Maasdam Boston to Boston

[annbanan]

We're almost booked on the Boston to Boston cruise and wondering about the thoughts of all you experienced cruisers. The cruise is at the end of June, so I hope it is not too chilly for a Florida gal.
Any great excursions that you would recommend would be wonderful!
I love the Maasdam for the smaller size and haven't been on it in a few years so I am truly looking forward to the ship experience!
Thanks for your help. I read these boards all the time because it is fun to relive the times everyone is sharing even when I don't have a cruise booked. When I am booked, I'm on this board all the time. It's part of the great excitement of my cruise experience. Thank You for that! :)
Ann

[MercedMike]

We did the Quebec to Boston cruise on Maasdam and had a wonderful time!

For our review and pictures go to
Canada and New England Cruise (http://www.elite.net/%7Ethehalls/maasdam.html)

Have a GREAT cruise!

[innlady1]

We're almost booked on the Boston to Boston cruise and wondering about the thoughts of all you experienced cruisers. The cruise is at the end of June, so I hope it is not too chilly for a Florida gal.
Any great excursions that you would recommend would be wonderful!
I love the Maasdam for the smaller size and haven't been on it in a few years so I am truly looking forward to the ship experience!
Thanks for your help. I read these boards all the time because it is fun to relive the times everyone is sharing even when I don't have a cruise booked. When I am booked, I'm on this board all the time. It's part of the great excitement of my cruise experience. Thank You for that! :)
Ann

Hi Ann,

If you're looking for things to do in Boston, please let me know! I'd be happy to give some suggestions....lived in Boston for 6 years, and am only 20 minutes from there now....so am familar with it.

[grannynurse]

Hi,
Our 2004 Transatlantic 35 day on Rotterdam started in NY on June 5. It was cold and rainy almost all the way across. We wore winter jackets until we got to Hamburg germany on June 22nd. We had fog all the way across and most of the way back. We got to love the every-3-minute 24/7 fog horn. Our 2003 cruise left Boston July 12 and we had fog to Greenland. You can never tell in the North Atlantic. We had a ball anyway. We did miss two ports after Amsterdam due to high winds and rain. In 2003 we missed one port in Guernsey as it wasn't safe to tender in the high seas.
I certainly hope you have sunny days and calm seas. I'm not trying to discourage you, just be prepared for all kinds of weather, and do bring sweat shirts and jackets and rain gear, especially for Ireland and Scotland.
Our ship ran out of sweatshirts on the 3rd day of the 2003 cruise.
The safety officer brought hot chocolate to the shore for all us shivering people in Greenland.
We loved every minute of both cruises. They were both real sailing adventures.
GN

[RuthC]

Grannynurse, I believe the OP is talking about a 7-day New England/Canada cruise that's round-trip Boston. There is one the end of June, and the trans-At is in July this year.

But, annbaban, that doesn't mean Grannynurse's advice isn't right-on. This is New England. By late June it should be warm---even hot.
But 'ya never can tell. I suggest you have one sweatshirt/sweater just in case.

[starshine]

I've been thinking about taking this cruise in the future but was also wondering what the weather is like. Is it hot and humid on the ship like it is in Boston in the summer? Or does being on the water cool things off?

[sail7seas]

We did the Boston to Boston itinerary two summers ago the end of June and it was sunny and bright (maybe one half day of rain) but it was coolish. We needed long sleeves or light sweater most days.

Other years, we've sat at pool and the beach. (We live in Boston.0

It is impossible to predict how warm or cool or wet or dry it will be so the best advice is to bring a light rain jacket and a few lightweight sweaters or jackets.

We are booked back-to-back for your cruise and are doing another set of b-to-b in August this sumjmer (different itinerary).

We adore Maasdam and her crew and can't get enough of her.

It is irresistible to us being able to board/disembark thirty minutes from home.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We intend to take along a light weight jacket for our Canada/New England cruises in Aug.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Bar Harbor - Acadia National Park and Cadillac Mountain.

Halifax - Peggy's Cove.

[sail7seas]

The June cruise OP references is Boston;
At Sea;
Newport, Rhode Island;
Portland, Maine;
Saint John, New Brunswick;
Halifax, Nova Scotia;
Bar Harbor, Maine;
Boston.
GREAT!!!

The August itinerary we are doing is:

Boston;
Bar Harbor, Maine;
Halifax, Nova Scotia;
Sydney, Nova Scotia;
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island;
Scenic cruising of Saguenay Fjord;
Quebec City, Quebec;
Montreal.


Also GREAT!!!

Of those ports, our favorites are Newport, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Quebec, Montreal and we also enjoy Charlottetown, PEI

:) Now that I think of it, we really enjoyed our time in Portland and Saint John as well.

Safe to say we like the whole darn trip, start to finish. Love boarding in Boston, REALLY love Maasdam and her crew, love the ports...... these are very special cruises. We couldn't keep doing it year after year if it were wasn't wonderful.

[Jade13]

Sail, do you think HAL will ever do a more eclectic itinerary, say roundtrip to Greenland or Iceland (not sure how long that would take or where they could go in 10-12 days). There are all kinds of places up North that look interesting. Perhaps they don't think they would fill the ship, but I bet they would.

[Grumpy1]

We're also booked on the June 23 Boston to Boston. We're hoping for warm, sunny weather but will be prepared for some cooler weather also. I haven't had much luck getting Mother Nature to give us advance notice of her plans.;) The way things are going right now, that will probably be the last snowfall of the season for that area:eek:

[sail7seas]

Sail, do you think HAL will ever do a more eclectic itinerary, say roundtrip to Greenland or Iceland (not sure how long that would take or where they could go in 10-12 days). There are all kinds of places up North that look interesting. Perhaps they don't think they would fill the ship, but I bet they would.


No..... I don't think they will do an itinerary that goes as far as Grrenland/Iceland and returns to Boston.

But what do I know??!!@!@!
As to whether they would fill the ship on such an itinerary, I agree with you there would be plenty of interest in it. I've been told (and my personal observation) Maasdam is sold out every summer for the Canada/New England cruises and the prices keep rising so that supports that information. I think they'd fill the ship with cruises to Iceland/Greenland with a few Canada/New England ports.


They do an itinerary that stops in those ports and continues transatlantic. It can be done in a 17 day segment or the roundtrip which is 35 days.
See the Europe 2008 Brochure, page 53, (or HAL website) Voyage of the Vikings which embarks in Boston on July 5, 2008 and returns August 9. The 17 days segment ends in Rotterdam, The Netherlands on July 22. This is a fabulous cruise!!! DH is not retired and cannot be away that long or we would have done that cruise by now.

[annbanan]

Wow, thanks for tips!

Mike, I enjoyed your pics and will share them with Frank. This will be quite different for me, as my past cruises were all in the Caribbean. We live in South Florida and it is so easy for us to get on a ship in Ft Lauderdale.

iinlady1, We plan to fly in the night before so we won't be sightseeing Boston. Do you have a suggestion on a hotel near the port?

RuthC and grannynurse, I guess I will just wait for the long range forecast the week before. But from what you are saying, I will be prepared with a sweatshirt and light jacket. I always pack too much as it is, with predictable weather. LOL, this is gonna be fun!

Krazy Kruizers, thanks, I'll look into the places you mentioned! I read that someone suggested Cadillac Mountain and the Lobster Bake. In Florida, last week, Frank had ordered lobster out and the price had doubled since the last time he had it. We both love seafood, especially shellfish. Peggy's Cove sounds intriguing.

sail7seas, Just to see that you keep doing this cruise, makes me more excited and anxious to see these ports. I just love the Maasdam too!
My very first cruise was on the Maasdam and that make her even more special to me.

[peaches from georgia]

Just to get a word in about Peggy's Cove- a not-to-be-missed excursion. It's hard to believe tiny fishing villages like this still exist. It is famous because this little town of less than 50 people took in all the relatives of those lost in the SwissAir crash in 1998 right off the coast here. Very historic place.

We did this excursion with the Lobster lunch along with the Cadillac Mountain trip out of Bar Harbor, again with a Lobster Bake. Both were highlights of this cruise.

[sail7seas]

We did the Cadillac Mountain and Lobster Bake excursion with our friends last August and had a great time. DH and I rarely do excursions with the ship but did so at the request of our friends. We were very happy we went and were incredibly lucky to have a sparkling clear, warm day. We looked down from the mountain heights and had a glorious view of the harbor and Maasdam. I highly recommend this tour.


Grumpy....... I didn't think you were still booked for this cruise. I'm happy to hear you will be aboard. Looking forward to the chance to meet you and Slinkie.

[RuthC]

The way things are going right now, that will probably be the last snowfall of the season for that area:eek:
Bet you think you're being facetious, don't you. ;)
Well, you're not! :eek: (almost not, anyway.)

[kaleighsgram]

Aw come on Ruth. Just be thankful that there's four inches of rain outside our windows, not four feet of snow! You can thank me for that. Yesterday I went to put away the snow shovel for the summer and then thought twice. I was sure if I put it away in our outbuilding and it snowed, I wouldn't be able to get to it. If I had put it away, for SUUURE it would have snowed. Gosh, was it not so long ago we were chipping four inches of ice on the driveway from the ice storm? Summer cannot get here soon enough.