Koningsdam | TRIP REPORT | ULTIMATE guide on Holland America’s Pinnacle class ship
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- Опубликовано: 19 янв 2024
- Here’s a full trip report on Holland America’s Koningsdam. Here you’ll see the good, the bad and the ugly. I’ll rate the service, food, your the ship and give my opinions on making a great cruise when you travel on Holland
Please reach out to me at Gari.senderoff@cruiseplanners.com
Hubby and I did an 18-day cruise to Hawaii on the Koningsdam. We were very pleased with all aspects of the ship. There were plenty of live music choices. People were having a blast dancing in BB Kings every night. The food was wonderful in all the venues. As for things to do, we don’t generally go for the activities. We would rather enjoy the views and relax. We usually managed to get loungers at the pool but that could be because there were very few children on that particular cruise. I wouldn’t hesitate to cruise on the Koningsdam again. Everyone has different tastes and expectations so I’m sure you could find people that were on that cruise that have lots of complaints.
It’s definitely a lovely ship and on the 18 day cruises they are much nicer since it’s not full of kids. Next time book with me and I’ll throw in a perk for you as a top producer with HAL. You should try Silversea though. Anyway, thanks for the lovely comment and watching - I really appreciate you! 😊
We did the 18 day circle Hawaii….we had the same experience you did. We are travelers, so not a lot of activities is a non issue for us. Food is subjective. I think the author really had a bad experience. The dirt on the sheets is horrible!
Rudyi’s was just ok.
The food served in the main dining room is excellent. We have cruised the Mediterranean , Atlantic, and Pacific and Caribbean on the Koningsdam. You are right about the dining room being the prettiest on the sea. The Dutch Deli has become so popular that it suffers due to lineups, so don't be impatient...the wait is worth it! If you ask, they will prepare a nice charcuterie for you. As for your continuous use of the word crowded...this ship is no more crowded that any other ships. I would like to see them make the casino smoke free. Not all players smoke. surely they can go outside at the stern for their "pleasure" and let the rest gamble without breathing in their smoke.
Great feedback, thank you so much. The hotel Director said that he recognized all of these problems on board and he was trying to work with corporate office to make it better. It’s been very difficult but he’s been doing his best.
Thank you for making this video for this ship as I have never cruised and have been considering an Alaska cruise and a Hawaii cruise as well. I am a new subscriber to your channel.
I had originally hoped to cruise this fall 2024, BUT due to lost income due to 2 seperate injuries, which has put me out of work for 8 weeks each this year, I have to delay my cruise Itinerary another year or two.
Happy cruising and look forward to future videos.
Blessings and Peace
🕊 🙏 ✝️
Thanks for the lovely comment - wish you well
I was on the Koningsdam last November in 2023 and had a great time! I even recognized some of the crew members you filmed in this video. 😂 Didn’t think the food was that bad but certainly had better. But yes, agree to the long line up at the buffet. Not sure why Holland still hasn’t return to self-serve style. All in all, going again this September to AK. 🥰
Thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, the hotel Director told me they didn’t have enough staff.
@@DrGariS that’s why in my opinion, if they return to self-serve style in the buffet, they can free up some staff to do other things in the kitchen. For them to tell us customers that they are short staff, it is their problem and we shouldn’t be cut short because of that.
@@ViVi_Lootrue but it’s a ship-wide issue and it’s part of a larger corporate problem, according to the HD I spoke with
@@DrGariS oh jeeze 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
Thanks a lot for sharing important information about Koningsdam. We will be boarding on Aug 3/24. We are regular cruisers of Princess Cruises. So I hope we will like HAL. I subscribed to your blog bcoz I like your style of very detailed descriptions about cruise ships. God richly bless you more and more as you continue to inform people about cruise ships.❤🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful!. Hopefully next time you can book with me as I do offer some very good perks If you don’t already have a travel agent.
Excellent video review. Thanks for posting. Since 1983, my wife and I have been on 22 cruises, with six cruise lines. During the last few years, we have noticed an overall decline in housekeeping, food quality and entertainment. Have you noticed that too?
Absolutely. It seems to me that the higher end lines like Celebrity and Silversea are doing a lot better in my opinion but the ones run by CCL and NCL have a sharp decline
@@DrGariS Thanks for your reply. I also noticed that Celebrity seems to be holding its own with regard to downgrading.
Boarding her at end of March 2024 for a cruise. We always book a Neptune suite with HAL. Enjoy the benefits that come with that level. Thanks for sharing.
I’m so happy that I was able to save you money with that Neptune suite and I hope that you have the most amazing time. Glad I was able to add the onboard credit as well. Enjoy every moment!
This ship cruises Alaska. What do they do with the pool in cold climates? Do you know if the hot tubs would be open? Since we could care less about activities, I'm thinking this would be a good ship to cruise to Alaska. We exhaust ourselves in port. That salad bar looks amazing!
They have the solarium for the pool and yes the whirlpools are still open. Either way we will add you in the value tracker and I’m happy to help get you booked when ready. My email is Gari.senderoff@cruiseplanners.com
Oh my My sister took Holland in 1964
You can get the super best value AND luxury it’s def Dr Gari S 4 sure !
That is lively, Leigh. It’s a very different cruise line now. You’re welcomed to email me at Gari.senderoff@cruiseplanners.com any time!
A quote comes to mind, 'opinions are like mothers. Everybody has one'. For a complete perspective of HAL and if it is good for you, I would suggest factoring in the 98% of RUclipsrs with glowing comments. If you do book, I sure as heck wouldn't use a travel agent who does not see it's value.
Yeah it’s one experience and my past voyages have been better but the FACT is that the hotel manager contacted us to tell us they were aware of these horrendous pitfalls and they are working on it, thank goodness. Yes everyone has opinions but my video speaks for itself and as you can see (as evidenced by) this is the problem they are having with all their cutbacks imposed by CCL.
This is quite surprising - HAL has very loyal customers and most of them sing the praises of this ship. Even the buffet gets high ratings. I'll see for myself when I try it out in November 2024. This video sure makes it look frightening. My only frame of reference would be the Celebrity Solstice...I hope it's not subpar to that.
I’m happy to help you with lower rates and more OBC but you can see my Celebrity Solstice review in comparison. You’ll see for yourself and I would love an update from you!
I cruise both HAL and Celebrity and have been on both the Solstice and Koningsdam a couple of times. Celebrity ships are designed to be spacious, bright and airy, while HAL ships are designed to be more intimate - I think both are beautiful in their own ways and enjoy them both. The food and service overall are on both ships were on par for me - very good, with HAL offering better Lido service (get you drinks, clean off table). The OP's service gripes and linen issues surprised me - but it may very well be the Koningsdam is having some temporary manpower issues during busy times - hopefully they will be back to normal by November. Celebrity has way more of a variety of entertainment and activities, but I'm surprised the OP didn't mention the Rolling Stone Rock Room on the Koningsdam where they usually have a very good rock band.
@@richardlo4867 thanks for sharing! Love both but definitely Celebrity is a step above in all aspects from my perspective
@@DrGariS I don't disagree. OTOH my last two Celebrity cruises (which were on the Solstice) we were in suite or Aqua so the dining experience was better. One coming up on the Equinox - will see how Celebrity;s regular Solstice class MDR has morphed over time.
@@richardlo4867you should be booking with me to get Value Tracker and extra amenities
The queen Anne is a pinnacle class, I hope her interior in public spaces is better than this ship. I Really wasn't liking the designs, one detail that makes a big difference is the ceilings. On queen Victoria elizabeth the ceilings in ball room, main restaurant and central atrium really lift interior to a very high standard. I didn't notice any of that on this ship. Also queuing on Victoria and Elizabeth unheard of
I think Cunard messed up with QA being Pinnacle class also. Please email me instead and I’ll help get you booked. My email is Gari.senderoff@cruiseplanners.com
The Koningsdam was definitely disappointing to say the least.
We cruise on Koningsdam to Alaska July 2023 and will likely never choose Holland America again. We have cruised RCCL and NCL finding either choice would be much better than HAL. The entertainment on Koningsdam was subpar at best. The live big venue shows in their auditorium was just lacking any good talent compared to what we have seen on NCL ships. The author of this video states that the shows at the main show stage were "underwhelmed". If you see the segment on the video of the dancers, they would just have a change in costumes, music and background lighting and enhancements. It was like that all week on our cruise. We found it to be disappointing and just nothing more than a well funded high school production.
Lincoln center stage is gone and the other small music venus were alway too crowded and got started later in the night. The crows nest was always way too crowded and other pasengers would place personal items on chairs very early in the morning such as books and pieces of clothing to claim them. It was pretty much impossible to get seating there at any time during the day.
The buffet at HAL is primarily served by the crew (vs self serve) and they would very often close half of the buffet counters. Little "big" things that make other cruises fun such as a soft serve ice cream is replaced by the buffet attendant scooping half melted ice cream from a 5 gallon bucket sitting with only the bottom in a tray of ice. By the time you got to the ice cream, it was a pool of milky mess.
The other huge factor is the crew on Koningsdam which we found not as friendly and happy as other ships. We often walked past or encountered management crew who never acknowledged us or provided any common greeting. They alway seemed overwhelmed with their tasks at hand and looked away. Just not a good happy environment for such a fun time for passengers.
All that is accurate BUT also NCL has cut entertainment to two shows a week so I am not recommending them any longer either. RCCL and Celebrity have AMAZING entertainment as well but I still find these mass market ships to be a poor value in comparison to something like Silversea or Scenic, which is all inclusive and more luxury and not a penny pinching thing for each thing we do and look at!
Sounds like a cruise from hell, one to avoid whereabouts did you go?
I was very disappointed in this one. It was Mexican Riviera. HAL has so much potential and I really wanted to like it…
i dont know how to email you. i booked them for next year. i booked when they had the 1 dollar de[psot/
can you hlep me witha better deal. i have not paid yet and will have to save up for it
i am angry right now they have a promotion for onboard credit. but i guess my trip does not count
Hello there and of course - email me at Gari.senderoff@cruiseplanners.com