With
Reuben Goossens
Cruise’n’Travel
Journalist, Cruise reviewer & Maritime Historian
Please Note: Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial
and privately owned cruise site and it is NOT associated with any cruise
company or travel agency! Although the author has been in the passenger
shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to
write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise
and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in
the future. Please read my statement at the bottom of the page!

The “Elegant Explorer”
MS
Prinsendam

She was once the much loved Royal Viking Sun /
Seabourn Sun, but Holland America Line transformed her very much into their
style of cruise ship. Already she has become known as the “Elegant World
Explorer.” When HAL took
delivery of her he received a massive 35-day transformation, after which she
has emerged with a fine new alternative Restaurant, the Odyssey as well as a
new Lido Restaurant, Ocean Bar, Art Gallery, Internet Center
and a fully revamped Showroom. Prinsendam also has a new range of
“lanai” staterooms.

Many will remember the luxurious Royal Viking
Sun
After Holland America took
delivery of the 38,000-ton Seabourn Sun on April 23, 2002, when she underwent an
extended dry-docking and refurbishment to become the Prinsendam. 14 additional
staterooms were added giving hera passenger capacity of 794. Like all HAL ships, she features that famous Holland America’s
familiar blue and white livery, public room names, and masses of fine art.
“This ship has a very loyal
following and a stellar reputation as a world cruiser. We’re sure that
our guests will agree that the enhancements we’ve made have only
increased its already high appeal,” said David A. Giersdorf,
senior Vice President of marketing and sales. “We’re calling the
Prinsendam our ‘Elegant Explorer’ to sum up its mid-range size,
worldly destinations and elegant, sophisticated décor. The Prinsendam also
offers an intimate, yet spacious, environment. With a 794-guest capacity, this
ship has a space ratio of 47.86 - one of the highest in the industry.”
Decks
have been renamed to correspond with the naming system on board the HAL fleet. Starting from the top deck, which on the
Seabourn Sun was named the Observation Deck, the passenger decks will be
renamed as follows: Sky (Deck 13), Sports (12), Lido (11), Verandah (10), Upper
Promenade (9), Promenade (8), Lower Promenade (7), Main
(6) and Dolphin (5).
Other enhancements include a reconfigured La
Fontaine dining room, which has two dinner sittings. There is a new concierge
lounge for the exclusive use of suite guests, a modified Shore Excursion
Office, conversion of the present Compass
Rose Room
to an Explorer’s Lounge, upgraded furnishing in the Wajang
Movie Theatre, a new wind screen at the bow, and a specially commissioned
sculpture for the Central Atrium. Since then she has undergone further
enhancements making this popular ship even more luxurious that she was before
and her following is ever increasing as she is finding a new clientele from
around the world!

Neptune Lounge
Features that received minimal changes are the
Crow’s Nest lounge on Sports Deck forward; the Java Café and Bar,
centrally located on Promenade Deck; and the Oak Room, a dedicated smoking
room, also located on Promenade Deck. The Casino on Promenade Deck and the well-appointed
Ocean Spa on Upper Promenade Deck aft, were both renovated in 1999 and only
received few modifications by HAL.

Another
view of the Neptune Lounge
Swedish architect Tomas Tillberg,
who designed the ship’s original décor and led the 1999 update, oversaw
the renovations. Tillberg, with the assistance of
architect F.C.J. Dingemans of Utrecht, Netherlands,
also was responsible for the art applications to complement the Prinsendam’s new interior designs, installing
$350,000 worth of modern art and antiques to supplement existing artworks.
Following
is an overview of various enhancements made

Crows
Nest
The Sky Deck houses a Holland America
trademark Crow’s Nest Lounge. The intimate lounge features floor-to-ceiling
windows, a piano, and spectacular views from high atop the ship.
The
ship’s present alternative restaurant on Deck 11 (to be renamed Lido
Deck) has been transformed into a new, Holland America style
Lido Restaurant with two serving lines.

Lido Terrace
Forward of the pool area on Lido Deck, the
Prinsendam has a new concierge lounge to serve the suites on the Sports and Lido decks. The lounge, behind the port side navigation
wing, features a private balcony offering spectacular views.

Lido Cafe
The Prinsendam features a new type of
staterooms with the introduction of 10 “lanai” cabins. These
staterooms, constructed in space formerly used as a lounge on Promenade Deck
aft, have private lanais and share a private, covered deck and a hot tub.

Ocean Bar
The Queen’s Lounge (show room) on
Promenade Deck forward has been redesigned. The room has a new stage and is
equipped with the same state-of-the-art lighting and sound equipment all of the
company’s other ships use to produce their award-winning shows.

Java Café & Bar
The former Compass Rose
Room on Promenade Deck has been
converted to a Holland America style Explorer’s Lounge, with a large
mural to provide the room with the elegant atmosphere customary on other
Holland America ships.

Explorers Lounge
The La Fontaine Dining Room, in the aft
section of Lower Promenade Deck, has been reconfigured to accommodate Holland America’s
traditional two dinner sittings. Large windows afford spectacular views.

La Fontaine
The port side of the forward portion of the
former dining room has been converted into an alternative Odyssey Restaurant,
featuring Italian cuisine and Mediterranean décor. Opposite the Odyssey is a
traditional Ocean Bar, with bandstand and dance floor.

Odyssey Restaurant
Adjacent to either side of the Atrium on Lower
Promenade Deck, a new Internet Center with 11 computer
stations and a new, dedicated Art
Gallery have been added.

The Spa entrance

The Spa Foyer
The Lower Promenade Deck contains the
ship’s traditional walking area. A windshield has been added to protect
walkers from wind and weather as they round the bow.
A volley ball/basketball court has been added,
consistent with the Holland America fleet. The ship also features a golf
simulation center on Main Deck. This virtual-reality
golf game allows golfers to “play” several famous courses around
the world as well as practice their golf swing and putting stroke. It is
identical to simulators to be installed on Holland
America’s new Vista series ships.
Holland America’s
“Elegant Explorer” Prinsendam
departed
from New York on June 3 for its 10-day maiden
cruise across the Atlantic Southampton (London),
with calls at Halifax, Nova
Scotia; Cobh (Cork), Ireland; and Plymouth, England.
The ship’s inaugural season features a full year of globe trotting from
Northern Europe and the Mediterranean to Africa, Asia
and the South Pacific, and back again.

The
Prinsendam offers nine passenger decks, plus 15 public rooms and boutiques. The
staterooms include: one Penthouse Verandah Suite; 18 Deluxe Verandah Suites; 50
Superior Verandah Suites; 82 Deluxe Verandah Outside; 220 large double outside;
2 single outside; and 25 double inside. Of these, 151 (38 percent of the total
staterooms) will have veranda’s.

Casino
Aboard the ship, guests will feel at home in
public rooms with familiar Holland America names
and stateroom categories consistent with the company’s fleet wide system.
Amid Holland America’s classic Dutch art
and ambiance, guests will discover their favourites: an Explorers Lounge,
Crow’s Nest, Java Café, La Fontaine Dining Room, and the alternative
Odyssey Restaurant featuring fine Italian cuisine. Other favourite features include
a full Ocean Spa and fitness center, Internet center, outside pools, wrap-around promenade deck, theatre,
show lounge, library, Lido restaurant, and
several lounges, including an Ocean Bar.
Although this magnificent ship has received
additional enhancements since I placed this page online, I have decided to
leave it very much alone, for when you board her, I would like you to be simply
be amazed by her sheer beauty and grace, and be assured, you will not be
disappointed!
Also
visit the … Holland America Line – Introduction
Page
MS Rotterdam - MS Volendam & MS Prinsendam
And our Holland America
Line News Updates Page
***************************************
For information &
reservations
Australia ONLY …
Contact … Australia’s
first fully dedicated cruise agency – Established in 1982

Email Corie: info@cruisespecialists.com.au
Or Phone
--1800 427 847--
Brisbane & International – Phone: +61 7
5546 6798
Fax: + 61 7 5546 6849
----------------------------------
In Australia
ONLY
– Phone: TTW official GSA’s for: Holland America Line
Toll free at
1300 857 637
Or email:
ttwmail@traveltheworld.com.au
New Zealand & International readers
For a
listing of recommended Australian, New Zealand &
International Cruise’n’Travel Agents
ENTER HERE
--------------------------------------
Also visit the … Holland America Line – Introduction
Page
MS Rotterdam - MS Volendam & MS Prinsendam
MS
Nieuw Amsterdam
And also read our Holland America Line
Cruise
News Updates - Page
***********************************
Who is the Author of Cruise-Australia & ssMaritime?
Commenced in the Passenger Shipping Industry in
May 1960
Contact the Author …

When sending an email please name the ship you are requesting
information or speaking about!
Please
Note:
Cruise-Australia is a non-commercial and privately owned cruise site. The
author has been in the passenger shipping industry since 1960 and is currently
semi-retired, but continues to write cruise and ship reviews and articles in
order to better to inform cruise and ship enthusiasts and provide information
for those intending a cruise in the future.
However, if you are
interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer you to a dedicated cruise agent in Australia, New Zealand or further afield on my
recommended “cruise agents” page, for these are agents that
specialise in cruising and they will be able offer excellent service you and
the best fares available! Be assured, I do NOT receive any commissions or
favours from these agents, and in the vast majority of cases these agents will
not even be aware of my, or mu site’s involvement, as I provide the
enquirer with the requested information of the agents (in their region)
including their contact details. Reuben Goossens.
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Photographs
on cruise-australia are: 1. By
the author. 2. From the author’s private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping
Companies and private photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all
contributors. However, there are photographs provided to me without details
provided regarding the photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of
these images would be so kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit
may be given. I know what it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own
photographs on other sites, yet they either refuse to give me credit and even
refuse to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it
comes to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing
at all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who send me
photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless the
image is part of their private collection.
This
notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
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owned and © Copyright 2010 - by Reuben Goossens - All Rights Reserved

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