This is a review of a recent trip on the Holland America Line (HAL) ship Koningsdam. We sailed from Port Everglades and visited the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao) also Amber Cove, Grand Turk and Half Moon Cay.
Embarkation
Very smooth and efficient.
Cabin
We initially booked an inside cabin, but the offer of an irresistible upgrade took us to a verandah cabin overlooking the stern on deck 6.
The cabin was compact, and we needed to co-ordinate our movements to avoid collisions. We noticed that the finish on some of the cupboards was poor – one wardrobe door was a poor fit.
The bathroom was larger than the one attached to our cabin on the sister ship, but the shower lacked the useful wooden platform we found on the Nieuw Statendam. TIP: because the shower stall does not always drain well, at times the floor tiles can become quite slippery.
We noticed a musty smell in shower stall, probably caused by the high glass door and poor ventilation. We did not find a successful way of keeping the shower door open to improve the ventilation.
During the bumpy crossing from Amber Cove to Gran Turk, we discovered water gurgling up from the shower drain into the stall.
Our cabin stewards Osman and Adi were always happy, cheerful and polite - excellent.
Plenty of helpful people to guide you to the ship.
Kralendik is an interesting little town with a colourful main street and interesting architecture. However, with two cruise ships in port the streets seemed overwhelmed with passengers, and traffic was almost gridlocked.
Like Willemstad Curacao, this town is becoming hugely overdeveloped (in our opinion) and really nothing more than a shopping port now. Again, with 2 ships in port the town is severely crowded.
Owned by Carnival this resort is really just another shopping port. TIP: the seas are difficult here and winds caused noticeable swells. Entry into this scenic harbour was interesting as there is very little sea room and shallow areas border either side of the channel – we actually entered port stern first! It was worth getting up early to watch the gentle manoeuvering of this huge vessel. TIP: loungers and umbrellas at the pool are free (but nobody told us in advance).
There were two huge ships in port the day we visited. There is a long beach with abundant space for all visitors, where loungers, clamshells, and umbrellas are free (but nobody told us in advance here either!).
Carnival’s private island. We tendered ashore using port tenders (not ship’s lifeboats). The beach is fine, so are the facilities. Walking is good, and there are plenty of activities for those who feel energetic.
Becoming hugely overdeveloped (in our opinion) and really nothing more than a shopping port now. Again, with 2 ships in port the town is severely crowded.