Koningsdam: What's Changed (and what hasn't)!

[@code4forlife]

Thank You For Sharing We Will Be On Koningsdam Next Year For 35 Days To Hawaii And Tahiti.

[@storylinetravel]

Awesome! It’s a fantastic ship. Enjoy your cruise.

[@ghazanfaryaq6776]

We enjoyed a wonderful cruise last year on Koningsdam. Highly recommended.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. I do enjoy cruising on Koningsdam.

[@hughdoan]

Expensive nursing home

[@storylinetravel]

@@hughdoan Thanks for the laugh!

[@jhollie8196]

Sailing on her in March 2024. Can’t wait. We love the Eurodam and sailing on the Nieuw Amsterdam in Aug 2024 and 2025. Thanks for sharing.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. Have fun!

[@icedteamama176]

Board game area reminds me of senior center.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. Yes! I agree with you.

[@legend095]

Totally agree with the vibe of the game area. But then there were many seniors there so it was a seniors center.

[@tazman572]

Sad to hear that the Lincoln Center is gone. It was the one nice and quiet music venue. BB King and the Rock room are way too loud.

[@storylinetravel]

Sad indeed. We found ourselves in Billboards many times listening to the dueling pianos.

[@marthas.5092]

Too bad about the Lincoln center stage. I was looking forward to that on my June 1 cruise.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. Yes, it is disappointing. However, it is still a great cruise. Enjoy your sailing!

[@edDee1078]

Don’t understand why they didn’t place a hot tub in the Retreat like her sister ships. Bad miss in my opinion.

[@storylinetravel]

Yes, it does seem like a miss. Thanks for the comment!

[@jerrywilliams2183]

Was on Koningsdam 2022. Many of the Lido buffet area chairs were showing wear and tear (vinyl ripped and peeling up). Hopefully they fixed/replaced those chairs.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. I noticed those chairs as well. Great news, they did update the chairs. Let's hope they last longer this time around!

[@kevinmsft]

Not sure at all about the Crow's Nest change. It's more usable (they jammed into Shore Excursion and Games Room in there) but maybe much less quiet?

[@storylinetravel]

The crow’s nest is a different experience. The tables with games take up a good amount of space, limiting the number of places to grab a drink, chair and relax.

[@BritsAbroadTravelCruise]

We are curious about Holland America, not having sailed with them before, and would most likely make them our choice for cruises in North America, Canada, Alaska etc, so this was interesting to see.

[@storylinetravel]

We really enjoy the mid-sized ships. I hope you get to enjoy Alaska soon. It’s breathtaking.

[@markcoleman8568]

The theater shows need to be updated most of the shows are 3 to 5 years old

[@storylinetravel]

We had the opportunity to talk with a few of the performers and new performances are on the way. If not already live, they should introduce the new shows this summer.

[@markcoleman8568]

@@storylinetravel thanks for that info we’re on her March 25

[@takata98]

I took my very first cruise on the Koningsdam to retrace the experience my father had destination wise years prior. I was on the second out of Vancouver after Covid Cruise. It was a wonderful experience and one I would like to repeat soon. Sadly I find the changes/elimination of things like the music walk selection which made the Koningsdam appealing to me in the first place have changed or been eliminated in so short a time. I was always dismayed that the "Party was over before it began" so to speak with the curfew mentality which ended nightlife hours long before life ashore experiences.

[@storylinetravel]

Thank you for the comment. As you point out, lots of changes in the last few years. Some good, some not preferred.

[@darrellgritten4398]

Someone on another commentary said that the soft ice cream machine was replaced by hand scooped ice cream. Is this true?

[@storylinetravel]

From what I remember, that is correct. While still included in the buffet, the server in the dessert area scooped ice cream and handed you a bowl.

[@darrellgritten4398]

@@storylinetravel Thanks for your reply. My wife and I always enjoy the ice cream machine. Oh well. . .

[@legend095]

They have big tubs of ice cream sitting on a pan of ice. By the time they scoop the ice cream for you, it was a melted mess of a ice cream soup. Other cruise lines have their ice cream tubs in freezers. It was so silly to see how they try to keep it cold.

[@darrellgritten4398]

@@legend095 Thank you. Not good. I wonder why some cruise lines are abandoning the self serve concept. My wife and I like that.

[@legend095]

@@darrellgritten4398 I have just noticed this difference between HAL and NCL. We very much enjoy the self service and end up dining in the buffets more than 75% of the cruise vs sit down service restaurants. I think it might be the almightly profit issue where most people take too much food and not finish it then goes to waste.

[@ruthbrady6716]

to bad about the crows nest it used to be chic and inviting.. don't really care for the look now.. will see if i like in person. but looks like a cheap cafeteria now..

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoy your cruise. If you get to the crow's nest early, you might get a comfy chair.

[@rrrogster]

I agree. This was not the best idea, and it does give off a cheap cafeteria vibe now. We get enough of changes that are not well thought out in our daily lives. People who are happy with the way things are usually make up the majority, and change just for change sake or to justify having a job often doesn't work well when no consideration is given to this fact.

[@debratrani8583]

Just went on an Alaskan cruise on there in May this year. The food was atrocious and so was the service. Our room steward was great. They literally couldn't even boil hot water to serve me a hot cup of tea. It came out lukewarm, so after two times I gave up. Pinnacle Grill served great steak, but the sides were lukewarm. Luckily it was a free meal that we got as a bonus with our cruise. The lido buffet is a terrible setup. You can't get your own food and it's set up like a galley style, so it's super crowded and very difficult to move. That food was much worse than the dining room. You can't even get your own drinks and you have to chase down a waiter for one. The entertainment was pretty bad, except for BB Kings. Rolling Stone was horrible. They were so out of sync and when they let the older lead guitar player sing it was disastrous. I hear these bands are thrown together for a short time and are expected to get their act together quickly. The band in BB King seemed very tight and that club was packed every night. They had the orange party there as well which says something for their ability. They had the dance floor full. Shops are sorely lacking. I waited until the last day when the prices were discounted and used my ship credit. Casino is tiny and wreaked of smoke, and had weird slot machines. It was my 14th cruise and my first and last on Holland.

[@storylinetravel]

Thanks for the comments and sharing your experience. It is disappointing when a cruise line does not meet expectations. I hope you enjoyed Alaska.

[@legend095]

Sounds very similar to our 2023 summer cruise to Alaska. Although it was a good destination, the ship and crew did not make it a good memorable experience.

[@legend095]

We cruise on Koningsdam to Alaska July 2023 and will likely never choose Holland America again. We have cruised RCC 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. 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 and they would very oftern close half of the buffet counters. 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.

[@storylinetravel]

Thank you for the comment. You point out why we have planning sessions with our clients, to match what you like with the cruise line.

[@ronnieparlaman2834]

Your right about the entertainment not to good,They make it with other ways like there food

[@debratrani8583]

Just had the same exact experience in May 2024. First and last time on Holland.

[@rrrogster]

Holland America is not after the crazy kiddie drink till you fall down drunk crowd. It is a more mature audience that appreciates quality, comfort, and consideration. I don't agree with your comment regarding the crew's attitude. I always start out with a smile as soon as I see anyone, ship crew included. Most of the time smiles are returned. That creates a more positive atmosphere in most situations. Create the mood you want to surround yourself with by initiating positivity.

[@legend095]

@@rrrogster We dont even drink alcohol so far from the fall down drunk crowd. Its pretty difficult to get a good smile when the staff do not even want to look your way. We just returned from an NCL cruise through Europe and from the time we embarked, it was always greetings from all the staff.