Sea- juvenation with Holland America
Encouraged by recommendations from like-minded friends about their experience aboard Holland America’s Koningsdam, I figure a two-week slow boat journey would fill the prescription for an invigorating springtime reboot. This wouldn’t be my first rodeo with multiple days at sea. I would board in Ft. Lauderdale, aim for Rome, and disembark a New Me.
The black-hulled beauty had earned stellar acclaim since its debut in 2016, and as first impressions go, I am immediately impressed by this energetically charged vessel with a rhythmic pulse. This cruise would provide the perfect opportunity to start a procrastinated fitness regimen, one easily put off by lame excuses at home. Taking the reins on day one, the New Me saddles up on a hightech elliptical in the ship’s exceptionally well-equipped gym. Ear buds in and new sneakers on, I’m out of the chute on a calorie-burning quest to offset the cruise’s inevitable adult beverage and culinary intake.
Furthering the path towards physical rejuvenation, the extravagant Greenhouse Spa & Salon provides essential physical tweaks with an inviting menu of new age spa therapies. Armed with the latest technologies, a staff of 27 amazingly trained technicians tend to the task of toning, sculpting, and pampering well-worn bodies.
The industry leader in onboard spas, One Spa World has gone far beyond fundamental massage and hair care with treatments that promote transformational wellness, affording a much-needed reset on the tendency to neglect life’s nagging issues. Aromatherapy, seaweed wraps, detox regimens, and educational seminars on every type of health issue encourage good intentions. If it’s the physical aesthetics that could use a touch-up, there is something for every parcel of the body with teeth whitening, cellulite busting technology, and enhanced facial treatments.
The spa’s centerpiece hydropool is a bubbling master stroke of mineralenriched renewal, and the adjacent Thermal Suite beckons with steam rooms, infrared saunas, rain showers, and heated lounge chairs fulfilling the promise of total indulgence. Exotic cruise destinations come and go but this hot spot is one that is with you every day of the cruise.
Eating sensibly on a cruise might be a slight aberration for me, but eating right needn’t mean giving up the fight. The New Me journey is facilitated by healthy menu selections in a wide assortment of dining venues. The Dining Room offers traditional full-service dining, with the upper level devoted to assigned early and late seatings while the lower level facilitates the company’s As You Wish open-seating option. Buffet-style dining in the Lido Marketplace offers a casual alternative with multiple stations of regional fare, salads, and carved meats.
The ship boasts several intimate and upscale dining venues, but none more synonymous to the Holland America legacy than Rudi’s Sel de Mer. With emphasis on Master Chef Rudi Sodamin’s seafood creations and artfully plated presentations, the elegant ambiance perfectly evokes a celebration of gastronomic excellence.
The Pinnacle Grill caters to carnivorous cravings with classic steakhouse fare, while Canaletto is the default choice for savoring Italian cuisine. Opportunities to feast on sushi and Southeast Asian dishes are offered in the themed Tamarind restaurant, and for extra special occasions, A Taste of De Librije goes the extra mile in presenting Michelin-caliber dining.
I easily buy into the research that red wine aids digestion and promotes good health, which translates into a guilt-ridden decision to imbibe a favorite glass (or two) at Blend, a small onboard alcove with an ingenious twist on traditional wine tasting. In partnership with Chateau Ste. Michelle vineyards of Washington, guests can sample several top tier wines before ultimately creating a customized blend of personal favorites that is then bottled and served table side at dinner.
While staying active at sea is easily accomplished with stimulating activities, enrichment seminars, and variety shows, I’m nefariously seduced by the siren song of slot machines, justified by the idea that the upward arm movement of pushing the buttons could be considered as active physiotherapy for that pesky New Me resolve.
For after-dinner engagement, Holland America deserves a standing ovation for hitting all the high notes with vibrant live music along Deck 2’s Music Walk, a journey through assorted venues covering musical genres ranging from ABBA to ZZ Top. Groove to rhythm and blues in B.B. King’s Blues Club, relive classic rock in the Rolling Stone Rock Room, and sing along to pop music hits from the dueling pianos in Billboard Onboard. If Beethoven or Brahms is more to your liking, a string quintet performs daily on the Lincoln Center Stage.
Serving as intermission after six engrossing days at sea, the perpetual blue of the Atlantic merges into the green beauty of Ponta Delgada in the Portuguese Azores, an opportunity for destination enjoyment expertly curated by the Journeys Ashore program of excursions. The bonus visits to Spain’s Málaga and Cartagena offer further opportunities for cultural explorations ashore, but prior to disembarkation in
In partnership with Chateau Ste. Michelle vineyards of Washington, Blend guests can sample several top tier wines before ultimately creating a customized blend of personal favorites that is then bottled and served table side at dinner.
Rome, Italy, the itinerary graciously grants an encore day at sea reflecting on the amazing voyage (as well as the chance to absorb the missed amenities, places, and intangibles that have not yet found their way into the busy daily rituals). Squeezing in treats at Grand Dutch Cafe, enjoying the intimate piano music in the Ocean Bar, absorbing the digital instruction provided in the Microsoft Studio, witnessing the appetizing culinary presentations at America’s Test Kitchen, or sampling connoisseur bourbons and whiskeys at Notes tasting bar all vie for last-minute consideration.
This type of cruise might easily lend appeal to an older demographic, but the onboard buzz of Koningsdam is more than enough to reinstate some degree of inner youth regardless of age. The ship has successfully tinkered with the ebb and flow of modern-day cruise trends, yet boldly embraces the timeless traditions that validate the inimitable Holland America Line spirit. It is a cruise of active indulgence and revitalization resulting in the feeling of sea- juvenation.