SLOW TRAVEL
The Road To Koningsdam: Seen In Croatia, Among Other New Things
Sailing with Viking Ocean Cruises aboard new Viking Sea, spotting Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam was not on the list of things to do in Dubrovnik. Quite the contrary, we were on a unique tour that took us by the walled city of Dubrovnik via excursion boat, a view I had not experienced before. It was an interesting day in a place I’ve been to a number of times before on as many cruise lines. Expecting more of the same, this experience was the most unique yet.
Also throwing off our attention, we had seen Holland America Line’s comparatively tiny ms Pinsendam the day before on a cloudy day in Kotor Montenegro. The 38,000 ton Prinsendam still cast a familiar look with the Holland America signature dark hull.
At more than twice the size, 99,000-ton ms Koningsdam caught my eye, first thinking we were on a similar itinerary with Prinsendam and here she was again. On closer inspection, it was indeed ms Koningsdam, the latest and greatest ship from Holland America Line, and one I would be on board soon for an Amsterdam christening.
On the ground in Dubrovnik, a must-do activity was to visit the city market to stock up on Croatian Sea Salt, something we cook with at home throughout the year. Choosing standard White, Black Croatian Sea salt, I also picked up some Rosemary, Red Wine and Orange Peel-infused varieties along with recipes to try each. Spices make for great souvenirs when traveling that take up little space in luggage and usually come at a reasonable price. Actually, pricing can be quite a bargain compared to imported (and not as fresh) spices found locally in the U.S.
A seaside lunch in Dubrovnik ended our time ashore but the day was not uneventful from that point on either. Returning to the Port of Dubrovnik, we found Viking Sea crew welcoming us back, something they do on each sailing at one port along the way. See more of that Viking Sea Welcome Back event in our Facebook Photo Album.
Also on hand to welcome us back, Holland America Line’s new ms Koningsdam, docked right by us, providing some up close images of the ship to share with you here.
[URIS id=59318]
Previously published in The Road To Koningsdam series: