I needed to go to the US and found this transatlantic for a good price and the timing that I needed. My first Holland America cruise 6 months prior on the Rotterdam was disappointing, but I gave HA another try. This cruise was much better. The atmosphere was much more relaxed (I'm assuming this stems from management down), and the crew seemed less uptight too. There weren't constant announcements ...
Selected itinerary for the ports and ability to spend a few days in Rome. Embarkation was the BEST, easiest, fastest we've ever experienced. We were boarded and eating lunch in MDR a full hour before our check in time.
For a ship going into dry dock, we did experience any maintenance related issues or ration shortages. There was no visible work being done in the areas where we walked. May have ...
We flew into Rome from Miami, arriving October 31, and were efficiently whisked to the cruise port at Civitavecchia where the Koningsdam awaited. The 45 minute bus ride was uneventful and I tried to stay awake to enjoy the passing scenery. Our boarding was fast and we found the HA personnel - here and at the airport - kind and helpful. My husband and I were traveling with another couple and we ...
We actually were booked on our favourite and most travelled line, Princess, on their brand new Sky Princess but when we saw the Koningsdam's itinerary we switched. We just did the 13 night itinerary in and out of Civitavecchia. The itinerary was the main draw and we had read some pretty disparaging reviews on Cruise critic after booking, but we decided to stick with it. I am not sure why people ...
This was the first cruise I had ever been on as I had always been resistant to cruising.
We picked the ship and itinerary carefully and I liked the idea of travelling on a fairly new ship.
As hoped the Nieuw Statendam was a stunning looking ship and the public areas all looked luxurious.
The cabin was a little smaller than I expected, but was well layed out and very modern.
The shower ...
This cruise was my second cruise in Europe, my third cruise with Holland America, but my first on the Koningsdam.
We stayed one night in Rome before the cruise and one night after, both at the Starhotel Metropole which is less than ten minutes’ walk from Termini station, a location very convenient for transfers to and from the airport as well as the cruise port in Civitavecchia as we did both ...
We were on the Med Legends cruise at the end of August and absolutely loved it. This was our 10th cruise (4th HAL, 2 Princess, 2 Celebrity, 1 Azamara and 1 independent) and I can honestly say that it was our best cruise so far.
The food in the MDR was excellent. My husband and I had fish quite often and it was cooked perfectly. Portion sizes of the entrees were actually too large. The ...
We flew into Rome two days early. Keep in mind that the cruise does NOT start from Rome (Rome is inland), rather it starts at the port city of Civitavecchia, a 60 minute train ride from Rome. The train terminal was a bit confusing on where were to go to get on our train. We had to walk through a department store and eventually found the way to the tracks. However, there wasn’t anyone really ...
Picked this cruise for my husband and I to explore more of the west Mediterranean. It's the biggest ship we've been on so far, and had some reservations, as we preferred the smaller but more classic Rotterdam before. There was about 2900 passengers and it was most noticeable in the Main Dining Room during Anytime Dining as service was slow during peak hours. We even saw a family bring in cards to ...
Overall we had a great cruise in the Mediterranean on board the Koningsdam. It's a newer ship and very pretty inside and out. The public spaces, music walk bars, pool areas, lido deck buffets were are all well organized and staffed. The Crow's Nest lounge was one of our favorite places on the ship. The outdoor exercise track was the best place for taking pictures when coming into port or ...