Maasdam June 2-9 Review

[Responder]

We just returned yesterday from the above mentioned cruise on the Maasdam. We took a good part of our family and booked 5 cabins in the process.

 

I will relate our collective experiences as I go on. I know that everyone has a different concept and ours is coming from better than 45 years of cruising. We are 3* + on HAL and well beyond Gold on Regent..

 

First, the good.... We all flew from South Florida to Boston and taxied to the port. At about 11:30 we arrived and the embarkation was one of the smoothest. Went to our cabins. Next we met our 2 room stewards who turned out to be one of the best steward teams anywhere, dumped the hand luggage and went to the MDR for the "special" Mariners Loyalty lunch. 8 of us had arrived and the last 3 were boarding as they came on a different flight.

Awful beginning...spoke to the MDR manager, no eye contact, nothing. We indicated that we had 11 people for the lunch...he asked if we were all here and we indicated that the last 3 were boarding and would arrive shortly...BANG...he immediately told us he couldn't seat us till we were all here..HUH?...anyway we convinced him to arrange our table and seat us now. However we discovered that he had no room at the inn, so he divided us up. Lunch was a disaster. Short staffed...waiters had no idea about what to do...and the food was quite inedible. Next was trying to set up at least the first night for dinner for the entire group. Virtually impossible..he first told us if we all wanted to eat together, we had a choice of 5:15 or 7:45...After polling everyone we decided on 7:45...yep, you guessed it...all got there and were told they had no room at the inn and we could virtually fend for ourselves. We broke up into 3 groups and again had one of the worst meals along with poor service. I think I am still waiting for the wine steward to appear.

Amazing, since I did the entire booking and our entire group was listed on the manifest.

 

That was our last meal in the MDR. Fortunately we were able to book the rest of the meals on the cruise in the Pinnacle, and that also included 2 lunches. Was more than worth the extra cost, because for at least 8 of us, if we had to eat in the MDR or Lido every night, the thought surfaced about one of us claiming illness and letting our trip insurance take us all home immediately.

We tried the Caneletto one night and walked out, it was so bad...both the service and the food that was trekked over from the Lido steam tables.

 

Sure, we are fussy with the quality of food and service both when travelling and at home...we pay for that privilege.

 

Moving right along....the last time we sailed on the Maasdam was in 1993 on its inaugural cruise. I must say that the refurb last year was great. They didn't convert everything to plastic as they do on the newer ships. This boat had design class...too bad it didn't extend throughout the entire operation. The crew was generally friendly but I do think they were terribly overworked and it showed.

 

Anthony, the cruise director was a class act...he sang with the jazz group in the lounge and danced with different women...including a dance with my wife. By the way, the Neptune trio in the Ocean Bar was among the best I've heard.

 

The manager in the Pinnacle, Colin, was a real pro in every respect and the wine steward, sorry I forgot his name, was also a pro and took care of the entire venue himself without a glitch. If given the opportunity, they could teach the rest of the food staff.

 

Entertainment in the showroom...mostly musical reviews and included some awful comic/magician one night. Pretty bad..I lasted 10 minutes. I'm sure others enjoyed the shows.

 

I guess we are spoiled....they nickel and dimed($$$$) us to death on this cruise, and I'm sure this is true on all HAL ships. I suppose we are more psychologically tuned into Regent, pay in front and put your room card away. Lots better for us, no matter how many ways the math experts calculate it out.

 

The wine list on the Maasdam is another sore point with me. We never cruise or go to our local restaurants unless we can bring our own wine. Price is but one aspect...the others are that we drink only red wines and most all the restaurants both on land or sea don't serve them at cellar temperature-a must for me, so I cool them properly in the cabin and bring them to dinner. We also can select the wines we like.

Because we flew to Boston and had no real time to shop there, we got off at the second port in Halifax and bought enough wine for all of us for the rest of the trip. Even with the $18 corkage fee we were far ahead. You can call us wine snobs and would probably be correct. :rolleyes:

 

Now let's get to the weather on the trip....without becoming political, anyone who doesn't believe that there is a major climate change occurring should have been on this cruise.

Starting in Boston and continuing into Quebec, we had 40-50 degree weather along with 25-30 mph wind and rain virtually day and night along with a display of barf bags throughout the ship.

Because we had sailed this route 3 times in the past, on different ships, we hadn't planned any excursions. As we saw those folks bundled up with raincoats and umbrellas turned inside out, we felt for them. And, they had to pay for the privilege.

 

Finally, disembarkation was also first rate. Luggage waiting and plenty of personnel around to direct everyone to luggage and taxis, etc.

 

I will copy this review to the review board for those who don't look here.

[kazu]

Thanks for sharing your experiences with us. sorry to hear about your MDR experience - ours was fine in March but we do fixed dining - and I think we will stick with it;)

 

It has been awful weather in Atlantic Canada this spring - sorry you caught some of it

[IRL_Joanie]

... am so glad that I have been reading TomC's Live from thread since he has been on the Maasdam the past 2 weeks. There are also other threads from CC members who have given their reviews from your time frame.....

 

I do not disbelieve you, please understand that!!! It is just that for every person things are different. It is like we all see things and experiences differently, which is what makes so grand:)

 

Perhaps if the weather had been better, warmer, things might have seemed better:)

 

I again am sorry that you and your group had such a trying cruise and wish you well with all other cruises, no matter the line or ship!!!

 

Before I forget, the Canaletto food is not from the Lido Buffet line per se, it is from the Italian station and is cooked to oreder as opposed to being made ahead of time and placed in a warming tray in the station (except for things like lasagna.)

 

Joanie

[paganwoman]

I just got off the Maasdam on June 2 coming from Montreal. We were luckier with the weather. Beautiful days in Montreal, Quebec City and Bar Harbor. Only rained one day in Sydney and was cloudy in Halifax and Charlottetown. I also had fixed dining and had a wonderful time in the MDR. My husband and I had a table for two (which we always do) and had no complaints. We also ate in the Pinnacle grill once and absolutely concur with the service and staff (including the wine steward) there. We consider ourselves wine and food connoisseurs but usually find most things to our liking when we cruise with HAL. We had very friendly service throughout the ship. Not saying that the poster did not experience those things but sometimes different people look at things from different angles. I am pleased to be on a HAL cruise, enjoy the friendly and courteous staff and the places I get to visit. Yes maybe a meal or two might be less than a 5 star restauant but overall I have no complaints with HAL. Can't wait for next year's cruise....:)

[Cruising-along]

Thank you for your review. We were on the April 27 sailing on the Maasdam, I'm sorry to hear that the weather hasn't improved a lot! Despite our bad weather (which we expected in late April/early May) we had a great cruise. I'm very sorry you did not.

 

We had open dining and had no problems, but then we weren't sailing in a large group.

 

I agree, Anthony is a class act -- one of the best CDs IMO.

[YOW]

without becoming political, anyone who doesn't believe that there is a major climate change occurring should have been on this cruise

 

But we won't get political. ;)

[496and706]

Sorry that the spring weather in the Maritimes wasn't that great.

 

Sometimes travelling with a large group can be stressful even if you don't realize it at the time. Dh and I will be able to do everything and eat anywhere WE want on this cruise as it will just be the 2 of us for a change. Yes, we have travelled with family before and also with a group of 12 once. Never again on the large group thing for us. But everyone is different and that is what makes life interesting.

 

Being a wine snob isn't a bad thing. :D

 

 

I'm very grateful for your point of view. Did you meet TomC or Sharon? They are both doing "Live from" threads and they were both on your cruise. Oops! Sharon was on the week after you.

[LADYLAYLA]

I guess we are spoiled....they nickel and dimed($$$$) us to death on this cruise, and I'm sure this is true on all HAL ships.

 

Thank you for your review. I am curious about this statement. How do you feel that you were nickel and dimed?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for your review.

We were on the Maasdam in February for 25 days. We had fixed dining and our servers were excellent. But the food -- not so good. DH is not a fussy eater but there were times when he couldn't find something to eat. And a few meals were awful.

We have dined in the Canaletto several times on other ships and had excellent meals. We went once on the Maasdam. Our service was also terrible and the food -- terrible. It was obvious that my veal had been made in advance as there was steamed water between the meat and the bread coating. When I cut into it -- water went everywhere. Even using a steak knife -- I could barely cut the meat. We had planned to eat there a couple of more times. But instead we just made a few more reservations for the Pinnacle with great service and wonderful food.

[portofrome]

Thanks for your review.

[mamaofami]

Thank you for your review. Our last three cruises have been on Maasdam.

 

We did the Canada trip last June and also had terrible weather the first leg of our B2B. It did get better as we got to Halifax.

 

As far as the MDR, the staff is terribly overworked and rushing to get things done and it's quite apparent and spoils the overall feel of dining there. They no longer have wine stewards in the MDR so it does take a while to get drinks.We have noticed a decline in the quality of the food too. Since I order my food no salt, I get the menu the night before and have to pre order so it will be ready for me. In spite of that, last January it didn't always come no salt. Sometimes low salt and sometimes regular. And, when it did come no salt, it took extra time to get the order which made me wonder why I had to order it the night before. Especially, since I had fixed dining and they knew when I would be eating.

 

The Pinnacle on Maasdam has been great every time we ate there and we are in the minority because we also like Caneletto.

However, the overall experience on Maasdam has been a favorable one and we really love the ship.In their effort to save money, I hope HAL doesn't cut back so much that the entire experience becomes unappealing.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for posting a review of your cruise on the Maasdam. I couldn't agree with you more about Caneletto, haven't found a good one yet. Sorry about your experience in the MDR. We also eat in the Pinnacle more and more on our cruises.

[Responder]

OK...I jumped into my review so I wouldn't forget anything, but at my age, I can't even remember what I forgot.

I knew that whatever I mentioned that I would get different views.

 

I'll try to answer the various comments you all made along the way and to explain the makeup of our group.

 

We didn't even consider wanting to or being able to dine together or attend events, etc. We had 2 sets of grandparents...2 of our sons and wives as well as 3 grandchildren 16-17-22...only the first night did we even consider or try to have one communal meal.

In terms of dining, whenever we travel, we always get a table for 2...only if or when we meet others with whom we want to dine, will we share.

The kids were having a good time on their own and each night we either ate alone or with a couple of the other kids.

 

It appears that for those of you who liked the food and service, fixed seating was the thing and even though we like open, for the life of me I can't understand why fixed should be better. The food comes from the same kitchen and they don't know what you will order any more than the guests in open. Years ago fixed was the only game but in modern times, we prefer open.

 

With respect to Caneletto, one of you mentioned that the food was actually independently prepared. If I were defending them, I would have blamed it on the Lido steam table syndrome.

 

I thought I explained why we were nickel & dimed. Every breath we or the kids or others took had a tab attached along with 15% gratuity. On Regent, the tipping is all included(pre-paid) and at no time in all the years...never..have we been approached for an additional handout.

I assume Regent pays their help a fair wage. It is certainly not true on HAL. One mini example...my wife attended a yoga class, led by a couple who are self-proclaimed fitness experts(aren't they all?)and as she was signing the tab for $12...the instructor rang out with.."thanks for the tip." About as crass as one can get.

 

I don't accept the responsibility for the wages of "every" employee on the ship. I know it takes many to make it all work, but in order for me to compensate those who have performed exceptionally for me, I have to move my dollars around, and for me to adequately compensate our room stewards. I did it myself.

I know many of you will not agree with my thoughts but I am always accused of overtipping. I don't agree as my benchmark is ranked to the quality of every aspect of the service. I understand that the server didn't prepare the food and if it's bad he shouldn't be punished, but I am the customer. You give me a price and an expectation and if it doesn't work, I'm not responsible. Why should I encourage this. In this country, the people get what they want. If they insist on good food and they don't get it, the restaurant eventually goes out of business. If the people want public transportation and don't vote for the proper representatives, they don't get it...complaining won't help. Don't we seem to get what we deserve?

[kazu]

Responder (the op) - I have no idea why fixed dining works better but I will share this. One of our table mates was staying on for the collectors' cruise when we were getting off - so they decided to try open dining as they were losing all their table mates. I heard later that he far prefers fixed dining.

 

I don't know why the food is different - is it because the waiters know they will face you the next day and 'demand' good food? i was in the hospitality business years ago, and I can tell you honestly - a good waiter will not accept substandard from the chef. (I nearly got my finger cut off one summer but I refused to take food that I knew would not suit my table to them). seriously - someone else took that food to their table. I waited for the food I had ordered to be prepared properly. (they wanted rare steak - it didn't take a genius to see it was well done). Pretty sure I was not the only person to ever do that in the business:D

 

So, yes, fixed dining it is for me. Thanks for reinforcing our decision for the next cruise.

 

As to nickel and diming - comparing HAL to Regent is like night and day. You pay more for your Regent cruise so obviously you are going to pay on HAL. I've never found it nickelling and diming. Fresh oj is free, etc. which can cost you on other lines:eek:

 

I fully expect to pay for my drinks, my water, etc. Non issue with us. I don't mind doing the math - and it works out. It's just a matter of planning:)

 

If you want to take your HAL experience up a 'notch' - try the Prinsendam. Yes, she's old - but she is in great shape. Most either love her or hate her. We loved her - but if you don't want to pay for your drinks - then stick with your Regents, Seabourns, Silverseas, etc. so everything is all included.

 

smooth seas - and thanks again for your review:)

[Responder]

Responder (the op) - I have no idea why fixed dining works better but I will share this. One of our table mates was staying on for the collectors' cruise when we were getting off - so they decided to try open dining as they were losing all their table mates. I heard later that he far prefers fixed dining.

 

I don't know why the food is different - is it because the waiters know they will face you the next day and 'demand' good food? i was in the hospitality business years ago, and I can tell you honestly - a good waiter will not accept substandard from the chef. (I nearly got my finger cut off one summer but I refused to take food that I knew would not suit my table to them). seriously - someone else took that food to their table. I waited for the food I had ordered to be prepared properly. (they wanted rare steak - it didn't take a genius to see it was well done). Pretty sure I was not the only person to ever do that in the business:D

 

So, yes, fixed dining it is for me. Thanks for reinforcing our decision for the next cruise.

 

As to nickel and diming - comparing HAL to Regent is like night and day. You pay more for your Regent cruise so obviously you are going to pay on HAL. I've never found it nickelling and diming. Fresh oj is free, etc. which can cost you on other lines:eek:

 

I fully expect to pay for my drinks, my water, etc. Non issue with us. I don't mind doing the math - and it works out. It's just a matter of planning:)

 

If you want to take your HAL experience up a 'notch' - try the Prinsendam. Yes, she's old - but she is in great shape. Most either love her or hate her. We loved her - but if you don't want to pay for your drinks - then stick with your Regents, Seabourns, Silverseas, etc. so everything is all included.

 

smooth seas - and thanks again for your review:)

 

Ahah! So you were the one who stepped on my steak when I ordered it rare and had to send it back? ;)

 

I agree that the cruising philosophy differs with everyone.

 

Funny that you mention the Prinsendam...We were on that ship in 2002 just after HAL bought it from Cunard. My failing memory also tells me that maybe we sailed it when it was the Royal Vilking Sun prior to that. Not sure.

[Okie1946]

Thanks for posting a review of your cruise on the Maasdam. I couldn't agree with you more about Caneletto, haven't found a good one yet. Sorry about your experience in the MDR. We also eat in the Pinnacle more and more on our cruises.

 

We have eaten at the Canelletto on both the Rotterdam & the Oosterdam and got very good meals each time. Wonderful service as well. If you ever sail on those two ships - please do don't pass it by without trying them because of past experiences.

 

SMILE - :D - it always confuses an oncoming frown.

 

Previous Cruises:

Alaska - Westerdam - September 2009

Alaska- Rotterdam - September 2010

Mexican Riveria - Oosterdam - April 2011

[Typhoon1]

Thanks for taking the time to post your informative review.

[vivavegas]

Welcome Back! Sorry to hear your cruise was not what you expected. Hope your future cruises work out better for you!

[erewhon]

Thank you for taking time to write and post your review.

[Linda VH]

We will be sailing on Maasdam over the Christmas/New Year holidays and will probably NOT do the MDR at any time. We did it one night on Noordam and, while the food was okay, service was pretty awful. Not because they didn't try but they were overworked. I brought a bottle of wine and had to get up and retrieve it repeatedly to pour as there was no one to do so. The bottle was across the way as the tables were so close together. We will go to Pinnacle and/or Canalletto. I am so sorry to hear the latter isn't good on Maasdam as we really liked it on Noordam. We are just factoring in the price of the alternate dining as we like to itinerary. Thanks for your review.

[earl_m]

Thanks for sharing your review with us. Hope it goes better for you next Time!

[RMLincoln]

We were on Maasdam for 35 days this spring. We began with open dining with another couple, my brother and SIL for the the first cruise. They cam around and asked if we'd like that table for the rest of that cruise and we agreed as we had an absoutely wonderful waiter and able assistant. For our next leg we were asked if we take early fixed as they needed the space in open for a large group of over one hundred. We enjoyed early fixed, the first time we were able to have that option. For our last cruise leg we requested a tble for two by the windows and received it. We had different waiters each cruise and all were excellent. Our food was served hot, or cold, as appropriate and none of our meals dragged on too long. We very much enjoy our MDR dinners and look forward to them on any cruise. I think being a smaller tables (for 2 or 4) helps as friends who were seated at large tables had more complaints about service.

 

I've only eated at Canellettos once and that was enough. I thought the food was substandanr compared to the MDR and the waitstaff poorly informed about how to serve it, especially the antipasto. We went with as a group of 10 new friends from trivia and they couldn't seat us together, which was disappointing - couldn't they have moved a table to accomodate us? I'd eat there again if there was a special reason to but usually I do't want to give up my MDR experience.

 

As for Pinnacle, I'm glad so many of you enjoy it and pay their surcharge for it. We've had such good experiences in the MDR overall with food and service that I'm not about to start adding on $50+ to the cost we've already paid for a specialty dinner experience. I feel like I've already paid for an excellent dinner and usually find it in the MDR.

 

There are still wine stewards in the MDR though fewer than in years past, and they only take care of guests who are ordering bottles of wine; cocktails and wine by the glass are served by the table's main server.

 

I think it's hard to have a bad day on a cruise ship but it seems, sadly, many manage to do just that. I'm just so happy to be aboard, to be waited on and attended to at my request is such a treat that I feel like royalty. I don't feel like I'm nickel and dimed on HAL - I apprediate that HAL charges those who use certain services instead of charging all of us even if we don't require those extra services. I've paid for full cruise passes to the thermal spa and didn't feel like I was being nickel and dimed. If you want to do yoga or spinning or other fee classes, go for it, it's your choice and why should you feel like I should pay for part of it if I don't use it? I think HAL has an excellent balance of what's included and what's extra. And how can you do wrong with bringing your own wine aboard if you drink wine? That's pretty exceptional. As I think HAL is in most aspects, including value for the price. m--

[kazu]

Ahah! So you were the one who stepped on my steak when I ordered it rare and had to send it back? ;)

 

I agree that the cruising philosophy differs with everyone.

 

Funny that you mention the Prinsendam...We were on that ship in 2002 just after HAL bought it from Cunard. My failing memory also tells me that maybe we sailed it when it was the Royal Vilking Sun prior to that. Not sure.

 

Oh my heavens - you got me:eek:;) no, seriously I didn't step on your steak - I was off the ship long before you got on - unless they saved it for you:p

[Susie51]

thanks for sharing