prinsendam question

[kazu]

A reviewers job is to report on what they experience. The Berlitz reviewer documented what they experienced, fixed dining. How would the reviewer know or care dining styles change depending on what type of sailing it is.

 

I'm not going to argue with you Sammie, but there are several things their review that are simply not correct. Out of date for a number of years.

 

One has to wonder when they were on the ship last - but each to their own ;)

 

You enjoy Oceania and I will enjoy the Prinsendam. Seems we both went on the wrong time on each ship ;)

[cruisemom42]

 

Enjoy. And, if you are looking for something different - take a look at the 28 day on May 5, 2018 ;).

 

A mix of history and a taste of the people and culture of the lands IMO.

 

I'd love to do 28 days but two weeks (and perhaps a couple extra days) is about as long as I can be away from work. :o One day...

 

Actually I'm looking at the 14-day "River Explorer" from Amsterdam to Rome.

[kazu]

I'd love to do 28 days but two weeks (and perhaps a couple extra days) is about as long as I can be away from work. :o One day...

 

Actually I'm looking at the 14-day "River Explorer" from Amsterdam to Rome.

 

 

Oh that is a nice one too. You can always do the 14 day segment but I don't know if Celtic exploring would appeal to you ;). DH is enchanted so the deal was sealed so to speak. I even found a medieval town in Brest to explore ;)

 

Enjoy your cruise. I hope you enjoy it :)

[feathersandnananose]

NO, Wintergarden is part of the Lido. The new closed in part (and very nice IMO)

 

The forward dining area is part of the La Fontaine Dining room just a narrower smaller area. The Explorers Lounge is above it (one deck up) and there is actually a staircase you can take there to get to the forward dining room rather than go to the hallway for the entrance in the two areas of the dining room.

 

Hope this helps and explains it.

 

OK, I looked at the deck plans again. My bad. Thanks for the clarification!

[mancunian]

I agree with Kazu about Berlitz reports. I guess it is now too many ships out there but they are not as accurate as they were. As to Prinsendam's falling scores - maybe they are, but so are other ships. On the Seabourn board they are very annoyed that the Seabourn fleet has been downgraded, and how Swan's Minerva could get 4 stars against Nieuw Amsterdam defeats me totally.

 

We are in fact going on Oceania for a third time in April on one of the smaller ships - part of the world cruise from Singapore to Abu Dhabi. We don't dislike Oceania, it has many good points, but feel HAL still our favourite. I think HAL wins on both crew and passengers. We thought Oceania (on Riviera) was somewhat remote. The staff were good but we felt it was because that was their job, whereas on HAL the crew seem to really enjoy serving you. We certainly did not get to know as many other passengers as on HAL.

 

At the end of the day however, we have cruised so much that itinerary has to win the day. It is laughable actually that we had decided that if an itinerary was right we would go on Oceania provided it was no more than 9 days. Our trip in April is 17 days but unfortunately HAL does not go to Burma and India!

[Hlitner]

We will not argue with Sammie, but having spent exactly 200 nights on the Prinsendam (far more then any Berlitz inspector) and cruised on over 60 other ships..we do feel somewhat qualified to judge :). If I were rating the Prinsendam for Berlitz and using general critieria such as "amenities," "elevators," etc. I would give the P'Dam a relatively low rating. And if I was rating the Oasis of the Seas for amenities it would get a very high rating (much higher then any HAL vessel which does not have all the amenities found on a mega ship). And there, folks, likes the problem with Berlitz and many rating systems.

 

We have often posted that the P'Dam is not for everyone...in fact HAL is not for everyone. But having cruised on many HAL ships (including some of the highest rated in Berlitz) we still count the P'Dam as our favorite HAL ship. I also seem to recall that the P'Dam has the highest percentage of repeaters among all HAL ships....so there are obviously others who count it among their favorites.

 

And finally for Sammie, as we mentioned before...the P'Dam has offered "Open Dining" for quite some time. So perhaps you might want to consider that if the Berlitz reviews has that simple fact wrong....they might have many other things wrong :). So lets be clear...the P'Dam is a vessel for those that love small ship cruising and are not looking for lots of bells and whistles. Just that simple.

 

Hank

Edited January 18, 2017 by Hlitner

[sammiedawg]

We will not argue with Sammie, but having spent exactly 200 nights on the Prinsendam (far more then any Berlitz inspector) and cruised on over 60 other ships..we do feel somewhat qualified to judge :). If I were rating the Prinsendam for Berlitz and using general critieria such as "amenities," "elevators," etc. I would give the P'Dam a relatively low rating. And if I was rating the Oasis of the Seas for amenities it would get a very high rating (much higher then any HAL vessel which does not have all the amenities found on a mega ship). And there, folks, likes the problem with Berlitz and many rating systems.

 

We have often posted that the P'Dam is not for everyone...in fact HAL is not for everyone. But having cruised on many HAL ships (including some of the highest rated in Berlitz) we still count the P'Dam as our favorite HAL ship. I also seem to recall that the P'Dam has the highest percentage of repeaters among all HAL ships....so there are obviously others who count it among their favorites.

 

And finally for Sammie, as we mentioned before...the P'Dam has offered "Open Dining" for quite some time. So perhaps you might want to consider that if the Berlitz reviews has that simple fact wrong....they might have many other things wrong :). So lets be clear...the P'Dam is a vessel for those that love small ship cruising and are not looking for lots of bells and whistles. Just that simple.

 

Hank

 

My point on Berlitz is as follows. It was posted on this thread (post 2,3 and possibly 4) some cruises on Pdam offer fixed dining only, a grand cruise. If the Berlitz reviewer was on board for a grand cruise the only option would be fixed dining. The reviewer is not wrong if that is the case.

 

Someone questioned when Berlitz was last on board. Since the scores are changing it is safe to say they were on board each year.

I'm sure you have many more days than the reviewer.

 

For the record I like small ships and sail them often.

Over and out.

Edited January 18, 2017 by sammiedawg