Koningsdam / Nieuw Statendam questions

Hello all,

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

I might have more questions later.

Hello all,

 

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

 

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad? Was not a problem in a suite.

 

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts? Salad station was awesome. Food was standard HAL quality. Person who said avoid it is being over dramatic...at a minimum.

 

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food? This is true of all HAL ships, but KDam is a little more stylish. A little search of the board will find many threads on Canaletto food. We didn't eat there.

 

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is? Just a quick search away on the board.

 

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;pMore on the jerk side. Longer cruises have older demographics. HAL is courting families...more kids on shorter cruises, and during holiday periods.

 

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:There are things to do...perhaps not as many on other cruise lines. The entertainment on KDam is definitely several notches above other HAL ships.

 

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety? Not sure...think they are free.

 

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both... It is handled the same way as any other HAL ship. Traditional seating and Open seating. Open seating allows reservations for the first 3045 minues and the last hour, otherwise first come first serve.

 

I might have more questions later.

A little reading around the board will get you tons of info.

Hello all,

 

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

 

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

 

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

 

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

 

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

 

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

 

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

 

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

 

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

 

I might have more questions later.

I'll try to answer:

1. The toilet did not pose a problem for me at 6' 2".

2. I actually liked the mew layout of the Lido. Made it easier to get what I wanted.

3. I routinely book the Canelleto and we both enjoy it very much. The food is very good. Although on these two ships I would go to the Tamarind first!

4. You can find pricing on the specialty dinning if you go to manage your bookings.

5. Scooters are not usually an issue unless they back into you on the elevator. Never has been a problem.

6. There will be some entertainment going on at 10. But each cruise can be slightly different. When on a port intensive cruise we might be relaxing on our cabin with a drink from the bar.

7. The movie selection is fairly good and there are some syndicated shows as well. Live channels seem to have been cut a bit.

8. We typically skip the MDR in favor of the lido. The lido goes quicker for us so we can go do some other activities.

1. No. I am 6'2" 200 pounds. and it wasn't a big deal.

2. Lido is the Lido. Servers rather than everyone on board touching the food is an improvement in my opinion. That said I am not a fan of any of the buffets. Bets advice is go to the Dutch Cafe for lunch. You'll pay for drinks but the food is free and really good.

3.It is a glassed in section of the Lido deck. Food was just ok when we were there.

4. Think you can go on your reservation page and begin to book a time. That will show what the charges are. If you only want to do one up charge try the Tamarind. It is the best restaurant on board. Even their steak is better than what you'll get in the Pinnacle.

5. Demographics probably will depend on when and where you are going. Average age may be higher than other lines but I think I'd lean toward jerk.

6. BB King Blues club goes till 11:00 or midnight I believe. The dancer will probably love it.

7. Movie and tv show selections are on demand. Big improvement from the older ships.

8. You can request fixed seating early or late or as you like it dining which asks that you call in advance and make a reservation.

Don't overstress based on things you read here. Too many folks seem to live to complain. We are 5 star on HAL having done a lot of Grand cruises on their smaller ships and were ready to hate the new big Koningsdam. Turns out it is a beautiful ship. Different than the older ones in the fleet but very enjoyable.

I would say compared to other cruise lines HAL has a few more scooters and walkers but more than evened out by fewer strollers.

Roy

Hello all,

 

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

 

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

 

It's not ideal and a bad design in my opinion but not horrible.

 

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

 

I love that the passengers don't touch the food. The salad station is great and I don't find the lineups terrible. I go there for lunch but try to avoid the peak meal times so it's not as busy.

 

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

 

Not my favorite paid restaurant so I haven't been for awhile.

 

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

 

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

 

Its definately an older crowd. Especially on the longer cruises.

 

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

 

There is always a late show in the main theater around 10. There is usually a late set at bb kings and the piano bar. They do turn more "club" music on after bb kings is done and its hit or miss if people are dancing. (Around 1130pm)

 

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

Yes..free and on demand and 5 or 6 live tv channels (MSNBC, fox, BBC and sports) lots of movies and TV series on demand

 

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

 

Both. Upstairs is set dining times with early and late seating. You book that when you make your reservation...same table and time every night. Downstairs is first come first serve but they do take reservations 3 nights in advance at a time.

 

I might have more questions later.

I LOVE the koningsdam. I have been on her for a month and a half every year since she has been sailing and will be on again in November

Koningsdam, big??? Sorry Dude, my last cruise was on RCL Harmony of the Seas. :D

Over 200 foot longer and 5000 guests / 2000 crew.... :eek: ;p (Way too big BTW)

We’ve sailed on the K and from our experience:

1. The orientation of the toilet isn’t a problem,

2. We prefer being served in the Lido vs self-serve on other ships. In our experience, the self-serve felt much more rushed and disorganized and I did not enjoy grabbing serving utensils knowing hundreds before me had grabbed them also,

3. Yes, the Canaletto is off the Lido and we have dined several times on other ships. All were far superior food and experiences from the Lido. So worth the up-charge for us,

5. The guy was being a jerk. When we sailed on the K, my DW and I took a moment to look around the dining room and we surmised, from our very unscientific process, that most passengers appeared to be in the 45 - 65 age range.

7. Movies are indeed free and on demand

Hello all,

 

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

 

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

No, it's not that bad. It's a bit of an inconvenience at most. We talked to a housekeeping supervisor on one of our Koningsdam cruises, and she said the issue would be corrected on the Nieuw Statendam.

 

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

We like that the food is served in the Lido - really reduces the chance of illness. Also, there are handwash machines available at the Lido entrances - use them!! The Lido can be busy at peak times but I wouldn't avoid it. There was always lots of great choices and the food was good.

 

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

Yes the Canaletto is adjacent to the Lido, but it is separated with glass walls. It is nice in there for dinner. We never felt it was the same as being in the Lido proper. We quite enjoyed the food, and it is different to the food in the Lido.

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

The costs for the specialty restaurants should be on you itinerary. If you go to a certain day, pick the option to book dining reservations, pick the restaurant and the price should be there.

 

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

You will hear that said about HAL cruises all the time. I think that it is nonsense. We have done about 10 cruises on HAL and never seen that. Yes there will be older people, but there will also be younger people and even some kids. Yes you will see some walkers, some wheelchairs, but in our experiences only a few. Definitely not enough to even think about.

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

The later show in the theatre starts at 10pm. The bars will all be open much later than that. The music venues play til later, and there is a nightclub that stays open later too.

 

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

 

The TV has lots of free on-demand movies, many of which are very current. You can scroll through all the selections, pick what you want and enjoy.

 

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

 

You can do either. Pick what you prefer when you make your booking. It can usually be changed on board if needed.

 

I might have more questions later.

Ask if you have more questions. We have sailed three times on the Koningsdam and loved her.

Hello all,

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

Well, I could do my duty, but it was awkward. I actually tried to poop in other bathrooms on the ship if I could time it correctly.

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serving the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

Breakfast was a mad house in the Lido during my Norway cruise. It often took 10-15 minutes to simply find a table. Lunch was better in the Lido because I often went late (between 2-3pm).

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

The Canaletto is used by buffet goers in the morning and at lunch, so, yes, it is part of the Lido. I did not dine there on my cruise.

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

Check the website. You should be able to book all of the restaurants in advance of your cruise (and find the prices). Last month, Tamarind was $25 per person and the Culinary Arts Center was $15 per person.

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

Depends on the cruise. The 7 night cruise to Norway had a good mix of families, young couples, and seniors. There were a few motorized scooters but not so many that I could not walk around the ship. Longer cruises will have more older folk.

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

The movie selection was great. All of the movies are "free" and on demand. They had new releases and classics. Some foreign films was well. I watched Troll Hunter (a Norwegian film) on my cruise!

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

I might have more questions later.

We think the short rib gnocchi in the Canaletto is one of the best things we have eaten on Holland America, including in all the more expensive restaurants. We might skip the Pinnacle Grill on our next cruise. Last time we were there the food was good, but not great. We do love the Tamarind restaurant and are looking forward to trying the other new restaurants on this class of ship.

Hello all,

 

We are new to HAL and have been thinking of booking a March cruise on Nieuw Statendam. I have been reading the reviews for Koningsdam being sister ships... I have noticed several themes/complaints and wanted feedback.

 

1) The thing EVERYONE is complaining about is having to sit sidesaddle on the toilet. Is it really that bad?

 

2) The Lido buffet. As described, it is more like a cafeteria then a buffet since they have people serve ing the food up. That I can understand. It slows the spread of Nora-virus (did I spell that right?), but it slows down getting your food way too much. One reviewer said to avoid the Lido at all cost... Thoughts?

 

3) Canaletto: One person described it as a glass portioned off section of the Lido buffet with not much better food. I noticed from the deck plans that it sort of is in / very near the buffet. How is the food?

 

4) Speaking of up charge restaurants, where can I find out how much the up-charge is?

 

5) Age demographic... Someone was complaining about having to constantly dodging motorized scooters and old ladies with walkers. Is it really that bad or was that guy being a jerk? ;p

 

6) Another complaint was lack of entertainment after 10:00. Even though my friends and I are not normally up at 2:00 am drinking... Is there anything to do after 10:00? We have an 86 years young dancer coming on the trip... She's a hell raiser... :evilsmile:

 

7) People have mentioned that the TV has a great movie selection. Are these free and on demand? Or is it a movie channel that has good variety?

 

8) How is the main dining room handled? Is it first come/first seated, or assigned table/time? I have seen both...

 

I might have more questions later.

2.I really appreciate being served in line and at the table. Best for good safety and wasn't too slow.

3. Canaletto is part of the Lido, but well sectioned off and with the table cloths, host at the front, totally different at night. Excellent food worth the up charge.

4. Charges are on the website, and packages of multiple restaurants available at a discount.

5. Being a jerk. Varies by cruise length and location but plenty of open space and elevators.

6. BB Kings open until 11, but other options available until 10.

7. Movies on demand and free.

8. Dinners in MDR can be fixed as early or late seating, or anytime dining with or without reservation.

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We’ve sailed on the K and from our experience:

 

1. The orientation of the toilet isn’t a problem,

 

2. We prefer being served in the Lido vs self-serve on other ships. In our experience, the self-serve felt much more rushed and disorganized and I did not enjoy grabbing serving utensils knowing hundreds before me had grabbed them also,

 

3. Yes, the Canaletto is off the Lido and we have dined several times on other ships. All were far superior food and experiences from the Lido. So worth the up-charge for us,

 

5. The guy was being a jerk. When we sailed on the K, my DW and I took a moment to look around the dining room and we surmised, from our very unscientific process, that most passengers appeared to be in the 45 - 65 age range.

 

7. Movies are indeed free and on demand

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