luvs2beachit
February 9th, 2005, 09:40 AM
Just returned from the Maasdam this past Sunday and thought I might share some of our experiences. I am sure there are some that may not agree with this review but as I said these are our experiences.
Embarkation was delayed because the ship return to Norfolk late. We were standing in line waiting to board watching the previous week cruisers disembark. At about 2pm we were finally permitted to board but not allowed to go to our staterooms for another hour or so. Not really a problem we just went to the buffet in the Lido. Our cabin was larger than similar cats on other ships and it was nicely layed out. Bathroom was large and had a tub. Never felt crowded or cramped. Plenty of closet and storage space. We thought that the ship was beautiful and charming. Had heard other comments about ship being worn and in disrepair but we didn't see anything worth noting.
Our first day out was a bit rocky but not a major problem. Popped a Bonine and enjoyed the day.
HMC was a disappointment. We had heard so many wonderful reports on the island and we were really looking forward to spending the day there. We were on a waitinglist for a cabana and had rented a clamshell in addition but we arrived late and tendering was slow so time on HMC was limited. I would have been very upset had we actually secured a cabana for $250 and only had a few hours to enjoy it. Persons with cabanas were the first off the ship but even with early tendering they still had less than 5 hrs on the island.
Our group had tender tickets for #s 19 and 28. 19 went to the island shortly after 1pm and those of us with #28 just gave up and stayed on the ship. Wasn't much point in going over there for only an hour or so. People that did go on #28 said that when they arrived there was no more food because the BBQ ended at 230.
St Thomas was also a late arrival. We have been there many times so we usually just make our own arrangements to go over to Trunk Bay, however, because of the limited time frame in port we decided to go with the HAL tour which is a lot more expensive but would ensure us getting back to the ship on time.
Antigua was wonderful. We had arranged for a private tour of the island and spent the day sightseeing and hanging out at a beautiful beach.
St Martins, my favorite port, was great. Spent the day shopping and just wandering around. Am always so surprised at how much the port has grown between each visit. But prices have also grown.........cigarettes that were $9 a carton last year were $14.95 this year. Still a bargain compared to NY prices.
PR was a waste. Only 4 1/2 hours in port, not really enough time to do anything. Would really prefer to stay over in St Martin instead. But only MHO.
Service on the Maasdam was outstanding! From cabin stewart to officers, we never met anyone who was not pleasant. The staff around the pool and Lido were always available but never pushy. We had one person in our group that only drank iced coffee and throughout the day they would just place a fresh coffee on the table for her without her ever asking.
The food in the Lido and diningroom was good, not great. The diningroom menu was a bit disappointing. As one person put it, there was never a night where you had a problem selecting a meal, it was simply a process of eliminating what you didn't want to eat. Many nights we just ordered the tried and true salmon or steak because nothing appealed to us on the menu.
It was strange to see offerings like meatloaf, pot roast, roast chicken and liver on a cruise. These foods were called "comfort foods". I must admit though, that I did taste the meatloaf and the pot roast and they were both very good. The pork chops I ordered one night were terrible. Overcooked, hard, tough and dried out. First time that I actually sent something back because of quality while on a cruise. The pasta dishes were terriffic, both in the diningroom and the Lido. The entertainment was good, especially the show that the crew put on. Really a lot of talent and enthusiasim. The casino was medium size, did see several people winning, I, of course was not one of them. The lounges offered low key music and the selections catered to an older crowd. By 11pm most nights the public areas on the ship were empty. Even the casino was not crowded and often shut down around 1am.
Now the worst.........the trip home was a horror!! The trek from PR to Norfolk was terrible. The ship was rocking and rolling. According to the weather conditions noted on the TV there were 50 mile ph wind gusts and wave heights were 18 to 27 ft!! There were warnings not to walk on outside decks, the pools were shutdown and tons of people complaining of being sick.
Water from the pools was splashing out onto the decks making walking dangerous. The crew kept trying to mop up but it was an act of futility. By the time we reached Norfolk there was only about a foot of water left in the pool. People were bouncing off walls and hanging on to the columns and rails trying to get from place to place. Glasses and dishes crashed several times and there were a few injuries from falls and bumping into things. A couple we met told us that when they were sitting up on deck 8 that the waves were hitting the windows!! According to staff these weather conditions were the norm. One crew member we spoke with told us she was transferring to another ship in two weeks because she couldn't deal with the conditions any longer. What was interesting to see though, was that most people were just taking it in stride and that there was more laughter and jokes than grumbling.
Finally we arrived in Norfolk. We were more than 5 hrs late and that caused a problem for lots of folks who had airplanes to catch. Heard several people making reservations for hotels because they couldn't reschedule until Monday. We were lucky, we were able to rebook and get on a 430 flight to NY.
All in all we enjoyed the cruise but I don't think we will be booking the Maasdam again any time soon. My husband is adement that he will not go on a small ship again. (he was sick for those two days). Am glad that our next cruise is a transatlantic on the Golden Princess and not a smaller ship or he might have wanted to cancel.
Embarkation was delayed because the ship return to Norfolk late. We were standing in line waiting to board watching the previous week cruisers disembark. At about 2pm we were finally permitted to board but not allowed to go to our staterooms for another hour or so. Not really a problem we just went to the buffet in the Lido. Our cabin was larger than similar cats on other ships and it was nicely layed out. Bathroom was large and had a tub. Never felt crowded or cramped. Plenty of closet and storage space. We thought that the ship was beautiful and charming. Had heard other comments about ship being worn and in disrepair but we didn't see anything worth noting.
Our first day out was a bit rocky but not a major problem. Popped a Bonine and enjoyed the day.
HMC was a disappointment. We had heard so many wonderful reports on the island and we were really looking forward to spending the day there. We were on a waitinglist for a cabana and had rented a clamshell in addition but we arrived late and tendering was slow so time on HMC was limited. I would have been very upset had we actually secured a cabana for $250 and only had a few hours to enjoy it. Persons with cabanas were the first off the ship but even with early tendering they still had less than 5 hrs on the island.
Our group had tender tickets for #s 19 and 28. 19 went to the island shortly after 1pm and those of us with #28 just gave up and stayed on the ship. Wasn't much point in going over there for only an hour or so. People that did go on #28 said that when they arrived there was no more food because the BBQ ended at 230.
St Thomas was also a late arrival. We have been there many times so we usually just make our own arrangements to go over to Trunk Bay, however, because of the limited time frame in port we decided to go with the HAL tour which is a lot more expensive but would ensure us getting back to the ship on time.
Antigua was wonderful. We had arranged for a private tour of the island and spent the day sightseeing and hanging out at a beautiful beach.
St Martins, my favorite port, was great. Spent the day shopping and just wandering around. Am always so surprised at how much the port has grown between each visit. But prices have also grown.........cigarettes that were $9 a carton last year were $14.95 this year. Still a bargain compared to NY prices.
PR was a waste. Only 4 1/2 hours in port, not really enough time to do anything. Would really prefer to stay over in St Martin instead. But only MHO.
Service on the Maasdam was outstanding! From cabin stewart to officers, we never met anyone who was not pleasant. The staff around the pool and Lido were always available but never pushy. We had one person in our group that only drank iced coffee and throughout the day they would just place a fresh coffee on the table for her without her ever asking.
The food in the Lido and diningroom was good, not great. The diningroom menu was a bit disappointing. As one person put it, there was never a night where you had a problem selecting a meal, it was simply a process of eliminating what you didn't want to eat. Many nights we just ordered the tried and true salmon or steak because nothing appealed to us on the menu.
It was strange to see offerings like meatloaf, pot roast, roast chicken and liver on a cruise. These foods were called "comfort foods". I must admit though, that I did taste the meatloaf and the pot roast and they were both very good. The pork chops I ordered one night were terrible. Overcooked, hard, tough and dried out. First time that I actually sent something back because of quality while on a cruise. The pasta dishes were terriffic, both in the diningroom and the Lido. The entertainment was good, especially the show that the crew put on. Really a lot of talent and enthusiasim. The casino was medium size, did see several people winning, I, of course was not one of them. The lounges offered low key music and the selections catered to an older crowd. By 11pm most nights the public areas on the ship were empty. Even the casino was not crowded and often shut down around 1am.
Now the worst.........the trip home was a horror!! The trek from PR to Norfolk was terrible. The ship was rocking and rolling. According to the weather conditions noted on the TV there were 50 mile ph wind gusts and wave heights were 18 to 27 ft!! There were warnings not to walk on outside decks, the pools were shutdown and tons of people complaining of being sick.
Water from the pools was splashing out onto the decks making walking dangerous. The crew kept trying to mop up but it was an act of futility. By the time we reached Norfolk there was only about a foot of water left in the pool. People were bouncing off walls and hanging on to the columns and rails trying to get from place to place. Glasses and dishes crashed several times and there were a few injuries from falls and bumping into things. A couple we met told us that when they were sitting up on deck 8 that the waves were hitting the windows!! According to staff these weather conditions were the norm. One crew member we spoke with told us she was transferring to another ship in two weeks because she couldn't deal with the conditions any longer. What was interesting to see though, was that most people were just taking it in stride and that there was more laughter and jokes than grumbling.
Finally we arrived in Norfolk. We were more than 5 hrs late and that caused a problem for lots of folks who had airplanes to catch. Heard several people making reservations for hotels because they couldn't reschedule until Monday. We were lucky, we were able to rebook and get on a 430 flight to NY.
All in all we enjoyed the cruise but I don't think we will be booking the Maasdam again any time soon. My husband is adement that he will not go on a small ship again. (he was sick for those two days). Am glad that our next cruise is a transatlantic on the Golden Princess and not a smaller ship or he might have wanted to cancel.