CRUISING aboard Holland America's Koningsdam: Overview

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Pat and I boarded the Koningsdam at the port of Amsterdam after spending 5 nights at the Movenick Hotel, conveniently located less than 100 meters from where we dropped our bags off for the cruise. Boarding at 12:30pm we admired the decor and beauty of the new addition to Holland America's fleet of ships. After dropping off our carry-on luggage we proceeded to the main dining room for lunch. The decor and layout reminded me of the beautiful dining rooms on the Celebrity Solstice Class of ship. It even had a glass wine tower at the back! We both ordered the salmon filet, cooked to order and very tasty.

After lunch we proceeded to take at our of the ship starting on deck 12 at the Explorations Cafe located next to the Crow's Nest observation lounge. The library and reading area is located here. Fortunately we were forewarned that the library was very small and consisted of some magazines, travel and reference books. We both brought reading devices. The seating at this observation lounge is not large enough to handle the number of passengers wanting to use it during prime viewing times, such as entering or leaving port. It didn't seem any larger than those on smaller Holland American ships with less passengers.

The Sea View Pool is located in a sheltered area in the aft area of the ship. It also has two large jacuzzis. The Lido Pool is a two stories in the ship's center, and has cushioned loungers and semi-private sofa and chaise lounges on the upper level.

The verandah staterooms are very spacious with plenty of closet and drawer space. The bathroom has a larger shower stall than most comparable ships. The toilet sits at an angle and if you are tall you have to sit at an angle to avoid hitting the shower door with your knees. The Signature and Neptune Suites are very spacious. The crew on the ship were very friendly and efficient. They all seemed to be enjoying their jobs and proud of their new ship.

There is a large selection of music and food venues which I will cover in more detail in subsequent posts. Music lovers will love the Music Walk which is being added to other Holland America ships.

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Photos

Koningsdam
taken from our hotel room in Amsterdam

Sea View Pool
on the stern

Amsterdam Cruise Terminal
The Mövenpick Hotel is right next door