Wonderful cruise on the Koningsdam! We enjoyed the entertainment of BB King All Stars, Rolling Stone Rock, Lincoln Center Stage performances and more. The staff was very engaging and helpful. Dining in the Main Dining room, Lido buffet, Pinnacle Grill, New York Deli was very enjoyable.
We especially enjoyed the Greenhouse Spa Thermal rooms which we went daily.
Holland America has a great loyalty program called the Mariners Society . They recognize their members with special receptions and recognitions throughout the cruise.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
We arrived at the port terminal and the lines were short and smooth. Within 10 minutes we were upstairs in the priority lounge and boarding started 20minutes later at 1140am.
Since we carried on our own luggage we found our cabin on deck 6 right at the back.
We found the cabin quite satisfactory with plenty of room for storage (including 2 drawers under the bed). Thank you Holland America for valuing your customers.
The bathroom design is also quite satisfactory and the shower was adequate for a balcony cabin.
We finished our unpacking in 20 minutes and walked up to the Lido Buffet on deck 9.
Lunch was great. My wife had dry rubbed brisket with gravy and mash potatoes along with a Cesar salad. I had the pasta with meat sauce along with lasagna too. Everything was delicious
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
5 out of 5
Food on Holland America Koningsdam is excellent all around from Lido buffet to Main Dining rooms and specialty restaurants. We personally had dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. Our filet mignon was cooked and presented to perfection. The service was also fantastic.
We ate in the main dining room every night except one night. The food was also excellent including appetizers. Last night was Caribbean night at the Lido deck. They served from lamb chops, New York steak, chorizo sausages, pot roast and fried chicken as well as all the trimmings.
Onboard Activities
4 out of 5
On board activities consist of trivia, Microsoft training classes, wine, whiskey, margarita tasting etc. Happy hours at several times throughout the day, bingo, cooking classes, ballroom dancing. church services and more.
Half Moon I
5 out of 5
We attended Catholic Mass 4 of the 7 days while on the cruise which is just wonderful.
Entertainment
5 out of 5
BB King All Star band, Rolling Stone Rock band, Billboard Onboard (dueling pianos), Lincoln Center stage. Comedians for World Stage. and the Step one dancers were very enjoyable throughout the cruise.
Queen's Lounge
5 out of 5
We attended the Lincoln Center stage and BB King entertainment
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Holland America's staff in my opinion are the best of all cruiselines. I say this because I have had the pleasure of sailing many cruiselines. The fact that they go out of their way to say hello or good morning even if they are serving someone else. Rooms stewards cleaning cabins in other parts of the ship would greet you even if you were passing in the hallway and they are inside a room. I came upon two waiters working in the Lido buffet who remembered me from sailing on the same ship from last December. Don't know how they do it. They dont just serve you they spend time to talk with you as well.
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The Koningsdam is clean and beautiful and well maintained both inside and out. It amazes me that even the outside hull of the ship is so clean and maintained. The bathrooms are well maintained as well as the staterooms.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Aft cabin 6233 is wll appointed. Has 1 usb port and 110v for each side of bed and another usb and 2 110v at desk. The closet space is adequate with shelves and 3 additional drawers. There are also 2 bedside drawers on each side. There is additional space for beverages, cooler and safe. There are 2 additional drawers under the queen bed and 3 desk drawers. There are also overhead drawers over the live seat to put towels and life vest.
Ship tip
Packing cubes make packing and unpacking a breeze. Also helps to keep your items organized for your daily routines.
The cabin has a motion sensor light when all lights are out and you attempt to go to the bathroom. It shines only at the floor and stays on for about 10 seconds. What a nice safety design.
Lovely day! Beach was full of cruisers from Carnival Elation and Holland America Koningsdam. Water was perfect and there were plenty of fish for snorkelers to see and enjoy. Grand Turk had is Margaritaville up and jumping with music, food, DJ and the pool activities. We did not go on a tour this time as we had done a few tours on previous visits.
Beautiful weather, friendly people and very picturesque sights. Sine we had visited Old San Juan recently we escorted some cruisers who were visiting the first time. We went to El Morro fort and the Catholic cathedral among other places. We stopped for some refreshments and purchased items from gift shop. We arrived in San Juan at 1pm and departed at 11pm. This is an ideal schedule for visiting San Juan .
Had a great time in St. Thomas. We arrived at 8am and we along with some friends from the ship took a two hour tour of the St. Thomas high lights, taking in the fabulous views of Magens Bay, St. John's and the British Virgin islands. Afterward we explored to downtown Charlotte Amalie gift shops and returned to the ship. The weather was beautiful all around.
Although they disembarked through one door at 715am we were allowed to disembark and we were waiting for our Uber on the curb at 730am. The process was very smooth and orderly.
Thanks for posting this review and especially the photos. Amazingly, we will be in 6235 beginning January 2 so we were very happy to see the cabin photos.
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