Prinsendam pre-drydock?

[Swelldame]

Cruising the sales and promotions on HAL, I'm finding great prices for the Oct. 31st TA on the Prinsendam. Further investigation shows this voyage will be the last before she goes into a 2-week drydock, and reports are that she's looking old and worn and really needs it.

 

We've never been on the Prinsendam, and we MUCH prefer the S and R class ships to the bigger ones.

 

What do y'all think? Would we be disappointed?

[kazu]

Cruising the sales and promotions on HAL, I'm finding great prices for the Oct. 31st TA on the Prinsendam. Further investigation shows this voyage will be the last before she goes into a 2-week drydock, and reports are that she's looking old and worn and really needs it.

 

We've never been on the Prinsendam, and we MUCH prefer the S and R class ships to the bigger ones.

 

What do y'all think? Would we be disappointed?

 

If you like the S & R ships and want to be on a ship - you will LOVE the Prinsendam. Don't worry about it being pre dry dock - she was in great shape when we were on her in November.

 

Some cc'ers were kind enough to report back on our roll call when they returned and they had an incredible time.

 

I got on this ship with great trepidation (she's old) and reading some negative posts. I drove the board crazy with questions and felt 'prepared' for our 20 day cruise.

 

Dh and I fell in love with this ship in about 20 minutes:):)

 

So much so that our next cruise is planned back on her (check out my signature):)

 

People either love or hate the ship. People who want a floating hotel hate it. People who want a ship love it. She has the highest repeat passenger ratio of the fleet - and deservedly so.

 

She's not nicknamed the Elegant Explorer for nothing:)

 

Highly recommend her and if there are good prices - even better.

 

Check out the deck plan and make sure you get a room with a walk in closet. And don't book the AB cabins - they were installed at the last drydock and not nearly as nice as the original cabins IMO:D

[Kamloops50]

Looking at the floor plan , some twin oceanview ( not balcony) the twin beds can't be converted into a queen bed.

[rafinmd]

Wow, that's strange. I think I'd be booking that if I didn't already have an awesome cruise booked. I was on the Elegant Explorer just 10 months ago and it was in absolutely awesome shape and the prices for the cruise before don't seem to indicate a general softness in Prinsendam bookings. My only guess is that often the transatlantics are often booked in combination with the cruise before or after and nobody will be booking the Prinsendam TA to stay on for the drydock.

 

Roy

[sapper1]

I have read on CC that pre dry dock cruises are greatly impacted by the impending renovations. The crew starts stripping things down to prepare and it makes the cruise unpleasant at times. I have also read warnings about the first cruise after a dry dock as the unfinished work continues on that cruise.

 

If you go knowing that will happen and are not bothered by it, that is fine, but you should be forewarned.

[RuthC]

I have read on CC that pre dry dock cruises are greatly impacted by the impending renovations. The crew starts stripping things down to prepare and it makes the cruise unpleasant at times.

Not in my experience. I've been on two final cruises before drydock, including the Nov. '09 major renovations to the Rotterdam.

If you didn't know the renovations were coming, you couldn't have guessed on the ship. There were no tip-offs until the last night, after late dinner, when it was time to go pack anyway.

 

I have sailed the Prinsendam, although not for a year, and would be thrilled if I could be on this cruise. Book it without fear, and you will have a great time.

[kazu]

Not in my experience. I've been on two final cruises before drydock, including the Nov. '09 major renovations to the Rotterdam.

 

If you didn't know the renovations were coming, you couldn't have guessed on the ship. There were no tip-offs until the last night, after late dinner, when it was time to go pack anyway.

 

I have sailed the Prinsendam, although not for a year, and would be thrilled if I could be on this cruise. Book it without fear, and you will have a great time.

 

Despite some of the stories we have heard about pre or post drydock cruises (and I am not discounting any of them), the Prinsendam is well known to step things up a notch. I really wouldn't be too concerned about it being too obvious on this ship:D I'm with Ruth - I would hop on as fast as I could - alas I am waiting until next year:(

[Swelldame]

If you like the S & R ships and want to be on a ship - you will LOVE the Prinsendam. Don't worry about it being pre dry dock - she was in great shape when we were on her in November.

 

Some cc'ers were kind enough to report back on our roll call when they returned and they had an incredible time.

 

I got on this ship with great trepidation (she's old) and reading some negative posts. I drove the board crazy with questions and felt 'prepared' for our 20 day cruise.

 

Dh and I fell in love with this ship in about 20 minutes:):)

 

So much so that our next cruise is planned back on her (check out my signature):)

 

People either love or hate the ship. People who want a floating hotel hate it. People who want a ship love it. She has the highest repeat passenger ratio of the fleet - and deservedly so.

 

She's not nicknamed the Elegant Explorer for nothing:)

 

Highly recommend her and if there are good prices - even better.

 

Check out the deck plan and make sure you get a room with a walk in closet. And don't book the AB cabins - they were installed at the last drydock and not nearly as nice as the original cabins IMO:D

 

Thanks kazu; exactly the kind of reassurance I was looking for. I think you and I share the same tastes when it comes to what makes a ship and cruise great. And the chance to have a veranda on the Prinsendam for under $100 pp/pd is pretty hard to pass up.

[Swelldame]

Wow, that's strange. I think I'd be booking that if I didn't already have an awesome cruise booked. I was on the Elegant Explorer just 10 months ago and it was in absolutely awesome shape and the prices for the cruise before don't seem to indicate a general softness in Prinsendam bookings. My only guess is that often the transatlantics are often booked in combination with the cruise before or after and nobody will be booking the Prinsendam TA to stay on for the drydock.

 

Roy

 

You might be onto something there, Roy. Checking the roll call, I found there are quite a few doing the cruise before, but there are still (according to the HAL rep) a LOT of unsold cabins. Thanks for confirming the P'dam's condition for me.

[Swelldame]

Not in my experience. I've been on two final cruises before drydock, including the Nov. '09 major renovations to the Rotterdam.

 

If you didn't know the renovations were coming, you couldn't have guessed on the ship. There were no tip-offs until the last night, after late dinner, when it was time to go pack anyway.

 

I have sailed the Prinsendam, although not for a year, and would be thrilled if I could be on this cruise. Book it without fear, and you will have a great time.

 

Thanks for sharing your experience, Ruth! Sapper's comments were my concern as I've read the same things and was worried it would be obvious the ship was going into a 2-week overhaul.

 

DH gets bored to death on TAs, whereas I looooove the long, indulgent sea days so this is going to be my first "girls' cruise"!

[kazu]

]Thanks for sharing your experience' date=' Ruth! Sapper's comments were my concern as I've read the same things and was worried it would be obvious the ship was going into a 2-week overhaul.[/u'][/b]

 

DH gets bored to death on TAs, whereas I looooove the long, indulgent sea days so this is going to be my first "girls' cruise"!

 

Swelldame - (the bold is mine). From what has been reported to our roll call (by people who just got off) the two week drydock will mainly be soft goods and enclosing the aft portion of the Lido. I don't think there's too much that they could do ahead of time to prepare for this and with a two week dry dock it sounds like they should have enough time (hopefully - for the sake of those getting on after):)

 

The verandas are nice - perhaps not quite as big as the S & R ships - but after all there is no other ship like this one in the fleet

[tjcox9]

We are booked on the Collector's voyage and it's a wonderful itinerary and are really looking forward to it.

 

That said, we were on just before she went into drydock to replace the cabins behind the casino and it was VERY obvious that it was going into drydock for this major (unfortunate) work. I have been curious how the enclosure of the Lido aft area would affect the trip myself, but that won't keep me from this itinerary!!!! :D

[serendipity1499]

Thanks kazu; exactly the kind of reassurance I was looking for. I think you and I share the same tastes when it comes to what makes a ship and cruise great. And the chance to have a veranda on the Prinsendam for under $100 pp/pd is pretty hard to pass up.

 

As Kazu & Ruth & several others, our favorite ship is the Prinsendam, & were happy to be booked on her once again next year..:D:D She reminds me of an Elegant old European Hotel..

Enjoy your cruise..

Cheers..:)Betty