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Prinsendam Dry Dock?

Boiler Cruiser

By Boiler Cruiser,
in Holland America Line

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LindaM

LindaM

Posted
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We will be boarding her a week from this coming Monday. I promise I will find out as much as I can!

 

I may have to start a new thread.....seems that when P'dam is mentioned on this site, it brings out the haters and those who enjoy bashing her and those who like her and want her to stay around as long as possible!

 

The last thread where it started about CC participation then turned to P'dam had to be closed in record time. I don't think any other ship in the fleet brings out that kind of controversy!

 

I will make it my mission to find out her future. Usually this particular Captain is pretty approachable and forthcoming with information...as much as he knows. Hope I can bring back good news! Look for an update around Nov. 25! Usually there is a Q and A at the end for 4 stars where I may find out something.

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sevigny

sevigny

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Just spoke with HAL and yes, she will be in dry dock from May 9 thru 16. Just booked trip right after dry dock yesterday. This explains why they have lengthened the transatlantic from 14 to 16 days, now leaving on the 17th. They must feel she will be done earlier. Wish I had known this yesterday. HAL seems to have problems finishing dry docks on time, and I'm not sure I want to set sail with a lot of unfinished projects.

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

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We will be interested to hear about the Prinsendam's dry dock, too. Where do they do a dry dock?

Usually at the big cruise ship rehab facility in the Bahamas. I think it's the largest in the world. The Grand Bahamas Shipyard is a joint Royal Caribbean / Carnival facility.

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kazu "Live from...." Rare

kazu

Posted
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We will be boarding her a week from this coming Monday. I promise I will find out as much as I can!

 

I may have to start a new thread.....seems that when P'dam is mentioned on this site, it brings out the haters and those who enjoy bashing her and those who like her and want her to stay around as long as possible!

 

The last thread where it started about CC participation then turned to P'dam had to be closed in record time. I don't think any other ship in the fleet brings out that kind of controversy!

 

I will make it my mission to find out her future. Usually this particular Captain is pretty approachable and forthcoming with information...as much as he knows. Hope I can bring back good news! Look for an update around Nov. 25! Usually there is a Q and A at the end for 4 stars where I may find out something.

 

Thanks LindaM - looking forward to hearing what you find out ;)

 

Appreciate you keeping us informed - and have a GREAT cruise on her :)

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POA1 "Live from...." Rare

POA1

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Do they have a webcam?:D

I don't think so, but I could be wrong. I've seen pictures from various crew members. It's very cool because you can see the stabilizers out in the open and a lot of things you don't normally see.

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jtl513

jtl513

Posted
Posted (edited)
We have the Prinsendam on our bucket list and I know that there are quite a few P'dam fans out there.
She's a nice ship - very comparable IMO to a 2/3 size Maasdam or former Ryndam. Just don't let the hype raise your expectations as high as it did mine! :)

.

Edited by jtl513
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K & S

K & S

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Just returned from our 2nd wonderful cruise on the Prinsedam. Was somewhat reluctant to book another one so soon due to the fact that our 1st one was perfect...but so glad we did! The 2nd one was even better! I wrote a review last Sunday, but it hasn't been posted yet.

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Boiler Cruiser

Boiler Cruiser

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She's a nice ship - very comparable IMO to a 2/3 size Maasdam or former Ryndam. Just don't let the hype raise your expectations as high as it did mine! :)

.

 

Glad to hear that you enjoyed it! My DW and I are looking forward to our Baltic cruise on the Prinsendam next July! We have been on larger ships, but this will be our first small ship cruise. Will enjoy cruising the fyords and channels in the Baltic in a way that larger ships cannot!

 

Looking forward too, to the smaller passenger complement and the camaraderie that will bring!!

 

Perhaps the time in dry dock will enhance our experience!

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serendipity1499

serendipity1499

Posted
Posted (edited)
We will be boarding her a week from this coming Monday. I promise I will find out as much as I can!

 

I may have to start a new thread.....seems that when P'dam is mentioned on this site, it brings out the haters and those who enjoy bashing her and those who like her and want her to stay around as long as possible!

 

The last thread where it started about CC participation then turned to P'dam had to be closed in record time. I don't think any other ship in the fleet brings out that kind of controversy!

 

I will make it my mission to find out her future. Usually this particular Captain is pretty approachable and forthcoming with information...as much as he knows. Hope I can bring back good news! Look for an update around Nov. 25! Usually there is a Q and A at the end for 4 stars where I may find out something.

 

Looking forward to your report LindaM when we return from our Eurodam cruise next month.. We're also Prinsendam fans who would love to be able to cruise on her one more time before it's the end of our cruising years..

 

Hope your mission is successful & we thank you..

Edited by serendipity1499
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jtl513

jtl513

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Looking forward too, to the smaller passenger complement and the camaraderie that will bring!!
Our cruise was a T-A which had only about 550 on board, or about 2/3 capacity, so it felt like an even smaller ship, with no problem finding a seat in the shows even at the last minute or the Lido at high Noon! There were frequent inter-table conversations in the Lido. They weren't even using the long section of MDR along the starboard side (at least not at early seating ... I don't know about later.)

 

We especially enjoyed the local singer/dancer/guitar player shows brought on in Barcelona and Cadiz, but I don't know if those were because it was the final segment of a Grand Med cruise or normal for the P'dam. Also because it was a Grand Med there was no Open dining (which we prefer).

 

We very much liked the Canaletto better than on any other HAL ship, but the dining format in that venue has changed to the "family style" since we were there, and so it would likely not be the same experience today.

 

As I have said often, we enjoyed the cruise but it fell well short of the "elegance" I was expecting.

 

:)

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KirkNC

KirkNC

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We are also on the cruise right after DD. We ended up getting two free days as they honored our original booking price despite going from 14 to 16 days. I am not very keen on going on the first sailing like that but we are using the crossing to hook up with a river cruise so hate to change everything up. At this point I think we will just hope they don't sail with a lot still to do.

 

LindaM, hope you are doing well!

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Storylady

Storylady

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Captain Jeroen Schuchmann was our Captain for the 21 day Arctic and Iceland Explorer trip on July 29th on the Prinsendam. During that cruise we had 8 sea days. Our previous cruises only had 1 or 2 seas. Since we had 8 sea days, there was a coffee chat with the Captain, Chief Engineer, Hotel Manager and Cruise Director. Naturally, the question was asked about what's going to happen to the Prinsendam. Again we were told that that the Prinsendam is the most popular ship in the Holland America fleet. The Captain mentioned that the Lido was looking tired and they were planning on mortifying the Lido area during the dry dock. Also the cabins were going to be spruced up during the dry dock. I was surprised when I got home that there was no listing of a dry dock for the Prinsendam.

 

When we came onboard, we were told by staff that they had just put in two new air conditioning units. The Chief Engineer reported that basically everything in his department has been replaced.

 

All of this doesn't sound like the Prinsendam is going anyplace soon. Sounds like HAL will keep it until there is something structurally goes bad or someone offers a good price. But the more they update the Prinsendam, the more it is going to cost to buy her.

 

We were also told that the new Koningsdam cost $400 million to build. To replace the Prinsendam would cost $650 million. Interestingly, the Prinsendam was built by Royal Viking whose CEO is the CEO of Viking Riverboat Cruise Lines. Royal Viking went bankrupt after building the Prinsendam as it was that expensive. HAL is watching to see how Viking Ocean does as the two builds for Viking are extremely expensive and HAL is wondering how he (CEO) is going to get his money back.

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Topsham

Topsham

Posted
Posted

You have done a very interesting posting. Many thanks.

 

I think some of the numbers are a bit 'off'.

 

Prinsendam... as Royal Viking Star was a very expensive ship to build. For that 'type' of luxury ship... at that time... she cost approximately for $210,000 per bed. There were other similar ships in that range were costing about $185,000 per bed. They paidm! The stairs are like thin metal and some areas you can feel the deck bouncing.... that hasn't change... walking around you have probably the felt the same. I'm not knocking the Prinsendam... a great ship.

 

Koningsdam compared to Prinsendam.... not quite fair. Koningsdam is some $400 million. To replace Prinsendam $650 million? For start... the hull, design and most of the important stuff... is based on HAL Vista class and partly the CCL Spirit Class, based on the Queen Victoria. This bought the price way down. Had they building a brand new design... from the start to completely new design... the price would probably $700million or more. If HAL went for a new Prinsendam and then went to one of the Seabourn ships and use that as the basis.... they could replace the Prinsendam for $250 million.... or up to what the building cost of the new Viking Star... $300 million. If they wanted to building a REPLICA of Prinsendam... yes it might cost $650 million... because those methods when used in the 80's have completely changed. Doesn't mean that the old was better... just meant that it was expensive to build that way. Why would they want to? You ant a nice new ship... you get the best ship at the right price. If you pay too much then you loose.

 

Viking have just come out with the new Viking Star.. quite a beautiful ship... 750 pa 37,000 gt. Another planned. Saga are going for bigger... 56,000 gt.. same as S Class... but only 999 passengers. Will they work? Probably. They get higher per diem for these ships than the other HAL ships.

 

Some years ago the Prinsendam was up for sale.... 8 years ago... for about $85 million. Saga were looking for ship and had a think. Didn't think the ship was worth that. Then HAL put a lot of money in upgrading in the ship... the more put into the ship.... the more any potential buyer was paying over the top. Saga wanted to take the ship and make the upgraded.... but change her back to single sitting as she was built.... and fewer berths. The price was not right. Now they have the Saga Sapphire... the former Europa. She was changed over the years... added extra berths... went to two sittings etc. Sapphire is back to Single sitting... and a lot of singles...and fewer passengers. Different owners.... different requirements.

 

Anyhow, I hope the Prinsendam stays in the fleet for some years... but won't last forever. I would like to see a pair of Viking Star type in the HAL fleet... but in HAL style... whatever that is going to be!

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