Koningsdam May 27 - June 3 review

[vino100]

First of all, I had a great cruise on the Koningsdam . So many on this forum answered my questions and I just want to help anyone else cruising on this ship to Alaska.

This was a family cruise with 16 of us in 7 different cabins. We ranged in age from 73 to 3 ! And yes, I'm the old one ! 

So here goes. 

 

Embarkation:

We stayed at the Pan Pacific , so getting our luggage to the ship was a piece of cake. Expensive ,but worth it for us.

We arrived at the first check in area at 10:00. This was my scheduled time. Others in the group had later times, but since we were grouped together we were told we could do this. At this check in point we were asked if anyone had the Pinnacle Suite and I said yes. I had no idea how they knew this, but we were given a special piece of paper saying Pinnacle Suite. 

The rest of the process went very quickly. The only 15 minute wait we had was waiting for the ship to be ready. We were on board by 11:15.

I read on this board that we would be walked to our stateroom ,( I had no idea before reading this here ), but this did not happen. No biggie to us at all. We were on Deck 7 looking for our cabin when an officer asked if he could help .We mentioned we were looking for our room and as soon as he heard the cabin # he took our carry ons and insisted on taking us himself. He apologized that no one had escorted us when we boarded. Like I said before, no big deal to us. 

 

Cabin : 

Well what can you say about a Pinnacle suite ...........absolutely fantastic. I had never booked the Pinnacle before ,but since this was all my family getting together we wanted a big enough place to meet .I am so glad I was able to book this cabin. Three separate rooms and a huge balcony with a hot tub. We were able to easily host everyone inside and out. and yes, we used the hot tub. So much fun to see Glacier Bay while in a hot tub. Would I book this cabin again ? Only if my whole family goes on a cruise again. Fantastic cabin , but I don't need this much space for 2 people. 

 

Cabin Stewards :

The best we have ever had on over 30 cruises. Barri and Budha went beyond our expectations. Since at many times we had 16 in the cabin, they willingly brought in 14 wine glasses whenever we needed them. And we did do a lot of celebrating ! 

We had chocolate on the dressy nights, or whatever they are now called, and 2 HAL tiles were left on the bed. 

 

Club Orange : 

There are no tables big enough for 16 people. The largest table sits 6 and the tables can not be moved. I asked if we could have the same tables every night if we came at 5:30 every night. The answer was yes and we could always have the same front tables. This worked great as we were able to keep the same waiters. Roy and Dani were wonderful. Very attentive to everyone's needs and especially helpful to the 6 and 3 year old. We were very spoiled. 

We do enjoy our wine and there were at least 2 sommeliers on board. Charm was in Club Orange and went the extra mile to help us pick our wines. We really enjoyed her "Charming ways ".

While food can be subjective, we really enjoyed the food. The menus were interesting  and we always found something we liked. 

I will always want to book Club Orange for the more personalized service and more relaxed atmosphere  .

 

Pinnacle Grill :

We only ate here once and it was excellent. They do charge for  extra appetizers which I think is wrong. Just my opinion . 

They did provide a graduation cake that I mentioned as we were walking in, so that did make up for the extra charged appetizers. 

 

Neptune Lounge:

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the over the top service we received from the Neptune Lounge concierge.  Gracielle, not sure about the spelling, did everything in her power to meet our every need. She brought chocolate milk to our great grandkids and even found donuts with pink sprinkles. she sure made us feel very special. HAL has her in the right spot on the ship.

 

Bars :

If there was any negative on the ship it was bar service .It really didn't matter what bar we tried to order from, there just was a lack of anyone to help. Even if there were servers they would walk by and ignore you. This was very disappointing. One night in the Ocean Bar my husband gave a server $20.00 and asked if he would get us drinks. He brought one round and then we could never get his attention again. 

 

Entertainment : 

Music venues were very good. BB Kings and the Rock and Roll music were always crowded .I really enjoyed the dueling pianos ,but they were only on one night. Not sure why they bothered having two pianos on the ship ! The world stage shows were disappointing to me. I really prefer  broadway production shows , but this is just my personal opinion. 

The cruise director really lacked enthusiasm. Even my kids who are not really cruise experienced commented on her blahness. Once again ,just my opinion. 

 

Activities :

We loved the pickle ball on board. This was a very popular event , especially with my family. 

Trivia everyday.

Line dancing lessons.

Glacier Bay commentary was very good. 

 

Disembarkation : 

Much to my surprise,  we were given a special escort off the ship. The Neptune lounge called two days before we got off the ship and asked how we were going to disembark. Since we had an early flight ,I told her we were walking off with our luggage. She told me to have all 16 of us in my cabin at 7:45 and she would be holding 2 elevators for us and escorting us all the way off the ship. Wow, now  that is a perk that no one told me about . This saved us so much time and so appreciated. 

 

I know this has been a long review, but I wanted pay it back for all the help I have received over the years on CC. 

Any questions....just ask away. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

[decrepit old man]

I was on this cruise too. Pretty sure the duelling pianos were on more than one night. Agree with you about the cruise director Betty Ann. Everything she said sounded like it had been rehearsed 100 times 

[decrepit old man]

Some other comments:

I had any time dining. The escorts in the main dining room were buffoons. Always getting lost taking us to our table even though they had a sheet of paper with the layout to refer to. Most waiters were very friendly.

 

Food in the main dining room was usually not hot

 

Servers in the buffet, while friendly, often had no clue what food they were serving and their poor English skills made it very hard to communicate with them.

 

Only get steak in the buffet if you like it extra extra extra well done.

 

It was very clear to me that the crew throughout the ship treated a certain race of people much better than others. I really didn't care, just an observation. I don't like in your face service anyway. Perhaps it's because this race of people tends to tip more than others.

 

Very impressed with the condition and cleanliness of the ship. 

[canadianbear]

@vino100

Excellent review.  We have been on the Koningsdam a lot in the past and enjoy the ship.  
 

So happy you could have the Pinnacle suite so your whole family could enjoy visiting you there.

We have never stayed in one but have been in several as guests.  
 

Sounds like you made more wonderful memories for all.  You sound like a very happy family.  Thanks again for your review, enjoyed the read. 

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

Thank you for a very good review. So nice that your family enjoyed the ship and had such a great time!

[dmcfad2]

13 hours ago, decrepit old man said:

I was on this cruise too. Pretty sure the duelling pianos were on more than one night. Agree with you about the cruise director Betty Ann. Everything she said sounded like it had been rehearsed 100 times 

We’ve sailed with Betty Ann before and were underwhelmed. 

[adoris]

For me, Betty Ann added nothing special or exciting to my cruise experience.  I wouldn’t miss her at all if she wasn’t there.  But then again, maybe she does a lot ‘behind the scenes’ that we don’t know about.

[just_cruising_along]

Thank you for taking the time to review.  I have been on cruises with multi generations of our family and those trips have made lasting memories.  Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[erdufylla]

I was on this cruise, as well, and while we were just in a standard veranda room and not anything as fancy as a Pinnacle suite (which sounds amazing!), it sounds like our experiences were pretty similar for most of the ship. FWIW, here’s my take on the cruise:

 

— I’d agree that overall, bar service was somewhat lacking in what I’d come to expect from HAL. The drinks were good, and some bars were better than others, but I got the impression that they were vastly understaffed, especially in some areas, and that a lot of the staff was on the newer side. No one was ever rude, but there was a lot of waiting to be served (both initially, and for the ordered drink to arrive), especially in the music venues and at the Lido pool. There also wasn’t a lot of knowledge about specific drinks that weren’t on that specific bar’s menu. I’m not a big drinker, and I tend to find one or two drinks I like and stick with it, and I had difficulty ordering them at some bars, because they had no idea what I was asking for, even though it was a drink offered on another bar’s menu. It didn’t bother me, but it was something I noticed.

 

— I ate primarily in the MDR. Breakfasts and lunches were often slow, but the waitstaff was usually very good, and the food was always hot and delicious, even if it did take a while. We had open seating dining, and while I agree, the getting-to-the-table bit was always a little bit of a clusterfuck (really not enough waiting room for everyone, and staff didn’t always know where they were taking us), we never had any problems getting a table for two when we wanted it, and the dining experience itself was always very good. (We ended up with the same waiter several times, Amri, who was amazing and attentive and remembered our drink preferences and even my steak preference, and I think he made the MDR experience that much better.) I was always impressed with the food options and the food that came out to us. 

 

— I avoided the Lido market for the most part, eating there only when there wasn’t time for a meal in the MDR. Nothing I got was ever bad, but it was chaotic most of the time, which is not how I want to spend my vacation. Staff didn’t always understand the menus or what people were asking for. (I had one hilarious Caesar salad that had hard boiled eggs on it.) But I think that’s what you have to expect with the Lido market.

 

— I didn’t do too much on the entertainment side of the ship, but what I did was kind of underwhelming. I enjoyed trivia and bingo, and what I heard from BB King and Rolling Stone sounded good. I did not care for the performers at Billboard on Board. I found it actually kind of painful to listen to. I didn’t get a chance to attend, but I heard excellent things about the comedian on board, and I’m sorry I missed his shows.

 

— I have no direct experience to recount for this, but my teenage nephew adored the teen club activities. This normally fairly introverted video-games-only kid attended *every single* teen event they held and really enjoyed his time at those activities with the other teens on board. 

 

Overall, I loved the cruise. I thought the crew and staff were almost always very accommodating and polite, sometimes even downright kind, though I did feel at times they were understaffed in some areas. 95% of the food ranged from very good to amazing. Everything was clean and modern. The beds were comfortable. I’ve never experienced such an easy time at ports getting on and off the ship. I miss the smaller ships, with fewer passengers and a higher staff-to-passenger ratio (and Lincoln Center Stage, RIP), but I wasn’t nearly as overwhelmed by the size or number of passengers on the Koningsdam as I expected to be.

 

 

[vino100]

On 6/10/2023 at 7:02 PM, canadianbear said:

@vino100

Excellent review.  We have been on the Koningsdam a lot in the past and enjoy the ship.  
 

So happy you could have the Pinnacle suite so your whole family could enjoy visiting you there.

We have never stayed in one but have been in several as guests.  
 

Sounds like you made more wonderful memories for all.  You sound like a very happy family.  Thanks again for your review, enjoyed the read. 

Thanks, we are a happy family and are cherishing the memories . 

[vino100]

12 hours ago, SJSULIBRARIAN said:

Thank you for a very good review. So nice that your family enjoyed the ship and had such a great time!

Thanks for the kind words. We are having cruise withdrawals this week. Lol

[vino100]

7 hours ago, erdufylla said:

I was on this cruise, as well, and while we were just in a standard veranda room and not anything as fancy as a Pinnacle suite (which sounds amazing!), it sounds like our experiences were pretty similar for most of the ship. FWIW, here’s my take on the cruise:

 

— I’d agree that overall, bar service was somewhat lacking in what I’d come to expect from HAL. The drinks were good, and some bars were better than others, but I got the impression that they were vastly understaffed, especially in some areas, and that a lot of the staff was on the newer side. No one was ever rude, but there was a lot of waiting to be served (both initially, and for the ordered drink to arrive), especially in the music venues and at the Lido pool. There also wasn’t a lot of knowledge about specific drinks that weren’t on that specific bar’s menu. I’m not a big drinker, and I tend to find one or two drinks I like and stick with it, and I had difficulty ordering them at some bars, because they had no idea what I was asking for, even though it was a drink offered on another bar’s menu. It didn’t bother me, but it was something I noticed.

 

— I ate primarily in the MDR. Breakfasts and lunches were often slow, but the waitstaff was usually very good, and the food was always hot and delicious, even if it did take a while. We had open seating dining, and while I agree, the getting-to-the-table bit was always a little bit of a clusterfuck (really not enough waiting room for everyone, and staff didn’t always know where they were taking us), we never had any problems getting a table for two when we wanted it, and the dining experience itself was always very good. (We ended up with the same waiter several times, Amri, who was amazing and attentive and remembered our drink preferences and even my steak preference, and I think he made the MDR experience that much better.) I was always impressed with the food options and the food that came out to us. 

 

— I avoided the Lido market for the most part, eating there only when there wasn’t time for a meal in the MDR. Nothing I got was ever bad, but it was chaotic most of the time, which is not how I want to spend my vacation. Staff didn’t always understand the menus or what people were asking for. (I had one hilarious Caesar salad that had hard boiled eggs on it.) But I think that’s what you have to expect with the Lido market.

 

— I didn’t do too much on the entertainment side of the ship, but what I did was kind of underwhelming. I enjoyed trivia and bingo, and what I heard from BB King and Rolling Stone sounded good. I did not care for the performers at Billboard on Board. I found it actually kind of painful to listen to. I didn’t get a chance to attend, but I heard excellent things about the comedian on board, and I’m sorry I missed his shows.

 

— I have no direct experience to recount for this, but my teenage nephew adored the teen club activities. This normally fairly introverted video-games-only kid attended *every single* teen event they held and really enjoyed his time at those activities with the other teens on board. 

 

Overall, I loved the cruise. I thought the crew and staff were almost always very accommodating and polite, sometimes even downright kind, though I did feel at times they were understaffed in some areas. 95% of the food ranged from very good to amazing. Everything was clean and modern. The beds were comfortable. I’ve never experienced such an easy time at ports getting on and off the ship. I miss the smaller ships, with fewer passengers and a higher staff-to-passenger ratio (and Lincoln Center Stage, RIP), but I wasn’t nearly as overwhelmed by the size or number of passengers on the Koningsdam as I expected to be.

 

 

Thanks for your review. Sounds like we had a similar experience. 
Alaska from anywhere on the ship is the main attraction. So beautiful. 

[Alfisti]

We were on this same voyage and agree Club Orange is well worth it, we add it to any trip to have the separate restaurant.  The servers were all great but I agree that Dani really stood out and made sure everyone was taken care of.  We were impressed that the entire CO team could handle a large group (which now come to realize was your family) with what seemed like no impact to evening service at all 👍

 

 

[leerathje]

Charm!  She was our wine steward in the MDR on the Oosterdam in March of 2020 (back when they had wine stewards) ....2nd to last Mexico cruise prior to COVID.  I wondered what happened to her...and you are right!  She is very "Charm"ing!

 

L.

 

[Haljo1935]

So glad ypu enjoyed your cruise and suite - thanks for sharing! We were on the Koningsdam last Nov/Dec and several years ago. Had the same captain both times. We saw him one evening near the future cruise desk, so we were able to ask a few questions  - uninterrupted one-on-one time with ships captain is pretty special 🤭 he was very nice and seemed to genuinely appreciate our gratitude for his great crew.

We'll be on Koningsdam again this Dec - hoping for another great experience. 

[decrepit old man]

On 6/11/2023 at 11:31 AM, adoris said:

For me, Betty Ann added nothing special or exciting to my cruise experience.  I wouldn’t miss her at all if she wasn’t there.  But then again, maybe she does a lot ‘behind the scenes’ that we don’t know about.

I attended one of her EXC talks and it was very well presented. Maybe she should do that full time