The Happy Wanderer---Swingin' On A Star!

[sail7seas]

Welcome Home, Ruth. And thank you for sharing your wonderful adventure with us.

 

[RuthC]

The Cabin

I had the only single-inside cabin in the entire HAL fleet. Loved it. Would book it again in a heartbeat. It was ideally located just aft of the forward elevator bank on the lowest passenger deck. Smooth ride. Smooooth. On the few nights that the seas were declared rough I didn’t feel a thing. Kinda missed that, but that’s me. :rolleyes:

The short corridor off the main passageway was shorter than for other cabins, but this worked well in the overall design. When entering, the light switches were right there and were intuitive as to which was which. There was even a switch for inside the closet! The sliding door to the closet was along the inside corridor and opened so you could see everything inside, as well as looking straight into the shelves/safe. The closet was not as deep as in other cabins, and I would not call it a “walk-in”. It was deep enough to store my luggage, though.

Then I entered the main section of the cabin. The Entertainment center with TV, DVD, fridge, and shelves was angled so one could watch TV from the chair or bed. There was a 4-drawer bureau next to it, set flat against the wall. It was not a desk---no kneehole---but it wasn’t a problem to sit and do make-up there. There was also a large table, and a nightstand with a deep drawer and shelf.

Opposite the bureau was a single bed; the sliding door to the bathroom was at the foot of the bed. There was a control for the main lights, as well as a reading light there. Again, the switches were intuitive as to which was which.

The bath had a vanity with shelf under it and a medicine chest (with the door opening the wrong way! :eek: ), one towel-bar (could have used another), and a good-sized shower. The shower head was stationary---it could not be converted to hand-held, nor could it be raised/lowered, as on other ships. There was a clothesline there, too.

Oh, and the plumbing worked every single time. :)

I got to visit in a “double” cabin a few doors down---it was the same size! The beds in that cabin were in an “L-shape”, but that left no room for a nightstand, nor room to put the chair/table and still leave room to walk. If there’s two of you, think about a larger cabin.

There were some things in the cabin that need attention. The brass “hook & eye” closure on the closet door had one screw missing and the other loose; there was another on the wall in the cabin that serves no apparent purpose. There were also some small holes in the wall (like the size for bolts) that should be filled and matched to the woodwork (maybe they have something to do with that fixture? :confused: ). All the medicine chests along that passageway (which apparently were hung incorrectly the whole length) should be exchanged.

And before you ask---no, I didn’t take pictures of the cabin. I didn’t take any pictures at all!

[RuthC]

Service

Now we’re getting down to the good stuff! Service on this ship was outstanding!!! This is what I come back for time and time again! This is what I remember HAL as being way back when. Way back before the ships started getting bigger and there were more passengers for the crew to get to know. :D

By morning the day after boarding the stewards---yup, plural---in the Lido knew my name. They all greeted me by name, unfailingly, each and every time they saw me. Within short order they were getting my coffee while I waited for breakfast to be fixed, carried my tray, found a place for me to sit, got set-ups when necessary---just couldn’t do enough for me. They treated everyone that way, as far as I could see.

The stewards in my hang-out of choice (Crow’s Nest) did every bit as well. Some even went in search (successfully, I might add) for “the good nuts” on a peanut night. All it took was a glance and my drink of choice was sitting in front of me. No waiting for a steward to be available. No giving an order (because there’s too many even for HAL stewards to remember). No giving out cabin numbers over again. No muss-no fuss. Just great service. :)

My dining room steward was just as unflappable. Brian will confirm how I like to order: just because the chef decides what meat/potato/vegetable he wants to put on a given plate does not mean RuthC feels the same way! ;) She is prone to select what she wants from each of those groups, and too bad if the chef takes a hissy-fit. My dining room steward took it all in stride. And it took him only ‘til the second night to know that dessert has to be brown. You should have seen the look on his face when a tablemate asked him to tell me they were all out of the chocolate dessert. Panic! Priceless. :D

[hammybee]

Ruth, How would you compare this cabin to one of those new fangled teeny-tiny inside cabins, on say the Noordam?

[Copper10-8]

Ruth, could have missed it, but who was your CD?

[RuthC]

Food (duh)

I eat breakfast (except the last morning) and lunch in the Lido (or at the Terrace Grill). The breakfast food was typically cooked to order; meats were pre-cooked. There was no tray of fried eggs, or French Toast, or waffles, that I could see. That meant the food was fresher and hotter. And tasted better! :D

The lunch and Lido Dinner menus were posted at each end of the Lido when I arrived for breakfast. This gave me the opportunity to get an idea of what I might like in the course of the entire day, and plan accordingly. Bigger lunch? Smaller breakfast. Skip the line lunch, go to the lecture, then grab a sandwich at 3:00? Then lets get the full-breakfast today. I liked that.

Dinners ranged from generally good to occasionally outstanding. I never missed a meal, or went hungry, that’s for sure. Most nights there was one thing on the menu I really wanted; a couple of times there was more than one; a couple of times I went with the “always available”. Sirloin steak, broiled chicken breast, and salmon were available every single night. I tried the salmon and liked it.

Also I missed lunch one day, so went to tea in the dining room. Lovely. The tea was delicious, as were the little pastries and scones. The only (little) disappointment was that true clotted cream was not what was served. But the cream was good; even better was the marmalade!

Room Service breakfast that last morning :( was exactly on time, hot, and delicious. Such a luxury to dress, pack, relax (to the extent possible on a disembarkation morning), and sip coffee at leisure.

May it always be thus.

[FlorenceItaly]

Ruth,

 

I really appreciate the detailed review of the cabin. It sounds more than adequate for myself. I will be in that room for 24 days next year. You are correct, it is the same size as the other insides...128 sq. ft. Note to hammybee....I believe the Noordam insides are 154 sq. ft, so they are a bit bigger. I agree, 128 is tight for two. My dh and I stayed in a tiny inside on RCI that was about 125-130 sq. ft, and I said never again.

 

I am curious about your solo experience on the Prisendam. If you would prefer to email me offline, feel free.

 

Now...back to your marvelous review!! Thanks so much.

 

 

Marie

cruzcrzy@yahoo.com

[RuthC]

Entertainment

I didn’t attend a single show in the show lounge. I don’t care for the production shows, and didn’t see a guest entertainer listed that I remember as being a “must see”. The only one I remember from past cruises is Marty Brill. He's fine, but I had other things I wanted to do even more.

I did enjoy this troupe of the Rosario Strings in the Explorers Lounge. I have already posted about the joy within them that spreads throughout the room through their music. It’s infectious. :)

I listened to Joy in the Ocean Bar one cocktail time, and a little each night passing through after dinner. They seem good enough, but don’t play my style. They did seem to get a crowd, though, but little dancing after dinner. I’ve reported that they left the ship a few days early due to a death in the family. I don't know if they are coming back.

The “theme nights” were held in the Ocean Bar. There’s no disco.

I liked Buddy Mitchell in the Crow’s Nest so went there most evenings at cocktail time and every night after dinner. He’s got a great repertoire, can change keys easily, can intertwine songs at the drop of a suggestion. Since most of the folks up there were interested in the view/reading it wasn’t so much an entertainment venue, but I had a good time there. Buddy was switched to the Ocean Bar the last night and came alive with a receptive audience. He’s going to be good on the World Cruise. :D

[RuthC]

Itinerary

This is an unusual, exotic itinerary that’s certainly not for everyone. Oslo and Bergen are both Old World, but also “big city”, as is Edinburgh. I love the smaller ports like Longyearbyen, Leknes, Geiranger, the beauty of the fjords, scenic cruising of places I never heard of, and the cooler clime.

To know that I was 500 miles from the North Pole, and was surrounded by pack ice, was a kick equaled only by the ice of Antarctica. I can’t say this was a dream come true because it isn’t even something I could dream of. But it was special. I feel blessed to have had this opportunity. :)

[RuthC]

Traveling Solo

I mentioned in an earlier post, and a few posts asked for elaboration, that this was a tough cruise for a single. It was---at least for me.

This ship, on this cruise anyway, was couples to a huge extent. There were very few singles at all, and none that I knew from previous cruises or from CC. I’ve traveled that way extensively, but it’s been a while since I did. For the last several cruises I’ve been with many others that I’ve met on previous cruises or felt I “knew” from CC. I’ve gotten used to that now and I like it. I missed having a buddy right there to share this spectacular cruise with. :(

If you are sailing solo on a different itinerary, or a different ship, YMMV. I wouldn’t want to discourage anyone from sailing solo if it’s that or stay home. It’s worth it to get out there---even if it is by yourself. You will find people to talk to, share a shore excursion with, have a drink with. You won’t be alone every single minute. You just have to work at it a little more, and sometimes you don’t find a pal exactly when you want. That's all I was trying to get across.

[FlorenceItaly]

I wonder if it is the size of the ship that draws more couples versus singles? I've cruised on Maasdam and Veendam, and there were other solos. Also, on Rita's 30 day Tahiti/Hawaii on the Ryndam she said there were over 100 solo passengers! And, I know you have been on many ships with other solos. Overall, it sounded like a wonderful trip. Thanks so much for sharing with us. It is greatly appreciated. What's next up for you?

 

 

 

Marie

[RuthC]

So, to sum it all up---this was a cruise I did enjoy on a ship I would love to sail again. I would do it again in a heartbeat. It was not the “best-ever”, but that’s for reasons having nothing to do with HAL. It was not my personal “trip of a lifetime”, but I’ve had more of those than anyone can call fair. There were little things that could have been better, but to pick them apart would be petty and would miss the big picture.

I am pleased that I had the chance to be aboard the MS Prinsendam on her 100th voyage---the voyage to The Top of the World. :D

And I'm thrilled that so many of you joined me here. :) Thanks for the company.

[mamaofami]

Ruth, you really gave us a great review and it sounds like you did have a great time. I, for one, loved coming along for the ride. I give you lots of credit for traveling alone. :)

[RuthC]

Ruth, How would you compare this cabin to one of those new fangled teeny-tiny inside cabins, on say the Noordam?

Believe it or not, I've never been in one of those teeny-tiny's. My first cruise on the Noordam I had an obstructed outside; the second was a quad inside.

In both cases the cabin was larger than this one, but there seemed to be less room. That's because the Prinsendam has storage. The one closet was much larger than the two combined on the Noordam, and the shelving went almost to the floor. There were drawers! The bureau was long across. The top drawer was not very deep, but the other three were. There was also a drawer under the bed, but I had no need for it; possibly the steward stored the bedding in there.

Then there were three shelves on the entertainment center that I put to use. The table was larger than those found on the S- and R-class ships, although the height couldn't be changed.

The cabin itself had lots of room to twirl around if you wanted to. :D

I did miss a couch/love seat a bit, but not so much that I would prefer the Noordam cabins I was in to this one. I prefer this! :)

Everything was arranged so it made sense.

[sail7seas]

Great, great review, Ruth. Thanks.

 

[RevNeal]

Thank you so much, Ruth!

Next time you do the Prinsendam, let's try to do her together. :) Maybe take a few others with us. Eh?

[RuthC]

Ruth, could have missed it, but who was your CD?

Thom Faulkner. The MC (new title for the old "Assistant Cruise Director) was Travis. Others on the team were Sparky, Craig (who arrived during the cruise), Kristy, Colleen, and Melissa.

There was also a Club HAL staffer who kept the few children out of mischief. They were usually on the floor in the atrium on Deck 4. The only things down there are the entrance to the tenders and the Infirmary, so that worked out well. They had a TV down there, played games, and generally didn't bother anyone.

[RuthC]

I am curious about your solo experience on the Prisendam. If you would prefer to email me offline, feel free.

I'm ok with talking here. But right now I don't know what else to say about it. Is there something in particular you want to ask about? :confused:

[RuthC]

Thank you so much, Ruth!

You're very welcome. :)

Next time you do the Prinsendam, let's try to do her together. :) Maybe take a few others with us. Eh?

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D

Oh, Wouldn't It Be Loverly!

[FlorenceItaly]

I'm ok with talking here. But right now I don't know what else to say about it. Is there something in particular you want to ask about? :confused:

 

 

Nope, you covered it. I posted this before I saw your other on it. Thanks again!!

 

 

Marie

[FinelyRetired]

Ruth:

 

Thank you so much for your wonderful review. I'm looking forward to sailing aboard Prinsendam.

 

Will be solo aboard next year for the Baltic itinerary and have a couple of questions:

 

1. Did HAL seat you with any of the other solos at dinner?

 

2. Did you do any of the ship's tours?

 

Thanks,

 

Martha

 

p.s. Did you get a chance to see the Q100 outside single Pat who was on your Roll Call was in?

[RuthC]

1. Did HAL seat you with any of the other solos at dinner?

I was seated with four couples: two from the US, one from Netherlands, and one from South Africa. There was one extra seat at the table that was filled by the Chief Engineer on each formal night (5). On two of those nights the Shop Manager also joined us.

 

2. Did you do any of the ship's tours?

I did ship's tours in those places I haven't been before, plus in Geiranger, because it's difficult to get anywhere there!:rolleyes: I've been to Oslo several times, as well as Bergen and Honningsvag, so I went off on my own there. In Honningsvag I went shopping. :eek: Yes, Adele, RuthC went shopping. :eek: :eek:

In several ports there was a shuttle to town available. In one of them (I forget which, though I can look it up) it was even free. :D

p.s. Did you get a chance to see the Q100 outside single Pat who was on your Roll Call was in?

Sorry, no. I never got to see Pat's cabin. She said she was happy with it.

[HeatherInFlorida]

Ruth, I would not have missed this review for the world. In this day and age, she is a very special ship, isn't she?:)

 

Thanks for taking us along ... thanks for bringing back happy memories.

[Copper10-8]

Thom Faulkner. The MC (new title for the old "Assistant Cruise Director) was Travis. Others on the team were Sparky, Craig (who arrived during the cruise), Kristy, Colleen, and Melissa.

 

There was also a Club HAL staffer who kept the few children out of mischief. They were usually on the floor in the atrium on Deck 4. The only things down there are the entrance to the tenders and the Infirmary, so that worked out well. They had a TV down there, played games, and generally didn't bother anyone.

 

 

Thanks Ruth - wondering if "Melissa" is Melissa Burkus? Good to hear they're back to the "normal" size cruise activities staff as opposed to two plus a DJ

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Thanks for the Great review Ruth, I really enjoyed it. I would love to someday sail on the Prinsendam but unfortunately the chances look slim. Thanks so much for taking us along.:)