Koningsdam Review
Pleasant California Coastal Cruise on a Beautiful Ship
Rating by category
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We were skeptical about cruising on the Konigsdam.
This was our twelfth cruise on Holland America and we tend to enjoy the smaller ships (e.g., Zaandam, Westerdam) more than Holland’s larger ships. (Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam). However, when the September cruise we had booked on the Zuiderdam was cancelled, we chose the same itinerary on the Konigsdam. We were pleasantly surprised with the ship and overall had a wonderful cruise. We would recommend the Konigsdam and, in fact, have booked a holiday cruise on that ship over New Year’s.
Ship: Konigsdam is a beautiful ship! And the manner of its construction is an improvement over some of Holland’s other ships. The casino (Deck 3) is now separated from the music walk (Deck 2) so the clanging of slot machines and cheers of lucky gamblers does not interfere with music or games (e.g., bingo, trivia, “majority rules”) held in the large music venues. There are dedicated restaurants for Rudi’s Sel de Mer and the Canaletto as opposed to shared space in the Lido and/or Pinnacle Grill. The Lido Market is very large and well organized into multiple serving “pods.” The New York Deli and Pizza is located on Deck 10 overlooking the Lido pool as opposed to the back pool deck where smoking is (sadly) still allowed. The ship has been well-maintained, with the only glaring issue being the chairs in the Lido market, which need to be re-upholstered.
Cabin Review
Vista Suite with Verandah
We had originally booked a verandah room on Deck 4, but were given an opportunity to upgrade for a very reasonable fee, which we took advantage of, re-booking a Vista Suite on Deck 6 (6120). We are very glad that we did. We had plenty of storage in the suite and a good size balcony. We were surprised, however, that the bathroom had only a shower as opposed to a tub and shower.
Port Reviews
Catalina Island (California)
Not much to do in this port but it was a lovely, quaint town for a nice stroll.
San Francisco
We spent two full days in San Francisco. Just the incredible views of San Francisco at dawn coming from under the Golden Gate Bridge, and again leaving after dark, were worth the cost of the cruise. On our first day we took a shore excursion to Sonoma and on the second an excursion to Muir Woods; both were wonderful.