Canada/NE Maasdam or Eurodam

[schoolinmy3]

My husband and I are planning to book the Canada/NE cruise for the fall of 2012. We want to book it while I am on a Mediterranean cruise in May. I have a few questions: I am pretty sure we want to sail out of NYC on the Eurodam. We were on the Eurodam in May of this year so we are familiar with the ship. However, reading through the cruise critic comments I find people will book the Maasdam cruise every year. I was wondering why. Is the Maasdam cruise nicer/more interesting than the Eurodam? Also, I want to make sure our balcony is on the side of the ship facing the shoreline traveling north. From what I can tell that would be port side - even numbered staterooms. Is that correct? Also, I plan on booking it while I am on a cruise without my husband. Can I purchase the future cruise credit for him? Or does he need to be there? (I will be on the cruise with my son). Last, the 2012 itineraries don't include a roundtrip, collector's voyage, option. Is it possible that will be added later? Thanks in advance:D

diane

[SailBadtheSinner]

I can't help you with the selection of the cruise ship, but generally, on a Canada/ New England cruise, the passages between ports of call are done at night and well off shore. You will see land as you approach a port of call if you are an early riser and as you leave the port of call if departure is during daylight hours. During the day, you may see a smudge on the distant horizon which could be land; at night, you’ll just see a far off twinkle of light

 

What you don't see on the way into a port of call, you can see when leaving a port of call.

 

The only exception to the above would be if the cruise included a passage on the St Lawrence River.

 

IMHO, a cabin with a balcony is not needed on a C/NE cruise; save your money.

 

You are correct about the port side facing the shore on the trip north. If you stand on any deck of the cruise ship facing the bow (pointy end of the ship), the port side will be on your left and that side is always the port side.

 

 

SBtS

[AZNative2000]

Last, the 2012 itineraries don't include a roundtrip, collector's voyage, option. Is it possible that will be added later? Thanks in advance:D

diane

 

While the 14-day r/t collector may be added later, you can still book a pair of the 7-days back-to-back. It may cost less. If not, you can always change it to the R/T or collector when it appears. AND if you've pre-paid that wonderful $100 deposit you can transfer that to the new booking without penalty as well.

 

We did this for a 2012 on the Maasdam Canada/NE. Originally booked a 7 day and changed it to the 13-day after we got home. (When we booked, the 13-day price was the SAME as the 7-day!) Balance isn't due until summer of 2012. Our PCC is great!:D

 

P.S. We chose Maasdam as we have yet to sail on anything but a Vista Class and after two cruises on the fabulous Zuiderdam, want to try the "smaller" size ship.

[trophy_23]

I would have to agree on some points from the above poster. We did a southbound reposition (Quebec City - NYC, then to FLL) on the Eurodam last year. All I can say is it was amazing! We had such a great time and the weather was fantastic. The ship, as you know is great and the ports of call were wonderful. I really enjoyed the Eurodam, it had such a new feel to it (It was just over a year old when we sailed). We had a VC balcony cabin, which we got from a VH GTY. I think if you are set on having a balcony the Eurodam will be available at a much better price just due to the number of balconies on the ship. Sailing into and then back out of NYC was a very memorable experience. I think a balcony is worth it and I would do a GTY on that itinerary because as mentioned it really doesn't matter which side you are on as you are way offshore except to come into port.

[schoolinmy3]

While the 14-day r/t collector may be added later, you can still book a pair of the 7-days back-to-back. It may cost less. If not, you can always change it to the R/T or collector when it appears. AND if you've pre-paid that wonderful $100 deposit you can transfer that to the new booking without penalty as well.

 

We did this for a 2012 on the Maasdam Canada/NE. Originally booked a 7 day and changed it to the 13-day after we got home. (When we booked, the 13-day price was the SAME as the 7-day!) Balance isn't due until summer of 2012. Our PCC is great!:D

 

Thanks for the awesome idea! We may be joining you on the 13 day cruise October 2012. I will see if I can talk my husband into that one. The prices ARE just about the same! I know he will want a balcony and if we take our daughter we can't do a guarantee. But the price is awesome. The price for a BA for 3 (if our daughter comes along with us) is CHEAPER for the 13 day than for the 7 day.:D diane

[tangerinebunny]

I just wanted to say thanks for your question/responses - I've wanted to do this cruise in part because I thought we'd be seeing the coastline.

Course I still want to go....

[schoolinmy3]

I just wanted to say thanks for your question/responses - I've wanted to do this cruise in part because I thought we'd be seeing the coastline.

 

Course I still want to go....

 

We were in the Mediterranean in May and for the entire cruise my husband wished our verandah was on the other side of the boat. But then he gets up really early so he probably would have seen more of the coastline than most. He wants to be sure we will be on the "right" side this time. If we take the 13 day that runs all the way to FLA I would think we would see more of the coastline since there are more sea days. What do you think? I am really hoping I can talk him into the longer cruise. :p He is working out of town this week so I have extra time to plan. ;) Plus I am stuck at home with a miserable cold and it is bitterly cold outside. :(

diane

[AZNative2000]

We were in the Mediterranean in May and for the entire cruise my husband wished our verandah was on the other side of the boat. But then he gets up really early so he probably would have seen more of the coastline than most. He wants to be sure we will be on the "right" side this time. If we take the 13 day that runs all the way to FLA I would think we would see more of the coastline since there are more sea days. What do you think? I am really hoping I can talk him into the longer cruise. :p He is working out of town this week so I have extra time to plan. ;) Plus I am stuck at home with a miserable cold and it is bitterly cold outside. :(

diane

 

Glad you may be joining us Diane!:) We have reserved a starboard balcony cabin for our trip ... looking for that possible view of the coast as well as the warm afternoon sun while we travel south to Florida.:D:D

[trophy_23]

We were in the Mediterranean in May and for the entire cruise my husband wished our verandah was on the other side of the boat. But then he gets up really early so he probably would have seen more of the coastline than most. He wants to be sure we will be on the "right" side this time. If we take the 13 day that runs all the way to FLA I would think we would see more of the coastline since there are more sea days. What do you think? I am really hoping I can talk him into the longer cruise. :p He is working out of town this week so I have extra time to plan. ;) Plus I am stuck at home with a miserable cold and it is bitterly cold outside. :(

diane

 

As mentioned above we took the 14 day from QC-FLL last fall and you do not see much coastline. As night you may see a light or 2 on shore but that is really it. Some days we could see land but it was literally a speck on the horizon. You will see some cargo ships and we saw the navy doing some 'drills' with warships and some fighter jets between NYC and FLL. Don't expect to see much land. We were on the port side (so ocean side on the way south) and didn't mind it one bit!

[schoolinmy3]

Glad you may be joining us Diane!:) We have reserved a starboard balcony cabin for our trip ... looking for that possible view of the coast as well as the warm afternoon sun while we travel south to Florida.:D:D

 

I am looking at either a lanai cabin if just the two of us go or a BA balcony cabin if our daughter - she will be 13 - joins us. Which makes me realize she will be a teenager and my boys will be 19 and 21. That is just too depressing. Why can't they stay little?:(

Anyway, my daughter is a big fan of Anne of Green Gables so she would love to see PE Island.

diane

[AZNative2000]

I am looking at either a lanai cabin if just the two of us go or a BA balcony cabin if our daughter - she will be 13 - joins us. Which makes me realize she will be a teenager and my boys will be 19 and 21. That is just too depressing. Why can't they stay little?:(

Anyway, my daughter is a big fan of Anne of Green Gables so she would love to see PE Island.

diane

The Lanai cabins sound interesting. From the diagrams those and the BA cabins look the same size. Of course the BA has a private (although smallish 6x9) verandah and the lanai has the biggest balcony ever.;) DW wants a private balcony so no Lanai for us.:) If she changes her mind in the next two years we may take another look.:D

 

Relax:) ... that's almost two years from now so lots of "staying little" before that including, looks like, two other cruises.