Holland America tranferring 2 ships to P&O

[cruiselover53]

http://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/11114-ryndam-and-statendam-to-pao-australia-as-au-growth-for-carnival-corp-continues.html

 

Pacific Ryndam ? and Pacific Statendam ? for Australia.Well maybe the names will change but they are coming !!

[cruiselover53]

 

 

[P&O princess]

Wow! I just saw on the P&O website that 2 new ships were coming in 2015, and was wondering where from?!

[Kiwi Kruzer]

If you visit "Ship Cafe" you can view photolouges of both ships

 

http://www.shipcafe.net/shipcafe/shipcafe.htm

 

 

 

ms Ryndam Vital Statistics

 

Guest Capacity : 1,266

Crew : 560

Gross Tonnage : 54,451

Length : 720 ft.

Width : 101 ft.

Draft : 24 ft., 6 in.

Originally Built : 1994

Maximum Speed : 21 knots

 

ms Statendam Vital Statistics

 

Guest Capacity : 1,266

Crew : 560

Gross Tonnage : 55,451

Length : 720 ft.

Width : 101 ft.

Draft : 24 ft., 6 in.

Originally Built : 1992

Maximum Speed : 21 knots

[rkmw]

Wow! I just saw on the P&O website that 2 new ships were coming in 2015, and was wondering where from?!

 

not new ships, second hand ones....one is 20 years old and the other one is 22 years old

[erewhon]

Will be interesting to learn their new names.

 

Guess the Neptune Lounges will become inside cabins

[Australian family]

Will be interesting to learn their new names.

 

Guess the Neptune Lounges will become inside cabins

 

Yes they will have to jam so many extra cabins in. I wonder what else they will change on the ships, besides the exterior paintwork?

[P&O princess]

not new ships, second hand ones....one is 20 years old and the other one is 22 years old

 

True! But we never get new ones, do we :(

[KarateMan]

Is there no hope for the Australian cruise market at all. Are we so useless and worthless that we get the garbage that the rest of the cruising world consider outdated and inferior, or is it that we just celebrate mediocrity. It should be a time to celebrate when we get more ships here but to me this is a constant insult to always get the hand-me-downs.

 

The news article states on one site.

“Australians know a good thing when they discover it, and that speaks to why taking a cruise has become the most popular vacation experience in the Australian tourism industry,”

 

The line states the transfer of the two ships comes at a very important time for the Australian cruise market, as the industry expects to see record cruisers take to the seas from “Down Under” over the next few years.

If our love for cruising is that great and our market is booming then why the hell not give us a new build!!

 

I can guarantee there will be people that hit on this and come up with BS like we don't have the market to sustain a new built - well that is BS. We do have the market to sustain a new built. Australians are flying all over the world to do a cruise. Our numbers on Princess ships are now exceeding the British. We are getting some of the biggest and latest ships down here from competing lines. If P&O Australia does not wake up to itself it will soon find it is a line of irreparable dregs that has no hope of competing against the likes of Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and even Carnival's own Princess. Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend are even more modern than these antiques.

[NSWP]

Once the Yanks have had enough of the old ships they come here, yes Statendam and Ryndam are the elders in HAL's fleet, Carnival Corp said send 'em to OZ we will fill them up and the Aussies, they won't complain. Well it is about time we did complain !!!

Edited May 20, 2014 by NSWP

[MMDown Under]

Joanne, Packetau, who is currently cruising Norway and the Baltics on the Ryndham, says she really likes this ship and the HAL product.

 

I personally think the medium size ships better suit many of the smaller port facilities of Australia, NZ and the South Pacific.

 

The possibilities in this region are endless.

 

Can you imagine Ryndam stopping at ports up the Queensland Coast, calling into Thursday Island, en route to Darwin, in our winter season.

[ceejay3377]

These two ships are S class and sister ships to Volendam - one of my favourite ships. For me it is good news and MIGHT actually entice me to return to P&O. Although I dread what P&O may do to the interiors of these stately ships. They must get fantastic deal buying paint and furnishings in beige ...

[NSWP]

Joanne, Packetau, who is currently cruising Norway and the Baltics on the Ryndham, says she really likes this ship and the HAL product.

 

I personally think the medium size ships better suit many of the smaller port facilities of Australia, NZ and the South Pacific.

 

The possibilities in this region are endless.

 

Can you imagine Ryndam stopping at ports up the Queensland Coast, calling into Thursday Island, en route to Darwin, in our winter season.

But Ryndam and Statendam won't be a HAL product once here, will they? They will be P&O Australia ships, not the five star cruising of HAL but three star cruising of P&O Australia.

[MMDown Under]

But Ryndam and Statendam won't be a HAL product once here, will they? They will be P&O Australia ships, not the five star cruising of HAL but three star cruising of P&O Australia.

 

I suspect the three star cruising will remain, just under a different name. At the end of the day, they are all mass market ships owned by Carnival.

 

Many cruisers enjoy the smaller ships which look like "real ships", where you can walk up to the "pointy end" at the front.

[MMDown Under]

These two ships are S class and sister ships to Volendam - one of my favourite ships. For me it is good news and MIGHT actually entice me to return to P&O. Although I dread what P&O may do to the interiors of these stately ships. They must get fantastic deal buying paint and furnishings in beige ...

 

I must admit the same thought crossed my mind. However, I hope not.

[ratacake]

I must admit I prefer to travel on smaller ships - and, as suggested, it would be great to travel somewhere a bit different than New Caledonia. :D I also think we should get new ships - do you think the 2 old ones we're getting will have bathrooms down the hall? :confused:

[MMDown Under]

I must admit I prefer to travel on smaller ships - and, as suggested, it would be great to travel somewhere a bit different than New Caledonia. :D I also think we should get new ships - do you think the 2 old ones we're getting will have bathrooms down the hall? :confused:

 

I did share a cabin with five other strangers from Sydney to Perth once, which turned me off cruising for 30 years!

 

I have noticed that some of the expensive small basic expedition ships that cruise to Antarctica have the option of "share bathrooms"! :mad:

[Lanwood]

I was reading this in the cruise weekly while having my lunch today....

 

My initial thoughts was that I noticed Carnival Corp. didn't give Britain 2xHAL hand-me-downs to add to their p&o fleet. No, they're getting a brand new, sister to the Royal/Regal Princess......P&O BRITANNIA. I'd rather have the P&O Britannia than the 2xhand-me-downs from HAL.....

(We can rename it P&O Downunder :D)....

[MicCanberra]

While it is good news that we are getting another two ships to cruise on downunder, I can't help but feel that we are being treated as charity cases getting hand-me-downs.:eek:

[Aus Traveller]

J I personally think the medium size ships better suit many of the smaller port facilities of Australia, NZ and the South Pacific.

 

The possibilities in this region are endless.

 

Can you imagine Ryndam stopping at ports up the Queensland Coast, calling into Thursday Island, en route to Darwin, in our winter season.

I agree with you about the size of the ship. Larger ships wouldn't be able to dock in so many ports in the Pacific islands.

 

We have cruised a couple of times on the Ryndam. It was a lovely ship, with a lot of original artwork and antiques, mainly with a Dutch theme. I suppose those would be taken out as they wouldn't suit the P&O product downunder.

[NSWP]

Carnival will probably destroy Ryndam and Statendam by adding 'friendly 4 cabins' increasing pax load, as they did with ye olde Regal Princess, on rebirth as Pacific Dawn. Believe me, I was on the last voyage of the old Regal back in Sept/Oct 2007, LA to Sydney, carpenters working flat out to whack in extra berths to increase capacity from 1590 to 2060. Public rooms will just not handle such capacity, so I hope Statendam and Ryndam do not get the same treatment as ye olde Regal Princess.

 

The HAL dinner gong will go for sure and true, as will the dress standards.

Edited May 20, 2014 by NSWP

[CroNich]

It really is dissapointing. I think we should be able to have access to a brand new ship, built purely for the Australian Market. Even something around the Vista class size (can still fit under the bridge), but with Australian inspired modern furnishings and activities. I feel as though this was just a desperate attempt to boost the cruising numbers up.

[Royalty X]

This is not making excuses for P&O, but people need to remember that it is essentially a three star product. If you want fancier, there are certainly plenty of other options available. It's kinda like Star Cruises in Asia. Up until now, they've only had hand-me-downs from NCL. That being said, they are getting two new builds.

 

Honestly, I'm surprised they made this move. I really did believe that P&O's future in Australia was limited (with Carnival and Princess bringing in more ships). The only benefit I can see to P&O having more ships is that they can come up with more itineraries out of other cities (Fremantle, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin). Their latest itineraries had a few surprises in there, which was nice to see. I wouldn't be surprised if P&O left Sydney to the big boys (for the most part) and focused on other itineraries that the others don't offer.

[MicCanberra]

This is not making excuses for P&O, but people need to remember that it is essentially a three star product. If you want fancier, there are certainly plenty of other options available. It's kinda like Star Cruises in Asia. Up until now, they've only had hand-me-downs from NCL. That being said, they are getting two new builds.

 

Honestly, I'm surprised they made this move. I really did believe that P&O's future in Australia was limited (with Carnival and Princess bringing in more ships). The only benefit I can see to P&O having more ships is that they can come up with more itineraries out of other cities (Fremantle, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin). Their latest itineraries had a few surprises in there, which was nice to see. I wouldn't be surprised if P&O left Sydney to the big boys (for the most part) and focused on other itineraries that the others don't offer.

 

More competition can be good if they offer more diverse itineraries.:D

[ceejay3377]

This is not making excuses for P&O, but people need to remember that it is essentially a three star product. If you want fancier, there are certainly plenty of other options available. It's kinda like Star Cruises in Asia. Up until now, they've only had hand-me-downs from NCL. That being said, they are getting two new builds.

 

Honestly, I'm surprised they made this move. I really did believe that P&O's future in Australia was limited (with Carnival and Princess bringing in more ships). The only benefit I can see to P&O having more ships is that they can come up with more itineraries out of other cities (Fremantle, Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin). Their latest itineraries had a few surprises in there, which was nice to see. I wouldn't be surprised if P&O left Sydney to the big boys (for the most part) and focused on other itineraries that the others don't offer.

 

 

There are not really many options outside our summer season. It is just P&O and Carnival :(