holland america koningsdam cruise schedule

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ms Koningsdam

Cruise line Holland America

• Vancouver (BC Canada)
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ms Koningsdam current position

ms Koningsdam current location is at North America West Coast (coordinates 58.29735 N / -134.40656 W) cruising en route to CA VAN > US JNU. The AIS position was reported 14 minutes ago.

Current itinerary of ms Koningsdam

ms Koningsdam current cruise is 7 days, round-trip Alaska Inside Passage . The itinerary starts on 11 May, 2024 and ends on 18 May, 2024 .

Specifications of ms Koningsdam

•   Itineraries
•   Review
•   Wiki

ms Koningsdam Itineraries

Ms koningsdam review, review of ms koningsdam.

The 2016-built MS Koningsdam cruise ship is the first Holland America Pinnacle-Class liner, with sisterships the fleetmates Nieuw Statendam (2018) and Nieuw Rotterdam (2021) and also Cunard's Queen Anne . These are HAL fleet's newest and largest boats.

The vessel (IMO number 9692557) is currently Netherlands- flagged (MMSI 244830547) and registered in Rotterdam .

History - construction and ownership

Holland America Line (HAL) is a Seattle -based cruise company owned by Carnival Corporation (shipowner). Between 1873-1989, HAL was a Dutch cargo and passenger shipping company operating regular Transatlantic crossings between Holland and the Americas. HAL was founded in 1873 as "Dutch-American Steamship Company" headquartered in Rotterdam Netherlands . In 1989, HAL was acquired by Carnival Corporation for around EUR 530 million. Among the company's assets are the Westmark hotel chain (Alaska-Yukon), Worldwide Shore Services (warehouses-logistics) and Half Moon Cay (Caribbean private island).

The 2700-passenger ship Koningsdam added a number of fleet-firsts, including two swimming pools and family oceanview cabins. Koningsdam's interiors reflect the work of designers Adam D. Tihany and Bjorn Storbraaten, who drew inspiration for the new ship from music. An example is the 3-deck, skylight-capped atrium featuring a stainless steel sculpture reminding a string quartet. Koningsdam represents the new Pinnacle Class for Holland America Line. The ship debuts several innovative concepts, new public spaces and venues while featuring popular amenities cruisers associate with the line. Guests enjoy HAL's first purpose-built single staterooms and staterooms for families, as well as fine dining in several alternative restaurants. The vessel's godmother Queen Maxima of The Netherlands performed the traditional dedication and naming at Port Rotterdam on May 20, 2016.

Decks and Cabins

MS Koningsdam staterooms (1331 total, in 35 grades) include 164 Suites, 748 Balcony, 142 Oceanviews (including 32x Family Oceanview and 12x Studios/single cabins), 277 Inside. Most cabins as sized ~180 m2 (17 m2). Most cabin balconies are sized 50 ft2 / 5 m2. Nearly 70% of the ship's passenger accommodations have private step-out balconies. Wheelchair-accessible cabins are 27. The largest accommodation is the Penthouse/Pinnacle Suite (970 ft2 / 90 m2, with terrace sized 320 ft2 / 30 m2 and fitted with an outdoor Jacuzzi).

The boat has 13 passenger decks , of which 8 are with cabins.

Club Orange is an exclusive (Suite-only) venue integrated into HAL's "Club Orange" program providing exclusive amenities to passengers booked in the Suite categories Neptune and Pinnacle. Bonus perks by the Club Orange program include:

• priority services (check-in, disembarkation, tendering, dining reservations)
• 24-hour concierge service (assistance, information, reservations)
• exclusive dining venue (Club Orange Restaurant/deck 2) serving complimentary Pinnacle Grill breakfast and Dining Room dinner, plus exclusive dishes
• dedicated Concierge Desk (Guest Services and Tours)
• room service (a la carte breakfast menu with complimentary gourmet dishes - including smoked salmon, steak and eggs)
• sparkling wine (embarkation day), Club Orange tote bag, premium bathrobes (cabin use, available for monogramming and purchasing)

Club Orange Restaurant occupies the area of the former "Culinary Arts Center". Culinary Arts Center was a premium dinner-only restaurant (cover charge $39 pp, unlimited wine included) via partnership with the “Food & Wine Magazine”. This open-kitchen/show-kitchen venue was used daily for professional cooking shows, culinary classes and workshops (cooking and cocktail) presented in demonstration kitchens. In the evenings, the venue transformed into “Dinner at the Culinary Arts Center”. This specialty dining concept ("America's Test Kitchen") provided a top-quality gourmet experience - the ship’s chefs prepared dishes in the demonstration kitchen while the guests enjoyed each course with wine pairing. At the entry, there were 9 interactive TV displays allowing guests to explore personal lives, special recipes, cooking secrets and tips from famous food and wine industry celebrities. By Holland America Line’s partnership with Koppert Cress (microgreen specialist), the Culinary Arts Center had a live garden to grow fresh ingredients. This enabled the guests to enjoy farm-to-table items from the dinner menu (veggie fare, 5 choices, dessert, cheese plate). The ingredients were displayed in a glass-enclosed garden area and harvested just before being served. Once sown, the seedlings grew for up to 2 weeks. The list of microgreens integrated in the recipes included garlic, mustard, licorice.

Shipboard dining options - Food and Drinks

Ship's 2-level main restaurant venue serves open-seating breakfast and lunch, as well as a blend of flexible and set-seating restaurant-style meals at dinner. Breakfast hours in the MDR vary but start as early as 7 am on port days and 8 am on sea days, wrapping up by 9:30 am. Breakfast fare includes bread, cereals, French toast, blueberry pancakes, corned beef hash, egg dishes and yogurt parfaits. Portions are on the smaller side, so better opt for a second pastry. Lunch in the MDR is typically limited to an hour per day (from noon to 1 pm on sea days; closed when the ship is in port for an entire day). If you see a line of guests waiting to be seated, do not be deterred as the line moves fast and the tables are plenty. Lunch fare includes sandwiches, soups, light salads, fish and heartier entrees.

Holland America is famous for its exceptional dining experiences on every voyage, but the fleet's newest ship ms Koningsdam boasts even more culinary options. The Dining Room is where passengers dine in a more formal setting. The two-story restaurant features an airy and sophisticated ambiance, with several new characteristics for a HAL ship. The bright design creates a unique venue while reflecting the overall design theme of the ship, inspired by the architecture of music.

This sunny, yellow room has expansive windows allowing for maximum daylight and sea views. In the evening its color turns to a darker shade of amber, thus setting the tone for an elegant evening dining atmosphere. Structural ribs inspired by the classical harp's strings connect the first floor to the second-floor ceiling creating the sense of a more curvilinear space. A grand staircase connects the two levels.

The centerpiece of Koningsdam's Dining Room is a sculptural champagne gold wine tower planned to appear fluid and folded. Flowing over the dining room are attractive chandeliers made from strings of hand-blown, tri-color glass bulbs.

On the menu are HAL's classic selections, signature dishes, regionally inspired cuisine, Culinary Council recipes from the world-renowned chefs who compose the group, including Master Chef & Council Chairman Rudi Sodamin and international chefs David Burke, Elizabeth Falkner, Jacques Torres, Jonnie Boer and Mark Best.

In addition to The Dining Room, Koningsdam guests enjoy fine dining in alternative restaurants including redesigned Lido Market (with themed food stations), the French seafood brasserie "Rudi's Sel de Mer", new farm-to-table concept dinner experience (in Culinary Arts Center, via partnership with Food & Wine magazine), Club Orange Restaurant (suite-exclusive dining experience), Canaletto (Italian restaurant), Tamarind (pan-Asian restaurant/seafood bar), Pinnacle Grill (steakhouse/seafood restaurant).

BLEND is a glass-enclosed winery room (capacity 10 seats) where are hosted daily wine blending sessions. These are reservations-only events (90 min sessions, $129 cover charge) with sommelier service. The BLEND venue is via partnership with the winemaker Chateau Ste Michelle Winery (Woodinville Washington). Wine-tasting events are seminar-like (led by a wine expert). Each session includes a sampling of 5 red wines (single-vineyard) later combined with different vintages into a personal blend. After the event, you can bottle and take your newly created wine and consume it at the ship’s restaurants or in the stateroom. At the BLEND room all guests are allowed to see the wines offered in the Pinnacle Grill and Sel de Mer, and also to choose their vintage from the impressive selection of premium wines.

Follows the complete list of ms Koningsdam restaurants and food bars.

• Pinnacle Grill (reservations-only seafood/steakhouse restaurant with fine wines selection; free for passengers under 12 yo). The venue transforms into "An Evening at le Cirque" once per cruise via a partnership with NYC "Le Cirque" French restaurant.
• Rudi's Sel De Mer is a dinner-only specialty restaurant serving French seafood. During drydock 2018, the restaurant was redesigned and expanded (to 54 seats). The venue features a curving shape and walnut wood-made, accordion-like column structure. The back wall is decorated with porcelain plates, all of which are decorated with Chef Rudi's Food Faces culinary pop art (via a partnership with Bernardaud - French porcelain masters). The food plates are arranged from classic ingredients (caviar, fruits, root vegetables, peppers, etc). In January 2018, HAL released the coffee table book "Food Faces" - available for purchase on the ship. Signature dishes in the a la carte menu include Rudi's Seafood Tower, Fruits de Mer, Broiled Lobster Tail, Whole Dover Sole Meuniere, Clams au Beurre, Duck Cassoulet, Steak Tartare, Steak Frites, Souffle au Fromage, Salt Crust Baked Branzino. Signature desserts include Rudi's Face to Face Chocolate, Rudi's Souffle, Crepes Suzette, Profiteroles with Hot Chocolate Sauce, Apple Tarte Tatin, Artisanal French Cheese Plate.
• The Dining Room (aft Dining Room; features open seating Breakfast and Lunch, two Dinner options - 2 fixed seatings or Any Time Dining between 5:15-9 pm)
• Canaletto Restaurant (Lido Restaurant annex; operates as an Italian restaurant for Dinner, reservations required)
• Dive-In (complimentary fast-food bar)
• New York Deli (fast-food bar)
• Gelato (ice cream parlor)

Lido Market (capacity 386 seats) is the ship’s self-service buffet restaurant open for Breakfast (6-11 am), Lunch (11:30-2 pm), Afternoon Tea (3-4 pm) and Dinner (5:30-8 pm). Food is complimentary and displayed at 5 themed stations. The Lido Buffet is designed as a modern marketplace, with numerous on-the-go or made-to-order food choices. Differently themed food stations (walk-up service) offer fresh-made sandwiches, grilled food, International fare, salads, fruits, desserts, daily specials. The food stations are named Breadboard (fresh-baked bread, pastries, sandwiches), Wild Harvest (salads, fruits, healthy food bites), Homestead (comfort food, including egg dishes and grilled meats), Distant Lands (themed cuisine specialties, including from the current cruise itinerary’s regions), Sweet Spot (desserts).

Tamarind (aft on Deck 10) is a reservations-only Asian restaurant open for complimentary lunch and at-fee dinner (at surcharge per person). Tamarind Bar serves the restaurant with cocktails and other beverages. Part of the Tamarind is the Japanese food bar Nami Sushi (capacity 7 seats only, also serving popular Asian spirits). Nami Sushi is open for lunch and dinner but both are at surcharge PP. Tamarind's sushi menu is created by chef Andy Matsuda and additionally includes 4 of his signature rolls.

Shipboard entertainment options - Fun and Sport

The World Stage is the ship's theatre (main show lounge) featuring 270-degree LED screens for multiple stage configurations. The Lido Pool (one of the ship's 2 swimming pools), has an outdoor movie screen, 3 whirlpools and a 2-tiered sunbathing area with cushioned lounge chairs.

Onboard live musical entertainment is concentrated in the Music Walk area (forward-midship on Plaza Deck 2) housing the music-themed venues Lincoln Center Stage & B.B. King's Blues Club, Rolling Stone Rock Room, and Billboard Onboard.

The 2-tiered Lincoln Center Stage & B.B. King's Blues Club (fka Queen's Lounge/decks 2-3) is a grand ballroom/concert hall/nightclub with two grand pianos (on floor 1), HAL fleet's biggest dance floor (floor 1), its own bar (floor 1), balcony seating (floor 2) and has a resident 8-man band (2 vocalists, 1 drummer, 1 pianist/organist, 1 bassist, 1 guitarist, 1 saxophonist, 1 trumpeter). The lounge hosts live musical performances (concerts, classical pieces, blues, popular hits from the 60s, sing-alongs) as well as a daily enrichment program (guest speakers, seminars, special events). Lincoln Center Stage is a collaboration with "Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts" (NYC) featuring classical/chamber music with a quintet combining piano and strings.

Rolling Stone Rock Room is a classic rock club (via partnership with Rolling Stone Magazine) where are offered live 5-piece band performances.

Billboard Onboard is a signature sing-along bar with live performances (pianists, guitarists, DJ) in a variety of genres (including pop, rock, classic, country). There are 3 programs per night (each lasts 45 to 60 min). The music bar hosts dynamic evening shows, has a central stage (with two grand pianos), wood-paneled walls, three large-size TVs, comfortable seating (plush sofas and chairs, round tables).

Other amenities include: complimentary 24-Hour Room-Service, supervised Kids Program ("Club Hal"), cruise ship weddings, Internet/WiFi access, Laundry Rooms (Laundromats). Ship's laundry rooms are not self-service (no passenger-use laundrettes). Laundry services are offered via hotel staff and at an additional charge.

Follows the complete list of ms Koningsdam lounges, clubs and other entertainment venues for kids, teens and adults.

• Atrium (3-deck high midship open-floor area with live performances)
• Stuyvesant Room (multi-purpose, used for cards playing, group meetings, presentations, “Club HAL” kids program)
• World Stage (theatre/main show lounge; also serves Holland America’s enrichment program (via a partnership with BBC Earth)
• Lincoln Center Stage & B.B. King's Blues Club (fka Queen's Lounge) is a 2-deck grand ballroom/concert hall (with two grand pianos and a large dance floor) hosting live musical performances (classical/chamber music, blues).
• Digital Workshop/Microsoft Studio (powered by MS Windows)
• Photo Gallery & Shop; Art Gallery
• Shore Excursions Desk; 4 Meeting Rooms
• Signature Shops (boutiques for duty-free tobaccos and liquor, perfumes, watches, clothing, HAL logo merchandise, souvenirs); Marabella Luxury Shop; Dive-in (scuba and diving equipment)
• Club Orange (suite-only restaurant)
• Ocean Bar (fka Explorer's Lounge & Bar) is an Atrium bar lounge with dance floor, stage (for live performances), wine tastings.
• Billboard Onboard (sing-along bar with live music performances)
• BLEND (glass-enclosed winery room)
• Grand Dutch Cafe is a Holland-themed a-la-carte-priced patisserie bar for traditional Dutch snacks/sweets and beverages (including coffees and Heineken draft beer) as well as premium European beers.
• Neptune Lounge (club venue for Deluxe Suite and Pinnacle guests only)
• Sport Court (basketball, volleyball, soccer); Sun Deck; Promenade Deck, Walking/Jogging Track
• Club HAL (kids lounge, complimentary youth programming)
• The Loft (teens club lounge area, with Video Games Arcade, computers, PlayStations; teen disco)

The wellness complex (forward on decks 9-10) consists of Fitness Center (gymnasium with a separate Aerobics Room for classes) and Greenhouse Spa & Salon (Therapy Rooms, Treatment Rooms (for massages), Hydrotherapy Pool with heated seawater, Thermal Suites, Relax Lounge with heated ceramic loungers, Sauna Room, Aroma Steam Room, Relaxation Area, Beauty Salon/manicure-pedicure, barber services).

Spacious sundecks spread over 3 floors (decks 9-10 midship and aft, deck 11 aft) and are fitted with 2 swimming pools and 5 outdoor Jacuzzies (deck 9). The Lido Pool area (midship) is served by Lido Bar (beverages), Gelato (ice cream bar), Dive-In (fka Terrace Grill), New York Delly & Pizza (fast food) and Panorama Bar (beverages). The Sea View Pool area (aft) is served by Sea View Bar.

“Movies by the Pool Deck” is a 2-deck outdoor Cinema served by the New York Delly & Pizza (deck 10) with light snacks (including popcorn, sandwiches, pizza, fresh chips, nachos). During movie nights, loungers and blankets are provided, as well as chair-side waiter service from the food bars (Gelato, NY Deli & Pizza, Dive-In/Terrace Grill) and waiter service for drinks at the Lido Bar.

The Retreat (deck 12) is an adults-only sundeck/relaxation zone with private cabanas available for rent. Daily rent prices are inclusive of a massage tent, lunch, concierge service.

Explorations Central & Cafe (fka Crow’s Nest & Explorations Cafe/forward on deck 11) is an indoor observation lounge with panoramic windows (270-degree views), its own Bar (beverages), Cafe (patisserie, specialty coffees/teas), and a large dance floor. The lounge is also used for pre-scheduled events by HAL's enrichment program (daily dance classes, trivia games, card playing, karaoke, live grand piano and HAL Cats performances/8-piece party band in the afternoons and evenings). Explorations Central doubles as a disco/nightclub (with live DJ music, dancing contests) and a Library (1000+ volumes, resident librarians). Here are additionally offered multimedia series of interactive videos and guides related to the current itinerary's destinations. Explorations Central also provides digital media (videos, ebooks, maps) accessed via Wi-Fi (during the voyage) and also online (before and after the voyage). At Explorations Central, there are also paperback books and paper maps for the visited regions/destinations and ports of call.

The Casino is a large gaming lounge fitted with gambling tables, 140 slots and video poker machines, a PokerPro digital touchscreen table). It is served by Casino Bar and has a separate non-smoking area. In 2023, HAL conducted 5 wet-dock refurbishments to expand the casino space on its vessels in the Pinnacle-class (Nieuw Rotterdam, Koningsdam, Nieuw Statendam) and Signature-class (Eurodam, Nieuw Amsterdam).

Since 2023, all HAL ships have pickleball courts (installed on the top deck) operated via an exclusive partnership with PPA-Professional Pickleball Association. HAL also offers complimentary beginner lessons (led by onboard instructors), sells branded pickleball starter kits (at the ship's retail shops) and Play Pickleball tutorial videos are included in the cabin TV programming.

Itineraries

MS Koningsdam itinerary program started with the inaugural season in Europe, and the Maiden Voyage (April 8, 2016) from Civitavecchia-Rome . The European deployment included itineraries in the Mediterranean and Baltic seas, British Isles and Northern Europe (out of Amsterdam ). Folloed the Transatlantic repositioning crossing to homeport Fort Lauderdale Florida USA (November 2016) for roundtrips to Caribbean and Bahamas. The itineraries (7-10-11-day) visited popular island destinations like Jamaica, Barbados, Bahamas ( Half Moon Cay ), Mexico (Cozumel), Aruba, Grand Cayman, Grand Turk, Key West FL .

Due to the Coronavirus crisis, Holland America paused Koningsdam for 19 months (March 2020 thru October 2021). The ship restarted (on Oct 10th) with California Coastal and Mexican Riviera voyages out of homeport San Diego . For summer 2022 was scheduled an Alaskan season with homeporting in Vancouver BC Canada .

ms Koningsdam - user reviews and comments

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ms Koningsdam Wiki

The Koningsdam ship was named after HM Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (Holland's current king). The ship’s name means "Koning" (king, in Dutch), and "dam" is traditional for the HAL ships suffix. The vessel (Fincantieri Marghera Yard number 6241) is powered by four MAK marine diesel engines (model 12V43C) with combined power output 50,4 MW. The propulsion system is based on two ABB Azipods (azimuth thrusters) with combined output 28 MW.

On February 26, 2015, was held the keel-laying / coin ceremony at the Fincantieri Marghera Shipyard (near Venice ). On March 31, 2016, the vessel was launched (floated out from drydock) and officially delivered to Holland America Line on April 1 (a week ahead of schedule).

On April 18 was officially announced the name of Koningsdam's Godmother - Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. Holland America has 11 of its ships christened by Dutch Royal Family members. In 2010 Máxima (then only Princess) named the Nieuw Amsterdam ship. Holland's previous Queen (Beatrix) named Eurodam in 2008.

On May 20, 2016, in Port Rotterdam (Holland) was held ship's naming ceremony. On May 23, 2016, HAL officially announced the name for its second Pinnacle-class vessel ((Koningsdam's sistership) - Nieuw Statendam  (launched in 2018).

The Koningsdam ship design is created by both "Tihany Design” (New York, USA) and "Yran & Storbraaten Architects AS” (Oslo, Norway). The vessel boasts 2-level theatre (named "World Stage"), 3-decks high Atrium, powered by Microsoft "Digital Workshop", numerous (including new for HAL) dining options, bars and lounges, expanded kids and teens clubs, the huge "Greenhouse Spa", the "Sea View" adults-only retreat.

Inaugural itineraries 2016

Following the repositioning from builder's shipyards (in Marghera/Venice to Civitavecchia-Rome) started Koningsdam's Inaugural cruise season in the Mediterranean Sea. It started with 7-day "Premiere Voyage" (roundtrip from Rome) followed by a series of 12-day "Premiere Sailing" itineraries (April-May 2016).

(Itinerary 2016 / April 8 to 15) Koningsdam's "Inaugural Cruise" was a 7-day roundtrip from Civitavecchia-Rome visiting Croatia (Dubrovnik), Greece (Corfu), Albania (Sarande), Greece (Katakolon-Olympia) and Italy (Naples).

In November 2016, Koningsdam started its Caribbean cruise itinerary program leaving from homeport Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) Florida . Caribbean itineraries offered roundtrips from the USA to ports in the Bahamas, Eastern, Western and Southern Caribbean.

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Activities & entertainment

• America's Test Kitchen
• Afternoon Tea
• America's Test Kitchen Cooking Classes
• Art and Craft Classes *
• Art Gallery *
• Beer Tasting *
• Cigars Under the Stars *
• Digital Workshop *
• Digital Workshop Computer Classes
• Explorations Central Port Lectures
• Fitness Center
• Fitness Classes *
• Greenhouse Spa & Salon *
• Happy Hour Drink Special *
• Hot Tubs (5)
• Hydrotherapy Pool *
• Jogging Track
• Martini Tasting *
• Onboard Lectures
• Solo Traveler Get-Togethers
• Sport Court
• Team Trivia
• Wine Tasting *
• The Retreat *
• Afternoon Musical Concerts
• BBC Earth Onboard Features
• Billboard Onboard
• Feature Movie Matinees
• Lincoln Center Stage
• Live Nightly Music
• Queen's Lounge
• World Stage
• The Dining Room - American
• Tamarind - Asian Fusion *
• Ocean Bar - Atrium Bar *
• Lido Market - Casual
• Explorer's Bar - Classic Bar *
• Explorations Café - Coffee Bar *
• Grand Dutch Café - Coffee Bar *
• Dive-In - Fast Food
• Crow's Nest - Forward Bar *
• Rudi's Sel de Mer - Gourmet *
• Canaletto - italian *
• Panorama Bar - Outdoor Bar *
• New York Pizza & Deli - Pizza
• Lido Bar - Pool Bar *
• Sea View Bar - Pool Bar *
• Pinnacle Grill - Steakhouse *
• Neptune Lounge - Suite Lounge
• Gelato - Sweets *
• Sun Bar - Top Deck Bar *
• Blend - Wine Bar *
• Excellent 71
• Very Good 33
• Terrible 24
• All languages ( 159 )
• English ( 156 )
• German ( 3 )

Upcoming itineraries

ms Koningsdam

Ship specifications.

City Vancouver

City San Diego

City Fort Lauderdale

Ms koningsdam itineraries, 7 night alaskan inside passage, 17 night circle hawaii, 21 night circle hawaii & pacific coastal, 4 night pacific coastal cruise, 11 night mexican riviera & pacific coastal cruise, 7 night atlantis san diego to mexico, 7 night mexican riviera, 14 night mexican riviera & classic california coast, 7 night classic california coast, holland america line fleet.

ms Oosterdam

ms Zuiderdam

ms Volendam

ms Nieuw Amsterdam

ms Westerdam

ms Rotterdam

ms Nieuw Statendam

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Situated on the Pacific Ocean, San Diego is known for its near perfect weather, beautiful beaches and abundance of activities.

• Koningsdam - Passenger Capacity: 2,650 (double occupancy) Year Built: 2016 Last Refurbished: N/A

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35-Day Hawaii Tahiti & Marquesas sailing on the Koningsdam

Departure dates: feb 2025 - feb 2025.

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Cruises On ms Koningsdam 2024

- Captain Albert's Website and Blog -

Ocean liner history and stories from the sea, past and present. with an in depth focus on holland america line.

• About the Author
• Abelskamp. Johannes Reinier
• Augspurg, Victor Hugo
• Bakker A. Biography pending
• Bakker, Geert.
• Bakker, Willem Biography Pending.
• Balen van, W.H.
• Barendse, George J.
• Baron, Jan.
• Beek van, Cornelis.
• Best, Jan Jacob.
• Bijl, Johannes Jacobus.
• Blokland van, Henricus F.T biography pending
• Boerdam, J. biography pending
• Bonjer, Frederik Hendrik
• Boshoff Jan Pieter Jr.
• Boshoff, Jan Pieter (Sr.)
• Bouman, Coenraad
• Brandenburg, Henricus J. biography pending
• Brands, Rens biography pending
• Braun, Reinier Wilhelm.
• Brouwer, Piet Eilts.
• Bruinsma, Bote Gosse.
• Buhse, Gustav.
• Burger Jan. biography completed
• Busser, Th. biography pending
• Buuren van, C. Th.
• Chevalier, Everhard Martinus.
• Coerkamp, E.J. biography pending.
• Coerkamp, R. biography pending
• Coster, C.H.P biography pending
• Couvee, B.J.
• Cuneus, E.H.J. biography pending
• d’Hamecourt, Jules Louis Arnault.
• Dalen van, Dirk. biography in progress
• Datema, Roelof.
• Deddes, Evert Jan.
• Dekema, Anton (Anthony or Anthonij)
• Dekker, Jan Gerrit
• Dekker, Jan Pieter.
• Deventer Van, Hendrik Leonhard. biography pending
• Diehl, Johan Valentin.
• Dijk van, A.
• Dijk, Wiebe J. biography pending
• Dobbinga Jr., Folkert Hendrik. biography pending
• Dobbinga Sr., Folkert Hendrik.
• Doelings, F.H.
• Driel van, Freek Hendrikus.
• Drost, Gerrit J.
• Drukker, J.S.
• Duit, Wibrandus
• Dulk den H.F Biography pending
• Dulken Van, Johan IN PROGRESS
• Elst, Cornelus Jacob
• Ent van den, Pieter Cornelis
• Erp van, F.W. biography pending
• Eulderink, Willem Hans. biography pending
• Faber, Johannes W.
• Filippo, Abraham.
• Gaart van, Johannes B.
• Gast C. H. biography pending
• Geldtelder, P. biography pending
• Gemert van, A.M.
• Goot van der, Herman Cornelis.
• Graaf van de, Leendert J.
• Graaf van der, Leendert
• Greidanus, D.E.
• Grippeling Th. P.F. biography pending
• Haagmans, Cornelis. biography completed
• Hartog, Heijs Bernard.
• Hazewinkel, Jan Abraham.
• Heine, August C.F.
• Hemert van, Willem.
• Herbschleb, George Chretien.
• Herk van, C.
• Herk van, Jozias
• Hertogs, Levinus Johannes.
• Hess, Adriaan (Ad)
• Heuvel van den, “Piet” Pieter.
• Heymans, Edouard Guillame Adolphe.
• Hodenius F.F.J Biography pending
• Hoeksema, Geert.
• Hoenderdos, Cornelus A.
• Hoeven van der , P.
• Hogervorst, Hendrik “Hein”
• Hollander, C.
• Hoven van, P. biography pending
• Hus, Jacob Leendertszoon
• Janzen, Jacobus.
• Jaski Thomas.
• Jochems, Anthony Bernardus.
• Jong de, Auke
• Jong De, Pieter H.
• Jong de, Sievert Jans.
• Jonge de, Gerard Johan.
• Jonkers, Johan Anton.
• Jumelet, Jacob
• Kievit de, P.
• Kimmerer, W. biography pending
• Kleijn, C.N.
• Kleywegt, Cornelis biography pedning
• Kok, Gerard Cornelis.
• Koning de, Jacobus.
• Kooijman, Cornelis Gerard.
• Korver de, Cornelis
• Krijt, Samuel Jacob.
• Krol, Watze
• Kruithof, Nicolaas Pieter
• Kunst, B.J.
• Kup de, Christoffel Johannes
• Lagaay Jr., Anthonie H.
• Lagaay Sr., Pieter
• Lambert V.O.S.
• Landman, Godfried W.C.
• Liebau, Jacob A.
• Lieuwen, Jan Klaas.
• Löhr, Hans Wilhelm
• Lucas, Theodore Mari.
• Lunenburg, Walterus Franciscus Theodorus
• Lutz, George,
• Maazen, Bartholomeus.
• Mensonides, klaas.
• Metz, Jacob.
• Mohr, Gunther Johan Hendrik Herman. biography pending
• Molier A.H.J Biography pending
• Moliere, A.H.J
• Moree, Willem Pieter Jacob
• Noordt van der, Jan Willem.
• Oldenburger, H.
• Pauw, Klaas
• Ponsen, Willem.
• Posthumus, Dirk.
• Pothof, Jacobus Christiaan
• Potjer, Aldert.
• Potjer, Andries.
• Reedijk, Jan Anthonie Johannes
• Reifferth; Max Adelbert Joseph.(Josef)
• Riemens, Leonard A.M.
• Rijnink, Lambertus.
• Roggeveen, Adriaan.
• Rol, Cornelus.
• Roosendaal van, “Jan” Johannes
• Ruygrok, Bernardus Ludovicus Josephus
• Scale, Georg. IN PROGRESS
• Schoo D.K biography pending
• Schoor van der, de Boer. Wilke
• Schottee de Vries, Jan.
• Scott, John
• Scriwanek, L.M.J.
• Simons, W.C.
• Sjerp, David
• Slierendregt, Pieter.
• Sluys van der, Johan Willem.
• Snelleman, Cornelis M.
• Stamperius, Jacob Matthais.
• Stenger, Geert.
• Stuffers, Cornelius.
• Stuut, Teunis.
• Swaan, Martinus Eduard.
• Swart, F. biography pending
• Taat, Jan Hendrik Willemszoon.
• Terpstra, Tjalling J.
• Timmer, Th. J.
• Timmermans, Antonie Cornelis.
• Tirion; Cornelis Hubertus – Biography in progress
• Veldheer, H.K.L.
• Verhoog: Pieter Hugo Gerardus
• Vermeer, Jan Hendrik. biography pending
• Vijver, J.G. biography ending
• Vis, Gerardus Johannes. biography pending
• Visser, Barend Cornelis.
• Visser, Cornelis.
• Vlietstra, Siebe.
• Wabeke, Cornelis Dirk. biography pending
• Walraven, Bastiaan Carolus. biography pending
• Welters; Donald
• Wepster, J.P. biography in progress
• Werkhoven van, C.A.A.
• Westra, Hendrik Berend.
• Wijers, Dirk Cornelis
• Witt de, D. biography pending
• Zee van der, Herman Coene. biography completed
• Captain Pieter Bant
• Captain Ane Smit
• Captain Arno Jutten
• Captain Bart Vaartjes
• Captain Bas van Dreumel
• Captain Chris Norman
• Captain Colm Ryan
• Captain Emiel de Vries
• Captain Frank van der Hoeven.
• Captain Friso Kramer gezegd Freher  
• Captain Kevin Beirnaert.
• Captain Marco Carsjens.
• Captain Noel O’Driscoll
• Captain Paul Adams
• Captain Robert Jan Kan
• Captain Ryan C. Whitaker
• Captain Steven Albert Macbeath
• Captain Werner Timmers.
• Captain. Eric Barhorst
• SEATTLE: Capt. Rik Krombeen.
• 0001 An Outline of the History of Holland America Line Part 1
• 0002 An Outline of the History of Holland America Line Part 2
• 0005 An Outline of the History of Holland America Line part 5
• 0006 PART VI THE LOST YEAR
• 1871 Rotterdam (I)
• 1889 Veendam (I)
• 1920 ss Burgerdyk
• 1920 Warszawa
• 1922 Dinteldijk (I)
• 1993 Maasdam (V)
• 1997 Rottterdam (VI)
• 2000 Amsterdam (III)
• 2021 April 18 History Time Line 1871 – 2021
• 2019 Faces of the ms Prinsendam (II) Officers and crew of the final ships voyage (307)
• 2019 Prinsendam (II) 2002 Part I
• 2019 Prinsendam 2002 (II) Part II
• 0003 An Outline of the History of Holland America Line Part 3
• 0004 An Outline of the History of Holland America Line part 4
• 1906 Nieuw Amsterdam (I)
• 1938 Nieuw Amsterdam (II)
• 1938 Nieuw Amsterdam (III)
• 1872 Ariadne
• 1922 Veendam (II)
• 1973 Veendam (III)
• Photo gallery: Faces of the Engine Department.
• Photo gallery: Faces of the Hotel Department
• Photo gallery: Faces of the Veendam Deck Dept.
• The Holland America Line recipient of the Presidents Leadership award
• Veendam Employee of the Month of December 2008
• Holland America Time Line 1872 – 2022
• The Holland America Line History
• Around the world at Seventeen
• A Gentlemen’s cruise to the opening of the Kieler Kanal
• A Cruise to the Mediteranean
• The earliest cruise on record
• The First Real Cruise ship
• The First ever Mass market Cruise Ship.
• MS EURODAM (I)
• MS NIEUW AMSTERDAM (IV)
• MS NOORDAM (IV)
• MS OOSTERDAM (I)
• MS VOLENDAM (III)
• MS WESTERDAM (II)
• MS ZAANDAM (III)
• MS ZUIDERDAM (II)
• Notes for the Reader & My sailing Schedule

Current Captains and Their Schedules

Under this sub directory you will find a series of biographies of current HAL captains and their schedules.

Please note this dates and assignments are subject to “extremely” much change, dates will vary as captains have to attend many more training classes than was usual in the past and those trainings are sometimes assigned at the last minute when space is available at the training centres.

Last Updated: 16 June 2023.

I have updated the schedule as much as I can.  However changes in between the monthly updates are not always reflected tin the companies schedules.

Some well known names will be missing as they are on leave, or retired or left to explore other opportunities. Also some HAL captains are currently having assignments with Seabourn.

Captain Mark Trembling until 17 June 2023.

Captain Joost Eldering from 17 June 2023 onwards.

Koning sdam:

Captain Robert Jan Kan from 13 May 2023 onwards.

Nieuw Amsterdam :

Captain Jeroen Donselaar from 26 March 2023 onwards.

Nieuw Statendam 

Captain Noel O’Driscoll until 18 June 2023.

Captain Eric Barhorst from 18 June 2023 onwards.

Captain Antony Adams until 25 June 2023.

Captain Marek Zoll from 25 June 2023 onwards.

Captain Rens van Eerten from 15 May 2023 onwards.

Captain Werner Timmers from 17 June – 09 Sept. 2023

Captain Bas van Dreumel from 09 Sept. – 03 Dec. 2023

Captain Henk Draper from 06 May 2023 onwards

Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem from 13 March 2023 onwards

Captain Ane Smit until 14 June 2023

Captain Frederik Carsjens from 14 June onwards.

Captain Friso Kramer until 28 May 2023 onwards

FleetMaster:

For me, Captain Albert Schoonderbeek:  I retired in April 2023 after nearly 42 years with Holland America and 44 years at sea.

I am currently busy with  writing the companies history for 2023. The initial idea was to publish one book, but as there is so much to tell about our glorious history this has now been expanded to 5. Part I was published on 30 January 2023. Part II was published on 18 April 2023, the birthday of our company. Part III is currently in progress and together with part , IV and V should all by out before Christmas.

Currently assigned to Seabourn:

Captain Timothy Roberts

Captain Joris Poriau

Captain Bart Vaartjes.

Captain Sijbe de Boer.

Captain Jeroen Schuchmann

148 Comments

September 29, 2015 at 5:35 pm

I am Looking for Capt. John Scott, thank you. Sincerely, John T. Schmidt

September 30, 2015 at 1:02 pm

Thank you for reading my blog.

Information will eventually appear on the blog sub directory. For the time being, subject to change, he should be on the Eurodam, sometime in October. Best regards

Capt. Albert

March 3, 2022 at 2:32 am

Hi Captain Albert Hope you are well

I am Looking for Capt. Chris Norman or who is the Captain on Zaandam on 2013-2015, thank you. Sincerely, Michael kelly Dizon

March 3, 2022 at 9:49 am

Good morning,

thank you for your comment. Captain Chris Norman left the company last year. to pursue insterest outside Holland America.

Best regards

October 18, 2015 at 3:56 pm

HAL history ships past and present. Should be made available onboard I would really like to read it but there does not appear to be a Kindle edition which would be great for onboard reading

November 6, 2015 at 5:31 pm

Captain Scott was amazing took the time to go through his career starting with the Union Steamship Co. NZ. His random act of kindness will never be forgotten by both my wife and I whilst on a Caribbean cruise, wonderful PR.

November 16, 2015 at 5:42 pm

It’s as good as filling in the blanks on the “Current Captains and their schedules” blog sub directory, Captain! How nice to know a little more about Captain Rens van Eerten who also had been in the flying business for a short while. Did you know that, Captain? I testify that he flew at the speed of light when I saw him come back to Vancouver one Alaska season with 4 stripes on his epaulette instead of 3. Next thing I saw in the HAL blog is that he had 5 stripes on his shoulders! Is he holding up well, Captain after his travel at the speed of light? And, may I please one more time, Captain?? It is too tempting to pass on this opportunity … Have you been blogging since 2004 or thereabouts?

November 17, 2015 at 3:11 pm

I started in March 2007, but first for a magazine called the Avid Cruiser. Then Holland America pulled me in house. All the blogs are in the archives, right from the beginning.

Best regards Capt. Albert

November 19, 2015 at 10:16 am

Will you still be on the Westerdam on the 5 Dec 2015 cruise? Enjoy every one of your posts. They are so informative and give insight to things that most passengers do not know.

November 19, 2015 at 5:15 pm

Yes I will be, see the response to the email of your wife.

November 27, 2015 at 7:21 am

Hi Captain Albert, I am still enjoying your daily blog and it makes me feel as if I am travelling with you.

I , all being well , will be joining Rotterdam on 31 January 16 for cruise to Singapore. Looking forward to the experience as have previously sailed on Amsterdam.

Are you able to advise me as a matter of interest who will be the Master of Rotterdam.

November 27, 2015 at 4:02 pm

Thank your continious support.

If nothing changes then the captain should be Marco Carsjens. Together with Capt. Hans Mateboer he is one of the two regular captains of the ship.

Safe sailing.

December 3, 2015 at 9:46 am

Hi Captain Albert, thanks for the information. Time is now running down fast for me as it is only 59 days before I embark on Rotterdam. This means 56 days before I leave Cape Town for Dubai. Really looking forward to the cruise and visiting the interesting destinations especially Yangon.

Thanks again for all the most informative blogs, really part of my daily routine. Good sailing, Best regards

June 25, 2017 at 1:30 pm

Hello Captain Albert , I always enjoy reading your blogs , the subjects you talk about and explain add so much to our total cruise experience . We will be back on the Volendam late September and all of October , could you tell me please who will be her Captain . Thank you , Tony

June 25, 2017 at 7:00 pm

Thank you for reading my blog. I had a schedule on my website but with the recent turbulence in the HAL Blog world, that section has not been restored yet. But if nothing changes: until 15 October it will be Capt. Frank van der Hoeven. after that it is not know yet, as we have another musical chair situation coming up with captains moving ship. If they revive that part of the blog again I will keep updating it. So please have a look late summer.

August 20, 2017 at 9:01 pm

Hi Captain Albert, I have in my possession my father’s ‘Monsterboekje’ (Zeemansboek). It only has a few entries in it, but it states that he crewed on the Veendam as a Koksmaat/butcher 22 April 1938 and again 3 Juni 1938. I assume it was on the Rotterdam to New York route based on what he told us. Is there anywhere I can find out more about his service with HAL or other companies? A history of employment seems to indicate he was with HAL Sept 1937 to Feb 1940. His father also crewed on HAL, but I have no records of his service other than what my father mentioned years ago. In Sept this year I’ll be sailing on the Ms Nieuw Amsterdam from Vancouver, maybe one day I’ll get on the Veendam.

August 23, 2017 at 3:52 am

thank you for reading my blog. Yes it is possible to find out more things, as he will have a personal file which should be held in the HAL archives. If you can send me a email on [email protected] with the exact names of your father and grand father, as spelled in their seamans books or other hal paper work, and roughly their sailing dates, I can have a look for you during my next visit to the archives.

September 1, 2017 at 9:07 pm

Was a. student at the Ruyter Merchant Navy Academy in Vlissingen The Netherlands as several HAL captains did.I am booked on the Eurodam for a cruise on September the 30 th 2017. Captain John Scott is o/b but is there a chsncce that Captain Werner Timmers would be o/b at the end of the month ? Captain Albert thanks a lot for your information H.Roestenberg

November 11, 2017 at 11:45 am

Together with my husband Henk Rosenquist I had a wonderful cruise on MS Koningsdam (stateroom 5028) leaving Rome October 3r. arriving in FLL on Oct. 18th. 2017. Our captain (mr. Darrin Bowland) informed us on the last day of some funny details regarding this trip (o.a. how many bottles of wine, pizza’s, toiletpaper etc.) were used. At that very moment we were on deck and I had no pen/paper to register all this info. On earlier cruises we found this info on the day of departure in our cabin. As I am in the process of making a digital photoalbum of this unforgettable journey I hope you can inform me about as much info as possible. Thank you very much. With kind regards Maria Rosenquist-Veen.

November 15, 2017 at 12:08 am

As of today I have not found Sybe de Boer’s assignment. I will be on the Prinsendam March 12 through May 5, 2018. I would love to meet you as I enjoy your daily descriptions of all the different ports. Already signed up for Antartic 80 day trip in 2019. Just not read your article on the Panama Canal, going on that cruise Dec. 20 thru Jan 4 in a few days. Thanks

February 7, 2018 at 12:42 am

With our cruise to the Pacific on the Noordam ending on March 28 we will complete six cruises with Holland America, the only line we have cruised with. For four of those six cruises we will have had Captain Peter Bos. I can already hear him saying “Wash those hands!” I know they all say it, but no one can say it quite as he does. Although we only catch a glimpse of the captain occasionally, and may hear him speak to a group on just a couple of occasions, we like him as Captain and are looking forward to seeing (or at least hearing) him again.

April 1, 2018 at 2:56 am

Being on the last cruise captained by Peter Bos was a great pleasure.

April 14, 2018 at 8:59 pm

I enjoy reading about whatever Captain may be guiding the ship that I will sail on, but I can’t find this one. Captain Arno Jutten 11 Augustus 208 – 15 October 2018. We will be on the Maasdam, joining in Montreal on August 18, 2018. It would be interesting to know something about him. We have sailed with Holland America many times beginning in summer 2000 on the Statendam, which we learned was her last season before being sent elsewhere. Now we are pleased that this fall our arrival in Fort Lauderdale on the Maasdam will complete a circumnavigation of North America for us. Last summer we were lucky to traverse the Northwest Passage (with a competitor), thus making this circumnavigation possible.

In 2007 we were on the Veendam’s spring repositioning from Ft. Lauderdale to Venice, which I believe was the occasion of your first blog. It was fun to read about our trip when got home, from a different perspective.

April 15, 2018 at 7:30 pm

Your wish is my command and I have uploaded a short bio under Current Captains. A more elaborate Biography will come when I sail with Captain Arno, which should be sometime next year.

February 9, 2020 at 7:07 pm

Geachte Captain Schoonderbeek, bij toeval ontdekte ik Uw blog aangaande de actuele plaatsing van HAL kapiteins op de verschillende HAL schepen. Al geruime tijd zoek ik het schip waarop kapitein Emiel de Vries het bevel voert. Wij kennen hem als een zeer innemend iemand en volmaakt gastheer tijdens de “doop-reis” van de Koningsdam. Wij weten dat er een confrontatie is geweest met zijn uiterst sympathieke echtgenote en een passagiere die regelmatig volstrekt ongepast gedrag vertoonde tijdens deze reis en meerdere malen ook met andere passagiers conflicteerde. Wij willen al langer een reis boeken en zoeken dan steeds het schip waarop kapitein de Vries het bevel voert. Dit is niet gelukt en onze vrees is dat hij het slachtoffer is geworden van de zeer onaangename situatie waaraan hij en zijn lieftallige echtgenote part noch deel had. Hierin past de situatie dat hij thans in Seattle een “kantoorfunctie” heeft, maar ik hoop van niet!!

February 9, 2020 at 8:50 pm

Mijn dank voor de interesse voor mijn blog.

Kapitein Emiel besloot verleden jaar om een positie op kantoor tenemen, om wat meer thuis te zijn met de opgroeiende familie. Dus voor de komende tijd is hij niet meer op de schepen te vinden. De situatie die u beschrijft heeft daar gelukkig niets mee vandoen. We komen als kapiteins in zoveel vreemde en bizarre situaties terecht, met leuke, nare, vreemde en exentrieke mensen dat de rederij altijd aan de kant van de kapitein zal staan. Hopeluk vindt U een alsnog een cruise die naar genoegen zal bevallen.

June 15, 2018 at 5:19 pm

Greetings Captain!

Would you (could you) confirm that Captain Harm-Jan Arnold will be the Master on the ms Rotterdam for the Voyage of the Vikings (July 18th – August 25th, 2018)? I am assigned as the priest/chaplain for that cruise. I have a question for the good Captain and Master. Would it be proper for me to contact him by e-mail? And if so, would you be able to assist me with his correct e-mail address?

I enjoy following you on your travels via your blog.

Safe travels and God speed, (Fr.) Roman

July 15, 2018 at 12:06 pm

Where is Captain Baijens?

July 16, 2018 at 9:17 am

Captain Baijens is currently at our simulator in Holland in Almere as an instructor. He will return to sea again later this year.

February 12, 2019 at 12:19 am

I love reading your blog. Glad to see you’re back for a while. Is Captain Van Der Loo still around? He was the Captain on both of my Oosterdam cruises in 2008 and in 2011.

February 12, 2019 at 12:23 am

thank you for reading my blow.

Yes he is, he is in the office as Director compliance responsible for controlling the company safety database.

February 18, 2019 at 1:05 am

Where is Captain John Scott? (He doesn’t appear to be on the Eurodam anymore, or anywhere on your list.)

Who will be the Captain of the Zuiderdam from April 2019-June 2019?

February 18, 2019 at 12:14 pm

Good morning

thank you for reading my blog.

Captain Scott is on leave, and I do not have his next sailing dates yet, hence the listing is incomplete.

On the Zuiderdam you will have Capt. Wouter van Hoogdalem.

February 26, 2019 at 3:23 am

Thank you for the information on Captain Scott & Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem.

We enjoy reading your blog. You are currently on the Zuiderdam sailing on the same cruise that we will be doing in April ( plus a couple of more on a back-to-back cruise). It is interesting reading about the cruise we will be on before we’re on it! (We learned that for us to go through the locks going both ways, we need to stay on the ship & not get off on a tender.) Thank You!

April 15, 2019 at 1:47 pm

Capt. Wouter van Hoogdalem is my favorite Captain. Friendly, and so charming.

December 22, 2019 at 11:05 pm

Agreed! We love him!

April 28, 2020 at 2:34 pm

We had Captain Hoogdalem on the ms Zuiderdam in Nov. 2016, but we never got to meet him. He should now be on the Koningsdam.

February 20, 2019 at 4:31 pm

I think this page reverted to an older version. When may we expect an update?

Thanks for your hard work!

February 20, 2019 at 10:31 pm

At the moment I can only update who is currently on board. so I am waiting for the future schedules to be listed again in our internal system and as soon as that happens, you will get the whole thing again.

March 21, 2019 at 11:50 pm

Yes. I am waiting for the newest assignments. Anxious about the July 30 trip “Voyage of the Vikings”, and also back on the Nieuw Statendam middle of October. Thanks (you do a great job my friend)

May 12, 2019 at 6:11 pm

Hello Captain On my 31st Wedding Anniversary my wife and I will be on MS Volendam on the penultimate day of our first Alaskan Cruise . My wife’s maiden / family name was CURME and I understand that the Curme Islands AND Ray Rock are located in Desolation Sound. Can you please let me know if ( assuming we are standing in the right place on deck ) we will be able to see either or both sites from MS Volendam . It would be a wonderful surprise particularly for Paulette , my wife , if she could see the Curme Islands and ( I think ) an added bonus if she can see how close they are to Ray Rock – A twinning that was obviously preordained in the mists of time.

Your reply to this inquiry is eagerly anticipated and will be greatly appreciated .Thank you once again . Ray John

May 19, 2019 at 10:00 pm

Unfortunately you will not be able to see the islands. If you do a google search for the Curme Islands and then click on the map which will appear then you can see that these little islands are obscured by Mink island which in turn is obscured by some other islands. For the exact time, you have to listen to the announcements of the captain. He normally announces what time the ship goes through Seymour Narrows. Northbound you will then pass the area 90 minutes before that time and southbound approx. at the same time, maybe a little bit earlier. Northbound on the starboard side, Southbound on the portside.

I hope this helps, sorry to dissapoint you but I hope that you will have a wonderful cruise and congratulations with you anniversary.

June 22, 2019 at 5:56 am

We are sailing on 24 June with the Koningsdam nice to see Captain Werner. We see him several times on the Eurodam.

Regards ,Peter and Sylvia Huijgen.

July 23, 2019 at 5:36 pm

Hello Captain Albert, I noticed that the newly promoted Captain Paul Adams (he was on the Eurodam for a short while as Staff Captain while we were on board) has not been assigned to any of the ships. Has he transferred to another cruise line in our bloc ?

July 24, 2019 at 12:29 am

No he is on leave, and will then return to the Staff Captains function waiting for the next opening. We just retired the Prinsendam and one cndaptain from there has to be re-assigned (Captain Schuchman) and our last captain on loan has returned from P&O Australia and is now also assigned to the HAL Fleet. So Paul is in the waiting room.

July 24, 2019 at 5:27 pm

Thank you for your reply Captain Albert.

July 24, 2019 at 2:05 am

Don’t see Fred Everson on the schedule in the future. What gives?

July 24, 2019 at 3:26 am

Captain Eversen is on leave reducing his accumulated leave days. And will eventually return into the rotation.

July 24, 2019 at 6:01 pm

Great! Thanks for the info. Hope he enjoys his long vacation.

August 8, 2019 at 2:13 pm

Of the 9 cruises I’ve done with HAL I can remember the captain I sailed with on all but one of them. Is it possible to find out who was the captain of the Eurodam on 1 December 2013?

August 11, 2019 at 4:43 pm

the captain who was on board on 01 Dec. 2013 on the Eurodam was Captain Emiel de Vries.

best regards

August 12, 2019 at 5:14 pm

Thank you Captain Albert.

I do remember that you were our captain on the Statendam for a Panama Canal transit in October 2012. We had the honor of sitting at your table for a luncheon on one occasion, and it was a most enjoyable experience, as was the entire voyage.

We are sailing on the Zuiderdam this coming October, which if nothing changes should be under the command of Captain van Hoogdalem. I am looking forward to meeting him.

Regards, Jim

August 12, 2019 at 9:24 am

Who will be captain on Zaandam for the 12/18/20 sailing Buenos Aires to San Antonio?

August 13, 2019 at 8:32 am

This is a difficult one as it is close to Christmas and the captains might to decided a adjustment at the last minute, also due to travel. At the moment you should have as your captain, Ane Smit, but it could be Chris Norman as the sailing is just on the edge of two contracts. Please have a look in October when I have the latest schedules.

August 13, 2019 at 1:12 pm

I find no mention of Captain Dag Dvergastein (I think I’m spelling that correctly). We did a transatlantic crossing on the Prinsendam in 2015 under the command of Captain Tim Roberts, and Captain Dvergastein was also onboard for a handover that was to take place on our arrival in Ft. Lauderdale. Captain Roberts did us the honor of inviting us to the captain’s table one evening, where we had the double honor of dining with both captains, and had interesting and enjoyable conversations with them both.

You mention that Capt. Roberts has since been assigned to Seabourn. Has Captain Dvergastein also been assigned elsewhere, or is he on leave and returning to the HAL fleet?

August 14, 2019 at 1:13 pm

With the end of the Prinsendam Captain Dag decided to leave Holland America. He is currently captain on the Europa of Hapag Lloyd.

Captain Albert

August 21, 2019 at 7:12 pm

Greetings Sir!

Having just returned from a cruise of Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam on 17 August, I cannot adequately express my appreciation for the mind-bending logistics involved behind the scenes, or for the crew’s commitment to excellence in all they do. My sincerest gratitude. I would have loved to have been able to access information regarding the history of HAL available while onboard, as well as more technical information about the basics of the ship’s technology (ie, propulsion and guidance systems). Perhaps these could be made available as reading material via the Navigator app? I found myself fascinated with this incredible vessel and wanting to know more about her from every point of view. Kind Regards, Kaelie Engelhart

August 23, 2019 at 7:55 am

Thank you for your kind words.

The blog is accessible while on board as there is a free link under the http://www.hollandamerica.com . It is called Holland America Line blog and my blog and historical information is a subdirectory of that. At home you can just type in Captainalbert.com and it will all come up/

September 1, 2019 at 2:29 am

We are a 5 Star Mariner & a 4 Star Mariner. We really enjoy your blog. You give us a lot of interesting information to read.

I’m cruising on the Eurodam, once again, to Alaska on 9/21/2019, still no Captain listed for that cruise… Any ideas? Thank You!

September 3, 2019 at 4:25 pm

Dear Captain Albert, I know you well deserve your time off and I hope “the boss” isn’t working you too hard, but I do so miss your daily reportage of all things nautical. Back on board in October I think ? Kind regards Gerdina

September 5, 2019 at 6:55 am

Thank you for your interest

Yes I will be back in October.

I have just uploaded my finalized schedule for the remainder of the year under

https://www.captainalbert.com/my-sailing-schedule-2/

Best Regards

September 6, 2019 at 10:30 am

Hello Captain Michiel Willems, My wife and I will be sailing to Alaska, on your ship, on the 8’th Sept.. Jackie and I are Ham radio operators. We are wondering, if you, might allow us to, use battery operated, low power radio’s on your ship. Or if there is a time, that we might be able too? Also, is it possible, to see the ship’s radio room, as radio communications is our hobby, and would greatly appreciate, your help and input. WE look forward to our, sailing with you! This is our first, cruise. Thank you, for your time.

September 12, 2019 at 3:55 pm

You are allowed to bring HAM radio’s on board. Your are NOT allowed to use them on board as they are not covered by a Dutch flag license. You are allowed to use them ashore in alaska provided that your HAM radio license is valid for alaska. the ships do not have radio rooms anymore, only GMDSS stations which are located on the bridge. So the best thing to do is either write a letter to the Captain to request a special visit or sign up for the Behind the Scenes tour.

Have a great cruise.

September 14, 2019 at 3:54 am

Hello Capt Albert. I have just returned from Voyage of the Vikings and somehow I am not getting recent information on your daily blog. Also I am now a member of Ancient Order of the Blue Nose and I have a certificate to prove it signed by Bart Vaartjes. One of the nicest captains I’ve had during the 854 days with HAL Thanks, Mary Beth Burns

September 14, 2019 at 7:46 am

Glad to hear you had a good cruise.

There is not much happening at the moment as I am on vacation. My blogging will start again on October 08, when I will be on the Zuiderdam.

September 16, 2019 at 4:02 am

Excited to see that Capt. John Scott will be on the Noordam when it leaves drydock in Victoria.

September 16, 2019 at 5:22 pm

Cpt Albert: is Bayens still fleet captain and where will Eversen be, since he’s no longer on A’dam?

September 17, 2019 at 5:53 pm

Captain Bayens is rotating out of the Fleet Captain schedule in due course. Captain Fred Eversen is on a long leave to work his accumulated leave days down.

September 28, 2019 at 12:41 am

We sailed on the Amsterdam with Captain Daniel Bolton this summer and don’t see him listed. Is he still with HAL? Also our favorite Captain of all time is Captain Van Der Loo. I understood he was now at the main office. Is he also still with the company.

September 28, 2019 at 4:44 pm

Captain Daniel Bolton recently returned from P&O Australia and I will have his schedule in October after I have returned to sea. Capt. Van der Loo is still in the office and that is a permanent assignment.

October 8, 2019 at 2:56 am

We will miss sailing with Captain Timmers in January’s he is wonderful. We had the good fortune to sail with him last year.

October 16, 2019 at 11:34 pm

Thank you for all your blogs. I really enjoy reading them. I am going on the Volendam’s Grand Voyage in January 2020 around South America, to Antarctica and up the Amazon River. I am looking to see who may be our Captain and think there may a typo in your dates for the Volendam Captains. Here is what it says:

Captain Friso Freher 28 Aug. 2019 – 20 Nov.. 2020 ????

Captain Frank van der Hoeven 20 Nov. 2019 – 15 Feb. 2020

Perhaps this voyage will be shared between two Captains? Thanks for clarifying….

November 2, 2019 at 7:47 pm

Dear Cpt Albert,

Last year i cruised on the Nieuw Amsterdam with the very friendly Cpt Van Zaane. I see he is not scheduled anymore on the N Amsterdam?

Thks for clarifying

November 3, 2019 at 12:30 pm

Captain van Zaane is currently on extended leave and I have no return date yet.

November 3, 2019 at 10:38 pm

Dankjewel. Ik kijk er naar uit, nadat ik al jaren je blog lees, om je in de Caribbean te ontmoeten. Ik scheep in op 13 nov 😉

November 12, 2019 at 4:40 am

Captain Albert,

How would one go about getting permission from the captain of the Zuiderdam to operate low power ham radio while at sea ? I have seen where this has been allowed in the past but cannot get a clear approval from ships services.

Lance Wolken KG5QKK

November 12, 2019 at 4:35 pm

I can understand that ship services has an issue with a clear answer, simply because there is not one. Too many factors involved. 1. What license do you operate under. Is it domestic USA or domestic from another country, or do you have an international license? Because that will limit or increase where you can use the Ham radio. A USA license does not mean anything to anybody outside the USA Same as a Dutch or British license does not mean anything in the USA. 2. If you want to transmit from the ship, then your license needs to be acceptable under Dutch law as the ship flies the dutch flag. The captain can approve you bringing it on board, not using it. That is a Dutch license issue. 3. Many ports / places have a restriction on the power of the transmission and if caught the fines are quite hefty. 4. Many ports would not allow you walking ashore with it without you proving to them that you are allowed to do so. (International License with endorsement for the country you are visiting.)

Please review the above. If you think you comply with everything listed, then in principle you can take it on board as it is not a restricted item. Once on board you would have to obtain permission from the captain to use it, as it would not be a ships owned piece of equipment, and show the Dutch Law approval for the equipment

December 9, 2019 at 1:45 am

We will be cruising on the ms Zuiderdam 10-20 December, 2019. The captain listed is Captain Wouter van Hoogdalem, but there is no biography about him. Will this be added in the future?

December 9, 2019 at 5:34 pm

I certainly hope that there will be one and I keep pushing to get one. So in due course…………

Capt Albert

December 18, 2019 at 5:42 am

Why is there no bio for Darin Bowland? I see that he will be our captain on Koningsdam next month. Also, why do they have shorter contracts on that ship than on the others? Seems like many of them are only two months instead of three. Thanks for posting this, it is useful.

December 18, 2019 at 7:02 pm

For Captain Bowland, I do not have a bio for him yet, as I have not sailed with him yet, and I talked to each captain personally first/

For the schedules, each captain sails 6 months a year. So If they want to do 2-2 or 3-3 that is more or less up to themselves. Then they have to attend training and refresher courses and that takes up time as well. So the schedules can vary greatly.

Enjoy your cruise

January 13, 2020 at 4:24 pm

F YI, I was on Koningsdam last week and asked Captain Bowland about this. He said that he has met you several times. Also, he announced that he is leaving Koningsdam after this contract and moving to Nieuw Statendam. So I’m guessing you need to update the schedule for both of those ships.

He has an interesting history, worked for Royal and took out some of their new ships before moving to HAL 12 (?) years ago (I sense there may be some bad feelings with Royal). He is the only Canadian captain in HAL (maybe all of Carnival?) and was involved in the process redesign effort following the Costa Concordia disaster. Very nice guy.

January 13, 2020 at 5:46 pm

Thank you for your comment.

There is a complete “musical chair” happening going with several captains moving and at least one retiring. So I will update the schedule as soon as the ” dust has settled” and everybody has found their new pigeon hole.

December 22, 2019 at 1:52 am

Merry Christmas Captain Albert and a happy and healthy 2020 ! (Can you believe it,2020 !)

December 22, 2019 at 11:06 pm

December 22, 2019 at 11:12 pm

Our 7th cruise with HAL, aboard the Nieuw Amstream, was canceled this past week, but our family is excited to have re-booked for the Koningsdam for the first cruise of 2020! My boys are looking forward to meeting Captain Albert and exploring this beautiful ship! MERRY Christmas!

January 1, 2020 at 11:56 pm

Hello Captain, Happy New Year and thank you for keeping this blog.

I was wondering if there is a way to find out who the cruise director on K’dam is for January 2020 cruise.

January 3, 2020 at 12:18 am

Your Cruise and Travel Director n Jan. 2020 will be a Dutch Lady called Karlijn Verpalen.

April 19, 2020 at 3:52 am

And Karlijn Verpalen was the best CD we ever had. Hope to see her next year on NS.

Be well Captain.

February 8, 2020 at 12:09 pm

Goodafternoon Captain, I was under the impression that Captain P.J. had gone in retirement, but recently I spotted him on video from Maasdam in January and also noticed him in your schedule. Will he continue to sail for HAL? I understand he currently is, or was the only Navy Reserve Captain, flying his special flag in port.

February 8, 2020 at 4:09 pm

Captain van Maurik spent some time at our training center and has now returned to sea. I think he will sail another year or so before retiring.

February 9, 2020 at 8:08 am

Thanks for the info, hope to meet him again, great sense of dry humor.

February 9, 2020 at 5:20 pm

Dear Captain Albert:

I’m a longtime reader who greatly appreciates your wonderful blog! (And had the pleasure of hearing your excellent presentation as few years ago when you were guest speaker on our voyage.)

Q1: Did the Westerdam get her dry dock update last month?

Q2: Is Colin Jacob Westerdam Hotel Director now through June?

Many thanks!

February 9, 2020 at 7:08 pm

Colin Jacobs is scheduled to be on board from 06 March to 06 June. (but please remember our schedules are subject to extremely much change at times)

The Westerdam was in Dry dock from 04 Jan. to 16 Jan. 2020 in Singapore. But I do not know what was exactly done on board.

February 10, 2020 at 3:17 am

Always enjoy your blog, such vivid descriptions along with bits of other information. My attention was drawn to the Nieuw Statendam, Capt de Boer is scheduled for only 1 month March to April 2020. After that he is not scheduled that I can locate. Has he retired or do you have any further information. For the last 12 years I have sailed with him on the old Statendam. Thanks, Mary Beth Burns

February 10, 2020 at 9:26 pm

He is indeed not on the schedule at the moment, being on a long leave. As soon as I know what his next assignment is, I will update.

February 15, 2020 at 9:33 pm

Captain Albert very nice to receive this captain’s list and very helpful to figure out who is where. I am sure captain Vincent Smit will take some time off after his many attempts to dock his ship the Westerdam –what a story –we were watching it for days hoping that he could secure a port which he finally was bale to do in Cambodia. I am sure HAL and its corporate staff were involved in the outcome and glad that that saga ended without anyone contracting the disease.

What a nightmare this must be for the Princess still stuck in port. We are off to Hawaii/Tahiti and the Marquesas on 3/21/20 and hope that the disease does not spread any further. but I heard a few ports have stopped receiving cruise ships in French Caledonia, including Isles des Pins which is one of my favorite stops.

Anyway, thanks for your continued input, it was certainly a lot of fun when we met on the Zaandam last June and had some great dinners.

March 28, 2020 at 12:19 am

Do you know when Capt. Jan Smit will return, to which ship he will be assigned , and the dates he will be in service there? Thank you!

March 28, 2020 at 7:44 pm

Thank you for reading my blog

Captain Jan Smit is currently serving as Staff Captain and is thus not on my current captain schedule. But when he pops up again, he will be on the list.

April 28, 2020 at 2:31 pm

Hello Captain Albert!

My name is Ryan. We got off the Koningsdam on the Nov. 24 2019 to Dec. 4 2019 cruise. I later realized you went off the ship the day we got on! We may be going on the Nieuw Statendam on Nov. 22 2020, is Karlijn going to be the cruise director, she was on the Koningsdam, and I heard somewhere she may be going to the Nieuw Statendam.

Thank you for a wonderful blog, by the way!

July 14, 2020 at 5:49 am

Hello Captain Albert, We are certainly missing your blog as you are missing your beloved oceans. What a state the world is in ! I do hope that you are keeping well and send you greetings! Kindest regards, Gerdina

September 6, 2020 at 4:17 pm

sorry the blog is out?

September 6, 2020 at 8:35 pm

Blog will come back in due course. Currently at home with the fleet in lay up. so not much to report. But HAL and I will be back

October 3, 2020 at 11:31 pm

Captain, how much notice do you think the teammembers will get when cruising actually is set to resume. With all the difficulty in getting the crew home, it seems like everybody on board will have to pitch in duri g the early going. Perhaps you will be our room steward on our Jan. 6 cruise to the Carribean. I hope it goes. I’ll even make my own bed if it’ll help. Bob T

October 4, 2020 at 2:56 pm

The company estimates that it will take at least a month, to get sufficient crew on board to provide the normal service. The question we can not answer is when the shore side protocols will allow for this to make it a smooth operation to get to the ship. I also hope to be back on the ships soon again, but theie are a lot of external factors which are really challenging.

October 14, 2020 at 8:38 pm

A pleasant day Captain… Allow me to introduce myself. Im Rea Almaden from.the Philippines,just want to verify something from you hope you dont mind Sir. I just saw an ad in Facebook about a job opening in Holland America Line,and a certain Captain Friso Albert is the contact person saying he is the Recruiting Captain on the said line. He even sent me a copy of his company identification card. Just want to.make sure about this and hope you can enlighten me about this before i proceed with the application. He is using whatsapp as a media of our conversation and hiring process. Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you very much.

October 15, 2020 at 11:57 am

Thank you for contacting me. This is a Scam. There is NO Captain Friso Albert who is involved in hiring. There is a captain Friso and there is a captain Albert, but not in combination and we are both at sea and not in de office. If you are looking for a job, please contact UPL in Manilla which is our hiring agent. I hope it will work out. Best regards Capt. albert

October 18, 2020 at 12:25 am

Hello Captain Albert, Here is hoping you are doing well and I am sure that you have long finished the “to do” list that was awaiting you upon your return home from seas. I much enjoyed reading your biography and noticed that you have written several books (one co-authored) Is there any chance these books are still obtainable ? I know it said one is still in print but goodness knows how to get one’s hand on a copy, through Amazon perhaps? I was sorry to hear that some of our officers are being let go, together with H.D.s and so on, down the line . I knew it was going to be inevitable, but it still hurts to hear it. My daughter Tessa and I have made several good friends among the crews. The airlines are suffering also and many of our Air Canada crews are laid-off (my late husband was a Captain with Air Canada, so it hits close to home.) His contemporaries are all long retired but I feel so badly for the younger fellows who trained so long in order to achieve their goals. Same of course with the cruise line officers and crews. Sad state of affairs, the whole world is in a mess. I hope I am not going to be too old to cruise once if and when operations will resume. All the best to you and kindest regards, Gerdina

October 26, 2021 at 6:09 am

Hello Captain Albert, any idea when the “present Captain list” will be updated and maintained again. Thanks a lot and really enjoy your readings!

October 26, 2021 at 6:26 pm

I have just done so, but it is extremely limited as HR planning still has to deal with a lot of challenges due to travel restrictions and other (Covid) issues.

October 29, 2021 at 10:16 pm

I feel so sorry for that due to the visum issue you couldnt join the Rotterdam maiden voyage. 2 years ago, when we met in Nov 2019 on the Kdam, you told me you were looking forward to it before your retirement … I hope you manage soon. I will travel on the Rdam end Nov, hopefully you can make it by then…

Greets from Valletta Geert

November 1, 2021 at 9:04 am

I love your biographies of the Current Captains. I will be on the Nieuw Amsterdam in November, but I do not see Jeroen van Donselaar’s biography. Can you provide any information? Thank you.

I also am looking forward to when you get your visa and can begin sailing again. Your talks on the ships are always so enjoyable.

November 14, 2021 at 11:07 am

just found your comment back in the spam. Captain Donselaar preferred not to have his biography published as he want to keep the life of his wife and two children private. And that is something I respect. I will try to change his mind ofcourse in the future.

November 10, 2021 at 3:06 am

Hello Captain Albert, I hope you are well. Could you tell me if Captain Vincent Smit has retired? I cannot see him on any of the ship assignments nor on the current Captains list. Thank you, Gerdina

November 14, 2021 at 11:05 am

thank you for your reading my blog and your comment, No captain Smit is still out there, but he is on leave at the moment. because we have more captains than ships at the moment, everybody goes on rotation and thus can I not give a date when he will return.

December 17, 2021 at 6:26 am

Hello again Captain Albert, My daughter and I were wondering whatever happened to Captain Michiel Willems? We sailed with him on the Zuiderdam in 2013. He was a most personable fellow and very attentive to his passengers. I remember he had a little “fender bender” in Vancouver a couple of years ago.

December 18, 2021 at 3:45 pm

Captain Willems is sailing on board the Zaandam at the moment. Although sailing is said too much as the ship is in Covid lay up in Corfu until April next year. but he is still around.

December 18, 2021 at 9:28 pm

Thank you for the update, glad he is still with the Company.

January 16, 2022 at 5:22 pm

Thank you for keeping this blog going Can I assume that Arno Jutten and Bart Vaartjes are on rotation What about Steve MacBeath? I had just sailed with him in October on Koningsdam

January 17, 2022 at 9:43 am

thank you for your comment

Capt. Arno Jutten is on leave. Capt Bart Vaartjes is on secondment to Seabourn and Capt. Steve Macbeath left the company last November.

Capt. albert

April 4, 2022 at 8:09 pm

Thanks for keeping this going. What is the situation with Captain Jeroen Schuchmann? Did Captain Steve MacBeath rejoin the company as I see him listed as a current Captain

April 5, 2022 at 8:50 pm

Thank you, Captain, for staring up the Present Captains List again. Always nice to know who is who on the ship we sail next. Would you know who will be replacing Captain Kan on the Koningsdam? Also, is Harm Arnold, formerly Staff Captain, still with HAL?

Hope you will be back to sailing soon.

April 7, 2022 at 7:36 pm

thank you for your comment. The April schedule just came in so I can give you answer. Captain Kan is scheduled to leave the Koningsdam on 28 April and Captain Henk Draper will take over.

As far as Harm Jan Arnold is concerned, he was on the schedule some time ago, but he has not popped up for a while, which is not unusual as with the fleet reduction the company is giving everybody extended leaves in the rotation schedule.

April 8, 2022 at 1:41 pm

Thank you, Captain. Much appreciated. Enjoy your blog and all the information you present.

April 9, 2022 at 9:39 pm

When I was 18 I went on an Alaskan cruise with family onboard the Veendam in 2005 in July and of course my family took photos with you in the MDR. I still have the photo and just realized it was you! I’ve been reading your blogs and never put two and two together until now!! Anyway, take care!!

Also, I will be returning to Alaska on a cruise onboard the Koningsdam with my husband!

April 12, 2022 at 12:11 am

Has Capt. Edward van Zanne retired from HAL? I have not seen him mentioned in a while. He was the second HAL captain I sailed with (as a passenger).

April 22, 2022 at 3:18 pm

Edward van Zaane has retired, ill.

April 27, 2022 at 7:47 pm

Captain Albert, I would love to see biographies of these 2 Captains: Captain Marek Ryszard Zoll Captain Mark Rowden I have sailed with both and thought they not only professional but personable and approachable. Thank you.

July 11, 2022 at 10:28 pm

Captain Bas van Dreumel was also captain in the Rotterdam in the 26 June till 10th July cruise. Was surprised because it was supposed to be captain Timmers. Love this info! Greets, Arenda

July 27, 2022 at 6:38 pm

Any idea where Captain Werner Timmers will be after July 31? Thanks

July 28, 2022 at 8:42 am

Good morning, thank you for your comment.

Captain Timmers and Captain van Dreumel are normally on a 3 month rotation, so in principle he wold be back on board 3 months after leaving. Although the dates might vary somewhat depending on what the two captains arrange among themselves.

August 22, 2022 at 5:34 pm

We will be sailing on the Noordam September 2 – October 2 and the Koningsdam from October 8 to 24 and would appreciate knowing who the Captains will be. You write a wonderfully interesting blog: I am learning a lot from it.

August 23, 2022 at 12:48 pm

thank you for your question. This is hard to say as Captain Mark Zoll (currently on board) is to go on leave on October 12 and Captain Mark Rowden is to take over. so depending on how the hand over is timed, you might see on or the other, or both. Enjoy your cruise, it is a very nice ship.

August 23, 2022 at 1:43 pm

Thanks for your help. Would you know about the Koningsdam from October 8?

August 24, 2022 at 5:29 pm

Captain Albert Thanks for your help. Much appreciated. Would you know who will be on the Koningsdam for the October 8 Hawaii cruise?

August 25, 2022 at 11:29 am

if nothing changes it should be Capt. Robert Jan Kan but as that wold be his last cruise before he goes on leave, I can not vouch for it.

September 15, 2022 at 4:50 pm

What are the dates that Captain Werner Timmers will be on the Rotterdam. We have sailed with him several times and he is the most passenger friendly captain we have ever sailed with. Looking forward to another cruise with him at the helm.

September 15, 2022 at 5:31 pm

Looking forward to another cruise with Captain Werner Timmers at the helm!

September 16, 2022 at 2:51 am

Do you know who will be the Captain on the Rotterdam for the October 30 Caribbean cruise

September 19, 2022 at 3:32 pm

thank you for you comment.

Please check the website again by October 5, when I have the next assignment schedule in.

December 23, 2022 at 7:10 pm

Merry Christmas, Captain. I am unable to find your Blog on HALBlog.com and notice that your website does not have the updated Captains’ Schedule. Could you let your readers know what is happening with your Blog? We miss reading your additions and updates.

Best wishes for 2023.

December 24, 2022 at 8:53 pm

Very much enjoyed sailing on Nieuw Statendam with Captain Noel Driscoll. His daily announcements were interesting, informative and even humorous! Apparently, his assignment ended the same day as our cruise because he is no longer listed on the Captain’s Schedule after December 17. We are booked to sail on Oosterdam in March 2023 and do not see Captain van Eerten on the list either. Can you provide an updated list so we can be informed of whom we are entrusting our lives to? Merry Christmas!

December 27, 2022 at 9:20 am

I had an updated list, and then it was was stuck in DRAFTS. But it is on line now. Captain Resn van Eerten will be on there, but he is only sailing 3 months a year on the ships, as together with Captain Jeroen Baijens he also rotates for lecturing through our training facility in Almere. Netherlands

January 27, 2023 at 10:14 pm

Thank you for your prompt reply (which I just now read)! We are excited to be sailing the 31 day South America cruise from BA to FLL. After some cancellations, it finally looks promising although the unrest in Peru is not good news. Do you have any history on Captain van Eerten that you could share? We hope that he may attend a Meet & Mingle with our group and would like to know a little bit about him.

August 18, 2023 at 12:45 pm

FYI Captain Bart is currently in command of Zuiderdam since August 8.

Congratulations on your retirement! I do, however, miss you blog.

Katherine D.

October 13, 2023 at 5:16 pm

Thank you for your informative blog! We will be sailing on the Nieuw Statendam a few times over the next couple of years. Like many others that have commented above, we especially enjoy Captain Noel O’Driscoll. According to his “typical” schedule, he should have taken the helm of the Nieuw Statendam in mid-September after a 3 month vacation. But it is our understanding that another captain took over for Captain Eric Barhorst? Do you know if Captain O’Driscoll will return to the Nieuw Statendam and if so when?

December 21, 2023 at 3:46 am

Dear captain Albert,

Do you know what the next ship of Rens van Eerten will be? Thank you very much.

January 1, 2024 at 9:38 am

Hi Captain Albert,

Any chance to getting an update on the Captains list? We are sailing the Volendam soon and wonder if it is a Dutch Captain. (We’re Dutch 🤫).

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Review: Caribbean Cruise on Holland America Nieuw Statendam

F or spring break with my college kid this year we headed to the Caribbean. I’ve been on over a dozen cruises with different cruise lines and wanted to see what it was like to cruise the Caribbean with Holland America Line. They’re experts in Alaska cruises, but what is their Caribbean cruise experience like?

I will mention that we were cruising during peak spring break season. Our boat had many more families than I expected! I also chose this cruise because it was visiting some ports of call that I have never been to, so that might appeal to you if you’re comparing cruise options.

Our Holland Cruise Caribbean Itinerary

As I mentioned above, I was excited to have the chance to visit a few islands I haven’t been to before. Here’s what our 7-day cruise itinerary was:

• Fort Lauderdale, FL

Nassau, Bahamas

• Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos

Amber Cove, Dominican Republic

Half moon cay, bahamas (private island), our ship: nieuw statendam.

I’ve been on the sister ship to the Nieuw Statendam when I cruised the Koningsdam on my Alaska Cruise with Holland America . So, I felt very comfortable on the ship and became oriented quickly. The ship is considered mid-sized in the industry and can accomodate 2,666 passengers (based on double occupancy).

There are 12 decks, with the main entertainment areas being on decks 2 and 3, and on 9 through 12. There are three elevator/stair sections and it’s quite easy to get around the ship. The ship is also beautifully decorated and has an upscale simplicity. I enjoy that there are many seating areas around the interior of the ship.

The Nieuw Statendam has two pools, including one that is in an atrium of sorts. It has a basketball court where many played pickleball, and a jogging track that is kind of hidden making it less congested than other ships I’ve been on.

One of our favorite features of the ship is the Crow’s Nest lounge where you’ll find lots of seating and games and puzzles, as well as a cafe bar. We spent many hours in this area! They also have an Art Center with big tables in this area and classes are offered each day.

Lastly, there are also four main entertainment venues, the World Stage theater, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Billboard Onboard, and the Rolling Stones Lounge.

Our Room: Balcony Stateroom Nieuw Statendam

We had a balcony stateroom on the 8th floor. The cabin is pretty standard with the balconies I’ve stayed in on other ships. Our room had a queen/two twin bed split with a loveseat and desk.

There was a mini bar fridge and three drawers in the closet area. There was a small minibar area as well with glasses and an ice bucket. Plus, Holland America does provide blankets in the rooms (in a corner cabinet) that I loved using on our Alaska cruise but didn’t need on our Caribbean one.

Our balcony had two chairs and a table. And the bathroom had a nice sized shower (for a cruise ship) but limited storage. However my toiletries bag was able to fit on the slim shelf next to the sink. And there is a shelf below the sink although the space is used for the garbage can, extra TP, and feminine product disposal bags.

There was a hair dryer provided at the desk, which was at the opposite side of the room from the bathroom. And there were plug outlets provided next to the bed and at the desk. When we had the beds separated, the plug outlets on the far bed become covered with pillows from the bed.

Choosing a Cabin / Stateroom Location

In regards to room location, we did hear rolling cart noises when we were in our room (8th floor) as the Lido Market buffet was located above us. We also over looked the life boats below our balcony and had two bumped out sections of the ship to both sides of us, making port views limited but otherwise it was an unobstructed view looking straight out.

When we sailed on the Koningsdam we stayed in a room on deck 6 in this same section of the ship (6146) and found a lot of engine noise and vibration in this area. We also heard a bit more of noise walking to our room from the other parts of the ship on deck 8 of the Nieuw Statendam as well.

The engines must be in this mid-aft area (narrow section) of the ship and the lower you are, the louder and more vibration that will be felt. If I was able to choose my cabin location on one of these Pinnacle Class ships, I would definitely avoid this area if you don’t like vibration and engine noises, especially on lower decks. I would try to book a balcony cabin in the middle or front bumped out sections of the ship.

I would also likely choose deck 7, although being on mid-aft deck 8 was convenient for the buffet, if you don’t mind being underneath the buffet and having rolling cart noises. One area I was thankful not to have a room was the front of the ship on decks 10 and 11. People will leave the sundeck pool area and pass through those room hallways to get to the elevators and I felt there was likely more foot traffic and noise outside these rooms.

Dining Options on the HAL Nieuw Statendam

There are quite a few dining options aboard the Nieuw Statendam, and they’re the same as their sister ships like the Koningsdam. The food is pretty standard for what I’ve experienced aboard other cruise lines and all-inclusive properties. The food at the specialty restaurants was certainly better than our dining room experiences.

My daughter was disappointed that there were no lobster nights in the main dining area beyond paying an additional fee. Which is getting very common with many cruise lines these days.

Something nice about Holland America is that you can choose what type of dining schedule you want. They offer a set dining time at 530 pm and 715 pm if you’re the type who enjoys dining at the same time every day. But they also have an As You Wish dining option which allows you to show up whenever you want to the dining room. If it’s during peak dining hours you might have a small wait but it’s negligible.

I will say that the portions were on the small side, which was fine with us since we never felt like we left hungry and we both appreciate not wasting food. :) There is only one main dining room for guests, unless you’re Club Orange level as those guests have a private dining room.

My biggest disappointment with the main dining room on the Nieuw Statendam (and Koningsdam) was the size and loudness of the dining room. It has two levels, but the upper level is reserved for the set-time diners, and the As You Wish diners are placed in the lower level of the dining room.

There are bussing stations mixed in with crowded tables and it’s a cacophony of noise that was an issue for me as I have sound sensitivity issues. This is something to keep in mind if you’re sensitive to loud dining spaces.

I will say that the hostesses worked their hardest to help accommodate me by finding tables towards the back and not near bussing stations, but those did come at their own expense as we felt the service was slow and neglected when seated there.

Complimentary Restaurants

These are the restaurants that are complimentary on the Nieuw Statendam. I’m happy to note that room service is included! Which is becoming less common on other mainstream cruise lines.

Dining Room

The dining room is located on decks 2 and 3 at the back of the ship. The deck 3 dining room is for the set-time diners and is open/empty in the middle with a staircase and overlook to the deck 2 dining room. The tables are pretty crowded, but they may remove some when the ship isn’t so full? As I mentioned above, we were cruising during spring break (end of March) and I believe the ship was very full.

Menus at the Dining Room vary each evening but also have a few items that are available every night. There was one evening that was a special chef curated menu and had some really upscale dishes and made that night feel different than the others.

Dress codes are not necessarily enforced, but I would say the MAJORITY of cruise guests in the dining room did dress according to the theme, i.e. Orange Night, Dressy, Casual.

Keep in mind that the Dining Room is only available for breakfast and dinner (at least on our cruise). For lunch you’ll have to go with one of the other options.

Lido Market

This is the buffet for the ship and is located on deck 9. I love that Holland America has many of the dishes served by workers and limits the amount exposure spread by public hands. However, there are no workers encouraging hand washing or sanitizer at the entry and I saw many people walk into the buffet without cleaning their hands.

Dishes vary from themed cuisines like stir fry and tacos with classics like salads, meat carving, and of course desserts. I do think that the buffet is a bit smaller than I am used to on larger ships, and overall seems to have good options but they might get repetitive over a weeklong cruise.

There are water, lemonade, and iced tea available for free and servers come to your table to serve you complimentary drinks or take your room key to get your premium beverage from the bar.

French fry lovers, this is a must visit for you! This burger and fry pool joint is very popular with families and Lizzy and I both fell in love with their french fries and secret sauce. The burgers were just ok.

New York Deli & Pizza

We really loved the pizzas here, they’re a great lunchtime meal. You can order one of their menu pizzas or build your own. They are thin crust pizzas. You can also get salads here, but the serving size is very small.

Room Service

As I mentioned above, room service is complimentary on Holland America Line. We loved that for the mornings. Each evening a door card is placed on your bed for you to order breakfast room service if you wanted. We did it EVERY day! I also ordered coffee to come earlier as I often woke up early compared to Lizzy.

The breakfast foods were always good. We did try room service once for lunch and the food wasn’t quite as good. It seems that your food will often be delivered early sometimes, but the level of warmth varied.

Additional Charge Restaurants

If you’re looking for some variety, you might consider booking one of the specialty restaurants.

Rudi’s Sel De Mer

Seafood and French-cuisine lovers will enjoy eating here, but it is the most expensive specialty dining add-on at $55 per person.

From Holland: “Named for Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, Rudi’s Sel de Mer is an intimate brasserie featuring classic French dishes reimagined with contemporary flair. Menu selections include whole Dover sole meunière with shaved pink Himalayan sea salt, oysters on the half shell, fruits de mer, and salt-crust baked branzino, as well as favorites such as steak frites, duck cassoulet and coq au vin.”

Pinnacle Grill

Looking for a steakhouse? Pinnacle Grill is where you’ll want to go, plus they have a lower priced lunch option! Dinner is $46 per person and lunch is $19 per person.

“Pinnacle Grill is the ultimate steakhouse at sea, where an exceptional menu and impeccable service make for one of finest meals you’ll ever have. The refined menu features a selection of 28-day wet-aged USDA Prime steaks — meticulously chosen to guarantee the finest quality — as well as classic steakhouse dishes and innovative recipes.”

Book an earlier dinner appointment here if you want to eat with a view as this restaurant is situated at the back of the ship next to Tamarind. The menu is al a carte and you can expect to spend about $5 to $15 for rolls and plates.

“Nami Sushi offers a tempting array of the sushi rolls he’s created. Choose from such delectable selections as Tempura Lobster Roll with soft shell crab tempura; Dragon Roll with tempura shrimp, unagi sauce and avocado; Tsutsumi Roll with snapper, green olive, caper and avocado; Futomoki Roll with crab, yamagobo, avocado and cucumber; Volcano Roll with sesame-marinated salmon and Thai chilis; Nigiri sushi with tuna, salmon and ebi shrimp; and more.”

Nami Sushi is part of the Tamarind restaurant that sits on deck 10 at the back of the ship. Tamarind does have it’s own menu and is a $35 per person upcharge.

“The sensuous flavors of the Far East await at Tamarind. In this serenely elegant setting, dine on such exotic fare as wok-seared lobster and sushi created from the highest-quality seafood.”

On my most recent cruise we did pay to eat at Canaletto, which is an Italian-inspired menu. The cost is $25 per person, one of the most affordable specialty options. The restaurant is located inside the Lido Market buffet and can offer a fabulous view of sunset if you time your reservation right!

“In Italy, there’s nothing more important than coming together to celebrate the joy of great food. This is the inspiration for our onboard Italian restaurant, Canaletto. Enjoy amazing Italian classics like braised chicken cacciatore al forno, branzino ai ferri or garlic shrimp ravioli. And for dessert: tiramisù, cannoli alla Siciliana, gelato, and more. Including pasta made fresh daily. Buon Appetito!”

Grand Dutch Cafe

For coffee lovers, your beverage package will include drinks like coffee and beer here otherwise they are an added cost. You’ll also find yummy pastry treats here that are complimentary.

For a small $3 charge you can enjoy some fresh gelato while aboard.

Club Orange Dining Room

Club Orange is an elevated booking option that grants you various luxury services while onboard, like room upgrades and priority embarkation. But you’ll also have access to the small, private Club Orange Dining Room.

Entertainment & Activities

Entertainment shows.

In my opinion, Holland America Line does put an emphasis on live music. There are four main entertainment venues, and three of them focus on music.

For the World Stage shows, I have to admit to being underwhelmed. On our Alaska cruise we had two nights of a fabulous BBC nature instrumental documentary. But for the Caribbean cruise, it was a couple of stage shows and a comedian and we honestly left early from all of them.

Instead of the World Stage we started spending our evenings at the Billboard Onboard Piano Bar. Here two pianists played and sang popular cover songs every evening, and their shows alternated perfectly with the Rolling Stone Lounge across the way where rock music covers were played.

B.B. King’s Blues Club is the other music venue that was the largest one and featured various activities and entertainment during the cruise.

Our Caribbean Shore Excursions

One of the things I’ve noticed most about cruising with HAL is that they price their shore excursions well. Compared to other lines, I feel like they have very little markup on some of the premium excursions.

We stayed onboard and had pre-booked spa appointments – if you book in advance you get a discount. In the past when our girls were younger, we’ve done excursions to Atlantis, which is a big hotel waterpark.

The Bahamas is also famous for the swimming pigs, however the famous Rose Island spot for this is too far from Nassau. Skipping going ashore also offers the best chance to find the pools less busy.

There is currently a US travel advisory for Nassau, so if you’re cruising there and planning to go ashore, be alert to your surroundings and consider booking your excursions directly with the cruise for an added level of safety.

Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos

For this island, we booked a mini electric hummer excursion. We were given a brief tutorial to the vehicle and then played a game of follow the leader around some of the roads of Grand Turk. We pulled over halfway at their “downtown” which was a very limited main street area for shopping.

Our next stop was supposed to be for a wildlife interaction which turned out to be a roadside stop where some locals had a fountain of sorts where they kept sea creatures like urchin, conch, and sea cucumbers to take out and show our group. It was cool to see the animals but just know it’s similar to a zoo experience. Then we all hopped back in the cars to head back to the ship.

While we loved our mini hummer experience, the beaches at Grand Turk looked great. It appeared that there was ample beach space with chair rentals just to the left of the cruise ship dock. I would have likely preferred to visit the beach on this stop as the water was gorgeous and the beaches looked nice. We did our beach day at Amber Cove, DR, which I’ll talk about below.

We booked the All-Inclusive Amber Cove Beach Getaway, and I have a mixed opinion about the experience. You’ll be loaded onto busses from the cruise port and make your way to the resort. TIP: try to be on the first bus as you’ll get first pick of beach chairs. You’ll also be with people who didn’t book the all-inclusive package option and you can upgrade to all-inclusive at check in or on the bus.

When we arrived we immediately headed towards the beach chairs. The location is on a tip of a bay and the water was a bit rough plus we were told not to swim due to riptides and undertows. I’m not sure if it was just due to bad weather or if this is common place as the location is not on a smooth straight section of beach.

With our all-inclusive package, we had a server who introduced himself and checked on us regularly to bring us drinks. We had an umbrella that covered some parts of our chair but definitely had hot sun and we both ended up with some sunburns on our shoulders and my feet!

The service was fabulous at the resort and our package included the lunch time buffet which was actually pretty good food. The resort also had security watching out for us and when my daughter was past the sign, they asked us to come back. So while we never felt unsafe being there, it is something to be mindful of.

If I could do it again, I’d do a beach day at Grand Turk and on the private island and choose a different type of excursion for Amber Cove, DR.

We had booked a clamshell beach chair rental for Holland’s private island of Half Moon Cay, but due to our sunburns from Amber Cove we chose to stay out of the sun and skipped the island. Which I sort of regret!

You do have to tender onto the island from the ship, which I never enjoy. But the island looked absolutely beautiful with turquoise waters and sandy beaches. I wish we didn’t have our sunburns because this would have likely been the best beach day of our trip. Something to note, there is food on the island but your drink package does NOT apply on the island.

Before I get into my spa review, I want to mention that to my knowledge, all cruise spas are run by a third-party company. So my experience isn’t reflective of the Holland America Line, but does reflect what our spa experience was like.

I prebooked a massage and facial for Lizzy and I for our day when we were stopped in Nassau. We’ve visited Nassau before on a cruise stop and felt since we would be dealing with a 3-hour time change, it would be best to avoid an early morning wake up our first day of the cruise. When you prebook a spa service you’re also given a 20% discount on most services.

Lizzy enjoyed her massage, but I was not impressed with my facial. My facial was booked for 50 minutes. 10 minutes of the start of the facial was spent talking about why I should upgrade my facial to the machine facial.

I finally agreed for an additional $30 charge. My facial was fine but nothing to rave about, and at the end of my appointment I was left with cotton pads on my eyes for 5 minutes while my esthetician wrote up a paper and gathered Elemis products. Which she then proceeded to try and sell me at a “package” deal for another 5 minutes. I said no and she left me to get dressed and bring me a water.

When I left, I checked my phone and I had been in the room for 50 minutes, so my facial was actually only about 30 minutes of actual hands-on treatment on my face. I left feeling disappointed and unhappy, the opposite of relaxed and rejuvenated.

It’s good to know the spa is operated by a separate company and they are contract workers for the cruise lines. I’ve heard from others before about this heavy sales tactic and while I’ve been offered simple upgrades before for say a special eye cream or aromatherapy for a massage, this was the first time I was sold so hard and that it took a significant about of time away from my treatment.

There is also a Thermal Suite in the spa which is an additional fee. Our first day aboard we toured the suite which includes a pool with water therapy jets, a steam room, sauna, and heated relaxing benches. You can pay $49 for a day use for the thermal suite or at the beginning of the cruise we were offered a rate of $189 for access the entire week of the cruise.

While we didn’t need a kid’s club for either of my Holland cruises, I wanted to note that they do have kid’s clubs. There are three main club groups by age: kids 3 to 6, kids and tweens 7 to 12, and teen program for 13-17. From what I could tell, kids club activities only happen during the daytime hours, so you can’t rely on kids club as a babysitting service for a couples dinner.

What to Pack for a Caribbean Cruise

You’ll want to read my cruise packing list post and get my free printable. But a couple of things I want to emphasize to bring (plus I have to make sure they’re on my packing list):

• Hanging organizers – we’ve always used a shoe organizer for cruising but with only two of us, these smaller hanging organizers were amazing for keeping clutter in our cabin in check. And they’re easy to pack along with some magnetic hooks for hanging on the cabin walls.
• Aloe – I mentioned we got sunburns and unfortunately I didn’t pack aloe and the onboard shop only had a full-size bottle for $21, that was too much in my opinion and wouldn’t be carry-on allowed.
• Frisbee – if you’re traveling with teens, or even as a couple and you’re planning some beach days, pack one of these lightweight frisbees . We would have loved to have one of these while on the beach.
• Sun hat – I brought a ball cap which worked well for the sun and can give a cute casual look, plus it’s easy to pack. BUT, if you’re planning a lot of beach days, I’d recommend a packable beach hat and perhaps one that has no brim on the back for lounging in beach chairs.

Phone lanyard – when you’re on the cruise ship you don’t really need to carry a purse, but it is nice to have your phone handy and you’re not always wearing something with pockets. A phone lanyard with a little pouch is extremely useful onboard and on excursions. It also helps you get those over-the-edge ocean shots without worrying about dropping your phone!

I recommend the Bandolier brand or save some money and support a women-owned small business with one from Save the Girls which is what I used on my cruise.

• Beach bag – I brought a tote bag, but forgot how it’s nicer to have a sand & water proof bag. Aloha bags are the best and perfect for cruises plus they come in lots of great prints, but you could save some money with a generic waterproof beach bag .

Final Thoughts from our Caribbean Cruise with HAL

I think Holland America offers cruisers the chance to save a little money on a mid-size cruise ship while still enjoying ships that are in nice condition and have an upscale decor.

They also have some unique itineraries for ports you might not have been on before that they can access easier because of their slightly smaller size. And for Alaska, they are the OG (aka Original) and have the best contracts and port docks for cruising to the 49th state.

If you’re comparing cruise lines, know that with Holland you’ll get a mid-ship experience with fewer guests and well priced shore excursions. However, if you’re searching for a large variety of onboard activities and high-end entertainment, you may want to go with a larger ship on a different line.