Koningsdam Alaska 2023 Likes/Dislikes

[mafig]

Never mind, it's probably because they Contreau instead of triple sec.  

 

But they then must use triple sec in their Margherita because that's covered.

[disneyochem]

2 hours ago, mafig said:

I am trying to figure out why a Cosmo is not covered by the package and other drinks with similar ingredients are.

A Cosmo is Vodka, Triple Sec, Cranberry Juice and Lime Juice.  All of which are in other drinks that are covered.  🤨

 

Just curious.

I didn’t get an answer to that question while on board!  I tried to order a Cosmo at other bars and was told each time it wasn’t covered by the HIA basic package….

 

I think you’re correct about the use of Cointreau in a Cosmo as opposed to triple sec.

[mafig]

1 hour ago, disneyochem said:

I didn’t get an answer to that question while on board!  I tried to order a Cosmo at other bars and was told each time it wasn’t covered by the HIA basic package….

 

I think you’re correct about the use of Cointreau in a Cosmo as opposed to triple sec.

But then Cointreau is on the allowed liqueur list.  

[robotpony]

On 8/16/2023 at 9:05 AM, MonikaJ42 said:

I watched another youtube video (have to stop doing that!) from a couple that just recently got off the ship and in a nutshell, they did not have good things to say.

 

We did 18 days on the Koningsdam this year, and 7 days last year, and the overall experiences were wonderful. We did observe a number of people who were frustrated for various reasons, mostly based on missed expectations, and (to a degree) some inflexibility. Cruises can be stressful for people, and mismatched expectations are frustrating. My suggestion is that if you're flexible, you will probably have a great time.

 

On our 18 day cruise in April, we did see some items out of stock; a few high end liquors ran out before the mid-way restock, but there was a wide selection of alternatives (e.g., Hendricks ran out, but they had a fantastic Dutch Gin that was better). There were a few food items that dwindled near the end of the cruise, and a few items that weren't available at the ports. There were many other food options to chose from, and there was always an excess of good food.

 

We experienced great service all around, but again saw some people frustrated when drink orders took longer, or when there were lines for the MDR or other services. When we vacation, we see long lines at the MDR and either wait (like any restaurant around here), or we change our plans. We found that dining a bit later solved the wait issue generally, and that was fine by us. If you've ever visited Disneyland or Disney World, waiting is not a sign of bad service, but a busy venue (we always joke about waiting being part of the experience because of Disney).

 

We have had so much fun on our Holland America cruises that we have 4 more booked now. They're relaxing, the itineraries are interesting, the people and service are great, the food is plentiful and delicious, the entertainment is a good fit for our tastes, and the price-for-value is above average for what we need. They're not perfect, but compared to the other types of vacations they're more relaxing and less costly ... and you get to sleep on a ship!

[visagrunt]

22 hours ago, Fairgarth said:

 

We sailed on her in early June.  The beer list in the bars was almost entirely 'out of stock'.  However, they did have lots of craft Alaskan from Juneau which were not listed.  Which was fine, much enjoyed.  However, again, there are lots of craft beers in the Vancouver area but none on board.  Why not?  Price?  Taxes?  Buy American?  

Volume. 

Alaskan Brewing is double the size of the largest Vancouver craft brewery by sales volume ($21M USD vs. $14M CAD) which, given pricing, means their production volume is even larger still.  And this is in a market that is a quarter the size of the Lower Mainland.  Even a relative giant like Granville Island Brewery can't supply all of HAL's ships sailing from Vancouver, let alone all the HAL ships in Alaska.

[oakridger]

8 hours ago, mafig said:

But then Cointreau is on the allowed liqueur list.

 

As a former bartender, the Cosmo has both vodka and Cointreau so if made correctly, the total booze is more than just a shot of either one.  Just speculating on HALs reasoning.............

 

(From Delish Recipes)

 

Two Servings:

 

Ingredients

• 4 oz. 

  citrus vodka

• 2 oz. 

  Cointreau

• 2 oz. 

  cranberry juice

• Juice of 1/2 lime

• Ice

• Lime wedge, for garnish

• Cranberries, for garnish

 

Hmmm, I have the ingredients for this at home so I might have to have one this evening!!

🙂

Oops, some thread drift here.  Sorry!!

Edited August 19, 2023 by oakridger

[GatorMomInNC]

On 8/16/2023 at 12:31 PM, disneyochem said:

 

 

I only had one beef with the HIA package.  I ordered a Cosmo at the Sea View Bar on the first day.  Bartender told me it was not covered by my package—cost $1 more.  So I paid the $1.18 for my Cosmo.  I was on the Westerdam in July and the drink was covered by the HIA package.  Guest Services told me the new price went into effect August 1.  What irked me was that my Lemon Drops were covered but not cosmos! 
 

 

Okay, thanks for this- now I am officially getting a lemon drop in 2 weeks when I am on HAL.  I haven't had one in a while, perfect drink for a cruise!

On 8/16/2023 at 9:50 PM, terrydtx said:

In my last 3 HAL cruises I think the closest I got to 15 was 12, when it was hot, and we drank a lot of can water and a couple espressos. If I drank 15 martinis in one day I might fall overboard.

Yes, even ordering coffees and bottled club soda I didn't hit the 15 on my last cruise and I took it as a challenge to try!

[Fairgarth]

15 hours ago, visagrunt said:

Volume. 
 

 

Aha!  Volume.  I didn't think of that, thank you.

[highscar]

Can anyone on the Koninsdam please tell me if you can order Smirnoff vodka for the cabin with out the tonic. I will have the coke package   It is not listed next year as it was earlier this year. Thank you in advance.   
 

 

[oakridger]

10 hours ago, highscar said:

Can anyone on the Koninsdam please tell me if you can order Smirnoff vodka for the cabin with out the tonic. I will have the coke package   It is not listed next year as it was earlier this year. Thank you in advance.   
 

 

 

Can bottles be ordered from room service once onboard?  That may be an option.

 

~Nancy

[highscar]

It has been available for years along with a long list of choices. Very little listed for January ‘24.  Prices gone from $40.00 2 years ago, $70.00 this year.  ?????

 

 

[ScoutDiver]

My brother and I got off of the  Koningsdam on August 12.   
The cruise was great.   We were in a Neptune suite and had to wait for CO for maybe 10 minutes one time. 

 

The Lido was ok.  I enjoyed the salads.   The drink service could be hit and miss.   One time. My brother got some brisket, but when he got to the table, he noticed that it was almost all fat.  

 

As far as the the Lido, do not count on getting orange juice with breakfast unless you are willing to get up and ask for it.   Likewise ordering soda, etc can be a challenge.

 

 We ate breakfast there one morning, and I was served a scorched omelette.  

 

We have booked a 2 week cruise on the Nieuw Statendam next year and will avoid the Lido when we can.

 

Edited August 22, 2023 by ScoutDiver

[rj59]

I had weird shortages on K-dam last Dec in Mexico. None of the Dutch beers were available in the cafe. None of the Coke freestyle machines were working. Worst--no ship tiles! I found I prefer the older ships--wraparound promenades, more buffet seating with chairs that don't weigh 200 lbs with torn covering. The only thing I really loved about it were the spacious showers, with actual glass doors. The theater is nice, but deafening, and just makes me sad they don't have any production shows, as they once did. Bigger ship also meant more stressful embarkation, dining, and buffet experiences. I'm going on them again in October on the coastal to SD, though, and they have some Mexico trips in 2025 that visit LaPaz and Loreto, so I'll try to have a better experience--I better get a tile, though :).

[Toofarfromthesea]

2 hours ago, rj59 said:

I had weird shortages on K-dam last Dec in Mexico. None of the Dutch beers were available in the cafe. None of the Coke freestyle machines were working. Worst--no ship tiles! I found I prefer the older ships--wraparound promenades, more buffet seating with chairs that don't weigh 200 lbs with torn covering. The only thing I really loved about it were the spacious showers, with actual glass doors. The theater is nice, but deafening, and just makes me sad they don't have any production shows, as they once did. Bigger ship also meant more stressful embarkation, dining, and buffet experiences. I'm going on them again in October on the coastal to SD, though, and they have some Mexico trips in 2025 that visit LaPaz and Loreto, so I'll try to have a better experience--I better get a tile, though :).

 

OK, newby here, what is a ship tile?

[QuattroRomeo]

A gift that HAL gives made of the Dutch Delft porcelain that illustrates the ship you are on. 

 

[Cruise Suzy]

9 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

OK, newby here, what is a ship tile?

 

The tile is given to 1-star Mariners and above. If this is your first HAL cruise you will not get one as you don't attain 1-stat status until after the cruise. However, if you have taken a cruise on another Carnival Line ship (Princess, Cunard, Carnival), let HAL know. You will be given 1-star status but with 0 sailing days - and receive the tile.

Edited August 24, 2023 by Cruise Suzy

[Toofarfromthesea]

6 hours ago, Cruise Suzy said:

 

The tile is given to 1-star Mariners and above. If this is your first HAL cruise you will not get one as you don't attain 1-stat status until after the cruise. However, if you have taken a cruise on another Carnival Line ship (Princess, Cunard, Carnival), let HAL know. You will be given 1-star status but with 0 sailing days - and receive the tile.

 

Actually it will be my second, so I guess I will get one.

[Haljo1935]

7 hours ago, Toofarfromthesea said:

 

Actually it will be my second, so I guess I will get one.

You may get the special 150 anniversary edition. 

[Cheadle_Chick]

On 8/16/2023 at 7:50 PM, terrydtx said:

In my last 3 HAL cruises I think the closest I got to 15 was 12, when it was hot, and we drank a lot of can water and a couple espressos. If I drank 15 martinis in one day I might fall overboard.

 

My thoughts exactly! Especially for an Alaska cruise. We had a drink package when we did an E. Carribean cruise in 2014 and even trying pretty hard, it was HARD to drink 15 drinks in a day. Especially port days. 

[Buffett1998]

Dislike that I got off Koningdam on August 24th from Alaska Inland Passage feeling horrible and next day tested Positive for Covid