Imzdo1

Y’all are going to have a great time going through the PC.  We have done it twice, once on Eurodam and once on zuiderdam.  Make sure you get up early on canal day and order early coffee and breakfast for the balcony to get the whole effect of going under the bridge and entering the canal entrance.  We were in a deck 4 aft-wrap Neptune suite both times and it was amazing.  They also normally open the front deck, think deck 4/5.   Naturalist did an excellent overview of the whole amazing build and history.   And yup, that dam nightlight is a pain….just got back from a Nieuw Statendam Neptune and they did not have that light. Have a great time and marvel at what engineering humans were able to do over 100 years ago.  BTW, we got that “Cheesey” bag also but have a couple of the good ones from previous cruises that we use…..pillow chocolates and towel animals were also spotty, think we got 2 or 3 during our Feb 22 7-day cruise.

1 minute ago, Crew News said:

 

If you speak to Santosh, Hotel Director, tell him, "Roger says hello." 

 

Here is a link to my 11-day menus:  http://www.rogerjett-photography.com/specialty-2/on-locations-specific-cruises/caribbean-ms-konigsdam-11-day-when-where-daily-activities-2018

Roger, I did talk to him the last night of the last cruise and said “hi” from you.  And I already have your website bookmarked.  Thanks for sharing all your info and insights.  

Just booked Koningsdam 11-night Christmas/New year departing FLL on 22Dec2019.  Had such a good time on the 2018 Christmas cruise on Koningsdam, thought why not do it again.  Had the aftwrap Neptune on deck 4 (4185) and am moving across the hall to 4211 for this one....no bigger balcony on the seas.   Maybe the officer contingent will be  a little more personable this time around, but that didn’t really bother us that much....our stewards were great and we found the rest of ship staff to be friendly and accommodating.  

On 12/25/2018 at 12:37 PM, slidergirl said:

 

Hello.  DYKWIA... 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

Yup. Wait till I happens to you. I always say  Please and Thank You, treat people well and tip appropriately.  Just asking and expecting what I paid a lot of money for.  😏😏😏😏

15 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

Good to hear things are better.  Feel free to use this thread to keep us updated one your impressions of your cruise.

7 hours ago, Despegue said:

Thanks Crew News!

 

It seems from looking at the new menus, that the Lido Lunch has actually LESS choices than before, with especially the Distant Lands Asia lacking in choice... I do not see sushi mentioned anymore, and gone are the great Country  themed Asian lunches, soups. Now only 2 choices of warm dishes 😠, no more soup,...and this for the most popular station of the Lido Market...have they gone mad in Seattle?! 

 

I did see Country-themed Asian Station for Lido Dinner though, most probably done to entice guests to eat at the Lido iso. MDR. (Cost cutting)

 

MDR choices are actually LESS than we had on our recent Asian Westerdam cruise, where the Regionally Inspired dishes were seperate from the other choices, in ADDITION.

I also notice more comfort , read cheap diner, food on these menus. And this while HAL has significantly increased the fares over the last 2 years. Again, what are they thinking at HAL?!

 

We are introducing HAL and Koningsdam to my parents in a few months, and they are Celebrity devotees. We hoped to convince them to choose HAL from now on for their future travel, but if the menus are like this, they will NOT be happy campers.

 

Santoush says hi.  Helen says hi. San Juan today and then St Thomas tomorrow. Life is hard on the ship. 

4 hours ago, Crew News said:

 

Not to excuse the cold breakfast but it is a long way from the kitchen to the Deck 7 Neptune Suites and who knows how many stops were made until your room.  Room Service on a Sea Day is swamped. 

 

FWIW there is a single cook for all of Room Service (check it out if they do a kitchen tour) but there is a supervisor who oversees the tray assembly and the logistics to get it to your room.  Ask your Room Steward for a Comment Card, write your comment, and drop it off at the Front Deak.

 

Hot food from Room Service is the norm for those in the aft staterooms as it is a short elevator ride up.  If you are in one of the aft Neptune Suites, cold food is unforgiveable.

 

If Weiner Schnitzel is on the MDR menu, it is delicious but needs some mushroom gravy to make it as good as any I had during my years in Germany (never hurts to ask).

 

If you get a chance to stop by the Exporations Cafe, tell Paula that Roger says "hello".  I stopped there every night for a chocolate ship cookie and two Diet Cokes for the movie.

 

FWIW I gained one pound during my 11-day cruise with all of the walking from the aft to the Crows Nest.

 

How was the tree lighting ceremony?

 

Enjoy all that the ship has to offer. 

Having a good time in spite of a rocky start.  Beautiful ship, loving our deck 4 aft wrap suite. Going for a latte tomorrow...will say Hi.  BTW, Neptune’s do have the night light. 

On 12/21/2018 at 10:01 PM, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Waiting for required stores that were delayed getting delivered by road and did not arrive on the dock until 1930. She's got a sea day tomorrow so that delay can be made up 

They could have made an announcement.  As opposed to keeping us all in the dark. It’s called customer service.   9am in room breakfast arrived at 10am.....cold.  That was after I called. I’m in a Neptune suite for christ sake. Response:   We’ll try to do better.   

Suppose to leave between 4 and 5....,7:35 and still tied up at dock.  No announcement or any info as to when we will depart for our Christmas cruise on Koni gsdam.  Boy was Roger right about management. 

Thanks for all the updates throughout your cruise.  We’re at the Hard Rock on the top floor and saw you coming in this AM.  Just about ready to leave for the port for our Christmas cruise on “K”.  Have a safe trip back to ABQ.  

44 minutes ago, Crew News said:

 

I am a military tumbleweed drafted in Indianapolis, Indiana and finally deposited 24 years later in Albuquerque New Mexico with interim stops in Germany, Greece, Turkey, Korea, and eastern USA.

Me too.  Army brat, Retired military, retired civil service, 45 years all over the world settled in Dayton, Ohio area.  Maybe we will run into each other on HAL someday.

Roger,  are y’all from Albuquerque originally?  I graduated from Highland in ‘64 and went to ENMU till I got drafted.  Again thanks for the updates and enjoy your cruise.  

Lisa. Thanks for the pics of st Martin.  So happy that the Chocolate Box has reopened, we love that place and always spend way too much.  It used to be down the alley where the pic of the old car was.  

Thanks Roger for all the updates on Koningsdam.  We will be boarding for the Christmas cruise in the Deck 4 aft-wrap starboard.   I'll be interested in your impressions of how St Martin/Maarten and the rest of the islands are recovering from Irma/Maria.  We are looking forward to hearing more from you during the rest of your cruise.

We had a 4th deck aft corner on the Zuiderdam for the Panama canal cruise. It was magnificent. I can't imagine moving from that balcony during the locks. The view was too amazing.

We didn't move from the balcony except to refill our Sangria glasses.;p It was an amazing day.

At the next port after the canal, you will see the crew with their 20-foot paint rollers repairing the finish on the hull. One white Princess ship had a small army of painters touching up the scrapes from "riding the rails" of the canal.

 

Love the aft staterooms for the Panama Canal.

:)We will be getting on Koningsdam the day you get off. We are in SB4184 (aft corner) for the Christmas cruise. We enjoyed our SB4180 on Zuiderdam through the Panama Canal back in Feb18. Don't know that we will be able to go back to regular Neptune Suites. :D

Thank You :):):), I had seen those pictures and was really wondering if they had replaced the metal arm chairs with more comfortable chairs that seem to exist in all other Neptune Suites.

Anyone out there have pictures of Neptune Suite 4184 on Koningsdam during a 2018 cruise? We are booking in there for the 2018 Christmas cruise and were wondering what the furniture layout and types are currently. We were in an aft suite on Zuiderdam in Feburary and were very satisfied with the layout even though it is somewhat smaller cabin than normal SB's....but loved the balcony so much it was never an issue. Thanks in advance if you can share.

We did the Panama Canal 11 day from FLL in 4180, the starboard side wraparound Neptune Suite. Suite is smaller than the normal NS and without a dressing area, but we enjoy the balcony so this was wonderful for us. Long hike to the Neptune Lounge but straight up to the Lido deck. We did not find that being at the stern was a determent. Going through the Canal locks we could literally reach out and touch the sides, say hello to the tug drivers since we were on the lower deck. Sofa is on the same wall as the TV so you have to sit in a chair or bed to watch it. We would do it again and will on Koningsdam in NS 4184 in December 2018.

We did Jewel at Christmas last year in a GS and Diego is great. We are going back on Jewel later this week in an OS and Diego has already welcomed us back by email. On Oasis in feb16 in 12330 and just hope we get half the service we got on Jewel.

RAZL, What was your opinion of the GS 12730 configuration on your recent OASIS cruise? We have 12330 in Feb16 and are really looking forward to sailing in this suite. Thanks.

I will be in 12730 in April and I can't wait. The suite looks great (Train Man has posted a video on YouTube) and the balcony awesome! I can see where it is smaller (less sq ft) from your pix vs the video. It is in the living room. It is not a wide. This is not going to affect me but I can see how some people will feel it is a lot smaller than a regular GS. The wall cuts down on the open feeling you get with all the space unrestricted. Plus part of the sq ft is the "foyer" as you come into the cabin. It would have been great for hubby and I, since he liked an afternoon nap while I would prefer to be on the balcony reading. Every time I came in to refill my glass it would wake him. With this suite that would not happen and we both would have been happier. ;)

Good Morning Razl, We look forward to you posting some pictures of 12330 after your April '15 cruise. We have that suite in Feb '16 and would very much like to get of sense of the cabin. We have cruised in a RCCL GS before a couple of time and have always enjoyed the extra space and "treatment". I have been a little concerned that the wall between the two rooms may not make this as appealing as the sqfting would indicate.....but the balcony is highly prized in our opinion. Thanks and have a great cruise.:cool:

Thanks for the pictures. We just book 12330 for Feb 2016. Looks like a comfortable retreat from a hard day of sailing.:)