Hawaiian Holiday 🎄🍾 LIVE from Koningsdam Dec 21-Jan 6: join me for my 1st solo cruise & 1st inside cabin!

[ski ww]

I'll be following along, looking forward to your reporting. Enjoy.

[Haljo1935]

1 hour ago, ski ww said:

I'll be following along, looking forward to your reporting. Enjoy.

Thanks so much for joining along. 

[NCTribeFan]

18 hours ago, Mary229 said:

Are you on a promo?  When did you finally get your initial room assignment.  I am still waiting on mine for early January. I sailed interior on the Koningsdam in 2019, solo it will be ok, the rooms are very efficient.  I had a sideways interior - when room service came they could just reach from the door and put the tray on the bed😂

 

I had 6112 and 6127 next door on Rotterdam.  Sideways in the little connecting hall.

 

Nice cabins except the tv is 90 degrees from the bed, making it difficult to watch for any length of time.  And, yep, appears I booked 6112 for Hawaii.  I'm thinking I should change to a "regular" inside cabin.  It's not that I spend much time in the cabin, especially if the weather's decent out.  But I was in the cabin quite a bit for the TA/Scandinavia/Scotland sailing and the location of the tv was annoying.

 

Any recommendations for interior cabins would be great!  I want a quite location, midship.  Yeah, I'm kind of picky! 😁

[kluv2cruz]

23 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

 

I had 6112 and 6127 next door on Rotterdam.  Sideways in the little connecting hall.

 

Nice cabins except the tv is 90 degrees from the bed, making it difficult to watch for any length of time.  And, yep, appears I booked 6112 for Hawaii.  I'm thinking I should change to a "regular" inside cabin.  It's not that I spend much time in the cabin, especially if the weather's decent out.  But I was in the cabin quite a bit for the TA/Scandinavia/Scotland sailing and the location of the tv was annoying.

 

Any recommendations for interior cabins would be great!  I want a quite location, midship.  Yeah, I'm kind of picky! 😁

I asked on here awhile ago about bigger than regular i/s cabins and folks replied to consider 1001-1012 which are single OV, or i/s 5108, 5125, 6112, 6127 (that’s one you mentioned), 7104, 7097. Not 8th floor as noisy. No personal experience with these.

[Mary229]

8 minutes ago, kluv2cruz said:

I asked on here awhile ago about bigger than regular i/s cabins and folks replied to consider 1001-1012 which are single OV, or i/s 5108, 5125, 6112, 6127 (that’s one you mentioned), 7104, 7097. Not 8th floor as noisy. No personal experience with these.

That is what I was going to say.  The I cabins are substantially roomier 

[NCTribeFan]

I have to stick with an inside since I did a guarantee and then added CO.  Those cabins are all the "sideways" cabins and I believe all have the same layout.  Yes, they have a sofa but it's underneath the tv.  Only good for piling up stuff (which I did a lot of over 26 nights).  So they may have slightly more square footage but that sofa takes it up.  It's the tv that's the issue.

 

I don't even need the cabin to be larger (although I love the large inside cabins on Vista/Signature - have one of my favorites on Main on Eurodam in a few weeks).  I'd just like to be able to look at the tv without turning my head 90 degrees!

 

Sorry OP.  I don't mean to hijack your thread!!

Edited December 19, 2023 by NCTribeFan

[QuattroRomeo]

Looking forward to your take on the "Pinnacle inside"! And Hawaii of course!

[Haljo1935]

30 minutes ago, QuattroRomeo said:

Looking forward to your take on the "Pinnacle inside"! And Hawaii of course!

Thank you - I'm curious to see what I will have to say, too, lol!

Navigator App tells me I'm dangerously close to leaving...

[Haljo1935]

40 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

...I'd just like to be able to look at the tv without turning my head 90 degrees!

 

Sorry OP.  I don't mean to hijack your thread!!

No problem - interesting discussion since I'm new to insides w/zero experience (other than peeking my head in my sister's inside w/a window) and now hoping I will not also be angling my head to see the TV 🫣

[Mary229]

58 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

I have to stick with an inside since I did a guarantee and then added CO.  Those cabins are all the "sideways" cabins and I believe all have the same layout.  Yes, they have a sofa but it's underneath the tv.  Only good for piling up stuff (which I did a lot of over 26 nights).  So they may have slightly more square footage but that sofa takes it up.  It's the tv that's the issue.

 

I don't even need the cabin to be larger (although I love the large inside cabins on Vista/Signature - have one of my favorites on Main on Eurodam in a few weeks).  I'd just like to be able to look at the tv without turning my head 90 degrees!

 

Sorry OP.  I don't mean to hijack your thread!!

Not all sideways have a sofa.  The one I described earlier on deck 5 aft did not.  That was a guarantee assignment 

[Haljo1935]

20 hours ago, AryMay said:

...if you remember and have time, could you check to see what the cost for the Surf internet package is booked onboard? I am only 3 stars so no discount. I don’t want to purchase a package in advanced since we have a big chunk of OBC I would like to use. 
 

Bon Voyage!

Hey @AryMay this has per day costs; I thought there was no discount to the daily rates, so they should be the same once onboard, but I will check. Feel free to remind me once I'm onboard🫣

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-packages/cruise-ship-wifi

[BetsyS.]

I'm very excited for you! I hope you packed lots of sunscreen! 😊

[Haljo1935]

4 minutes ago, BetsyS. said:

I'm very excited for you! I hope you packed lots of sunscreen! 😊

I packed one large can of spray on (reef safe, of course) - I hope it's enough. Maybe I should go toss in another can.

[AryMay]

5 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Hey @AryMay this has per day costs; I thought there was no discount to the daily rates, so they should be the same once onboard, but I will check. Feel free to remind me once I'm onboard🫣

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en/us/onboard-packages/cruise-ship-wifi

 

Thanks. I'm looking to purchase the Surf package for the entire cruise (using OBC) rather than pay the daily rate.

 

Right now I can purchase the Premium package in advance for $ 267.99 (at a 20% off discount) so the regular price would be about $335. The price of the Surf package would be less. Hopefully you will notice the package price when you are on the ship. I will try and send a reminder when you are onboard!

 

[Mary229]

11 minutes ago, AryMay said:

 

Thanks. I'm looking to purchase the Surf package for the entire cruise (using OBC) rather than pay the daily rate.

 

Right now I can purchase the Premium package in advance for $ 267.99 (at a 20% off discount) so the regular price would be about $335. The price of the Surf package would be less. Hopefully you will notice the package price when you are on the ship. I will try and send a reminder when you are onboard!

 

Internet is not discounted on the ship.  

[AryMay]

5 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Internet is not discounted on the ship.  

I was just using the advance purchase price for Premium internet as a reference to try and figure out what the Surf package might cost onboard.

 

I wasn't looking for a "discounted" price, but rather a "package price" for the whole cruise that is less than paying the daily rate. Is there such a thing?

 

I haven't purchased wi-fi before, but since we have a lot of OBC I was considering doing it this time.  

Edited December 19, 2023 by AryMay

[BetsyS.]

Another can of spray on would be good.😊

[Haljo1935]

8 minutes ago, AryMay said:

I was just using the advance purchase price for Premium internet as a reference to try and figure out what the Surf package might cost onboard.

 

I wasn't looking for a "discounted" price, but rather a "package price" for the whole cruise that is less than paying the daily rate. Is there such a thing?

 

I haven't purchased wi-fi before, but since we have a lot of OBC I was considering doing it this time.  

Oops, sorry, I misunderstood your first post - I thought you were looking for the daily rate. I will be able to give you the 16 day package rate once I'm onboard.

[Mary229]

29 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

Internet is not discounted on the ship.  

It was at one time that the early bird discount on the premium plan was “buy premium early at the surf price”. That may still be the case.  In any event it may be worth a gamble to buy now and see if the front desk will reverse the charge once onboard to apply to your OBC. They do it with shore excursions but I am not sure it they will do it with other purchases. 

[ArizonaStorm]

The Koningsdam is the only ship scheduled to be in dock in San Diego on 12/21/23, so your embarkation should be low-drama.  https://www.cruisetimetables.com/san-diego-california-cruise-ship-schedule.html

 

I'll follow your posts closely, as I'll be doing the same cruise on the Koningsdam starting 1/13/24 - also solo, but with a balcony.  I don't have excursions planned, either.  I'm going for the ocean experience rather than the land experience.

 

Have a blast!!

 

Scott

 

 

[aliaschief]

@Haljo1935 Thanks for sharing your cruise experience. Continue having a great Holiday Season BHB cruise. B.

[Haljo1935]

2 minutes ago, ArizonaStorm said:

The Koningsdam is the only ship scheduled to be in dock in San Diego on 12/21/23, so your embarkation should be low-drama.  https://www.cruisetimetables.com/san-diego-california-cruise-ship-schedule.html

 

I'll follow your posts closely, as I'll be doing the same cruise on the Koningsdam starting 1/13/24 - also solo, but with a balcony.  I don't have excursions planned, either.  I'm going for the ocean experience rather than the land experience.

 

Have a blast!!

 

Scott

 

 

Thanks - that's great news to know we'll be the only ship in port Thursday; I'm looking for less drama, for sue, lol.

Glad you're here - Happy Holidays.

[Mary229]

@Haljo1935 are you spending a day in port or boarding right away.  My sis and I had a great time in San Diego last time.  We used Uber everywhere, very good and very affordable experience 

[Haljo1935]

39 minutes ago, Mary229 said:

@Haljo1935 are you spending a day in port or boarding right away.  My sis and I had a great time in San Diego last time.  We used Uber everywhere, very good and very affordable experience 

Arrive very late Wed evening, so might as well be day of. I hear they're really holding to boarding times, so I will have time to pop around Thursday morning. Any recommendations for good brunch (some I will miss lunch onboard)?

[Mary229]

50 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

Arrive very late Wed evening, so might as well be day of. I hear they're really holding to boarding times, so I will have time to pop around Thursday morning. Any recommendations for good brunch (some I will miss lunch onboard)?

I am not a big foodie but I would look for recommended Asian or go to Little Italy where there are plenty of authentic Italian cafes in a very nice setting and not terribly far from port.  I don’t know that you would like California style Mexican, I am not a fan.  I like New Mexican Pueblo style,  traditional Tex Mex and Caribbean style.