Prinsendam Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Norway, British Isles, Iceland on the Prinsendam

Review for the British Isles & Western Europe Cruise on Prinsendam
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Naomi2
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Aug 2012
Cabin: Large Ocean-View Stateroom

Our cruise was back to back so 28 days on the Elegant Explorer with only 6 sea days. Thus it was an adventure, not a sit and relax vacation. The weather was cool and sunny with temperatures in the low to upper 60's. I did not need the short sleeved shirts and shorts that I brought, but it was very good touring weather. We did need jackets in Iceland. At the later part of the cruise the captain made a decision to skip the Iceland port of Heimaey due to an approaching storm. We went to Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands instead and then to Invergordon instead of Scrabster and on to Edinburgh our last port before we disembarked in Amsterdam, Holland. We had already been to Akureyri, Seydisfjordur, Isafjordur, and (overnight)Reyjavik Iceland so we didn't feel too deprived at missing our last Icelandic port. At dinner we were all treated to a glass of champagne to compensate us for the change. Happily we missed the storm and enjoyed the new ports. Kudos to the captain!

The crew on the Prinsendam is superb-always smiling and going the extra mile to make your voyage the best you have ever enjoyed. Our steward and waiters cleaned and served without a hitch over 4 weeks of wonderful dinners. Our only quibble was that our gabbing table of 8 barely made it to the 10 PM show on several evenings.I especially enjoyed our bridge card instruction on sea days where I learned several pointers that I can apply at home from Brenda our excellent instructer. Also we enjoyed the 5 PM wine and culinary tastings presented by Jannette where we learned how to pair the wine and make the aud'erves. We did buy the wine package and the unlimited laundry package which added to the seamless flow of the cruise.

Our ports were varied and largely English speaking. Mainly we booked private small group tours and used Hop on Hop off buses and ship shuttles to town. This kept the cost down and our interest level up. The smaller group of 8-12 facilitates interaction with the guide and each other during the experience.Also we were able to do things that a larger group could not do. For instance in Lerwick, Shetland Islands, we went on Jonathan's Seabirds and Seals boat tour with an underwater viewing camera which was phenomenal. Also the gannet colony and his description of their amazing life cycle was beyond compare. His boat only held 12 guests who gathered around him and the camera to see the underwater life in the cave. It would have been undoable with a larger ship tour.

Cabin Review

Large Ocean-View Stateroom

Cabin D

Cabin 387 is Main deck starboard side beyond the elevators in the back. Thus there is a lot of shaking in the cabin when the ship is trying to dock. Often this is early in the morning and it can wake one up. The cabin has a shower but no bathtub which is OK with us as the shower is easy to get in and out of even when the ship is rocking. Access to the rear elevators/Lido/dining room is excellent.

There is a window for views and light. The dressing table and chair are situated so that you cannot get by the bed when someone is sitting at it as the cabin is too narrow. Otherwise the cabin has excellent storage and good air conditioning control. Occasionally the hall smells of diesel fuel when the ship is being filled with it.

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