Royal Princess: The shape of things to come for HAL?

[SmokinActuary]

We're a bit younger than the average baby boomers, and having cruised on Eurodam last month we prefer to go no bigger! We met a few couples even younger than us who loved the ship as well. I think there is still a niche for a 'smaller' ship, at least not the megas, even with a younger crowd. Here's hoping!

 

I agree. My wife and I are pushing 50 and we prefer the smaller. Not that the Vista and Signature class are small by HAL standards, but we would like to do smaller. The Vista class is good when we have our young one in tow.

 

Going on a Floating Mega-Mall is not my idea of cruising.

[cruiseapril]

Much too big. We prefer the smaller ships. Bigger is not always better and often worse. Hope HAL stays with the Westerdam and Eurodam size ships (or smaller) so that there will be an alternative to BIG.:)

[jkrislc]

We're a bit younger than the average baby boomers, and having cruised on Eurodam last month we prefer to go no bigger! We met a few couples even younger than us who loved the ship as well. I think there is still a niche for a 'smaller' ship, at least not the megas, even with a younger crowd. Here's hoping!

 

When I started cruising almost 20 years ago, I would have never guessed we'd be calling ships the size of HAL's small. I think my first cruise, not listed in the signature, was on a ship in the 20,000 GRT range. I then moved up to the Viking Serrnade, which I thought was huge at the time. And then to what was called a megaship at the time, which was in the 70,000 GRT range.

 

I guess it's like fast food; yesteryear's large is today's small.

[Tamaracboy]

...and from what I hear, the upcoming RCCL ships codenamed "Project Sunshine" will be smaller than their Genesis-Class and Freedom/Voyager-Class predecessors.

 

Brian,

Thanks for this good news.

Now if the folks on Elliott Ave. will just take note.

Since you seem to be so in-tuned, just what are HAL's eventual plans for the Prinsendam?

A lot of us here would like to know.

Thanks,

r.

[mamaofami]

I certainly hope that size ship is not the way HAL is going. Way to big for me. I just fell in love with the Maasdam because she is the perfect size. :)

[ilovecruisesmm]

personally i have never been on a ship larger than the vista class ones, im pretty sure, and i think celebrity's solstice-class ships would be my absolute upper limit (xcept for the qm2 of course, but thats always the exception :)) and only bc they seem so beautiful and well designed with no bizarre features that don't belong on a cruise ship. i would hope that holland america, if they did a real megaship, would be able to do them with the same signature style that they have. a larger ship would be able to have both the vista and signature class features and the features of the new renovated s class ships--the mix, the retreat, etc. a two story library/exploration cafe would be very nice, with outdoor seating on a terrace for a cafe feel. then you could sip lattes and look out over the sea, very nice...

i would also like to see the return of the oasis (no, not the ship, the teen-only sundeck) on a new ship. why did they abandon that concept? they could also expand the retreat concept to include an enclosed retreat area like the solarium on royal caribbean. a waterslide would not be a problem, and i think a lot of people would really appreciate a beach-style pool. they could also add some new restaurants and redesign the staterooms to have a more modern look.

then again, i emphatically love HAL just the way it is and it just could not ever go above 100 thousand tons in my opinion. i would not want to see the "new" layout on a hal ship with a long horizontal entertainment boulevard, it would just be weird on holland america, as would a rock wall or anything like that. bottom line: dont change too much! though i am very eager to see a new class of ships and what it would have (anyone know any details about a new hal ship?)

[bepsf]

Since you seem to be so in-tuned, just what are HAL's eventual plans for the Prinsendam?

 

A few years back, Saga were considering her for purchase - but of course that fell through.

As you know, HAL has since welded a Motel 6 to the stern, adding @ 50 passengers to her capacity, so I'd imagine that they intend on keeping her for the time-being...

...at least until someone comes up w/ the cash to make a purchase or the poor thing just poops out - But she's 22 years old now, so I can't imagine that anyone is going to ante up for what it could cost to refit the vessel for service under a new house flag for the remainder of her expected 30-year lifetime.

[FLACRUISER99]

I hate to post this but larger ships are the wave of the future. A large ship burns less fuel per passenger.

[jkrislc]

I hate to post this but larger ships are the wave of the future. A large ship burns less fuel per passenger.

 

True, but they cost much more to build, which means it takes (presumably) longer to recoup the building costs. But then, there are much more extra cost venues onboard, so maybe that helps recoup the costs faster.

[Copper10-8]

A few years back, Saga were considering her for purchase - but of course that fell through.

 

As you know, HAL has since welded a Motel 6 to the stern, adding @ 50 passengers to her capacity, so I'd imagine that they intend on keeping her for the time-being...

...at least until someone comes up w/ the cash to make a purchase or the poor thing just poops out - But she's 22 years old now, so I can't imagine that anyone is going to ante up for what it could cost to refit the vessel for service under a new house flag for the remainder of her expected 30-year lifetime.

 

PRDM is here to stay baby! Unless, like you say, the right buyer at the right price comes hopping along!

[RevNeal]

A few years back, Saga were considering her for purchase - but of course that fell through.

As you know, HAL has since welded a Motel 6 to the stern, adding @ 50 passengers to her capacity, so I'd imagine that they intend on keeping her for the time-being...

...at least until someone comes up w/ the cash to make a purchase or the poor thing just poops out - But she's 22 years old now, so I can't imagine that anyone is going to ante up for what it could cost to refit the vessel for service under a new house flag for the remainder of her expected 30-year lifetime.

 

She is still a very lovely ship. And the addition is hardly a Motel 6.

[Cruizer Bill]

I think there will certainly be a niche market in the 1000 to 2000 passenger ships. If the major cruise lines gave up on this size, you would see one or more smaller companies either start up or switch to them, even if it cost a bit more.

[bepsf]

...the addition is hardly a Motel 6.

 

IMO, that's what it looks like from the outside.

;)

[RevNeal]

IMO, that's what it looks like from the outside.

;)

 

Well ... I understand what you mean, but ... IMO, having looked at it many times up close and from within, it's not a Motel 6 addition. I'm not saying I like it, but of all the additions I've seen it's the least horrific. IMO.

[Himself]

If you want to see a lousy addition, look at the VEENDAM!

[RevNeal]

If you want to see a lousy addition, look at the VEENDAM!

 

Perhaps that's what I'm doing ... comparing what they did to the Prinsendam with the travesty that they perpetrated upon the poor Veendam's stern. Ugh! :eek:

 

Let me put it this way. Looking at the Veendam I can TELL that her stern is an additon ... one that doesn't belong on that ship. The same can't be said about the Prinsendam's addition. It fits much better.

[bob brown]

My guess would be that the next couple of HAL ships will be of the Souvereign class.

I base my quess on HAL's recent history.

There were four 'S' Class, followed by four 'R' Class, then four Vista's, and so far two Souvereign's.

After those two, then there would probably be a jump to something like the Solstice class. By that time, they would be within the new Panamax size enabeling almost any HAL itinerary.

[iancal]

I think that HAL could do with a little innovation in their ships-the current hulls are dated and their new ships do nothing but change the paint and wallpaper. I am not saying that they need to be as large as the new Princess announcement but I think HAL does have to make a mark in the sand. Celebrity Solstice ships set a new standard,,,it will be interesting to see if and how Royal moves the needle. I have to assume that HAL is working on something -hopefully they will move away from the tired Carnival standard build.

[bob brown]

What would be interesting would be for HAL to buy a ship from Meyer Werft or STX instead of Fincantieri....:cool:

Like that will ever happen......:rolleyes:

[RevNeal]

I have to assume that HAL is working on something -hopefully they will move away from the tired Carnival standard build.

 

That's not very likely, given that they're part of the Carnival Corporation.

[airlink diva]

I like to sail HAL ships for the fact that they are a throwback to classic cruise ship design. I also love the fact that the number of people is rather small (even on the Vista ships) compared to other cruiselines.

Now, I also love sailing on the larger ships, but for different reasons than HAL. I'm sailing on the Dream later this year and there are some things they offer that also appeal to me (I love the dance classes!). Would I sail on the Princess ship? I can likey see myself doing so just to try it.

But whenever I sail on the larger ships, it just makes me appreciate returning to HAL again.

[Copper10-8]

My guess would be that the next couple of HAL ships will be of the Souvereign class.

I base my quess on HAL's recent history.

There were four 'S' Class, followed by four 'R' Class, then four Vista's, and so far two Souvereign's.

...............................

 

You probably mean "Signature" class for HAL;) Sovereign of the Seas, the first of a class of three, is a former RCCL/RCI ship, now sailing the seas for Spanish line Pullmantur

[bob brown]

You probably mean "Signature" class for HAL;) Sovereign of the Seas, the first of a class of three, is a former RCCL/RCI ship, now sailing the seas for Spanish line Pullmantur

My bad!:o

Thanks for that correction, Officer!;)

[bepsf]

My guess would be that the next couple of HAL ships will be of the (Signature) class.

 

Highly doubtful.

 

HAL/CCL realize they've gone as far as they possibly can with the Vistas, et al - and the Signatures, while being the most profitable ships in the fleet due to their passenger density & updated diesel powerplants, are terribly outdated and uncompetitive when compared w/ the state of the art Celebrity newbuilds.

 

I seem to recall there being some sort of announcement/confirmed rumor a few months ago that HAL was in the planning stages of an 110,000 tonner due in 2014-2015...

 

...so it stands to reason that any HAL newbuild is most likely to be one of these:

 

a) A modified Princess Grand Class,

b) A modified Carnival Conquest Class,

c) A slimmed-down Carnival Dream-Class, or

d) A slimmed down Princess Royal Class.

[bob brown]

Only time will tell.

Let's remember to look back, and see who guessed correctly.:)