Prinsendam

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

What did an ultra-luxury cruise ship look like 30 years ago? Prinsendam is a pretty good example...

Entering service in 1988 as Royal Viking Sun (for the now-defunct Royal Viking Line), she represented the last word in cruise ship luxury; large cabins (many with private balconies), beautiful and spacious public areas and a generous passenger:crew ratio catapulted her to the top tier of ocean cruise ships.

In 1994 Cunard purchased the struggling cruise line, and took over operation of Royal Viking Sun, maintaining her reputation as one of the best cruise ships in the world.  When both Cunard and Seabourn cruise line were acquired by Carnival in 1999, Royal Viking Sun was transferred to the latter, and operated for 3 years as Seabourn Sun.

Then, in 2002, she emerged from a major refit as Prinsendam, and took on her current role in the Holland America fleet. Her inherently attractive design and comfortable accommodation allow her to hold her own today as a very popular vessel.

Prinsendam is a beautiful ship with a loyal following, and will hopefully remain in the Holland America fleet for many years to come.

She looked great in the sun this afternoon as she departed her berth, heading out into Byfjorden to continue her voyage.

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Holland America cruise ship Prinsendam in Bergen, Norway; Ships in Bergen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MS Stavangerfjord - Ship Visit and Photo Tour

Image
Last week I went on board Fjordline's cruise-ferry Stavangerfjord, for a whistle stop tour of her passenger facilities during her impressively fast turnaround in the city. MS Stavangerfjord approaches Bergen, Norway To find out a bit more about her design, construction and service, take a look at my previous post here , with photos of Stavangerfjord approaching Bergen taken last December. Otherwise, keep reading to have a look around her public rooms, cabins and suites... A plan of Deck 7, showing the layout of Stavangerfjord's public spaces (credit: fjordline.com) With a few exceptions, Deck 7 contains all of Stavangerfjords public spaces. The gangway leads directly to the middle of this deck, adjacent to the reception desk. First impressions are good, with an attractive entrance area and smiling staff to welcome you on board. The Reception Desk Directly opposite the reception desk is Bungalow Wine & Tapas Bar, with the fresh food on display making t...
Read more

Queen Mary 2 - Photo Tour and Voyage Report (Part 2)

Image
The tour continues with the Britannia Restaurant. The main dining room on board, this is used by all passengers travelling in standard cabins, whilst the smaller Princess Grill and Queens Grill restaurants are reserved for those travelling in suites. The Britannia Restaurant really is an impressive room, with a large double-height central section surrounded by tall columns, and tiered upper levels joined by a sweeping staircase at the forward end of the room. The Britannia Restaurant The restaurant is open for a la carte breakfast and lunch with an open seating. For dinner, tables and dining times are assigned to guests in each stateroom, and remain unchanged throughout the crossing (though we were able to switch to a larger, more attractive table after speaking with the Maitre d' on the first afternoon). Sitting at a larger table provides a great opportunity to get to know your fellow diners during the trip. Dinner soon becomes the main event of the days on board. ...
Read more

MS Trollfjord - Photo Tour

Image
Up next in the series of photo tours on board the ships of Hurtigruten is MS Trollfjord. Regular readers of this blog will know the drill by now; MS Trollfjord is one of a fleet of 11 ships that together offer daily departures from Bergen on the Express route along the coast of Norway. The ships serve a dual roll as both cruise ships and cargo ships, and are vital in connecting many of the smaller communities in the northern part of the country. Scroll down to take a look around her interiors and public decks. Hurtigruten's MS Trollfjord alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen EXTERIOR A sister ship to Midnatsol , Trollfjord is one of the newer and larger vessels in the fleet. She makes for a handsome sight whilst moored alongside at Hurtigruteterminalen, Bergen. With her slightly squat but attractive profile she is a well presented ship. A few streaks of rust along her superstructure will be repainted during upcoming routine maintenance Built in Norway in 2002,...
Read more