Holland America Line Koningsdam Southern Caribbean Cruise Review – Day 12: April 9, 2026

Time for the day 12 report from Holland America Line’s Koningsdam, and today marks the final day of this 12-day cruise. We’re wrapping things up with a visit to Holland America’s private island in The Bahamas, Half Moon Cay, where the ship dropped anchor around 6:30 a.m. this morning.

When we arrived, the weather was anything but “beautiful beach day.” We were met with clouds and some early morning rain, but that all cleared out, for the most part, before guests got the all clear to head ashore a little after 8:00 a.m., once crew and provisions had been ferried over first.

Now, as I’ve mentioned many times before, Half Moon Cay is a tender port, which means the ship anchors offshore and guests are brought back and forth on large capacity tender boats rather than just walking off onto a pier. On Koningsdam this morning, guests booked on Holland America shore excursions were instructed to follow the meeting time and location on their tour tickets. Everyone else was told to head to B.B. King’s Blues Club to get a tender ticket then wait for their group to be called. Tenders started running from there at 8:00 a.m., with the last tender back to the ship at 2:30 p.m.

And this is why tender ports always require a little more patience than a regular dock-and-walk-off port day. You cannot just wander down whenever you feel like it and expect to be on the island in five minutes. You go to the waiting area, sit until your group is called, and then head down as a group to board the tender. It’s usually pretty organized, but it still takes longer than a normal port day because you are depending on a constant shuttle operation between ship and shore. And of course, before any of that starts, the crew has to get over there first and make sure everything on the island is ready to go for the day.

Once most who were going ashore we already off the ship, the tendering process with the whole ticket-and-group-number routine ended at 11:00 a.m. so from then on it switched to open boarding. That meant if you wanted to head over to Half Moon Cay after 11, you just went down to A Deck and waited for the next tender. No ticket needed.

There was, however, a brief pause in operations this morning when all tender service was stopped for about 45 minutes because of swells. And that is one of the realities of a tender port people do not always think about. The ship is sitting there nice and steady, but the tender boat is not. It is bobbing up and down with the waves, and when you are trying to move a whole herd of passengers through a small opening in the side of the ship onto a gangway that is moving while crew members are yelling “watch your head,” it can get a little tricky in a hurry. If the swells pick up too much, they stop the process, and that is exactly what happened for a bit this morning.

I headed out around noon, knowing I did not have a ton of time to spend ashore since the last tender back was at 2:30 p.m. If you’ve been following along, the last time I was here on Rotterdam back on March 21, I skipped going ashore altogether because it was a two-ship day, and that means tenders are split between both ships and the whole process takes longer, with patience being the key word. But with Holland ships pulling out of the Caribbean one by one as the season winds down, today was just a single-ship day with only Koningsdam here, so I knew things were going to move faster. And they did. I waited less than five minutes before boarding a tender.

Of course, the first person in line was a woman and a small child who had already become pretty well known among passengers and crew for his unruly behavior and her complete inability, or maybe unwillingness, to do anything about it. Well, that whole show continued here. He was screaming and crying that he was afraid to get on the boat, and despite her trying to pull him and the crew reassuring him that it was fine, we got the full meltdown. At one point she actually started boarding the tender without him, while the crew yelled that she could not just leave him there. Eventually she picked him up and dragged him onboard, where he continued carrying on while she entertained the rest of us by having a full conversation on speakerphone the entire ride over.

So that was fun.

Even though there were plenty of dark clouds around and it looked like showers could break out at any minute, the weather actually held up pretty well. Once ashore, it was obvious there is still a lot of construction going on at Half Moon Cay as Holland America continues making upgrades to its side of the island. New beach loungers and refreshed cabanas are already in service. A new bar is open, and what looks like another one is getting close to finished. Farther down the beach, new cabanas and an entirely new area are under construction, and that very much looks like it is going to be the teased beach club experience. There is also work happening around the island barbecue area, and one of the more recent additions is new pickleball courts.

Over on the side of the island that had previously been undeveloped, work is continuing on the new area that will be used primarily for Carnival Cruise Line passengers. Carnival has been calling on Half Moon Cay for years, but it has been using Holland America’s facilities. That is changing. When the new area opens, it will be for Carnival passengers and some of the other Carnival Corporation brands. It will also have a pier capable of handling Carnival’s largest ships, including the Excel class vessels like Mardi Gras, Celebration, and Jubilee, which cannot tender here now. What it will not include is a pier for the Holland America side of the island, so HAL ships will still be tendering ashore the old-fashioned way.

As for me, I spent my time doing exactly what you are supposed to do at Half Moon Cay. I chilled on the beach, soaked up some sun, and enjoyed a really nice beach day without a whole lot of people around. At one point, one of the local residents came wandering over from the horse stables and just strolled along the beach until one of his caretakers came looking for him. Yes, both people and animals live on Half Moon Cay, and this particular visitor had come from the horse stables where the horses are kept for the horseback ride in the surf excursion, which is always fun to watch.

When it was time to head back to the ship, I left around 1:45 p.m. thinking there would be a huge line since we were getting close to the last tender time. There wasn’t. I waited less than 15 minutes before I was on a tender and heading back to the ship. Once all the crew and supplies were back onboard, Koningsdam pulled away a little before 3:00 p.m. to begin the trip back to Fort Lauderdale.

Now, I talked about this a few week ago and it’s worth repeating.  A lot of people wonder why the call at Half Moon Cay is a short one when it falls on the last full day of the cruise and all aboard is as early as 2:30 p.m.

The answer is simple: distance.

Half Moon Cay is about 245 nautical miles from Port Everglades. Do the math and it starts to make sense. If the ship leaves around 3:00 p.m. and cruises at roughly 17 knots, it is pulling into Fort Lauderdale around 5:30 a.m. the next morning, just in time for the pilot to come aboard and for the ship to be docked around 6:00 a.m. for turnaround day.

Leave any later than that, and now you start messing with the next cruise.

One other thing worth keeping in mind, and it catches people every time, is that beverage packages do not work on Half Moon Cay, so if you’re planning on drinking ashore, that is coming out of your pocket. Also, some of the smaller shops on the island only take cash, so it’s a good idea to bring a little with you unless you enjoy finding that out the hard way after spotting something you suddenly decide you need.

Dinner at Tamarind on Koningsdam

Now, like I always do in my final day reviews of a cruise, I do an overall review from embarkation to debarkation, so I’ll get to that in a minute. But first, a note about dinner.

Here’s a look at what was being served tonight in the Lido Market and the main dining room.

Koningsdam Caribbean Lido Dinner H (4/2026)

Menu from Koningsdam, April 2026

Available on: all ships

Bakery Shop Rise

Flat Bread

Flat bread

Focaccia

Focaccia

Marathon Bread

Marathon bread

Assorted Rolls

Assorted rolls

Crisp

Crisp

Pound Cake

Pound cake

Bread Board

3 Cheese Sandwich

Three cheese sandwich on challa brioche

Romesco

Roastbeef

Apple, Pear and Pecan Salad

Apple, pear and pecan salad

Heart of Palm, Mango and Avocado Salad

Heart of palm, mango and avocado salad

Caribbean Roasted Pork Sandwich

Caribbean roasted pork sandwich with cumin, allspice, mayonnaise, chipotle mayo, lime zest on ciabatta rolls with lettuce, tomatoes, hot sauce, salsas, jalapeno cornbread, fried plantains

Wild Harvest

Chop-Chop

Chop-chop salad

Chicken Caesar

Chicken Caesar salad

Cob

Cob salad

Asian Sesame with Seared Tuna

Asian sesame salad with seared tuna

Distant Lands Italian

Cheese Ravioli, Tomato Basil Mozzarella

Cheese ravioli with tomato basil mozzarella

Maccheroni al Ferretto all' Amatriciana

Maccheroni al ferretto all' amatriciana

Lasagna

Lasagna

Garlic Scrolls

Garlic scrolls

Ciabatta Wheel

Ciabatta wheel

Marinara Sauce

Marinara sauce for pasta

Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese sauce for pasta

Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce for pasta

Distant Lands Asia

Vietnamese Rice Roll

Vietnamese rice roll

Bun Thit Nuong

Rice noodle with barbecued pork in nuoc chum sauce

Com Chien Thao

Fried rice with shrimps and mushrooms

Stir-Fried Vegetable, Chili Garlic Ginger

Stir-fried vegetable with chili garlic ginger

Vietnamese Lamb

Vietnamese lamb

Vietnamese Steamed Fish, Nuoc Cham

Vietnamese steamed fish with nuoc cham

Ga Xao Xa Ot

Chicken breast with lemongrass in fish sauce

Roasting Pan

Chicken and Chorizo Soup

Chicken and chorizo soup

Murg Patiala

Murg patiala

Ghar Ka Rajma

Ghar ka rajma

Paneer Tikka Masala

Paneer tikka masala

Scented Basmati Rice

Scented basmati rice

Spiced Lamb Shoulder

Spiced lamb shoulder

Rosemary Roasted Chicken

Rosemary roasted chicken

Loaded Mashed Potatoes

Loaded mashed potatoes

Mac n Cheese

Mac n cheese

Yorkshire Pudding

Yorkshire pudding

Cauliflower Gratinated

Cauliflower gratinated

Homestead

Port Braised Lamb Shank

Port braised lamb shank

Crispy Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp

Crispy sweet-and-sour shrimp

Barbecue Salmon

Barbecue salmon

Three Cheese Vegetable Enchilada

Three cheese vegetable enchilada

Smoked Beef Brisket

Smoked beef brisket

New York Strip Loin

New York strip loin

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes

Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes

French Fries

French fries

Sweet Spot

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

Double chocolate cheesecake

Banana Pudding NSA

Banana pudding with no sugar added

Selection of Ice Cream

Selection of ice cream

Rum Butter Caramel Sauce

Rum butter caramel sauce with choice of fresh fruit toppings

Lido - Late Night 10:30pm - 11:30pm

Whole Fruits Sliced

Apple, pears, banana, orange, grapes

Eggplant, Couscous and Greek Yogurt

Eggplant, couscous and Greek yogurt with chargrilled beef, pickles and peppers

Cheese Selection

Roquefort, port salut, maaslander

Mediterranean Seafood

Mediterranean seafood salad tossed to order

Selection of Artisan Breads

Selection of artisan breads

Panini Grilled to Order

Panini grilled to order

Cobb

Roasted turkey, gorgonzola, Applewood bacon, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, ranch dressing on rye bun

Dutch Kroketten with Condiments

Dutch kroketten with condiments

Italian Meatballs

Italian meatballs

Chicken Brochette

Chicken brochette

French Fries with Toppings

French fries with toppings

Beef Spicy Sesame

Beef spicy sesame

Steamed Rice

Steamed rice

Grilled Zucchini

Grilled zucchini

Spaghetti Amatriciana

Spaghetti amatriciana

Pear Frangipane Pie

Pear frangipane pie

Brownie Choco Mouse Trifle

Brownie choco mouse trifle

Chocolate Marbled Cheesecake

Chocolate marbled cheesecake

Vanilla Profiterol No Sugar Added

Vanilla profiterol with no sugar added

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Koningsdam MDR Caribbean Menu H (4/2026)

Menu from Koningsdam, April 2026

Available on: all ships

Drinks

Dutch 150

$11.00

De Lijn gin, sparkling wine, fresh lemon juice

Bahama Mama

$12.00

Flor de cana rum, Malibu rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, grenadine

Pusser's Painkiller

$13.00

Pusser's rum, pineapple juice, cream of coconut, orange juice, grated nutmeg

El Presidente

$13.00

Planteray 3 star, vermouth blanc, dashes of orange curaçao and grenadine

Trader Vic's Mai Tai

$13.00

Appleton aged rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, orgeat

Featured Red Wine

$13.00

Chateau Smith cabernet sauvignon

Featured White Wine

$12.00

Chateau Ste. Michelle chardonnay

Featured Beer

$7.75

Bud light

Appetizers

Jerked Chicken Egg Roll

Island slaw, chili mango

Seafood Louis Cocktail

Shrimp, scallop, salmon, cod, boiled egg

Carpaccio of Beef Tenderloin

Olive oil, Parmesan, whole grain mustard sauce

French Onion Soup

Gruyère cheese crouton

Classic Caesar Salad

Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

Chicken and Chorizo Soup

Spanish rice, saffron, carrots, bell peppers

White Radish and Mango Salad

Butter lettuce, cucumber cilantro

Mains

Smoked Beef Brisket

Garlic red skin smashed potatoes, spicy slaw

Linguine Chicken Alfredo

Cream, butter, black pepper, Parmesan

Port Braised Lamb Shank

Butter bean puree, gremolata

New York Strip Loin, Fries

Garlic herb butter

Garlic-Herb Roasted Chicken

Avocado-tomato corn salad

Rustic Home-Made Lasagna

Tomato sauce, basil

Crispy Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp

Steamed jasmine rice, vegetables

Barbecue Salmon Bowl

Mango, avocado, brown rice, asparagus

Three Cheese Vegetable Enchilada

Salsa roja, black bean casserole

Roasted Pork Belly, Pineapple Tarte Tatin

Whipped potatoes, green beans, red onions

Featured

5 oz Filet Mignon & Lobster

$18.00

Grilled asparagus, baked potato, garlic butter

12 oz Pinnacle Grill Strip Loin Steak

$20.00

Baked potato, creamed spinach

By Global Fresh Fish Ambassador Chef Morimoto

Crispy Fried Market Whole Fish

$25.00

Sweet tamarind chili sauce, picked vegetables

Yuzu Butter Grilled Lobster Tails

$25.00

Seasonal Asian greens

Desserts

Jamaican Bread Pudding

Warm rum vanilla sauce

Key Lime Pie

Graham crackers, whipped cream

Double Chocolate Cheesecake

White chocolate sauce

Banana Pudding

Vanilla sponge, cake crumbs

Artisan Cheese Selection

Provolone, edam, Havarti, blue cheese

Brownie Peanut Sundae

Vanilla ice cream, brownie, peanuts, sprinkles, caramel

Ice Cream of the Day

Cookies and cream, passion fruit sorbet, butter pecan

Cappuccino

$3.75

Cappuccino

Espresso

$2.75

Espresso

⬇ Download PDF

🖼️ Menu Images

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For me, however, I went to the one specialty restaurant I had not eaten at yet on this cruise, Tamarind, Holland America’s Asian restaurant, which will run you $35 per person plus 18%. On the Pinnacle Class ships, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam, and Rotterdam, Tamarind is located aft on Deck 10 overlooking the Sea View Pool. Attached to it is the Morimoto by Sea sushi bar, which is à la carte, along with a small bar area that serves light bites. Then there’s the restaurant itself.

Tamarind

Tamarind is one of Holland America’s standout specialty restaurants, serving beautifully plated Asian-inspired dishes in a calm, upscale setting with sweeping ocean views. From sushi and satays to rich curries and seafood, it’s the kind of dinner that feels refined without being overly formal.

Available on: Eurodam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Amsterdam, Nieuw Statendam, Rotterdam

Starters

Satay Sampler

Malaysian lamb, Indonesian chicken, Thai pork, peanut sauce, atjar cucumber relish

Shrimp Tempura

sweet and sour sauce, sesame noodles

Pork Bao Bun

green onions, carrots, pickled cucumber, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro

Thai Beef Salad

rare-seared beef, cilantro, scallions, cucumber, fresh mint, toasted peanuts, kaffir lime dressing

Korean Beef Bulgogi Taco

kimchi mayo, Asian slaw, avocado, cilantro, tofu vegetarian on request

Jewels of the Sea

shrimp wontons, baby bok choy, lemongrass-sesame broth

Lumpiang Shanghai

ground pork, egg roll wrap, sweet chili sauce, green papaya

Vegan Tom Kha Thai Coconut Soup

kaffir lime, mushroom, bean sprouts, chili oil

Coconut Crusted Scallops

honey lime dressing

Taste of Tamarind

Experience a selection of favorite starters, crafted for sharing and curated to the number of people at the table. This platter features: Shrimp Tempura, Korean Beef Bulgogi Taco, Lumpiang Shanghai and Satay sampler

Mains

Wok-Seared Lobster

$28.00

Asian greens, ginger, sweet chili, soy

Crispy Duck

yaki udon, grilled scallions, bean sprouts, ginger-chili glazed

Sweet Potato & Cauliflower Massaman

green beans, crispy onions, bean sprouts, basil, peanuts

Panang Red Curry Coconut Chicken

crispy lotus, wok-seared vegetables, roasted peanuts

Wasabi & Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin

tempura onion rings, tonkatsu sauce

Thai Basil Szechuan Shrimp

chili pepper glaze, Asian spices, straw mushrooms, sweet bell peppers, scallions, chili sauce

Mongolian Lamb Chop

baby bok choy, toasted sesame seeds, mirin plum sauce

Vegan Singapore Mei Fun

eggplant katsu, bell peppers, bean sprouts, yu choy

Teochew Fried Seabass

ginger scallion chili soy

Sides

Steamed Jasmine Rice or Brown Rice

Asian Eggplant, Spicy Coconut

Egg Fried Rice

Seared Bok Choy

Sake Braised Oyster & Shiitake Mushrooms

Desserts

Mango Posset

coconut macaroon, passion fruit jelly, mango sorbet

Cherry Blossom Tart

chocolate, cookie crust

Selection of House-Made Sorbets

lemon-basil, yuzu, lychee

Passion Fruit Cloud

light egg white soufflé, passion fruit sorbet

Pineapple & Coconut Tapioca

lemon grass foam, sesame tuile

Cocktails

Casual Encounter

$14.00

Belvedere vodka, Canton ginger, lemon, cucumber

Lychee Martini

$12.00

Roku gin, Morimoto Junmai sake, lychee liquor

Cucumber Mojito

$12.00

Bacardi 8 rum, agave, lime, orange juice, cucumber

Yuzu Cocktail

$12.00

De Lijn gin, yuzu juice, vanilla, soda

Morimotini

$15.00

Haku Vodka, Morioto Junmai sake, cucumber

⬇ Download PDF

🖼️ Menu Images

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I didn’t have a reservation, but I headed up around 8:00 p.m. and was taken to a table right away.

Now, I’ve been eating at Tamarind for years on multiple Holland America ships, and the experience is usually very good and very consistent across the ships it’s on, so I pretty much know what to expect when I walk in there. After my server came over, introduced herself, and took my drink order, I ordered a shrimp tempura roll from the sushi bar, which took a little while to arrive even though there was nobody sitting at the sushi bar. Not exactly sure what the holdup was there, but eventually it showed up.

From the main menu, I started with the Taste of Tamarind, which is a sampler with a few different appetizers including satay, shrimp tempura, and a very tasty little beef taco. It’s a good choice if you want to try a few things at once, or if you’re dining with someone and want something easy to share.

When it came time for the main course, I ordered the crispy duck.

Now, as I’ve mentioned before when ordering this dish on other ships, I’m not entirely sure why they call it crispy duck because it is usually anything but. When most people hear crispy duck, they’re thinking of something more along the lines of Peking duck with that nice crisp skin that snaps when you cut into it. This is not that. Never has been. But it is usually still pretty good anyway.

And I use the word usually very intentionally here, because tonight was a major exception.

Normally, the duck more or less falls off the bone. Tonight, this duck was just… bad. Really bad. As I tried to cut through it, my server noticed and came over and said, “That looks really tough and dry.”

I told her, “It’s actually pretty awful.”

And it was.

The duck itself was incredibly tough and could barely be cut with the knife I had. Since it wasn’t a steak, there was no steak knife, and honestly you should not need one for duck anyway. On top of being tough, it also had a very noticeable freezer-burned taste to it, which made the whole thing even worse.

She apologized and offered to get me something else, which I declined. The restaurant manager, Elena, also came over, apologized, and offered to replace it, which I also declined. The chef, however, never came over.

In the end, they comped me for the sushi, and since dinner itself was covered by my final Have It All dining credit, there was no charge for the meal anyway. But had there been, I’m sure they would have removed it.

Unfortunately, this one went down as the worst meal of the cruise, which is not something I say lightly, especially about Tamarind. But while the food itself was a miss, the way it was handled was good, and I’ll give them credit for that.

Now… on to my full review of this cruise on Koningsdam.

But first… the disclaimer.

Holland America Koningsdam Review

Southern Caribbean: Koningsdam

Dates: Mar 29, 2026 – Apr 10, 2026

Homeport: Fort Lauderdale, FL

Ship Facts: 2016 build • 99,902 • 2,650 passengers (double occupancy)

Date	Port	Country	Start	End
Mar 29	Fort Lauderdale, FL	United States		3:30 PM
Mar 30	At Sea	–	–	–
Mar 31	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 1	San Juan	Puerto Rico	8:00 AM	11:00 PM
Apr 2	St. Thomas	USVI	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 3	St. John's	Antigua and Barbuda	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 4	Roseau	Dominica	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 5	Castries	St. Lucia	8:00 AM	4:00 PM
Apr 6	Basseterre	St. Kitts and Nevis	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 7	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 8	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 9	Half Moon Cay	Bahamas	8:00 AM	3:00 PM
Apr 10	Fort Lauderdale, FL	United States	7:00 AM

Embarkation in Fort Lauderdale

Embarkation for this cruise was a bit of a mixed bag.

The biggest headache, once again, was getting into Port Everglades, which continues to be the second most frustrating port arrival experiences in Florida, with PortMiami claiming the number one spot. The checkpoint setup slows everything down to a crawl, with drivers having to show ID, boarding documents, and answer the usual questions before being let into the port. On a day with multiple ships in, that turns into a complete traffic mess with backed-up cars, impatient drivers, shuttle vans trying to squeeze by wherever they can, and the whole thing feeling way more chaotic than it needs to be. It took about 20 minutes just to clear that bottleneck and get to the terminal to drop off luggage.

Then came the nonsense with the parking garage. Even though the garage is right next to the terminal, the traffic flow makes absolutely no sense, so instead of just making a simple turn into it after dropping bags, you have to loop all the way back around and re-enter the area.

Once inside the terminal, things improved a little, but not by much. There were separate lines for priority and non-priority guests, but very little direction which led to people standing in the wrong lines and the usual confusion once the crowd started backing up. Security and boarding were less organized than I’ve experienced on previous Holland America sailings out of Fort Lauderdale, and there was the usual bit of bad passenger behavior mixed in too, with some deciding they were too important to wait and trying to slip through the accessibility line.

That said, once I got through security and the facial recognition check-in, the rest moved along well enough. I was onboard and walking to my stateroom by 1:00 p.m., which is not terrible at all. So while the actual time from arrival to ship was reasonable, the overall shoreside experience left a lot to be desired.

Verandah Stateroom 8048 on Koningsdam

For this cruise, I originally booked a guarantee inside stateroom, which means you let the cruise line assign your room closer to embarkation and just take what you get. Sometimes that works out in your favor and you wind up with a little upgrade surprise, but this time I did not leave it to chance. A few days before the cruise, I was offered an upgrade to a verandah stateroom for $700, and I took it.

Stateroom 8048 is located forward on Deck 8 and is pretty much your standard Holland America verandah cabin. You’ve got the two twin beds that convert into a queen, a small loveseat, desk and vanity area, flat-screen TV across from the bed, and the usual setup you’ll find in these rooms across the fleet.

The room itself was comfortable and functional, with a good amount of power outlets and USB ports, something that always matters when you’ve got a ton of devices to keep charged. There are outlets and USB-A ports by the bed as well as more U.S., European, and USB connections at the desk, so Holland America does a good job there. Storage was also solid, with two wardrobes, drawers, a safe, minibar, snack box, bathrobes, blankets, umbrella, and beach towels, so there was plenty of space to keep things organized.

That said, there were a couple little issues. The loveseat had a stain on it, which was surprising considering the ship had just come out of dry dock and had supposedly been refreshed. It was not the end of the world, but it definitely stood out as something that should have been addressed already.

The bathroom is functional, but tight, and the placement of the toilet is awkward enough that unless you are built like a gymnast, you are basically sitting on it sideways because your knees wind up jammed against the glass shower wall. If you’re tall, good luck. The walk-in shower itself was a decent size and had a glass door, which is much nicer than a clingy shower curtain, but my shower door did not stay fully shut and kept hanging open just enough for water to get out onto the bathroom floor.

Out on the balcony, it was the standard Holland America setup with two chairs, two footstools, and a small table. Nothing oversized, nothing too cramped either, just a nice enough private outdoor space to sit with a cocktail and watch the ocean go by.

Video Tour of Stateroom 8048 on Koningsdam

Restaurants on Koningsdam

Absolutely. Based on everything you wrote across the reports, here’s a quick review of each with a 1 to 5 star rating.

Main Dining Room – ★★☆☆☆ – The MDR was the weakest regular dinner experience of the cruise. Quality, portions, the rushed service and overall “get them in and out” feel reminded you exactly why specialty dining is worth the extra cost.

Lido Market – ★★★★☆ – The Lido Market does buffet service properly!  Most stations are not self-service, a huge plus for me, the selections for lunch and dinner change daily so there’s always a good variety, the bespoke salads and sushi are always a hit with me, and having a spot for a late-nite bite is always a good option.  My only complaint… dinner service is over at a very early 8pm.

Canaletto – ★★★★½ – Canaletto once again proved to be the best value in specialty dining on Holland America. The food was consistently very good, the fresh pasta makes a difference, and the kitchen’s willingness to customize dishes makes it an easy repeat choice, especially at that price point.

Pinnacle Grill – ★★★★½  – Pinnacle Grill delivered exactly what you expect from Holland America’s flagship steakhouse. Service was consistently excellent, the steaks were well executed, and it remained one of the most reliable meals onboard.

Rudi’s Sel de Mer – ★★★★½ – Rudi’s had the best overall service of the cruise and several standout dishes, especially the Dover sole and duck. One tough steak kept it from being five stars, but overall it still felt upscale, special, and very much worth repeat visits.

Tamarind – ★★☆☆☆ – Tamarind is usually one of the most dependable restaurants in Holland America’s fleet, which made this visit especially disappointing. The appetizers and sushi were fine, but the duck was the worst entrée of the cruise, though the staff handled the situation well.

Koningsdam’s Fellow Passengers

The passenger mix on this sailing was a little different than what you might normally expect on Holland America.

Since this cruise still fell within the spring break window, there were definitely some families onboard and more kids than you would usually see on a typical Holland sailing. That said, aside from the one little hellion I mentioned earlier in the report, the kids overall were actually very well behaved. There was none of the out-of-control, unsupervised chaos you can sometimes run into on more family-heavy cruise lines during school break periods.

There were also a lot of first-time Holland America cruisers onboard, which was pretty noticeable. A big part of that seemed to come from this being a casino cruise, with Holland clearly making a push to lure casino players away from other lines, especially Carnival. You could definitely feel some of that crossover onboard, both in the passenger mix and in the amount of activity around the casino and related events.

As for the average age, it was lower than what I’d normally expect on Holland America. This did not feel like one of those 70-plus crowd sailings where the ship is tucked in bed by 9:15 and the walkers are parked three deep outside the theater. I’d peg the average age somewhere around 62 to 65, which is still very much Holland America, just a slightly younger version of it. Overall, it made for a pretty good mix of longtime HAL loyalists, first timers, casino players, and a few families without the ship ever feeling overrun by any one group.

Entertainment and Activities on Koningsdam

When it comes to entertainment, Koningsdam does a lot right, and a couple things still need work.

Let’s start with the live music, because that is where Holland America absolutely shines. The bands in Rolling Stone Lounge and B.B. King’s Blues Club flat-out nail it every night. These are genuinely talented musicians putting on performances that draw crowds, keep people in their seats, and give the ship real energy at night. Night after night, both venues delivered, and they remain one of the strongest parts of the entertainment lineup not just on Koningsdam, but across the Holland America fleet.

I’d say the exact opposite about the piano players over at Billboard Onboard, though. Plenty of people seemed to enjoy them, and they definitely had a crowd for their sets, but for me the current duo just was not very good. Maybe the sound guy had the mics turned up way too high, maybe it was the song choices, or maybe it was just one of those acts that did not click for me, but let’s just say one comment I overheard at the bar comparing the singing to a cat pretty much summed up the situation.

During the day, there is no shortage of things to do either. The daily schedule is packed with activities that hit a lot of different age groups and interests, and one thing Holland America really leans into is trivia. There are multiple trivia sessions a day on all kinds of topics, and they are consistently well attended.

The Crow’s Nest also continues to be a popular daytime hangout. It serves as a gathering place for people playing board games, reading, watching the scenery go by, or just relaxing in a quieter space away from the busier pool decks. Up there you’ll also find the arts and crafts room, which gets a lot of use as well and is clearly popular with guests who want something a little more hands-on than sitting through another trivia event.

Now, when it comes to the production shows, I keep saying the same thing about Holland America and I’m going to say it again here: this remains a weak spot.

That is especially frustrating because the World Stage on the Pinnacle Class ships is one of the nicest performance venues at sea. The 270-degree video screens, circular stage, and the overall layout of the room give the cruise line an incredible platform to do something really impressive. The venue itself is fantastic. The problem is the actual shows do not always live up to the room they’re being performed in. Holland has been trying, and I will absolutely give them that. Since the post-COVID restart, the production quality has improved and new shows have been rolled out, so this is not a case of them just ignoring the issue. But there is still a lot of room for improvement. If they can get the stage shows to the same level as the venue itself, they could really have something special there.

And then there was the Orange Party, which on this cruise was a bit of a letdown.

On Rotterdam, the Orange Party is held in B.B. King’s Blues Club with the live B.B. King’s band, and that gives the event exactly the kind of energy and atmosphere it needs. On Koningsdam, at least on this cruise and the one before it from what I was told, the party had been moved to the Lido Pool and a DJ was used instead. I went into it expecting that since this was another Pinnacle Class ship, the setup, venue, and overall feel would be the same. It was not.

Without the band, the energy just was not there. The Lido Pool setup also did not help, with less room to move, people trying to sit, others trying to dance, and servers weaving through the crowd. It just felt more cramped and far less lively than the version on Rotterdam. Yes, I know other Holland ships do Orange Party in different venues, and I saw that myself on Zuiderdam a few months ago, but when you have ships in the same class with the same basic entertainment spaces, I really think things like this should stay consistent. The B.B. King’s version is simply better.

Ship Condition and Upkeep

This sailing on Koningsdam was the first one out of dry dock, and overall, the ship is looking great.

The most obvious improvement is the fresh coat of paint on the exterior, which gives the ship that crisp, polished look you always notice right away when a vessel has just come out of the yard. Inside, there were also some refreshes, including new carpet in certain public areas and new carpet in some, but not all, staterooms. So yes, you can definitely see where work was done.

That said, it was not a full top-to-bottom refresh in every space. There are still areas, including some stairwells, where the carpeting could absolutely have used replacement and did not get it. The same goes for some of the soft furnishings, like chairs and seating in various parts of the ship, which have clearly seen better days and could use either some real TLC or just be replaced altogether. So while the ship looks freshened up, there are still a few spots where the dry dock did not go quite far enough.

One of the best changes made during dry dock was the removal of the staircase that connected Deck 2 to the casino on Deck 3. That has turned out to be a very good improvement, especially when it comes to the smoke situation in the entertainment area below. It is one of those changes that not only updates the layout a bit but actually improves the onboard experience in a noticeable way.

Overall though, Koningsdam remains in very good condition and is being kept up very well. She still feels polished, modern, and well maintained, and while there are a few areas that could have used a little more attention during dry dock, nothing about the ship feels tired or neglected.

Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale

Disembarkation in Fort Lauderdale was quick, easy, and thankfully a whole lot smoother than embarkation.

Like most cruises, there were two ways to get off the ship. The first is self-assist, where you carry all your own luggage off the ship and can usually get off earlier. The second is the more traditional route, where you put your checked bags out the night before, the crew collects them, and then you pick them up in the terminal after leaving the ship.

I went with the second option and put my bags out the night before.

Because I’m a 4-Star Mariner, luggage tags were delivered to the stateroom and I was assigned a pretty convenient departure window that allowed me to leave the ship anytime between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. That made the whole process very easy because there was no rushing, no standing around waiting for some painfully specific group number to be called, and no dragging luggage through the ship first thing in the morning.

I left my room right at 8:00 a.m., walked straight off the ship, through customs, and was in my car by 8:25 a.m.  It took a bit longer in the parking garage because I was on level six and had to wait in line for an elevator.

What’s Next?

Now that Holland America has wrapped up its Caribbean season, those “dam ships” will not be back down here until October. So over the next few months, I’ll be mixing it up a bit and sailing on a couple different lines.

First up is coming in just a week, when I head back onboard MSC World America out of Miami for a 7-day Eastern Caribbean cruise. This one comes exactly one year after I sailed on the ship’s inaugural voyage, so it should be interesting to see what, if anything, has been tweaked, changed, improved, or quietly fixed since that first sailing on MSC’s newest vessel.

The itinerary for that one is posted below, so be sure to follow along for that adventure as well.

Eastern Caribbean: MSC World America

Dates: Apr 18, 2026 – Apr 25, 2026

Homeport: Miami, FL

Ship Facts: 2025 build • 205,700 • 6,774 passengers (double occupancy)

Date	Port	Country	Start	End
Apr 18	Miami, FL	United States		6:00 PM
Apr 19	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 20	Puerto Plata	Dominican Republic	8:00 AM	5:00 PM
Apr 21	San Juan	Puerto Rico	9:00 AM	11:00 PM
Apr 22	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 23	At Sea	–	–	–
Apr 24	Ocean Cay Marine Reserve	Bahamas	8:00 AM	8:00 PM
Apr 25	Miami, FL	United States	7:00 AM

And as always, thanks for following along, not just on this Holland America cruise, but in general.

See you from MSC World America in just a few days.

Daily Schedule

Personal Day-By-Day Koningsdam Cruise Review: