Going to try the Konigsdam in the Caribbean

[ekkc10753]

We've finally given in to the looooong grey winters in northeastern PA! They win; we are running away to the Konigsdam for a 21 day float session in the Caribbean!

We 've never been on any ship this big (although I realize in the overall scheme of things, she's not really immense)

 

I have a couple of questions if anyone feels like answering them:

         We'll have 5 sea days in the 21 total, and we're in an inside cabin on the 11th deck:  what's the Retreat like? Is it an extra charge? Do you have to reserve well in advance?

         

         Has anyone tried the Sel de Mer? (the seafood restaurant, I think that's the right spelling) All i can find is that "it's expensive", but "expensive" is relative, does anyone                   have  a menu, or a really good memory?

 

        

I'll become a 4 Star Mariner on this cruise (only needed one more day!) but its been awhile and we're really looking forward to sailing with Holland again and discovering whatever nifty things the Konigsdam is waiting to share!

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

1 hour ago, ekkc10753 said:

We've finally given in to the looooong grey winters in northeastern PA! They win; we are running away to the Konigsdam for a 21 day float session in the Caribbean!

We 've never been on any ship this big (although I realize in the overall scheme of things, she's not really immense)

 

I have a couple of questions if anyone feels like answering them:

         We'll have 5 sea days in the 21 total, and we're in an inside cabin on the 11th deck:  what's the Retreat like? Is it an extra charge? Do you have to reserve well in advance?

 

 

Yes, there is an extra charge for the cabana in the Retreat area.  If you log in to the HAL site you should see pricing.  If not, call and ask.

 

1 hour ago, ekkc10753 said:

         

         Has anyone tried the Sel de Mer? (the seafood restaurant, I think that's the right spelling) All i can find is that "it's expensive", but "expensive" is relative, does anyone                   have  a menu, or a really good memory?

 

We enjoy Sel de Mer.  Hmmm - not sure about expensive since it's only a bit more than the Pinnacle Grill.  It's $49 pp on the non Pinnacle ships (theirs is only the "Pop Up Sel de Mer" - On the Koningsdam, it's a la carte but your Mariner discount does apply.

 

I've heard very good comments on the Sel de Mer on the Koningsdam.

 

This is the menu for the pop up Sel de Mer.  

 

 

 

 

The one on the Koningsdam is much more diverse.

 

 

 

[avian777]

Can't answer your questions about the Retreat, but have some comments on Sel de Mer and Rudi's Sel de Mer.  We have eaten at both SdMs and were very pleased with both ... and I really didn't think either one was "expensive" although, like you, I realize that is a very relative concept.

Since I wasn't certain which of the Sel de Mers you were referring to, I'm attaching a "sample" menu for each.

rudi's-sel-de-mer SAMPLE MENU 11-17.pdf sel-de-mer(1) 3-14-17.pdf

Edited December 22, 2019 by avian777

[CruiserBruce]

There are many threads around about the Retreats. Particularly to Koningsdam, the cabanas area little smaller, but we still enjoyed ours, and find them well worth it.

[MisterBill99]

It appears that Sel de Mer is going to fixed pricing on Kdam and NS. I'm on Koningsdam in 2 weeks and I can book it for $40, which they claim is 20% off regular price.

[VMax1700]

20 minutes ago, MisterBill99 said:

It appears that Sel de Mer is going to fixed pricing on Kdam and NS. I'm on Koningsdam in 2 weeks and I can book it for $40, which they claim is 20% off regular price.

I looked at this last night (we are on Kdam in 3 weeks! 😁) although it shows €40 as the price, if you look at the menu it is still a la carte.  I think the €40 refers to the pop up Sel de Mer.  Well I hope it does!

[MisterBill99]

13 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I looked at this last night (we are on Kdam in 3 weeks! 😁) although it shows €40 as the price, if you look at the menu it is still a la carte.  I think the €40 refers to the pop up Sel de Mer.  Well I hope it does!

 

The menu they show is the current one. If the change is being made, say, as of 1/1, they would not have a new menu to show.

[VMax1700]

7 minutes ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

The menu they show is the current one. If the change is being made, say, as of 1/1, they would not have a new menu to show.

They already have the menu from the 'Pop Up' version that appears on the non-Pinnacle ships.

I don't know either way, but to me, it doesn't make sense to go fixed price on KDM and NS as it is a 7 day a week operation with a wider menu choice than the 'once a cruise' Pop up.

Edited December 22, 2019 by VMax1700

[MisterBill99]

40 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

They already have the menu from the 'Pop Up' version that appears on the non-Pinnacle ships.

I don't know either way, but to me, it doesn't make sense to go fixed price on KDM and NS as it is a 7 day a week operation with a wider menu choice than the 'once a cruise' Pop up.

 

Yes, but the pop-up menu is completely different from what they do on the ships that have a dedicated restaurant. Not sure why you think it doesn't make sense to go fixed price since all of the other specialities (with the exception of the sushi place) are.

[twodjs]

You mentioned that you'll become a 4 star on this cruise, needing just one more day. Hate to mention this, but are you aware that you'll receive 4 star benefits beginning with your next cruise after qualifying, unless you booked this as a back to back? In that case I think they will grant you 4 star status (free laundry plus more!!!) at the end of the first leg. Hope you enjoy Koningsdam. We're returning for our second cruise on K at the end of January. Loved the variety of options on the Music Walk. Safe travels!

[Mtn2Sea]

We were on the Koningsdam earlier this month and the dining steward in  Sel de Met told us they were converting to a fixed price next month in an effort to increase the number of diners.  We were so full after the entree we couldn’t even think about dessert.

[ekkc10753]

We won’t be sailing from Ft Lauderdale until the 23 of Feb, so I have some time to iron out the details. The  cruise is a B2B but I think our TA booked it as one full cruise - she said the pricing was better that way I think.

I had a sneaking suspicion that my one day to 4 star wasn’t worth getting all that excited about (but it was fun while it lasted!)

I’ve been studying the deck plans. The K is similar but different enough so I know I’ll end up on the wrong deck once or twice!! It’s hard to tell, but are there any decks that a passenger cannot walk the length of the ship on (besides 12)?

Another day closer!!

 

[tunafish]

just off K as of yesterday. SDM now is fixed price. 49. it was the best out of all paid venues on K in my opinion. however, the only fresh items available were the 3 types of fish they put on display. red snapper, sea bass and sea bream. I would go there on monday after the FL stop as it is the same fish for the entire week.

 

[VMax1700]

4 hours ago, tunafish said:

just off K as of yesterday. SDM now is fixed price. 49. it was the best out of all paid venues on K in my opinion. however, the only fresh items available were the 3 types of fish they put on display. red snapper, sea bass and sea bream. I would go there on monday after the FL stop as it is the same fish for the entire week.

 

$49 ?  The website currently says $40.

They have lost me as a customer as we only have a main course each and some veg, and I won't be paying $49 x 2 for that!

[TraelorMex]

just off this very cruise. don't forget to stop at diamond's international for your 'free' bracelet. (you'll be stopping at dozens of em)  🤑

 

on the plus side, I didn't notice any 'art' auctions on board....

[tunafish]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

$49 ?  The website currently says $40.

They have lost me as a customer as we only have a main course each and some veg, and I won't be paying $49 x 2 for that!

that's what they charged us. in all honesty, i think this is the only place where that price is at least somewhat justified, but I wish they had more fresh items.

 

[wdw1972]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

$49 ?  The website currently says $40.

They have lost me as a customer as we only have a main course each and some veg, and I won't be paying $49 x 2 for that!

Lost me too.  I enjoyed Sel de Mer, but I don't eat seafood so none of the appetizers are things I'd order, and the only entree I'll eat is the cheese souffle.  That's excellent!  Add a dessert (stuffed at this point) and after my mariner discount dinner is $10.  I'm not interested in paying half of $49 or $40 for the same thing that's always cost me $10.

 

Sue/WDW1972

[*Miss G*]

On 12/23/2019 at 8:29 AM, ekkc10753 said:

I had a sneaking suspicion that my one day to 4 star wasn’t worth getting all that excited about (but it was fun while it lasted!)

 

Contact the Mariner Society and ask if it’s possible for them to grant you the status after the first night.  I have seen where some posters have done that and then had their cards changed at Guest Services.  They can only say no.

[ekkc10753]

That’s an excellent idea!

and I’ve heard “no” before, so I’m pretty sure I can deal with it 😊

[ekkc10753]

On 12/22/2019 at 4:37 PM, avian777 said:

Can't answer your questions about the Retreat, but have some comments on Sel de Mer and Rudi's Sel de Mer.  We have eaten at both SdMs and were very pleased with both ... and I really didn't think either one was "expensive" although, like you, I realize that is a very relative concept.

Since I wasn't certain which of the Sel de Mers you were referring to, I'm attaching a "sample" menu for each.

rudi's-sel-de-mer SAMPLE MENU 11-17.pdf 191.35 kB · 13 downloads sel-de-mer(1) 3-14-17.pdf 99.65 kB · 10 downloads

Thanks! Really looking forward to it!

[ekkc10753]

On 12/23/2019 at 2:05 PM, TraelorMex said:

just off this very cruise. don't forget to stop at diamond's international for your 'free' bracelet. (you'll be stopping at dozens of em)  🤑

 

on the plus side, I didn't notice any 'art' auctions on board....

I’m not entirely certain that I’ll even get off the ship; I’m already thinking of the Konigsdam as my favorite Caribbean Island!!

[MisterBill99]

On 12/23/2019 at 12:51 PM, VMax1700 said:

$49 ?  The website currently says $40.

They have lost me as a customer as we only have a main course each and some veg, and I won't be paying $49 x 2 for that!

 

The website says its a 20% discount. 

 

I guess if you only get an entree, the a la carte pricing worked well for you. I'm not really sure how they are charging $10 more than Pinnacle.

Edited December 27, 2019 by MisterBill99

[MisterBill99]

On 12/23/2019 at 8:35 AM, tunafish said:

just off K as of yesterday. SDM now is fixed price. 49. it was the best out of all paid venues on K in my opinion. however, the only fresh items available were the 3 types of fish they put on display. red snapper, sea bass and sea bream. I would go there on monday after the FL stop as it is the same fish for the entire week.

 

We almost ate at SDM on our Norway cruise last year. We had spoken to one of the dining managers on the ship the first night and he told us to eat there the night we were in Bergen since they have a huge fish market there and (presumably) would be getting fish from there to serve that night. We sat down and asked what the fish special was and it was the same thing they offered the first night when we left Amsterdam (Dorado, which I was subsequently told was not even a fish native to Norway)! They told me it had not sold so that was what they had. We got up and left. The whole concept of SDM (or so I thought) was that they were going to serve fresh local fish from the ports they visited. It turns out that is not true, and the whole display of fish outside the entrance is really fraudulent. I wonder if the fish they have the first night of the cruise was even purchased that day.

Edited December 27, 2019 by MisterBill99

[VMax1700]

7 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

The website says its a 20% discount. 

It does!  I really just blanked that from my mind.  $49 or $40 even with 50% mariner discount is still poor value for just a main.

 

As I pass the display outside SdM I feel sorry for the displayed fish.  Such a  waste!

 

(Mr B - I think Dorado is also called Mahi-Mahi and is not native from European waters).

[MisterBill99]

8 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

It does!  I really just blanked that from my mind.  $49 or $40 even with 50% mariner discount is still poor value for just a main.

 

As I pass the display outside SdM I feel sorry for the displayed fish.  Such a  waste!

 

(Mr B - I think Dorado is also called Mahi-Mahi and is not native from European waters).

 

Yes, you are probably right, which is why having it as the featured fish at SDM was even worse!