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Live from Prinsendam Grand SA

arzz

By arzz,
in Holland America Line

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hammybee

hammybee

Posted
Posted

I am queasy from watching the wave action from your cabin window and I never get sick. This exceeded anything I imagined from your reports.

 

Your pix are fabulous- oh that rainbow in the mist and the falls, and the passions of penguins.

 

I shall return to this after calming my tummy.

 

Thank you so much for your continued reporting, pix and the videos.

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ElizabethxoNoel

ElizabethxoNoel

Posted
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Hi. I really enjoy reading all of your posts. The cruise sounds amazing. I was just wondering if you could go to the salon and see if there is a girl by the name of Megan. She used to do my hair here in Wisconsin, and she was the best! I have emailed her, as have others, but there is no response. If shes there, please tell her that Elizabeth (the one who talked about Germany all the time), Ashley, and the rest of us say Hi. Thanks in advance for checking.

 

Elizabeth

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LILynn

LILynn

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Thanks so much Arzz for posting your pics and videos. I need to go on this trip! I just wished I hadn't had breakfast before I watched the videos.

 

Do you have any more trips planned????

 

Lynn

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jurasch

jurasch

Posted
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I'd love to see your photos but the link says owner has used up time and/or bandwith.

Please let me know if there is any other way to view them. I've followed your daily posts and have been armchair traveling with you daily.

 

thanks.

jurasch.

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  • 1 month later...
thawan

thawan

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We just got back from picking up our docs for Alaska. While we were there we told our ta we do not want to be in Vancouver during the 2010 Olympicks. He suggest this itinery. So of course I did a search on cc for info :)

 

All I can say is thank you and WOW :D

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arzz

arzz

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Interesting question -- before we left home we booked HAL excursions that would guarantee that we would do those things that were most important to us -- we did not want to spend the money and time on this cruise only to discover, in port, that we blew some opportunity that was very important to making our trip what we wanted it to be.

 

That said, we did not book excursions at every port -- some ports all we did was go out and walk on our own, other places we hired a driver to take us around. Many people on board did that at several ports, and if you share the driver with another couple the cost only gets better.

 

In retrospect -- what excursions did we take that offered us an experience that we could not duplicate on our own and that we felt was really worthwhile? I would definitely put our excursion in Puerto Montt to the Alerce Lodge and Lake of Reflections in that category -- it was a truly unique and superb experience that we could not have done on our own. We certainly enjoyed seeing the penguins at Otway Bay which is some distance from the port in Punta Arenas -- not sure how you would do that on your own. I would definitely not recommend the trip at Arica, Chile to the Lauca National Park -- far too much time in the bus, far too little reward at the top. Cannot speak for the other excursions in Arica. I cannot speak to our experience in Valparaiso as it was purchased for us by our travel agent and we had a wonderful day. Our trip from Puerto Chacabuco to Coyhaique City was a very pleasant day with some great views along the way.

 

If what you enjoy doing is shopping, whether it be at the expensive mall-like stores or at local markets, you can always do that on your own at virtually any port. No excursion required. If you enjoy some touring in order to see what an area looks like or has to offer -- hiring your own car is always an option.

 

We did our Machu Pichu pre-tour with HAL -- reasoning was that Peru is a very poor country, we do not speak the language, and even though it is possible to arrange your own trip at much less expense than HAL's excursion -- since this was the beginning of a long adventure we chose the "safe" route -- the HAL tour so that there would be no unwelcome "surprises". We had a great tour, we were treated well, and we had no unwelcome experiences.

 

Unless you are not comfortable travelling on your own, if you disembark at Buenos Aires (or at Rio) I would recommend arranging your own trip to Iguazu falls -- no need for a guide there. I would, however, recommend doing it with HAL if you are not leaving the ship as too many things (like delayed flights) can go wrong and you could miss your ship.

 

Hope this helps.

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witholz

witholz

Posted
Posted

Thanks for your reply, We do not like malls and shopping, so maybe this is not the cruise for us, just thought we would see lots of South America.

Was very interested in Amazon River etc.We like real stuff and nature.

We did a Baltic cruise couple of years ago and that was for us as was Hawaii.

Joe and Dolly Parker

Key Largo,Fl

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arzz

arzz

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If you like nature there is a ton of it just outside your window and off the promenade -- lots of scenic cruising in the Chilean Fjords and Antarctica.

 

We also saw a lot of nature on those shore excursions -- the Patagonian rainforest (including a two hour hike) in Puerto Montt -- Penguins at Otway Bay -- the Atacama desert in Northern Chile --

 

But, at the ports it will be ports as usual -- containers, container ships, straw markets, etc -- you would have to actively seek the nature.

 

For us it was the cruise of a lifetime -- but I can understand that it is not for everyone.

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bobnsandi

bobnsandi

Posted
Posted

Thanks for the great stories and information.

 

I just posted the following over on the Roll Call, but this thread is a lot more interesting.

 

We are in the final stages of booking the 2008 SA cruise. I have not found a Roll Call yet on CC. Is there one?

 

We were booked on the Dec 18, 2007 Rotterdam, but this cruise looks like a winner, and from what I am reading here, the Prinsendam is a great ship. So, I guess we are throwing out one Dam ship for another...

 

A couple of questions:

 

*) We will be getting the #$@% Brazil visa, but have to wait because we don't enter Brazil until day 43 of the cruise. I understand that the visas must be obtained no more than 90 days to entering the country. Is this right?

 

*) Are there any other visa requirements for this 68-day cruise?

 

*) We already got the pitch for yellow fever vaccine. Boy is that expensive! Anyway, I see from this board that typhoid (oral) is very desirable. I guess that would be true due to the Amazon river section?

 

*) The Prinsendam will stay in Lima (port) for almost 2 full days. Is that enough time to get to Machu Picchu, or do you get off at an earlier port, visit Machu Picchu, and then get back on the Prinsendam at Lima (port)? [This question may be answered in this thread, I have a lot of reading to do!]

 

Hmmm, 100 lbs of luggage. I can probably do that, but Sandi is proud of being able to pack for a cruise using only a large purse. (That's a joke, honey! )

Perhaps the 100lbs will be just camera equipment.

 

Thanks for any help.

 

 

Bob

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arzz

arzz

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We only cruised the segment from Callao to Buenos Aires -- but I do believe that I can address some of your questions

 

1 and 2 -- I think that the only visa you will need is for Brazil, but visa requirements can change -- never fear, HAL will be sending you all of the pre-cruise information that you need -- we, like you, had originally booked the Rotterdam until we found the Prinsendam sailing. Once we booked that, we started to receive periodic notes from HAL (a precruise reading list, a Christmas card from Stein Kruse, letters about shore excursions, and a packet with information about required visas and immunizations as well as those suggested, a list of special precruise packages on things like laundry and internet, etc) -- HAL offers a Visa service (it is more expensive to use than getting your own visa, but if you do not have the appropriate consular office near home it works well)

 

3 -- as far as innoculations go -- we went to a travel clinic which I would recommend - they can tell you not only what is required but what is recommended and why - they can also review your own medical history to see if any of the requirements or suggestions would be contra-indicated for you in particular. We took the yellow fever shot - DH did very well with it but I had some issues (ask about possible side effects) and will probably not repeat it so I have to do all my yellow fever travelling in the next 10 years. We also have been vaccinated against Hepititis A and B, tetanus and diphtheria and we took the oral typhoid which for us had no ill effects. Since we disembarked in Buenos Aires we did not require malaria meds (not even for our side trip to Iguazu Falls) -- if you do the Amazon, however, that is different. We followed the "eating out" guidelines shared by the travel clinic whenever we ate in ports of call and not on the ship and we were healthy and well the whole time.

 

4 -- For us Machu Pichu was a must. You do not have time to do it from the ship during your stay in Callao -- HAL this year had a trip that began at the previous port in Peru and rejoined the ship our last day in Callao. I would recommend going with the HAL trip as they will be sure that you have a seamless travel experience and make it back to the ship on time. Though an independently arranged trip can be much less expensive I can imagine all sorts of ways on that trip that arrangements can go wrong as getting to the Machu Pichu site is not simple -- with a limited time period such as just a few days the risk of missing the ship would, for us, outweigh any savings in money.

 

Since we joined the ship is Callao, we booked HAL's pre-cruise tour to Machu Pichu which was a little more leisurly than the enroute tour (we enjoyed two days of touring in Lima itself in addition to the Machu Pichu excursion) but it was operated by the same tour company. Our pre-cruise trip went exceptionally well -- we shared our tour with 5 other couples who were also joining the Prinsendam in Callao and we were well taken care of by our tour guides, local guides and bus driver. The trip itself included many more meals than advertised in the HAL brochure -- information that we were unable to obtain until we were actually in Peru.

 

You will certainly have a great time and you will see and do unforgettable things on this itinerary. Don't hesitate to ask more questions and enjoy!

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bobnsandi

bobnsandi

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We only cruised the segment from Callao to Buenos Aires -- but I do believe that I can address some of your questions

 

4 -- For us Machu Pichu was a must. You do not have time to do it from the ship during your stay in Callao -- HAL this year had a trip that began at the previous port in Peru and rejoined the ship our last day in Callao. I would recommend going with the HAL trip as they will be sure that you have a seamless travel experience and make it back to the ship on time. Though an independently arranged trip can be much less expensive I can imagine all sorts of ways on that trip that arrangements can go wrong as getting to the Machu Pichu site is not simple -- with a limited time period such as just a few days the risk of missing the ship would, for us, outweigh any savings in money.

 

 

Our TA told us to watch for the shore excursion to open up. So far, it is not on the HAL website. Apparently it leaves from an earlier port, and the excursion gets back to the ship before it leaves Callao.

 

 

*) Another question about the ship: we have made a habit of enjoying the spa facilities (steam, sauna) on several ships. In the past we enjoyed these without charge. The last cruise we were on, they started to charge a great deal for this use. Naturally, if you have a spa treatment, you get access to the steam/sauna/pool, and we understand that. Can you use the spa facilities on the Prinsendam without charge?

 

*) We (Bob, and sometimes Sandi) enjoy a cigar from time to time. Is there a cigar bar onboard the Prinsendam?

 

*) I seem to recall that you mention that you used the laundromat with no charge, but the website says that there is a charge for using the washers/dryers. Can you repeat your experience with this? Thanks, we are still plowing through your wonderful cruise review.

 

*) We are in an E cabin. It appears that there is no refrigerator. Do know which cabins has fridges and which don't?

 

*) Do all cabins have safes?

 

*) Do all cabins have hair dryers?

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can provide. We apologize in advance if these questions were covered in the discussions, we are still working our way through. This cruise looks to be an amazing experience, and we are already excited about it.

 

Bob Swanson

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arzz

arzz

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The best answers that I can give here -- but I qualify them in two ways ... first, services and spaces on board can change at any time and second, the Prinsendam will have a large dry dock next fall (I believe, for instance, that the bathrooms will be redone -- IMHO that is a good thing - and I think that the gym and spa area are also up for a refit)

 

Good luck with the Machu Pichu trip -- we are still enjoying the good vibes from our visit. Try calling HAL and ask about the excursion -- even if it is not yet up on the web it is always possible that HAL will have some info.

 

Not sure about charges for the spa facilities as I was only in that area once for a pedicure. DH often used the exercise equipment without charge. It should be noted that since the Prinsendam is a smaller ship, the area is smaller and a little less equipped than the other ships. We think there is a sauna, we know they do spa treatments, there is a small pool and hot tub outside on the aft deck so no charge. I think this area will also be refit this fall but not sure.

 

No cigar bar that we are aware of -- others might know

 

The self service laundromats on other HAL ships charge -- on the Prinsendam they were complimentary (including detergent).

 

We were in a category E cabin (#479, Dolphin deck) and we had a small refrigerator. I do not think that this category on other HAL ships comes with a fridge - therein may lie the confusion.

 

There was an in cabin safe (you need a credit card or some magnetic strip card other than your room card to operate it -- we always bring an old Starbucks card for this purpose)

 

There was one of those Holland America hair dryers (the powerful ones) that comes in a blue bag in the cabin for our use.

 

Hope this helps -- feel free to ask again if you have additional questions.

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