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Koningsdam

Westerdam

Saint-Tropez

This is my 27 cruise.  My third on HAL.  We chose this cruise for the great itinerary and Koningsdam being a fairly new ship.  The experience was wonderful.

The quality of the food and selection were some of the best we have had.  There are several dining options.  We had "anytime dining" and never had to wait for a table in the main dining room.  The lines in the Lido Buffet for breakfast and lunch moved quickly.   Having a pizza custom made at  "NYC Pizza & Deli" made for a great late night snack.

Cabins are slightly smaller than other HAL ships.  We had a "family stateroom" which was plenty of room for the two of us.

Entertainment was Hit or Miss.  The ships singers and dancers were good.  Some of the quest performers were just okay. HAL is trying to give more of a contemporary twist with the new stage and format.  If one likes classical music Lincoln Center Stage Live put on wonderful performances.  BB King live was pop and Jazz music.  There were enough music venues for anyone's taste.

The staff and crew were as always very friendly and went out of there way to make our experience extra special. It is obvious the HAL executives are looking to attract a younger demographic with this new class of ship. This new Pinnacle Class is going to be competition for Celebrity.  We would definitely consider  taking another cruise on the Koningsdam.

Wonderful Experience

Koningsdam suited us perfectly. We’d a private transfer from the airport to the ship which took about 50 minutes. Embarkation was easy and our luggage didn’t take long to arrive.

Food was plentiful and delicious. Didn’t use any of the specialty restaurants, only used the Lido for breakfast & lunch and the open dining for dinner. No problem to get a table for two. Staff were all friendly and polite.

Cabin was well appointed with plenty space in drawers and wardrobes. Bathroom was fine with a lovely large shower space with glass door and side. 

Theatre was large with 3 impressive screens.

We didn’t the evening shows so can’t comment on them.

The gym was well equipped with plenty of machines.

Can’t comment on the spa as we didn’t use it.

The crows nest is a lovely space but I do miss having a library and also miss having a self service laundry

Excellent cruise

We embarked for our cruise in Civitavecchia on 9/28/18. We flew into Rome that morning and used Holland America's transfer to get to the port. We were very happy we opted for the transfer with Holland America, simply for ease of use. There were Holland America Employees directing us as soon as we left the terminal to point us toward baggage claim and where to catch our bus.

We decided on Holland America for our Honeymoon due to the itinerary and the more laid back feel advertised by Holland America, and we were not disappointed! The ship was beautiful and while there were a lot of people on board, we were always able to find somewhere to sit and walk right in with Anytime Dining.

As soon as we boarded around 11 am, we were able to visit our room and grab a quick lunch (we chose New York Pizza and Deli! So so good!) and meet our room stewards. Our luggage was delivered about 2 hours later.

We had a very port intensive cruise, and decided to get the spa package (access to the thermal pool, ceramic loungers, steam rooms, and a variety of showers). We booked it a few days into the cruise and spent $99 each. We used it daily after our excursions and always felt so refreshed!

We enjoyed visiting the panorama bar for Martini Sampling, and the shows on the World Stage. All of the staff we encountered were always so friendly. Even when we would see the staff enjoying time off in port, they always took time to speak to other travelers who saw them (a quick tip: Let these people take time off when you see them in port! A friendly smile is enough, don't flag them down and start peppering them with questions. They deserve time NOT dealing with cruisers :)) 

The food in the Lido was okay, but never really had a "hot and fresh" impression. We ordered room service for breakfast, but got the same feeling that our food had been plated a while before making it's way to us. Room service was always prompt and convenient, so we opted for pastries and cereals when we ordered.

We enjoyed all of our ports with the exception of Corfu Greece (there was nothing wrong here, just nothing note worthy. We wouldn't go out of our way to visit here again). Pompeii was a highlight along with Dubrovnik and Kotor!

We opted to self disembark and that was very painless! We spent a few days in Rome after our cruise and truly had the trip of a lifetime!

Honeymoon Cruise

We have now sailed on Koningsdam for 52 days over the last 18 months. Being a newer ship it has lots of great features. USB port in room. Glass enclosed large shower. TV with many options. Doors and drawers that automatically close. Buffet area is well organized and food is delicious! Crew are polite and actually notice you. Cruise director is the best we have had and we have sailed 20 times! Holland got this ship right. Entertainment is not as good as some but plenty of venues to be entertained. The only problem we experienced was not Holland's fault but our own for choosing Tuscany Bus for an excursion. They cancelled without refund. It was the one time we wished we had booked through Holland. We sail again on Koningsdam in early January 2019, can't wait! Would highly recommend this ship especially those who have only sailed with other cruise lines. You won't be dissappointed!

Best food at sea. Little extras mean a lot!

Chose this cruise "European Spendors" because of the itinerary. Chose Holland America because of price and itinerary and because they are one of the few lines to offer KINGSIZE beds. The embarkation onto MS Koningsdam was without a hitch. As suite-holders, SA7085, we had expedited boarding and our stateroom was ready as soon as we boarded. One bag arrived promptly, another, two hours later. (?) Disembarkation was equally smooth. 

Our cabin exceeded our expectations as far as space, storage, and amenities. There were ample electrical outlets of both the 220v and 110v variety, plus USB ports for charging. The veranda was spacious and furnished with a round table, 4 chairs, two deck chairs + ottomans. We made good use of it. The bath was large with a separate water closet, a stand-up shower with rain head and hand-held shower. There was also a whirlpool tub and two sinks. All done in beige/white marble, the entire effect was one of luxury. Loved the high-end bath products--particularly the minty bath gel. The Neptune Lounge was a HUGE perk as was the free laudry and dry cleaning.

The food in the main dining room at dinner was less than inspired, being bland. Tastes vary, but this was so lacking in flavor as to be tasteless. The choices of menu were extensive. I can't imagine anyone not finding something they wanted to eat. The service was very slow. One couple missed the 8:30 entertainment twice because of poor service.  We ate in the main dining room three times and then switched to the specialty restaurants: The Pinnacle Grill, The Sel de Mar, and The Tamarind.  We did  not use the Cannelleto because of its location on the Lido deck. It was in the midst of massive traffic at the self-serve venues and consequently very noisy. The breakfasts at the Pinnacle Grill were excellent and the service impeccable. We found the food in all the specialty restaurants to be fabulous and worth the upcharge. The service in the speciaty restaurants was equally good.

One negative: THE SPA We booked spa services (couples' massage) and while the actual massages--when they got around to actually GIVING them--were adequate, we had to endure 20 minutes or more of heavy upsell for services we indicated we did not want (acupunture and a special heated gel for $50.00 a tube). I was so irritated by having to pay for 20 minutes of sales pitch taken from my 75 minute massage that we never went back, although I should have like to have had another massage and a mani-pedi.   

Throughout the ship, the service personnel were quick to assist and always smiling. Either this is a happy ship or Holland America has worked magic on its personnel, as they were across the board, pleasant. I wish I could say the same for some of the passengers!

The majority of shore excursions we took I booked personally through private tour guides with private transportation. These were excellent and exposed the difficiencies with the tours booked through the cruise line. We took four shore excursions through Holland America. The groups were very large and the travelling time in busses exceeded the time spent viewing the sites. The busses were a mixed bag. Some were lovely and spacious with working air conditioning. Others were tight and hot. The guides were by-and-large knowledgeable but with such large groups, they had their work cut out for them. I would not recommend the HAL shore excursions for anything in depth. Go to CC roll call, scout out the posts that indicate private tours passengers have booked and are open to additional members and sign up for a small private tour. 

Entertainment was varied and ranged from a pleasant diversion (the magician) to fabulous (dancers and singers). I personally recommend the BBC Earth special accompanied by a live orchestra. The love lorn sloth will forever remain in my memory as comic relief.  The BB King group were particularly good and another of our friends never missed the two pianos. 

Taken as a whole, this was a fabulous cruise and we booked another for next year.

ALMOST PERFECTION FROM BEGINNING TO END

We choose this because of the ship & the destinations  we left from rome & then wen to barcelona. GIBRALTER, NORMANDY,  AMSTERDAM THEN TO NORWAY & BACK TO AMSTERDAM

It took  less than 30 minutes to check & get on the ship.  EVERYONE IN THE TERMINAL WAS HAPPY & HELPFUL

THE SHIP IS FANTASTIC  ALL THE NEW FEATURES WERE MAGNIFICENT  

The cabin was a typical outside cabin with plenty of storage space.

Food was good in the dining room &  the lido food was good but it was always crowded for breakfast.  the pinnacle &  was great & catalano was always really good too.  

NIGHTLY SHOWS WERE TYPICAL FOR MOST CRUISE SHIPS &  the BB KING LOUNGE WAS GREAT   

The shore excursions were expensive  but  it some places you are better off spending more &  so you are assured of getting back to the ship on time or if you are late the ship will wait .   THE D DAY BEACHES  WAS A GREAT TOUR & SO WAS THE TOUR  OF THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY IN BELGIUM    GIBRALTER WAS VERY INTERESTING   

The highlight may have been flam  norway.   a story book like  village hidden away in a fiord   there were more people on the ship than in the village. 

We loved this ship & will be on it again next march in the caribbean. 

THE CRUISE SPARKED OUR INTEREST IN  THE BALTIC AREA & WE ARE PLANNING ANOTHER CRUISE  IN 2020 TO HAMBURG, ST PETERBURGH , HELSINKI STOCKHOLM & COPENHAGEN  ON THE NIEW STATENDAM   (AN IDENTICAL SHIP)  

This was our 7th cruise on holland america.  it is our favorite cruise line.   we have been on crystal, royal caribbean, carnival & princess.  i have never had a bad cruise.     some were better than others but never a bad cruise.   we are not to demanding & easily pleased. 

The cabin steward & dining steward bent over backwards to please you.  i asked for a bucket of ice every after noon at 4 pm  & they brought it.  i wanted almond milk after dinner &  they brought it without being asked every night.

19 DAYS OF FUN AND RELAXATION

Only travel with HA. Clean ship, food decent. Wait staff superb. Food although enticing and presentable Lukewarm when served, need either stronger heat lamp bulbs, or warm the food in the grill. Desserts Yummy, sugar free and regular..Bread pudding great at lunh, DRY during the evening meal.lines moved fast and tables were ready quickly.. cabins clean and spaious for two people.Balcny in our veranda cabin, was clean. Hamburger station was clean and served fast.Pizza station had the best Ruben Sandwich outside of nyc. Emarkatin and debarkation smooth, pre arranged.. excursion to cementary  in Normandy, very sad, but allowed one to reflect and think of those tgat gave so much.

Lido buffet, as nice as it is only had TWO..2..waffle makers for over 1500 passengers..on the last day only ONE was FUNCTIONAL..prior to the last day, I  inquiredfrom the dining room manager..why only two waffle maker..he squirted around the question and finally provided a brilliant answer..the way it was built..WOW..i could have told him that..the WHY was ommited. Just think only two makers and thousands that might have wanted asimpl WAFFLE...they solved the issue by serving quarter cold section of waffles...

Plenty of on board activities should one be inclined to attend and or partipate. We chose just to enjoy the ports and the calmness of the ocean.Next cruise, we will seek approval to bring our waffle maker on board, that should please the lido manager Glenn...ha ha

Only two waffle makers on one of the biggest ships in the world

We choose this cruise for the itinerary.  We were on the 12 day of a 19 day sailing.  You do not see it available often.  Sailing from Rome, we had several ports in Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.  It gave us a chance to really see different areas of Europe and to see were we would like to come back for a longer visit.  We have sailed Holland America before, but never on the Koningsdam.  It is a newer ship and the public areas, bars, restaurants were decorated very nicely with interesting artwork.  We had excellent service every time we visited the Explorations Cafe.  Cruise staff was great and addressed all of our needs.  For entertainment we enjoyed the BB King venue.  The entertainment in the main theater is hit or miss, but we find that to be the case on all cruises.  We prefer the guest entertainers over the ships singers and dancers.  We did like the ports visited, and there was a variety of shore excursions to choose from.  We booked half through the ship, and the other days set  off on our own. We would definitely do this itinerary again.  We had booked it with an air package which made it an excellent value.

Great itinerary for a first trip to Europe

We chose this cruise for the itinerary and loved it. we only did the 11 day Mediterranean Dream.  Konigsdam was a beautiful ship. We had an inside cabin on deck 8 and am not sorry we did. It had plenty of storage, an awesome bathroom/shower. No lack of electrical outlets or USB ports. The dining venues were all excellent we especially loved the Tamarind and New York Deli. We bought the 3 venue A la carte package and it was worth every penny. Entertainment we only availed ourselves of the Queens Lounge the B.B. King band was outstanding. All bar and wait staff were friendly and accommodating. Room steward was the best. 

We didn’t find any of the public areas to be overcrowded nor did we ever have trouble finding a table in the buffet.

We did do two HAL excursions they were decent value for the money

Embarkation was a breeze in Rome we arrived at 1130am took less than 15 minutes to process and boarded and our cabin was ready. We disembarked a day early in Naples so cannot speak to that process on the return to Rome.

We will be sailing on her again.

Best cruise ever

We started our 10 day Mediterranean Dream cruise in Rome with the Signature Experience. The hotel we were booked in was nice, rooms a good size, with AC and nice baths.  A roof top bar was an added bonus. The evening event was nice, not spectacular, but if you had not seen the coliseum before this was an easy way to do it.  Cocktails on the balcony at the House Of Rhoads was a lovely sunset.

Pick up at the airport and at the hotel was so easy and smooth.

Embarkation was a breeze, and shortly after being dropped off at the port we were boarding the ship.

This cruise didn't make as big a deal of boarding as other ships we have been on, ie passed champagne music etc.

Our luggage was quickly delivered to our suite.  We upgraded at the last minute to a Neptune Suite and loved it.  The space, the layout, the bath especially and the wrap balcony we had.  It afforded us great views almost daily in and out of ports.

This was a port intensive trip, a sea day in the middle would have been better.  We were worn out after days of tours.  Each port was great, each country beautiful.

The ship was lovely throughout. The crew super friendly.

I felt the dining venues should keep later hours, there were times I waited till something else opened to eat dinner.  We are use to late dining.

I loved the loungers on the deck above the pool, ideal for napping and reading and watching the nightly movie and snacking on pizza if you chose.

Ages on the ship were varied more than I have seen on other HAL ships.  It was a very nice mix.

Living the Dream

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