Great ship, crew and service

Prinsendam Cruise Review to Transatlantic

retthink

Contributor Level: Purser

Cruises: 2-3 cruises

Review: 1

Helpful Votes: 26

Overall rating:

4 out of 5

14 Night Azores & Normandy Explorer (Ft. Lauderdale To Amsterdam)

Sail date: May 06, 2017

Ship: Prinsendam

Cabin type: Oceanview

Cabin number: 486

Traveled as: Couple

Reviewed: 7 years ago

Review summary

For those looking to disconnect and relax, this is an excellent cruise. The ship was great - smaller and more personal than many today. All of the staff was great - friendly and top-notch service. The food and choice of options was excellent, as well. Given the total of 9 days at sea, the well-equipped gym was very much appreciated. Between the gym and taking the stairs between decks, we were able to enjoy the food without putting on weight, Being able to see Normandy, Bruges and Amsterdam were real highlights.Entertainment, games and the library were all excellent.

In terms of properly setting expectations, the weather quickly deteriorated after Bermuda. We weren't able to dock in the Azores but continued to stay ahead of a low pressure system. The weather was cold and/or rainy most of the rest of the cruise until we got to Amsterdam. Obviously, Holland America can't control the weather, but that's a definite risk with doing a re-positioning, transatlantic cruise in May.

All in all a good trip!

Ship experiences

Food and Dining

5 out of 5

Excellent food at all options and the Pinnacle was a real treat.

Onboard Activities

3 out of 5

Many of the lectures were very good. (However, 9 sea days is a lot to fill.) Gym was good but fairly small without some of the latest equipment. Couldn't really use the deck and pool much because of the weather.

Entertainment

5 out of 5

The Prinsedam singers and dancers were great as was the other entertainment. The Crow's Nest is the perfect setting for winding down the evening. There were some good movies, although it's time to replace the old TV's and DVD players (don't play BLu Ray). Also, a couple more channel selections would be great.

Service and Staff

5 out of 5

Very well-trained and friendly across the board

Ship Quality

5 out of 5

Older ship, but real quality touches and impeccably maintained.

Cabin / Stateroom

5 out of 5

Steward service was great. Cabin was clean and fresh and had sufficient room.