Live from Koningsdam, Southern Caribbean Wayfarer, Nov 23-Dec 4

[innlady1]

That actually sounds kinda great!!

 

For me it is important having a special culinary event beyond the regular meals, and that's the case with Tea time, and how you describe it, it sounds good.

Was it a kinda "special" event and feeling? [emoji5]

 

 

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You never know...you may hit the jackpot and be able to enjoy a Cupcake Tea when you're aboard!

 

 

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[innlady1]

Tonight I was introduced to the crew-only special Wang Wang Plus. I'm um a bit tipsy, details tomorrow.

 

 

 

WHAT is a Wang Wang Plus? I've had more than my share of Wang Wangs over the years but this is the 1st time I've heard of a Wang Wang Plus!

 

 

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[Krazy Kruizers]

Directly next to a shop/terminal.

 

 

 

Thank you. That is where we usually end up as well.

Last couple of times most of the shops there were closed.

[shipfriend_max]

As you've been told, there will be some sort of tea offered every day except embarkation day.

Which form it will take on any given day will just have to be a surprise.

 

Fine to know, thanks. [emoji5]

[sppunk]

Day 7, Martinique: What's the French word for "washout?"

 

Last night's dinner was back in the main dining room. It's always nice to reconnect with the waitstaff.

 

It was a good dinner. My herb-crusted scallops were more herb than crust but no complaints.

 

After dinner we hung out again at the B.B. King's show to se our favorite bar Stewart, Richard.

 

Apparently last night I posted about this - I don't remember doing so.

 

Richard knows my love of Wang Wangs and had mentioned the crew has a special version. He for a few days said he couldn't make it for me. That changed last night.

 

Take a typical Wang Wang - search here on CC for the recipe - and add a shot of dark rum and a shot of Goldschlagger.

 

Potent is an understatement. But there it is, the crew version, the Wang Wang Plus.

 

We awoke in Martinique and were welcome with rain. Lots and lots of rain.

 

It never stopped and now miles offshore is still raining. I don't know exact numbers that went ashore but it wasn't many - less than 15% I was told from a very reliable source.

 

We went ashore for a short walk and stumbled upon an interesting statue of Napoleon's wife, whom was born on the island.

 

 

Yes vandals have beheaded the statue and thrown red pain on it to symbolize dripping blood.

 

Gotta love the French.

 

The highlight of the day was the all-access Behind the Scenes tour. Starting at 1:30 and lasting 4 hours and 15 minutes, we literally went everywhere. Stops included:

 

- Engine Control Room

- Engine room (including both stern and aft engines, boilers, etc)

- Bridge and bridge wings

- Tailors' room

- Laundry center

- Trash room

- Crew mess

- Printing room

- Meat locker

- Dry good storage

- Alcohol storage

- World Stage backstage dressing rooms

- Dining room galleys

- Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer galleys (an annex to the dining room galley, both restaurants share this galley)

 

It was an amazing tour. I don't have a ton of time so can't explain it all. It we met so many officers, the captain, staff and learned about all the stuff we as guests we never realize.

 

We ended with drinks in the Oceans Bar and got a goodie bag. We were led by the Director of Marketing - a great guy from Australia.

 

I'll post more photos when I'm back home but here is part of the engine control room!

 

https://s16.postimg.org/qhduhodqt/IMG_5616.jpg[/ing]

 

It's still raining so instead of spending time on the balcony we are lounging in the room watching some BBC Earth on-demand specials.

 

Tonight we are in the main dining room and tomorrow in St. Kitts we have a private tour scheduled and hope the weather improves.

 

More tomorrow.

Edited November 29, 2016 by sppunk

[kazu]

Day 7, Martinique: What's the French word for "washout?"

 

Last night's dinner was back in the main dining room. It's always nice to reconnect with the waitstaff.

 

It was a good dinner. My herb-crusted scallops were more herb than crust but no complaints.

 

After dinner we hung out again at the B.B. King's show to se our favorite bar Stewart, Richard.

 

Apparently last night I posted about this - I don't remember doing so.

 

Richard knows my love of Wang Wangs and had mentioned the crew has a special version. He for a few days said he couldn't make it for me. That changed last night.

 

Take a typical Wang Wang - search here on CC for the recipe - and add a shot of dark rum and a shot of Goldschlagger.

 

Potent is an understatement. But there it is, the crew version, the Wang Wang Plus.

 

We awoke in Martinique and were welcome with rain. Lots and lots of rain.

 

It never stopped and now miles offshore is still raining. I don't know exact numbers that went ashore but it wasn't many - less than 15% I was told from a very reliable source.

 

We went ashore for a short walk and stumbled upon an interesting statue of Napoleon's wife, whom was born on the island.

 

 

Yes vandals have beheaded the statue and thrown red pain on it to symbolize dripping blood.

 

Gotta love the French.

 

The highlight of the day was the all-access Behind the Scenes tour. Starting at 1:30 and lasting 4 hours and 15 minutes, we literally went everywhere. Stops included:

 

- Engine Control Room

- Engine room (including both stern and aft engines, boilers, etc)

- Bridge and bridge wings

- Tailors' room

- Laundry center

- Trash room

- Crew mess

- Printing room

- Meat locker

- Dry good storage

- Alcohol storage

- World Stage backstage dressing rooms

- Dining room galleys

- Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer galleys (an annex to the dining room galley, both restaurants share this galley)

 

It was an amazing tour. I don't have a ton of time so can't explain it all. It we met so many officers, the captain, staff and learned about all the stuff we as guests we never realize.

 

We ended with drinks in the Oceans Bar and got a goodie bag. We were led by the Director of Marketing - a great guy from Australia.

 

I'll post more photos when I'm back home but here is part of the engine control room!

 

https://s16.postimg.org/qhduhodqt/IMG_5616.jpg[/ing]

 

It's still raining so instead of spending time on the balcony we are lounging in the room watching some BBC Earth on-demand specials.

 

Tonight we are in the main dining room and tomorrow in St. Kitts we have a private tour scheduled and hope the weather improves.

 

More tomorrow.

 

 

I hate to see any piece of history desecrated.

 

so sad, but your posts are keeping all of us enjoying :)

[maraena]

Every Sunday special.

 

Thanks for the info! I've got a Koningsdam itinerary identified. Now to get the husband and work on board with my plans! Those lamb chops may be just the trick!

[RoyalVisit]

I hate to see any piece of history desecrated.

 

so sad, but your posts are keeping all of us enjoying :)

 

We saw the statue when we were in Martinique and if I remember correctly, the beheading had to do with Josephine's family having owned slaves. There is also doubt on whether her birthplace is Martinique or St. Lucia.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am enjoying your review.

Hope the weather improves.

[sppunk]

Day 8, St Kitts: See, Koningsdam isn't that big after all

 

First things first I have a bit if news, don't think it's been posted yet.

 

Starting in January HAL's servers in Sel de Mer, Pinnacle, New York Pizza and Canelleto be put into a rotational basis s they will cross-trained and moved each cruise.

 

This won't impact Tamarind or the main dining room.

 

So that's coming - makes a ton of sense to me fans will make it easier on HAL if crew are ill or contract issues arise and they're missing a few hands for a few days.

 

Last night after dinner (lamb was on the dining room menu, I've always said this but HAL does lamb well no matter the method of preparation, last night being no exception) we went to the main show, a mime/magician/visual performer. He actually was pretty good, not terrible as I anticipated. Mime magician doesn't conjure sophistication to me but he was okay.

 

We called it an early night after the 10 p.m. show and read a big before falling asleep.

 

Today we were in St. Kitts, thankfully the rain from yesterday didn't follow us. We were docked next to Celebrity Silhouette, which towered above the Koningsdam. I heard several people in the open-air terminal mention how small the Koningsdam looked next to the Silhouette and how funny perceptions are. I agree. I'll post more about the Koningsdam in a few days.

 

We had a full island tour booked with Rose & Jim's Taxis. Rose was our driver/guide.

 

We really enjoyed Rose and the tour. To me all these islands are identical (some have taller mountains, some drier than others but virtually indescribable) so the guide makes a big difference.

 

Rose took us all over except we skipped the fortress. If you are looking for a tour guide I recommend these two proudly.

 

A few pictures from our day.

 

Atlantic Ocean (on right) and Caribbean ocean meet:

 

 

The black rocks,formed by lava flows into the sea:

 

 

We got back to the ship around 1 p.m. and made salads. I love the new salad station - it's much better than the do-it-yourself style HAL previously had onboard.

 

After the salads we retreated to the Dutch Cafe for a beer and a Dutch crepe, the tripe berry pannekoek. It was delicious! And after splurging with the salads it was nice to have a healthy bite to eat.

 

 

After the Dutch Cafe we retreated to our aft balcony, watched people streaming back to the ships and just relaxed.

 

Tonight we hope to meet our friends for a pre-dinner drink before we head to the dining room.

 

Tomorrow we are in St. Thomas - and unusually docking in Havensight, not Crown Bay. We'll be alongside Disney Magic. We have zero plans and our only objective is to find a mailbox an pick up two more postcards. We may take the aerial tram since we'll be right there essentially.

 

More tomorrow.

[Lady Arwen]

Looking forward to the "tripe berry" crepe. LOL! Seriously, it looks wonderful and we can't wait to try the Dutch Cafe on our cruise on Kdam. Thanks for your review...I wait for it everyday!

[kazu]

Heard from sppunk and he is having problems accessing Cruise Critic. Keeps getting an error code.

 

He will be back with tons of updates as soon as he can get on.

 

P.S. He loves, loves, loves the ship :)

Edited December 1, 2016 by kazu

[Happily@Sea]

Heard from sppunk and he is having problems accessing Cruise Critic. Keeps getting an error code.

He will be back with tons of updates as soon as he can get on.

 

P.S. He loves, loves, loves the ship :)

 

I get an error code on CC when I try to advance to the next page on my android - no problems on my regular computers. Once I get that code - that thread is inaccessible other than the original page. Uploading must be a nightmare.

[dot73]

Heard from sppunk and he is having problems accessing Cruise Critic. Keeps getting an error code.

He will be back with tons of updates as soon as he can get on.

P.S. He loves, loves, loves the ship :)

 

I am so happy to hear positive comments after all the negativity. I can't wait until I board on Sunday. :D

[albingirl]

Thanks for this review. I really enjoy it. We wont be on a HAL ship for awhile, but we do have a good one booked for next fall. Your review gets me psyched.

[kazu]

I get an error code on CC when I try to advance to the next page on my android - no problems on my regular computers. Once I get that code - that thread is inaccessible other than the original page. Uploading must be a nightmare.

 

Thanks Carole,

 

I will share this info with sppunk. It might help him out. Much appreciated :)

[kazu]

Sppunk messaged me as he knows everyone is interested in his cabin. He still can't get on CC. Here are his pics from cabin 7195 (Vista Suite). The will of course be posted on the hal cruiser information website shortly.

 

Here you go.

 

 

 

 

I didn't want to make them too large and distort his thread, so hoping this works.

 

 

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[wdblake]

Is the TV flush mounted or on a swivel? I read on a previous post that there were not many movies on demand so I wanted to bring my movies on hard drive and hook it up via hdmi port but I would need to have access to the tv ports and be able to access the menu functions of the TV.

Awesome live review.

Wang Wangs sound deadly...but good.

Is there cigarette smoke in the clubs?. I heard it drifts over from the casino.

Is the Bitterballen available all day?

[Cruise'nMaMa]

Thanks for the pics of 7195. We are in 7190 in the 1/15/17 sailing. Also nice to see a review that is about something other than the library or promenade deck. Definitely getting more and more excited. Have been following all your oats and the food sounds amazing.

[sppunk]

Day 9, St. Thomas: Mickey, Mickey you're so fine

 

I just sailed through a sunset. More on that in a bit.

 

Last night's dinner menu features one of my favorite HAL items - banana ice cream! So after a very good spaghetti entree I housed three scoops. mhmm mhmm good.

 

After dinner we went to the show, Frozen - featuring the Koningsdam orchestra playing to BBC's Frozen Planet images. I rally enjoyed it. I confess to being a sucker for the arctic and penguins so I'll go for them in any manner. The orchestration was very nice as well.

 

After the show we went to the BB King's show for the traditional Wang Wang. Fun story: I didn't see my favorite steward so ordered from another. He must have saw this because he flew across the Queens Lounge to make sure he served me. I love HAL crew so much.

 

I've noticed on this cruise moreso than on any other I remember is people putting decorations on their cabin doors. Decorations, inspirational quotes, you name it it's here.

 

 

Not my deal but you do you.

 

Today we were in the Costco of the Caribbean, St. Thomas. We docked at Havensight, which is unusual for HAL but I heard they are trying to not have only one ship at Crown Bay so want them all to be in Havensight. Makes sense to me as it consolidates resources for tour companies.

 

We were joined today by Disney Magic and the Norwegian Breakaway. Talk about a contrast in beauty today - the traditionally elegant Magic, the lovely sophisticated Koningsdam and then there is the Breakaway. Yikes.

 

Having been to St. Thomas approximately 78 times and enjoying trinket shopping as much as a 6-year-old boy enjoys girls we had zero plans.

 

It was a beautiful morning - well very hot but sunny nonetheless- so hopped over to the tram up to Paradise Point. The view is always nice - and the bushwhacker drink they serve at the bar up top is always refreshing.

 

 

We enjoyed our time up top catching up on email and messages since our phones worked, before headed back to the ship for lunch.

 

We ended up running into our friends and talking for a while before we headed to New York Pizza for another pie. Seriously, very good pizza up there. Go!

 

After lunch it was nap time. Yay naps!

 

I woke up right as we were leaving and a rain shower passed overhead.

 

I ran out to the balcony and was floored when I saw what was happening.

 

We were sailing though a rainbow - it was so cool to experience!

 

 

After sailaway I watched some Parks and Rec, relaxed and got ready for dinner.

 

At some point a wild berry gelato with sprinkles and crushe pistachios fall into my hands too!

 

 

Tonight we are eating at Sel de Mer again. Yum!

 

Tomorrow is a sea day - the next-to-last day on this cruise. So sad!

 

More about dinner and the relaxing day at sea tomorrow.

Edited December 1, 2016 by sppunk

[sppunk]

Is the TV flush mounted or on a swivel? I read on a previous post that there were not many movies on demand so I wanted to bring my movies on hard drive and hook it up via hdmi port but I would need to have access to the tv ports and be able to access the menu functions of the TV.

Awesome live review.

Wang Wangs sound deadly...but good.

Is there cigarette smoke in the clubs?. I heard it drifts over from the casino.

Is the Bitterballen available all day?

 

TV is flat-mounted, no access to ports. Sorry.

 

There are at least 50 movies and 10 TV series available on demand.

 

I've noticed no smoke drift - several casino nights have been smoke-free.

 

Bitterballen is available 4-6 p.m.

Edited December 1, 2016 by sppunk

[sppunk]

Interesting: tonight is the last formal night and the Lido is having fresh-grilled filets and lobster to order from 5-9 p.m.

[InTheWASide]

Interesting: tonight is the last formal night and the Lido is having fresh-grilled filets and lobster to order from 5-9 p.m.

 

2 dinners it is! :)

[teamflames]

Hey sppunk, just found this thread. I remember you were one of the few who were enthusiastically looking forward to the big K. Glad she has delivered for you. Is there anything you don't like?

We have been in X constellation a couple of times since our K Baltic cruise. Connie is much older but she feels much more spacious than K ... on our cruise the buffet and crows nest were 2 areas in particular that were bursting. IMO the service on X blows Hal out of the water especially in the bars but the food on K is much better! Both the free options (so many on K) and the specialty. I still salivate thinking of the Dutch cafe, pizza and burger bars!!!

Any noise issues in your cabin???

We loved duelling pianos but it did depend on who was playing. The music options on K were definitely better than X but the entertainment was lower standard but obviously all this changes cruise to cruise.

Anyway so glad you are having an amazing time ... just realised I forgot to try the wang wang

Pleasant travels

 

 

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[teamflames]

Interesting: tonight is the last formal night and the Lido is having fresh-grilled filets and lobster to order from 5-9 p.m.

 

 

Just saw this ... it was interesting on Hal that lido often had mdr food - even on formal nights... very impressed.

 

Btw how is the smoking? On the 2nd leg of our cruise they were everywhere and the ship did not police it at all ... any change???

 

 

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