Quite enjoyable for the most part. Dining room food was not great and the "nickel and dime" attitude of there ship was annoying. Internet pricing was the worst in the industry.
Embarkation
3 out of 5
Checking in and getting on board was pretty average. We needed wheel chair assistance and our helper was excellent. A big plus was that cabins were available by noon when boarding began.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The food in the buffet was above average for cruise ships. The hamburger and hot dog station was outside of the buffet, and the pizza station was inconveniently located on a deck above the buffet. Getting there for folks with disabilities could only be accomplished by using the mid ships elevators. Food in the main dining room was typical cruise fare. The bake shop was outstanding for pastries and rolls.
Onboard Activities
2 out of 5
Very little too do on board. Perhaps because few were in ports for much of the trip.
Entertainment
3 out of 5
Production shows were acceptable but the music and dancing were not appropriate to the average age of the guests. Additionally, the volume was so loud that at times it was uncomfortable. On the other hand, the musical venues such as Billboard, Lincoln Center, and B.B. King’s was second to none. The secondary entertainment was far superior to other cruise lines.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
As with all Holland America ships, the Indonesian and Philippine crew were nothing short of outstanding. Over the ten days I never experienced a crew member with an attitude or being impolite to guests. From the Lido to the bars to the stateroom attendants, the friendliness and helpfulness was wonderful.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
Koenigsdam is a new ship commissioned in 2016. Thus it is in excellent condition. The layout is vastly different from older Holland America ships and takes some getting use to. The hallways are quite narrow and are not straight but have pronounced jogs in them. On some decks it was impossible to transit from fore to aft without going up or down a deck. On a positive note, the music venues were all close together which minimizes long walks. The main dining room had plenty of room to move between tables much unlike Royal Caribbean and Princess. On the other hand, the buffet is not well configured. The serving lines run fore and aft and can and do cause backups during peak times.
The World Stage is a new concept much like a theater in the round. There are no sets; lighting technology provides the illusion of set backgrounds. The theater seems small given the number of passengers aboard.
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
We were in a veranda on the sixth deck. The cabin was uncomfortably small. Holland prides itself of offering larger cabins than other cruise lines. Not so on the Koenigsdam. I heard many cruisers complainIng about the size of all cabins. The shower, however, was quite large even though the bathroom was pretty small. Our location was in the forward third of the ship, starboard side. It was quiet and very convenient to the elevators leading to the fitness center, theater, sun deck, Crows Nest, etc. it was not near the dining venues however.
Ship tip
Do not buy their internet package! It is way over-priced. Look for "hot spots" in the various ports.
We arrived on time in Fort Lauderdale ay 7:00 AM. Debarkation began around thirty minutes later. We carried our own baggage and had no problem leaving the ship around 9:00 AM. Taxis were plentiful and the short trip to the airport was less than $20.
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