Maasdam 2/27 Cruise Review

[jacank]

Embarkation on 2/27 was a breeze. We decided to go later (2pm) and were taken right to our cabin. We were on the lower promenade deck and I loved it. I made a discovery. If you have a bed against an outside wall, and have 30 foot waves and hurricane force winds, sleep with your head at the foot of the bed and it cuts down on the rocking. My DH gets seasick on the Staten Island Ferry, but the scopolamine patch (doctor’s prescription worn behind the ear) worked great. The crash I heard in the middle of the night was NOT the ice bucket, but the tray from room service. Broken chunks of glass were strewn across the floor, but when I walked through it (barefoot in the dark) to close the banging closet door, someone was watching out for me..I missed it all! That was quite a discovery in daylight.:eek: The steep seas continued for 3 days, and Half Moon Cay was cancelled. We went directly on to St. Thomas. Had I known any of this in advance, would I still go? You betcha!! :D


The Maasdam was wonderful. We met up with Marjer and Chiric the next day in the Crow’s Nest. Sweetyfeety was a bit under the weather. And yes, we’re all real. We met some very nice folks on this cruise. The entertainment was terrific. The last night was a concert by the Finkel brothers.. piano and xylophone. I intended to skip that, but stopped in to say hi to DH and never left. They were fantastic. They played everything – jazz, country, classical, pop, etc and my feet never stopped bouncing. The food was delicious. Yes, there is comfort food each night, but that’s just one entrée on the menu. There are seven others, and always grilled salmon, steak and chicken for those that don’t like any of them – although I don’t know who wouldn’t like prime rib, filet mignon, lobster tails, beef Wellington, etc. DH said he discovered salt water shrinks leather – his belt shrunk two notches. The service was excellent, though I did notice that the staff didn’t have the time to socialize as they used to. Every order was perfect, and delivered hot. Our cabin steward performed miracles every day. We didn’t take any of the ship’s shore excursions, but wandered into St. Kitts and found they have cab drivers (ours was also an excellent tour guide) that take you for a standard rate. It was $32 to go to the Botanical Gardens (and that was for four!). Another couple decided to join us and we had a lovely tour. Be careful in Puerto Rico – the traffic is horrendous. I met up with my brother for coffee (he’s working there for 3 years building the power plant) and it took us an hour just to get back to the ship. There were lots of activities – trivia, music games, quizzes, bingo, casino, dancing, etc. I took a book along, but didn’t get to read much of it.

My only negative about the cruise is the Casino. The folks running it really need to go see how a real casino is run. They had the only three $10 video poker machines surrounded by blaring nickel machines. It definitely drove away any high gamblers. The quarter video poker slots had loud music playing too.. one night it was Monsta Rap. They need to take a look at their clientele. I can’t begin to count the times I had to go back to the window to get another $10 or $20 bill that the machine would accept. They kept paying me with limp worn bills. No one ever watches to see who’s playing big stakes, and maybe come by and offer them a drink or a lunch at Pinnacle. At least give player cards so we can keep track of our losses (mine were large, unfortunately). In spite of all the negatives, I still had fun. A few changes could make it much better though.:rolleyes:

All in all, the Maasdam and our cruise were wonderful. We’d do it again, and probably will in the near future. Ohh, and to those that gave the packing tip of taking a mesh shoe bag to hang over the door..thank you! What a life saver that was. Happy cruising.

[dakrewser]

Sounds like you had a good time, all-in-all. Thanks for posting for us poor landlubbers!

[starysacz]

Thank you for the very informative report. We are booked on the Maasdam in May and again in July.:)

[sweetiefeetie]

Well, the long awaited cruise is over and I have to agree...all in all the cruise was fantastic. The first night was very rough and I was feeling a bit queasy most of Sunday and part of Monday, however, after hearing how big the waves were, I am glad I was not sick longer!

The food was excellent, our waiter was very good and by the end of the cruise, we even had him joking with our table. The staff was courteous and helpful. My sister, her DH and myself and my DH were lucky to share the table with a lovely couple and enjoyed their company and conversation. On two different occasions, we were lucky enough to be hosted by a member of staff and they embellished us with stories of their homelands and excellent wine.

Our cabin steward greeted both my DH and I everyday by name and our room was spotless, keeping us wondering how he was so efficient to make the bed, everytime we left the room. Would I recommend HAL to future cruises, definitely.

The only problems we encountered were, missing Half Moon Cay due to bad weather (not HAL's problem) and not enough info on some little things that would have been nice to know sooner. If my sister had not told me about the radio in the headboard, I never would have heard the ship announcements. I feel, better info could be given on the thermostats, jacuzzis, radio and minor little tidbits we learned along the way.

The worst situation we encountered was the disembarking. Although it went smoothly, we lugged our luggage to the porter line. Would have been nice to be told to leave the luggage where it was, get in line for a porter.

[mariner]

Glad to hear yoo both had a great time and that you rode our the rrrruffff weather. Yes, the fore and aft trick is a good one for sleeping. Any crew members stand out?

[auntdeedee]

Did you happen to notice the table games they offered in the casino? I'm hoping they have Let It Ride, but would like to "brush up" on the games they do offer before I leave next weekend.

[Ziggy7]

Thanks for taking the time to share your cruise with us :) Glad you had a good time and didnt let the negitive get to you. I too agree the casino should have pax cards to show who's playing what. What could it hurt anyway right :)

[CrabbyHarper]

On the Nov 9 Maasdam cruise the casino did have Let It Ride. Alas!

[jacank]

I didn't play table games, but I don't remember Let It Ride. They had several blackjack tables, and one night they played 'all cards up'. You'd think that would be a big advantage, eh? Nope. There was one catch. Dealer won the pushes. They had several blackjack tournaments. I noticed they had a roulette wheel. Not sure, but think they also had Caribbean Stud. They had lots of nickel and quarter slot machines, and a few for $1. They had quarter video poker that took max of 10 coins, and three $1 video poker machines that took max of $10. (They're on a back wall surrounded by nickel machines.)

As for staff that stood out, that's really hard because they were all marvelous. I do have one comment to make about the Captain though. One morning we were up on the pool deck having coffee (seas were calm then) and this elderly lady walked in and tripped. She fell on her face and her glasses cut the side of her face and there was quite a bit of bleeding. The surrounding staff ran to her immediately and called the nurse, who also came right away. They had ice on her face and were trying to stop the bleeding. I happened to glance over to the doorway (only about 15 feet away) and saw the Captain. He glanced over at her, and continued on his way through the door. I felt that was poor judgment. It would have only taken him a minute to walk over and show a little concern, saying he hoped she was ok. It would have meant a lot to that lady.

The casino and that one incident were really my only negatives about this cruise. We had a wonderful time and I'd do it again in a flash. We considered going back-to-back, but I came down with a chest cold after Puerto Rico, along with half the ship I think. Was stupidity on my part..I went in the hot tub even though I know better. It just looked sooo inviting, and I was feeling invincible at the time.

[cheric]

Here comes the third opinion. We had a wonderful time. The weather at the beginning was the worst I'd encountered on any previous cruises, but I took my bonine each morning and weathered the storm fine. There weren't too many people out and about the first two days though.

The food and service were wonderful. As to cruise members who made a real impression on us ... Albert, the bartender in the Ocean Bar was wonderful. We went in there every evening before dinner and he is the "martini master". I loved the appetizers each evening before dinner and Albert always made sure we had plenty. If you stop in there, tell him "Sir Gary and Madame Cheri" send their regards. Another absolute gem was JoAnn in the Piano Bar. This is where we went each evening for after-dinner drinks. she is the sweetest little thing I have ever met. Her personality is adorable and she remembered our room number and names after the first night. My husband loved being referred to as "Sir" Gary and he was hoping I would continue it when we got home. I think not.

Like Jacquie, I got sick at the end of the cruisie. It ended up being an upper respiratory infection and I was at the doctor yesterday where I got a whole bunch of prescriptions. Our dinner companion had it two days before I did. it is a tight cough in the chest and I felt miserable. Was happy it was at the end of the cruise and not the beginning. I noticed in the lido the last morning for breakfast that there was a lot of loud coughing, even crew members.

This was our first Holland American cruise and i was apprehensive. Would I do it again? In a hearbeat. The positives far out-weighed the negatives.

A few hints for future Maasdam cruisers. In the head board is a radio ... tune it to channel four so you can hear ship announcements in the room. If you have a verandah ... the jacuzzi is rather complicated and I still am not sure how we got it to work but it was wonderful. If you are looking for the termostat ... it is behind the robes hanging the wall. I didn't use my robe the first two days so didn't know it was there. I think the cabin steward should have told us all this info, but I realize how busy they were. We took advantage of the laundry service ($12 a bag) three times. It was well worth it. Everything comes back neatly folded or ironed and on hangers. I have very little laundry to do now that I am home. You can squeeze a lot into one of the bags!

We had room service breakfast almost every day. It was great. We did, however, have a problem the second day. I called to have our tray picked up but because of the bad weather apparently room service was really busy and no one came to pick up the tray. We came back for our afternoon nap and were awakened by our tray flying across the room. Broken glass everywhere. What a mess. We called the front office and within five minutes some one was there to clean it up. Our steward did a great job all week keeping our cabin clean, but we only saw him one time the whole week. Wouldn't know him if I passed him in the hallway. I think they are told not to socialize too much which is a shame, because I would have loved to talk to him more. Same with our dining room waiter and assistant waiter. They were very efficient and got everything right each evening, but not as sociable as the waiters on Celebrity.

The Cruise Director and his staff were wonderful. There was always something to do. The newest member of the staff, Ronan, is a young man from Australia and we truly enjoyed his company. We were lucky enough to have him assigned to host our table one evening in the dining room. On the next formal night we had Lindsey host our table. I don't know how or why we were the lucky ones but they were delightful table companions and we were treated to wine and fine company.

We went to the crowsnest in the evening and were lucky enough to win a bottle of champagne on two different occasions and a coffee mug. what fun we had up there dancing and learning new dances.

I loved this cruise and would do it again. If anyone has any specific questions, let me know.

[cheric]

For Aunt DeeDee. The table games were blackjack, Maasdam Fun 21 (similar to blackjack but they remove the queens and take all pushes), Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud and Let it Ride. Also Roulette. There was a 21 tournament and a blackjack tournament. Also two slot tournaments. Entered all ... won none.

[ekerr19]

Wow, thank you all for sharing your cruise with us! Glad to hear you had a great time. We did this cruise last Spring Break and it was a blast!

[jbhcw]

Thanks everyone for posting your thoughts and opinions of your cruise. We sail November 5th and are really looking forward to this cruise. All this information is so helpful in planning and dreaming about our time on the Maasdam!

[marjerr]

Overall we had a great cruise, but with a few disappointments. This was our 15th HA cruise, and our second on the Maasdam. I caught an upper respiratory infection almost immediately, followed by my DH a few days later. He spiked a fever of over 102, so he went to see the doctor, who told him at least 25% of the ship was sick w/the same infection and that he was out of antibiotics. So most of our short time in Puerto Rico was spent getting a prescription for an antibiotic filled for DH. We agree that the new bedding was wonderful, but were very disappointed w/the new (since last year on the Zuiderdam anyway) limited menu in the dining room. It seemed to us that the chef really enjoyed using any variety of 'hot' spices, and we and quite a few other people that we spoke with had a hard time choosing something that wasn't either " tangy, robust, or zingy". Also, the dinner menu had always had at least 3 appetizers, 3 soups, 2 salads and at least 6 entrees along w/the standard steak and chicken every night. We really enjoyed meeting Cheric and Sweetiefeetie and their DH's, along w/Jacank and her DH. We met quite a few other really great people and a whole bunch of quite avid trivia players, didn't we Jacque? All in all, any cruise is better than being at home.

[stanford's girl]

My thanks to all four of you for posting your review. It was wonderful to get different views about the same cruise. Sounds like everyone enjoyed themselves.:)

[mariner]

I had had an upper respiratory in early January that wiped me out. Imagine M/M Mariner's shock while we sat in the Crow's having cocktails on the kast formal night.

A travel group was on the other side of the Crow's handing out awards. Their hostess was on the P.A. and she said, ``Our award for the roughest vacation goes to Joe and Jane, in Cabin 41 (Mariner's usual cabin) who have been quarantined.''

Mariner tried to find out why and kept getting evasive answers.

So we returned to the Crow's after dinner and got to talking to a young man. Mrs. M noticed he was with that group. So she asked, ``Who was quarantined?''

He said, ``It's my parents. They have the flu. But I refused to get stuck in that suite.''

We beated a quick retreat.

[mariner]

I had had an upper respiratory in early January that wiped me out. Imagine M/M Mariner's shock while we sat in the Crow's having cocktails on the ;ast formal night.

A travel group was on the other side of the Crow's handing out awards. Their hostess was on the P.A. and she said, ``Our award for the roughest vacation goes to Joe and Jane, in Cabin 41 (Mariner's usual cabin) who have been quarantined.''

Mariner tried to find out why and kept getting evasive answers.

So we returned to the Crow's after dinner and got to talking to a young man. Mrs. M noticed he was with that group. So she asked, ``Who was quarantined?''

He said, ``It's my parents. They have the flu. But I refused to get stuck in that suite.''

We beated a quick retreat.

[Lp56]

Jacank,
You said it was $32 for a botanical garden tour. Did the taxi driver take you to the gardens then wait for you and take you back to the ship? Did you pay to get into the gardens? Do you remember what the name of the gardens are? I will be going to St. Kitts in April on the Summit and did not buy a ships tour.
Linda

[auntdeedee]

Thanks for letting me know the great news that my beloved Let It Ride is now available on the Maasdam! It shall be even more difficult to keep me out of there! ha

Cheric, could you please tell me about the tournaments? I've seen them advertised in the past, but never participated because I wasn't sure how they worked... and felt like "if you have to ask, you shouldn't be in them!"

So sorry to hear so many people were sick on the cruise... hopefully all the germs will be gone by the time we get on board... I guess better to have upper respiratory infection that the stomach virus, though, if you had to pick one?

One week to go... can't wait!!

[cheric]

Regarding the tournaments. They are each $20.00 to enter. Don't be afraid to enter. They are very nice in the casino and explained everything you need to know, even if you only have a brief knowledge of the game. For $20.00 you get $1000 in chips and play seven hands. Whoever has the most of their money left at the end of the seven hands gets their names on the board. The top seven are semi-finalists (and all semi-finalists get a t-shirt). they then have the final round. The first tournament the top prize was $250.00. The second tournament it was $500.00. As to the slot tournaments. You pay $20 in advance and then they set the machines (the double diamond machines next to the cashier's cage) for three minutes. You just keep pushing the button and whoever has the most credit at the end of three minutes moves up to the semis. The winner of the semis wins the top prize. It was fun even if we didn't win. No skill involved, just luck of the machine.

If you have any other questions, just ask. :).

I didn't know margee that you and your dh were sick too. By the last dinner I could hardly talk. My chest and head were so filled up. Didn't go to the dispensary but went to the doctor as soon as we arrived home and the anti-biotics are kicking in now. There was definitely something going around that ship! All it takes is for one person to get on the ship while sick and then it spreads like wildfire!

It was so nice to meet up with our other cruisecritic friends. running into a friendly face was great.

[jacank]

Yes, LP56. When we got off the ship, there was a building you go through to get into the town. There was a desk there with tourist information. The lady said there were set prices for a taxi tour. She said $50 to go to the fort and gardens (which looked really great, but we were afraid we wouldn't have time..we didn't get off the ship til later), or $32 to the Botanical Gardens. That was the price for four. A taxi stand was there and the driver came over to us... confirmed $32 for the gardens. He toured us around the city, pointing out spots and telling us history. We ran by a funeral and he pointed out the Mayor and another government official. He showed us their veterinary school, nursing school, hospitals, affordable housing for those that needed it. He told us how education was mandatory til a child was 18, and if they were truant, they were removed from the home and put in a type of reform school til they turned 18. We went by a group of trees covered with ibis.. must have been a roosting place. It was fascinating. He took us to the gardens and waited for us. There was no charge, but it was Sunday and the batik building was closed. They evidently make beautiful material there. We explored the gardens, and he took us back to the ship.. all in all, about a 2 hour tour. Very very relaxed and enjoyable.

[auntdeedee]

Thanks so much for the information, cheric! The tournaments sound like a lot of fun, so I'm looking forward to joining in... now if only it was possible to never need sleep! ha

[cheric]

Auntdeedee. You are most welcome. As for getting sleep ... we took an afternoon nap every day after lunch so we could have a good time at night. Make sure you pack a small alarm clock so you don't sleep through dinner!Don't miss the Crow's Nest. We had so much fun up there. The Cruise Director (Rick - but I think he got off with us in Norfolk) and the staff were all so much fun. (I give special credit to Ronan who was brand new to the cruising industry having just left his family in Australia two weeks before). My DH said I must have the word "mom" printed across my forehead because Ronan spent a lot of time talking to the two of us about his homeland and his family back home. If you run into him, tell him the Carters said hello.

[yes2sail]

Cheric, no need topack an alarm clock, the phones have instructions for wake up service that is automated.

[mariner]

Yes, the phones do have automatic wake-up call.

Our phone seemed to get strange messages.

One day, it said the Neptune Lounge had called. I hit the button and the concierge had no idea why there was a message.

Another time, there was a message from the bridge. I hit the button and got the Officer of the Watch. He said he had just come on, but couldn't understand why anyone had called. I told him I couldn't imagine what I could offer so we had a good laugh.

[Lp56]

Jacank,
Thank you for responding. I think we will try to find 2 others to go with us to the gardens. I do not think my 81 year old friend could do the tour of the fort.
Linda

[cquest]

Fortunately I did not get sick until the last two days of the cruise, but waiting to disembark we witnessed the cabin cleaning and turn-over. There did not seem to be much real disinfecting of surfaces, etc. I think the ships could use a spray mist throughout all areas between sailings. I'd rather delay boarding and get on a healthier ship. As for disembarkation, it was the usual mess. Nice as it was to drive to Norfolk on Sunday and not have to stay over, the next time we use that Port we will arrive a day early and know that a hotel shuttle is the quickest way to get moving. In the end a hotel with parking is about the same price as the Cedar Grove lot. I'm not sure i would take the Maasdam again; I thought service overall was indifferent and the food nothing special, including the much heraded Pionnacle Grill.

[caribbean girl]

So nice to read all the news from the 2/27-3/10 folks!! We were also on that trip (the only family with 2 teens/boy 13 and girl 18-we both had a birthday on the trip!!) The worst part was the rough seas and missing Half Moon. What a disappointment!! But that's the weather. We enjoyed the trip so much. Since this was a longer trip, there were few young people on the ship (there actually were few people our age-40's) and our kids were disappointed, which was a draw back. The staff on board was great. I met Ronan on my first hour on the ship-what a nice kid!!! And we really liked our waiter and the photo gallery staff. Our photos are terrific!! All in all, we had a blast, once I got over my trouble with the motion. We were on deck 4, front of the ship, and the noise and motion were wild!!;)

[caribbean girl]

Also, you are right!! There was a lot of coughing on this trip. It seemed everyone was sick!! Fortunately, none of us caught whatever it was, but we had to move our seats in the Lido a few times, due to some really loud coughing and actually some gross throat clearing by a few people. I wonder if everyone made use of the antibacterial liquid at the dining rooms.