We always choose the itinerary and HAL ships often deliver. We boarded in Civitavecchia, went to the Adriatic Sea, Sicily, Malta, Naples. We stayed on for the transatlantic back to Fort Lauderdale. We loved all ports with Kotor, Malta and Madeira being favorites.
The Koningsdam is fairly new with pleasant décor. It is also one of the largest ships we cruise on. Smaller is better in our opinion ...
We were interested in the Adriatic ports in the 13 day Mediterranean version of this cruise, and have had excellent experience with Holland America in prior cruises. This one was no exception. The Vista Suite cabin was nicely designed, with the sitting area near the entry door, and the beds closer to the window, making for a "roomier" feel than the typical walk-into the bed, and then around it ...
I have cruised on Holland America more than any other cruise line, but I think that is going to change.
There are some things that Holland America does very well. The cabins are comfortable, the room stewards are exceptional, and the food is quite good. Of course, there should be more to a cruise than staying in your cabin and eating, at least for most of us. The entertainment on-board keeps ...
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 ...
We picked this cruise because we were on the Koningsdam last year and had a great experience, plus we liked the itinerary.
Here are the Pros and Cons...note that we are not drinkers so I cannot comment on anything related to that,
Pros:
The ship was immaculate... hand washing machines on the Deck 9 dining room
Friendly service and prompt in dining room and with cabin stewards. I ...
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 have cruised many times with Holland America and have had no complaints.This cruise left us disappointed.
The cabin and dining room staff, namely Dudi, Eka, Allen, Hanif and Mohamad were excellent, along with Leslie and Ryan in the Crows' Nest.
Sam and Damian, pianists in Billboard, super.
What was below our usual expectations;
No Hand Gel, apart from Boarding and Casino. First time ...
For a big ship, the Koningsdam offers some hidden gems where you can mingle or get away from crowds. We especially liked the Dutch cafe for a quick lunch and coffee.
Embark/debark: everything went smoothly. We caught a Rome Cab from the airport directly to the port. On arriving, we waited in a "lounge," but there were no issues.
Cabin 5110: Vista suite -- not as nice as Signature Suites ...
We chose the Ancient Empires & Mediterranean Rivieras cruise as it ticked several Bucket List destinations. It was a more expensive cruise fare than usual, even accounting for the length (2 cruises back-to-back), but that was only the start of the costs. Almost everything is an extra cost. We expect to pay a reasonable amount for a cruise but surely service should be included in the ticket ...
Wanted to see Greece. It was a fair Itinerary although I could've done without Salerno and 2 days in Athens.
Basically, the staff is great. Verandah rooms have hairdryers and magnifying mirror. Beds are comfy. A few more things like free water, and free wifi would be a great plus. Be aware of the wifi onboard.You must have the whatsup app and maybe another app or it won't work. From ...