Prinsendam Grand Voyage around Africa 73 days....3/11/2008

[senior49]

we are traveling on the Prinsendam in January 08 to South America and Antartica. I've read a few comments about the ship. Some are good and some are bad. Anyone have any recommendations what not to do on the Prinsendam. I love to play gold and bridge both of which this ship have.

[AWED23]

Hal is going to handle all visas for us onboard the ship....I think that is terrific...I received another packet of information from HAL via CSI yesterday and the Visa information was updated. At this time it states that Libya is not granting visas to US citizens. If this does not change we'll go somewhere else as long as US citizens comprise 50% of the passengers. Not having to mail our passports and get photos is a really big plus as far as we are concerned...:D

[gael]

this will be my second trip on the Prinsendam....where do you all meet for early coffee? would love to join you! i am booked from Cape Town to Lisbon so i think i have no visa issues.....went to Egypt last year with A & K and found it un-nerving to have to send my passport somewhere to get the appropriate (and expensive) visa. really looking forward to the mini safari out of Mombasa....hopefully the problems in Nairobi won't spread!!!!!

[AWED23]

this will be my second trip on the Prinsendam....where do you all meet for early coffee? would love to join you! i am booked from Cape Town to Lisbon so i think i have no visa issues.....went to Egypt last year with A & K and found it un-nerving to have to send my passport somewhere to get the appropriate (and expensive) visa. really looking forward to the mini safari out of Mombasa....hopefully the problems in Nairobi won't spread!!!!!

:cool: It is my practice to have early coffee by the pool on lido deck. Quite often (usually)I run into people from earlier cruises. I no longer smoke but most of my early coffee mates do....Maybe I'll see you after we leave Cape Town..???..We are also going on a 1 night Safari out of Mombassa. It was put together by our agency(CSI Seattle) and is actually conducted by A&K...."gael", does this refer to your name or are you a Scot?..Just curious, Rob. As in RobRoy...:)

[gael]

Gael is my name. Just got back from my second trip to Scotland and my first to the lsle of Syke. wow!!!! Beautiful country...got to attend the Tattoo. I am surrounded by smokers so I am used to it even though I never have (except for an occasional unlady like cigar....) I am really excited about this trip. The details are a little intimidating. Just found a good place in Phoenix to get all the shots easily. I am assuming I won't need a visa for the Kenya safari....I looked at an atlas and the game reserves they describe are all within Kenya.

[Jujuju2]

Has anybody here successfully booked any Africa shore excursions for the first part of the trip? I tried online booking just now for Casablanca and 36 hours ago for Dakar and both times got an error message. I note that on the destinations and ports pages it still says that the excursions listed are samples from what was offered in 2007 and their 2008 excursions are not set yet. Well, it sure seems like time that the shore excursions should be set by now. Maybe it is because I am stuck using dialup right now. I guess I will try phoning later.

 

And in the meantime, I have been Googling day trips.

 

Here is a company for Dakar, Senegal:

http://www.actours-senegal.com/anglais/index.html

 

And here is one for Banjul, The Gambia:

http://www.tillystours.com/tours/full.php

 

I am a bit leery of taking a private operator tour in some of these countries, as I would worry about vehicles breaking down and not getting back to the ship on time. For example, I would LOVE to take the Tilly's Tours all day animals tour but the fact that they say they will be back at the hotels at 5:30 and the ship leaves at 6:00 gives me cold chills.

 

Does anybody have any experience with private day tour companies in these ports? Or have you read anywhere of anybody who has done them?

 

Thanks if anybody has any information.

 

Juju (or Judy, I answer to both)

[kennicott]

Gael is my name. Just got back from my second trip to Scotland and my first to the lsle of Syke. wow!!!! Beautiful country...got to attend the Tattoo. I am surrounded by smokers so I am used to it even though I never have (except for an occasional unlady like cigar....) I am really excited about this trip. The details are a little intimidating. Just found a good place in Phoenix to get all the shots easily. I am assuming I won't need a visa for the Kenya safari....I looked at an atlas and the game reserves they describe are all within Kenya.

 

Are we really going to stop there? Have to be a super optimist to believe that a change of port isn't in the immediate offing. Kenya was supposed to be one of the most stable of the African nations, and they have a huge tourist business. A little over two years ago we were on a similar trip with Princess, who cancelled out Kenya just before departure and of course all the booked Kenyan safaris, because the US State Department suddenly said that country wasn’t recommended for US citizen travel. Turned out, all that was because the Kenyans wouldn’t consider allowing the US to use their airports for bombing somebody somewhere. So, here we are today, every since that botched election last week, Kenyans are killing each other off at a rate that rivals Rwanda back in 1994. We are looking at TV seeing folks trying to filet their brethren with machetes and even folks over there, who live here in our town in the US, forced to escape, by the skin of their teeth, into the nearby Sudan where they are still in line for an aircraft flight out. Last week they burnt an Assembly of God church, burning alive maybe 50 women and kids. Since we already did a long safari in Botswana, after the Princess voyage, we didn’t sign up for one in Kenya this trip but planned on just touring the area during the days and staying on the ship at night. If we are allowed to port, it will be most interesting to learn the rationale the US State Department used in placing a restriction on US travel a couple of years ago but decided to not do it now.

[kennicott]

"The United States and British governments have been strongly urging travelers to weigh the risks of travel to Kenya. On Jan. 2, Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued an advisory against all but essential travel to Kenya. The State Department had already urged Americans in an Oct. 18 travel warning to carefully consider the risks of travel to the country, citing “continuing terrorist threats and increasing incidents of violent crime.”

 

"Control Risks, a risk-consulting company, has been advising clients to defer nonessential travel to Kenya and has recommended those already in the country to remain at their destination and avoid overland travel when possible."

 

"Most travel insurance policies will not cover the cancellation of a Kenyan safari, which can easily cost $400 a day a person, not including airfare, because civil unrest is considered an exclusion. But airlines, hotels and tour operators have been doing their best to accommodate travelers."

 

 

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/13/travel/13prackenya.html?8dpc=&pagewanted=print

[AWED23]

Time to simmer down and relax. we are not due to call on Kenya for 3 months....In today's world that is an eternity and I, for one, am not going to waste any energy worrying about what may come to pass...There are much, much bigger things to worry about...Like, will the Patriots continue their unbeaten streak?..or will Dr. House settle on his new team of assistants?..LOL..If I miss Kenya I will be temporarily dissapointed...But, that frees up 3 days for ?????.....Oh well, more gin! :)

[kennicott]

Time to simmer down and relax. we are not due to call on Kenya for 3 months up 3 days for ?????.....Oh well, more gin! :)

 

I do agree with you, “Relax”. Which actually I do, perhaps maybe too much of these days. In the posts, however, I was just trying to rouse up the sleepy crowd here. I love your “Whooa” in this context. Reminds me of the cartoon of the old cowboy going full blast on his horse when they mistakenly exit the edge of a cliff, he says “Whooooooooa, you S.O.B.”

 

And of course, which my wife keeps reminding me; we are being relieved of over 50K for this little venture. So would hope the good folk at HAL are burning the midnight oil in order to come up with an alternative or two for Kenya. I would option for additional time in Egypt. In that case, then I would really “relax”. Otherwise I could, but won't, opt for just sailing around in circles and not stopping anywhere. I agree too with your "Gin" part except, I recommend either 2004, Genesis, Washington, Merlot, or, 2004, Benziger, Sonoma County, Cabernet Sauvignon. Whoa!

[gerena]

We are on the Capetown/Lisbon portion. Just looking at the information HAL sent on the number of visas needed and also the number of blank pages needed.

 

I have 4 blank visa pages and 2 blank of the endorsement pages.

 

My husband has 3 blank visa pages and 1 blank endorsement page.

 

Is that enough?

 

Looks like we will need a visa page for South Africa, Reunion and Mauritius, Kenya, Oman, Libya (if we go) and perhaps Egypt--don't know what they do for sure.

 

That's 7 blank pages????

[gael]

I am trying not to think too much about this one....what happens, happens but I will be disappointed if we don't get to go on the safari. I fear my bar bill will end up being more than the cost of the cruise!!!!! Our zoo has done a great safari in Kenya for 30+ years so if things don't cool down in the next few months, i can go with them later. I am glad I got to go to Turkey LAST year, now THEY are having problems.....I wish these politicians would quit messing with MY vacation plans!!!!!

[gael]

I, too, am trying not to worry about all this...things can change so quickly....Will really be disappointed if we don't do the safari. I was in Turkey last year and NOW THEY are having problems....these world leaders are really messing with MY vacation plans....looks like my bar bill will be bigger than the price of the cruise.....

[mikemo]

Gael, we shall be in Turkey in Feb., but not near the Kurd problems.

M

[mikemo]

I finally got our booking # from Travel with Alan, but still have no cabin #.

Have you received your's?

Is that potentially good news for an upgrade or simply bureaucracy at work?

Thanks.

M

[Jujuju2]

I am a perpetual optimist, but I am thinking that lack of cabin number means Travel With Alan is holding out to the very last minute to try for cabin upgrades.

[LabeYoung]

We received our travel docs but we too have no assigned room. I have a feeling that rooms will not be assigned until embarkation day. Holland and Orbitz's web sites still show rooms available at all levels (except da penthouse!). We have pre-booked all of our excursions that we want online so I guess we are ready to go....just tell me what room to send my tux!

 

As far as Kenya goes....you know that it has been one of the most stable African countries for years. Their recent presidential election brought the local ethnic struggle out into the open. The election results were similiar to the Gore/Bush debacle 8 yrs ago. On top of that their new "speaker of the house" is from the opposition party. Evidently, these two groups are as narrow-minded as the sunnis and ****es. Both want absolute power. Now Kofi Annan is in Kenya to mediate so hopefully, things may cool down.

 

All the best!

Labe

[bkraft]

Hi All,

 

We're booked on the 73 day. Cabin 196. Anybody out there who knows something about those few cabins on the aft deck? Also, has anyone heard about the luggage transfer agents? It appears the original company is not providing the service now. Can't wait for March 11th. By the way, we also booked a Kenya safari independently and will just continue to hope that the ship will be able to dock in Mombasa.

 

Cordially,

 

Brian

[kennicott]

Hi All,

 

Also, has anyone heard about the luggage transfer agents? It appears the original company is not providing the service now.

Cordially,

 

Brian

 

Just talked to them, about the trnasfer agent. The rep.s (HAL) don't know themselves yet but are supposed to find out late this afternoon (30th) and pertinent notifications are supposed to go out to us late this evening.

[LabeYoung]

bkraft:

 

In reference to the cabins on the back deck....I took a couple of pictures of the verandahs of cabins 198 and 199 on the back deck when I sailed 4 years ago on the Prinsendam's Osaka to SF trip. These pictures can be found on http://www.cruisemates.com When there, go to galleries and search for Prinsendam.

 

We considered those cabins because they were so unique. But because of the colder passage, we knew that we would not use them much. The inner cabins have opaque walls in the midst of the back deck. A passerby can see your feet only. If I remember at that time they also had a door where you could join other passengers on the back deck, or leave open if you wish.

 

All the best!

Labe

[greatexpectations]

Hi All,

 

We're booked on the 73 day. Cabin 196. Anybody out there who knows something about those few cabins on the aft deck? Also, has anyone heard about the luggage transfer agents? It appears the original company is not providing the service now. Can't wait for March 11th. By the way, we also booked a Kenya safari independently and will just continue to hope that the ship will be able to dock in Mombasa.

 

Cordially,

 

Brian

Here is a review I found (there are similar other glowing recommendations if you do a Search) of AB196:http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=614416&highlight=prinsendam+196+197 . The only negative I have read is that the deck just outside has been, in the past, a smoking area.

[AWED23]

Received a notice last week from HAL via our agent (CSI) that FEDEX would be replacing Port Services for luggage shipment. This is great news as FEDEX is only asking for a 1 week lead time as compared to 3 weeks for the other company. I know that I will now make use of the service in both directions. We had decided not to take advantage of the free shipping under the old company due to their reportedly poor service. Thought I would pass it along. Rob.:)

[kennicott]

Wow, looks like we are in going to be close to the dogfight if not right in the middle. Could be just like trains going across the old west with the passengers shooting at the bad guys from the windows. I wonder if they will issue guns or can we bring our own? My intrepid and bullet proof mountain climbing friends are envious. But I don’t dare let Momma see this piece of news.

 

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9932838/page/2/

[kennicott]

Forget it, a friend forwarded me that article and I didn’t catch the date. Here I thought Seabourn just got hit again, and I was looking forward to some excitement. I didn’t realize that a grenade had stuck in the side of the ship during that first encounter in 2005.

[gerena]

Brian,

 

What tour company are you using for the Safari? I've tried to go to Masa Mari, but they can't get me out on the plane. Apparently HAL has the flights tied up or are chartering them. We don't arrive early enough to take the one to Kichwa Tembo camp.

 

There is one that goes by land to Tsavo, but don't know which area is best. The tour companies I have contacted in Kichwa Tembo have dropped their teeth at what HAL is charging.