Advice on Koningsdam Hawaii Cruise April 13/2023

[Norvig]

We are new to big ship cruising.  We booked this cruise late & few cabins left so have booked a vista suite on deck 5 which has an adjoining cabin realizing there is a possibility of noise from next door.  How are boarding times assigned, is this according to cabin category or in order of booking dates?  I have read some reviews on Canuck Place in Vancouver as being disorganized with long waits & would folks be standing in line for long periods?  Is there a health questionnaire to complete & when can this be done?   We have 4 Covid vaccinations, is a Covid test required for this cruise?  

[CruiserBruce]

If you look around the board, much of the info you seek is discussed here daily. You will receive your final boarding time about 2 weeks in advance. How that boarding time is assigned is a company secret.

 

Health questionnaire is available a day or two prior to sailing.

 

No Covid test is required at this time. The HAL website has a section devoted to all Covid protocols and such.

 

Almost all cabins have cabins adjoining them. Are you talking about a door between the two cabins.

 

The issues with Canada Place have to with the system is overwhelmed with two ships in, not to mention 3. Plus you are clearing US Immigration and Customs when you board the ship, in addition to the standard check in procedures for the cruise lines.

[Red Haired Lady]

1 hour ago, Norvig said:

We are new to big ship cruising.  We booked this cruise late & few cabins left so have booked a vista suite on deck 5 which has an adjoining cabin realizing there is a possibility of noise from next door.  How are boarding times assigned, is this according to cabin category or in order of booking dates?  I have read some reviews on Canuck Place in Vancouver as being disorganized with long waits & would folks be standing in line for long periods?  Is there a health questionnaire to complete & when can this be done?   We have 4 Covid vaccinations, is a Covid test required for this cruise?  

Here is the link to your roll call.  You will find out lots of info by reading through it.

 

[Norvig]

Thank you for the prompt replies.  Because we booked so late when others have booked 2 years in advance we missed out on Club Orange & the excursions we would have chosen. We have a shore excursion credit but nothing we want to take.  We did book a few specialty dining choices, we have 2 included but only allowed to use 1, hope guest services can sort this.  Our cabin has a door with the next cabin.  Hope they are quiet at night!!  Since brochures are no longer  provided will we get deck plans in a paper form on board?  Since we are new to ship cruises we may have prematurely booked Have It All.  Not being big alcohol consumers this may have been a mistake but live & learn.   This cruise  is fully booked now so we hope dining in various locations is not a nightmare.    Covid aside we see new warnings about norovirus .   We will carry on !  

[RuthC]

9 minutes ago, Norvig said:

Our cabin has a door with the next cabin.  Hope they are quiet at night!!

Actually, there should be two doors between you and the adjacent cabin. Each cabin has their own door with a knob on one side, so both parties have to agree to open up to the other. 
The double doors make it quite quiet, unless there is a wild party, or very loud screaming match, going on. 

[Norvig]

Thanks for the reassurance about the door between cabins.  We were in Maui in March 2022 & required to have a Covid test before departing for Maui & leaving Maui via West Jet.    Will be nice not to have the stress this time around. 

[oakridger]

3 hours ago, Norvig said:

Since brochures are no longer  provided will we get deck plans in a paper form on board?

 

Hello!  The deck plans can be found on the Navigator App and are posted on the wall by the elevator banks.  I don't know if you can get a paper copy from guest services since I've never asked for one.  If you truly want a paper copy, I suppose you can print your own from the HAL website or many other online sources.  has anyone on CC asked for a paper copy from guest services?

 

Have fun!

~Nancy

[highscar]

I had adjoining cabin in K last month.  No noise. I asked if they could hear my TV, they had wondered that the cabin was empty.   Being new to that ship I asked for printed deck plans, told they would be delivered to my room. Did not get them, but soon found my way around. Enjoyed the ship.  

[terrydtx]

10 hours ago, Norvig said:

Our cabin has a door with the next cabin.  Hope they are quiet at night!!

I have never had an issue about noise from the connecting doors. They are as quiet as the full walls between cabins.

[Brewgirl1]

The bonus about the door between rooms is that is is magnetic,

we hung a lot of hooks there for hats and misc.

[Cruise Suzy]

17 hours ago, Norvig said:

 Since brochures are no longer  provided will we get deck plans in a paper form on board?

There are deck plans available to download and other information about the Koningsdam at https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/cruise-ships/ms-koningsdam/2.html  Just scroll down. 

[sunviking90]

20 hours ago, Norvig said:  I have read some reviews on Canuck Place in Vancouver as being disorganized with long waits & would folks be standing in line for long periods?  Is there a health questionnaire to complete & when can this be done?   We have 4 Covid vaccinations, is a Covid test required for this cruise?  

Sorry, I really have to mention the difference between Canuck Place and Canada Place! Canuck Place is a children’s hospice here in Vancouver. They do wonderful work there: https://www.canuckplace.org

Canada Place “can” seem disorganized and as one of the first cruises of the season out of there, there will likely be some adjustment issues with all the new and returning seasonal staff. 

[oaktreerb]

You may be able to pick up a deck plan from customer service but the wall map by the elevators is probably all you need.  If you want to use your excursion credit you may have to waitlist, pay for it, and visit the excursions desk for the credit and refund.  There are not a lot of excursion options for Hawaii and the cheaper ones sell out first.  

 

HIA also includes non-alcoholic drinks, specialty coffees and teas, sodas, canned water and Perrier.  The Grand Dutch Cafe on Deck 3 is a mid-ship source for coffees, teas, sodas, beer, etc as well as light snacks.  Use your HIA for the drinks, the pastries, etc in the window are free.  Upstairs in the Crows Nest is another busy non-alcoholic drink source for coffee, water, sodas, etc.  You can take soft drinks, etc.to your room unopened in the cans for later.

 

Early dining in the MDR whether breakfast or dinner can be a crowded mess when people are waiting to be seated.  Second seating will be much easier.  People are given buzzers to let them know when their table is available.   Make reservations for specialty dining in the Pinnacle, Tamarind, or Sel de Mer.  

 

We just returned from our Hawaii cruise on the Koningsdam.   I hope you enjoy your time onboard and in the islands.

 

 

[Norvig]

I really appreciate all the information provided here.  I did print the deck plans, we like to study before any trip & cruising seems like we need to be on top of events, dining etc.  I apologize re Canuck Place, I knew it was Canada Place but somehow got Canuck in my head.  My husband has magnetic hooks in the ready.  I have surfed this site but had specific questions & could not find the answers.  I will likely have more questions.  

[Norvig]

Oaktreerb, do sodas & bottled water count as a beverage on HIA?  We will never have 15 cocktails in a day but thought I’d ask.  My husband will like having a can of Coke or Pepsi in our fridge. With so many sea days I am assuming there will be few children on the ship at this time.  I have read about some cruise lines having a muster app, does the Koningsdam have this app?   

[CruiserBruce]

9 minutes ago, Norvig said:

Oaktreerb, do sodas & bottled water count as a beverage on HIA?  We will never have 15 cocktails in a day but thought I’d ask.  My husband will like having a can of Coke or Pepsi in our fridge. With so many sea days I am assuming there will be few children on the ship at this time.  I have read about some cruise lines having a muster app, does the Koningsdam have this app?   

Yes...sodas and waters count against your 15 on the Signature beverage package. 

 

HAL carries Coke products. No muster app.

[oaktreerb]

1 hour ago, Norvig said:

Oaktreerb, do sodas & bottled water count as a beverage on HIA?  We will never have 15 cocktails in a day but thought I’d ask.  My husband will like having a can of Coke or Pepsi in our fridge. With so many sea days I am assuming there will be few children on the ship at this time.  I have read about some cruise lines having a muster app, does the Koningsdam have this app?   

Yes, sodas and canned water count.  Larger bottles are not included.  Tell them you want the water that’s included on HIA.  They did let us “buy” multiples, like 2 cans of soda or water or two Americanos.  We have wine and/or a mixed drink most days but most of our allotment went on water and specialty coffees.  You can ask your stateroom attendant to remove the “honor bar” items in the fridge.  I remove everything myself and store it in one of the cabinets and put it back before we disembark.

 

I am not aware of a muster app.  You will find your key card at your room and you will have to present yourself at your muster station sometime on the first day (ours was the MDR). You will listen to a short briefing, have your key card scanned, and then watch the safety information on your in-room TV.  Only after  you have watched the in-room safety info  can you tune your TV to other programs.

Edited February 21, 2023 by oaktreerb

[oakridger]

You can also get two unopened cans of Coke or even beers, etc. at any of the bars and bring them back to your cabin fridge.

 

You are correct that there will not be a lot of kids on board.  On my non holiday cruises the kids have been well behaved and they did seem to be having fun!  The Lido pool is where the kids tended to hang out during the times they weren't in Club HAL.

 

~Nancy

[Norvig]

Thanks again for all the helpful info.  2 more questions.  1. Are Covid tests required when departing from Vancouver going to Hawaii? I have googled this & get conflicting answers.  We have 4 covid vaccinations.   2.  Will there be taxis at the port in Honolulu?  & will there be taxis at Pearl Harbour for our return to the ship?  

[CruiserBruce]

1 hour ago, Norvig said:

Thanks again for all the helpful info.  2 more questions.  1. Are Covid tests required when departing from Vancouver going to Hawaii? I have googled this & get conflicting answers.  We have 4 covid vaccinations.   2.  Will there be taxis at the port in Honolulu?  & will there be taxis at Pearl Harbour for our return to the ship?  

If you look at the HAL website, the protocols are listed there.

 

If there is a ship in port, taxis will be there. For Pearl Harbor, a little more complicated. Make sure you have the cab company phone number. Or use Uber/Lyft.

[Brewgirl1]

Don’t forget smoothies and virgin drinks. 

[Norvig]

Health protocols are not listed on the Navigator app.  Maybe a Canadian here will have an answer re Covid testing.  Hawaii has had different protocols from other states.  Why is a taxi at Pearl Harbour complicated?  

[terrydtx]

10 minutes ago, Norvig said:

Health protocols are not listed on the Navigator app.  Maybe a Canadian here will have an answer re Covid testing.  Hawaii has had different protocols from other states.  Why is a taxi at Pearl Harbour complicated?  

Hawaii no longer has any Covid requirements. Here is the HAL link where you can find health protocols for your cruise.

Booking or Voyage Lookup (hollandamerica.com)

[CruiserBruce]

10 minutes ago, Norvig said:

Health protocols are not listed on the Navigator app.  Maybe a Canadian here will have an answer re Covid testing.  Hawaii has had different protocols from other states.  Why is a taxi at Pearl Harbour complicated?  

The Health protocols are on their website:

 

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/worry-free-promise/travel-well.html?ICID=HECIV0603221747

 

Hawaii no longer has different protocols, (only went there 4 times during Covid)and Canada doesn't require testing.

 

Pearl Harbor probably won't have a taxi stand...there may not be any taxis just hanging around. This you might use Uber or have a taxi company phone number.

[Norvig]

Thanks