Prinsendam, Is it worth it?

[luvtwotrvl]

Hello CC friends,

I am looking into taking a December cruise on Christmas and New Year's Day in 2015 on the lovely Prinsendam. This cruise is higher than what I am use to on the holidays. I really love the itinerary and would love to give the Prinsendam a try. I know dam ship is smaller than any other ship in the fleet. Is it really worth it? Is the Prinsendam ship experience worth the extra cost?

The itinerary is

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

St. John

St. Barts

Nevis, St. Kitts/Nevis

Basse-Terre, Guadaloupe

Castries, St Lucia

Scenic cruising Soufriere

Bridgetown, Barbados

Port Elizabeth, St Vincent

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Samana, Domincan Republic

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

I have been to San Juan, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turks, but the other ports will be new to me.

Are they any nice cabins that I need to be aware of?

Thanks for the information.

David

[kazu]

Hello CC friends,

I am looking into taking a December cruise on Christmas and New Year's Day in 2015 on the lovely Prinsendam. This cruise is higher than what I am use to on the holidays. I really love the itinerary and would love to give the Prinsendam a try. I know dam ship is smaller than any other ship in the fleet. Is it really worth it? Is the Prinsendam ship experience worth the extra cost?

The itinerary is

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

St. John

St. Barts

Nevis, St. Kitts/Nevis

Basse-Terre, Guadaloupe

Castries, St Lucia

Scenic cruising Soufriere

Bridgetown, Barbados

Port Elizabeth, St Vincent

San Juan, Puerto Rico

Samana, Domincan Republic

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

I have been to San Juan, Half Moon Cay, and Grand Turks, but the other ports will be new to me.

Are they any nice cabins that I need to be aware of?

Thanks for the information.

David

 

What category do you want David? If you want verandah - 120 has a nice verandah.

 

I am a huge fan of the Prinsendam - I don't know if I would do her for a standard Caribbean cruise IF the same itinerary was available on another ship. We have chosen her for the other itineraries in Europe.

 

NOW, that being said, the ship is old, yes, she's the oldest in the fleet. The woodwork gleams, the metal gleams and IMO she has been well taken care of.

 

There is a certain ambience that you won't see on the other HAL ships as it is small and the crew are everywhere and get to know you quickly.

 

I would rather sail her than the N Amsterdam in all honesty because of everything that goes with her - but with this ship - you are either a fan or you are not.

 

I confess with Captain Gundersen now gone, it always gives cause for concern but she was well taken care of last time we were on but that was over a year ago.

 

We are heading on her happily for 30 days in 4 weeks (or pretty dam close).

 

If you want to stay tuned, I will be doing a live thread (internet permitting) and will certainly try to be objective. I truly hope we are not disappointed.

 

For what little it is worth, we had several people that were newbies on this ship that had done Azamara, Oceania, REgent, and river cruises.

 

This was their first HAL cruise (I kind of cringed). I still asked out of curiosity how they would rate the EE. They rated her above the Azamara and just a tad under Oceania. and better than Regent. Those were their subjective opinons of course.

 

I also asked people as we were getting off after 31 days if everyone was 'glad' to get off. Again, many had not been on her before - the reply - I could have stayed on for the next segment and ' this little ship grows on you'.

 

I hope this helps a bit and I will definitely be reporting when I get on board.

[luvtwotrvl]

What category do you want David? If you want verandah - 120 has a nice verandah.

 

I am a huge fan of the Prinsendam - I don't know if I would do her for a standard Caribbean cruise IF the same itinerary was available on another ship. We have chosen her for the other itineraries in Europe.

 

NOW, that being said, the ship is old, yes, she's the oldest in the fleet. The woodwork gleams, the metal gleams and IMO she has been well taken care of.

 

There is a certain ambience that you won't see on the other HAL ships as it is small and the crew are everywhere and get to know you quickly.

 

I would rather sail her than the N Amsterdam in all honesty because of everything that goes with her - but with this ship - you are either a fan or you are not.

 

I confess with Captain Gundersen now gone, it always gives cause for concern but she was well taken care of last time we were on but that was over a year ago.

 

We are heading on her happily for 30 days in 4 weeks (or pretty dam close).

 

If you want to stay tuned, I will be doing a live thread (internet permitting) and will certainly try to be objective. I truly hope we are not disappointed.

 

For what little it is worth, we had several people that were newbies on this ship that had done Azamara, Oceania, REgent, and river cruises.

 

This was their first HAL cruise (I kind of cringed). I still asked out of curiosity how they would rate the EE. They rated her above the Azamara and just a tad under Oceania. and better than Regent. Those were their subjective opinons of course.

 

I also asked people as we were getting off after 31 days if everyone was 'glad' to get off. Again, many had not been on her before - the reply - I could have stayed on for the next segment and ' this little ship grows on you'.

 

I hope this helps a bit and I will definitely be reporting when I get on board.

 

Yes, it does help kazu.

For some of those ports, it is hard for us to be able to cruise too especially St. John. I have been to St. John but it was on the Eurodam that docked in St. Thomas. I took an excursion to St. John then. I would love to try the Prinsendam, I have heard some many good things about the ship. I am looking into a oceanview or an inside cabin.

 

David

[Hlitner]

What a great question (is it worth it?). The answer is quite simple as it just depends on what you think about being on an old ship, with few amenities, relatively few passengers, and the best passenger/crew ratio in the HAL fleet. The P'Dam is the best ship of the fleet for some of us, and the worst ship for others.

 

And by the way, put us in the "love it" group. We did our longest cruise (62 days) on the P'Dam and as we left the ship DW looked at me and said, "we could easily do another 62 days." The funny thing is that we could fill a post with all that is wrong with that ship..but it just did not matter.

 

Hank

[bibiinri]

Hello David!

I have sailed on Prinsendam in the past (Greek Isles and Turkey) and am about to sail on her again in a month on an extensive European itinerary, from Barcelona to Athens, with lots in between! I fell in love with her on the first cruise and cannot wait to board her again. Her small size eliminates all the aggravation that goes with huge crowds and what she lacks in "bells and whistles" (like on the mega-ships) she more than makes up for in fascinating ports of call, superior service, experienced fellow travelers (no bucket of beer crowd and hairy chest contests on Prinsendam) and a charming kind of old-fashioned ocean liner vibe. You will find lots of repeat cruisers on her which says a lot. I always hesitate to recommend anything to friends but I would suggest that you give Prinsendam a try----at least once! Whatever you decide to sail on, happy cruising!

Bibiinri

[luvtwotrvl]

Yes, I really do love the small dam ships. I hate the big crowds. I really love the Amsterdam and the Ryndam which they are selling, darn! I know the Prinsendam is smaller, which I think I would love.

 

David

[kazu]

Yes, it does help kazu.

For some of those ports, it is hard for us to be able to cruise too especially St. John. I have been to St. John but it was on the Eurodam that docked in St. Thomas. I took an excursion to St. John then. I would love to try the Prinsendam, I have heard some many good things about the ship. I am looking into a oceanview or an inside cabin.

 

David

 

I hear you on that stop David. I had to take the ferry last time. One of the nice things about the Prinsendam is she is small and can dock where others can not. I remember my first and second cruise on her where we had tender ports and the announcement came on "Ladies and gentlemen I'm sorry we can't tender today - you will have to walk off the ship - we have docked".

 

The P'dam was the first ship to dock in Fuerteventura's new dock they had created and no one else would try it. we were greeted so well it was just enthralling. We also docked at another 'tender' port.

 

Just too good when you skip the tender crap.

 

St. John would be a great stop. It's a beautiful island.

 

but remember I'm subjective - I do love this ship - if I am disappointed you will all here about it - hopefully not.

 

Have a great cruise no matter what you decide.

 

If you are looking at some inside cabins - there are some HUGE ones that are on the same deck as the AB verandahs. HUGE. they were the old suite/SY cabins. They are squarish and bit blah but they are big.

 

hit HALfacts.com - skiww posted his pics of that cabin I believe and I was in it. It's a very nice size.

 

Lots of other cabins there of course, and I am hoping to get more for HALfacts when I get on board.

Edited August 15, 2014 by kazu

[sammiedawg]

I'm a minority opinion, I did not rate it as a value added experience. I did not feel the extra per diem translated into better food and service verses other Holland America ships. The ship was very blah to me and it felt like a very old vessel. Our cabin and bath were in fine shape but some of the public areas seemed worn out to me and some areas had a musty smell. The dining rooms were beautiful. I'm sorry but I didn't feel the love others do.

[casamariposa]

Yes, it is worth it. And, yes, "it is an old vessel," which is exactly why it is worth it to so many of us. I did the holiday cruise last December-January. It was wonderful. Enjoy!!!

[LindaM]

I'm a minority opinion, I did not rate it as a value added experience. I did not feel the extra per diem translated into better food and service verses other Holland America ships. The ship was very blah to me and it felt like a very old vessel. Our cabin and bath were in fine shape but some of the public areas seemed worn out to me and some areas had a musty smell. The dining rooms were beautiful. I'm sorry but I didn't feel the love others do.

 

This goes to show how people can see things differently!! I thought her public areas were in excellent shape. In fact, I was wondering if she had work done in the past year that I didn't know about!! Now our cabin was another story....we had a balcony(158) for the first time. It looked like someone had a fight in it!! The mirror above the couch had a large crack and the cabinet door in front of the fridge was gouged and the bottom looked like a dog had chewed it up!! The bathroom grout was in bad shape, as well!! We've had cabin 443 twice, and 463 which were fine---at least I don't remember any issues.

 

I totally disagree about the ship being "blah" and we never smelled anything musty. Well....back to our cabin....I did smell sewage from time to time. I don't regret having that cabin as it was wonderful to have the huge balcony window, which made the room more cheerful and light than the OV's.

 

We are sailing her again....this time in 30 on deck 10. Hopefully no fights occurred in that cabin. Truthfully, I'm wondering if the picture on the mirror didn't fall off during rough seas at some point and something might have slammed into the cabinet door. The carpet was also frayed there, as well.

 

To me, it's well worth it to pay a premium to sail a small ship with an exemplary crew. We met some other Prinsendam lovers who said her service is superior to Seabourn. I can only compare her to Regent, where she wins, hands down.

[cthamburg]

We did a 71 day cruise on the Prinsendam, March - May, 2014 and loved the smaller ship. It was the Grand Med and then the first two week extension from Rome to Amsterdam, around the Iberian Peninsula, up the coast of France to Amsterdam.

 

The itinerary was outstanding and as one comment above stated, the smaller ports give some new places to visit that bigger ships can't go so we had a chance to see quite a few new places. For example, we sailed up the river to Bordeaux, France, a place usually visited by river cruises.

 

The rooms were great with walk in closets and much more storage than on other ships.

 

We had a top quality staff, largely because we were on a Grand Voyage, so I am not sure if the staff will be as experienced on your holiday cruise as we had. The first week in January, the ship does the Grand South America and probably much of Grand Voyage crew will be coming on board and will have had the holidays off.

 

The only two things we didn't care for were the crowded elevators -- there are only four for the whole ship (but remember the ship capacity was smaller) -- and the Lido pool is open to the sky and, unlike other ships, there is no roof. It means if there is rain, you either leave or get wet. Lido dining of course is covered. I wouldn't let either of those factors deter me from doing another cruise on the Prinsendam.

 

We liked the Prinsendam very much.

[Hlitner]

Yes, it is worth it. And, yes, "it is an old vessel," which is exactly why it is worth it to so many of us. I did the holiday cruise last December-January. It was wonderful. Enjoy!!!

 

You are correct that it feels like an old vessel....because it is an old vessel. I guess many HAL cruisers love the ship because they are "old" cruisers :)

 

Hank

[PathfinderEss]

You are correct that it feels like an old vessel....because it is an old vessel. I guess many HAL cruisers love the ship because they are "old" cruisers :)

 

Hank

You have a point Hlitner!

[catl331]

I'm a minority opinion, I did not rate it as a value added experience. I did not feel the extra per diem translated into better food and service verses other Holland America ships.

DH and I are with you. We felt it was very much like S-class ships, and would only pay the premium price again for a very special itinerary. Edited August 16, 2014 by catl331

[Seafoam Green]

I am a huge fan of the small ship! St Barts is a port you would not see on a larger ship, and that's a fun bonus. Take a taxi tour around the island and then decide where you want to hang out. Don't rent a car because it's all steep inclines, hairpin turns and narrow roads - let someone else drive!

 

:D

[rafinmd]

"Worth it" is a very personal question, but for me it is. I prefer to sail Crystal and Prinsendam is the closest thing I've seen to them in a mainstream ship. It's really the only ship I consider a fitting alternative.

 

Roy

[cruiselovers20]

it is definitely a personal decision. we just sailed her for the 1st time this past June/July and were a bit skeptical about it because we never sailed a small and older ship.

Well, we LOVE that ship! and we had the one of the best captains we ever sailed with!. Actually, the ship felt larger than some of the other HAL ships as it feels more airy and it is decorated a lot lighter colors.

We would love to sail on the Prinsendam again in the very near future!

ps. While we were on our sailing, they were installing wi-fi to make it accessible in the cabins. They are trying to keep this beautiful ship as up-to-date as it is possible.

[Modern_Viking]

A few thoughts to help you make up your mind:

 

Since the Prinsendam is the smallest of the Dam ships, she often stops in smaller ports that the other ships just don't visit. On the itinerary you listed, some are standard ports, but many are just not visited by other HAL ships. If you really want to go to different places, this could be your chance.

 

Sometimes you can avoid tendering, but often you cannot. Some of the ports are small, even for the Prinsendam, so you will have to tender. That being said, I tend to find that as a ship gets smaller, the sooner the "open tendering" service can begin. In other words, tendering is easier and more efficient on smaller ships than on larger ones. Thus, another advantage for the Prinsendam over other Dam ships.

 

Prinsendam is currently the only HAL ship not built for HAL, thus she has a somewhat different personality. Some of her decor is more Scandinavian and in lighter shades than what is found on other HAL ships. She also doesn't have a 2 story dining room. That being said, she still has basically the same public rooms as the other HAL ships, just not always in the same place. The food is similar to other HAL ships, the bar menu is basically the same. The shops and casino are smaller and easier to avoid, but there are fewer people to visit them. The main showroom has a smaller stage and smaller casts for the production shows as well.

 

The inside cabins on Prinsendam are much smaller than most that are found on the S-class and R-class ships. The beds in them also do not combine to form a king or queen. I see one person mentioned at least one large inside, but I suspect that might be an "Accessible" room. The outsides on Dolphin and Main deck can be nice. The cabins on the Promenade deck were retrofitted to the ship within the past few years. Despite being newer, many people seem to have posted complaints about noise and vibrations.

 

Again, Prinsendam is an older ship, so she will show some wear and tare, the engines and propellers vibrate more than on many newer ships, her air conditioning does not always work as well as desired. She was designed for long duration, ocean voyages, however, so cabins have good storage space and the hull seems to handle rough seas well.

 

But, she is easy to navigate (less walking), goes places other HAL ships don't go, carries fewer people so getting on and off is easier. You will probably see the same people more often compared with sailing on a large ship (where you might see many more new people each day).

 

Deciding if the extra cost is worth it is a personal choice. Do you want the less-traveled ports and to have fewer people along for the ride with you? The personality of the passengers on-board also tends to be a bit different. There will be more experienced cruisers who like longer voyages and like to socialize quietly vs. being in a nightclub or piano bar. Of course, one finds many of the same people on other HAL ships, but the Prinsendam probably attracts more of the type. Also, there is no designated youth/kids area on the Prinsendam, but in past holiday cruises, I have seen her "Stuyvesant Room" on Dolphin deck partially reserved for that purpose (and at other times on those trips used for religious services).

 

Personally, I have sailed the Prinsendam, Maasdam, Amsterdam, Oosterdam, and 5 other non-HAL ships. Each has their advantages and disadvantages. I think itinerary options is one place the Prinsendam shines.

[kazu]

Just to clarify per Modern Vikings post, The inside cabin I mentioned earlier is not an accessible cabin.

[rafinmd]

David, with regard to OV cabins I’ve stayed in 377 and 381 (pictures on halfacts.com). I’m not sure they’re any better than any others, but I was very happy with them. I think I would avoid the insides on deck 8. The surrounding verandah cabins have experienced serious vibration issues and I expect the insides would as well.

 

Unfortunately the Prinsendam is a bit of a leap of faith. She doesn’t do simple itineraries, so a first cruise on her is a real commitment. I’ve had 2 such commitments with mixed results. The first was the Silver Whisper. I love Crystal and prefer smaller ships. I hoped my 2 weeks on the Whisper would be really special, and while they were enjoyable they were also totally ordinary. That negative surprise had me a bit concerned about the Prinsendam. It was a pretty expensive 3 weeks on a mainstream ship while I was more accustomed to luxury. I was totally blown away by that first Prinsendam cruise. The only negative was that it was not as good as my SECOND time on the Elegant Explorer.

 

Roy

[Hlitner]

This thread just proves the point that some folks love the P'Dam while others would prefer other ships. That being said, we were once told (while on the P'Dam) that this particular ship has the highest percentage of repeaters in the fleet. Interesting.

 

Hank

[kazu]

This thread just proves the point that some folks love the P'Dam while others would prefer other ships. That being said, we were once told (while on the P'Dam) that this particular ship has the highest percentage of repeaters in the fleet. Interesting.

 

Hank

 

This is a ship you love or don't want to sail (I won't say hate). And yes, last time I was on the P'dam it still had the highest repeat passenger list in the fleet.

 

Funny enough when we were on the Westerdam, the captain announced that the Westerdam had the highest percentage of repeat passengers and then ever so softly, next to the Prinsendam, but that doesn't count, she's miles ahead of the rest. So, I would say more love her than dislike/not care for/hate her

[luvtwotrvl]

The way I see it. The Prinsendam must be doing something right since this ship has the most repeat customers in all of the DAM fleet.

Edited August 18, 2014 by luvtwotrvl

[iancal]

'Love is in the eyes of the beholder"

Edited August 18, 2014 by iancal

[luvtwotrvl]

'Love is in the eyes of the beholder"

 

Excellent Point!