Koningsdam vs Nieuw Statendam

[poinsettiaplate]

What did HAL learn from the Koningsdam that they have changed on the Nieuw Statendam?

[twodjs]

I read somewhere that the awkward angle of the toilet (that forces your knee against the glass shower wall) in the normal balcony cabins has been corrected. That would be a definite improvement if that can be confirmed.

[RMLincoln]

This is copied from Crew News, just off the NS and offered some comparisons. Hope this helps. m--

 

The ships are basiclly the same so here are some of the differences:

• NS your knees don't contact the shower doors as they do on Koningsdam
• NS does not have nightlight for the bathroom
• NS Lido Markt chairs are a bit easier to push back after finishing a meal
• NS laundry return is a lot quicker
• NS bathroom air vent is above the towel rack instead of on the wall
• Koningsdam bed is next to the balcony door while NS desk is by the balcony door
• NS toilet seat cover had to be pushed down rather the free drop on the Koningsdam
• NS Shops had a dedicated area just for Club Orange merchandise
• I don't remember seeing the row of computer terminals on the NS starboard Crow's Nest that were present on the Koningsdam
• New bar menus on the NS
• NS new Calanetto and Tamarind menus
• NS Ocean bar now has snacks that can be ordered:  salmon, calamari, etc.

 

The Koningsdam went through drydock Dec 2018 and received a number of upgrades that were not included on the NS.  The NS will probably get some of the items noted above.

 

When I get the chance, I will compare my photos of each ship to see other differences.

[ski ww]

Thanks for posting, we'll be on the NS in July. 

[doone]

I was on the K’dam in a verandah cabin and my bed was not next to the balcony door, the desk and a sofa was next to our balcony door.  

[Vict0riann]

As far as the location of the bed, I believe that the staterooms on the "bump out" have the bed nearer the verandah doors, while the rooms on the "indent"  (over the lifeboats) have the bed closer to the bathroom and door to the hall.   My cousins were in one of the first on Koningsdam and I think it was classified as a vista suite.

[MisterBill99]

16 hours ago, RMLincoln said:

This is copied from Crew News, just off the NS and offered some comparisons. Hope this helps. m--

 

The ships are basiclly the same so here are some of the differences:

• NS your knees don't contact the shower doors as they do on Koningsdam
• NS new Calanetto and Tamarind menus

 

Regarding the toilet angle, this is a welcome change! There was a rather large guy on our Norway cruise on Koningsdam in 2018 who hated the ship and his primary complaint was the toilets. I noticed a similar setup on the MSC Seaside, BTW.

 

Odd about the Canaletto and Tamarind menus being listed, unless they just meant that they changed from what Koningsdam had. I'm pretty sure that he Koningsdam menus have since changed (especially since they separated out sushi).

[wdw1972]

3 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

As far as the location of the bed, I believe that the staterooms on the "bump out" have the bed nearer the verandah doors, while the rooms on the "indent"  (over the lifeboats) have the bed closer to the bathroom and door to the hall.   My cousins were in one of the first on Koningsdam and I think it was classified as a vista suite.

That's correct - I was just on the Koningsdam, in a vista suite, and my bed was down by the verandah.  I'm pretty sure my previous K-dam cruises in a regular verandah stateroom had the bed closer to the bathroom, with the sofa by the verandah. 

 

I liked having the bed by the verandah - seemed more functional, and if it hadn't been dark when I got up each morning I would have been able to see the ocean from bed ;-) 

 

Sue/WDW1972

[bennybear]

We too found on the  Koningsdam this fall, vista suite on bump out  bed was by the verandah, regular verandah suite bed was by the bathroom.

[Himself]

When I was first on the Koningsdam I did not like the ship.  I have been on the NS as both a passenger and a chaplain and liked tha ship.

[MisterBill99]

1 hour ago, Himself said:

When I was first on the Koningsdam I did not like the ship.  I have been on the NS as both a passenger and a chaplain and liked tha ship.

 

So what changed that made the difference in your opinion between the ships? The toilet angle? Or did you just get used to the ship?

Edited December 27, 2019 by MisterBill99

[poinsettiaplate]

Thank you to everyone for researching and answering my question.  I have been on the K'dam once, in March 2017, and was considering whether to try the Nieuw Statendam if they had learned from their early K'dam mistakes:

Mixing fixed and at-will diners in the dining room instead of setting aside areas or floors for each.

Repeating the same dinner menu about every 10 days instead of every 3 or 4 weeks as it should be.

Allowing smoking in a very small casino.

Playing canned music everywhere too loud.

No venue for ballroom dancing.

Promenade deck too narrow.

Smaller cabins than other HAL ships, smaller glass view to outside, closets, desk space, drawers, sofa, tables.

No library and no passenger book exchange.

Open music venues that had music spilling over into each other.

Not enforcing the dress code in the dining room.

Paperwork glitches for pre-booked items.

[bennybear]

Menus are still repeated every ten or 12 days, but not sure it’s different on other ships?     No library, book exchange books were in German. Overall we enjoyed the Koningsdam especially the Tamarind.  We did not find the cabins much different in size, and loved the showers.

Edited January 2, 2020 by bennybear

[poinsettiaplate]

Would V6100 on the K'dam be considered a bump out cabin with the bed next to the slider?  Is there a place to see the different configurations by cabin?

[sofietucker]

Been on both, jut off the NS,  liked the Kdam better... But we were in Neptunes both times so can't speak to some of these issues.

~However the lack of a night light was very unhelpful. WhiskeyTango Foxtrot.  We didn't fall, but how very easy that would be, stumbling over the threshhold, etc. Plus we would have only been able to buy one in Key West (having that sort of item in a store)--where not only was it the last day, but rough seas prevented anchoring. Bring your own. 

~Toilet was still angled, but the bathroom was large enough to accomodate. Gorgeous large shower!  All kinds of fancy showerheads, plus a bench (no tub).

~Nami Sushi is *inside* Tamarind, so not THAT separated, lol.

~ Guest services is no longer a weird cold separate space  on NS.

~We did NOT like the addition of the Rolling Stones club, just adjacent to Billboard. Just as the BB King's bands are required to play certain songs each night (last set being disco: Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, etc.), they played the same songs over & over--and not THAT much "classic rock," which to me is late 60s-70s music. Mostly 80s &90s, though I guess that's now classic... If you're lucky that band is now better; I think they had just met & not in sync, in late Dec. BB King's  band was awesome. The separate Club Orange is in the same location on both ships, a redo from the place that  briefly replaced America's Test Kitchen (too bad--it was so good!). you can soon see my terrible review of that elsewhere. 

~Art was pretty fun--on the NS, it's all music based. We visited every elevator lobby to check out that, plus the stairwells. Someday they may actually publish an art guide, lsiting each work and artist. (On the Kdam, they tried to send me online--nothing-- but future cruises had one, in a binder, but would not let me take it from her office.)

[Guinness1000]

On 12/25/2019 at 9:21 PM, twodjs said:

I read somewhere that the awkward angle of the toilet (that forces your knee against the glass shower wall) in the normal balcony cabins has been corrected. That would be a definite improvement if that can be confirmed.

The only complaint we had on the Koningsdam. Not a problem for me, but a big one for husband.

[Oceansaway17]

hmm  well I for one will wait and see since I have 2 booked cruise on each ship this year.

 

Looking forward to the music venues but I will miss the size of the promenade.

 

Still surprised that music is loud on HAL everywhere.  oh well

I do know the food will b good though and the beds