Mexico, Solar Eclipse, Circle Hawaii Cruise

Our trip was a 23 day cruise filled with beautiful scenery, relaxation, great food, entertainment, and a total solar eclipse! We set sail from San Diego and on an unforgettable cruise to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan Mexico, witnessed a complete solar eclipse while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, then proceeded to Kailau-Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii, then on to Nawiliwili on Kauai, followed by 2 days in Honolulu on Oahu and back to Hilo on the Big Island then 5 long sea days brought us into beautiful Victoria Canada on Vancouver Island and our final stop was Vancouver.

Dining

The food on the Koningsdam was mostly very good. Some of it was downright delicious! We never went hungry. The Koningsdam has a buffet style with made-to-order areas in an area called Lido Market on Deck 9 Between 2 different swimming areas. Breadboard, Wild Harvest, Homestead, Distant Lands and Sweet Spot were areas you could choose your food from and included things like stir fry, meat of all kinds, salads, fresh breads, comfort foods and sweet treats. The food was plentiful and most of the time we did not have a problem getting food or finding a table to eat at. We found that we ate most of our meals in the Lido Market due to the relaxed dress code and ability to get our meals faster than in the main dining room.

The dining room is a beautiful two-story open area that is a bit more formal in their dress codes, but expect a much longer dining time. Also, probably a good idea to have reservations or you could be in for a bit of a wait to be seated. Food was excellent in the main dining area. You are able to order as many items as you would like and it is all included in your cruise fair. You begin with starters, then main courses and desserts. We only at a few meals in the dining room, but found them to be quite tasty.

Afternoon Tea was offered on most, if not all days. We went twice and enjoyed meeting new people an trying different teas, finger sandwiches, and desserts. The dress was relaxed but we were served by waiters in the main dining room. There is no additional cost for the afternoon teas.

If you wanted to step up your dining experience there were several dining options that were available for an additional fee including Pinnacle Grill, Tamarind, Canaletto, and Rudi’s Sel de Mer. We did not try any of these restaurants, but heard many good things about them from other cruise passengers.

Make sure to join the Mariner Society before cruising. If you do, you will be invited to a wonderful lunch. We were served Champagne, and a full meal that was probably the best meal we had on our cruise. If you join this loyalty program you should receive an invitation to this special lunch.

The Grand Dutch Cafe on Deck 3 is a fun place to grab a bite. They have many options that are included in the cruise fair and some that are for an additional charge. The Dining area is very nicely decorated in Dutch Blue and food is served on Blue and White dishes. It is fairly busy so getting a seat may be a bit challenging. The Dutch food was very tasty, but portion sizes are small.

Gelato was also available on the Lido Deck for an additional fee. We never purchased this because there was free ice cream in the Lido Cafe.

Lido Deck (Deck 9)

The Lido Deck was wonderful. Plenty of lounge chairs and towels were always available. The hot tubs could be much improved. The had 3 hot tubs all clustered together in one are. 2 of them could “hold 4 people” but the water would slosh everywhere when people got in and the 2 small tubs were not very warm. The larger hot tub was mostly warm enough, although I prefer it a bit warmer. The pool has a wonderful feature that allows the roof to open on warm days to allow for sun-bathing and it can close on days when the weather is poor. The colors, layout and design of the pool area was very inviting. The lounge beds were facing the ocean so we could relax and enjoy the calming effect of the ocean while reading or napping. There was also a huge screen in the pool area for watching movies with popcorn several nights a week. We mostly enjoyed this, but found that it was hard to hear the sound.

Entertainment

Entertainment on the Koningsdam was actually quite enjoyable. They had music, dancing, comedy, magic, art, education and much more in the World Theater. Holland America brought professor Adam Burgasser, a professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at UC San Diego, on board to give several educational talks about the Eclipse and many other topics relate to Astronomy. His lectures were over-flowing every time. His lectures were fun, entertaining and very educational. Great choice by Holland America!

Fitness Center

The Fitness Center was excellent. It included a wide range of cardio machines, weight machines and free weights and overlooked the ocean; which added to the overall enjoyment.

Cabins

Interior Cabin – We thoroughly enjoyed our interior cabin. While not huge, it was very well designed. We had exactly the right amount of storage and outlets. The bathroom was well designed and efficient with amazing water pressure in the shower. The only problem we had with our cabin was when other passengers left their rooms the doors would slam. There was very little any of them could do about this because of the way the doors are designed. If you were sitting propped up in bed and someone next door left the room you would hear it and feel it. The only other bad thing was that we were on deck one which was right below B.B. King’s. We could hear some of the music above us. Most of the time they did not play very late and with ear plugs we were able to sleep. We didn’t notice much movement of the ship on this deck. We also didn’t mind the darkness of the room. When lights were on it was very well lit. We could easily sleep in if we wanted to or take an afternoon nap. I would definitely book an interior cabin again unless the price for an upgrade was just a bit more expensive. We found that an interior cabin made us get out of the cabin and be more social.