MS Koningsdam at the Port of Tyne

Mandy Oldknow on 16 August 2016
My first visit to the Port of Tyne was, I’m happy to say, in glorious sunshine. To make sure I made it on time I decided on an overnight stay at the Premier Inn, which was so close to the port I could almost walk to the ship, but I didn’t.

Holland America’s newest ship MS Koningsdam was the reason to my trip up north. I have seen other HAL ships old and new, but was especially looking forward to this one following all the launch hype that had come with it. I was not disappointed.

MS Koningsdam is classed as a medium sized ship at 99,000 tons carrying 2,650 passengers and I have to say she is beautiful. From the outside she is sleek and not ugly like some ships. Inside Holland America have managed to create some amazing areas some light and modern others have the rich deep colours that you would expect from the older ships, but with a modern twist.

I think my favourite part of the ship is the Lido pool area with the retractable roof, the colours, the loungers, the seating areas, the casual dining venues and a movie screen. It’s just a gorgeous space.

As we all know eating is a big part of any cruise and MS Koningsdam will not disappoint. We ate in the dining room (great name). Again this is a really modern light space with a mixture of rich colours, designed by Adam Tihany, a big shot in the restaurant and hotel world. The food we had was perfect and so was the service.

Like all ships now, this is not the only place to eat. You also have specialty restaurants including Sur De Mer seafood brasserie, Tamarind serving food from Asia, China and Japan, Canaletto the Italian, Pinnacle Grill for that refined luxury. A place that is special is the Culinary Arts Centre with its show kitchen and individual cooking stations you can see cooking demonstrations or even take a class from a Celebrity Chef.

Have you ever thought about making your own wine? Well on board MS Koningsdam you can do just that at Blend. Entertainment isn’t lacking on this ship either. Yes, if you want a quiet night there are plenty of places to chill out with a book and a cocktail like the beautiful Crow’s Nest, but for something more lively, you have a great choice as well. World Stage is a great theatre with LED screens to make the viewing experience even more amazing. If you fancy some music you have a great choice on the Music Walk from 50 years of chart topping music from Billboard on board, B.B.King’s Blues Club to Lincoln Centre Stage giving you chamber music and recitals.

Relaxing or working out? The spa area on this ship is fabulous and the thermal suite is a place I would never want to leave. The gym, well it seems to have everything you could possibly need to work off all the food and drink you have consumed during your cruise.

I nearly forgot to mention the children’s set up, Club HAL which is crazy as I’m a mum and it’s the first place on the ship I visited. Kids Clubs have changed a lot since I first started cruising. They are not just a place for kids to hang, they are fun and educational in equal measures nowadays. They cater for ages 3 to 17 years so even your moody teenagers are looked after. What’s not to love?

Well that was my whistle stop tour of Holland America’s MS Koningsdam. I hope you enjoyed it. Please get in touch for more details.