Maasdam review - Nov 20 Sailing

[yoleven]

Got off the ship this AM and while my memory is fresh I will give you my 2 cents worth on the experience of sailing the Maasdam to HMC, St. thomas, Antigua, St. Maarten, and San Juan. This was the first HAL cruise for my wife and I. We have sailed with the other major lines previously with most of them on Celebrity. We live in Richmond and chose the Maasdam because of it being ported in Norfolk. We were accompanied by 3 other members of my wife's family.

 

Embarkation - Smooth as silk. Dropped off at the pier by my son around 12 noon and we were dining at the lido by 1230. A+

 

The Ship - I really liked the layout of the ship. Its not a gigantic super ship and it gives you a feeling of intamacy. With few exceptions the ship is clean and well kept. Carpets are in good shape and fresh paint is the rule. At times the drains on the edges of the decks outside collected cig butts and food residue that stayed too long. Our cabin was on A deck inside #773. The largest cabin (inside or outside) of any ship we have sailed. Probably due to it running parallel to the hallway instead of perpendicular. I measured it at over 200 sq. ft. No AC problems there or in my sister in laws cabin (31) which is on Navigator deck near the problems outlined in earlier posts on this board. They did not complain so I assume it was ok. One problem experienced by both of us and others I assume was toilets that did not flush after pressing the button. Sometimes it took up to an hour or so before it flushed. It did this on several occasions. Maintenance looked at it but never did totally fix the problem although it worked better the last two days. There was also a couple of occasions where a sewer smell was present in the cabin and some of the public areas near the atrium. It did not last long. One of the hot tubs was way too warm for most of the trip and never did get to a reasonable temp. We had rough seas 8-12 ft swells the last day but the stabilizers gave a decent ride in spite of the weather. B

 

Food - Met or exceeded my expectations with one exception ... the portions. Some of the portions of the entres in the dining room were paltry (4 raviolis or 1/2 a Cornish hen that had to be anorexic). Even in the lido you had to ask for more than one small strip of meat or fish or for a few more fries or veggies. Ditto at breakfast with bacon or scrambled eggs. The highlight were the breads and deserts. The best I have ever had and that includes Celebrity which was #1 in these areas until HAL. There was good variety of entrees and I especially liked the pasta and stir fry stations in the Lido. The taco/nacho bar near the pool from 1100 to 2000 was a nice tough. Overall - B+

 

Restaurant Staff/Room Stewards - Although the service was efficient I found the staff (at least ours) not quite as friendly or talkative as on other lines. Not sure if this is a result of new tipping policy but not a lot of engaging conversation. Our room steward never introduced himself and it was 3 days before I figured out which one was ours. Dining room wine steward was excellent and continuously kept our glasses full. We lucked out on formal nights as a member of the crew (nurses) joined our table for dinner and they brought the wine compliments of HaL. Our family was able to get early seating together after originally being separated and waitlisted for early seating. B

 

Ports of Call - Been to all of them except half moon cay. Nice beach and facilities. Clamshells are an excellent deal. The only problem with the itinerary is San Juan. We were there at 8 am on Sat. Nothing opens until at least 10 am and the ship leaves at 1230 to get back to Norfolk on time so this stop is a waste of time. Had a very good catamaran/snorkling tour on St. Maarten. Lots of free booze (including champagne) and great sailing to a clothing optional beach. For some of the dozen or so who were there in the all together this should not have been an option (if you get my drift). B

 

Entertainment - I thought it was pretty good considering the posts I had seen here on the subject. Singers and dancers were very good although some of the show music (background vocals and orchestra) were pre recorded. Other entertainers were standard for cruises - commedian (very good), ventriloquist (ok), magician/comedian (needs work), female soloist (very good). I skipped the concert pianist. Overall B+

 

Overall cruise experience - B+. With the right itinerary, ship, and price I would definitely sail HAL again although the passengers were a little older than I am used to (I am 54). More wheel chairs, walkers, and oxygen bottles than usual. HAL probably won't be my next cruise (Celebrity is due again to see if standards have dropped since RCCL acquisition) but future definitely has a HAL cruise in it.:)

[CaptData]

Thank you for the review. I will ask for more veggies etc, thanks for heads up. Where were the tacos/sandwichs located.

[yoleven]

Taco bar is on Lido deck near swimming pool. All the fixings and a great snack about 2:30. They do have a sandwich line in the Lido buffet line. Can have them cold or grilled. Have not seen that before.

[sail7seas]

Thanks for your review. Happy you had a good time and were well satisfied. Welcome Back.

[sail7seas]

Yoleven.....

 

 

The nacho/taco bar is at Lido Pool. The burger bar is right beside it. It's terrific and we have never experienced it anywhere but on HAL ships. Always a real treat for us as we don't usually have snacks of that sort at home.

[slineberry528]

I also just returned and gave the ship a great rating.

[Ziggy7]

Thanks for sharing your review :) Glad you had a good time!

[RuthC]

Thank you for your report. Since I've never sailed the Maasdam---but am correcting that next summer---I'm paying particular attention to reviews of her.

Would you please comment more on the entertainment? Who were the entertainers in the show lounge? It's nice to have a name to connect to the reviews.

Also, how (and who) was the HAL lounge entertainment? I mean in the Ocean Bar, Crow's Nest, Explorers Lounge, and Piano Bar?

Thanks again. And welcome back.

[Gsel]

Thanks for the review, we too are keeping a close eye on recent reviews of the Maasdam.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for posting your review.

Glad your enjoyed your cruise.

[Colonialdame]

The Nov. 20 cruise on Maasdam was our first on HAL. We have previously cruised on Princess, RCCL, Celebrity and Radisson. We chose HAL for the convenience of sailing from Norfolk.

 

I agree that HAL did a great job with embarkation and disembarkation. We have never been off a ship so quickly and easily. HAL was quite good at not letting us feel like baggage as we were permitted to remain in our cabins until being called to leave the ship. Other plusses were the coffee bar, stir fry at the Lido, general friendliness and attentiveness of staff, and cabin layout with plenty of storage.

 

That said, we found the cruise experience to be less than satisfactory. We were disappointed with the quality of entertainment in the main showroom with the exception of the banjo player and pianist. The magician and ventriloquist were painful to watch and we left. The singers and dancers were energetic but not exceptional. The Great Pretenders show featuring passengers was perhaps the liveliest show on the cruise. It was only on the last night that late seating passengers had the opportunity for a pre-dinner show.

 

What we really missed was a variety of entertainment and nightlife opportunities that we have come to experience on other lines. We would have liked a Carribean band playing at poolside and some upbeat lounge entertainment. Perhaps we wouldn't have been disappointed if this had been our first cruise, but we know how much better it can be.

 

The ship appeared to be dark, dated, and dull. Maybe we are all cruised out, but we have never been so bored on a ship before.

[seagoingJLW]

We are sailing on the Maasdam on December 11. The itinerary is a bit different since we go to Dominica and Barbados. However, I should appreciate some feedback from you on daytime activities aboard the Maasdam.

 

One of our favorites is the excellent lectures offered on HAL. The line says that all cruises of 10 days or more have lecturers on board. Yet, I have been told there is none on this vessel. Is this true? I hope not.

 

I have also heard that the Java Cafe no longer exists, but has been replaced by a cafe that charges for coffee. Is this true or false?

 

We are devotees of the Piano Bar. I am looking forward to this as well. Nobody has mentioned any of these things in your reviews. I should appreciate input from all of you.

 

Incidentally, we are driving down on Friday and staying overnight at the Radisson Norfolk which has offered us free breakfast, free transfers, and free parking for the duration of the cruise. Has anyone stayed there? I understand they have a reception the night before sailing for all passengers staying at the hotel. Does anybody know anything about that?

 

Thanks for your responses.

 

Joan

[CrabbyHarper]

On our recent Nov 9 cruise we could not use the piano bar because it was extremely smoky. Even my Brother-in-law, a three packs a day man, said it was too smoky. We did hear the pianist play at a private party for suite pax and he was excellent.

 

No lecturer on our Nov 9 cruise...or if there was one, it was never obvious to us. The daily "poop sheet" could use some work in describing and highlighting the day's activities.

 

Nevertheless our cruise was enjoyable and we are booked for April 21.

[alex_drew]

"Incidentally, we are driving down on Friday and staying overnight at the Radisson Norfolk which has offered us free breakfast, free transfers, and free parking for the duration of the cruise. Has anyone stayed there? I understand they have a reception the night before sailing for all passengers staying at the hotel. Does anybody know anything about that?"

 

 

Seagoing JLW, we have booked at the Radisson Norfolk for March 10 sailing and would be very interested in your experience. Have heard/read both good and negative on these boards, so please let us know about your experience there. Thanks.