Share Your Memories From ms Prinsendam

[Copper10-8]

4 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

I remember him well.  He was in charge of a Wine Tasting activity on one of my cruises (not my Prinsendam one).  He knew "his stuff" and was the most informative and entertaining of any crew member on any ship that was in charge of this type of activity.

 

Yeah, he had/has a pretty extensive knowledge of everything food and wine. Before his life at sea, he was an executive chef on land. He ran a pretty water tight ship in his dept.

[rkacruiser]

7 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

He ran a pretty water tight ship in his dept.

 

In my experience, he was one of the best Hotel Managers with whom I have sailed.  His hotel department exemplified the "Signature of Excellence" slogan.

[Copper10-8]

15 minutes ago, rkacruiser said:

 

In my experience, he was one of the best Hotel Managers with whom I have sailed.  His hotel department exemplified the "Signature of Excellence" slogan.

 

He was replaced on P-dam by Francois Birarda, a Frenchman. never sailed with him

[bcummin]

Francois Birada,  top right, fine gentleman.

2009 Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage on ms Prinsendam.

Barbara

 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by bcummin

[St Pete Cruiser]

Thanks everyone for sharing your pics of the Prinsendam and some of her officers.  I was on the Prinsendam's 2010 cruise beginning in Amsterdam.  It was a back to back cruise with the first two weeks going down to Zeebruge and a new port call at Vlissingen, Bilbao and A Curuna, Spain and then up the river to Bordeaux, France, where we overnighted.  After a stop in St Peter Port we entered the RiverThames up to Tilbury. My friends back home had insisted, "No cruise ships go up the Thames to London", but we got pretty close. Tilbury was the turn around for the second half of our BtoB.  From there we went up to Roysyth for Edinburgh, Scotland, and Scrabster, another new port for HAL. Faroe Islands was nice, and on sailaway, Captain Albert announced he would be cruising along the very high cliffs, because as he said: "The Captain of the Prinsendam is given some leeway  to please her guests."  Iceland was next with several ports before heading north to Spitzbergen and then the ice that marked the "Top of the World" for our cruise.  It was a beautiful photo op as we gathered on the forward decks with the bow into the ice, the cameraman shooting from a tender(?) to make it more dramatic.  Returning south, we stopped at Bergen, where the Prinsendam's Daddy, Captain Gunderson, joined us for a day of homecoming.  He was the original Captain going back to Royal Viking Sun if memory serves me, and felt that the ship was his private yacht that he was extremely fond of.  Firmin was the hotel manager that cruise, and also felt as though she was his little girl.  I remember him telling me that he thought she had 5 more years with the company and he would retire with her.  To the Prinsendam's credit, she stayed 9 more years, or 8 if you count that she was actually sold last year.  

 

For those of you who remained loyal to the Prinsendam, booking cruises over and over on her, usually at a higher per diem than most of the other HAL ships commanded, you are why she stayed so long.  You know her weaknesses, but you reveled in her uniqueness, in her warmth, in her crew's love for her as well.  When I boarded her in Amsterdam I wasn't too impressed:  small and low showroom (Queens Lounge?),  no cover over the small pool, small casino, dining room, Crow's Nest.  Debbie Bacon was the pianist in the Crow's Nest by the way.  However, as I settled in and realized small wasn't a bad thing in some cases, the magic of that dam little Prinsendam turned me into a fan of her.  I feel special having sailed her.

[kazu]

12 hours ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Nice pic of former Belgian HAL HD Firmin van Walle; retired since 2013

 

A truly excellent HD 😄   We were on his final cruise.  It was very evident how highly the crew felt about him when he left the ship for the last time.

[bcummin]

 

More happy memories from the Elegant Explorer's 2010 Top Of The World cruise, after reaching the ice and eventually on to Oslo.

Barbara

[St Pete Cruiser]

Thanks for sharing your pics of that cruise.  I see some familiar faces.

[Broon]

We sailed on Prinsendam three times: Dec/Jan 2009 holiday in the Caribbean, Jan/Feb 2018 S America/Antarctica, and last month June 2019 14 days around the British Isles from and to Amsterdam. In all, 9 weeks on board - our favourite ship. The first and aerial photos were taken on June 3 from the Movenpick Hotel in Amsterdam. Prinsendam is arriving at the terminal in Amsterdam and we boarded her for our last cruise the same day. One of our favoured activities was to get out onto deck 7 for multiple laps. In the shot of the orange life preserver, in the distance, the coast of France along the English Channel. We were on our last full day on board, a sea day - also one of our favoured activities, regardless of ship. Alas, all good things must end somehow, and the next day, June 17, we bid our farewell. 

[bobalink]

This is a fun memory from our one and only cruise on the Prinsendam (Celtic Explorer 2018.) Photo taken from our balcony, we could watch Captain Dag bringing the Elegant Explorer into Antwerp. He saw me taking photos and waved. 

[john2003]

One of our all time best cruises was to the polar icecap on the Prinsendam. 

Small gifts from Michael such as a chair from a champagne cork. Dinner at the Captains table. Lots of great memories. 

[bcummin]

 

Our third Prinsendam cruise was the 2012 Grand Med & Black Sea Voyage.

Here we have "Cooking With Hotel Manager Firmin" and the rescue of fishermen east of Funchal, Madera.

Happy Fourth of July!

Barbara

[Copper10-8]

43 minutes ago, bcummin said:

 

Our third Prinsendam cruise was the 2012 Grand Med & Black Sea Voyage.

Here we have "Cooking With Hotel Manager Firmin" and the rescue of fishermen east of Funchal, Madera.

Happy Fourth of July!

Barbara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice shots of that Forca Aerea Portuguesa Agusta-Westland AW-101 Merlin from Esquadro 751 "Pumas" forward based at Aerodrome nº3 in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago for SAR missions. Their very appropriate motto is "Para que outros vivam" (That others may live)

[bcummin]

Thank you, Copper 10-8 for your professional insights and for correct spelling.  :)  

The Elegant Explorer and Captain Gundersen had their hands full with lifesaving detours on that Atlantic crossing.

An abandoned sailboat was spotted first, but the Bermuda authorities already knew about it.

Barbara 

[Copper10-8]

On 30 April 2008, while on her 78-day Grand Africa Voyage, Prinsendam was enroute from Mombasa, Kenya headed for Salalah, Oman. In doing so, she had to traverse the Gulf of Oman, an area of pirate attacks in the past. Prinsendam subsequently met up with the Royal Netherlands Navy air-defense and command frigate HNLMS Evertsen F805 which provided an escort. 

 

In addition, because it was felt that Evertsen's crew could use a break from their daily somewhat repetitious work, it was decided to conduct a helicopter exercise by simulating the transport/medevac of a sick passenger via helo from Prinsendam to Evertsen. At the conclusion of that exercise, Evertsen's captain gave Prinsendam's passengers and crew an extra treat by making a very close pass (less then fifty meters) and coming alongside the cruise ship's port side, staying there for fifteen minutes for photos until putting the pedal to the metal, passing Prinsendam and making a left turn, doing all this while the warship's Lynx helicopter was overhead shooting pics.

[Copper10-8]

The medevac exercise between the Prinsendam and the Evertsen deploying the frigate's Westland Lynx helo from the Dutch 860 Naval Squadron, normally home-based at Maritime Aviation Base De Kooy, south of Den Helder, the country's main naval base

[FRANKIEDNYC]

Linda and I have been fortunate enough to sail on Prinsendam over 300 days, mostly with our favorite Capt Tim. Reading this thread brought back many happy memories.  Our last sailing on her was the 2019 Grand South America Antarctica 80 day cruise.  Saw the picture of the bridge wing brought back a funny memory.  Our! Stateroom was on deck 10 forward and we went out on the balcony and the sliding door shut and locked us out.  If it wasn't for that open bridge wing and a cadet out on it, we might still be locked out there.  In one of the first dining room pictures was the table we sat at fo our last 3 voyages on her 220 days.

 

[bra1nchild]

The Prinsendam in Flam, Norway, June 28, 2019.

[Copper10-8]

P-dam in Freeport

 

Edited July 5, 2019 by Copper10-8

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting those great pictures, Copper. 

[bra1nchild]

Cartagena, Monte Carlo and Santorini on the Grand Med and Black Sea, 2009

Archive1.zip

[bcummin]

 

Our 2012 Grand Med & Black Sea Prinsendam voyage continued on to Cartagena, Gabbes, Valetta, and Ephesus (2 photos).  New Cruise Director this time.

Barbara

 

Edited July 6, 2019 by bcummin

[bcummin]

Notice how elegant she looked, even with a temporary dimple on her bow.

Barbara

[bcummin]

In Istanbul local security delighted in confiscating my souvenir skewers to take to ms Prinsendam.

Captain Gundersen's wife and daughter joined him on the 2012 Grand Med & Black Sea Voyage.  His teen daughter captured all our hearts, when she spoke from the main stage.

Santorini's photos include a happy Mr. & Mrs. Firmin Van Walle.

Good tour through crew country.    Argostoli, Cooks, Venice.

Our Elegant Explorer will certainly be missed.

Barbara

 

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by bcummin

[navybankerteacher]

Damn — you make me want to cry.  We only sailed her once: a T/A home from travel in Italy in Fall 2014.  My hundredth HAL day was on that crossing.  We’ve had a few more since, but with what HAL now offers, I doubt I’ll see 200.