Confirmed! Prinsendam has been sold! (4 threads merged)

[KirkNC]

That’s one ship.

[Btimmer]

We are booked on the Amazon Explorer Nov.20-Dec20 2019. Hope she is still around... itinerary includes Cuba.

Karen

 

We'll be with you. We're looking forward to sailing again the Prinsendam.

[bUU]

This sale listing gets "re-discovered" periodically. HERE IS a thread from Dec 2015.

The last time this question came up, I found a thread from 2010 about it.

 

Is there new news??

Someone on a large social media website floated the rumor again last week. Nothing more than that' date=' I suspect.

 

It said that she had been bought by Phoenix Reisen and would be leaving HAL late 2019.

Yup that's the one.

[bUU]

I'm still seeing the Prinsendam sailings for July through November on the HAL website. Returning from the Amazon December 20, 2019.

It may be a good idea for people booking cruises to check into whether a cruise line can sell a ship while it has active reservations for future voyages. (Hint: It can cancel the voyages, often with little or no penalty to the cruise line, for a lot longer than passengers would like.)

[whogo]

Apparently the sale was reported in the German maritime media.

It said that she had been bought by Phoenix Reisen and would be leaving HAL late 2019.

 

I've been searching for German language news stories about the Prinsendam daily without turning up anything new. The Prinsendam is the kind of ship that might appeal to Phoenix Reisen, they sail a number of smaller, older ships. Their Albatros was built for Royal Viking Sea, their Artania was the Royal Princess. The sale rumor is not completely out of the question.

 

 

If sold, cruises on a Phoenix Reisen owned Prinsendam would be a whole different experience, they market to German speaking cruisers. The unscripted German TV show Verrückt nach Meer was filmed on Phoenix Reisen ships.

[Storylady]

The story that it has been sold to Phoenix Reisen has also appeared on a Norwegian Shipbulding Form and a small ship group on Facebook.

 

Also, I got the feeling from what Orlando said to me when I told him that the Prinsendam was my favorite ship that she wasn’t going to be around much longer. He told me that I better sail on her!

[Storylady]

I just checked to see what ships have their itineraries scheduled for 2020. All the itineraries are out through April except for the Prinsendam and Maasdam. I am just guessing but it looks like the Maasdam is going to be transferred to P.O. as Sydney is the Maasdam’s last port listed.

 

When the Koningsdam was added to the HAL fleet, two ships were transferred to P.O. So maybe there is validity to the rumor the Prinsendam being sold. And I have been wondering why such fabulous itinerary on the Maasdam. Could she be the next ship to be let go.

[bUU]

An alternative interpretation might be that they will move the elegant explorer moniker to Maasdam, giving those fans of Prinsendam a chance to show that that unique offering can regularly fill a larger, more cost-effective ship.

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

[haladdict]

It doesn't sound as if people really know if the P Dam has been sold or not.

Just in case. Get your Kleenex and hankies ready.

Sandra

[bobpatj]

We're booked in Oct-Nov 2019.

[Storylady]

An alternative interpretation might be that they will move the elegant explorer moniker to Maasdam, giving those fans of Prinsendam a chance to show that that unique offering can regularly fill a larger, more cost-effective ship.

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

I still think both the Maasdam and the Prinsendam are going to leave HAL. They probably need the crew for the new ship. Also the new ships are more cost effective. Meanwhile, Viking takes the HAL passengers who prefer small ships!

[sammiedawg]

I still think both the Maasdam and the Prinsendam are going to leave HAL. They probably need the crew for the new ship. Also the new ships are more cost effective. Meanwhile, Viking takes the HAL passengers who prefer small ships!

 

Viking is far superior.

We were unimpressed with Prinsendam, actually liked the Ryndam and Eurodam class much more.

[bUU]

I still think both the Maasdam and the Prinsendam are going to leave HAL. They probably need the crew for the new ship. Also the new ships are more cost effective. Meanwhile, Viking takes the HAL passengers who prefer small ships!

Okay, but I thought I just read something about some changes to the on-board offerings on the Maasdam - while that could be a test for changes that would eventually be deployed (exclusively) on other ships, I thought that might indicate an intention to keep Maasdam as "the new P'dam". P'dam fanatics would probably find a million reasons to hate it, and it could very well be that there simply aren't enough passengers looking for the P'dam experience to keep a larger ship like Maasdam filled, but it just seemed to me that what I was reading was indicating that they were going to give it a shot and see. Just a wild guess though.

 

Meanwhile, Viking takes the HAL passengers who prefer small ships!

Apples and oranges. Viking is far more expensive, especially since they don't even have some classes of low-end cabins that are available on Holland America. Anyone who Viking is "taking" from Holland America didn't really belong on a cruise line with the mid-grade price-point, and in the CCL scheme of things should have been on Seabourn anyway.

[RuthC]

Viking is far superior.

Viking is not handicap-friendly, however. That is a real turn-off for those who need to use a scooter on ships.

[innlady1]

Viking is not handicap-friendly, however. That is a real turn-off for those who need to use a scooter on ships.

 

 

Not even their newer cruise ships?

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[sppunk]

Viking is not handicap-friendly, however. That is a real turn-off for those who need to use a scooter on ships.

Their ocean ships are very scooter friendly, Roth.

[sammiedawg]

Their ocean ships are very scooter friendly, Roth.

 

Viking ocean policies mirror Viking river, no scooters. A collapsible wheelchair is OK, you must have a companion to push it.

[RuthC]

Not even their newer cruise ships?

 

Their ocean ships are very scooter friendly, Roth.

Passengers are allowed to use canes, walkers, rollators, and wheelchairs; scooters are not allowed. The first three require a certain amount of mobility that's going to last the extent of the cruise. I know I, and expect others, try to do a lot more on cruises than in real life, so need a different mobility device when cruising than I do at home.

 

It's sad, as Viking is otherwise a very attractive option now that HAL has slipped so far from what it was. They are some of the same people who ran Royal Viking Line, and that was a fabulous line!

[sppunk]

Oh I thought scooters were ok - like rotators are now.

 

My bad. That’s unfortunate. I see why they have that rule but it’s definitly debatable.

[kazu]

An alternative interpretation might be that they will move the elegant explorer moniker to Maasdam, giving those fans of Prinsendam a chance to show that that unique offering can regularly fill a larger, more cost-effective ship.

 

This message may have been entered via voice recognition. Please excuse any typos.

 

I guess you have never been on the P'dam.

 

The Maasdam is hardly the Elegant Explorer - not near her nor has the crew compliment that the P'dam has, nor the service.

 

Nor could she have gotten to some of the ports we just went to.

 

The P'dam is a ship unto herself and HAL is crazy to not replace her. The Maasdam is NOT a replacement nor close to what the P'dam is. There are many on this cruise that only sail the P'dam.

 

This message has been sent live from the P'dam.

[sammiedawg]

I don’t know the Viking scooter policy backstory but the issue may be parking it. The entry walkway is a little narrow because of the space allocated to a wonderful bathroom. Passengers rave about the wide, roomy bathrooms with a deluxe shower unit but entry space is reduced as a result. Remaining cabin space is generous but doubt a scooter fits.

The lowest cabin category is a veranda.

[bUU]

I guess you have never been on the P'dam.

Never - and I have no interest in doing so given how its most passionate fans describe it.

 

The Maasdam is hardly the Elegant Explorer - not near her nor has the crew compliment that the P'dam has, nor the service.

If you think that matters, then (paradoxically) you aren't paying attention to the complaints that you and other have been posting here for years.

 

The Maasdam is NOT a replacement nor close to what the P'dam is.

And if you think your opinion about that will trump Holland America's "value engineering" (a term that the cruise line was recently quoted as using in reference to some entertainment changes), then I suspect you'll be disappointed.

 

Meanwhile, the cruise line can be considering how it will position the sale of P'dam, when that finally occurs. What I can guarantee you is that they will not say, "We are getting rid of P'dam and not doing anything to satisfy any of what P'dam offered. If you liked P'dam then go away."

 

They just won't say that, even though it is very likely how P'dam's most passionate fans will want to describe it.

 

This message may have been drafted using voice recognition. Please forgive any typos.

Edited May 29, 2018 by bUU

[rkacruiser]

I guess you have never been on the P'dam.

 

The Maasdam is hardly the Elegant Explorer - not near her nor has the crew compliment that the P'dam has, nor the service.

 

Nor could she have gotten to some of the ports we just went to.

 

The P'dam is a ship unto herself and HAL is crazy to not replace her. The Maasdam is NOT a replacement nor close to what the P'dam is. There are many on this cruise that only sail the P'dam.

 

This message has been sent live from the P'dam.

 

kazu,

 

An opinion question: if HAL was to acquire one of the current Seabourn vessels as a Prinsendam replacement, how might that be received by guests?

 

I have long thought that a Seabourn Quest, or a sister, maybe with modification if needed, could become Prinsendam III.

[boufa]

I was talking to someone who is knowledgeable on the subject recently, and the fate of the Prinsendam is sealed. She will be leaving the fleet when her previously released itineraries are complete. I understand she will likely be staying in the family (ie another Carnival Corp company). As with all other rumors, this one is only as accurate as the person who told me, but at least they were a HAL employee.

[kazu]

kazu,

 

 

 

An opinion question: if HAL was to acquire one of the current Seabourn vessels as a Prinsendam replacement, how might that be received by guests?

 

 

 

I have long thought that a Seabourn Quest, or a sister, maybe with modification if needed, could become Prinsendam III.

 

 

 

I can only guess what other guests would say, but a Seabourn ship would fit in well as a P'dam III IMO. Just my opinion though.

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk