Koningsdam is the first new Holland America Line ship in eight years. "Koning" means "king" in Dutch, and the ship is aptly named: It's the biggest, most technologically advanced and most luxurious Holland America Line ship ever built. Koningsdam heralds both a new class (Pinnacle) and a new era for HAL.
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The ship feels luxurious, with thick carpets, leather chairs and lots of expensive artwork adorning the walls and in the public spaces. The ship is music-themed throughout, and you'll spot prints, paintings and sculptures of pop stars, musicians and instruments almost everywhere you turn. You may also notice a few familiar design traits, if you have traveled with Celebrity (they share the same designer, Adam D. Tihany) -- not least in the stunning Dining Room, with a soaring wine tower as its centerpiece.
Koningsdam is aimed squarely at an "upper premium" clientele: discerning, wealthy and happy to pay for the things they enjoy in life, such as a good bottle of wine or a favorite whiskey. Cabins and public areas feel like a high-end hotel, the entertainment is slick and polished and the food is some of the finest we've tasted onboard a cruise ship.
The ship takes some of the best features from the rest of the fleet -- such as the Culinary Arts Center, music tie-ups, exclusive adults-only area and outstanding specialty restaurants -- and enhances them, by making them bigger, such as the double-deck lido, or adding more options, such as adding a dinner component to the Culinary Arts Center or creating Lincoln Center and Billboard Onboard music venues to join the B.B. King Blues Club.
But significantly, Koningsdam also sees the debut of a number of new features. These include a French-style brasserie; a double-deck, glass-roofed Lido Deck, where evening movies are screened; a huge theater with a giant surround screen; a partnership with a venerable Washington State winery; and the line's first family cabins and solo cabins, all of which fit seamlessly into the HAL brand.
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Somehow the designers have pulled off a remarkable feat, creating a ship that's different from the line's older vessels but still feels familiar to past passengers. With this mix, Holland America fans will certainly be pleased with the new ship, while a new generation of cruisers -- who expect more choice in dining, variety in entertainment and a modern look, feel and atmosphere -- have plenty of reasons to take a chance on Koningsdam.
Inclusions
Included with your cruise fare:
- Meals in the main dining room and Lido Market buffet, as well as at New York Pizza & Deli and Dive-in Burgers; also 24-hour room service
- Water, basic coffee, tea, and select juices in the Lido Marketplace buffet
- All theater shows, and musical performances at Billboard Onboard, B.B. King’s Blues Club and Lincoln Center Stage
- Hors d’oeuvres offered during cocktail hour
- Use of the fitness center and sports facilities, excluding most classes
- Most daily activities unless noted otherwise
- In-room fruit bowl, replenished daily
- Club HAL kids facility and programming for kids, ages 3 to 17
- In-room movies-on-demand
- Pinnacle Grill breakfast and Neptune Lounge access for passengers staying in Neptune Suites only
Not included with your cruise fare:
- Crew gratuities ($14.50 per person, per day for guests in standard staterooms and $16 per person, per day for suite guests)
- Specialty dining in Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto, Rudi’s Sel de Mer and the Grand Dutch Cafe
- Beverages outside of water, tea, coffee and select juices in the Lido Marketplace
- Auto-gratuities of 15 percent on beverage purchases and 18 percent for Greenhouse Spa services
- Spa and salon treatments and services
- Most fitness classes
- Use of the Thermal Suite at the Greenhouse Spa
- Shore excursions
- Wi-Fi
- Activities such as bingo, beer and spirits tasting events, and wine events in Blend
- Photos and art gallery purchases
Fellow Passengers
Your typical passenger on Koningsdam will vary depending on where the ship is based. When it sails from Amsterdam, passengers will skew toward European, but with Americans and Australians making up a sizable chunk. When the ship is based in Fort Lauderdale, expect the majority of passengers to be North American.
Holland America has a reputation for attracting more mature passengers (65-plus), who are well traveled and well off, but the average age drops during European and U.S. vacation periods. Families are expected to make a strong showing on Koningsdam. During the summer, expect as many as 300 kids onboard of varying ages -- which is a sizable chunk for HAL ships.
Announcements are in English and Dutch.
Holland America Koningsdam Dress Code
Daytime: The dress is resort casual during the day.
Evening: Holland America passengers like to dress up, certainly on formal nights, and there are two of those per seven-night cruise. A tux and a long gown are not obligatory, but you certainly would not be out of place with them. A jacket and tie and a cocktail dress or nice pantsuit would be regarded as the minimum. Outside of these times, men are requested to wear shirts and slacks for dinner, and for women, a dress or an elegant skirt with blouse -- though this is not always enforced.
Not permitted: Swimsuits and other pool wear, men's tank tops, shorts and distressed jeans are not allowed in any of the restaurants during the evening hours.
For more information, visit Cruise Line Dress Codes: Holland America Line.
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