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LIVE - Koningsdam July 3 - July 17 Norway B2B

sldispatcher

By sldispatcher,
in Holland America Line

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BlueSea72

BlueSea72

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[quote name=sldispatcher;50416475

 

 

 

So if you see the crew of the Koningsdam that got snatched off the ship last night' date=' please do not send them back.

 

The current staff suits us just fine! We’ll keep ‘em.[/quote]

 

Hope they're still there when I board on Sunday :D

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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Stavanger - More than meets the Eye

 

Imagine a place where 50,000 annuals are planted artfully along rocky cliffs with various ponds and waterfalls. Bright reds mixed with yellows and purples almost painful to the eye. Whimsical trees shooting like comets into the sky. A family run operation with a buffet lunch, a jaw dropping 20 acre garden, and a secret that you may not know about.

 

Fjore and Fjaere

 

The cruise line doesn’t sell excursions (at least ours didn’t) and I found it on the internet. If you can…book it now. No picture will do it justice. You have to see it to believe it. There was more to this place than meets the eye.

 

The old town section just off of the cruise pier actually held some bargain shopping for the ladies in rather nice clothing stores. That was an unexpected surprise. Those shops were all hidden behind the double street of bars and eateries. There was not a lot of fleecing of ship passengers here. Again, more than meets the eye.

 

The Koningsdam continues to please me in little ways. A little encouragement in the daily program had me go up and try the Pizza Place for breakfast. What fun! A wide choice of bagels and flavored cream cheeses to choose from along with a menu for the rest of the day that looked fanciful for snacks. I encourage each passenger to go by and just discover this hidden gem on deck 10 reachable by stairs from the pool or from the mid ship elevators. This is not your usual pizza place is all I’ll say. There is more to……than meets the eye.

 

Dinner tonight in the MDR was a walk up, sit down and service on target affair. Again, the missed opportunities the first day or so have been made a distant memory. The new tablet ordering systems are quite nice. Your pictures all pop up on the screen so the waiter can address you properly by name. All of the customizable features are there and I really think it has helped expedite food delivery.

 

Food presentation continues to be a strong suit in the MDR along with great temps on the food. Nothing is over salted so that you can add what you need. Depending on one’s cultural background, you may find that there is quite a bit of subjective input on what is seasoned and not seasoned food. I’m enjoying the smaller plates of food with less “pop” to them from a seasoning perspective. Subtle has strength over time. A lost art of cooking if you ask me.

 

The comedian was quite funny, but not well attended at the 10pm show. I contribute a lot of that to the demographics of the ship. Humor does not always translate well.

 

The ship seems quite empty at 1100pm tonight as I’m sure some of the “newness” of being onboard is wearing off.

 

Like any vacation, it takes a few days to remove some of the calluses of criticism and allow the soothing lotion of just enjoying the moment to soak in.

 

If you enjoy cruising, you will love the Koningsdam.

 

If you enjoy good food and options for entertainment and relaxing, you will love the Koningsdam.

If you enjoy a ship that has very quiet cabins and hallways, you will love the Koningsdam.

 

If you are looking for a less cheesy version of Celebrity, you will love the Koningsdam.

 

If you are looking for an updated HAL with more onboard choice, you will love Koningsdam.

 

Don’t let the prejudices of myself or others both good and bad deter you from deciding to try it. If the combination of itinerary, price, and time find you leaning towards Koningsdam, I believe you will be pleased with the end product.

 

Just leave your preconceived notions of what any cruise should be and just take the time to explore the King.

 

You’ll find, as the days pass, there is more to this ship…..

 

….than meets the eye.

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3418ahl

3418ahl

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Sldispatcher, would you be kind enough to tell me who you booked your tour of Fjore and Fjaere with? You can send me an email at the link below if you prefer. Would very much like to do this. Thanks

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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Kristiansand – Afternoon Update

 

As I write this, the skies have become overcast with multiple shades of grey and tiny rain drops are forming a dense mist that makes you want to a multitude of things like crawl under the covers, find a warm fire, read a book, etc. Off in the distance, the horizon appears to be welded to the sky with a bead of blue haze.

 

Piddled around while the wife slept in then we went to a light lunch at the Royal Dutch Café. None of it could I pronounce past the word quiche. The descriptions, written in a slightly darker shade of the background color are a bit of a challenge to read, but were helpful. I had a veal something or other sandwich which was really good. Ground veal and cheese formed into a torpedo shape and fried. A mustard sauce served with it complemented it quite well.

 

Only problem I see at Royal Dutch Café is squatters. As there are no seating areas anywhere near on either end of the corridor, this becomes an easy place to plop down. Also, you have those who have finished their coffee and simply sit. That is certainly their right to do so. Will be interesting as the different passenger mixes come onboard to get feedback. I would go back in a heartbeat. I have a feeling this eatery will get expanded across the fleet as refurbs come along. And the next Pinnacle Class ship I would expect will have an expanded section. Sadly, the silly photo area still takes up way too much space.

 

We had a cream filled chocolate covered delight for dessert. If you like not so sweet cream fillings, you’ll love this.

 

We walked (and it is a fairly good walk) into the city of Kristiansand to mosey around after finding my wife’s parents eating in the Lido. Again, that place can be busy. I like that some favorites are there every day (like the fish and chips/bread pudding/etc.) It may be my imagination, but it appears as though aft on the port side seems to be the quietest table section on the Lido. Will need to observe that a few more times for any sense of regularity.

 

Flower arrangements on the ship are visually stunning. There are many vertical pieces incorporating music themes that have held up well. Because it is so easy to get busy to where one is going, I would suggest you stop and “smell the roses” as they say. They are living pieces of art unto themselves.

 

As far artwork, the many stairwell designs and framings are visually appealing without being garish. There is not an effort to be contrasting with the existing color scheme of the ship. I appreciate some of the uses of everyday materials as the building blocks for the art. We have been smiling and even filled with wow at some of the more musically themed presentations that incorporate multiple facets of the K. You just have to think about where you are in relation to deck and design on the ship as it relates to the artwork. As this is such a subjective area, I’ll leave the rest up to individual interpretation.

 

I have a suggestion for HAL (or any other Cruise Line for that matter). I think Norway, and other locations, would be great for a series of shore excursions that I reuse a TV show’s name: Modern Marvels. It seems like each stop is all about scenery, cultural exhibit, or food. It is high time that we get the chance to see modern shipbuilding, tour the highway tunnels and see digging equipment, dry dock exploration, how locks work, etc. So many places have interesting technology and industrial areas that would be fun to look into. Even now, the ship is parked where two tunnels are dug into the mountain right here at the port and large trucks are going in and out. I want in there! I want to know how they do it!

 

I notice there is a $150/person tour of behind the scenes of the K. Engine room, bridge, etc. That fits the bill (but have to admit even I think that is a bit steep for a tour on a ship that I already paid to go on), but quite frankly, I am glad they even thought to offer it. Hats off to HAL for doing that.

 

Tonight is Pinnacle Grill for us.

 

Sorry you are not here.

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sldispatcher

sldispatcher

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Evening Update

 

Pinnacle Grill dinner…almost too full to type. Highlights were crab cake for sure. Lobster bisque is more of a brown velvet texture as opposed to the creamy orange appearance so often associated with that dish. Steaks were good, but they are not top quality (i.e. prime) cuts. The sauces make the steaks. On our second round through, we will probably go with the halibut for several of us.

 

Desserts continue to be the only par to subpar area, but that is standard across most cruise lines if you ask me. There are some really good ones to be found, but you have to search.

 

Again, whenever there is a venue with something going on, the space designed doesn’t seem in proportion to the number of people on the ship. That may even out in time. Millennial marketers are enamored with “energy” and “action”. I never really associated those two things with HAL on the Amsterdam, Ryndam, or Rotterdam. It was always those now hated words of “relaxation”, “calm”, and “sedate”.

 

Oh well.

 

The string quartet and pianist had a standing room only crowd as we exited the Pinnacle Grill. They sounded very talented but the given music piece was not recognized by any of us one of the classics. I am not a musician nor claim to be a classical music aficionado. But the composer of that piece must have been named it “5 Cats Fighting Over a Mouse”. I’ll let your imagination do the rest.

 

I am enjoying the multiple USB and 3 pronged plugs in the room. We are making great use of the combo with a sound cube on the desk and the Rain Rain app on the phone. It is plenty quiet aboard the ship back here, but the extra white noise masks anything that might remotely come through.

 

Tomorrow is Oslo where we’ll hop-on/hop-off around the city. Supposedly going to be a high of 71 degrees and a 40% chance of thunderstorms.

 

This ship would be a rather easy one to do on a Transatlantic Voyage. It rides very well in the water even with the chop and breeze we have now.

 

The furniture in the Crow’s Nest is visually appealing but I did not sit in any of it. Again, public spaces, feel a bit crowded at times and my visit to the Crow’s Nest was no exception. I do need to give them kudos for spacing out tables in the dining room. I have chided Oceania on more than one occasion for packing just a few too many tables into the MDR on the Marina and Riviera. Hopefully, HAL will keep the generous space between tables.

 

For those traveling in the future, know that the most important button on the phone is the “speed dial” button. That brings up a menu of the typical places you would need to call. And for room-to-room, you put “0” in front of the 4 digit cabins, and just dial the numbers of any 5 digit cabins.

 

I’ll keep posting observations, discoveries and tidbits if you 3 or 4 readers still desire them.

 

Good Night from the Land of the Midnight Sun

 

David

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SilvertoGold

SilvertoGold

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I'll claim to be number 6 reader.

 

The description "cream filled chocolate delight" sounds like a Bosch Ball! Yum.

 

Haven't had one on HAL for a couple of years.

 

Appreciate your description and review of the Dutch Cafe. I am convinced that this will be placed on the other ships of the fleet. If not, it should be.

 

Thanks for a most readable, enjoyable and overall first class thread!

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OceanPatter

OceanPatter

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Of course, we love your reports and want more! You reminded me about the stunning flower arrangements around the ship ... a wonderful touch, especially as other cruise lines are cutting back on flowers.

 

BTW, my husband did the behind-the-scenes tour, because he wanted to see the engine room (which is usually off limits), and because one of the early Koningsdam reviews raved about it (despite the price). He was impressed by the many gifts given out at the end of the tour (book, commemorative glasses, group photo), and thoroughly enjoyed the tour.

 

Can't remember if you commented on the beds, but we loved the comfort of our mattress and the heavenly pillows. Sublime!

 

Thanks again for taking the time to write your reviews.

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