RevNeal LIVE! From the ms Prinsendam

[Gator83]

Greg,

 

Your trip sounds so fantastic. I've looked at that itinerary before and am hoping that I can go on that cruise some day. I will enjoy reading your reports from your cruise.

 

Gator

[Two@Sea]

snip... Afterwards I made my way back up and aft to the Explorer’s Lounge for after-dinner brandy and some wonderful classical music as well as in-between-set conversation with fellow passengers on a whole host of subjects. It was an enjoyable evening, and one that I was sad to see come to a close for need to finish up this report.

... snip

 

Oh, no! Please promise to enjoy the moments as they are happening, and to never again end an evening just to finish and send something for our benefit. We can wait. Memories, in the midst of being made, cannot. :)

[Marianne]

Greg --- You are so lucky to be sailing on our beloved Prinsendam. I know you will have a wonderful memorable trip. And Grumpy is right about the curse. It calls you and you have to return. Have a super great voyage!

Marianne

[Tamaracboy]

I took this cruise three years ago, and IIRC, the Prinsendam does not have an ice rating.

On this ship the bow is an integral part of the Promenade Deck, however there's a barrier to keep passengers off. Anyway, when we reached the pack ice, the ship moved forward ever so slowly. And officer climbed up to the exact bow, and laid down on a sort of platform, hanging over the edge. A couple of people held on to his legs while he did this. He was giving signals as to what was going on with the ship and the ice.

Meanwhile, the stern was kept totally out of the ice. Not good to use the propellers as a blender for our frozen drinks. :rolleyes:

 

It really was an interesting maneuver to watch, over and above watching the ice itself, and looking for polar bears.

The light was so flat that pictures I have look like they were taken in black & white, even though they are in color.

 

Ruth,

 

Every minute you and Greg make this itinerary sound more and more interesting. And, I had already wanted to do it.

Can we pay to be the man out on the Bow ?

Of course this adventure MUST be done on the Prinsendam.

Champaign AND Polar Bears, well somebody's got to do it ;)

Still waiting for those Lotto Numbers ? ? ? ? Anybody ? ? ? ?

Until then,

Chocolate rocks !

 

r.

PS: on our last Eurodam cruise the guest chef did Chocolate Covered, Honey-Glazed BACON ! Ruth, there aren't words . . . . .

[tamsno]

Greetings RevNeal. Thank you so much for sharing your vacation time with us. I also first "Met You" on CC through your wonderful Eurodam inaugural review. Your enthusiasm continues to be quite contagious. After a couple of years of "testing the competition" I'm excited to be going back to HAL on the NA in October. So glad you're enjoying the Prisendam. I have not had the pleasure yet, but would love the same voyage you're on possibly next year. She was the most favorite of my parents and in-laws during her Royal Viking Sun years.

Smooth Sailing.

[Atomica]

Fantastic trip report as always! It makes me eager to return to Northern Europe, and to also sail aboard Prinsendam for the first time.

 

Can't wait to hear more!

[albertiger]

Hello RevNeal,

Glad you are having a memorable trip.;)

I need to ask you a question as I know you once had cabin D421 on Ryndam.I will be in D420 in December. This is an aft facing cabin on Lower Promenade.

Did you have any problem keeping the deck light out at night?

Thanks for any info you can provide!:D

[RuthC]

Oh, no! Please promise to enjoy the moments as they are happening, and to never again end an evening just to finish and send something for our benefit. We can wait. Memories, in the midst of being made, cannot. :)

Speak for yourself Marsha!

 

Greg, you can leave any place (except cocktails or dinner), at any time, to post to the rest of us. And don't you forget it! :D

[Kween Karen]

Hello RevNeal,

Glad you are having a memorable trip.;)

I need to ask you a question as I know you once had cabin D421 on Ryndam.I will be in D420 in December. This is an aft facing cabin on Lower Promenade.

Did you have any problem keeping the deck light out at night?

Thanks for any info you can provide!:D

 

I know this question was not for me....but thought I would share my experience anyway. I had an aft facing cabin on the Amsterdam with a light right outside that was on all night. I simply used 3 clothespins to keep the curtains closed and that kept the light out nicely.

[ger_77]

Hello Greg, I'm enjoying reading of your travels again. We experienced the Prinsendam on our 2nd ever Holland America cruise and were delighted with her. The ship was so easy to get around, and by the 2nd day we felt like we were on the set of "Cheers" where everybody knows your name!

 

Now, you started something and you'd better finish it . . . "Scandals" - don't leave us hanging ! ! !

 

Smooth Sailing! :):):)

Gerry

[baggal]

I know this question was not for me....but thought I would share my experience anyway. I had an aft facing cabin on the Amsterdam with a light right outside that was on all night. I simply used 3 clothespins to keep the curtains closed and that kept the light out nicely.

 

Did you know in advance to bring the clothespins or did HAL provide them?

[Kween Karen]

Did you know in advance to bring the clothespins or did HAL provide them?

I knew in advance. It is one of the helpful packing tips I learned right here on CC!!

[RevNeal]

A Day At Sea Aboard HAL’s Elegant Explorer, the ms Prinsendam

 

As we cruise north from the Faroe Islands toward Iceland (where it’s green … or so we’re told), I wanted to take time on this lovely sea day to give some thoughts both to what we saw on the Faroe Islands and what we’re seeing aboard this lovely ship!

 

First, the Faroe Islands! I think it was Ruth who once told us that the Faroe Islands are “the lushest greenest place without trees you’ll ever see.” Or, words to that effect. I must say that I agree. They have a beauty all their own: rugged and stark, thinly populated, desolate and sparse, yet lush and alive with life. The grasses and bushes are green … very green … and the sheep, which are ubiquitous, appear to really enjoy this open-range vegetable buffet. Nothing’s flat … all the towns are built up on the sides of the hills, which rise out of the water from fjords to mountain peaks. Low-riding clouds hang close to the land and sea, providing accents to every view. The clouds move very quickly, so the moods change from moment to moment. We docked at Runavik at 7:30 am and were quickly cleared for shore excursions. However, this is one of the few ports where I didn’t have an early morning tour (thank God!). Rather, I was able to sleep in, grab a late breakfast and a very early (and very lite) lunch, prior to presenting myself at the Queens Lounge for my tour sticker. I took the Panoramic Faroe Islands tour, which provided me several fantastic photographing stops … and, even better, it was short and inexpensive! Our sail out of Runivik was also very scenic, and we had the wonderful treat of having our port lecturer, Frank, provide a running commentary on the history and culture of the Faroe Islands. Our seas last night were plastic, they were so calm, with only a fairly slight swell striking the ship perpendicular to our motion.

 

Last night was another Smart Casual Night, yet again with sports jackets out in force amongst the gentlemen. Dinner was fairly good, though although this is the second night they’ve had Prime Rib on the menu (not that I’m complaining). The best part of dinner, however, was dessert: “The Big Blitz” … it was a slice of cheesecake-like pie made up of snickers bars, chocolate brownie, nuts, and caramel … yum yummy yum yum yum. My many criticisms of HAL’s dessert offerings appear to finally be catching the attention of the chefs. After dinner I really enjoyed listening to the guest pianist, Vladimir Zaizev, and then an hour enjoying the music of the Rosario Strings in the Explorer’s Lounge.

 

Today is our second sea day and we’re enjoying fairly calm seas as we sail north-westward toward Iceland. We had an 8:30 am Cruise Critic gathering (yes, I said 8:30 … we’ve got some early risers in this group), at which we chatted about our screen names and had a nice conversation with our CD Thom. A few interesting details that we learned at the get together includes the fact that, while the ship re-provisioned a large amount of our needs at Tilbury, in actuality this ship will usually stock whatever it needs at many different ports along its itinerary. For example, we took on quite a lot of fish (Cod and Salmon) at Runavik, which they fed us last night and today at lunch. One of the nice features of being on a smaller ship, they can actually re-provision en-route where the items are cheaper or particular to the region.

 

Tonight will also be our second Formal Night. They’re having a “prom” for us, and I have drinks with the captain and officers at 7:15 pm in the crows nest. There are heavy clouds in the sky and on the horizon, and its threatening rain, so dancing may be fun tonight! :D

 

Now, for the scandalous part! Many of us have either met or heard of some very eccentric people cruising aboard our beloved DAMships. RuthC has, many times, regaled us with the hilarious stories of “The Hat Lady” … the woman who boarded the Rotterdam wearing a hat resembling “Two All Beef Patties Special Sauce Lettuce Cheese Pickles Onion on a Sesame Seed Bun,” sometimes dressed like Little Bo Peep, and who also liked to have birthday parties for her hats at the Dining Room Table … which, for some odd reason, other passengers let her have all to herself. Indeed, the MDR crew of the Prinsendam told us that they remembered her fondly, for it’s such characters which break the monotony of us boring folk. Not all of them are weird, however, because I’m also talking about people like our dear CCer friends, the Peppy-Le Pew slipper-wearers (Jim and Ruth) … to whom I’ve been asked to send greetings to by several Bar and Dining Room Stewards. And, lest I am remiss, I must also include in such greetings our own dear RuthC, whom bar stewards lovingly remember as “The Muumuu lady.” It’s the weird ones, however, that do seem to draw the attention and stick in the memories of the staff and our fellow passengers. On the Noordam in January 2009 we met the “Doll People,” who would bring Ken and Barbie Dolls to Dinner dressed in clothing proper to the evening code, sit them on the table, and have the staff serve them just as if they were passengers. The Assistant Dining Room Manager here on the Prinsendam was flabbergasted when I described this eccentric pair, and had many questions regarding what their tablemates thought of this pathology. Of course, there are the Teddy Bear People, the Moose Hat People, and the Yum Yum Man Worshippers, but NOTHING – no, NOTHING -- prepares one for the sight of a fellow passenger dressed in a blue vinyl rain tarp, wandering the ship day and night looking for his cabin. The tarp isn’t just wrapped around him, it is draped as if he were wearing a monks habit. No, he hasn’t lost his luggage … we’ve seen him dressed in regular clothing, including formal wear! Yes, I’m serious, and no I will not be posting a photo. In truth, I must honestly admit that I am probably just about eccentric and weird as many of these … memorable in my own way. <grin> After all, how many clerical-wearing guys do you see aboard ship who are not, at that time, serving as chaplain?

[Himself]

Greg:

Last October on the Zuiderdam Sunfarer cruise yours truely was the chaplain. There were four other Catholic priests on the cruise. Two of them wore clerics to dinner every night and concelebrated Mass every day. Two others were in sports clothes always and ate dinner in the Lido. They also attended Mass each day but were in the congregation.

[RevNeal]

Hi Greg,

Glad to hear you are enjoying a wonderful trip. As always, your reports are very interesting and well written. My best to Christopher!!!

 

Thank you, Adele! Christopher says “hi” back, as do Karl and Mary Ellen. You are missed here, and would absolutely LOVE the Prinsendam. The Ocean Bar is FABULOUS, the band outstanding, and the passengers on this ship (at least on this cruise) know how to enjoy a traditional HAL cruise. I’m having a blast. Christopher and I both ask you to give Em our best.

[RevNeal]

Forgot to ask if you'd share Captain Albert's explanation of why P-dam now docks and embarks from Tilbury rather than Greenwich....

 

Hi, Mary-Lou. It has to do with the facilities at Greenwich … or the lack thereof. There simply isn’t sufficient cruise-terminal dock facilities to service the Prinsendam adequately. People and luggage would be waiting outdoors for hours (London … rain … remember?), the ship wouldn’t be properly serviced with fresh water or electricity, and access for those with physical challenges (read: wheel chairs) is entirely inadequate. Additionally, there were severe tidal issues restricting when the Prisendam can enter and leave that area of the Thames. Greenwich is building a new dock and terminal, and the Thames is being dredged, and so there should an ability to service the Prinsendam for the embarkation of new passengers and disembarkation of same by 2012. Captain Albert was more elaborate in his explanation, but that’s it in a nut-shell. The Prinsendam docked at Greenwich once last year and it was a disaster; the Captain said he would refuse to take the Prinsendam there again until such time as they have adequate facilities.

[RevNeal]

Another intriguing update from you, Greg!

I hope you will like the Faroe Islands. We thought they were one of most pleasant surprises of our Ireland and Iceland cruise some years back.

Please pass our regards to Christopher!

 

I was quite impressed by the Faroe Islands. The settlements are tiny and rudimentary, yet some have color … as my photos should show. I thought the most fascinating aspect of the countryside was the constantly changing cloud patterns. They cast the mountains and the fjords in varying shades and colors, adjusting their mood from moment to moment. Lovely! It’s both desolate and beautiful … not like Antarctica, mind you, but in its own way.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Loving it!!

[RevNeal]

Oh, I'm so glad you got to see the Castle of Mey. I just finished reading an outstanding biography of the Queen Mother (The Queen Mother by Shawcross) in which he tells of her finding it, renovating it, and living in it periodically. I'm hoping that we'll get a glimpse of it from the Eurodam as we sail to Orkney in a few weeks. I had looked it all up on the 'net and found many photos of the castle inside and out. Sounds like a dreary, lonely place.

 

Sail on...we're with you...

 

If you can make it there in the future on a shore excursion, GO. The tour is fantastic. Each room of the Castle has a stationary guide in it to explain what went on there, what the various pieces of the Queen Mother’s possession reflect, etc. All of them either knew her and worked for her on-site, or have been trained by those who did.

[RevNeal]

And I would love to know how mulch smaller the cabin "Feels" compared to similar on a Vista Class.

Recognizing that one gladly gives up some things to experience the uniqueness and time warp that is the "Prins".

Is it all that noticeable after initial adjustment ?

Real Estate agents frequently use "Elegant" as a euphemism for "less than spacious"

 

Ok, on Vista and Signature ships I’ve had outside cabins (without balcony) twice. In both cases the cabins were a tiny bit larger than this cabin on the Prinsendam, but in reality the difference isn’t all that significant; indeed, due to the configuration of the furniture, I would venture to say that the Prinsendam’s outside cabins actually have a tiny bit more usable space. There is NO wasted space that I can find in these cabins: no hall way that you really can’t use for anything but passing through to get to the main body of the cabin. The closets are large and walk-in, with a significantly larger hanging area than in the cabinets of the Vista class ship’s outside cabins. On a Vista ship the outside cabins have TWO (2) drawers that passengers can use; on the Prinsendm the outside cabins have 6 drawers in the cabin and 4 in the closet, not to mention plenty of closet shelf space. The bathrooms are larger. There is a large, floor to ceiling mirror behind the bathroom’s sliding door … its all VERY nice. Compared with the Vista and Signature ships, I would have to say that the Prinsendam’s outside cabins are better. Relative to the S and R class ships, the outside cabins on Main and Dolphin are a bit larger.

 

Another question I haven't seen asked: do you know if she, her hull that is, has an Ice Rating ?, considering she is always doing Top 'o The World and Antarctica.

 

I will ask. My guess is that she does not, but we’ll see.

 

And another, Does it still get dark at night or just Twilight ?

 

As I originally typed this (Wednesday night at 11:42 pm) the sun had set at about 11 pm, and it will rise around 4:30-5 am (I’m not sure which … the Scan Channel has been wrong with what its displaying). Once we leave Iceland we’ll head further north, across the Arctic Circle, and even though it’s later in the summer we will be reaching a latitude where the sun will not set at night. At 11:44 pm there was still a glow of light on the horizon, and the sky was a dim blue that direction.

 

PS: Is there anyone on CC you don't know?, or who doesn't know you?? :confused:

 

LOL … plenty. I’ve met a lot of CCers, but there are many more I’ve not yet met and yet would love to.

[RevNeal]

Oh, no! Please promise to enjoy the moments as they are happening, and to never again end an evening just to finish and send something for our benefit. We can wait. Memories, in the midst of being made, cannot. :)

 

LOL! Never fear … I was getting groggy that night and needed to return to my cabin, anyway. It’s ok. Know that I DO enjoy the moments, as I did last night and shall tonight. :)

[RevNeal]

Hello RevNeal,

Glad you are having a memorable trip.;)

I need to ask you a question as I know you once had cabin D421 on Ryndam.I will be in D420 in December. This is an aft facing cabin on Lower Promenade.

Did you have any problem keeping the deck light out at night?

Thanks for any info you can provide!:D

 

I really liked D421 on the Ryndam. It’s a great location; it's so easy to get outside onto the promenade and see things from there. If you don’t mind the extra motion to be had in the stern of the vessel, those aft-facing cabins are GREAT. I had no problems keeping the outside promenade deck lights out of the cabin at night … the stewards closed the drapes and I simply didn’t re-open them. :). That seemed to do the trick. I think the idea of bringing cloths pins is good one.

[RevNeal]

Here are a very few selected photos, taken thus far on this cruise.

 

--The ms Prinsendam at anchor in Scrabster Harbor, taken from a tender as we made our way ashore for excursions.

 

--The ms Prinsendam seen at anchor from our tour bus. She is a lovely ship, isn't she???

 

--The Falkirk Wheel in action, just north of Edinburgh.

 

--The Castle Mey ... The late Queen Mother's estate in North West Scotland.

 

--Another view of the Castle Mey.

[RevNeal]

--Scenic touring of the Faroe Islands

 

--More scenic touring of the Faroe Islands

 

--Scenic Cruising out of the Faroe Islands, having just left Runavik

[Atomica]

Amazing photos, Greg!

 

The Faroe Islands look incredible. I've always wanted to go there.

 

Thanks for taking the time out of your cruise to 'take us all along' with you!