A couple of weeks after our siblings cruise my brother called and asked if I would like to join him on a Holland America cruise leaving right from my home town. The ship was the Koningsdam and we just had to pay $200 each plus taxes and port fees for an ocean view cabin. The $200 would be credited as onboard credit.
It didn’t take me long to say yes for a few reasons.
Cruise Line and Ship
Although I enjoy several cruise lines Holland America is my favorite and I am looking forward to sailing with this brand again. Some of the best things about it are the fresh flowers, artwork, classic design and fantastic service. Of course the smaller ships enhance the experience.
Even though the Koningsdam is the first of the largest class Holland America owns, it still only has a double occupancy capacity of 2,650 people. Steve and I cruised on the Nieuw Statendam, a sister ship, for a special birthday in 2019. I really enjoyed the ship and want to see differences, if any, between this first ship in the Pinnacle class and the next one.
We received our ocean view cabin assignment about 10 days before we sailed and weren’t happy with the location. A quick call to our personal planner at Holland America and we had upgraded to a veranda with an extended balcony (6115) for an additional $199 per person. I’m really looking forward to that big veranda!
Itinerary
We’ve cruised the Mexican Riviera many times but the last sailing there for us was in 2016. Although I prefer the Caribbean, the Pacific coast is more interesting with her big waves and stark landscapes at times.
This sailing is set to hit the main three ports: Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlán.
We only booked a tour for Mazatlán but have ideas on what to do for the other two.
No Flights
Cruising from San Diego the couple of times we’ve done it has been so easy. A 25 minute drive to downtown and we’re there. Well at least for me. My brother does need to fly in and out but it’s a shorter trip for him than Florida.
I have a trip to Florida very soon after this cruise so I was happy to sail without travel.
Covid Protocols
Covid protocols have been changing regularly since cruising restarted last July. For this sailing we still had to do a covid test within two days of sailing but masks were only required in the US cruise terminal and in Mexico as required by local authorities. On the ship they were going to be optional which was a new change for Holland America.
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