Koningsdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
Okay, I know the Koningsdam is actually Holland America’s newest ship, but to be brutally honest, I felt like I was on a Princess ship. We cruised with Princess one time, in Alaska, and were so dissatisfied with the on-board experience (Alaska was wonderful), that we swore to never cruise with them again. I am not sure if our experience on the Koningsdam is unique to her, or is indicative of a broader, fleet-wide shift in HAL’s shipboard culture. As a 4 star Mariner with over 20 years of experience sailing with HAL we certainly hope it’s the former (which can be fixed), and not the latter (which will drive us away).
1. Sailing Qualities: She’s an extremely stable and comfortable ship while underway. We departed Amsterdam the evening of 08 Aug, a day late to allow a storm to pass, but still encountered 50 knot winds and 25 to 30 foot seas. Despite those conditions, Koningsdam didn’t roll at all (side to side) thanks in large part to her modern state of the art stabilizers. She did pitch (up and down at bow and stern) quite a bit, but the amidships portion of the ship remained reasonably stable. We did not see anyone who seemed to be suffering from seasickness.
2. Crew: The crew was magnificent. Everyone we came into contact with was simply wonderful, always cheerful, and always helpful. One of the many attributes we have come to expect and to always appreciate on a Dam ship.
Cabin Review
Vista Suite with Verandah
Our Vista Suite was or at least felt like it was much smaller than similar cabins on HALs other ships. The bathroom was exceptionally tight and whomever designed and approved the design ought to be required to spend a few hours locked inside one. While sitting to do one’s business your right knee is tightly pressed up against the glass wall of the shower. The shower is a nice size and the switch from a tub / shower to a shower was a good decision. Lighting in the bathroom is significantly better than on other HAL ships. The cabin stewards did a good job, but their attention to detail seems to have suffered due to the large number of cabins assigned to them.
The in room media system is quite a step up from HAL’s other ships. We really enjoyed it and found most of the “apps” such as the ship location or weather apps, to be very helpful. Also, because the on-board entertainment and activities were so scarce, we often ended up back in the cabin watching a movie or a TV show. I binge watched History Channel’s Vikings and HBO’s Rome mini-series.