Just home from 26 Day Prinsendam Amazon Explorer

We just returned from a fantastic voyage - the 26 day Prinsendam Amazon Explorer. If anyone has any questions about the Prinsendam or the Amazon I will try to answer them.

Welcome home! What did you think of the ship? I love the Prinsendam. Hope to sail her again some day.

I second the welcome! I'd like to hear everything about the Prisendam. I haven't heard much about it on these boards, but it sounds like a jewel.

I would love to hear what you thought of the Amazon cruise.

I would love to do it but my husband is only partially mobile (cannot walk far, stand too long or climb many stairs). Would he be able to manage the type of excursions you get on this cruise?

This was our first time on the Prinsendam and we would sail her again in a minute. She is Elegant!! Showing some age but again - Elegant!!! The crew is fantastic and with 26 days you really got to know them and also made several new friends in fellow passengers.

I will be posting photos on a pbase photos site soon.

The excursions on the Amazon were varied as to need for mobility. We were on several where folks in wheel chair participated but for the most part you will need to be able to walk at least a short distance and climb some stairs to get the full Amazon experience available on this cruise. The major issue is heat and humidity but really minimal bugs out during the day and NO misquitoes during the day at all.

We were on the beautiful Prinsendam Amazon Explorer too. (Hi Ted)

It was a fabulous trip! We had a great CC roll call group that met three times and set up some trivia teams. We shared private shore excursions as well.

There were a number of people aboard with mobility issues. Some of the ports were not accessible and some were marginally accessible. Brazil ports are pretty new to cruises and that was the charm of it.

I'll post more after I buy the groceries and finish the laundry!

We were on the Veendam in the Amazon in October (San Diego, Panama Canal, Amazon, Tampa). In the Amazon we had dry weather everywhere except for the very occasional shower. Did you get rain? I'd love to hear all about your cruise. We were concerned about going early in the season but it all worked out well. An advantage was that we didn't see any other cruise ships.

I am interested in anything you care to share. We are booked on Pacific Princess in March and April two 14 day back to backs, starting in

FLL to Manaus and return to FLL.

Thank you.

I realize it is a way off but planning for 2011 on this cruise. Important birthday and anniversary, that why so far ahead.

First did you have a inside or outside cabin? and what would you recommend. :):)

Did you see lots of wildlife while on the trip, sealife, animals and thoses strange but colorful insects.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

What were the excursions you went on? Both of us are able to walk.

Hoping to see pictures of your trip?

I realize it is a way off but planning for 2011 on this cruise. Important birthday and anniversary, that why so far ahead.

First did you have a inside or outside cabin? and what would you recommend. :):)

Did you see lots of wildlife while on the trip, sealife, animals and thoses strange but colorful insects.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

What were the excursions you went on? Both of us are able to walk.

Hoping to see pictures of your trip?

We had an outside cabin - no verandah. We spend very little time in our stateroom.

We didn't see a lot of wildlife... beautiful moths and butterflies, crickets and june bug type insects around the ship. We saw pink dolphins from the ship at Boca de Valeria.

Local kids had sloths, caimen, monkeys, spiders, grasshoppers and anacondas (shudder) for pictures. (one dollar each).

There were birds from the various boat trips... egrets, kingfishers, macaws (few), herons, vultures.

There has been too much development along the riverbanks so the wildlife has retreated. I think you'd have to take a trip from Manaus further up the tributaries to see anything more.

I'll post a review of our excursions in a few days.

Welcome back! I am excited to hear more about your cruise.

Hi, I was on a back to back for 2 weeks on the Westerdam in Oct and they had the same menue as the week before. Did you have repeating menues each week during your 3 week vacation. Thank you and Happy Hollidays to everyone, George

There were some items repeated but not very many. I wish they had some repeats as I often had a tough choice between items. That said, with such a long cruise we cut back on food by the end and were often ordering salads for dinner. We rarely had desserts.

The food was very very good. The soups were excellent and the fish was almost always very tender and moist.

And to answer other questions there were trays in the Lido and lots of helpers to carry them. I'd often have to fight them off as I wanted to stop for tea or juice.:)

The shows were at 8 and 10 pm except on two nights when they had the crew shows at 1030. Then they had the shows at 630 and 8 so we didn't go. We had main (8 pm) seating.

Hi Jan,

We were just on the Noordam which has both fixed dinner times as well as open seating dining. We are going on the Prinsendam soon and wanted to know if they have open seating also.

Thanks, Judy

The outer section of the aft dinning room was for the AYWD on our 26 Day Amazon Explorer. Don't know if it is always that way or not. We had early seating at 5:45 and from what we saw the AWYD area had lots of room available from 5:45 through 7:30. Can't comment past that point.

We also booked an outside for our next cruise on the Prinsendam. Was there anything you didn't like about your cabin? Anything you wished you had brought that you didn't? Our cabin is on the main deck below the dining room - do you think we'll be hearing late night noises (after 11pm) from chairs or set up being done?

Welcome Back.

We were on Maasdam sharing HMC with you December 18.

We had lunch with some folks from Prinsendam and they all agreed it had been a wonderful cruise. Of course, Maasdam and Zuiderdam shared Port Everglades with you on the day you disembarked.

We also booked an outside for our next cruise on the Prinsendam. Was there anything you didn't like about your cabin? Anything you wished you had brought that you didn't? Our cabin is on the main deck below the dining room - do you think we'll be hearing late night noises (after 11pm) from chairs or set up being done?

We were very pleased with our Prinsendam cruise. The service was the best I have had on HAL. The food was mostly very good. The few meals that I wasn't thrilled with were probably just a matter of taste, rather than quality. The fellow cruisers on the Amazon Explorer were also cordial and interesting.