Aft cabins on the Prisendam-Pros and cons?

[ekkc10753]

Due to a serious medical emergency we had to cancel our 7 day Eurodam Norwegian Fjords cruise this month. Now we have a very good prognosis for complete recovery; good enough to remind us that none of us are getting off this ride alive, so we better enjoy our time! :D

That being said, we are planning the Norwegian Fjords 14 day cruise for next August aboard the Prinsendam. We've never sailed with her, but everyone here speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical.

I was looking at the aft cabins on the Promenade deck (AB 224 etc). They do not have walk-in closets, according to the deck plans. I don't imagine that's much of an issue, is it? The verandahs appear to be uncovered by the deck above. Would that be a problem? Does the pool area above make the verandah less idyllic?

Any input would be much appreciated!

[LindaM]

Due to a serious medical emergency we had to cancel our 7 day Eurodam Norwegian Fjords cruise this month. Now we have a very good prognosis for complete recovery; good enough to remind us that none of us are getting off this ride alive, so we better enjoy our time! :D

That being said, we are planning the Norwegian Fjords 14 day cruise for next August aboard the Prinsendam. We've never sailed with her, but everyone here speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical.

I was looking at the aft cabins on the Promenade deck (AB 224 etc). They do not have walk-in closets, according to the deck plans. I don't imagine that's much of an issue, is it? The verandahs appear to be uncovered by the deck above. Would that be a problem? Does the pool area above make the verandah less idyllic?

Any input would be much appreciated!

 

I have always heard to stay away from them. I haven't heard one thing good about them. I believe the pool above and hot tubs are also a big problem. More people will chime in, but thought I would give you food for thought! You can also do a search to find other posts.

[kazu]

Due to a serious medical emergency we had to cancel our 7 day Eurodam Norwegian Fjords cruise this month. Now we have a very good prognosis for complete recovery; good enough to remind us that none of us are getting off this ride alive, so we better enjoy our time! :D

That being said, we are planning the Norwegian Fjords 14 day cruise for next August aboard the Prinsendam. We've never sailed with her, but everyone here speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical.

I was looking at the aft cabins on the Promenade deck (AB 224 etc). They do not have walk-in closets, according to the deck plans. I don't imagine that's much of an issue, is it? The verandahs appear to be uncovered by the deck above. Would that be a problem? Does the pool area above make the verandah less idyllic?

Any input would be much appreciated!

 

I don't recommend the AB aft cabins. These are the newly installed cabins. Book another cabin that is one of the ORIGINAL cabins on this ship. They are much nicer.

 

The problem with the aft cabins (verandahs) are the noise, vibrations and water running over from the pool onto the verandah to put it in a nutshell. We had tablemates who had one of these cabins and when some people got off prior to the transatlantic they were finally able to get a 'sleeping' cabin. That's how bad they found it.

 

Other cabins on the ship are fine and great in most people's minds.

 

I had seen warnings on the AB aft cabins before but after having had a tablemate and others who experienced them and hearing the same thing, I take it seriously.

 

Now, I am a fan of the ship (which is no secret on these boards) - so if I have a warning against a certain cabin - it's not for no reason. ;)

 

The ship isn't magical per se, but usually our time on her is. It's a combination of not a lot of passengers, a good crew to passenger ratio, a magical crew that knows you quickly and does a great job and a ship that takes you back to the older days of sailing. Not to mention some fabulous itineraries.

 

She has some very gracious features. Her cabins are not 'cookie cutter' cabins. Cabins in the same category are not necessarily the same. Many have walk in closets and they are laid out well.

 

I would think that the fjords would be wonderful on this ship and a marvelous experience. I'd recommend going on her in a minute - just not in an AB cabin.

[Lady Chew]

If the sea is at all rocky, the water will splash out of the pool and pour over the sides onto the balconies below. I've got some pictures from our cruise, I'll see if I can figure out how to post one.

 

[jtl513]

There used to be reports of the AB cabins being very noisy and suffering a lot of vibration, but that was before a propeller was replaced. I don't know what the status of that is now. Also, these cabins are reported to not have the "charm" of the other older veranda cabins.

 

I'd like to be one dissenting voice in the chorus that " ... speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical." IMO she is about on a par with the Ryndam or Maasdam, with a few bonus points for the smaller size. That is, a very nice ship with the usual excellent crew, but hardly what I would call extraordinarily "elegant" or "magical". In fact, there were several aspects that I think are done better by the S-class ships.

 

I would again pay the higher fares commanded by her only if the itinerary included many unique ports that I especially wanted to visit.

[jtl513]

The side AB verandas appear to be completely covered, as they are on most verandas on HAL ships, but those on the stern seem to be partially uncovered.

 

[kazu]

There used to be reports of the AB cabins being very noisy and suffering a lot of vibration, but that was before a propeller was replaced. I don't know what the status of that is now. Also, these cabins are reported to not have the "charm" of the other older veranda cabins.

 

I'd like to be one dissenting voice in the chorus that " ... speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical." IMO she is about on a par with the Ryndam or Maasdam, with a few bonus points for the smaller size. That is, a very nice ship with the usual excellent crew, but hardly what I would call extraordinarily "elegant" or "magical". In fact, there were several aspects that I think are done better by the S-class ships.

 

I would again pay the higher fares commanded by her only if the itinerary included many unique ports that I especially wanted to visit.

 

Maasdam is our 2nd favourite ship:D

 

We normally sail her (Prinsendam) for her unique itineraries - it isn't every ship that can sail down the Kiel Canal:)

 

Seriously, on our May&June cruise, reports of the AB were still vibrations and quite loud. ( it sounded like it was a bit better, but not by much) Captain was wise and hovered at sea and didn't dock until early am so most mornings those cabins weren't disturbed as much. The days we docked early they definitely 'noticed' it. I did ask;)

 

The interior cabins on that deck (which are quite large) do not seem to be as badly affected.

 

Personally, I just don't think it's worth taking the chance with these cabins. But that's only based on what I have read here and what passengers in the cabins have told me.

[ekkc10753]

Boyoboy! Am I glad I asked! :o Those aft AB's will definitely not work well for us.

I do really like this intinerary so the extra cost is worth it.

Besides the Penthouse and the Neptune Suite entitled cabins, are there any "favorite" cabins anyone would like to recommend; otherwise, I'll print the old deck plans and the new plans, compare them and try to get one of the original cabins.

Are there any bits of Prinsendam wisdom I should know before I book this?

[kazu]

Boyoboy! Am I glad I asked! :o Those aft AB's will definitely not work well for us.

I do really like this intinerary so the extra cost is worth it.

Besides the Penthouse and the Neptune Suite entitled cabins, are there any "favorite" cabins anyone would like to recommend; otherwise, I'll print the old deck plans and the new plans, compare them and try to get one of the original cabins.

Are there any bits of Prinsendam wisdom I should know before I book this?

 

depending on what you want to spend - the SY cabins on this ship are really nice - much bigger than the standard verandahs and if the S's aren't sold out you might get a nice upsell offer. (S's/Neptune Suites on this ship are really nice - smaller in square footage but very well laid out so you can get a lot of people in the room comfortably).

 

I had good reports on cabin 120 (there might be better ones but some avid P'dam cruisers swear by it - not sure why though) if you are looking for a verandah and there are a couple of others too. Just look at the deck plans.

 

Wisdom? Don't forget the Crow's Nest and happy hours there. The viewing is fantastic. Don't forget the aft pool. Most people ignore it so you can have some private space there.

 

Remember the Lido pool is not covered (no biggie for us) and you can easily walk across underneath the sides if it happens to rain.

 

Keep your eye on the on board activities. The P'dam can have some really nice Lido bbq's that are pretty tantalizing.

 

and most of all, relax and have fun and enjoy the views:D

[LindaM]

There used to be reports of the AB cabins being very noisy and suffering a lot of vibration, but that was before a propeller was replaced. I don't know what the status of that is now. Also, these cabins are reported to not have the "charm" of the other older veranda cabins.

 

I'd like to be one dissenting voice in the chorus that " ... speaks so glowingly that she sounds most magical." IMO she is about on a par with the Ryndam or Maasdam, with a few bonus points for the smaller size. That is, a very nice ship with the usual excellent crew, but hardly what I would call extraordinarily "elegant" or "magical". In fact, there were several aspects that I think are done better by the S-class ships.

 

I would again pay the higher fares commanded by her only if the itinerary included many unique ports that I especially wanted to visit.

 

That is probably a fair assessment. Her size is a plus. I believe her OV cabins are superior to the above mentioned, because you don't have to stand on the bed to see outside. That is definitely a plus. However, IMHO, her itineraries are what sets her apart. I have compared hers with Regents----she goes to places Regent/Oceania haven't discovered yet. Not all itineraries---but some are very unusual.

[RuthC]

I've sailed some stunningly beautiful days in Norway. I've also sailed in rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow in the mountains. If you have a veranda, you want one that's covered by the veranda above. That will allow you to go outside to see the gorgeous scenery, while still being sheltered.

Personally, I would choose a cabin on the side, but closer to the aft elevator than the forward if you eat breakfast in the Lido. It can get mighty chilly crossing the Lido Deck to get to hot coffee.

[jtl513]

I believe her OV cabins are superior to the above mentioned, because you don't have to stand on the bed to see outside.

When we have an OV on an R or S ship we have the bed split into twins. But we spend so little waking time in our cabin on any ship it doesn't matter much what the view is anyway ... unless we can go out on a balcony. We need the window mainly for morning light to help us get up and going. ;)

[LindaM]

When we have an OV on an R or S ship we have the bed split into twins. But we spend so little waking time in our cabin on any ship it doesn't matter much what the view is anyway ... unless we can go out on a balcony. We need the window mainly for morning light to help us get up and going. ;)

 

That is the difference on Prinsendam. The OV's are larger. The windows are quite large and at a level that makes it quite easy to enjoy the view. There is a couch adjacent to the window. You can sit and enjoy a drink---and pretend you have a balcony. If you saw it, you would understand. Two years ago, we were able to enjoy the view sailing the Stockholm archipeligo, without leaving our cabin. The OV's on the rest of the fleet are horrible. I would rather have an inside, if I didn't have a balcony.

[jtl513]

If you saw it, you would understand.

I have seen them.

Two years ago, we were able to enjoy the view sailing the Stockholm archipeligo, without leaving our cabin.

When we cruised the Stockholm archipelago we had a balcony on the Westerdam. Rather than see just one side we went up by the aft pool. No way would I stay in an OV for any scenic cruising. Too much chance of missing a lot.

[LindaM]

Everyone is different. I wouldn't cruise on Westerdam, if it were free. If we are getting ready for dinner, I am glad to be able to enjoy the view.