After a 2 1/2 hour drive on December 4th from Cocoa Beach, FL to Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale for our Southern Caribbean cruise on the new ms. Koningsdam, we encountered a delay with traffic only at the port itself. Once we cleared security, inside the terminal though, it was clear sailing onto the ship. There were no lines where 4 and 5 star level passengers were processed. The rest of our party boarded quickly with us. Our Disembarkation went just as smoothly. The ship's 10-night Itinerary was Half Moon Cay, Amber Cove, Bonaire, Aruba & Curacao. Of the 2,553 passengers on board, most were American and many were Canadians. A few children were on board but no teens.

Amazingly, our two staterooms were ready on our arrival so we dropped off our carry on luggage and proceeded to lunch. Although the Lido restaurant was still pretty empty at 11:45, we chose to dine at the Dive-In. I just had to have some of their delicious fries again. Hamburgers are cooked to order. Then we toured the ship. The ms. Koningsdam is a beautiful ship with a very modern decor. Everything in the interior is sparkling clean and new. The decor is music themed. I enjoyed the many sculptures of musical instruments. Our passenger corridor is a pretty beige and the carpeting with its tulip border is beautiful. I wished that they had more art on the walls, though. Soon it was time for the 3 pm mandatory safety drill which went smoothly. All passengers are required to return to their staterooms to watch a short safety video on their stateroom TV before proceeding to their muster station when directed and without lifejackets.

Our stateroom, 5084 was a balcony cabin mid-ship. It seemed a little compact to us but there was certainly enough storage for all our possessions. The decor was lovely and classy. We were surprised at the large sized TV but were just a bit disappointed that we could not check our statement or book either shore excursions or dining times on it. We could check the menu each day but often it was not completely correct. The bath also seemed small but the shower with its glass door was larger than most. Dispensers in the shower hold shampoo, conditioner and body wash. There are three small shelves by the sink for just the essentials. I appreciated the large backlighted mirror over the sink. Our balcony was a good size with a small table and two chairs including a foot rest. Novie & Ricky did a wonderful job tidying up our room daily. We both loved having a fridge in the room. Read more