Thread: ms Prinsendam - history

Royal Viking Sun (1988-present) Built in 1988 by Oy Wärtsilä Ab/Wärtsilä Marine Industries, Åbo/Turku, Finland for Royal Viking Line (part of the Kloster Group) for luxurious worldwide cruising. She was launched in May 1988 and upon her handing over on 26 November 1988, she would become the line’s flagship. Royal Viking Sun departed Turku on 29 November 1988 and, after a port call at Greenwich, England, she crossed the Atlantic and via the Panama Canal arrived at San Francisco. On 8 January 1989, she was christened by actor James "Jimmy" Stewart and shortly after departed on her first commercial voyage, a 100-day world cruise. The vessel quickly became renowned for her exquisite service and loyal passenger following becoming a popular addition to the fleet of global cruisers employed in Royal Viking service.



On 30 June 1994, the Cunard Line purchased Royal Viking Sun and the Royal Viking brand and Royal Viking Line ceased operations in that same year. Cunard opted to keep the ship's name as is and they placed her into their newly formed Cunard Royal Viking division. As with Royal Viking Line, the 5-plus star ship was rated the finest vessel afloat for most of her life with Cunard, an honor she held from her Royal Viking Line days. She undertook World Voyages as Cunard's "global roamer", and was a popular and highly sought after ship for passengers and crew alike.



On 04 April 1996 while in the Gulf of Aqaba near Jordan,Royal Viking Sun ran aground on a reef, sustaining serious damage and taking on water. Her captain decided to beach her so the damage sustained could be inspected. She was subsequently towed into Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt where her passengers, who were on a world cruise, were disembarked and flown home. After temporary repairs, Royal Viking Sun transited the Suez Canal and sailed for Valetta, Malta, arriving on 22 April, where additional repairs were carried out. She was back in service on 12 June 1996.



In 1999 the Cunard Line and the Seabourn Cruise Line were merged by parent company Carnival Corporation and a decision was made to move Royal Viking Sun to Seabourn. On 26 November 1999, she emerged from the Lloyd Werft GmbH in Bremerhaven, Germany as the Seabourn Sun after an extensive refit and continued exploring the world. She would sail for Seabourn only until 28 April 2002 however, her last cruise with them being a circumnavigation of South America.

On 23 April 2002, Seabourn Sun was internally transferred (within the Carnival Group) to Holland America Line. On 29 April 2003 HAL sent her to the Detyens International shipyard in Charleston, SC for an extensive 35-day long refit to the tune of U.S. 22.5 million. At the shipyard, she gained a total of ten "Lanai" state rooms by removing her existing Midnight Sun Room lounge. These cabins have private lanais and share a private, covered deck and a hot tub. Her Compass Rose Room was converted to HAL’s Explorers Lounge complete with large mural and her main dining room, the La Fontaine, was reduced in size in order to accommodate two dinner seating’s.

The ship's decks were 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 were renamed Sky (Deck 13), Sports (12), Lido (11), Verandah (10), Upper Promenade (9), Promenade (8), Lower Promenade (7), Main (6) and Dolphin (5).

The ship also gained a new alternative restaurant named Odyssey featuring “California-style Italian cuisine” in a Mediterranean decor, an Internet Center with eleven computer stations, a new dedicated Art Gallery, and a revamped Queen’s Lounge (show lounge). HAL trademarks like an Ocean Bar with a bandstand and dance floor (opposite the Odyssey), the Lido Restaurant with two serving lines and a Neptune concierge lounge (Deck 11, port-side, behind the bridge wing with private balcony) were also added. The Shore Excursion Office was modified and her movie theater, renamed the Wajang in HAL tradition, had her furnishing upgraded. Lastly, her remaining public rooms were completely refurbished and a fire sprinkler system was installed throughout the ship. Rooms that received minor modifications were the HAL trademark Crow’s Nest observation lounge/night club, Java Café and Barm and a dedicated smoking room known as the Oak Room. The Ocean Spa with nine treatment rooms as well as a fitness center and the Casino had both been renovated in 1999 by her previous owners. Seabourn Sun's golf putting course was replaced by a combination volleyball/basketball court and she gained a golf simulation center on Main Deck.

A special signature sculpture featuring etched fish, turtles and dolphins climbing a cylinder of Bolle glass and lit with state-of-the-art fiber optics dominates the ship’s three-story atrium. Other works of art include an abstract marble sculpture of a Viking ship by contemporary Norwegian artist Nicholas Widerberg, a series of paintings by impressionist painter Neil Pinkett, and a collection of Roman Amphorae from 50-150 AD. Prinsendam is the only ship in the HAL fleet which does not have a two-story main dining room, nor a retractable ‘magro dome’ roof over her mid-ships Lido pool. Last but not least, the vessel was repainted in HAL’s familiar “Nieuw Amsterdam-blue” hull and white upper structure, a new wind screen was installed above her bow and her passenger capacity was extended to 794. Her staterooms now included one Penthouse Verandah suite, 18 Deluxe Verandah suites, 50 Superior Verandah suites, 82 Deluxe Verandah suites, 220 large double outside cabins, 2 single outside cabins and 25 double inside cabins. Of these, 151 or 38% of her total staterooms, have verandahs.

The first Prinsendam (1973-1980) was a smaller 8,566 grt ship, built in Hardinxveld-Giessendam in the Netherlands. She was used by HAL on cruises in the Orient (Singapore/Indionesia) in the winter and moved to Vancouver, BC for Alaska cruising in the summer season. While transitioning back to the Far East from Vancouver, a fire broke out in her engine room while the ship was sailing in the Gulf of Alaska. This fire ultimately caused the ship to be abandoned with all 319 passengers and 201 crew succesfully evacuated without serious injuries. Prinsendam I turned over and slipped beneath the waves 120 miles south of Yakutat, AK on 11 October 1980.




When she emerged after 35 days in dry-dock, her destination was Terminal 88 of the New York City, NY Passenger Ship Terminal on 01 June 2002. During her stay there, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued an official proclomation naming Monday, 3 June 2002 "Prinsendam Day." After two one-day preview cruises from the Big Apple, she was officialy christened on 03 June 2002 by her godmothers, a delegation of three HAL executives; Rose Abello, vice president public relations, Eva Andresen, vice president information technologies, and Linda Ehlenberger, vice president sales, representing all of the other 10,000 employees of the line.

Later that day, she would set off for Southampton, England on a 10-day maiden voyage with port calls at Halifax, NS, Cobh (Cork), Ireland and Plymouth, England. This Gala cruise had a big band theme, featuring Guy Lombardo’s Royal Canadians. Departing Southampton on 13 June 2002, her inaugural season saw her sailing ten to twenty two-day cruises in the waters of northern Europe, the Mediterranean, west and east Africa, Asia and Australia/New Zealand/South Pacific.



One of her two captains has always been Norwegian Hale Thon Gunderson. He was part of the team supervising the daily building operations of the vessel at the Wartsila yard in Turku back in 1988 and upon her completion, he sailed her around the world as captain. He has served as one of this ship's permanent Masters ever since and came over to Holland America when the line purchased the vessel.

Since Prinsendam, nicknamed the "Elegant Explorer" by Holland America Line, is smaller than most dam ships, she is able to stop in exotic ports of call. Annually, the ship completes Grand Voyages that usually last between 30-70 days. Her first such cruise was in 2005.

In November 2003, Holland America Cruise Line announced a U.S. $225 million program of up-scaling their cruise ships, cruise line image and passenger cruise experience called the 'Signature of Excellence program'. This enhancement program included stateroom amenities (Sealy Premium Plush Euro-top mattresses, 100% Egyptian cotton woven bed linens, waffle-weave and terry cloth bathrobes and extra-fluffy Egyptian cotton towels to all cabin categories); new massage-type showerheads and professional-grade hair dryers in all bathrooms; new flat-screen LCD televisions, magnifying make-up mirrors with halo lightning, fresh flowers and complimentary fruit baskets in all cabins; bed duvets, fully-stocked mini-bars, personalized stationary, DVD players and access to a well-stocked DVD library for all suite-category staterooms.

Also new would be a Culinary Arts Center (for Prinsendam inside her Wajang Theater) presented by Food & Wine magazine with a state-of-the-art show kitchen equipped with plasma video screens and on-stage counters for gourmet cooking demonstrations, tasting events and interactive classes; the introduction of the Pinnacle Grill alternative restaurant and private Neptune concierge lounge on all ships, two additional dining times in the main dining room, a casual dinner option with table-side waiter service inside the Lido Restaurant; an Explorations Café “powered by the New York Times”, basically a combination internet café, coffee shop and library; a refurbished Crow’s Nest; an expanded Greenhouse Spa and Salon with new treatment rooms offering a thermal suite with hydrotherapy and thalassotherapy hot tub/jacuzzi as well as heated ceramic lounges plus the extension of the fitness facility/gymnasium, out and above the ship’s bridge (only on the "S" and "R" class ships).

In addition, changes were made for non-adults (not on Prinsendam), including newly expanded youth facilities within the "Club HAL" program and the creation of the interior “Loft” and exterior “Oasis” (on the "S" and "R"-class ships) for teens

Shipboard program changes under SOE #1 included an expanded Exploration Speaker series, unique Medallion and Collection shore excursions, iPod art tours of all ships, new wine packages, an early embarkation program (as early as 11:30 am) for guests, flexible As You Wish dining, expanded Pinnacle Grill menu, exclusive flatware, china and stemware in all restaurants, and a broad expansion of the Greenhouse Spa and Salon facilities and treatments, the renaming and re-branding of the original Odyssey and Marco Polo restaurants to the new Pinnacle Grill.

Prinsendam completed her Signature of Excellence upgrades after going in drydock at Freeport, the Bahamas in January 2005. Added were a Culinary Arts Center as well as the SOE stateroom amenities. The ship already operated with a full Greenhouse Spa, Neptune Lounge and alternate restaurant (her Odyssey Restaurant was changed to a Pinnacle Grill featuring Pacific Northwest dishes). Since Prinsendam sails mostly longer voyages attracting a more mature audience, she did not receive the expanded youth facilities. Due to space lmitations, the vessel also did not gain an Explorations Cafe during her SOE part 1.

From 23 November until 16 December 2007, Prinsendam entered drydock at the Grand Bahama shipyard in Freeport, The Bahamas again for yet another upgrade to the tune of $20 Million. This makeover included new luxury bathrooms for every cabin as well as redesigned closet spaces, new carpeting, desks, chairs and other stateroom furniture. In addition, her public areas were upgraded with new carpeting and her seating areas received a facelift. Her library was expanded, onboard shops renovated, an Explorations Cafe with an internet center installed and a Croquet court, Bocce court and two new putting greens were added on the sports deck. Lastly, a new Stuyvesant Room was created to serve as a meeting room, with the option of transferring same into Club Hal space.



As part of the continuing Signature of Excellence enhancement program, Prinsendam entered dry-dock for a third time in five years at Freeport from 4-13 January 2010. This time, she gained 21 additional staterooms aft, her pool deck was expanded with more space and deck chairs, plus a new Seaview bar was installed port-side behind the Ocean Spa. Fifteen of her new staterooms are Deluxe Verandah suites and the remaining six are standard inside staterooms. As is customary with all Prinsendam staterooms, appointments feature Mariner Dream Beds, 250-count linens, recently redesigned closet space, elegant bathrooms with Elemis amenities, flat panel televisions and DVD players.

In addition, several of her lounges and public areas received new carpeting and her Wajang Theater/Culinary Arts Center were updated with furniture and carpeting in more lighter colors. Other standard maintenance and technical service also took place along with upgrades of laundry and galley equipment. When Prinsendam departed Freeport on 13 January 2010 on a 70-day South America Grand Voyage, her guest capacity had been increased from 793 to 835.

Following her 13 January, 70-day South America Explorer Grand Voyage cruise, Prinsendam sailed a 54-day Quest of the Argonauts voyage on 24 March 2010, roundtrip from Ft. Lauderdale to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The ship then sailed a leisurely eastbound course across the Atlantic for an extensive Mediterranean exploration with port calls in more then ten countries, including Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Russia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey. This cruise included overnight stays in Barcelona, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal and Istanbul, Turkey, as well as late-night departures in Athens and Santorini, Greece; and Lisbon, Portugal. Prinsendam then visited Bermuda and New York City before returning to Port Everglades.

Thank you for the great info of Prinsendam.

Prinsendam have interesting history

I see the Prinsendam is still scheduled to visit Antarctica in 2012. Since all ships using heavy fuel oil are banned form visiting there as of Aug 2011 then I assume she runs on Diesel fuel ?

As that is the only HAL ship that we have not sailed on -- I have no idea.

Originally Posted by tonylinsdell

I see the Prinsendam is still scheduled to visit Antarctica in 2012. Since all ships using heavy fuel oil are banned form visiting there as of Aug 2011 then I assume she runs on Diesel fuel ?

Maybe The Prinsendam runs on Diesel fuel. Any ships runs on diesel fuel.