Koningsdam Review
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Additional details
My prior cruise experiences were all on small ships -- two with Lindblad/National Geographic (120 passengers max), two with (now defunct) Cruise West (110 passengers max), and one on the Mississippi (ca. 400 passengers). I traveled with my sister and brother-in-law, who are HAL veterans (7 or 8 cruises on a variety of ships). We had never been to the islands on this cruise, so it was all new for us.
Shore excursions: I purchased one for each port, as I was eager to learn as much as I could about the islands. Most were good value, with one glaring exception. In Charlotte Amalie my sister and I opted for the Colonial St. Thomas and Recommended Shopping. We paid $49.95 each for what amounted to a bus ride to the top of the hill. There we were dropped off to hear a spiel by a Blackbeard character and told to walk down the hill to the shops. I thought this was quite a rip off. Among my favorites were the walking tour of Fort-de-France (Martinique) and the four hours of beach time we had at Half Moon Cay.
Dining: I had heard great things about HAL's food. Well, I was quite disappointed. Multiple times I ordered fish in the Main Dining room and it arrived overcooked and mushy. The last night I ordered the prime rib, but it was inedible -- lacking flavor and dry as sawdust. Three nights we ate in specialty restaurants -- Sel de Mer, Tamarind, and Pinnacle. Paying the premium was worth it to get great food. On the two "gala" nights we found that the Main Dining room was overwhelmed. Both nights we had to get a pager and return to the bar to wait for a table.
Cabin Review
Single Oceanview Stateroom
My stateroom was a "solo" cabin, of which there are 12 on Konigsdam. It was spacious and very well appointed, although I was unhappy that it lacked a comfortable chair in which to read, even though the online diagram showed one. I requested one immediately after boarding and was impressed by the responsiveness of the steward and staff. A nice chair was brought while we were still in port.
Port Reviews
St. Maarten
A boat took us across the lagoon to Marigot, the capital of the French side. We walked around, but never found the market or shopping area. So, we sat in a cafe for a while.
Barbados
We toured Sunbury Plantation, Gun Signal Hill, and one or two other sights.
Martinique
The guide for the walking tour was excellent, giving lots of details about history, art, architecture, and the culture. At the end, she took us to the covered produce market. She stayed with us much longer than the stated time.