Koningsdam Alaska May 13th Review

[cbr663]

Sailed to Alaska on the Koningsdam May 13th and here’s my thoughts on the experience.  Overall, we had a wonderful cruise.

 

HIGHS

 

The itinerary.  The Alaska Inside Passage is a wonderful cruise with spectacular sight seeing for most of the cruise.  This itinerary is verandah required.

 

The Ship.  The ship is recently out of dry dock and is in great shape.  We last sailed on the K in Norway in 2017 and it was wonderful to step foot on her again.

 

The Weather.  Excellent with sunshine every day.  We last sailed to Alaska in 2014 and had 7 days of sunshine then and my DW reminded me not to expect that again.  Well, Mother Nature blessed us with 7 days of glorious weather.  Great weather makes a difference on every cruise and especially this scenic cruise.

 

The Food.  Overall the food was great.  I would describe most meals as elevated home style and most meals were hot, seasoned well and tasty.  The burgers at Dive IN were really good and a trip to NY Pizza for lunch was quick and easy.  I was expecting the Bossche Bol at the Grand Dutch Cafe to be too sweet and was so happy that it wasn’t.  It’s so large though that it is definitely meant to be shared.

 

We dined at the Pinnacle Grill for dinner and the Shrimp Cocktail, Crab Cakes, Pork Chop and Jumbo Scallops were excellent.  The cheese plate and chocolate soufflé were a wonderful end to a great meal.  It was also our first time dining at Rudi’s and we also enjoyed it.  The escargot were delicious with the perfect amount of garlic and the calamari were crisply fried without being tough.  DW’s Catch of the Day Halibut was excellent and the rack of lamb was served a perfect medium with a delicious rosemary jus.  The Proiteroles were delicious and served with ice cream and hot chocolate sauce and can easily be shared.

 

As a side note, when I was a young fart I was the lead baker at a scratch bakery in a gourmet food store.  I made more croissants by hand than I ever care to remember.  While the crossiants on this cruise were not up to the quality of a hand made croissant, they were delicious enough for this pastry snob to enjoy every day with breakfast.

 

The Cabin.  We sailed in a Neptune Suite and booked mid-ship at the bump out so we had a really large and much used and enjoyed balcony.  The extra space of the suite is really nice as is the larger washroom.  More storage space than we could fill for a 7 day cruise.  The bed was really comfortable.

 

Club Orange.  The Neptune Suite allowed us to dine in Club Orange for breakfast and dinner and what a difference the smaller venue makes.  All meals were served hot and the service was outstanding.  We never felt rushed and were made to feel welcomed with every visit.  It was truly one of the very best dining room service experiences that we have every experienced on a HAL cruise.  I definitely recommend that you try it at least once.

 

Entertainment.  We took in the Rolling Stone Rock Group one evening and it was enjoyable.  The band got lots of people up and dancing and we knew all of the songs that they played.  I was surprised with how much we enjoyed the Step One Dance Company.  I am not normally interested in dance at all and thoroughly enjoyed the show.  We also enjoyed a couple of the Game Shows.  A fun time to enjoy a beverage.

 

Internet Speed.  The ship’s internet was upgrades to Starlink during its recent dry dock and the internet was indeed very fast.  For those who love their connections, the internet speed will be a welcomed improvement.

 

And finally, O Happy Day.  The moment that so many of us are waiting for.  It was a cruise without any accounting and billing errors.  I thought that an error free account on a HAL ship was akin to finding a mermaid, but it can and does happen.

 

The Lows to come….

[cbr663]

I don’t know whether to call these experiences lows, misses, or opps.  I do though want to be as thorough as possible and present these as we experienced them.  Some were no big deal for us but may be to others so they warrant mention.

 

Embarkation.  Sailing in a Neptune Suite I was expecting priority boarding and yet HAL kept pushing the boarding time later.  We simply ignored it and arrived at Canada Place at around 10 am and went through the boarding process.  At the end of the process we were directed to a huge holding hall where I shared with the HAL rep that we have priority boarding.  He simply smiled and directed us to the regular seating area.  Turns out we were not seated in the priority area and this mix up was quickly corrected when I approached another HAL rep.

 

Boarding.  Boarding was delayed but once given the go ahead it went quickly.  Cabins were not available right away but we didn’t have to wait too long.  Upon reaching our cabin we discovered that our cabin cards would not work and we had to go the to the Neptune Lounge to get new cards.

 

Club Orange:  There was only one fail with CO and it was the first night.  We went to CO for dinner to discover a 40 min wait.  We went to the MDR instead.  The next morning at breakfast the staff apologized profusely and we didn’t have to wait for any meal at CO for the rest of the cruise.  HAL really should consider reservations for CO.  I also think that CO would benefit with having its own menu.

 

MDR & Lido.  It may have been because the ship  was at full capacity that we found both the MDR and Lido very busy, loud and not very enjoyable.  As mentioned, we had dinner in the MDR on the first night and were seated at a wonderful 2 top overlooking the ship’s wake.  We were, unfortunately , also very close to a very loud and boisterous table of 6.  This table was so loud that when they left one of the passengers leaned over and said, “you can enjoy your dinner in peace and quiet now that we are leaving.”  The food and service were excellent, it’s just the atmosphere that leaves so much to be desired.  The Lido was often very crowded and we had trouble finding clean tables.

 

We also tried the MDR for lunch when it was serving fish and chips.  It was a very poor experience with the quality resembling that of an elementary school cafeteria.  My wife and I looked at each other and said let’s get out of here and find something else to eat.  Of course, that’s no problem on a cruise ship and we headed to the Grand Dutch Cafe.

 

My DW ordered Rudi’s Face to Face Chocolate Fruit Creation for dessert and it was an absolute fail.  When it was placed in front of her we both looked at it and wondered if it was some kind of joke.  Swooshes of white and marbled chocolate on a plate of mismatched items with way too much emphasis on white chocolate.  We both tried some of the items and instead shared my Profiteroles.  On reflection we really should have sent the plate back.

 

Casino.  We simply quickly walked through them as the smell of cigarette smoke was very noticeable.

 

Service.  We found it took a long time to get served at the bars.  There always seemed to be lots of crew behind the bars and yet it seemed like they were more focused on other duties than actually serving passengers.  We also found service at the Grand Dutch Cafe to be very slow.  We had lunch one day and were told to sit and they would bring us our drip coffees.  Fifteen minutes later I went looking for them and still had another 5 min wait for 2 drip coffees.  If there was a line up at the Grand Dutch Cafe, you can expect a very long wait.  The chairs at the Grand Dutch Cafe also have to be some of the hardest and most uncomfortable on the ship.

 

Navigator App.  Without a doubt one of the most frustrating pieces of software ever created.  Trying to get it to work properly prior to boarding was a daily exercise of lots of spinning and error messages.  It did work well on the ship though.  There was a long lineup at the Navigator App Help Desk for most of the cruise.

 

Neptune Suite Experience.  As I mentioned earlier, I first experience with the Neptune Lounge was needing to have our cabin keys replaced.  I noticed right away that on this trip gone was the friendly greeting by name from the Concierge.  The first night of sailing I noticed that there was water on the floor of our suite.  Turns out we had a leaky bathroom faucet.  It took us two service calls to get the issue resolved.  The first call said it was fixed and yet a couple of hours later the leak was back.  I went to the Neptune Lounge to inform the Concierge and was met with a, “,,hmm, do you mind if I take a look?”  I replied not at this moment as my wife is in the shower.  The next day the plumber arrived again while we were there and it was indeed repaired.

 

While the plumber was there I mentioned that the floor tile in the shower was cracked and that I had stepped on a jagged edge of broken tile while showering.  His response was to let the cabin steward know.  My thought was if the cabin steward was cleaning the shower every day then they were well aware of the cracked and loose tile.  Knowing the cruise was at full capacity and fearing we could be without a working shower for a repair I simply used the bath mat to cover the broken tiles.

 

I also was interested in ordering some hot and cold snacks for our Glacier Bay day and it took me two trips to the NL to request that the Concierge provide me with a list as the Concierge admitted that she had forgotten my first request.

 

One of my most disappointing Suite amenities was the provided lap blanket.  The last time we sailed Alaska was in a Vista Suite on the Volendam and oh how we enjoyed those 100% wool lap blankets while on our balcony.  For Neptune Suites, HAL has “upgraded” the wool blankets to a branded polyester fleece lap blanket that is of low quality and useless for providing any warmth.  I mentioned this to our cabin steward who explained how HAL thought this was an upgrade for NS.  I explained that I felt it wasn’t and asked if it was possible for him to get us a couple of the wool blankets.  He couldn’t do that and instead brought us 2 of the fleece blankets used on the beds.  I appreciated that he tried to help, but a bigger fleece blanket still didn’t provide us with the warmth and comfort that we were seeking on our balcony.

 

We also noticed that as the cruise progressed our suite wasn’t kept as clean as expected.  Coffee stains on counters were left behind and we noticed a layer of dust on certain areas and visible stains on the cabin chairs from previous sailings.

[cbr663]

When travelling you have to roll with the punches and to expect perfection is to expect too much.  As I wrote earlier, we felt we had a wonderful cruise and we enjoyed it a lot.

 

Will we sail again?  Most certainly.  Will we sail Neptune Suites again?  Only as an upgrade or at a good price.  For us, HAL simply does not provide a suite experience that warrants paying the per diem.

 

This was one of the first cruises in which life offered us the opportunity to tack a few days onto the cruise.  We spent a few days in Whistler and stayed at the Four Seasons Resort in a Deluxe Four Seasons Executive Suite - a one bedroom suite with two washrooms and balcony.  In Vancouver we stayed at the boutique hotel L'Hermitage in a one bedroom Boutique Suite with balcony.  Both of these experiences offered a much more elevated and personal experience above the HAL Neptune Suite experience all at a lower price than we paid for the Neptune Suite.

 

Our experience sailing on HAL has shown that HAL provides a wonderful experience at the verandah and lower category and with the ability to add CO to any booking that is most likely where we will concentrate our future sailings.  While onboard we booked a Norway cruise for next year in a Neptune Suite and we will be cancelling that booking.

 

As a premium line, HAL really needs to up its offerings to suite guests.

[HappyInVan]

21 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

Club Orange:  There was only one fail with CO and it was the first night.  We went to CO for dinner to discover a 40 min wait.  We went to the MDR instead.  The next morning at breakfast the staff apologized profusely and we didn’t have to wait for any meal at CO for the rest of the cruise.  HAL really should consider reservations for CO.  I also think that CO would benefit with having its own menu.

 In my experience, the CO restaurant was filling up after 15 to 30 minutes. Looks like lots of people are using CO for its boarding and dining benefits. HAL will have to raise the price.

 

21 minutes ago, cbr663 said:

We also tried the MDR for lunch when it was serving fish and chips.  It was a very poor experience with the quality resembling that of an elementary school cafeteria.  My wife and I looked at each other and said let’s get out of here and find something else to eat.  Of course, that’s no problem on a cruise ship and we headed to the Grand Dutch Cafe.

 

My DW ordered Rudi’s Face to Face Chocolate Fruit Creation for dessert and it was an absolute fail.  When it was placed in front of her we both looked at it and wondered if it was some kind of joke.  Swooshes of white and marbled chocolate on a plate of mismatched items with way too much emphasis on white chocolate.  We both tried some of the items and instead shared my Profiteroles.  On reflection we really should have sent the plate back.

 

 

Not a surprise. Lots of small things. But, it adds up to a sense that the the ship is short-staffed, and not up to standard.  IMHO, definitely no longer a premium experience.

 

IMHO, the Neptune Suites are incredibly overpriced for what is being offered.

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by HappyInVan

[Roz]

@cbr663, thank you for a thorough, even handed review. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for sharing ..

[cbr663]

2 hours ago, HappyInVan said:

 In my experience, the CO restaurant was filling up after 15 to 30 minutes. Looks like lots of people are using CO for its boarding and dining benefits. HAL will have to raise the price.

 

 

Not a surprise. Lots of small things. But, it adds up to a sense that the the ship is short-staffed, and not up to standard.  IMHO, definitely no longer a premium experience.

 

IMHO, the Neptune Suites are incredibly overpriced for what is being offered.

 

 

I've never understood what happens on embarkation day and why things seem so difficult.  Perhaps if I worked on a ship I would understand more.  Perhaps all available crew are redirected to embarkation and luggage hence the general sense of confusion?

 

One of the things I always find confusing is the purpose of the Neptune Lounge.  I like to think that it is suppose to resemble the executive lounges that so many hotels provide yet it pales in comparison.  The food items in the lounge on this ship were very limited and while it changed throughout the day, the same items were offered day in and day out.  There were far more and better items offered elsewhere throughout the ship.

 

Yes, we agree that Neptune Suites are incredibly overpriced for what is being offered.  The Norway cruise we booked while onboard is $835 CDN, per person, per day for a Neptune Suite.  And that is without HIA.

[Haljo1935]

Thank you @cbr663 for providing the good, the bad, and everything else. I trust you provided this insight both while onboard and in the survey. I also hope HAL "listeners" are listening.

 

[SweetsugarNL]

Thanks for sharing.

We are going Saturday on this trip.

[oakridger]

3 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Thank you @cbr663 for providing the good, the bad, and everything else. I trust you provided this insight both while onboard and in the survey. I also hope HAL "listeners" are listening.

 

 

This was a very good review and brought up some good points for HAL to consider for improvement.  

 

Thank you!

 

~Nancy

[cbr663]

4 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Thank you @cbr663 for providing the good, the bad, and everything else. I trust you provided this insight both while onboard and in the survey. I also hope HAL "listeners" are listening.

 

Yes, both my DW and I took our time completing our surveys.

[hikergirl]

I enjoyed reading your review and compared it with our experience. We stayed in a Neptune Suite and the room itself was great. We had an aft balcony and spent hours on the deck.  However, we were underwhelmed by the Neptune suite  perks.  It would have been nice to have a little info sheet in the Suite that said “welcome to your suite. Here are your perks”.  We didn’t find out until 3 days into our trip that we could have afternoon tea ( on sea days) delivered to our room at no charge.  At first they said it would be $17 per person. After we questioned it, they said “no charge”.  We talked to the concierge in the Neptune Lounge and she said “ you should know your benefits as you were told when you booked your trip”. Well, we booked it 9 months prior and afternoon tea wasn’t mentioned.  I have a feeling they don’t want to advertise some perks as they don’t want everyone to use them.  And I still think there were some room service perks that we missed all together.  We filled out the surveys and have heard nothing from them.

[julia]

@cbr663...  very nice, balanced review.  We too felt the Koningsdam was noisy and crowded (at times).  Grand Dutch was always slow.  Surprisingly, we also stayed at L'Hermitage in Vancouver (pre-cruise) and we really enjoyed it!

[cbr663]

17 hours ago, julia said:

@cbr663...  very nice, balanced review.  We too felt the Koningsdam was noisy and crowded (at times).  Grand Dutch was always slow.  Surprisingly, we also stayed at L'Hermitage in Vancouver (pre-cruise) and we really enjoyed it!

Glad to read that you enjoyed L'Hermitage.  It will be our go to when visiting Vancouver.

[cbr663]

17 hours ago, hikergirl said:

I enjoyed reading your review and compared it with our experience. We stayed in a Neptune Suite and the room itself was great. We had an aft balcony and spent hours on the deck.  However, we were underwhelmed by the Neptune suite  perks.  It would have been nice to have a little info sheet in the Suite that said “welcome to your suite. Here are your perks”.  We didn’t find out until 3 days into our trip that we could have afternoon tea ( on sea days) delivered to our room at no charge.  At first they said it would be $17 per person. After we questioned it, they said “no charge”.  We talked to the concierge in the Neptune Lounge and she said “ you should know your benefits as you were told when you booked your trip”. Well, we booked it 9 months prior and afternoon tea wasn’t mentioned.  I have a feeling they don’t want to advertise some perks as they don’t want everyone to use them.  And I still think there were some room service perks that we missed all together.  We filled out the surveys and have heard nothing from them.

 

Thank-you.  Underwhelming is a great way to describe it.  We knew we could have afternoon tea delivered yet chose to have the hot appetizers instead and spent days trying to have those delivered.  

 

Seems like your experience with the NL Concierge was similar to ours - she spent way too much time thinking out loud.  

[hikergirl]

2 hours ago, cbr663 said:

 

Thank-you.  Underwhelming is a great way to describe it.  We knew we could have afternoon tea delivered yet chose to have the hot appetizers instead and spent days trying to have those delivered.  

 

Seems like your experience with the NL Concierge was similar to ours - she spent way too much time thinking out loud.  

Hot appetizers?!  Never heard about that! 🤔

[Haljo1935]

1 minute ago, hikergirl said:

Hot appetizers?!  Never heard about that! 🤔

I don't recall hot appetizers, either, but that was pre-covid, so my memory may have a few gaps. Interested in what they are. @cbr663

[cbr663]

11 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

I don't recall hot appetizers, either, but that was pre-covid, so my memory may have a few gaps. Interested in what they are. @cbr663

 

Hot and Cold actually:

 

Cold

Smoked Salmon, cream cheese, pumpernickel

Parma Proscuitto, olive, bread stick, papaya

 

Hot:

Shrimps Tempura, sweet chili sauce

Vegetarian Mini Samosa, raita

 

Cold

Bel Pease cheese, mango, pistachio

Poached Shrimp, American Cocktail sauce

 

Hot

Veal Polpettini, chunky marinara

Vegetarian Spring Rolls, ponzu

 

Cold

Roasted beet root, arugula, baguette

Graved Salmon, red onion, spa bread

 

Hot

Grilled Shrimps Provencal

Vegetarian Pot sticker, sesame soy

[cbr663]

Here's a pic of our order

 

 

[terrydtx]

On 6/12/2023 at 10:54 PM, hikergirl said:

We talked to the concierge in the Neptune Lounge and she said “ you should know your benefits as you were told when you booked your trip”.

That is a totally inappropriate and very condescending response from anyone on the ship and made worse by the NL concierge who is there to take care of the suites guests.

[reposado]

3 hours ago, cbr663 said:

 

Hot and Cold actually:

 

Cold

Smoked Salmon, cream cheese, pumpernickel

Parma Proscuitto, olive, bread stick, papaya

 

Hot:

Shrimps Tempura, sweet chili sauce

Vegetarian Mini Samosa, raita

 

Cold

Bel Pease cheese, mango, pistachio

Poached Shrimp, American Cocktail sauce

 

Hot

Veal Polpettini, chunky marinara

Vegetarian Spring Rolls, ponzu

 

Cold

Roasted beet root, arugula, baguette

Graved Salmon, red onion, spa bread

 

Hot

Grilled Shrimps Provencal

Vegetarian Pot sticker, sesame soy

 

Is this on some menu somewhere in the Neptune suite?

 

[cbr663]

1 hour ago, reposado said:

 

Is this on some menu somewhere in the Neptune suite?

 

 

No there isn't.  I learned about from others on CC posting about their experiences.  As I stated earlier, it took me 2 requests to the Concierge to actually obtain it.  It's really frustrating that there are amenities available that aren't readily promoted.

 

Edit to add:  It was actually presented as a very simple text document on a plain sheet of paper.  I have included a pic of it so you can see how simple it was.

Edited June 14, 2023 by cbr663
Added Pic

[reposado]

Great info. Thank you!