Before sailing on Koningsdam I had read with interest the other reviews on this board, most of which were negative or lukewarm. However, I am happy to report that this is an excellent ship with fantastic food and crews. A few things I did dislike were 1) Yes, the outdoor promenade deck is a terrible design, 2) You do get a little bit of noise from adjoining cabins, and 3) the daytime entertainment is a bit lacking. However, for my cruise experience these were minor complaints.

I can't say enough about great the food is on this ship. For a premium class ship the food quality and choice could not be beat. Anyone sailing on Koningsdam must book the Tamarind specialty dining room....the service and food here was a highlight of our trip. We tried to book the Tamarind for a second night, but it was already fully booked...not surprising on a four day cruise. The Main dining room offered good quality food and the service here was NOT slow as other reviewers have reported. Canalleto specialty dining (Italian) was also a delight and offered huge portion sizes of delicious food. Service here again was fast and professional. Of special note on Koningsdam are the new outside casual dining choices New York Pizza and Deli and the Hamburger / Hot Dog stand. Both offered very high quality food , but sometime due to high demand food preparation here just a bit slow (20 minutes or so). HAL continues to offer excellent room meal service and all of our breakfasts were taken in the room....they offer a nice selection of hot choices for breakfast in the cabin.

One other criticism I would offer is that the layout of the ship is confusing. A straight corridor was never used by the designers when one with a lot of right angle turns could be stuck in. Outside decks hard to negotiate , mainly due to lack of adjoining outside staircases from one deck to another. And of course the outdoor promenade deck is horrible. The placement of lifeboats block most views from the promenade. Read more