Koningsdam Norway Review

We are on the June 25th sailing and are wondering about packing jackets and sweaters. What were your high/low temperatures? Is it really windy on the balcony?

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We are on the June 25th sailing and are wondering about packing jackets and sweaters. What were your high/low temperatures? Is it really windy on the balcony?

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Our balcony on 6 portside was rarely windy.

Check the 10 day forecasts on WeatherBug for your destinations. I thought I might need warmer clothing last August and after checking the forecasts ended up also packing some short sleeved shirts and crop pants.

We were on board with you and I found the embarkation & disembarkation processes very smooth, much better then Port Everglades.

Agreed about the mariner luncheon. There was nothing mentioned about the medallions presented during the cruise. Glad we were able to get a table for 2.

We felt the production shows on the World Stage both were excellent, the walls of LED's were amazing. The juggler and vocalist were just plain weak. Lincoln Center Stage performers were exceptional, however they need to relocated it or fix the issues with noise. Some performances were disrupted by sound from other areas.

Movies by the pool are not great, too much background noise from ping pong tables and the Panorama bar.

Encountered some of the rudest passengers of any HAL ship. No respect for lines or other guests.

Found the MDR turned in to a real circus in the evenings. It was too noisy and the staff rushing around to set the tables was distracting. There were 2 nights our severs did not even bother to greet us, just handed us menus,10 minutes later asked us if we were ready to order.

Ice cream selection in the lido was a total joke,Chocolate/Vanilla/Strawberry every day.

Balcony cabin 11055 is to be avoided!!!!! Not a premium balcony. The fog horn on Friday night could be felt in the bed and on the floor. Also we could hear the movie every night.

Gentlemancruiser, I agree with your assessment of the fellow passengers, on this particular ship. Very rude, aggressive and impolite. After over 20 cruises with HAL, this was a first. Really took a bit away from the enjoyment of our cruise. It was not unnoticed by staff either.

Any chance you could describe the embarkation process in more detail?

 

This is our first time leaving from Passenger Terminal Amsterdam.

 

Thanks in advance!

Me Too! I am wondering what time to arrive at the terminal.

I was on the 14 day Baltic cruise that preceded your Norway cruise. I was surprised to see that you said the evening turndown service had been eliminated. We were also in a Vista Suite (5131) and had turndown service every night except for one when we decided to stay in.

We had late seating and were quite taken aback at the lousy service in the MDR. There are simply not enough staff. Where dinner on cruises used to be a fun event, on K'Dam it was actually kind of a pain in the rump! It was tedious and we spent time every night watching the wait staff running, running, running... We mentioned this in a comment card and left it at the Guest Services desk while on board. We found the choices on Lido to be amazing and I never had anything that was lukewarm that wasn't supposed to be.

We purchased the thermal suite pass ($500 per couple) for the length of the 14 night cruise and feel that it was completely worth the extra expense. After such busy days in port, we'd come back to the ship and go to the large thalassotherapy pool. Then we'd steam, shower and relax on the warm tile loungers. What a great way to unwind.

I agree that the evening entertainment was a yawn fest. I did like the BB King Blues band, though. It was nice to see the band playing upbeat tunes and getting everyone out on the dance floor. I thought they were fun.

We won enough money in the casino on the last two nights to pay all but $100 of our $1100 onboard spending. It was great!

We loved Koningsdam and look forward to sailing on her again, or on Nieuw Statendam. What a beautiful ship!

Cheers!

Me Too! I am wondering what time to arrive at the terminal.

We arrived at around 11:30 and were in group # 11. We waited about 40 minutes to board the ship.

Thanks for the review. We are on the same cruise in 3 weeks.

Do you have the internet pricing by chance? Thanks for the review

Thanks for your review. ...

 

What???!!!???

Yeah, kinda surprising actually. It wasn't something that I was expecting, and I noted them in about 4 different washrooms throughout the cruise.

We were on board with you and I found the embarkation & disembarkation processes very smooth, much better then Port Everglades.

 

Agreed about the mariner luncheon. There was nothing mentioned about the medallions presented during the cruise. Glad we were able to get a table for 2.

 

We felt the production shows on the World Stage both were excellent, the walls of LED's were amazing. The juggler and vocalist were just plain weak. Lincoln Center Stage performers were exceptional, however they need to relocated it or fix the issues with noise. Some performances were disrupted by sound from other areas.

 

.

 

Encountered some of the rudest passengers of any HAL ship. No respect for lines or other guests.

 

Found the MDR turned in to a real circus in the evenings. It was too noisy and the staff rushing around to set the tables was distracting. There were 2 nights our severs did not even bother to greet us, just handed us menus,10 minutes later asked us if we were ready to order.

Ice cream selection in the lido was a total joke,Chocolate/Vanilla/Strawberry every day.

Balcony cabin 11055 is to be avoided!!!!! Not a premium balcony. The fog horn on Friday night could be felt in the bed and on the floor. Also we could hear the movie every night.

we were also on this cruise and agree with many of the above mentioned points.

The production shows done by the singer and dancers as well as the singer Iris Kroes were excellent. The jugler and the comedian on the first night were poor and not HAL standard.

Did not attend the Mariner luncheon as have done so many times and always a disappointment.

Travelled with my children and grandchildren and found staff in the MDR very helpful and pleasant. Although we had free seating the same table was arranged for us every night and had the same MDR staff serving us and they did an excellent job.

Lido is a joke specially on sea days. Too many people at the same time and very impatient fellow guests to say the least. We are seeing a big change in guests attitude and it is a pity that even on cruises people only think about themselves and have little consideration for others.

All the staff on board were excellent and very friendly/helpful.

Koningsdam is a wonderful ship but too big for us but for sure others will love the size. As the captain said at his presentation the size of the Koningsdam according to todays standard is relatively small.

Peter.

Very interested in the MDR menu's for the cruise. Does anyone have any copies?

Me Too! I am wondering what time to arrive at the terminal.

When you arrive at the front doors you should be directed towards an area to the left where there conveyor belt where you will drop your bags, We didn't see any porters outside that I can remember.

Then you fill out the health questionnaire and proceed to the escalators up to the 2nd floor and another room with check in counters.

Once checked in with your room key cards you are given a number and directed to a larger room with chairs where you wait in a numbered section.

After your number is called you then proceed to security screening.

Then on to the gangway!!!!!

Like Taters, we were on the 14-day Baltics cruise that preceded this one. This was our second time on the Koningsdam, and we loved the ports, especially the blissful sailing through the Stockholm archipelago. We were in a Neptune Suite, but didn't know about the expedited embarkation line. When we were given a '1' boarding card, we waited around (twenty minutes) for '1' to be called, before realizing we could board anytime! Dining in the MDR was fine, with occasional disappointment with the fish entrees. And this time, the cookies in the Dutch Cafe weren't quite as tasty as they were last year. Off the topic of food, we were surprised that the Crow's Nest was blocked off for private functions (mainly art) for huge blocks of time ... and on sea days.

However, we had a great cruise, and appreciated the Neptune Lounge and the very professional concierges. The workout area/gym is also one of the nicest at sea, and the sauna with its large picture windows was divine.

Thank you for your detailed review!

Denise:)

LOWS: No surprise, as it has been mentioned before, the entertainment on board is disappointing. The shows in the World Stage did not really make use of the stage. One night was a juggler, another a singer, another night a BBC movie, another a dance group, and another a variety show featuring the juggler and singer.

 

The BB Kings were disappointing. Most nights the back ground music over powered the voices and the song choices didn't excite.

Thank you for your review. We will be sailing this boat next month as well in Norway. Quick question: is the World Stage the main theater for the ship? The reason I am asking is because I looked at Holland's website and it says there is a "Main Stage Show Lounge". Are these theaters the same thing or different? Sorry, I am just a bit confused.

AEGBRG,

The World Stage is indeed the main show lounge, but with a slightly different setup. You have screens surrounding you for a more "immersive" experience. The lounge is also slightly smaller than on other ships, but there are 3 shows each evening.

One more thing, and this might sound trivial but is important for some of us, Maritime buffs: Koningsdam is a SHIP. A Boat is something that you can put on a ship, like a lifeboat, a sailingboat, a dinghy...

Enjoy your Cruise!

Thank you for your review. We will be sailing this boat next month as well in Norway. Quick question: is the World Stage the main theater for the ship? The reason I am asking is because I looked at Holland's website and it says there is a "Main Stage Show Lounge". Are these theaters the same thing or different? Sorry, I am just a bit confused.

I actually had to go and visit HAL's Entertainment link (https://www.hollandamerica.com/pageByName/Resp.action?requestPage=Innovations_Entertainment&showHeader=true&showFooter=true&WT.ac=pNavLP_Onboard_bx_Entertainment_btn) to see both are listed and appear to be two separate locations, but they are one in the same. We viewed the BBC's Frozen Planet on the World Stage, but for some reason, HAL refers to it as the Main Stage Show Lounge when it airs the BBC movie. It is confusing.

To add even more confusion - the Queen's Lounge and BB King's Lounge are one in the same also. When serving afternoon tea, it's the Queen's Lounge. When the BB King's play, it's the BB King's lounge.

It will be good if they make changes to the e mbarkatiin process. It was one of the things that I provided feedback when we got on the ship. It was speedy, but very confusing.

 

We did two HAL excursions: Eidfjord Cruise & Voringsfossen Waterfall and the Mt Dalsnibba & the Eagle Road in Geiranger. If you have a fear of heights, the Mt. Dalsnibba will test your fear. It was 21 degrees at sea level and 6 degrees when we reached the top of the mountain.

We are thinking about doing those exact excursions as well with HAL. How did you like both of them? Also, as far as Mt. Dalsnibba, are you able to get off the bus at the summit to take pictures? I read on the excursion page that the bus stops at the Flydal Viewpoint for pictures, but I am hoping (or thinking) they let off people once you arrive at the summit as well?

It sounds like a great ship.

We are thinking about doing those exact excursions as well with HAL. How did you like both of them? Also, as far as Mt. Dalsnibba, are you able to get off the bus at the summit to take pictures? I read on the excursion page that the bus stops at the Flydal Viewpoint for pictures, but I am hoping (or thinking) they let off people once you arrive at the summit as well?

Yes, you can get off at the summit and take pictures. Just make sure that you dress in layers as it was windy and cold when we visited. It was 21 degrees at the base and only 6 degrees at the summit.

The bus usually stops at the Flydal Viewpoint on the way down, but we were the first bus away and we stopped on the way up.

It's interesting when there are lots of buses as the road is quite narrow in places and with many, many sharp turns. Sometimes your bus will have to stop and reverse in order for two buses to pass.

It sounds like a great ship.

It is a great ship. The one thing that I did miss was an height adjustable table in the cabin for dining on the balcony.

We are thinking about doing those exact excursions as well with HAL. How did you like both of them? Also, as far as Mt. Dalsnibba, are you able to get off the bus at the summit to take pictures? I read on the excursion page that the bus stops at the Flydal Viewpoint for pictures, but I am hoping (or thinking) they let off people once you arrive at the summit as well?

We did 2 excursions with HAL. The best by far was Mt Dalsnibba & the Eagle Road. Excellent guide a great sights, wonderful pace. The driving aournd hair pin turns was half of the excursion. The views were just amazing.

The most shameful was the Voringsoffsen Waterfall and Eidfjord cruise, This 2 hour excursion was $110. It was for a 35 minute bus ride up to the Vorringsoffsen Waterfall for a 15 minute stop (along with 7 other HAL bus loads), which made the sight way over crowded. Then back on the bus for a 35 minute drive back down through the town and on to a property of a power plant to board a ferry boat(not a sightseeing boat). The ferry boat ride was adverstized at 1 hour, but it was 30 minutes at bus. We were together with 4 other bus loads and if you wanted to see anything you needed to be upon the open deck in the cold wind. Of course we later learned that what we were being shown on the ferry we were about to see in 3 hour from the comfort of the Koningsdam as it sailed the FJord from Eidjford.

It could be that the 7-day Koningsdam cruises are drawing a lot of first-time HAL cruisers.

igraf

just off the 7- day Norway cruise and wanted to provide a quick review.....

 

The Mariner Lunch was disappointing. Attendance was poor and there was little choice offered.

 

.....

Yes, you can get off at the summit and take pictures. Just make sure that you dress in layers as it was windy and cold when we visited. It was 21 degrees at the base and only 6 degrees at the summit.

 

The bus usually stops at the Flydal Viewpoint on the way down, but we were the first bus away and we stopped on the way up.

 

It's interesting when there are lots of buses as the road is quite narrow in places and with many, many sharp turns. Sometimes your bus will have to stop and reverse in order for two buses to pass.

Thanks for the heads up. We are definitely prepared for anything and everything for this trip. Are those temperatures in fahrenheit or celsius? Also, when were you there? We will be there in early August so I would think the temperatures will be significantly warmer (at least at the base).

We did 2 excursions with HAL. The best by far was Mt Dalsnibba & the Eagle Road. Excellent guide a great sights, wonderful pace. The driving aournd hair pin turns was half of the excursion. The views were just amazing.

 

The most shameful was the Voringsoffsen Waterfall and Eidfjord cruise, This 2 hour excursion was $110. It was for a 35 minute bus ride up to the Vorringsoffsen Waterfall for a 15 minute stop (along with 7 other HAL bus loads), which made the sight way over crowded. Then back on the bus for a 35 minute drive back down through the town and on to a property of a power plant to board a ferry boat(not a sightseeing boat). The ferry boat ride was adverstized at 1 hour, but it was 30 minutes at bus. We were together with 4 other bus loads and if you wanted to see anything you needed to be upon the open deck in the cold wind. Of course we later learned that what we were being shown on the ferry we were about to see in 3 hour from the comfort of the Koningsdam as it sailed the FJord from Eidjford.

Thanks for the info! The problem with Eidjford port is either do an excursion or opt for basically nothing since there is not much to see at the port itself. Might do the "waterfalls and waffle" excursion instead (not that will be much better). Did you do the the Flam Railway on your trip? I am pretty ticked because I am going to have to likely purchase this through HA at their outrageous price since the cruise booked all the available times (visitflam.com is all booked for the times that we will be there that day). Also, do you know of anyone who did the Troll Path excursion at Alesund and what they thought of it? This excursion may be too hard to pass up, albeit super expensive.