Join us for a tour around the exquisite Holland America Koningsdam cruise ship…
Earlier this year Holland America launched the eagerly anticipated Koningsdam, their newest 5* cruise ship. The Koningsdam is Holland America’s leader in their Pinnacle class of ships and for obvious reasons too with its impressive choice of activities, restaurants and leisure options on board.
We were recently invited by Holland America to visit the Koningsdam in Amsterdam, and of course we jumped at the chance to view this much talked about ship for ourselves. Below we’ve highlighted some of our favourite venues on the ship…
Blend by Chateau Michelle is a completely unique on board experience that enables you to blend your own wine which you can then enjoy at dinner or in the peaceful privacy of your own luxurious stateroom. Chateau Michelle is Washington State’s oldest and most acclaimed winery – so who better to take you through the process of wine tasting and blending? Alternatively, guests with a passion for cooking will appreciate the Culinary Arts Centre on board where you can watch demonstrations and attend hands-on classes with the state of the art cooking stations.
The Koningsdam is filled with amazing eateries including Sel de Mer, an intimate seafood brasserie which serves up favourite dishes from seafood chowder to scallops and bouillabaisse. Wherever possible the chefs will even go ashore whilst the ship is in port to get the freshest possible ingredients.
The Tamarind restaurant is another speciality restaurant not to be missed. Serving up exotic dishes inspired by Southeast Asia, China and Japan the restaurant has an amazing ambience decorated with rich purple and golden tones along with dark wooden accents.
Of course the main dining room is at the heart of the culinary experience on the Koningsdam. Here you’ll discover a decadent choice of dishes each evening whilst appreciating the sophisticated and glamorous decor.
For light bites there are some equally amazing places to dine on the ship including the Grand Dutch Cafe where guests can enjoy a fine pale lager with a tasty Danish snack or instead head to the Explorations Cafe which is powered by the New York Times and features a daily crossword puzzle, speciality coffees and freshly baked muffins.
For entertainment and activities on board, you’ll find an amazing choice to keep you as busy or relaxed as you like. The Greenhouse Spa and Salon offers treatments to soothe body and mind and leave you feeling wonderfully pampered. At the other end of the spectrum, there’s the fitness centre which has the latest cardio and weight machines along with classes for yoga, pilates and more.
Come evening there’s an incredible choice of entertainment with live music and shows available in the elegant Queen’s Lounge and the World Stage which features 270 LED screens which surround the audience to create a fully immersive theatre experience.
As with every ship we visit, we always have a few favourite features, so here’s our top 5 for the Koningsdam…
1. The fitness machines which turn exercising into a game by allowing you to race against other cruisers or against the machine itself.
2. The Retreat cabanas which you can hire for $40 per port day or $70 per sea day. You’ll enjoy Butler service, complimentary Evian Water and facial mists, fans and even free bubbly too!
3. Notes the dedicated whiskey bar on the Koningsdam offers 130 different labels to choose from!
4. The Koningsdam has the best art we’ve ever seen on a ship and it manages to blend an incredible variety of different styles without clashing with the changing decor and ambience around the ship.
5. The Beer Wall by the pool bar allows you to pour your own choice of beer, which means you can help yourself whenever you like. Some of the drinks packages even include this service making cooling off with your favourite beverage even easier.
If you’d like to see even more of our photos from the Koningsdam (including our favourite chair on a cruise ship ever plus some mouthwatering gelato) then take a look at our Facebook album. If you have a question about the ship, why not ask us in the comments below?
If you’re interested in cruising on the Koningsdam then you can view our Holland America Smart Packages on our website here.