Maasdam sailing from Norfolk???

[islandgram]

Bear with me ... we are currently booked for a cruise in March sailing from Miami. We did a cruise last March from Miami and loved it!! We will be visiting our daughter in Northern Virginia and leaving from our cruise there. It is a 3 hour drive to Norfolk which would mean no dealing with airports. We are very seriously thinking of changing our plans and booking the Maasdam for the 11 day So. Carib. We are both in our 50's and enjoyed the sea days and the quieter activities, so we thought we may enjoy the Maasdam. I have so many questions, that I could fill the board, so I will limit them to a couple most crucial to me for now.
1. How is sailing from Norfolk as far as weather in March? I am a little concerned about rough seas until we get into warmer water.
2. How does the smaller ship compare to the larger ones in weather, atmosphere, activities etc ?
3. We definitely want to do an outside stateroom, if not a suite. What is the difference on what deck to choose?
Any other comments or suggestions would be very much appreciated.

I have been reading the boards and know that some of you folks are very experienced and have some wonderful advice!! If we decide to book this cruise then I can drive you nuts with questions about the itinery!!
Thanks in advance.:)

[Orcrone]

1. How is sailing from Norfolk as far as weather in March? I am a little concerned about rough seas until we get into warmer water.
2. How does the smaller ship compare to the larger ones in weather, atmosphere, activities etc ?
3. We definitely want to do an outside stateroom, if not a suite. What is the difference on what deck to choose?
Any other comments or suggestions would be very much appreciated. As far as the sea condition out of Norfolk, it's hit and miss that time of year. A friend of mine was on the Maasdam in April. His trip back was very calm, but the trip down to the Caribbean was a different story. He had a bad time with the seasickness. But he also had a room near the bow of the ship. A cabin mid-ship would not be nearly as bad.

As far as outside rooms, the main difference is that there is a wrap-around deck around the Promenade deck. So the outside rooms look out onto the Promenade. Some people consider it a large verandah, and others don't feel comfortable having someone walking by their window. The outside cabins on the lower two decks (A and Main) look out directly to the water. The upper two passenger decks (Verandah and Navigator) contain only verandahs and suites, with the exception of a handful of outside rooms near the bow.

[Stevesan]

1. The seas are often rough the first day or two in/out of Norfolk.

2. The larger ships are better at riding the waves; However, S Class ships (Maasdam) are relatively controllable, especially in roll. If you're concerned about rough waters, you would want to book a lower deck as near centerline as possible.

3. Outside category cabins are for the most part identical in size (198 sft) and layout. A primary difference in location exists on the Promenade deck. It's possible to see into the cabins from the deck, especially at night. This necessitates keeping the drapes drawn most of the time. We were on this deck last March. I checked out the "view" and was able to see in our cabin in daylight. The windows are tinted, apparently some better than others.

This cruise doesn't sell out. I purchased a bargain rate on HAL's "Five Day Flash". During our return to port, flyers offered a repeat for $299 inside plus $80.02 taxes. Maasdam's inside cabins are only slightly smaller at 186 sft than the outside.