HAL Koningsdam 10/10/2021 Coastal California Trip Report LIVE(ish)

[nimi17]

On 3/20/2022 at 6:56 PM, travel4b said:

Thanks for posting this.  I've enjoyed reading the posts and comments.  We are booking our first cruise on Holland America and planning to book the same cabin as you for the extra large balcony.  However,I'm hesitating as I see that it's directly over the MDR.  Were there any noise issues?  Also, can someone enlighten me regarding eating anytime in the MDR?  Can you not just show up when you're ready to sit down to dinner and be able to get a table? Thanks, again for the informative post.

You are most welcome 😊

 

The noise wasn’t an issue during our cruise because the third floor of the MDR was never open. The MDR is entirely self-enclosed and carpeted so I don’t imagine noise being bothersome regardless as there won’t be earsplitting sounds like metal chairs being dragged across a deck like there would be on the lido.
 

Depending on how many diners show up at a time for anytime dining, there may be a small wait, but I usually was there right at 5:30 and never had to wait more than 5 minutes to be seated for dinner.

 

I hope you enjoy your first HAL cruise as much as we did and cannot wait to hear your thoughts on how it compares with other cruise lines you’ve experienced. Please feel free to ask away if you have any more questions 🚢⚓️