An introduction to the beautiful Holland America Koningsdam

Last Sunday I was very lucky to receive an invitation on board the brand new Holland America ship – Koningsdam. It was docked in Amsterdam for the night before heading off to the Baltics. My colleagues and i had opportunity to take a tour around Amsterdam for the day followed by a scenic dinner river cruise on the evening. I loved Amsterdam and found it so pretty and a very unique place to visit .

In all honesty my view and opinion of Holland America has always been very formal , dark woods and quite plain ships . Having never stepped on board their ships before though i was really looking forward to experiencing them first hand and seeing if this was true or not.

To my delight the Koningsdam couldn’t be any further from this if it tried. Classy , beautiful and sophisticated are the first things that sprang to mind and i was so impressed with the space and modern feel on board it was so different to what I had expected.

Its a mid sized ship at 90,000 tonnes and Holland America pride themselves on the fact that they are very itinerary and fine dining driven and if you are a foody then this is the ship for you.

They have the best buffet style restaurant i have ever seen and the choice and quality of food on offer is incredible.

From Sushi to Burgers to fresh sandwiches and a salad bar where they make up any dressing or sauce you desire.

I would be in my element in here and may get so carried away that i could possibly forget to do anything else but munch in here all day …….if your on a diet then this isn’t the ship for you.

They market the buffet as more of a food market and its so modern and fresh in here with small touches that make the world of difference like vases of fresh lilies on the tables and quirky furnishings to give it a real modern feel.

The ships decor reminded me of a modern Celebrity ship and so sophisticated.

It strikes me that if you have traveled with Cunard and Princess and would like to try luxury without the Regent or Seaborne prices then this would be the ship for you.

It would be perhaps suited more to an older market looking for a relaxing and modern ship where they can take the pace of the cruise in their own hands and take advantage of some of the beautiful places to unwinde like the big Kabana style beds round the pool or the Spa area with the waterfall curtain round the pool.

The lighting on board was really unusual and had some fantastic quirky pieces in the theater and restaurants.

My colleagues and I had lunch on board in the main restaurant and the food was delicious. I liked the space and layout in here and the tables weren’t on top of each other at all.

The ship also had the best hand washing facility ever !! I know this sounds a bit dorky but they were fantastic (i’m easily pleased !!)

They had two large holes in and once you placed your hands in it was like a mini car wash in your hands with jets of water. I’m not sure how well these would work at peak dining time though as they take a good 30 seconds or so to use.

My overall impression of the ship was really good and it had made me see Holland America in a different light. If you want some affordable luxury at 5* standard and want to indulge in some of the best food at sea then you should 100% try this ship for a holiday as you really will feel like you are getting the best quality at a standard of excellence.

Myself with a colleague , always working hard and wearing our t shirts adverting Cruise.Co.uk……..The best cruise agents in the UK !!