Just returned from Prinsendam

[fran2]

I just returned from a 14 day cruise on the Prinsendam called "Waterford and Windmills." I loved the ship and would sail again on the Prinsendam gladly. I was pleased with the level of service and the attentiveness of all the staff. The flowers on this ship are beautiful and in such abundance! The entertainment was great. The George Kowalski band in the Ocean Bar was great for dancing.

Please ask me any specific questions. I would be glad to reply.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Please do tell us more.

What cabin were you in?

What ports did you visit?

How long was the cruise?

Where did you embark?

Where dis you disembark?

[localady]

So glad to hear that you liked the Ship and the itinerary!! Did you happen to get a glance at the new cabins that have been put in the back of the Promenade? We are cruising on the Prinsendam next July and look forward to any information you have to offer! Thanks in advance

[Aussie Gal]

Fran,

Great to hear that you loved the ship. We are on countdown now. Only 6 more sleeps until we fly off to Athens.

We love to have a dance, so I was pleased to hear that the Ocean Bar is the place to go. Do they have it before dinner, we are on late sitting at 8.15pm so we always like to have a dance before dinner.

Jennie.

[fran2]

We were in Cabin 119. It was a deluxe verandah cabin. We had fresh flowers, fruit, personalized stationery, thick towels, robes. The room was plenty big with a walk-in closet. The verandah was a good size. We embarked in Copenhagen and disembarked in Lisbon, spending a night on board the ship in Lisbon. The ship sailed through the Kiel Canal. It was the highlight of the trip. The countryside is absolutely idyllic--green farmland as far as the eye can see and people coming out to wave at the ship. It was a most enjoyable sea day.

Other ports included Antwerp, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Honfleur, Bilbao, La Coruna, East Dunmore. Our favorites were Honfleur where we took an excursion to the D-Day Beaches at Normandy; Bilbao where we visited the fabulous Guggenheim museum and East Dunmore where we toured the Waterford factory.

Regarding the staterooms at the back of the Promenade Deck, the two suites do not appeal to me because the verandah's are right on the deck and enclosed in plexi-glass. There is absolutely no privacy. The other staterooms seem okay and they are brand new since Holland America installed these cabins when they bought the ship. They are very close to the casino which would be a concern as far as noise. The deck is marked "private" ( not enforced). However it is out of the way and is generally not crowded.

One nice thing about this ship is that it is small and it is never crowded. No waiting for anything on this ship!

[fran2]

The Ocean Bar has music for dancing from 5:00 P.M. until midnight. They play a set before each dinner seating and then again after dinner. This group plays a great selection of music.

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks Fran,

It is great to hear about the ship. We are in a mini suite 051 so am looking forward to it very much. We leave from Athens and go to Istanbul, Nesebur, Odessa, Yalta, Kusadasi, Santorini, Dubrovnik, Split and overnight in Venice. It is a great itinerary.

How was the bed. Did you find it hard or was it comfortable and did you have blankets or a duvet? Sorry about the questions but I am starting to get very excited.

Jennie.

[Brandis]

Thanks for the infos!

I also have some questions, as we will be on the Prinsendam for her transatlantic crossing in december.

What music styles were available on the ship? Was there a piano player in the Crow's Nest? (It saw some photos where there was a piano player, but was also told that Prinsendam's Crow's Nest is not a piano bar). Is there a strings quartet)

Is the bow accessible or just "Crew Only"?

Did you take photos of the ship?

Also hope you will be writing a trip report, it is so hard to find good informations about this ship!

Sorry for my many questions!

Marc

[Lovebirds]

Originally Posted by fran2

We were in Cabin 119. It was a deluxe verandah cabin. We had fresh flowers, fruit, personalized stationery, thick towels, robes. The room was plenty big with a walk-in closet. The verandah was a good size.

Thank you so much for your comments about the Prinsendam. After some very negative reviews last year, it seems that all of the recent ones have been very positive. We will be in a similar cabin, except port instead of starboard for the 2005 world tour. I'm curious if there is any noise from the Queen's Lounge which is below that group of cabins. (Or didn't you turn in before the last song was sung?) I'm sure we'll have lot's more questions for you as we get closer to sailing.

[fran2]

Our mattress was very comfortable. We had a duvet which was crisp and white and appeared to be fresh every day. Our cabin location was a little foward and we did feel motion on a few days when there were swells in the sea.

Regarding the music, the band played all kinds of dance music--no contemporary stuff. There is a piano player in the Crows nest, but no dancing. The decor of the Crows nest is beautiful. There is a string trio playing in the Explorers Lounge.

[Brandis]

Excellent, thanks! As I'm not a dancer, a piano player just for listening is fine. We have cabin 001, right next to the Crow's Nest, so I can just open the door and will have a private piano player in my cabin. (Well at least I can hear the music...) :-)

Marc

[Aussie Gal]

Fran,

Thanks for answering. Is there anything else you can think of to let us know before we sail. How were the meals and where was your table in the dining room.

Jennie

[shmabbies]

Hi Fran2, Thanks for the information in your post as there is so little information about Prinsendam. I was concerned about your comment regarding the "new" cabins on Promenade deck and their proximity to the casino and presumably also Explorer's Lounge. We are booked into AA193 for next fall; it's the center room of the three on the starboard side. Do you really feel noise from the casino & possibly the lounge & I'm also thinking of the possiblity of drifting smoke would be an issue in this location? From the deck plan is appears that there is some distance between these two areas and the cabins (and lavatories as well) but maps can be deceiving so I wondered if you had any true recollection of what the situation was like. The stated policy regarding smoking areas is pretty vague and so I wonder if you recall what it might have been in the casino and in the Explorer's Lounge. I'm going to post this as a separate thread now that you've mentioned the issue but thought I would start here. Thanks again for the information you've provided!!!

[fran2]

Regarding the dining room, the ship has two dining rooms. We started out in the small dining room at a table for 2 and we were not happy. This room does not have the same ambiance as the large room. Also, the tables for two are inches from the next table for 2, so you might just as well put the two tables together. We were moved to the large dining room at a table for 8 right at the window. We loved this table. We had delightful tablemates and excellent service. The food was very good--pretty typical of what we have come to expect on HAL.

Regarding the category AA cabins, it is hard to say whether you can hear any noise from the casino or whether you will be able to smell the smoke. There is someone posting from on board right now so maybe this individual will check this out for you.

[shmabbies]

Thanks Fran! I was one step ahead of you and had already asked the question of the person on board right now. So glad you had a great time & thanks for all the helpful information!

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks Fran,

We have requested a table for six and also in the bigger dining room so hope this happens.

You have been great with all your answers.

Jennie