ArizonaStorm

Last month I did a 17-day solo cruise to Hawaii in a balcony cabin aboard the HAL Koningsdam. I'm quite an introvert, so I was worried about the crowds. The usual worries. Not a problem. I never had a problem getting a table for myself. After breakfast, I'd find a comfy seat by a window in one of the many bars that didn't start serving until later in the day. With a book, no one can possibly be bored. When lounges were busier, I'd go back to my room and enjoy the view from my balcony. I enjoyed exploring the ship, especially when the crowds streamed off the boat for excursions. It was a great opportunity to find prime viewing spots of the ports from up high, and the buffet had no lines! It was a wonderful experience. I'm going to repeat the same itinerary aboard the Ruby Princess at the end of this year (my first Princess experience). I'm hoping it will be just as pleasant. Yes, it is expensive to cruise solo on premium cruise lines, but the beauty of the ocean and ships keeps me coming back!

When one is an extrovert, it is easy to assume that EVERYONE is an extrovert. But it's not true. I'm an introvert who loves to cruise. With balcony cabins and small dining tables, I'm much more comfortable signing up for a cruise than I was in the past. I've cruised both ways. Last month I was aboard the HAL Koningsdam for 17 days to and from Hawaii. I enjoyed my balcony cabin, eating alone in dining rooms, and quietly reading in off-hours next to a window in a comfy chair in lounges around the ship. There are more introverts than you would assume on your ship -- and it is by our very nature that you don't notice us. We draw inwards, and are very comfortable spending time alone. You assume we're lonely, if alone...but we're actually doing quite fine, reading, walking around the ship, working out in the fitness room, lounging in the sun, and eating in a restaurant. I enjoy good food, and I like it served to me rather than standing in lines at a buffet. Sitting alone, I tend to eat fairly quickly -- at least compared to the "talkers". Honestly, I'm paying for two as a solo cruiser, yet I use a table for half as long. So the smart mâitre d' understands that giving me my own table is quite efficient. Oh, here's another way to figure out who some of the introverts are on your cruise -- when you are all streaming off the ship for port excursions, many of us will be waiving goodbye to you from high above, smiling as we look forward to a wonderful day of quietly enjoying the ship! Just remember, if everyone was an extrovert, you would find the theaters and crowded late night venues MUCH more crowded. You're welcome!

I’m currently sailing on the Koningsdam. The day before we were to arrive at Kona, Hawaii (January 23, 2024), I received a card in my room with the following verbiage: ”Dear Mr. (Name omitted), We are pleased to offer our Club Orange guests priority tender service in Kona, Hawaii. If you are going ashore independently, you are not required to collect a tender ticket from the designated lounge and may proceed to Pinnacle Grill, Deck 2, Midship. The priority service is for going ashore. Simply show your keycard to the staff. If you are booked on a shore excursion that meets ashore, please proceed to your tour’s designated meeting location.”

I’m currently sailing on the Koningsdam on Deck 6 (even numbered room) slightly aft of mid ship. I am two decks above the lifeboats, and cannot see them while sitting my balcony. I’m glad I did not choose the fifth deck, because the top of the orange lifeboats would be level with floor of my balcony, easily see while sitting. That’s just my observation.

Think of it like a bank account. My Statement for the first few days looked like this: January 13: Promo Credit (OBC) ($ 300) Crew Appreciation $ 16 Ocean Bar $ 14 Ocean Bar Tip. $ 3 January 14: Crew Appreciation $ 16 Unlimited Laundry. $ 144 Panorama Bar $ 13 Panorama Bar Tip. $ 2 January 15: Crew Appreciation $ 16 Crow’s Nest Bar $ 14 C. N. Bar Tip $ 2 Shop $ 75 CURRENT BALANCE DUE: $ 15 So, by the end of my third day, I had spent my Onboard Credit. Had the cruise ended at this point, I would have owed $15. But, I still have 14 more days remaining on my cruise. So, my Statement will grow longer as each day passes. Even if I vowed to stop spending for the rest of the crew, $16 per day would be charged for Crew Appreciation. So my Ending Balance Due would be at least $224 ($16 x 14 days remaining) more. You can check your Statement on your Navigator App as often as you want. If you do this, you should not be surprised at your Final Balance Due. I check mine every day. One day a charge for an Excursion appeared on my Statement - I don’t do excursions, so I knew the charge was made erroneously. So, I went down to the Guest Services desk and contested the charge. After several questions, they agreed and said that the Excursions department would delete the item. Within a few hours, the charge disappeared from my Statement. If you never check your Statement until the last day, you could easily forget when and where you spent your money, and let erroneous charges go through. But if you check every day, you will better remember what you spent the previous day.

I’m currently on the Koningsdam where a duo continues in the Billboard Onboard. I’d prefer a cocktail lounge atmosphere with one pianist playing quietly in the background.

$0. I’m on a 17-day cruise to Hawaii aboard the Koningsdam. We arrived in Honolulu this morning. I waved bye-bye to the thousands of passengers and crew who disembarked this morning. I’ve spent the day slowly wandering around the ship, discovering all the charming locations where I might pass time in the coming 10 days. I had a leisurely breakfast in the Club Orange dining room, a lovely Apple pancake in the Grand Dutch Cafe (no line), and have spent the day front and center in the Crow’s Nest - a lovely room that I’ve avoided because it is usually packed and loud. I walked through the Lido Cafe without being run over by a hoard. Today is the first day of the cruise where my introversion has been at rest. I suspect many of the people sitting around me feel the same. No drama. I’m sitting here with a Piña Colada enjoying the view of Honolulu from the non-humid 12th Deck, smiling.

I still remember the night I sent my gazpacho soup back to the kitchen -- it was cold! Yet, somehow the sun still rose the next morning.

Plus, you probably already know your name.

I think I appreciate the crew as much as I possibly can already.

I think it's important to pin down the color of the provided hair dryer. My cruise would be ruined if I didn't pack clothing in the same color scheme as the appliance. And heaven forbid it is a July 2023 model! When my great-great grandmother was hurling o'er the railing of the City of Richmond while emigrating to America in the 1880s, I don't think "hair drying" was on her top 10 list of concerns. Buy a hat.

It's all interesting. Every cruise has a mix of goods and not-so-goods. Fortunately, 95% of every day is good. The other stuff is just "life". If I were sitting at home, I'd have plenty of bad moments, too. (I've had three nights of neighborhood fireworks to frazzle my nerves. Last night was the worst, as it went on for over four hours. Sociopaths!) When I step aboard the Koningsdam on January 13 (Birthday #66) for the same cruise, I'll wipe the slate clean and focus on creating my own memories. YOUR comments and attachments are uniquely helpful to me, as I'll likely have the same crew and meals and activities. So, thank you so much! Also, when I step aboard the ship on the 13th, the ruling monarch of Denmark will be Queen Margrethe II. She announced yesterday her plan to abdicate the throne on the 14th of January. Her elder son, Frederik, will become the "Koning" -- the King of Denmark on that day. It will be fun to be sailing on the King's Ship on that day. The Captain should make an announcement of some sort.

I hope Tablemate notes this incident on her post-cruise survey, along with the name of the waiter. It's an unacceptable response in any restaurant -- sea or land. Maybe the waiter is at the end of their contract and no longer cares -- but it is still a reflection on the cruise line.

You are making a big assumption. Perhaps the dogs were left a fortune, and are sailing with their Service Humans?

QUESTION: Since I'll be embarking on this ship on January 13, I was wondering if you were required to present proof of a negative Covid test prior to embarkation? HAL does such a poor job of removing old information from its website, and it is hard to pin down the current policies. Some "FAQs" are good while others create more questions than answers.

On second thought, I'm returning my tube tops and culottes to the closet. I guess I shouldn't have "burned my bridges" with the Blouse Barn in Elmdale. Scott

I imagine if one is consuming 15 alcoholic beverages per day, the monetary cost is likely to be second or third on one's list of worries.🤢

In some old letters I've found, my great-great grandparents emigrated from Germany to the U.S. in the late 1880s aboard the "City of Richmond". My great-great grandmother wrote, "When we aren't eat'n slop, heavin' over the rails, and pray'n for a wave to take us down, we kept busy filling bottles with messages and tossing them to the seas. No carrier-pigeons on this god-forsak'n boat! Gerhardt seems happy, reading and re-reading the immigration notice extollin' the wonders of western Kansas, with promises of things called "tore-nadoes" and "low-custs" and "dust bowles". If we can survive this hellish trial, heaven itself surely awaits us on the green and mount'nous prairies!" Her list of complaints doesn't include "subpar / spotty Internet service", so THAT must have been fine. 🤔 Scott

The Koningsdam is the only ship scheduled to be in dock in San Diego on 12/21/23, so your embarkation should be low-drama. https://www.cruisetimetables.com/san-diego-california-cruise-ship-schedule.html I'll follow your posts closely, as I'll be doing the same cruise on the Koningsdam starting 1/13/24 - also solo, but with a balcony. I don't have excursions planned, either. I'm going for the ocean experience rather than the land experience. Have a blast!! Scott

I hope to replicate your findings on the Koningsdam two months from now (minus all mentions of children)! I'm glad you had such a great time.

TerryDTX: You referred to the "Koingsdam" a couple of times. Perhaps this will help. The Dutch word for King is "Koning". The King's ship would be the Koning's Dam -- or simply "Koningsdam". I slogged through a score of short YouTube videos created by a blogger on a 20-day journey aboard the Koningsdam. In each of the 20 clips he pronounced it as "Koisendam". I considered making it a drinking game -- one shot per mispronunciation -- but had no desire to join the ranks of the heavy drinkers with HAL drink packages.

I started watching them all six months ago, but have whittled it down to just a few. While there are a lot of fun vlogs, I really prefer the style of "Emma Cruises" and Gary Bembridge's "Tips for Travellers" videos. Their videos are well-edited, packed full of useful information, and are mostly free of drama. I was so surprised with the drama whipped up by some vloggers. Ocean cruises are in reality pretty drama-free. Most cruisers are looking for a quiet place to sip a drink and read or sunbathe. Choosing the cruise line that best fits your cruise style is so important. With all the information readily available on the Internet, there is no reason for anyone to be disappointed with their cruise line, food choices, cabin decor or entertainment. If you don't like kids, book your cruises when schools are in session. If you can't cruise without a roller coaster on your roof, focus on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norweigian. There is a cruise and a cruise line for everyone.