h2so4
December 23rd, 2004, 11:16 AM
Just back - despite rough seas and mechanical problems, had a terrific time on our first HAL cruise. Maasdam is definitely showing her age - she needs to go into dry dock sooner than 2006 (which is when she is scheduled according to several crew members; January 2005 she has 4 days or so in wet dock). Having said that, none of the wear and tear we saw disturbed us too much. We had no A/C problems (cabin 169), but did periodically get a whiff of bad odors as we wandered the ship - nothing that lasted long.
Lost an engine on the way out which delayed arrival in St Thomas, where tendering compounded the problem. Quite a few unhappy pax - didn't bother us as we had been there before. Delay continued on to Dominica (skipped Cabritz) since spare parts were flown to Barbados (next port). Supposed fix did not hold, but we did not hear about it until after we sailed from San Juan. Sailed on 75% power for the rest of the cruise back. High seas (25 foot swells one night according to the Captain's announcement) meant we would not have been able to sail at full power anyway. At one point disembarkation was not expected until 7:00p or so, but we did make up some time when the seas calmed down on the 21st, and docked by 4:00p or so (scheduled for 8:00a) on the 22nd. (Had terrific sailing weather for our "unexpected day at sea".) The delay did not bother us as we had driven down from the DC area, but I sure felt bad for those with flight and train arrangements.
The service was good - not outstanding; the crew did their jobs and usually with a smile. Cabin steward introduced himself on Day 1; seemed to have his head in the clouds and overlooked things (i.e. we had to ask for shampoo, etc.), but he kept the room clean.
The food in the Rotterdam and Lido was good - especially considering the number of meals produced. Food that should have been hot was hot; cold was cold; most everything was quite tasty. (Except - I never understand why they serve ice cream in warm bowls!!) Single lobster tail, by the way, on the last formal night - but it was more than sufficient for us. We loved the more European-sized portions for dinner, and never felt stuffed. (P.S. Tried the much-raved-about bread pudding - sorry - didn't care for it at all; but that's a matter of preference.) Dined at the Pinnacle one night - enjoyed our meal - if you eat there, your best bet is to order one of the red meat selections. We did miss the ambiance of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity.
There were few kids on board - I would be surprised if there were more than 20. All were well behaved - even the 10-week old baby at the 8:00p seating.
Entertainment was fine – of the three cast shows, the last one was the best. I’m writing this while on break at work, so I don’t have the names of the entertainers. I’m sure others will provide the names and more detail. We went to almost every show and enjoyed most of them for what they were – entertainment at sea. Went to several of the movies – all recent-ish. Air-popped pop-corn was pretty bland, but despite complaints people were putting them away with relish it seemed.
While the ship might not be the right one for this itinerary, we enjoyed the combination of ports and sea days. Having half-day in most ports made for more relaxing days. Arrived at HMC earlier than expected (despite slightly rough seas the first day out of Norfolk). I was really glad I had pre-ordered the clamshell - it was very hot and the shade came in very handy. We were in port with Oosterdam (I think), and by the time we tendered in (we were on the first tender), the only clamshells available were at the far end (we were right by the pink cabana). No problem, I liked that there were fewer people around.
St Thomas - as mentioned before, late arrival and tendering made for a stressful afternoon for some. I think it was the Zaandam who assisted with two additional tenders, but since they boarded one tender at a time, it still took a while to disembark the pax. We waited until the end and went onshore just long enough to stretch our legs. We were about an hour or so late sailing away.
Dominica - a little late arriving due to engine problem and delay in departure from St Thomas - but not by much. Brief rain showers in the early hours of our time in port. We did the whale watch/snorkel and had a really good time. Saw one sperm whale in very, very close proximity. DH enjoyed the snorkeling in a cove - champagne bubbles (from the hot underwater springs) and good coral/fish. Excellent crew; excursion was through the ship (Anchorage Hotel and Dive Shop operated the catamaran).
Barbados - We did our own excursion here. Silver Moon was booked, so we had reservations with Small Cats. Dale, our contact, met us and explained that no one else had booked and asked if we would mind going on a sister catamaran - El Tigre. As there were only 10 other people booked, we agreed. We did the 5-hour snorkel with lunch. Considering the food was not the greatest, and there were no additional snorkeling stops, the 3-hour excursion would have been sufficient. There were a couple of brief showers throughout the day, but nothing to spoil the fun. We stopped to snorkel/swim with turtles and also at a wreck before stopping at a beach to put most of the pax ashore (they were on the 3-hour excursion and were taxied back to Bridgetown from there). We then continued to sail and had lunch en route. It was a nice, quiet afternoon with only two other couples for the rest of our time on the catamaran. (P.S. no permanent shade on the catamaran - sails were up, putting half the boat in shade, and a tarp went up when we were anchored for snorkeling to provide shade during those times.)
St Kitts – we did a private tour with Ilva Wallace and had a terrific time. We met her as soon as we docked (which was earlier than scheduled) and managed to beat the crowds everywhere. Caribelle Batik was as good as I had read – grounds spectacular. Brimstone Hill Fortress is not to be missed – breathtaking views. Black Rocks – pretty spectacular views as well. Ilva’s commentary as we looped the entire island added to our enjoyment.
San Juan – we were there from about 7:00a to 1:00p. Despite the heat and humidity, we enjoyed our walk to Castillo el Morro. Didn’t go inside this time, just wandered along the walls, down to the cemetery with its elaborate vaults and headstones, and through Old Town San Juan.
I’m sure there will be others posting with varied reports. For us, this was a fun and relaxing cruise, and we would sail with HAL again.
Lost an engine on the way out which delayed arrival in St Thomas, where tendering compounded the problem. Quite a few unhappy pax - didn't bother us as we had been there before. Delay continued on to Dominica (skipped Cabritz) since spare parts were flown to Barbados (next port). Supposed fix did not hold, but we did not hear about it until after we sailed from San Juan. Sailed on 75% power for the rest of the cruise back. High seas (25 foot swells one night according to the Captain's announcement) meant we would not have been able to sail at full power anyway. At one point disembarkation was not expected until 7:00p or so, but we did make up some time when the seas calmed down on the 21st, and docked by 4:00p or so (scheduled for 8:00a) on the 22nd. (Had terrific sailing weather for our "unexpected day at sea".) The delay did not bother us as we had driven down from the DC area, but I sure felt bad for those with flight and train arrangements.
The service was good - not outstanding; the crew did their jobs and usually with a smile. Cabin steward introduced himself on Day 1; seemed to have his head in the clouds and overlooked things (i.e. we had to ask for shampoo, etc.), but he kept the room clean.
The food in the Rotterdam and Lido was good - especially considering the number of meals produced. Food that should have been hot was hot; cold was cold; most everything was quite tasty. (Except - I never understand why they serve ice cream in warm bowls!!) Single lobster tail, by the way, on the last formal night - but it was more than sufficient for us. We loved the more European-sized portions for dinner, and never felt stuffed. (P.S. Tried the much-raved-about bread pudding - sorry - didn't care for it at all; but that's a matter of preference.) Dined at the Pinnacle one night - enjoyed our meal - if you eat there, your best bet is to order one of the red meat selections. We did miss the ambiance of the specialty restaurants on Celebrity.
There were few kids on board - I would be surprised if there were more than 20. All were well behaved - even the 10-week old baby at the 8:00p seating.
Entertainment was fine – of the three cast shows, the last one was the best. I’m writing this while on break at work, so I don’t have the names of the entertainers. I’m sure others will provide the names and more detail. We went to almost every show and enjoyed most of them for what they were – entertainment at sea. Went to several of the movies – all recent-ish. Air-popped pop-corn was pretty bland, but despite complaints people were putting them away with relish it seemed.
While the ship might not be the right one for this itinerary, we enjoyed the combination of ports and sea days. Having half-day in most ports made for more relaxing days. Arrived at HMC earlier than expected (despite slightly rough seas the first day out of Norfolk). I was really glad I had pre-ordered the clamshell - it was very hot and the shade came in very handy. We were in port with Oosterdam (I think), and by the time we tendered in (we were on the first tender), the only clamshells available were at the far end (we were right by the pink cabana). No problem, I liked that there were fewer people around.
St Thomas - as mentioned before, late arrival and tendering made for a stressful afternoon for some. I think it was the Zaandam who assisted with two additional tenders, but since they boarded one tender at a time, it still took a while to disembark the pax. We waited until the end and went onshore just long enough to stretch our legs. We were about an hour or so late sailing away.
Dominica - a little late arriving due to engine problem and delay in departure from St Thomas - but not by much. Brief rain showers in the early hours of our time in port. We did the whale watch/snorkel and had a really good time. Saw one sperm whale in very, very close proximity. DH enjoyed the snorkeling in a cove - champagne bubbles (from the hot underwater springs) and good coral/fish. Excellent crew; excursion was through the ship (Anchorage Hotel and Dive Shop operated the catamaran).
Barbados - We did our own excursion here. Silver Moon was booked, so we had reservations with Small Cats. Dale, our contact, met us and explained that no one else had booked and asked if we would mind going on a sister catamaran - El Tigre. As there were only 10 other people booked, we agreed. We did the 5-hour snorkel with lunch. Considering the food was not the greatest, and there were no additional snorkeling stops, the 3-hour excursion would have been sufficient. There were a couple of brief showers throughout the day, but nothing to spoil the fun. We stopped to snorkel/swim with turtles and also at a wreck before stopping at a beach to put most of the pax ashore (they were on the 3-hour excursion and were taxied back to Bridgetown from there). We then continued to sail and had lunch en route. It was a nice, quiet afternoon with only two other couples for the rest of our time on the catamaran. (P.S. no permanent shade on the catamaran - sails were up, putting half the boat in shade, and a tarp went up when we were anchored for snorkeling to provide shade during those times.)
St Kitts – we did a private tour with Ilva Wallace and had a terrific time. We met her as soon as we docked (which was earlier than scheduled) and managed to beat the crowds everywhere. Caribelle Batik was as good as I had read – grounds spectacular. Brimstone Hill Fortress is not to be missed – breathtaking views. Black Rocks – pretty spectacular views as well. Ilva’s commentary as we looped the entire island added to our enjoyment.
San Juan – we were there from about 7:00a to 1:00p. Despite the heat and humidity, we enjoyed our walk to Castillo el Morro. Didn’t go inside this time, just wandered along the walls, down to the cemetery with its elaborate vaults and headstones, and through Old Town San Juan.
I’m sure there will be others posting with varied reports. For us, this was a fun and relaxing cruise, and we would sail with HAL again.