Almost Live from Prinsendam's Farewell Voyage

[*Miss G*]

I understand The Grand Cafe in the train station is excellent.  If we have time we will pop in there on our way to somewhere else.

[cat shepard]

Great pictures! Glad I just ate.😎

[aliaschief]

Have a great cruise and thank you for sharing this sad but wonderful experience.

 

We will always cherish our two cruises on the MS Prisendam.

[kazu]

5 hours ago, TiogaCruiser said:

We have a lovely room with a view of one of the canals and were able to check in early. We walked to Centraal Station and did a canal cruise.

 

 

Gorgeous view from your room. 😄.  And great photos.

 

Amsterdam is so pretty - I hope you enjoy it all and the rain bypasses you.

[erewhon]

Thank you for your update, and sharing your super photos.

[DeeniEncinitas]

OMGOODNESS TIOGACRUISER!

I had dinner this evening but I want the pancakes😡 love your pictures of Amsterdam!!

Denise😊

[ger_77]

We loved Pancakes Amsterdam - great food, wonderful service.  Can't wait to hear of your final voyage on the lovely Prinsendam.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

[whogo]

Have a great cruise. Nice itinerary:

Monday, June 17     Amsterdam, Holland         5:00pm
Tuesday, June 18     At Sea         
Wednesday, June 19     Stavanger, Norway     8:00am     3:00pm
Thursday, June 20     Alesund, Norway     8:00am     8:00pm
Friday, June 21     Trondheim, Norway     8:00am     5:00pm
Saturday, June 22     Arctic Circle (Cruising)         
Sunday, June 23     North Cape, Norway (Cruising)         
Sunday, June 23     Honningsvag, Norway     Noon     8:00pm
Monday, June 24     Tromso, Norway     8:00am     5:00pm
Tuesday, June 25     Narvik, Norway     8:00am     5:00pm
Wednesday, June 26     At Sea         
Thursday, June 27     Geiranger, Norway     7:00am     4:00pm
Friday, June 28     Flam, Norway     9:00am     7:00pm
Saturday, June 29     Bergen, Norway     8:00am     10:00pm
Sunday, June 30     At Sea         
Monday, July 1     Amsterdam, Holland     7:00am    

[whogo]

On 6/13/2019 at 10:10 PM, HomeLover said:

Hi!  I was on her 4/24 and met a gentleman who worked with the new company.  He told me a few major changes that will happen.  If you care to know, you can email me at windy2@zoominternet.net.  I will not post here while people are still on her.  

Lynn

I don't know what the new company gentleman said, but some of the changes can be found on the Phoenix Reisen website: https://www.phoenixreisen.com/amera.html

 

The ship's exterior will be in the white with blue livery of Phoenix Reisen. The Crow's Nest becomes the Panorama-Lounge, photos show the current Prinsendam decor. Photos also show the current cabin decor. The Lido Deck pool is not detailed on the deck plan. A drawing shows the redesigned area Schöne Aussichten.

 

The above photo also shows the Piano Salon (Currently the Explorer's Lounge) and Harry's Bar (Currently the Ocean Bar). Ten new cabins will take the place of the casino. Laundrettes remain. The Amera's premiere voyage is August 16. Great, diverse itineraries, I don't see any repeats. She sails to Norway and the Baltic before heading to the Mediterranean and Black Sea before a Canary Island cruise and then a 99 day South America circumnavigation, round trip Monaco.

[TiogaCruiser]

June 14: Part One

Zaanse Schans

We woke up to rain and got started later than planned. Headed back to Centraal Station and consulted with the Information Desk before trying to get on the train to Zaanse Schans. Even though I had detained instructions it turned out to be a good thing we checked as the route changed due to track work and we had to exit at Zaandam then board another train that took us the remainder of the way. 

 

Zaanse Schans was quite interesting. We got there as things were just opening and the crowds were low. (The rain may have had a hand in that.) We we’re able to get into 4 working mills, and all were fascinating. One we’re 2 oil press mills (think peanuts -> peanut oil, lindseed oil, etc), a sawmill, a chalk/pigment/paint mill, and a spice mill. (The rain was accompanied by some wind, so that was good for the mills, too.) A BIG thank you to Ine (@ine) for all of your advice. 😁

 

Stopped for a brief lunch of smoked salmon with capers and cream cheese on rustic bread, apple tart and bitterbollen (check 2 more items off the list there.)

 

Then we made a decision that changed the remainder of the day...

 

[HomeLover]

1 hour ago, whogo said:

I don't know what the new company gentleman said, but some of the changes can be found on the Phoenix Reisen website: https://www.phoenixreisen.com/amera.html

 

The ship's exterior will be in the white with blue livery of Phoenix Reisen. The Crow's Nest becomes the Panorama-Lounge, photos show the current Prinsendam decor. Photos also show the current cabin decor. The Lido Deck pool is not detailed on the deck plan. A drawing shows the redesigned area Schöne Aussichten.

 

The above photo also shows the Piano Salon (Currently the Explorer's Lounge) and Harry's Bar (Currently the Ocean Bar). Ten new cabins will take the place of the casino. Laundrettes remain. The Amera's premiere voyage is August 16. Great, diverse itineraries, I don't see any repeats. She sails to Norway and the Baltic before heading to the Mediterranean and Black Sea before a Canary Island cruise and then a 99 day South America circumnavigation, round trip Monaco.

Thanks for the pictures.  I am not personally fond of modern style of decorating, but it looks very open and clean.  I can’t wait to see pictures when it is finished.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Just catching up.

 

AH -- that food so looks so good.

 

Monday is getting closer.

[cruisemom42]

Oh my goodness, the food, the narrative, the photos -- all looks and sounds fabulous. And now I am on tenterhooks, wondering what decision changed your day. 

[rafinmd]

Won't be long now.  Savor that last day in Amsterdam and of the cruise.

 

Roy

[erewhon]

Thanks for your report.

Food looks delicious.

[dfish]

I'm with cruisemom wanting to know what decision changed history!

[TiogaCruiser]

June 15: Part Two

 

Ah, history.

 

That’s sort of what this is about. I had gotten us tickets for the Anne Frank Huis for the today at 18:30, thinking we would not have to work around an “anchored” time in the schedule. The original plan had called for us to go to Muiderslot after dropping our bags at the hotel yesterday. But that has not happened, due to the delays with landing and transfer time.

 

So having spent the morning at Zaanse Schans, and knowing we will be back for a brief trip on our transfer to the airport, we decided to risk missing the Anne Frank Huis and made a run for Muiderslot Castle.

 

With the help of the 9292 App and several helpful locals on the platform to confirm our understanding, we arrived before 4:00 and had a little over an hour to tour it. With the connecting bus (Weesp to Muiden) coming only once an hour (on Saturday), we understood our decision meant that we would not get back for our appointment with Anne Frank Huis. And so we traded more recent history for much something much older. (And therefore, we are leaving “unfinished business” for a future trip. 🙂 )

 

Dating from 1285, Muiderslot Castle was originally built by Count Floris V on the River Vecht on the Zuiderzee. It contains over 700 years of history. Walking- or more properly- climbing through the castle was amazing. Below find a few pictures.  And the little village of Muiden was quite charming. When 18:30 arrived, we were sitting in the station at Weesp waiting for our train to Amsterdam Centraal. 

 

Dinner was at the Bibliotek (library). There is a small food concession/ restaurant at the top that has a balcony patio with an incredible view over Amsterdam to the south. And once we arrived back at our hotel (around 10:00p and it was still light) we “attended” a Dutch wedding reception held on the terrace of a home across the canal (at least that is what I think they were celebrating) until the wee hours of the morning. A grand time was had by (most) all.  And now it is the 16th, and we are getting ready to have breakfast and then a bike ride at 9:30 through Waterland in New Holland (just north of here).

 

For now-

[TiogaCruiser]

A quick question:

are bitterballen supposed to be “wet” inside?

[Lunar Dragon]

Bitterballen are made from a roux of butter and flour and beef bouillon.  Depending on how thick the roux is made will determine how firm the mixture inside is after being deep fried.   Hope this helps!

 

[ski ww]

Sounds like you're having a great pre cruise adventure.  

[puppycanducruise]

Loving your comments and pictures.

Amsterdam is a great city,  wish I was there too.

[TiogaCruiser]

5 hours ago, Lunar Dragon said:

Bitterballen are made from a roux of butter and flour and beef bouillon.  Depending on how thick the roux is made will determine how firm the mixture inside is after being deep fried.   Hope this helps!

 

Thanks. About a half a teaspoon of the very center was like pancake batter. But hot. 

[DeeniEncinitas]

Finished my coffee this am and got all caught up on such a wonderful write up and pictures! Loved the video.Amsterdam

is beautiful and the picture of the windmills and your salmon made my day!

Thank you and enjoy !

Denise😊 

[*Miss G*]

Wow.  The shoes in that pic look pretty dangerous.  Thanks for the updates!

[TiogaCruiser]

She is STUNNING.

 

 

Qe just let loose lines and are almost to Centraal Station.