We’re surprised by the variation of these early Koningsdam reviews. We had a great time (this being our first HAL cruise), having recently cruised with Crystal. We wanted to try a new ship, and we loved this newest member of HAL. We were on the 7-day Norway cruise that started/ended in Amsterdam.

Perhaps being in a Neptune suite (deck 7) spoiled us with the added amenities/services in the the Neptune Lounge, but all the staff we met … from the room stewards to the MDR dining staff … was faultless. We were always addressed by our names, and the politeness of the staff, especially in the Neptune Lounge, seemed natural and genuine. In fact, we heard that most of the staff were hand-picked from the other HAL ships, so in a sense, we got the ‘best of the best.’

We liked the mix of port/sea days, and spent sea days working out in the gym, relaxing in the sauna (gazing out picturesque windows … wow), taking computer classes (sadly on Windows, and not on MAC computers), and joining the excellent behind-the-scenes tour (spread across two afternoons). While we echo the disappointment over the lack of a library and the compromised promenade deck, these were not deal breakers for us. Read more