purplenorway
June 20th, 2006, 11:36 AM
We flew to Montreal the day before the ship set sail. We booked our own air but booked our hotel, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth through HAL because we could not find anything else available. When we arrived, a HAL rep was waiting just for us; she escorted us to a taxi and took care of the fare.
The hotel was elegant with marble everywhere. The room was small and the bathroom extremely small, but just consider it preparation for the cruise cabin. We had an excellent view of the Cathedral, Mary Queen of the World, which you must visit inside. It is breathtaking! The hotel connects to the underground with shops, a train station, and massive food court areas. We made the mistake of touring here during lunch rush hour. It was very crowded and everyone was in a hurry. There are some nice vendors with beautiful French pastries and chocolates.
We did an advanced check in at the hotel and received our ship I.D. cards and information. Our bags were picked up on Saturday and we met for the transfer. We were unaware that this included a tour. So we got to the ship after 3, very hungry. We immediately waited in the security line which took awhile. Then we went to a special line for those who already had ship I.D. cards where all that was left was to get a photo taken and we walked right onboard.
Cabin: Our cabin reeked of stale cigarette smoke! I have no idea how much the guest before us must have smoked in there! After talking with the cabin steward and front desk, they decided to do a deep clean. The room still stunk. We could smell it all night without getting used to it. We determined that of everything in the cabin, the curtains smelled the worst. So the front office (who soon called us by name) sent over two stewards to take down the curtains to be washed. They also did an ozone treatment a few times which is a strange wheeled machine with a long tube connecting to the bathtub drain. It was placed in the room. It later blew a fuse in the electrical outlet. By the third day, the smell was basically gone. Staff were constantly stopping by or calling to follow-up on the smell. They seemed horrified that we would only have one layer of curtains overnight while the others were drying. We assured them that this was just fine. They sent a note of apology with a bottle of wine and a plate of chocolates. This was my eleventh time on HAL and the first we have ever had an issue with the cabin. The staff should be commended because once they started on the problem; they didn’t stop until it was taken care of.
I shared a verandah suite with my parents and therefore slept on the sofa bed. It was comfortable, but not very long if you are a tall person. I thought the sheets and towels were very soft. The cabin steward was very good. We asked for a couple of extra hangers but got fifteen. They sure go above and beyond any requests. Dad asked for some more shampoo and ended up with more of every Elemis toiletry there is.
Dining/Service: We requested a 6:15 dining time and were even confirmed for this on our documents, however, we were given 8:00 instead. We were a bit upset at first, but I found that I like this time much better! There is more time to spend in port, watch the sail- away, take a nap, pig out at afternoon tea, all three of us could take a shower, and we had a genuine appetite for dinner. We will most likely request the 8:00 time from now on.
We had a table for eight with excellent tablemates who never lacked topics for conversation. There were times when other people would turn to stare because we were laughing so hard. Our waiter, Una, was very efficient and friendly.
The food was some of the best I’ve had! The flavors and sauces of the entrees were amazing. Every piece of chicken, whether it was in a stir-fry or a salad, was perfectly tender. There were only two disappointments: the French onion soup lacked flavor and my favorite dessert the warm chocolate truffle was taken off the menu, according to the executive chef.
Afternoon tea was wonderful. They offer many kinds of desserts and little sandwiches. Head waiter, Janar, oversaw the teatime each day. He would have my favorite marble pound cake sent over almost as soon as I sat down.
While reading the dinner menu outside the dining room one day, we peeked in on the practice for the Master Chef’s Dinner. It looked a bit chaotic, but you should have seen how excited the crew was about it when they filed in the hallway between songs! This made its debut on the Maasdam June 14 and was very fun. Dinner choices are more limited than other nights, but don’t miss it!
The HAL staff does a great job of learning names. It makes the service very special.
Entertainment/Activities: I thought the Maasdam cast was very talented. They performed at the welcome aboard show, Party Gras, On Track, and Gold (of which the first seating’s performance was cancelled due to the rough seas after Halifax, but was admiringly performed for the main seating audience of only fifty-some people who sounded like two hundred). There were also performances by comedian Danny Storts, singer Annie Frances, and an illusion/acrobats/comedy pair Kasner and McPherson.
It turns out that my dad was chosen to be Mr. Maasdam. He actually had to ask someone to ask him before the unveiling.
The Explorations Café has music stations where you can listen to almost any artist imaginable for free. This is a popular hang out spot because of the computers, books, and the infamous jigsaw puzzle table.
The dam dollars program is a great way to get people, as they say onboard, “out and about”. We exchanged ours for a sweatshirt, towel, and luggage tag.
Ports:
Quebec City: In the morning, we walked to the Funiculaire and took it up the hill. We explored the Chateau Frontenac’s lobby and shops and then we walked down the hilly cobblestone streets to the ship. We took the city tour/ Isle of Orleans/ Montmorency Falls excursion in the afternoon. They served tea and cake at the Manoir by the Falls. We sailed away after 10 instead of 5 because we had to wait for an engine part to be delivered.
We woke up early to watch the Saguenay Fjord cruising. It is like a miniature model of the Norwegian fjords, scattered with waterfalls.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: We took the Harbor Hippo. It is a nice way to see the sites and cruise around the harbor where many jellyfish float about. The dirt is so red!
Sydney, Nova Scotia: The shops aren’t the greatest, but the people were extremely nice. They truly care about making their visitors feel welcome. It was a cute town and the lilacs were in full bloom.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: We took the Titanic Tour. The tour included a stop in the cemetery where many of those who died in the sinking are buried. It would have been nice on a good day, but the weather was miserable due to tropical storm Alberto. We also stopped at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. There were very few Titanic artifacts here. A whole hour was not necessary here to see everything. While docked, the ship was shaking in the intense wind and waves. A deck chair blew off the ship and landed on the cruise terminal! Through this nasty weather the devoted bagpiper still played as we left. Seasick bags were placed around the ship. It was a sparse crowd for the dinner and many people left partway through their meal; I think we were the only completely full table around. The lido pool area was closed because the pool water sloshed out all over the floor.
Bar Harbor, Maine: The weather was the polar opposite of Halifax. It was a perfect day! The town’s shops are very nice and many give discounts to cruise passengers. The tender line was unusually slow. I don’t know what the problem was. We knew we wouldn’t have time to return to the ship for lunch because of the tender situation, so we found a restaurant with outdoor seating by the sidewalk. It was excellent for people watching. We then took the island tour. There are some stunning views from Cadillac Mountain!
Disembarkation: We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and were off the ship before nine.
Although there were some unusual instances here and there, it was still a fantastic cruise! HAL remains my cruise line of choice! Feel free to ask any questions.
The hotel was elegant with marble everywhere. The room was small and the bathroom extremely small, but just consider it preparation for the cruise cabin. We had an excellent view of the Cathedral, Mary Queen of the World, which you must visit inside. It is breathtaking! The hotel connects to the underground with shops, a train station, and massive food court areas. We made the mistake of touring here during lunch rush hour. It was very crowded and everyone was in a hurry. There are some nice vendors with beautiful French pastries and chocolates.
We did an advanced check in at the hotel and received our ship I.D. cards and information. Our bags were picked up on Saturday and we met for the transfer. We were unaware that this included a tour. So we got to the ship after 3, very hungry. We immediately waited in the security line which took awhile. Then we went to a special line for those who already had ship I.D. cards where all that was left was to get a photo taken and we walked right onboard.
Cabin: Our cabin reeked of stale cigarette smoke! I have no idea how much the guest before us must have smoked in there! After talking with the cabin steward and front desk, they decided to do a deep clean. The room still stunk. We could smell it all night without getting used to it. We determined that of everything in the cabin, the curtains smelled the worst. So the front office (who soon called us by name) sent over two stewards to take down the curtains to be washed. They also did an ozone treatment a few times which is a strange wheeled machine with a long tube connecting to the bathtub drain. It was placed in the room. It later blew a fuse in the electrical outlet. By the third day, the smell was basically gone. Staff were constantly stopping by or calling to follow-up on the smell. They seemed horrified that we would only have one layer of curtains overnight while the others were drying. We assured them that this was just fine. They sent a note of apology with a bottle of wine and a plate of chocolates. This was my eleventh time on HAL and the first we have ever had an issue with the cabin. The staff should be commended because once they started on the problem; they didn’t stop until it was taken care of.
I shared a verandah suite with my parents and therefore slept on the sofa bed. It was comfortable, but not very long if you are a tall person. I thought the sheets and towels were very soft. The cabin steward was very good. We asked for a couple of extra hangers but got fifteen. They sure go above and beyond any requests. Dad asked for some more shampoo and ended up with more of every Elemis toiletry there is.
Dining/Service: We requested a 6:15 dining time and were even confirmed for this on our documents, however, we were given 8:00 instead. We were a bit upset at first, but I found that I like this time much better! There is more time to spend in port, watch the sail- away, take a nap, pig out at afternoon tea, all three of us could take a shower, and we had a genuine appetite for dinner. We will most likely request the 8:00 time from now on.
We had a table for eight with excellent tablemates who never lacked topics for conversation. There were times when other people would turn to stare because we were laughing so hard. Our waiter, Una, was very efficient and friendly.
The food was some of the best I’ve had! The flavors and sauces of the entrees were amazing. Every piece of chicken, whether it was in a stir-fry or a salad, was perfectly tender. There were only two disappointments: the French onion soup lacked flavor and my favorite dessert the warm chocolate truffle was taken off the menu, according to the executive chef.
Afternoon tea was wonderful. They offer many kinds of desserts and little sandwiches. Head waiter, Janar, oversaw the teatime each day. He would have my favorite marble pound cake sent over almost as soon as I sat down.
While reading the dinner menu outside the dining room one day, we peeked in on the practice for the Master Chef’s Dinner. It looked a bit chaotic, but you should have seen how excited the crew was about it when they filed in the hallway between songs! This made its debut on the Maasdam June 14 and was very fun. Dinner choices are more limited than other nights, but don’t miss it!
The HAL staff does a great job of learning names. It makes the service very special.
Entertainment/Activities: I thought the Maasdam cast was very talented. They performed at the welcome aboard show, Party Gras, On Track, and Gold (of which the first seating’s performance was cancelled due to the rough seas after Halifax, but was admiringly performed for the main seating audience of only fifty-some people who sounded like two hundred). There were also performances by comedian Danny Storts, singer Annie Frances, and an illusion/acrobats/comedy pair Kasner and McPherson.
It turns out that my dad was chosen to be Mr. Maasdam. He actually had to ask someone to ask him before the unveiling.
The Explorations Café has music stations where you can listen to almost any artist imaginable for free. This is a popular hang out spot because of the computers, books, and the infamous jigsaw puzzle table.
The dam dollars program is a great way to get people, as they say onboard, “out and about”. We exchanged ours for a sweatshirt, towel, and luggage tag.
Ports:
Quebec City: In the morning, we walked to the Funiculaire and took it up the hill. We explored the Chateau Frontenac’s lobby and shops and then we walked down the hilly cobblestone streets to the ship. We took the city tour/ Isle of Orleans/ Montmorency Falls excursion in the afternoon. They served tea and cake at the Manoir by the Falls. We sailed away after 10 instead of 5 because we had to wait for an engine part to be delivered.
We woke up early to watch the Saguenay Fjord cruising. It is like a miniature model of the Norwegian fjords, scattered with waterfalls.
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: We took the Harbor Hippo. It is a nice way to see the sites and cruise around the harbor where many jellyfish float about. The dirt is so red!
Sydney, Nova Scotia: The shops aren’t the greatest, but the people were extremely nice. They truly care about making their visitors feel welcome. It was a cute town and the lilacs were in full bloom.
Halifax, Nova Scotia: We took the Titanic Tour. The tour included a stop in the cemetery where many of those who died in the sinking are buried. It would have been nice on a good day, but the weather was miserable due to tropical storm Alberto. We also stopped at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. There were very few Titanic artifacts here. A whole hour was not necessary here to see everything. While docked, the ship was shaking in the intense wind and waves. A deck chair blew off the ship and landed on the cruise terminal! Through this nasty weather the devoted bagpiper still played as we left. Seasick bags were placed around the ship. It was a sparse crowd for the dinner and many people left partway through their meal; I think we were the only completely full table around. The lido pool area was closed because the pool water sloshed out all over the floor.
Bar Harbor, Maine: The weather was the polar opposite of Halifax. It was a perfect day! The town’s shops are very nice and many give discounts to cruise passengers. The tender line was unusually slow. I don’t know what the problem was. We knew we wouldn’t have time to return to the ship for lunch because of the tender situation, so we found a restaurant with outdoor seating by the sidewalk. It was excellent for people watching. We then took the island tour. There are some stunning views from Cadillac Mountain!
Disembarkation: We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and were off the ship before nine.
Although there were some unusual instances here and there, it was still a fantastic cruise! HAL remains my cruise line of choice! Feel free to ask any questions.