Live from Prinsendam Grand SA

[localady]

Thanks Arzz for sharing your wonderful South American Adventure with us!! :D

Safe Travels for the rest of your journey!!:)

[Love Cruises]

Arzz ... Thank you from me also for the beautiful job you did describing your time on the Prisendam. If we can't be there, it is people like you that make it easier for us to be there at least in "spirit". Hope you have a wonderful next few days and have a very safe trip home. I look forward to your photos when you return!

 

Thanks again!

[jhannah]

What beautiful verbal pictures you've laid on the pallette. I almost feel like I'm there. (Wish I were!)

 

Have a safe and pleasant journey home ... as pleasant as ending such a wonderful cruise can be.

[arzz]

Northwest Toward Buenos Aires

 

Today and tomorrow we are at sea. As we head northwest we have now entered the Atlantic Ocean -- our seas are almost flat, the sun shines, the temperatures are rising, the harsh winds are disappearing, the skies now show only one weather and sunset is getting pink and orange again instead of the clear yellow-green of Antarctica. And, after sunset it is once again completely dark.

 

Today was a nice, quiet sea day that has allowed me to ponder some of those things that have made this trip so incredibly remarkable -- I find myself thinking that I may take many more cruises, but it will be extremely difficult to top this one. Just some preliminary impressions of what makes this trip so special (besides the extraordinary events of this cruise) follow:

 

--I love this ship. It is a perfect size. Enough wonderful people on board for lots of variety, but small enough to make a lot of friends.

 

--The staff is incredible. They have repeatedly performed above and beyond the call of duty. Service is understated, but they cannot do enough for us. We have been made to feel that the ship is our home.

 

--There is no pressure on board to spend at the shops, play the casino, visit the spa or repeatedly have our pictures taken. All these services are available but at our discretion, according to our needs.

 

--The intercom has been used (under normal circumstances) once daily by the Captain -- as an informational network not as a bingo advertisement.

 

--And Bingo only costs $10 for three cards

 

--Frank Buckingham, our excellent port lecturer actually speaks about our ports, their history, their sights, and practical information about what to see and how to get around. He does not appear to be a front for the local shops

 

--The Crow’s Nest on board is a wonderful space -- much smaller and more intimate than on the other HAL ships -- we have really enjoyed spending time there

 

--We enjoyed the lecturers that we have had on board -- we enjoyed the narrations that were available on outside decks, the Crow’s Nest and on channel 40 during our scenic cruising

 

--We really enjoyed the mini-dutch pancakes that they made for us during lunch in the Lido.

 

Though tomorrow is a sea day it promises to be very busy.

 

From 42 degrees south latitude.

[RuthC]

--Frank Buckingham, our excellent port lecturer actually speaks about our ports, their history, their sights, and practical information about what to see and how to get around. He does not appear to be a front for the local shops.

So nice to read that Frank is aboard and still doing his exemplary job of it.

If there were more "port lecturers" like Frank I would be sure to go to each and every lecture. He sure does seem to know his way around the world. ;)

[bcummin]

Thank you so much, arzz, for sharing this adventure with us. When my DH was in the Navy, he wintered over twice in Antarctica. In 1965 he was the Radioman at Palmer Station on Anvers Island, providing the only winter communications for the scientists and support personnel. Now they have Tourists and Cruise Ships. You can guess what one of our dreams is.

[Aussie Gal]

Arzz,

 

I have enjoyed reading your wonderful posts and must concur that the Prinsendam is indeed a beautiful ship with a wonderful Captain. We were on the Prinsendam in 2004 with Captain Gundersen and enjoyed every day of that cruise. The Ship was just the right size for us and of course the crew were very special. We hope one day to be able to sail on her again.

 

Jennie

[Ine]

<<-We really enjoyed the mini-dutch pancakes that they made for us during lunch in the Lido.>>

 

POFFERTJES...mmmm.. with melted butter and (powder)sugar.

 

I enjoyed your reports very much, thank you very much for taking the time to write it..

It was great to read about antartica, it must have been wonderful.

[DesrtDrmr]

We are sorry to see your trip come to an end, and we thank you so much for sharing your fabulous experience with us.

We hope to someday do that wonderful cruise, and someday to cruise on your beloved Prinsendam.

Happy, and safe, travel home, and we look forward to hearing about your next cruise.

Thank you again, for brightening our days.

[arzz]

They really do things right here on the Prinsendam. Today is our last sea day and we have been busy all day long. It began with the disembarkation talk :( . It was held in the Crow’s Nest for the small group that is leaving the ship in Buenos Aires. We were served mimosas, champaign and chocolates.

 

Then, it was on to the Mariner’s Party -- just for those of us who were leaving the ship. That was a real treat as it was held in the Captain’s Quarters. A lovely intimate space where there was more champaign and mimosas and we all felt very special. The Captain pointed out that his quarters on this ship are the largest Captain’s quarters in the HAL fleet and they were intended to be capable of hosting small get togethers.

 

After the reception we had an invitation to the Captain’s lunch at the Pinnacle Grill. That is a truly delightful space designed with a wood paneled nautical, yet elegant feel-- the Captain said the Pinnacle Grill is his favorite space on board and I can very much agree. After a delightful meal we were all given tiles with the Prinsendam I on them.

 

After lunch the Captain, our Ice Captain, and our Antarctica Guide held a question and answer session in the Queen’s Lounge which was followed closely by a special afternoon concert of classical oboe music given by Salima Wazir one of the very talented solo performers that we were treated to on this voyage.

 

What a day to remember this ship by. It will be hard to match or beat this cruise experience.

 

At lunch our table was hosted by one of the Holland America staff whose title is “Hostess”. Clearly one of the experiences that we all recounted was our encounter with the waves. Our HAL Hostess then went on to comment that someone on cruise critic had posted that the Prinsendam had sunk. Now this is a rumor that I have heard murmured on board by a few people. I placed this rumor in the same pocket that I place most of the on board rumors -- the one to be discarded.

 

I have not publicly shared that I have posted a blog of this cruise (nor did I release that information today), and I was quite surprised to hear this rumor being spread by HAL crew. I can’t imagine that it could be this thread that would lead to such a conclusion (could it?) -- and I do not have the internet minutes to cruise the whole cruise critic web site -- please, however, enlighten me -- have I missed something? Was there such a thread or posting somewhere on cruise critic? Does my thread somehow imply that we sank?

 

If there is such a posting I would appreciate a link to it.

 

Thanks

[hammybee]

I am aware of only one thread that reported the Prinsendam had been hit by two 60 foot waves and concern for the well being of all pax. The author was redirected to your thread and has clearly gotten up to speed via your first hand report. So the rumors you are hearing about appear to be noise.

 

I am one of those rare cruisers that does not care for at sea days but your day at sea sounds absolutely delightful. I am sure we would all love to hear more about the captains quarters upon your return, when you have time.

[Grumpy1]

Arzz, I certainly have not seen anything that would imply that the the Prinsendam had gone down. there was a thread not too long ago where someone mentioned the sinking of the Prinsendam I, but that had nothing to do with your thread or the current Prinsendam. Of course, it's possible that some ill informed person on one of the other boards could have started a rumor, but I haven't seen anything.

 

I'm so pleased that you were made to feel special on your last day on board... after all, you are special and it's nice that HAL recognizes that:)

 

The Captain's Quarters are quite nice, aren't they. The leather couches and chairs are the only items on the ship that have not been re-upholstered since the ship was built.

 

Enjoy your trip to Iguazu Falls.

[hammybee]

The CC Search Function is working so I looked for "sinking Prinsendam". All that's out there is the 1980 thing which is certainly not news.

[RuthC]

arzz, I read every single post in every single thread on the HAL board. I have read no posts to the effect that this Prinsendam sank.

There is a remote possibility that I missed a post when it became one of the "hidden" posts that don't update the thread and move it to the top, but in that case I doubt that any ship staff/crew would have read it either.

So, there ya have it! Several of us testifying that news was not posted on this board.

[RuthC]

That's twice today.

[earl_m]

ARZZ . I would like to thank you for an incredile report on your cruise. I really enjoy it and hope to hear about your next cruise!!

[Aussie Gal]

Arzz,

 

Before I found your thread I started a post entitled "Prinsendam Hits Big Waves?" I had read about the ship in the World Voyage Posts and wanted to find out more about what had happened. Here is the link to those posts which Hammybee is referring to:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=489220&highlight=Aussie+gal

 

You will see that after starting the topic, I found your thread and it more less came to an end.

 

Jennie

[greatexpectations]

My wife and I have been reading your posts (as well as anything else on the Prinsendam) and can confirm the rumors you inquired about are all false. We have never been on HAL (only Cunard to Europe and Princess to Alaska), but after reading about your wonderful adventure to Antarctica on the Prinsendam, we decided that you only live once and have succumbed to the call of Prinsendam's Grand Voyage Africa next year so if anyone gives you grief about your terrific posts just tell them you are responsible for at least one new HAL booking (and I suspect many more). Good work!

[CruiseBumm]

Abosolutly enjoyable reviews. Sounds like I'll have to put South America cruise on my todo list. We decided to spend our chilrens inheratance and have fun on some crusing around to places we want to see.

 

Again it was a pleasyre reading yur reviews.

[arzz]

Thank you so much for your support -- you people are the best.

 

Buenos Aires was wonderful -- will write about it and Iguazu when I get the chance -- we are packing tonight :( . I do not know if we will have internet access in our hotels over the next few days.

 

Unfortunately all those who booked the one day excursion to Iguazu Falls with HAL were disappointed as HAL was unable to reschedule that tour.

 

I have really enjoyed sharing my travels with all of you, my internet friends.

[Nancyquilts]

Arzz - Thank you so much for taking us along on your cruise. I truly wish I could have been there - big waves and all - aboard our favorite ship. Please post pictures.

I can't speak for the proposed cabin of your friends, but we had an inside on a higher deck under a laundry room and only heard noise once - when a dryer door was left open at night. And a call to the desk solved that problem promptly. Nancy

[Flyingfish]

And Arzz, I thank you for the adventure, it was a pleasure!

[DFD1]

No report of a sinking; only your chilling and fascinating report of rounding the Horn TWICE!

 

Safe trip home! Please fill us in on the last days of your trip when you can.

 

It has been just great reading about your time in this fascinating part of the world.

 

Thanks so much. Threads like yours are what make Cruise Critic so unique and valuable.

[LILynn]

Aarz -

 

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful adventure with us. I feel like I was right there with you throughout your journey. I even made my DH read this thread the other night hoping that maybe one day he might want to make this voyage as well.....

 

I wish you a safe trip home and can't wait to see your pictures once you are able to post them. I am sorry that your trip to the falls got cancelled but now you have a reason to go back :)

 

Stay safe....

 

Lynn

[OldCodger73]

arzz, I'm sure we're all waiting for the answer to this question as we've all enjoyed your description of this cruise so much-- when and to where is your next one?