mysticsailor

Same here, no issue with noise in 8099 January 2015. 8094 & 8099 have larger balconys, same fare, if still available. Enjoy.

Nice to have a positive thread for a change. To me it's itineraries, crew, ships and fellow passengers.

Agreed. There is still so much about HAL to appreciate. Thanks for a shift into positive territory.

A 'toast' to all who see the glass half full!

I too was concerned re reports of Maasdam A/c issues and here to tell you that the requested fan for the stateroom solved the issue completely.

This was on a 50 day cruise last fall. I would sail her again in a heartbeat! We have never had such perfect service, and that included every dining venue.

We shall truly miss her. Hopefully one of her future cruises will align with our plans before her transfer south.

you are proactive. I was in the same situation on the same cruise last Oct. and this is how the Mariner Society told me to handle it:

A few days before you reach 4 star status go to the front desk and request benefits. They will email the Mariner Office asking permission to upgrade you. Remember: Seattle Mariner offices are closed weekends.

After Seattle OK's your upgrade the ship will issue you new room keys with the upgrade of 4 star benefits at the beginning of the second leg of your cruise. This only happens on a cruise which can be booked separately such as yours.

Enjoy the wine discount package; we sure did!

Can anyone tell me how protected from the sun the suites are on Deck 8 of the Zuiderdam? I'm considering a splurge and am curious. My husband and I enjoy sitting on the balcony but in the shade.

 

Also, one of the rooms available is 8099 which has an angled balcony. We had an angled balcony on our last RCL cruise that looked forward and really enjoyed it. Anyone who has had that room...is the space 'better' than a regular rectangular balcony?

 

Thanks so much for your help!

We were in 8099 and the balcony panoramic view was wonderful, but, with sun. Maybe you can get a giant straw hat and have the best of both worlds.

As for that room sq footage: definitely larger and noticeably so. Also ours had 2 extra arm chairs which we used in the bump out space for a comfortable inside cocktail hour with the superb view. In fact we booked the same room, port side, for our upcoming cruise later this year.

We did the same cruise last Oct.-Dec. and found both east and westbound surprisingly smooth sailing. Interestingly enough the worst seas were in the eastern Med--missed one Greek port because of swells.

This HAL annual cruise titled "The Atlantic Adventurer" became our favorite cruise of many. Our cruise on the Maasdam was loaded with 4 and 5 star Mariners, proof of it's popularity. In fact we are planning a repeat in 2017 on the Veendam. Enjoy!

I've had burgers on HAL ships before & after the Dive In, a burger is a burger didn't taste any different, the fries are excellent. Wait times are still long & on the Maasdam in Jan they did not have the little buzzers.

Allan

How strange. When we got off the Maasdam Dec. 19 they were still using the pagers.

Reserve your fan with ship services BEFORE your cruise. I assure you they will run out once everyone starts asking at the front desk. We had one on our Maasdam cruise and it definitely made a difference in our comfort some days.

We were on her 50 days last fall. 4 days of the cruise the A/C was struggling. But because we read these forums, reserved the fan prior, thus the A/C was NO BIG DEAL.

We are eager to look past our scheduled 2016 cruise and plan a back to back fall Alaska/Panama repositioning cruise.

I called HAL but they do not know when fall 2017 Panama cruises will be listed. Do any of you helpful members know from experience when the fall schedule is usually available?

So much has been learned here which greatly contributed to the success of our first extended cruise last Nov-Dec.

Thank you all for your informative expertise.

I am amazed at how almost overnight the Maasdam became Poision! No, I am not a diehard Maasdam fan. We only sailed her once, 50 days on her last Nov-Dec and all 50 days were enjoyed immensely.

Yes we had A/C issues 2 days leaving Ft. lauderdale and last two days returning, but because we took note of prior post re this we had requested a stateroom fan in advance which made it tolerable. Fortunately we had no plumbing issues which likely would not have been solved so easily.

About a year ago a similar thread was chewing the Veendam a new 'you know what' and all seems to be forgotten.

Just saying; I would sail her again. Hopefully we will have that chance before she leaves the fleet.

"Well, I suppose if things are really bad, you could withhold your daily HSC. After all, isn't that why it is "voluntary"?

__________________

I see OP clarified that by saying one would still be free to tip the staff who did a good job. Yes, clear as mud now, the condition of the ship having anything to do with service staff!

We sailed on the Maasdam last fall, Nov. and Dec. If that is recent enough for you I will convey our complete satisfaction. Disclaimer: I am vegetarian and accustomed to most ship chefs not up to my standards. And that is understandable as probably I am likely no more than 1-2% of his customers.

However I will tell you that my partner was very happy with the Maasdam fare, especially the seafood selections. Only once in the entire 50 day cruise did I hear him express disappointment; come to think of it I believe that was re a steak in the main dining room, but they were top notch in the Pinnacle.

We dined in the main dining room every night except 2 nights in the Pinnacle, excellent, and 2 nights in the Cannaletto which were pleasant. The Cannaletto is a more relaxed venue, yet more upscale from the normal dinner Lideo and an interesting change from the nightly main dining room format. If you enjoy seafood do not hesitate to order the Cioppino in the Cannaletto as an entre. "The Best" was what I was told. I would recommend trying both alternative restaurants if your cruise is long enough.

Our Breakfast and Lunch was daily in the Lideo because of the wider selection and maybe more importantly the view. The only breakfast disappointment were the pancakes, no longer cooked to order. Each time I tried them, well, I shall remain polite! I did consider it a real treat to have the broiled tomatoes along with my omelet! Other than the 'dam' pancakes I still find the HAL Lideo breakfast superior to other mainstream lines we have cruised.

Do not miss the new hamburger venue added recently to HAL ships. It is called the Dive Inn, offering multiple style hamburger and hot dogs (even a mushroom burger). Their French Fries are really good. Also the lunch Salad Bar in the Lideo was my daily comfort food, always fresh, and I was likely their best customer.

Enjoy the Maasdam, we did, and look forward to cruising on her again!

I enjoy the Dinner salads in the main dining room...so many interesting combinations and dressings. Often I order double portions!

And definitely a 'hi five' to everything in the Pinnacle. Have never been disappointed there.

My traveling partner declares Maine Lobster used to be offered on every cruise; now only frozen lobster tails, maybe only because this was an European cruise?

Re the OP loss of cracked pepper and Parmesan Cheese: on our 50 day Maasdam cruise last October our waiter offered the pepper mill every night even though small ones were on each table and he always had Parmesan Cheese for every pasta dish and Caesar Salad.

Maybe our waiter was not the norm but I will tell you that he and the excellent wine steward contributed to making this our best cruise ever. Service is still paramount on HAL!

Our first cruise on the Maasdam was the 50 day Atlantic Adventurer last October and looking forward to many more. There were hundreds of 4 and 5 Star Mariners aboard which tells you that a lot of cruisers are HAL fans, me being one of them.

We found the service to be outstanding in every single venue. Were there ever disappointments in the food, yes. Did this leave us with sour grapes, no. Were there any a/c issues, yes, but such a short duration easily forgotten. Was disembarkation lousy, no.

What seems likely is that the 'Maasdam No' poster was possibly nothing more than he/she long time Oceana cruisers, who missed the personal recognition family ambiance naturally not experienced as a new passenger on a new line.

You can bet we will be sailing HAL's older, smaller ships in the future and happily appreciate every bit of patina she proudly displays.

I agree with you wholeheartedly cate54. In ten years of cruising the quality of the Maasdam staff (Oct. Cruise) was noticeably superior to the rest. I eagerly look forward to our next Maasdam adventure--Future Cruise Credit bought before disembarking!

We agree completely with POA1 friends as to the Maasdam being our 'go to' ship. Our introduction to her was this past October, the 50 Day Atlantic Adventurer, one not to be forgotten.

If you would like details you may read my review under the HAL Maasdam section 10/15. Last I checked it was the first one listed after the CC overview. I hope you will enjoy your cruise as much as we did.

Mine would be Romeo, wine steward on the Maasdam last Oct. Of course he was super efficient but also affable, charming and funny. Of all my cruises he stood head and shoulders above the rest.

Also we enjoyed Mannix, asst D. manager on the Ryndam and Maasdam...what a card. Made us laugh every night!

I did not see anyone mention extra gratuities. Although a touchy subject, just wanted to mention it as we always budget this for the exemplary service which we always encounter on Holland America.

If you are of a 'certain age', which defines you as discriminating of bygone social graces, you will love the Holland America experience.

Go; relax; enjoy the ambiance and service of our favorite cruise line.

FYI--HAL does not allow extra gratuities to be added to your daily dining checks. Cash is gratefully and graciously accepted.

Cheerio

Don' t expect quality re the portobello burger.

December I just finished a 50 day cruise on the Maasdam and only once saw the mushroom more than half the size of the bun. And the numerous cheese slices on it overwhelmed all else.

Next cruise I will likely eat lunch in the main dining room when craving a real vegetarian burger.

Yes, I still loved the cruise. Not trying to pan HAL.

Just finished a 50 day cruise on the maasdam Dec. 19 and found her in excellent condition.

We were on deck 10 stateroom 059 and our only issue the whole cruise were a few nights leaving and returning ft lauderdale with an overly warm cabin. Fortunately we had reserved a fan so it muted possible discomfort.

Easily this was our best cruise ever. Relax, enjoy her, you will return home with a smile.

50% men in tux. 25% men in black suits, 25% men assorted jacket and tie. Women were all very fancy, black, elegant, with sparkle accessories.

God Luv U All!

Because of this thread I called the Marnier Society and documented that on my upcoming 2 segment 50 day cruise (not a collectors voyage) the second segment will now have 3 star benefits! They told me it was standard policy to issue a temporary mariner upgrade for the second segment after confirming from the ship in an email with corporate my eligibility. I was also reminded that the Marnier office is closed weekends so notify the ship's front desk of your change in status several days before the first segment ends.

This is why I love CC! Thanks everyone for the all the tips. I will do my best to return the favor. Ciao.

Hands down, number one is: RuthC.

She is a virtual encyclopedia of most HAL ships and willingly, congenially shares with us, Excepting her chocolate!

High Five Ruth!