just off the Koningsdam

[TraelorMex]

Long time HAL sailors here....the 'K' was our first experience on the larger ships. Overall our experiences were positive. Big exception was the food..we found it to be inferior in quality (compared to previous HAL cruises).

 

we definitely prefer the smaller HAL ships (i.e. Rotterdam, Maasdam etc). Doubt well be sailing the behemoths again.

[NordicPrince]

2 hours ago, TraelorMex said:

 we definitely prefer the smaller HAL ships (i.e. Rotterdam, Maasdam etc). Doubt well be sailing the behemoths again.

Why do so many HAL cruisers refer to the Pinnacle ships as "behemoths" "monsters" etc? These are medium sized ship sizes that lines such as RCCL have been sailing since 2000's 90-100,000 grt. You have to look at RCL Oasis class 225,000 grt 6000 + passengers to say REALLY BIG. Without these new Pinnacle class ships HAL would go under in a very short amount of time - HAL boosters wake up and get with the times.

 

Enjoy your cruising days.

[HappyInVan]

On 12/13/2019 at 6:50 AM, BatchawanaBabe said:

Yes, the big bottles of shampoo, conditioner and body wash in the shower were appreciated.  Also the smaller bottles of body lotion.  However, the fact that we had to sit sideways on the toilet due to lack of legroom didn't help, along with the cheapest, roughest toilet paper ever. I'm only 5'5".

 

The food was pretty good, especially their breads and desserts.  However, several times the food in the MDR was cold and hubby found a long black hair in his apple pie one night.  One thing we appreciated was the fact that every staff member acknowledged us with a hello and smile.  This hasn't happened on all of our cruises.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the balanced review

[RuthC]

8 minutes ago, NordicPrince said:

Why do so many HAL cruisers refer to the Pinnacle ships as "behemoths"

Because, for HAL, the Pinnacle class ships ARE 'behemoths'. They lack the intimate atmosphere that the smaller ships (S- & R-classes, and the late, great Prinsendam) have. 

[NordicPrince]

1 minute ago, RuthC said:

Because, for HAL, the Pinnacle class ships ARE 'behemoths'. They lack the intimate atmosphere that the smaller ships (S- & R-classes, and the late, great Prinsendam) have. 

Ruth, I respect your loyalty to the S and R classes and the very old and antiquated Prinsendam, but they soon will be (and are)  from a cruising model that HAL cannot continue to operate under into the foreseeable future in order to maintain mass market rates and its own viability. Do you have actual knowledge of what the operating costs of these ships are? And the cost will only increase as they get older. Competitors such as Viking have pre-empted the middle-upper market and can afford to build a fleet of 10 ships all holding under 1,000 guests. Of course their rates are about 3x the rates HAL charges. You and the rest of the HAL faithful should be thankful that the Carnival powers that-be have'n't chosen to build even bigger ships than the Pinnacle class.

Let's hope that HAL is able to be successful with this model into the foreseeable future.

I am going with DW in January on the Koningsdam for 11 nights after sailing on the last 4 cruises with Celebrity because they have chosen to raise their rates beyond the reach of the reasonable cost cruiser. 

Enjoy your cruising days.

[MisterBill99]

Thanks for the review. Interesting to hear that you loved the shows in the theater while someone else said that they were awful. We were on Kdam in June and will be on board again in a little over two weeks and felt that the theater entertainment was lacking and do miss the singers and dancers. I agree with the other poster who said that one of the One Step shows was bad while the other was tolerable, but neither had live music. Interesting that the early show was at 6:30, it's usually at 7.

 

Do you recall who the piano players at Billboard Onboard were? That is always the highlight of the HAL cruise for us. And yes, you can hear the Rolling Stone Rock Room band fine from BB -- in fact probably better since it's too loud in their own room.

[HappyInVan]

30 minutes ago, NordicPrince said:

Competitors such as Viking have pre-empted the middle-upper market and can afford to build a fleet of 10 ships all holding under 1,000 guests. Of course their rates are about 3x the rates HAL charges. You and the rest of the HAL faithful should be thankful that the Carnival powers that-be have'n't chosen to build even bigger ships than the Pinnacle class.

 

 

 

Actually, Viking is expanding rapidly because the middle-upper segment has been abandoned by HAL and Princess. Should HAL build bigger ships, there would be little difference from the RCL, Carnival, MSC crowd. HAL would have no reason to exist.

[SumoCitrus]

On the K-Dam right now. Cruise has been wonderful so far (full review after we return), but I don’t think I’d book an aft wrap again. Although we’re loving the Neptune Suite amenities, we are rocking and rolling (and creaking something awful) in what I believe are only slightly rough seas. Being aft seems to amplify the motion. It’s severe enough to keep me awake and I usually find the rocking to be pleasant.

 

The comedian tonight was a huge draw with all seats taken in the theater. Food has been better than usual in my opinion.

[MisterBill99]

Just now, SumoCitrus said:

Although we’re loving the Neptune Suite amenities, we are rocking and rolling (and creaking something awful) in what I believe are only slightly rough seas. Being aft seems to amplify the motion. It’s severe enough to keep me awake and I usually find the rocking to be pleasant.

 

I heard terrible creaking when we were in cabin 4043 (near the front elevators) in 2018. Last year we were in 5189 on deck 5 near the rear elevators and heard nothing. On our upcoming cruise we will be in the same spot on deck 5 but the opposite side of the ship and hope also not to hear anything.  I asked about it on CC last year and others said that they had heard the same thing.

 

Since you're currently on the ship do you know who the BB Onboard performers are? Thanks.

[MisterBill99]

8 minutes ago, HappyInVan said:

Actually, Viking is expanding rapidly because the middle-upper segment has been abandoned by HAL and Princess. Should HAL build bigger ships, there would be little difference from the RCL, Carnival, MSC crowd. HAL would have no reason to exist.

 

Have you been on those other lines? There is no comparison between MSC and HAL, and RSC is also much different in ways other than ship size.

[RuthC]

10 hours ago, NordicPrince said:

Ruth, I respect your loyalty to the S and R classes and the very old and antiquated Prinsendam, but they soon will be (and are)  from a cruising model that HAL cannot continue to operate under into the foreseeable future in order to maintain mass market rates and its own viability. Do you have actual knowledge of what the operating costs of these ships are?

I was answering your question about the use of the word 'behemoth', not discussing the relative merits of the various sizes of ships. 
Obviously, there is room for a broad range of opinions on that. 

[3rdGenCunarder]

11 hours ago, SumoCitrus said:

On the K-Dam right now. Cruise has been wonderful so far (full review after we return), but I don’t think I’d book an aft wrap again. Although we’re loving the Neptune Suite amenities, we are rocking and rolling (and creaking something awful) in what I believe are only slightly rough seas. Being aft seems to amplify the motion. It’s severe enough to keep me awake and I usually find the rocking to be pleasant.

 

The comedian tonight was a huge draw with all seats taken in the theater. Food has been better than usual in my opinion.

 

I don't mind creaking. It's a ship sound. But like you, I found the motion at the back of K'dam to be annoying, especially the banging when the stern slapped down on a wave. I love a corner aft, but never again on K'dam. Second time I booked a midships cabin. Never say never, but the K is not near the top of my list of preferred HAL ships. Give me a Vista any day!

 

[ZSandy25]

On 12/7/2019 at 8:40 AM, leela8 said:

You said you had Late 8:15 dinner, what time did you see all those shows? Were they after dinner? We have late seating this time and hoping not to miss any shows

We have late seating on the K-dam, we go to the early show first and then to dinner. I really enjoy this set up for show times.  On other cruises ( ships ) we would have to attend the late show after dinner. We tend to do the other venues after dinner. We really enjoy the K-dam and will be sailing for 3 weeks in Feb.

[STANCPA44]

15 hours ago, MisterBill99 said:

 

I heard terrible creaking when we were in cabin 4043 (near the front elevators) in 2018. Last year we were in 5189 on deck 5 near the rear elevators and heard nothing. On our upcoming cruise we will be in the same spot on deck 5 but the opposite side of the ship and hope also not to hear anything.  I asked about it on CC last year and others said that they had heard the same thing.

 

Since you're currently on the ship do you know who the BB Onboard performers are? Thanks.

Last January, I was in cabin 4043, I did not hear any creaking sounds.

[MisterBill99]

4 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

 

I don't mind creaking. It's a ship sound. 

 

 

I don't mind it except when it's in the wall of the cabin, right next to the bed, when I'm trying to fall asleep.

 

  

44 minutes ago, STANCPA44 said:

Last January, I was in cabin 4043, I did not hear any creaking sounds.

 

Maybe they got into the wall and fixed it. Or maybe the seas were just calmer.

Edited December 18, 2019 by MisterBill99

[jeda4137]

1 hour ago, STANCPA44 said:

Last January, I was in cabin 4043, I did not hear any creaking sounds.

Cabin 4044 last March/ April had strange noises!

[3rdGenCunarder]

Just now, jeda4137 said:

Cabin 4044 last March/ April had strange noises!

 

The ghost got assigned to a new cabin!!!  

[tvlgoddess]

2 hours ago, 3rdGenCunarder said:

The ghost got assigned to a new cabin!!!  

we had cabin 4154 this fall for the big veranda and the noise was so loud that I can not sleep and once asleep the noise would wake me up.  It’s sounds like wiring being pulled through the ceiling and a few times I swear a helicopter was in the wall right next to my bed.

[Cruising-along]

1 hour ago, tvlgoddess said:

we had cabin 4154 this fall for the big veranda and the noise was so loud that I can not sleep and once asleep the noise would wake me up.  It’s sounds like wiring being pulled through the ceiling and a few times I swear a helicopter was in the wall right next to my bed.

We had that cabin a couple years ago and noticed the same thing.  Even turning our sound machine up high didn't help, as the sound was coming right through the wall next to my pillow.

[leerathje]

On 12/17/2019 at 2:29 PM, gentle@spici said:

We are interested in sailing on the Kdam in January but are a bit worried about having to pay for alcohol. I like a few beers and a few mixed drinks every day on vacation but the wife is content with 2 or 3 drinks a day. so we are still debating it. 
I would say we usually sail celebrity and if you really do your homework you can get some great deals.  We just returned from a 11 day cruise on the Reflection in a 10th floor Concierge balcony with drink pkg and tips and $350obc for $2610 total. 

Looking at a guarantee suite on Kdam for the same price but zero perks. Haven’t booked yet but always like to try new lines and ships. 

 

If you were looking for perks, my experience is, for the most part, they aren't usually offered on last minute cruises.

 

L.

 

[leerathje]

IMO, HAL provides the best of most worlds. Some awesome itineraries, smaller ships for those that want more gala evenings, or to parade around the promenade, larger ships for those that want more restaurants, and desire a private verandah (usually at a better price than a lanai.)

 

EVERYONE'S tastes are difference. Personally, I don't go on a cruise to meet people, I go on a cruise to go to several places I've never been, but don't feel like having to arrange a whole travel itinerary. Lazy? Perhaps. But I don't want waterslides, ziplines and skating rinks, and so HAL is good for me. 

 

But is my opinion wrong?  I don't think ANYONE'S opinion is wrong.  It is an opinion, nothing else. I don't like HAL's coffee. Others rave about it. I loved the Music Walk, others think it's too loud. I'm not a promenade walker, others will walk for hours. I don't have kids and I've never been on a cruise were kids ran around with no supervision, so can't speak to that.  Others swear they will never cruise again on HAL if they change it. Once again, to each his own. 

 

The world is a changing place. What was popular then, is different now (No one wants my mom's fine china!)

 

More people are vacationing away from home, and those people want a different holiday than Disneyland, or an all-inclusive on a sunny beach. And some of those are turning to cruising. They don't know about "The Love Boat", all they know is that they want to do something different.

 

Are the new-to-cruisers wrong? No. Are the long-time cruisers wrong? No. It's just an opinion.  As I said, I think HAL provides options, at a lower price, to a wider variety of people than most others. But that's just my opinion.

 

L.

 

**sitting back, eating popcorn, waiting for the responses**

[BatchawanaBabe]

On 12/18/2019 at 9:08 PM, leerathje said:

EVERYONE'S tastes are difference. Personally, I don't go on a cruise to meet people, I go on a cruise to go to several places I've never been, but don't feel like having to arrange a whole travel itinerary. Lazy? Perhaps. But I don't want waterslides, ziplines and skating rinks, and so HAL is good for me. 

 

But is my opinion wrong?  I don't think ANYONE'S opinion is wrong.  It is an opinion, nothing else. I don't like HAL's coffee. Others rave about it. I loved the Music Walk, others think it's too loud. I'm not a promenade walker, others will walk for hours. I don't have kids and I've never been on a cruise were kids ran around with no supervision, so can't speak to that.  Others swear they will never cruise again on HAL if they change it. Once again, to each his own. 

 

The world is a changing place. What was popular then, is different now (No one wants my mom's fine china!)

 

More people are vacationing away from home, and those people want a different holiday than Disneyland, or an all-inclusive on a sunny beach. And some of those are turning to cruising. They don't know about "The Love Boat", all they know is that they want to do something different.

 

Are the new-to-cruisers wrong? No. Are the long-time cruisers wrong? No. It's just an opinion.  As I said, I think HAL provides options, at a lower price, to a wider variety of people than most others. But that's just my opinion.

 

L.

 

**sitting back, eating popcorn, waiting for the responses**

Yes, I totally agree with you.  We each have different preferences, so these will affect our opinions about any specific cruise.  Although we weren't happy with the entertainment and bathroom facilities, we appreciated the smiles and respect of all the ship's staff, appreciated the cleanliness of the ship and found the food to be good.

 

We booked this cruise specifically for the itinerary.  I had nearly booked a cruise with Celebrity for the same time period but it only went to the ABC's and it didn't go to the additional ports that the Konigsdam did. Celebrity's price for a mid-ship balcony was $1,000 more, so that's why we decided to try HAL.  Despite our experience, it was still a better decision since we got more bang for our buck and we got to see more places that we hadn't visited before.

[twodjs]

On 12/17/2019 at 2:29 PM, gentle@spici said:

We are interested in sailing on the Kdam in January but are a bit worried about having to pay for alcohol. I like a few beers and a few mixed drinks every day on vacation but the wife is content with 2 or 3 drinks a day. so we are still debating it. 

Has anyone else mentioned the daily happy hour every afternoon? Buy 1 drink, get the second for 2 bucks? You can buy beers and not have the bottles opened. Your room steward will keep them in your cabin on ice. Just one way to save a few bucks.