jhpirate
July 25th, 2004, 09:25 PM
We reluctantly got off the Maasdam yesterday ending a wonderful week on a lovely ship. I know others who were on the same cruise have already posted reviews so I'll try to add a few things from my perspective.
The fog was persistent, but it in no way diminshed our enjoyment of the cruise. There were plenty of people complaining about it as if HAL planned and could control the weather. In many ways it enhanced the excursions we took. I have a very eerie picture of the Montello tower fortress in St. John all enhanced by the presence of fog. The fog also made Capt. Schonderbeek's nightly report more interesting as we sailed in a small world of our own. We experienced the coast as it often is this time of year, although this year may well be one of the foggiest.
Our cruise was made special by the crew of the Maasdam. What a wonderful group. I think the service was even better than the last time we sailed on the Maasdam three years ago. Agus and Arifin, our dining room stewards were fabulous. Agus has a wonderful sense of humor and Arfin was so personable and has such a great smile. Eric Dowis returned as the Cruise Director. My wife and I love his sense of humor and feel that he is one of the best Cruise Directors at sea. Chip, the D.J. and trivia host was great fun and has an infectious laugh. We won four trivia contests and now are the proud owners of fanny packs, mugs, mouse pads, and Mag Lites.
Our stateroom on the Verandah Deck was nice and Eko our cabin steward was terrific. It was a pleasure to see him each and every day.
The ports of call were all good. I will echo the comments of others about the friendliness of the people of St. John and Halifax. From the handing out of roses and pins to the bagpipes everything was done in a very classy manner.
Kudos to Jane LeBlanc(St, John and St. Martins) and Norm Dodge (Bar Harbor), two incredibly well-prepared tour guides.
We had wonderful tablemates from Arizona and Manchester, NH. They made our dinnertimes so enjoyable and fun.
I am a math teacher and have come up with a new equation based on my experiences on this cruise. Please keep in mind that this does not apply to all, but to many people we came in contact with on the ship and on excursions.The equation is this: The more money people have+the more egocentric they are = more complaining than everyone else! The smugness of some of these people is something to behold. I would hate to see them if they truly had something to complain about. Their patronizing attitude towards tour guides, their fellow passengers, and the stewards was disgusting. They were also the ones who reluctantly parted with a dollar or two tip when others gave much more. This didn't ruin the cruise for us, but it was an interesting look at human nature. The affluent, "ugly American" was on full display.
Overall, it was a GREAT cruise!!!! We love the Maasdam and were so pleased to see that she is as beautiful as ever.A cruise is what you make it. Make yours a great one too. Just remember great doesn't mean everything is perfect.
John
The fog was persistent, but it in no way diminshed our enjoyment of the cruise. There were plenty of people complaining about it as if HAL planned and could control the weather. In many ways it enhanced the excursions we took. I have a very eerie picture of the Montello tower fortress in St. John all enhanced by the presence of fog. The fog also made Capt. Schonderbeek's nightly report more interesting as we sailed in a small world of our own. We experienced the coast as it often is this time of year, although this year may well be one of the foggiest.
Our cruise was made special by the crew of the Maasdam. What a wonderful group. I think the service was even better than the last time we sailed on the Maasdam three years ago. Agus and Arifin, our dining room stewards were fabulous. Agus has a wonderful sense of humor and Arfin was so personable and has such a great smile. Eric Dowis returned as the Cruise Director. My wife and I love his sense of humor and feel that he is one of the best Cruise Directors at sea. Chip, the D.J. and trivia host was great fun and has an infectious laugh. We won four trivia contests and now are the proud owners of fanny packs, mugs, mouse pads, and Mag Lites.
Our stateroom on the Verandah Deck was nice and Eko our cabin steward was terrific. It was a pleasure to see him each and every day.
The ports of call were all good. I will echo the comments of others about the friendliness of the people of St. John and Halifax. From the handing out of roses and pins to the bagpipes everything was done in a very classy manner.
Kudos to Jane LeBlanc(St, John and St. Martins) and Norm Dodge (Bar Harbor), two incredibly well-prepared tour guides.
We had wonderful tablemates from Arizona and Manchester, NH. They made our dinnertimes so enjoyable and fun.
I am a math teacher and have come up with a new equation based on my experiences on this cruise. Please keep in mind that this does not apply to all, but to many people we came in contact with on the ship and on excursions.The equation is this: The more money people have+the more egocentric they are = more complaining than everyone else! The smugness of some of these people is something to behold. I would hate to see them if they truly had something to complain about. Their patronizing attitude towards tour guides, their fellow passengers, and the stewards was disgusting. They were also the ones who reluctantly parted with a dollar or two tip when others gave much more. This didn't ruin the cruise for us, but it was an interesting look at human nature. The affluent, "ugly American" was on full display.
Overall, it was a GREAT cruise!!!! We love the Maasdam and were so pleased to see that she is as beautiful as ever.A cruise is what you make it. Make yours a great one too. Just remember great doesn't mean everything is perfect.
John