Maasdam: on the way, then "live from".

[Moriah]

Almost there!

Okay, so I'll start this report with "On the Way":

 

Writing this in hotel room in Montreal, Saturday morning, having coffee overlooking the sky-scrapers. Reminds me of Chicago for some reason, more than any other city I've seen. Won't have time to explore Montreal today, but I'll be back.

 

I'm female, 61, cruising solo for the first time. I live in Vermont (those of you who have read my posts over the years may remember that I lived in the Middle East - for over 30 years, but for the last 3 I've been a Vermonter), just a 2+hour drive from Montreal - and sadly although I've been here many times to travel via the airport here, or to pick up or drop off family members traveling via Montreal, other than that, I've not really done anything here. And it's closer to me than Boston! Anyway, since flying from Vermont to Montreal is ridiculously expensive (think: I could fly to Europe for as much or even less) and there aren't even any direct flights from Burlington, I looked into the Greyhound - a conveyance I have not used since college (and yes, that was 40 - count 'em - 40 years ago!) The reviews of the Boston - Burlington - Montreal circuit were quite good, the price is $30 one way, I can park at the airport for $8 a day (I live about an hour from the Burlington airport in a small Vermont town), so it seemed like a great idea! I booked a ticket on a Greyhound bus leaving the Burlington airport at 7:30 PM, supposed to arrive Montreal 10 PM. (2 hour drive plus customs/border stop). Great!

Arrived at the parking I always use when I travel through BTV (Thrifty), they took my car and shuttled me to the airport quickly and efficiently as always.

Arrived at around 7 PM, and settled in to wait half an hour for the bus. Hmmm... 7:30 arrived, and no bus. 3 people waiting. Me, and two young women who live in Montreal and study in Vermont. One told me, "oh, it's never on time". Okaaaay... We wait some more. Now it's 8:45 (not kidding) and no sign of the bus. I try to call Greyhound customer service and am on hold for 25 minutes and still have not been answered, when the bus pulls in at 9:10. By the time we leave it's 9:30 - a full two hours behind schedule. The bus driver was extremely nice and explained that the Montreal/Boston circuit is not predictable enough in terms of border hold-ups, traffic, etc. for the schedule to be dependable. Alrighty then.

The bus itself was wonderful. Very clean, very comfortable, foot rests, outlets at every seat for phone and computer charging. Very comfortable and enjoyable ride - too bad it was dark - I love the ride through northern Vermont to the border.. but oh well.

We arrived at the border crossing at about 10:30 PM. The driver had us all get off the bus (there were about 10 of us altogether. The 3 from Burlington and another 7 who had already boarded before they picked us up - either in Boston or Montpelier) and take our luggage out of the hold, and enter the customs building. I showed my passport, explained that I was going on a cruise the next day, and in seconds was told "bon voyage" and was outside on the bus again. Then some more waiting. Apparently one of the young women had some kind of issue with the border, and the entire bus was held up until it was resolved. "Taxes"... I didn't really listen to the reason ... was glad to be on the road again at around 11 PM. We pulled in to Montreal at a little past midnight. All in all I have to say the ride was quite pleasant, because the bus itself and the driver were delightful, and the border experience was fine too (for me). The schedule problem would be my only complaint.

 

I had asked my fellow CC'ers if I'd have any trouble finding an English speaking taxi driver and whether American cash would do for payment. All the responses were overwhelmingly on the side of "It's no problem" on either count. They gave me the excellent advice to have the address of my hotel written down to show the driver, though, and this proved to be important.

There were taxis lined up outside the Greyhound station - no waiting. The driver who took my suitcase and put it in his trunk before saying a word to me did speak English, but not well, and when I handed him the name and address of my hotel he took it to the next driver in line to confer for a minute. Then we got underway and were there in 10 minutes. He did not have a credit card reader in the cab, so I said "American dollars okay?" He said "NO okay!" Hmmmm.. Well, that's a disappointment. The meter said $10. I gave him a 20 and apologized for not having taken the time to get some Canadian cash before leaving. Please don't reply saying he was probably trying to squeeze me for that 100% tip by complaining about the American cash, seeing an easy target. I'm sure you are right, but let's move on. I'm okay with having paid $20 for the cab ride.

 

Marriott Courtyard Montreal Downtown:

Wow, this hotel is unlike any Courtyard I have seen! (And I have seen many! I travel extensively and almost always stay in Marriotts due to their excellent award program, and also.. I like them) VERY NICE HOTEL. I recommend it highly to anyone coming to Montreal for any reason. Staff extremely friendly, the room is gorgeous (again, this is a Courtyard?? - NOT the cookie cutter room!) Starbucks in lobby, Keurig in the room - both welcome (coffee is important!) I have a King room, and instead of the usual where the bed dominates and fills up the room, this room is HUGE with lots of walking around space, bathroom is very large and comfortable including make-up mirror and glass shower stall. Floor to ceiling windows. Aside: Can someone message me instructions for attaching photos to posts? When I click on the icon above it says "enter URL for image". ?? My images are in iPhoto or on my desktop..

 

So .. in a couple of hours I'll be in a cab again on my way to the Maasdam! Excited!

I have only a carry-on size suitcase (I know, right?) and my briefcase, and no formal clothes with me. I will have to do a little work on this trip. I have not informed my clients that I'll be on "vacation", so while it's for peace and quiet, this cruise is also a "workation". I'll only be reporting things that seem interesting to me - so this won't be a general report on "everything" on the Maasdam. Since it's my first solo cruise, and the purpose is quiet relaxation after a very hectic time in my life, I may not have a whole lot of interesting things to say about port activities, etc. And I'm not a food critic. Don't expect scintillating and detailed information on the dining venues. For this cruise I may just end up with a lot of Lido meals. Looking forward to the new Dive In burger at the pool... Having said that, however, if you do have Maasdam questions I will try to answer them as best I can.

 

It's a beautiful morning here in Montreal. Only thing that would have made this hotel better is a view of the port so I could have seen Maasdam coming in... can't wait to see her in a couple of hours. Thanks for reading if you have come this far!

Edited July 12, 2014 by Moriah

[jbhcw]

Looking forward to your posts....interesting about the Greyhound...glad the bus and driver were good......We were supposed to be on Amtrak a few years ago from Seattle to Vancouver..but due to track work they put us on a bus...a nice bus....the only bus memories I have are a really bad trip on Greyhound from San Diego to San Francisco in the sixties:eek:

[Alberta Quilter]

For attaching photos from your device (although I'm no expert), before you click submit reply, go below to Manage Options. On the next screen you have two options: to upload file from your computer, or to from a URL - choose your computer by clicking on Choose File. Then you're given the option to take your pic right then or to choose an existing pic. Click choose existing pic. Then find your pic and select it.

 

When you Submit Reply, your pics should be there.

 

Great start to your review! So sorry to hear of the delay with the bus and the currency issue with the taxi! I'm surprised that the cab didn't have a credit card device.

Edited July 12, 2014 by Alberta Quilter

[Moriah]

For attaching photos from your device (although I'm no expert), before you click submit reply, go below to Manage Options. On the next screen you have two options: to upload file from your computer, or to from a URL - choose your computer by clicking on Choose File. Then you're given the option to take your pic right then or to choose an existing pic. Click choose existing pic. Then find your pic and select it.

 

Thank you very much! I see that now. However, when I try to upload the photo it says "error" and won't work. hmmm.. I hope to resolve this before I get on the ship so I can post photos when the mood strikes.

[POA1]

Great start to your review Moriah! Thanks so much.

 

What are you using to access CC? Your web browser, or an app like Tapatalk? I'll try to get the picture attachment instructions for you.

[sue1898]

Enjoyed your report and look forward to following your cruise. We booked this one for next summer after enjoying it several years ago. Stayed at that same Courtyard and agree it's terrific.

Re attaching files here's how I do it on my Mac: below the box where I type the post I click on "manage attachments" then a pop up appears with "browse" and photos on the desktop show up. To get to my IPhotos I have an extra step to choose all my files in order to find the "pictures" folder where the IPhotos folder is stored. Hope that helps. Bon voyage!

[Moriah]

Great start to your review Moriah! Thanks so much.

 

What are you using to access CC? Your web browser, or an app like Tapatalk? I'll try to get the picture attachment instructions for you.

 

I'm on my Macbook Air. I think I've been following the instructions but I either get "error" or "no image selected" (when I have selected one and clicked "upload"...) I tried from iPhoto and also tried images on my desktop. hmmm

[Krazy Kruizers]

That certainly was an interesting Greyhound bus ride.

Glad you made it to Montreal to get some rest before your cruise.

Looking forward to your posts.

Try not to work too hard.

Bon Voyage!!

[sppunk]

To upload photos just use http://postimg.org. Easier and faster than anything else.

[POA1]

Moriah -

 

CruiseCritic supports image attachments in the browser version, bit I will caution you that the native browser attachment method will give you some pretty small images because CC will shrink them upon upload. That's the downside. The upside is that you don't have to worry about setting up an account with an online photo sharing service, nor do you have to install a third party app like Tapatalk. Let's face it. Vacation time is sacred. The last thing you want to be doing is setting up news apps and photo sharing*.

 

Here's how you manage the photo attachments from within the browser version of CruiseCritic. The first thing to know is that you are using the Attach Button, not the Insert Image Button. It's counter-intuitive, I know.

 

See the attached image: CC-Attach1.jpg below for the location of the Attachments button, which is the Paper Clip.

 

Once you click the Attach button, you will see a dialog box that is used to attach your files. This is seen in the attached image: CC-Attach2.jpg

 

For each image you wish to attach, click the Choose File button. This will open a file browser/finder dialog box so you can select the correct image. I believe the limit is 6 images, but smileys/emoticons count against that total too.

 

After you have attached your images, your attachment box will look like the picture in CC-Attach3.jpg. At this point, click on the Upload button and your will see your files attached to your message posting box, just like in the attached image CC-Attach4.jpg.

 

Then, when you post your message, your attachments will post just like mine did here.**

 

Notes:

 

*You may be able to take advantage of iPhoto Photostream sharing, in which case you would use the URL attachment method. That's the one that uses the more intuitive picture button on the CC posting box toolbar. Perhaps a Mac geek will weigh in with some help.

 

 

**I did these screen caps using Safari for the PC as I did not have a Mac handy. The screens should look pretty similar, though.

Edited July 12, 2014 by POA1

[KirkNC]

Bon voyage! Look forward to your updates.

[Lil' Baba]

Looking forward to your reports!

 

We will be doing the same cruise in a month and have been hoping someone would do a live report of this voyage...

 

Very excited! And Bon Voyage!

 

Lil' Baba

[TracieABD]

Wonderful start to what will be a very interesting review!

 

Thank you!

[madera1]

Great start to your cruise . Thanks for the review of the hotel as well. Enjoy!

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[nana51]

POA1 you are a lifesaver. I leave in 11 days for my trip. You had shown me how to use tapatalk to upload pictures which I tried and used successfully. However I forgot :o. Do you have the link??

[POA1]

POA1 you are a lifesaver. I leave in 11 days for my trip. You had shown me how to use tapatalk to upload pictures which I tried and used successfully. However I forgot :o. Do you have the link??

 

I think this is the thread you're looking for...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2049369

 

If you ever forget, the thread is: Ipads, photos and Cruise Critic ?'s and it was started by Susie51

 

To upload photos just use http://postimg.org. Easier and faster than anything else.

 

That's a really good suggestion. Thank you. I didn't even know about it, and the Internet is my job. :D

Edited July 12, 2014 by POA1

[sppunk]

I think this is the thread you're looking for...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2049369

 

If you ever forget, the thread is: Ipads, photos and Cruise Critic ?'s and it was started by Susie51

 

 

 

That's a really good suggestion. Thank you. I didn't even know about it, and the Internet is my job. :D

Ha, mine too. I guess I'm better at life than you - no wonder you're rude!!!

 

(That's a joke, based off another thread!)

 

OP, looking forward to your reports!

[POA1]

Ha, mine too. I guess I'm better at life than you - no wonder you're rude!!!

 

(That's a joke, based off another thread!)

 

OP, looking forward to your reports!

Perhaps, but I know humor when I see it. And your post is funny. ;)

[PathfinderEss]

Great start, looking forward to more of your review.

[Jolie_Cruiser]

Great start for a review. Looking forward to read your other posts. I have always wondered how was the Greyhound transport from BTV to Montreal.

[sail7seas]

Thanks so much for your post. Really enjoyed reading it and looking forward to more.

 

Bon Voyage!

Have a GREAT cruise on the beautiful Maasdam.

[nana51]

I think this is the thread you're looking for...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2049369

 

If you ever forget, the thread is: Ipads, photos and Cruise Critic ?'s and it was started by Susie51

 

 

 

That's a really good suggestion. Thank you. I didn't even know about it, and the Internet is my job. :D

 

Thank you sweetie.:)

[feathersandnananose]

And I quote from the first post: "Please don't reply saying he was probably trying to squeeze me for that 100% tip by complaining about the American cash, seeing an easy target. I'm sure you are right, but let's move on. I'm okay with having paid $20 for the cab ride."

 

My kind of girl - to travel is to be willing to "go with the flow" and accept the hiccups (like your late bus ride) and go forward. It gets tiring listening to people moan and groan over every non-perfect moment.

 

It's much more fun just accepting the odd things and looking forward to the next. I'd be willing to travel with you ANY day! (Said by a woman who is taking a cruise next year with a slightly persnickety sister.)

 

It's all good. Looking forward to whatever you can add..........

 

Barb ("feathers")

[erewhon]

Thanks for beginning your review.

Bon Voyage.

[Moriah]

Thanks for all your comments and especially the instructions for photos - I'm going to really try to do it today. And thanks Barb especially as well. Yes, I agree that it's all about attitude and going with the flow.

 

 

 

Now: sitting in Explorer’s lounge by the window at 6:30 AM to write up the last 24 hours or so.

Embarkation day continued:

Left the hotel around 10:30 and it was a 10 minute taxi ride to the port Since I only had carry-on bags, I went right in and was given my health survey to fill out, and the number 1 embarkation group card. Sat down to wait and at around 11 they started to bring us in to the check-in area. Lots of “rat in maze” ropes to walk around which seems silly when there is almost nobody there but apparently portends what is to come. I was glad I arrived early. After checking in and another very short wait boarding began and they called group 1 at precisely 11:30. I politely bypassed the embarkation photo-op, and was – YAY – walking up the gangway to the Maasdam! The greeter told us to proceed to the Lido as staterooms were not yet ready, so I realized I really had boarded earlier than usual since my last few HAL cruises we’ve gone straight to our cabins. Anyway, my plan was to go to the Mariners’ lunch in the MDR at 12. Okay, so here I became a bad girl. I really didn’t want to go to the dining room dragging my suitcase and briefcase which was a little heavy… The gangway put us onboard on deck 6. I just slipped down the stairs to Main Deck and went to my cabin. My plan was to apologize, just drop my stuff off, and then go to lunch, but when I entered the hallway on deck 5, I was greeted warmly and told all staterooms were ready! My wonderful cabin stewards greeted me by name (more about them later) and I let them know my 3 requests – stressing there was no hurry for anything:

1. Separate beds. (even though it’s just me, I’m okay with the narrow single bed, and the cabin seems so much more spacious with the beds against the walls)

2. No Chocolate!! No no no I don’t even want to be tempted! :) (Trying to live “low carb” on this cruise – more on that later too.

3. Bar soap for shower.

Both of the guys who will be taking care of my cabin were all smiles and so welcoming and wanting to please. I have so much respect for the way they remain so cheerful on what must be a very hard-working and stressful day for them (disembarkation + embarkation of a whole new set of guests)

It wasn’t 12 yet, so I decided to go to the main desk on 6 and ask about my refrigerator. My stewards were not aware that I had ordered a rental fridge. (I had received an email confirmation of the order and told that $14 would be added to my onboard account (or subtracted) for it and that it would be in my stateroom. ) At the desk, they had no record of the order – seems the right hand that sent me the confirmation and the left hand on actual ship did not have communication? – anyway, I was told it was no problem and they would set up the fridge shortly.

Change of plans. Lunch at Lido pool. Wanted to stay in the fresh air. The Dive In burger is fantastic! I got the one with Gouda cheese and bacon. Yes, this is going to be my lunch all week. J There was no line, I placed my order and was given a beeper/vibrator that 10 minutes later when my burger was ready chirped “Your table is ready, please see the hostess”. I guess they haven’t reprogrammed those vibrators. :) Gorgeous weather! Even the Hal Cats, who sometimes just sound like noise out at the pool, sounded great this afternoon! Fun embarkation day atmosphere, good food, good weather. Life is good. I’m missing my SO, having never cruised alone before – always with him and/or a group of friends – but also kind of appreciating being on my own. I have to keep reminding myself that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want, for as long as I want. I don’t have to check in with anyone, meet anyone anywhere at any certain time… it’s kind of fun and free!

Next I visited the spa and signed up for the thermal suite for the duration of the cruise. My intention had been to get it two one day passes for sea days but it’s $40 per day OR $99 for the entire cruise!

Back to cabin to unpack. Slight disappointment in cleanliness of room.. everything perfectly clean until I opened the drawers and they were full of dust, dirt, and hair… I had some wet wipes, so wiped out all the drawers (and the surfaces as well for good measure) before putting anything away in them. I think actually cleaning inside the drawers just isn’t part of the usual clean-up protocol, and probably the people just before me were not too … well, anyway, no big deal. Everything else perfect. Plenty of storage. My carry-on suitcase easily went under one of the beds. My briefcase went into the closet. I always put all those decorative bolster cushions away in the closet or under the bed. I don’t need the “decoration” - I prefer the clean spaces – same for those foot thingies on the bed. I never lie on the bed with my shoes on – I fold those up and put them in the closet as well. Again, I kept reminding myself I didn’t have to leave one side of the sink counter, or half the drawers and hangers for my SO, and I kept laughing out loud and purposely spreading my stuff around! (No, it apparently does not take much to amuse me!)

This being my first time in an inside cabin, I had a few moments of feeling strange that the curtains behind the beds could not be “opened” to let in a view of the weather or the water… but other than that, I really felt at home, since the size of the room seems identical to the veranda cabin we had on Eurodam, and the Ocean view on Westerdam… Now that I’m in an inside cabin I can say I’ve been in every HAL cabin category now except Lanai (and that’s definitely on my list of things to experience) Well, I haven’t actually stayed in a Pinnacle suite, but have spent many hours in them with friends who have, and I’ve used the on-deck hot tubs, and enjoyed parties and get-togethers in those suites. Most of our cruises have been in Neptune Suites (formerly Deluxe Verandas) and I love those, and will be in one on the Oosterdam in September, but honestly, I’m happy in any cabin, and this one is no exception. More on the inside experience later.

So I unpacked, my fridge was delivered, and then up to Explorations Café and Library. I signed up for $55 worth of internet (100 minutes) to use on sea days when I have to be connected to work. I perused the library and ended up checking out several books. One novel, one non-fiction, and a travel book. Ordered my first coffee from Explorations Café. Caryl is so lovely – love her happy and smiley face – it’s even better than the coffee! The Americano I ordered was excellent.. but.. I asked for “cream” and it just wasn’t getting “creamy” even when Caryl kept putting in more and more…(no self service until day after tomorrow – standard these days to – they think – prevent viruses from spreading). I pointed out that I thought it might be milk (even skim milk) that she was adding, but she looked at the carafe and assured me it was half n half… I asked her if she wouldn’t mind making me another Americano (she’s already added a LOT of “cream” and it was still tasting and looking like coffee with skim milk… ) and she graciously agreed (Thank you Caryl! Sorry I’m so picky!) and I took it to the Lido where I procured some actual half and half and was happy :)

I spent the rest of the afternoon out on deck – mostly near the aft pool. It was a beautiful afternoon in Montreal and as we awaited sail-away the ship felt very welcoming and festive.

At 4 of course we had muster drill (now called “Passenger Emergency Drill”). Weather was mild and it went quickly, so no complaints there. Seems almost everyone turned up quickly - kudos to my fellow passengers for not holding up the works.

I went back up to the sea-view pool for sail-away and took some photos. Around 6 I wandered to the Lido pool and the BBQ was in full swing. I couldn’t resist the aromas, so lined up and got a wonderful steak and some very fresh salad! (I can see this is going to be a very “meatful” cruise…) Tables around the pool were all taken and inside the Lido restaurant was freezing (!) so I took my plate to my room and enjoyed my steak while watching part of the movie “It’s Complicated” with Meryl Streep.

After my early dinner I went to The Ocean bar and a wonderful trio was playing! I hope I can give you more details on them later in the week. Really enjoyed them, and as usual a few couples danced, which made me feel a tiny bit lonely, but mostly I had a very enjoyable hour at the Ocean bar. Besides the great music I enjoyed watching the dressed up people (no, it’s not formal night, but people are just “dressed for dinner” – more than usual? My imagination? - passing by on their way to the MDR. I did not see/hear the yum-yum man – hope I do later in the week)

Headed to bed early, read, and then (drum roll please) - lights out for first time in inside cabin. I had started a thread asking for tips on how to deal with what I was sure would be the pitch black inky darkness… and received excellent tips, by the way.. but.. the thing is, that inky darkness does not exist – at least not on deck 5! I was all prepared. I had the TV set to the bow camera (off, but with the remote next to the bed so I could just switch it on and see what the situation is outside). I brought a battery clock and a small flashlight and had those at the ready as well. So, I braved “lights out”. Then I laughed out loud! There was SO MUCH LIGHT coming in!! The door to my cabin had bright light shining through the side and the bottom – to the point where I felt there was a spotlight shining right into my bed! The kind of light that bothers me in hotels and the reason I bring a mask when I travel. I had been SURE I would not need that in the inside cabin! LOL! So.. even though there was no need, obviously, for clothespins to keep the blackout curtains closed, there was definitely a good amount of light coming into the room. No need for the flashlight, the TV, or anything else. I could see to the bathroom and back without turning on any lights, just “using” the light from under the door. And since it’s just me, I don’t have to close the bathroom door, so no need to turn on any lights in there either. So…I slept well, WITH my eye mask, and saw perfectly well when I needed to during the night for navigating to the bathroom.

DAY 2 - Quebec

Woke up at 4:45 (I fell asleep before 10, so this is okay), and switched on the TV. I saw the most glorious sunrise over the bow of the ship as we were inching into port of Quebec! I jumped into jeans, shoes and socks, hoodie and windbreaker and almost RAN up to the sky deck (elevator to sports deck where the Crow’s nest is, then steps to sky deck). BEAUTIFUL sunrise and view of Quebec City as we came into port!! It was chilly out but I was dressed perfectly, and there were only a very few other brave souls about. It as so peaceful and just wonderful. Stayed out there as we sailed slowly into port, watching the sun come up. We were docked at Quebec more than an hour ahead of schedule. At 5:45, after taking many photos of the Frontenac Hotel, the Fennicular, and the port area, as well as the sunrise, I returned to my cabin. I had ordered room service for 6 – to 6:30 and didn’t want to miss it… Got back to the room around 5:50 and the breakfast arrived immediately! A little early, but that’s okay. Bacon was perfection, Greek yogurt and berries absolutely yummy. I didn’t care for the coffee.. but the half and half they delivered was creamy and I saved it in my fridge for when I get coffee from Explorations Café later. There is a solution for everything! :)

I’m now sitting outside Starbucks across from the Chateau Frontenac. I have been here before and taken the “fennicular” and seen a lot of the area. I recommend at this port just walking through the adorable area right near the port on your way to the fennicular, riding up to the Frontenac and then walking around this area. So charming, especially if you have good weather. So I just came up here today by taxi to sit somewhere off the ship with the local atmosphere. I’m on a beautiful boulevard with lots of cafes. Even at 9 AM on Sunday morning there are lots of people about. Feels and sounds like Paris, but with friendlier people. (just my opinion)

I’m going to post this now, and send some emails to colleagues and clients letting them know I’ll be mostly offline tomorrow (Cruising the St. Lawrence Seaway) In case internet is unreliable while we are “at sea” (well, Sea-WAY..)

Then I’m going to take a very short walk around this area and then find a taxi back to the ship (my knee is giving me a little trouble – nothing too terrible but must avoid a lot of walking) and then – thermal suite…!

Thanks for reading. This is like writing a journal that I can look at later, but if it helps or entertains others as well then I’m happy! And again, if anyone has Maasdam questions I can answer, I'll definitely try.

Edited July 13, 2014 by Moriah