A review of all the dining options on our Holland America Alaskan Cruise, including specialty restaurants, what is included, and prices. Check out my other posts about traveling to Alaska.
Dining on the Holland America Koningsdam Cruise Ship
Being huge foodies and spoiled with outstanding cuisine here at home in San Francisco, food quality was a huge factor in choosing a cruise line for our Alaskan cruise. I spent hours on Cruise Critic and reading blog posts about dining, and it was clear that Holland America is known for the best quality food and the widest variety among all the cruise lines that sail to Alaska.
We had so many memorable meals on board, it made me appreciate even more how important it is to have top-tier dining options on a cruise.
Holland America Port to Plate Seafood Program
If you love seafood, prepare to eat some of the best seafood you’ve ever eaten. You can also feel confident that you are dining responsibly, as they have achieved both Marine Stewardship Council certification and Aquaculture Stewardship Council certification. They are committed to serving the highest quality seafood that is sustainably sourced, wild-caught, and responsibly farmed.
Each cruise has menus designed by the fish that are available in that area of the world. You can see more on the Holland America website. I had seafood almost every night for dinner, and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
Holland America Alaskan Cruise Dining Review – Restaurant List
There are six complimentary dining options on board the Holland America Koningsdam ship, and five specialty restaurants that require a reservation fee of $25-55 to book.
Included Restaurants on Holland America Cruise Line
The following restaurants are included in your Holland America cruise fee. Most have a few items on the menu that are available for an additional fee, such as alcohol, premium food options (like lobster), or specialty coffees.
Lido Market
Aka “The Buffet” that you find on all cruise ships with extended hours and millions of options. I read about the buffet food on Holland America cruise ships in cruise forums and heard from other frequent cruisers that it is much better than on other cruise ships. There truly is something for everyone, and most of it was excellent. You’ll find a salad bar, pasta, Asian food, and all varieties, so many breads and desserts, ice cream, and more.
There’s seating right at the Lido, and they clear the tables, as well as offer water.
Holland American Koningsdam Dining Room
The largest restaurant on the Holland America Line Koningsdam Cruise Ship, this is the dinner option that doesn’t have a specialty reservation fee. The portions are small from an American perspective, which is incredible! There is no limit to what you can order, allowing you to try multiple dishes if you’re hungry. The Dining Room Menu changes every night, and options are extensive. Appetizers, mains, and desserts are included in the menu, as well as a few premium options you can pay an extra fee for. For example, it was $25 for the halibut I had and $18 for filet mignon and lobster. It’s also the location of Afternoon Tea, a complimentary event on board. We ate here on our first night on board, and our food was excellent. They are also open for lunch and dinner, and I feel like we really missed out by not trying those meals!
The Grand Dutch Cafe
One of two places on the Koningsdam ship that sells specialty coffee (espresso, lattes, etc). There’s usually a line in the morning, but it moves fast. If you don’t have a beverage package (more on that in this post about our Holland America Alaskan Cruise experience), the cost is $4-5 per drink. They also have a few light food items that are included in the cruise price. The pastries were a little dry in my opinion, so we only ate here once. They also serve Holland America’s famous split pea soup.
Crow’s Nest Cafe
The second option on the Koningsdam for specialty coffee. The location is great, at the front of the ship in the Crow’s Nest, which has amazing views! They also have light bites, which we did not try.
Room Service on the Holland America Koningsdam
Room service food is available 24 hours per day on the Holland America Koningsdam. We ordered from room service multiple times during our trip. There is a special number to dial from your room phone, and the menu is also available on the Koningsdam app. The offerings are fairly basic, and the food was only okay. That said, I developed an obsession with their chili (served with cornbread!) and Caesar salad for lunch, eating it four times during the trip. 10/10 recommend!
There is a card in your room that you can fill out to get breakfast delivered in the morning. Because we didn’t have a beverage package, we always ordered coffee to the room, as it is complimentary. It tastes like standard drip coffee, and it gets the job done, but I don’t miss it!
Talking to other cruisers, the room service was the only food experience that did not live up to other cruise lines. Holland America really is known for having the best food by experienced cruisers, so I feel like we can never travel with another cruise line. 😉
New York Pizza & Deli
We only ordered pizza from here once, and it was awful. It was so soggy in the center that you could barely pick up a slice.
Despite the bad pizza experience, this actually became one of our favorite breakfast spots. Pro-tip: They have plain yogurt here for breakfast in the morning. I can’t stand the sweetened stuff, so this was a big find for me. 😀 The menu includes made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, eggs, bacon, sausage, bagel sandwiches, and more!
Holland America Alaskan Cruise Dining Review – Specialty Restaurants
Holland America truly takes specialty dining to the next level. There are five specialty dining options, and being foodies, we had to try each one of them!
Review of Rudi’s Sel de Mer on Holland America
Rudi’s Sel de Mer stole my heart – and my stomach. This was one of the best meals of the trip. The Mediterranean-inspired menu is full of the freshest seafood you can find in true Holland America “Port to Plate” fashion. You can also add a 5-ounce lobster tail to any entree for $15. I had the fish of the day, which was deboned tableside (fun to watch, and I’m grateful I didn’t have to do it). Pat had the 12-ounce broiled lobster tail ($19 supplement) and said it’s the best lobster he’s ever had. Holland America partners with famous chefs to prepare special dishes for their restaurants. On this menu, there was a special Jacques Torres volcano cake. The chocolate flavor was lovely, but it didn’t have the gooey center I was expecting, given the name.
If you love seafood and can only eat at one specialty restaurant, this is it! I could have eaten there every night. Reservation fee $55.
Review of Pinnacle Grill on Holland America
Pinnacle Grill is Holland America Line’s signature restaurant. It offers a truly incredible surf and turf experience. Holland America partners with famous chefs to prepare special dishes for their restaurants. On this menu, David Burke’s Clothesline Bacon and Jacques Torres Chocolate Souffle were both must-tries! We also ordered the baked Alaska, which felt like the perfect cruise ship classic.
I ordered the tableside Caesar salad, which was both fun and delicious, as well as the seared Alaskan halibut in a red curry sauce. Pat had the whole Dover sole, which was deboned tableside, and he cleaned his plate.
Occasionally, the premium restaurants have even more premium dishes for an additional fee. At Pinnacle Grill, they offer a 35-oz Tomahawk Bone-In Rib Eye for Two for an additional $35.
This is the only specialty restaurant that is open for lunch. If you’re on a budget, this is a great way to get the steakhouse experience at a lower price point! Lunch reservation fee $25, dinner reservation fee $52.
Review of Canaletto Restaurant on Holland America
If you’re craving Italian, the best place to dine is Holland America’s specialty restaurant, Canaletto. The menu features a variety of Italian classics, including pasta, antipasti, ossobuco, and grilled scampi. I was in the mood for pasta, so I ordered the casarecce pesto genovese, which had great flavor and texture. The tiramisu was the perfect finish. Reservation fee $25.
Review of Morimoto by Sea on Holland America
Holland America partnered with famed chef Masaharu Morimoto to do a Morimoto By Sea pop-up dining experience. The food is colorful, beautifully prepared, and delicious! There were a couple of sushi options as well as pork dumplings, a gorgeous lobster pad Thai, and fried fish. We had my favorite dessert of the trip, the Chocolate Sphere (photo below), which was prepared tableside by pouring hot salted caramel sauce over the sphere. Dinner and a show! This dining option was available for only two nights and was hosted within Tamarind Restaurant. The combination of the novelty, presentation, and flavors made this one of my favorite meals of the trip. Reservation fee $55.
Review of Dining at Tamarind on Holland America
On the nights when there isn’t Morimoto by Sea, you can dine at Tamarind. The menu features perfectly prepared dishes from across Asia, including Thailand, Korea, India, the Philippines, China, and Japan. We ordered the Taste of Tamarind appetizer platter, which allowed us to try a little of everything. The Korean Beef Bulgogi Tacos, Wok Seared Lobster, and Massaman Curry.
The red curry was also excellent, but a little too sweet for me. The mango posset dessert was perfect, with a tart and sweet flavor, and it was so much fun to eat. Reservation fee $35.
A Note About Desserts
Desserts at the specialty restaurants were exceptional and an absolute must; however, we found that many of the desserts we tried in Lido Market were dry, filled with artificial colors, and not to our liking. In general, we try to eat healthy, so this didn’t bother us. It allowed us to save our sweet indulgences for dinner in the dining room and specialty restaurants.
Dietary Accommodations on Holland America Cruise Ships
Holland America goes above and beyond to incorporate guest dietary restrictions. I would recommend alerting them before the cruise starts so they can plan accordingly. However, even the day before your meal, you can fill out a card with a dietary restriction, and the kitchen team will go out of their way to create a fantastic meal that fits your preferences.
I hope you enjoyed this Holland America Alaskan cruise dining review and information about specialty dining aboard the ship! Let me know if you have any questions, and check out more information about traveling to Alaska!
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