Day 2 January 9, 2017 at Sea heading towards Grand Turk

OK this is really a big, big ship.  We haven't been on this size of a ship in a long long time.  It is always a thrill to anticipate a new ship joining HAL magnificent fleet.  But its especially exciting when that new arrival is the first of a new class of ship.  For when the 2,650 guest, sailed in April 2016, she was not only be the first to bear that name she will usher in a new era of Pinnacle-class cruising.  Pinnacle means "high point" an the debut of Koningsdam is a high point in Holland America Line history.  Her name sets the tone.  Its roots, like the ship itself are a mix of something contemporary and something classic: "Koning." means King in Dutch and is a salute to King Willem-Alexander, the Netherlands first King in more the 100 years.  And "dam" because after all...this is HAL line ship and the "dam" naming convention dates back to 1883.  So there's some history for you taken straight for Hal's website.  Here's a few more pictures of this beautiful ship.

Capacity is 2650 passengers
Crew  1036
Tonnage 99,836 GT
Built in Italy

Atrium on Deck 1. Koningsdam features a lot of design elements linked to the world of music with some decks carrying the names of popular composers such as Beethoven, Schubert, Gershwin or Mozart.  The construction framing the open deck space is based on guitar strings. It is highly controversial along the passengers and they think it looks like a bread brasket.   But apart from that, this is the place to be if you want to book any shore excursions.

World Stage on Decks 2 and 3 is the ship´s main theatre and serves as interactive stage for shows, artists and concerts. The stage itself can be individually adjusted and the open design allows you to fully engage in any performance that takes place here. One of my favourite details of this theatre is the surrounding LED wall that allows amazing visual effects during shows!

 

The iconic Queen´s Lounge onboard Koningsdam extends over two decks and is home to the B.B. King´s Blues Club in the evening. During the day, it is used for various events. My favourite one is the High Tea in the afternoon which is an absolute must for everyone!  We love this instead of Lunch on board