Koningsdam 7071 review May 6-13 2023

[bluesplayer]

Just off the Koningsdam.  As many had expressed here the boarding was chaos.  We are 4 star with a Neptune suite and took us 2 hours all standing in lines.  Customs was the hold up.  Seems no matter what time your boarding was assigned, everyone was let in the line.  Seems that could be monitored?  No priority boarding as when we finally made it to the Holland America wait area (after customs and security)  no one was waiting.  

  Cabin 7071 was right across the hall from where they would stock the Neptune suite.  Noisiest cabin we have every had.  Every morning around 7am the Neptune would be stocked and the door would slam multiple times.  I would not book that cabin again.  

  In Skagway they had only 1 ramp to load and offload passengers.  We waited 15 minutes or so to get back on the ship.  It was cold and windy outside.  Not sure why they did not stop the outgoing line more frequently as they were inside not out in the wind?

  We had the beverage package and the wine I liked on the package was not available.  It was replaced with something inferior (in my opinion).  I did contact the beverage manager who sent up a nice bottle of wine and removed the upcharges on a better wine that was available.

Now the good things...  The food was wonderful.  We never seemed to wait long to be served.  The portions did seem a bit smaller yet less food waste is good.  They are always happy to bring you more.  The Lido was not too lined up when we visited.  My brother wanted French Onion soup (not on the menu that day)..  no problem.  All food requests were met.  Room service was very good.  One day was a bit late.  The lectures on board were very good.  

  As usual the staff was fantastic..our cabin stewards, bartenders and waiters!!  Kudos to them for making this a great cruise.  All in all we had a wonderful cruise on the Koningsdam.  We did not notice anything that needed significant repairs.  The ship was clean and well maintained.  After reading a few reviews on the Koningsdam..  there is hope to have a wonderful cruise..  we did!!   Hope someone can do something about the Vancouver boarding process.  That is bad for everyone!!  One other thing..  no more bars of soap.  Shower gel only so be prepared.

[renee00]

Thanks for this review. Nice to hear that lines weren't too long on board for dining. The Skagway boarding issue makes me wonder how they're going to handle it when we board on the 30th following a land tour. I'm assuming they'll let everyone with early excursions off first and then let us on, but there will be a whole bunch of us who need to board! One ramp seems inefficient.

[cabland]

Hmmm, we are in cabin 7073 right next door for our upcoming June cruise...I considered moving further back...oops!  NOT looking forward to the lines in Vancouver with my bum knees...doesn't seem like there is much to be done about that.

Were you eating in MDR/LIDO/etc. or specialty dining?

[Cruise Suzy]

8 minutes ago, cabland said:

NOT looking forward to the lines in Vancouver with my bum knees...doesn't seem like there is much to be done about that.

 

You could use wheelchair assistance for embarkation. No reservation needed at the ports I've used.

[YourWorldWithBill]

48 minutes ago, bluesplayer said:

  Cabin 7071 was right across the hall from where they would stock the Neptune suite.  Noisiest cabin we have every had.  Every morning around 7am the Neptune would be stocked and the door would slam multiple times.  I would not book that cabin again. 

Thanks for this note! We picked our cabin pretty carefully, but thought that being fairly close to the lounge was a good thing! Last cruise I walked back and forth a lot. We're on the Rotterdam next week, one stateroom away from what looks like an entrances toward the rear of the Neptune Lounge. Too late to change, but hoping for the best.

[bluesplayer]

38 minutes ago, cabland said:

Hmmm, we are in cabin 7073 right next door for our upcoming June cruise...I considered moving further back...oops!  NOT looking forward to the lines in Vancouver with my bum knees...doesn't seem like there is much to be done about that.

Were you eating in MDR/LIDO/etc. or specialty dining?

I think 7073 will be OK..  it’s down the hall a bit.  7071 is next to 7069.  My brother’s room and they didn’t hear it.  Asking the Neptune concierge to put a sign to close door gently may have helped (we did not).  We ate at Club Orange, Lido, Pinnacle, Dive in and NY deli.  One day Dive in was slow.

[hikergirl]

We were also on this cruise. Had a great time and the staff are so nice. We had an Aft Neptune suite and loved all the windows and balcony. We were prepared for the embarkation mess.   There are lots of queues. Even if you are near the front of the line once you get your picture taken by HAL reps, you have to wait for security to open around 10:00. Then once through there there was quite a wait at customs.  If you stay at the Pan Pacific, definitely use their luggage service and ask the porter the best way to walk to the check in area.

 

 We ate most dinners in Lido as we wanted fresh veggies. You don’t get many veggies with your dinner in MDR or Club Orange.  Our favorite food station in Lido was Distant Lands Asia.  There are a couple cooks doing fresh made stir fry’s and you choose all the veggies you want.  The pre-made veggies were over cooked.  The desserts were fantastic.

[vino100]

2 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Just off the Koningsdam.  As many had expressed here the boarding was chaos.  We are 4 star with a Neptune suite and took us 2 hours all standing in lines.  Customs was the hold up.  Seems no matter what time your boarding was assigned, everyone was let in the line.  Seems that could be monitored?  No priority boarding as when we finally made it to the Holland America wait area (after customs and security)  no one was waiting.  

  Cabin 7071 was right across the hall from where they would stock the Neptune suite.  Noisiest cabin we have every had.  Every morning around 7am the Neptune would be stocked and the door would slam multiple times.  I would not book that cabin again.  

  In Skagway they had only 1 ramp to load and offload passengers.  We waited 15 minutes or so to get back on the ship.  It was cold and windy outside.  Not sure why they did not stop the outgoing line more frequently as they were inside not out in the wind?

  We had the beverage package and the wine I liked on the package was not available.  It was replaced with something inferior (in my opinion).  I did contact the beverage manager who sent up a nice bottle of wine and removed the upcharges on a better wine that was available.

Now the good things...  The food was wonderful.  We never seemed to wait long to be served.  The portions did seem a bit smaller yet less food waste is good.  They are always happy to bring you more.  The Lido was not too lined up when we visited.  My brother wanted French Onion soup (not on the menu that day)..  no problem.  All food requests were met.  Room service was very good.  One day was a bit late.  The lectures on board were very good.  

  As usual the staff was fantastic..our cabin stewards, bartenders and waiters!!  Kudos to them for making this a great cruise.  All in all we had a wonderful cruise on the Koningsdam.  We did not notice anything that needed significant repairs.  The ship was clean and well maintained.  After reading a few reviews on the Koningsdam..  there is hope to have a wonderful cruise..  we did!!   Hope someone can do something about the Vancouver boarding process.  That is bad for everyone!!  One other thing..  no more bars of soap.  Shower gel only so be prepared.

Thanks for this honest review. We board in 13 days and I was getting a tiny bit worried that I picked the wrong cruise line. 

[canadianbear]

Thanks for your review.  My sister in law and friends are cruising on the Koningsdam in July so I hope the Vancouver port is running smooth by then.  We had told her we loved the Koningsdam so I hope all goes well.

 

Funny you mention about the noise of the Neptune suite you were in.  The last few times (as well as our upcoming winter cruise) we have chosen the suites not close to the lounge on purpose so we had to walk further, lol.  We actually booked one on deck 6 once to see if we liked it and did as we had to walk up the stairs! I figure that offsets the goodies 😁
 

So happy the food was good.  Totally agree staff are really what has made as pretty loyal to HAL. 
 

 

[PACD_JG]

Did you have the laundry package?  It's priced at $59.50 online.  Just trying to find out if there's a discount to booking early.  Thanks.

[POA1]

15 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Did you have the laundry package?  It's priced at $59.50 online.  Just trying to find out if there's a discount to booking early.  Thanks.

I believe that is a discounted price. It would be quite a bit more if you paid the bag.

[xlxo]

5 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Customs was the hold up.

Hope someone can do something about the Vancouver boarding process.

 

That's US customs and the problem is the US has not sent enough staff to the cruise terminal.

 

Priority access is available for...

• those on the Nexus or Global Entry trusted traveler program.  I used it two weeks ago and my customs was done in 3 minutes
• not sure, but if travelers who have problems standing (ie with mobility aids) are sometimes directed to the priority lane if it's not busy.

[bluesplayer]

We have global entry.  The problem was the long line to get to customs.  No global entry or Nexus lines.  All in the same queue.  It may have started that way?  We showed up at 11:00 (our assigned time)

[oakridger]

5 hours ago, hikergirl said:

You don’t get many veggies with your dinner in MDR or Club Orange.

 

I laughed at one of my recent MDR plates that arrived with two tiny potatoes and a carrot and a snow pea!!! 

 

Remember that you can always ask for an extra dish of vegetables, and they will happily bring some to you!!!  Also, my pet peeve, I always politely tell my waiter that I will wait until after I eat to order dessert!  I have never received any push back on that request either!!!

 

Thanks for the review @bluesplayer!

 

~Nancy

[YourWorldWithBill]

1 hour ago, bluesplayer said:

We have global entry.  The problem was the long line to get to customs.  No global entry or Nexus lines.  All in the same queue.  It may have started that way?  We showed up at 11:00 (our assigned time)

Same for us. But I thought that the long line was really for security.

[Sherry H]

Want a bar of soap.  Just ask!

[babelfish]

11 hours ago, bluesplayer said:

Just off the Koningsdam.  As many had expressed here the boarding was chaos.  We are 4 star with a Neptune suite and took us 2 hours all standing in lines.  Customs was the hold up.  Seems no matter what time your boarding was assigned, everyone was let in the line.  Seems that could be monitored?  No priority boarding as when we finally made it to the Holland America wait area (after customs and security)  no one was waiting.  

  Cabin 7071 was right across the hall from where they would stock the Neptune suite.  Noisiest cabin we have every had.  Every morning around 7am the Neptune would be stocked and the door would slam multiple times.  I would not book that cabin again.  

  In Skagway they had only 1 ramp to load and offload passengers.  We waited 15 minutes or so to get back on the ship.  It was cold and windy outside.  Not sure why they did not stop the outgoing line more frequently as they were inside not out in the wind?

  We had the beverage package and the wine I liked on the package was not available.  It was replaced with something inferior (in my opinion).  I did contact the beverage manager who sent up a nice bottle of wine and removed the upcharges on a better wine that was available.

Now the good things...  The food was wonderful.  We never seemed to wait long to be served.  The portions did seem a bit smaller yet less food waste is good.  They are always happy to bring you more.  The Lido was not too lined up when we visited.  My brother wanted French Onion soup (not on the menu that day)..  no problem.  All food requests were met.  Room service was very good.  One day was a bit late.  The lectures on board were very good.  

  As usual the staff was fantastic..our cabin stewards, bartenders and waiters!!  Kudos to them for making this a great cruise.  All in all we had a wonderful cruise on the Koningsdam.  We did not notice anything that needed significant repairs.  The ship was clean and well maintained.  After reading a few reviews on the Koningsdam..  there is hope to have a wonderful cruise..  we did!!   Hope someone can do something about the Vancouver boarding process.  That is bad for everyone!!  One other thing..  no more bars of soap.  Shower gel only so be prepared.

Thanks for your detailed review, it makes our upcoming cruise even more real.  I'm hoping Canada Place will be able to streamline the boarding process by the time we depart on May 27.  I have a couple of questions if you don't mind--Were you able to cruise Tracy Arm or was it iced up?  And was the old Microsoft Studio room on deck 2 converted to a library?  Thanks much!

[0106]

5 hours ago, Sherry H said:

Want a bar of soap.  Just ask!

I asked on the Rotterdam in February and was told by my cabin steward that it was no longer available.

 

13 hours ago, hikergirl said:

You don’t get many veggies with your dinner in MDR or Club Orange.

We book fixed seating MDR; I tell my waiter on the first night, that every night we do not want a bread basket but we would like an extra plate of vegetables for the table. This has never been a problem.  I never order dessert until after my meal but I always want tea.  I explain this to the waiter the first night too.  Every night a pot of tea arrives after I finish my meal and then I decide if I would like dessert.  It is one of the reasons I like fixed seating.  

[VMax1700]

12 hours ago, xlxo said:

 

That's US customs and the problem is the US has not sent enough staff to the cruise terminal.

 

I have bided my time, but can not hold out any longer........

Why does Canada permit the USA to make a mess of its embarkation processes?  Surely Canada should tell USA customs to 'man up' (literally!) or stop the pre clearance.  It is only there to aid disembarkation in Alaskan ports, so let them move the process to the Alaskan ports - that will require more manning.

These are the thoughts of an outsider, am I missing something?

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, VMax1700 said:

I have bided my time, but can not hold out any longer........

Why does Canada permit the USA to make a mess of its embarkation processes?  Surely Canada should tell USA customs to 'man up' (literally!) or stop the pre clearance.  It is only there to aid disembarkation in Alaskan ports, so let them move the process to the Alaskan ports - that will require more manning.

These are the thoughts of an outsider, am I missing something?

Hahaha.... Canada dictating to US about pre-clearance in certain ports because of some inconvenienced cruise passengers?

[*Miss G*]

20 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

Hahaha.... Canada dictating to US about pre-clearance in certain ports because of some inconvenienced cruise passengers?

 

It’s not just the cruise passengers.  It’s also the airline passengers at pre-clearance airports.  Toronto is a nightmare and I do everything I can to avoid flying into the US from there.  I’ve heard Vancouver is the same.

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

It’s not just the cruise passengers.  It’s also the airline passengers at pre-clearance airports.  Toronto is a nightmare and I do everything I can to avoid flying into the US from there.  I’ve heard Vancouver is the same.

So, there you go.  In the last two months I've done CBP pre-clearance in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto airports and had nary a problem.

[*Miss G*]

1 minute ago, d9704011 said:

So, there you go.  In the last two months I've done CBP pre-clearance in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto airports and had nary a problem.

 

Agree with Montreal, but you should buy a lottery ticket for nary a problem in Toronto.  😂

[d9704011]

6 minutes ago, *Miss G* said:

 

Agree with Montreal, but you should buy a lottery ticket for nary a problem in Toronto.  😂

I have my LottoMax with Encore.  Got big plans for Thursday morning.

[visagrunt]

Even the worst pre-clearance experience is vastly preferable to clearance at the first arrival port in the United States.

Think about arrival in Juneau (let alone Ketchikan or Sitka!) if the ship must zero-out for customs and immigration on its first arrival! 

US Pre-clearance might be a chokepoint at embarkation, but it's is vastly preferable than US inspection in mid-cruise.  Why do you think that Victoria is at the end of Seattle itineraries rather than the beginning?