Confirmed! Prinsendam has been sold! (4 threads merged)

[JRG]

I'm so tired about reading the many homer accolades about the Prisendam having the best food and the softest TP and the best crew passenger ratio and the best Liver and Onions and it cuts through waves better than other ships.....etc,etc.etc.

 

Frankly I never believed any of it.

Its an old cruise ship and it has been SOLD. Move on.

[RJ2002]

... Prinsendam Neptune Lounge was the worst we had ever experienced in location, layout and offerings. ....

 

We really liked the NL on the Prinsendam, particularly the veranda... which I don't think any of the other ships' NL have. We'd go out there and enjoy a beverage, and on occasion, exchange pleasantries with officers on the bridge. For Neptune guests on the Lido deck, the location was pretty good in my opinion. If your suite was on the Sports deck, a trip up and down the stairs or elevator was required. Perhaps that is coloring your opinion?

 

Anyway, just goes to show that, like many things, it's a matter of personal preference.

[OlsSalt]

We really liked the NL on the Prinsendam, particularly the veranda... which I don't think any of the other ships' NL have. We'd go out there and enjoy a beverage, and on occasion, exchange pleasantries with officers on the bridge. For Neptune guests on the Lido deck, the location was pretty good in my opinion. If your suite was on the Sports deck, a trip up and down the stairs or elevator was required. Perhaps that is coloring your opinion?

 

Anyway, just goes to show that, like many things, it's a matter of personal preference.

 

Indeed, we were on the Sport Deck (in a wonderful Neptune Suite up there) so it was a hike to get to the NL. We thought the layout of the NL was cramped and not very commodious for more than a few people, the snack offerings were quite dismal on that cruise and the balcony was exposed and uninviting. It looked and felt like it was a former cabin adapted for use as a NL We only used it a few times and then did not bother going there any longer. On all other ships, we make daily use of the NL.

 

The one highlight for us on the Prinsendam was the very wonderful Sports Deck suites so we spent a lot of time there because little else on the rest of the ship competed with that sense of space and privacy. We were also on a very port intensive cruise so perhaps we never got the full sense of the ship itself. However, from what we did see we were underwhelmed overall after reading all the accolades it predictably generated here. We enjoy all our HAL ships, Prinsendam no more or no less. The Black Sea itinerary was 100% fabulous. (Barcelona via Turkey and Black Sea to Athens)

 

On another note that ultimately became a bad joke, the room service was terrible and we did register our reasonable complaints after a few more mishaps. We then got the very solicitous apology note hoping the gift of chocolate strawberries would make amends ....except the note was delivered without the plate of chocolate strawberries. You can only laugh after that. We gave up.

[sammiedawg]

And yet you just about never post on the HAL forum, with the one exception that you never miss an opportunity to slam the Prinsendam.

 

After all these years, it has gone past predictable to tiresome. At least in a year (or so), that will come to an end. There's an 'up' side to everything, even the sad news of the Prinsendam leaving the fleet.

 

I’ve consistently said food and service were standard for the fleet. If that insults people so be it. Some HAL fans might say it is faint praise.

I actually post on lots of subjects but my post count is quite modest compared to some.

 

I knew I would get yelled at.

[Wehwalt]

Would you mind expanding on what you found special about the final voyage?

 

Well, there was the ceremony as we left Seattle on the Statendam, with tugboats shooting water and HAL employees on shore waving good bye. And there seemed to be little extras, like daily briefings from officers, often on navigation, I remember the one where they demonstrated putting on a HAZMAT suit. The silent auction for the "first visit" port plaques was great fun, and it was an unusual itinerary.

 

Regrettably I can't go on the final Prinsendam sailing after all as it conflicts with my elder nephew's high school graduation.

Edited July 4, 2018 by Wehwalt

[Sea girl 23]

Get over it. This is a cruise ship not a close relative. Things change, time marches on.

 

Pretty.Much. And HAL are not building small ships(though nothing as big as some of the other lines have,thank goodness for that!)

[*Miss G*]

Well, there was the ceremony as we left Seattle on the Statendam, with tugboats shooting water and HAL employees on shore waving good bye. And there seemed to be little extras, like daily briefings from officers, often on navigation, I remember the one where they demonstrated putting on a HAZMAT suit. The silent auction for the "first visit" port plaques was great fun, and it was an unusual itinerary.

 

Regrettably I can't go on the final Prinsendam sailing after all as it conflicts with my elder nephew's high school graduation.

Thank you for responding. It does sound like it would be special.

[JeffElizabeth]

We just did 28 days on the Prinsendam and thoroughly enjoyed it. That was our fourth cruise on the Elegant Explorer to very cool stops like the Kiel and Antwerp. We will miss her.

[cruisemom42]

Whatever one's personal feelings about the Prinsendam, she was loved by many, and many others enjoyed cruising on her. Seems to me that one could be a bit sympathetic or empathetic just at this moment and allow those with good memories of Prinsendam to express them....and those who are sad to see this day likewise express their feelings.

 

Would you go up to someone who was sad because a friend just moved away and say "I never liked him anyway." :rolleyes: One hopes not!

[amusea]

I sailed on the Royal Viking Sun soon after it was launched in 1988. It was the flagship of the line and was extremely elegant. It was basically used for ocean travel since the claim was that it had a V-shaped bottom rather than the flatter bottom of most cruise ships which gave it greater stability. Then I sailed on her again when she became the Seabourn Sun. Unfortunately the configuration of many cabins did not compare well to other Seabourn ships that offered mostly suites. So after a few years it was sold to HAL and named the Prinsendam. I have never sailed on the ship since it became part of the Holland America fleet. But I think that it is the perfect size for sailing the world because of its ability to reach so many different ports. I hope it finds a good new home.

[portofrome]

I did just one cruise on her and it was one of the best ever! For the size of the cabin, the walking in closet, the service, the food, the Pinnacle... a very Lady of the sea!

[bronxgal40]

The prinsendam has been sold to the german cruise line. It will continue with booked itineraries until july 1, 2019 - because it has been leased back to hal from the german cruise line. After

 

july 1, 2019 it will not be sailing for hal.

[Cruzaholic41]

Would you go up to someone who was sad because a friend just moved away and say "I never liked him anyway." :rolleyes: One hopes not!

 

No, but there is a big difference between the loss of a friend and the loss of an inanimate object. :rolleyes:

[JB&JLG74]

No, but there is a big difference between the loss of a friend and the loss of an inanimate object. :rolleyes:

I have 341 days on Prinsendam with another 82 for Fall 2018. I have gotten to know the crew and many of the repeat passengers. It feels like the loss of many friends, not just a friend.

 

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[cruisemom42]

No, but there is a big difference between the loss of a friend and the loss of an inanimate object. :rolleyes:

 

A loss is a loss. If your house burned down you might think, "Gee, we made a lot of memories in that house. I'm going to miss it, even if it had some quirks."

 

Same applies here.

[bUU]

... and the crew to passenger ratio is nearly 2:1. pretty dam good and the service shows.

So what you are saying is that it was more costly to operate. Thanks for clarifying this.

 

A loss is a loss. If your house burned down you might think, "Gee, we made a lot of memories in that house. I'm going to miss it, even if it had some quirks."

That's true but perspective would illumine that we're taking about a combined bus and hotel, not a home. There is so much out there on to which to spread our care and concern; focusing it on something that should have been recognized as ephemeral to start with means it was withheld from being spread more liberally, on durable things (such as the ports visited and the people who live there, and the seas themselves). Over-investing in the ephemeral has a cost; the question is do we pay the costs we incur with grace?

 

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

[shrimp56]

So what you are saying is that it was more costly to operate. Thanks for clarifying this.

 

That's true but perspective would illumine that we're taking about a combined bus and hotel, not a home. There is so much out there on to which to spread our care and concern; focusing it on something that should have been recognized as ephemeral to start with means it was withheld from being spread more liberally, on durable things (such as the ports visited and the people who live there, and the seas themselves). Over-investing in the ephemeral has a cost; the question is do we pay the costs we incur with grace?

 

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

We all have a right to our own reasons for mourning a loss. That includes you. If you don't want to remember in the manner that as other posters do, that's fine. What isn't fine is your continually putting down those whose response to an issue differs from yours.

[Cruzaholic41]

A loss is a loss. If your house burned down you might think, "Gee, we made a lot of memories in that house. I'm going to miss it, even if it had some quirks."

 

Same applies here.

 

That is not even remotely similar.

[Sir PMP]

So what you are saying is that it was more costly to operate. Thanks for clarifying this.

 

That's true but perspective would illumine that we're taking about a combined bus and hotel, not a home. There is so much out there on to which to spread our care and concern; focusing it on something that should have been recognized as ephemeral to start with means it was withheld from being spread more liberally, on durable things (such as the ports visited and the people who live there, and the seas themselves). Over-investing in the ephemeral has a cost; the question is do we pay the costs we incur with grace?

 

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

 

Here comes the usual nonsense again...

[*Miss G*]

This thread. :')

 

I am mourning the ephemeral loss of the time I have invested in this thread. On the bright side, it has certainly served to illumine those who are withholding grace. ;p

[KirkNC]

Here comes the usual nonsense again...

 

Remember the ignore function, very useful.

[Aquahound]

This thread. :')

 

I am mourning the ephemeral loss of the time I have invested in this thread. On the bright side, it has certainly served to illumine those who are withholding grace. ;p

 

I'll admit...I had to look up "ephemeral." :D This is the first I opened this thread because I have no opinion one way or the other. I've never even seen Prinsendam let alone sailed her. But the last few posts were all I needed to read to see how this one was going. ;)

[shrimp56]

Here comes the usual nonsense again...

Yep.

[bUU]

We all have a right to our own reasons for mourning a loss.

No doubt, but mourning is internally focused. It's not something that warrants any recriminations directed externally. My mother passed away many years ago. The wife of one of my brothers worked to try to make it into someone's fault. That wasn't healthy... for anyone.

 

 

Here comes the usual nonsense again...

And by "nonsense" you mean rational logic. Heavens forbid!

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

[innlady1]

I haven’t commented in this thread as we’ve never cruised on the P-dam. Others in the same situation should do the same. We’ve nothing useful to add. [emoji850]

 

 

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