people to inspect, verify and work on the problem but it never got better. They did bring us a couple of nice warm blankets which helped.

Another problem was lack of hot water. Sometimes no hot water and other times lukewarm. This was on the second half of the trip.

Another flaw of the old ship is that the seals around many of the windows have failed making the window appear dirty but it is condensate between the thermal panes. Hard to see out of.

So, while we agree that a small ship is nice, for ourselves, we will look for others. We have sailed on the small Princess ships and have not had these major system problems. Next year we are trying Oceania.

Just so you know a little of our background, we have sailed on numerous ships so we have had various experience to compare to. Also, with regard to the other issues, my husband is a retired NASA mechanical engineer and understands how these things are suppose to work.

It wasn't just our cabin, of course. The public rooms like the dining room and the showroom were also very cold the majority of the time. I never went anywhere on the ship without a sweater or shawl - and sometimes both.

So, that was our experience.

Tomorrow we board another ship for a transatlantic trip home. Hoping for the basics - heating and plumbing that works! Is that too much to ask for? I think not.

Mary Lou

We just got off the Prinsendam after a 14-day voyage. I am giving you my honest assessment of this old ship. We loved the small size and the friendly crew. But, there are just some things you can't ignore such as the old heating (or lack of) system, and other things that did not make for an enjoyable cruise. When you pay so much for a vacation, you expect to receive the basics. For the majority of our cruise, the temperature in our cabin was 61 - 65 degrees at night. Way too cold for us Floridians. In the daytime it was better because the sun shined on the glass balcony door warming the room. The thermostat did nothing to ever change the temperature in the room.

 

Every morning I would politely call guest relations and tell them how cold we were and they would send people to inspect, verify and work on the problem but it never got better. They did bring us a couple of nice warm blankets which helped.

 

Another problem was lack of hot water. Sometimes no hot water and other times lukewarm. This was on the second half of the trip.

 

Another flaw of the old ship is that the seals around many of the windows have failed making the window appear dirty but it is condensate between the thermal panes. Hard to see out of.

 

So, while we agree that a small ship is nice, for ourselves, we will look for others. We have sailed on the small Princess ships and have not had these major system problems. Next year we are trying Oceania.

 

Just so you know a little of our background, we have sailed on numerous ships so we have had various experience to compare to. Also, with regard to the other issues, my husband is a retired NASA mechanical engineer and understands how these things are suppose to work.

 

It wasn't just our cabin, of course. The public rooms like the dining room and the showroom were also very cold the majority of the time. I never went anywhere on the ship without a sweater or shawl - and sometimes both.

 

So, that was our experience.

 

Tomorrow we board another ship for a transatlantic trip home. Hoping for the basics - heating and plumbing that works! Is that too much to ask for? I think not.

 

Mary Lou

Thank you for your honest opinion of the Prinsendam.

For the majority of our cruise, the temperature in our cabin was 61 - 65 degrees at night. Way too cold for us Floridians.

I am truly sorry that you could not get comfortable in a cabin you paid a lot of good money for. It's terrible when you can't get a good sleep because the temperature is not what you like.

But what is it they say about another man's poison? Some of us would be thrilled to be able to get our cabin that cool at night.

May I ask what your cabin number was? I am interested keeping it in mind if/when I book that ship again.

I am truly sorry that you could not get comfortable in a cabin you paid a lot of good money for. It's terrible when you can't get a good sleep because the temperature is not what you like.

 

But what is it they say about another man's poison? Some of us would be thrilled to be able to get our cabin that cool at night.

May I ask what your cabin number was? I am interested keeping it in mind if/when I book that ship again.

We were in Cabin 139 on Deck 9. The main problem is not that it was cold (although we were quite unhappy with it) but that we were not able to control the temperature in the cabin via the thermostat. If you could control it, I could have it warm and you could have it cold. Isn't that how a thermostat is suppose to work?

Mary Lou

We were in Cabin 139 on Deck 9. The main problem is not that it was cold (although we were quite unhappy with it) but that we were not able to control the temperature in the cabin via the thermostat. If you could control it, I could have it warm and you could have it cold. Isn't that how a thermostat is suppose to work?

 

Mary Lou

Precisely. I get aggravated when I set the thermostat as low as it will go, and yet the cabin doesn't get cool enough for me.

Same situation as yours, just in reverse.

I do totally understand and agree with you that we should all be able to get a comforable temperature.

Thank you for the cabin number. As a matter of fact, it sounds familiar! I was either in that cabin, or the one next door on one of my cruises. It worked for me.

So sad to hear that you were not happy on your cruise. We did not have any of your issues thankfully. The ship is scheduled for a two week drydock at the end of the current cruise (I believe). hopefully these issues will be attended to.

I have found a number of public room on numerous ships cool at night and always bring my 'travelling shawl'.

I hope you enjoyed parts of your cruise:D

My DH and I are booked on the Prinsendam for the 68 day 2014 Grand South America Voyage. I am really excited about it and would love to hear how the 2013 went.

My DH often frequents the casinos onboard, how does the one on the Prinsendam compare to other HAL ships?

Thanks for any info.

Jeanne

My DH and I are booked on the Prinsendam for the 68 day 2014 Grand South America Voyage. I am really excited about it and would love to hear how the 2013 went.

My DH often frequents the casinos onboard, how does the one on the Prinsendam compare to other HAL ships?

Thanks for any info.

Jeanne

The casino is nice on the Prinsendam. It is smaller than the larger ships of course - as is the ship;)

They still have the different activities there - slot pulls, texas hold em, black jack, whatever.

Unfortunately, I did spend some time there (translation I didn't win;);)