mysticsailor

I would like to compliment you on your objective reporting of the Maasdam. It is so refreshing as opposed to those few, thankfully, with an agenda. We are now even more excited for our upcoming Maasdam Atlantic Adventure!

We also had almost the exact experience with slow service and wonderful staff on the Ryndam two years ago, and also thought it an issue easy to overlook. But this past January exceptional service, as well as incredible staff, ship wide on the Westerdam. So was wondering if the difference could be due to smaller ships configuration kitchen wise. It would be interesting if others thought this possible of just a fluke.

Thanks everyone for reports and tips to us HAL newbies. And yes, HAL is now my favorite cruise line!

CCL documents state stock ownership must be provided within 6 months of sail date, but I mailed ownership proof February 6th for a cruise Oct 30 (way more than 6 months out) and they mailed back my credit confirmation within the week. Seems like there is more latitude than officially stated.

We are considering an Alaska cruise next summer on the Maasdam. Any thoughts of the Maasdam would be helpful. Thanks!

I am planning an extensive review of her late December after completing a 50 day cruise. From everything I hear it will be a great experience. Try and remember to check this forum around Christmas to read about it.

Yes I think a note included in the envelope enhances the gift and of course shows respect.

Having learned on this HAL forum recently about the red Chinese envelopes I eagerly also created a generic thank you card to insert. Thanks to cruise critic advice my note made it obvious that this thank you was extra, thus obvious that the hotel service remained in place.

Unfortunately my paper cutter malfunctioned and out of desperation I discovered that 2x4inch mail labels fit perfectly on the back of the red envelopes. Eureka! No more tedious cutting. Now you have simple peel and stick notes, designed with your personal touch, to affix to the envelope back.

With a desk top publishing program I would think it easy to also copy and paste into the label your photo along with the ‘thank you’ message. This way the stewards and servers would have a memento and a face to match the ‘thank you.’

I really appreciate all the comments on the Maasdam as we selected her for our first longer cruise in October. Unknowingly it seems we chose a ship easy to fall in love with! My plans are to keep a journal and write an in depth review when the cruise is complete mid December.

Thanks again to all who post, especially Ruth C. with her common sense attitude. I have learned tons of valuable information and will happily post information as it is gleamed.

Heads up everyone. Today HAL website posted new pricing for wine by the glass with explore 4 promotion up to $8--cocktails $7 limit. Check it out yourself. Enjoy!

We sail on her this fall on a lengthy voyage and it would be useful to know if magnetic hooks work on Maasdam stateroom walls. Thanks!

I am embarrassed to say that it took 5 cruises to realize that a pants hanger saves enormous closet space. Also a long narrow drawer organizer neatly corrals personal items on bathroom variety top. Highlighter pens mark events on the daily program. Bring insulated beverage glasses to keep liquids hot/cold. The HAL glasses are tiny.

A solid room deodorizer can overcome possible bathroom orders from floor drain. Disposable super glue tubes can be great temporary fixes as well as duck tape, you will be surprised how often it gets used.

Lastly, a map...too often I lose perspective on longer cruises.

Thanks for starting this thread, I appreciate new tips.

Serendipity1499, thanks for posting the link. Those were the same envelopes I ordered. What a deal, 50 beautiful Gold Embossed Envelopes for less than $5 AND free shipping! Fellow passengers, spread the word and we can establish a HAL tradition!

There was a thread on here a few months ago stating that the Chinese custom of giving cash in Red Envelopes (red equates good luck and fortune) has been learned and appreciated by our HAL crew members. They are easily found in a search on Amazon (very inexpensive) and I intend to order plenty for my fall cruise and share with other passengers at our Roll Call.

Victorian, we think alike. You are my kind of fellow passenger, cheers!

Charles - I do not think you will have anything to worry about on your Oct. cruise. I know that the situation has come to the attention of the appropriate people at HAL corporate and they plan to address it ASAP.

 

Since I have encountered the "you will get it in your mail box late in the cruise " response on other sailings, it is apparent that HAL must instruct the future cruise consultants to handle it in this manner. Hopefully, if enough of us point out the problems with botched forms and the difficulty in correcting them until too late in the cruise, they will rethink this policy.

Thanks Dave, good job. Feeling better already.

Re Future Cruise Consultant on the Maasdam May 1-16

Fellow cruisers, I am amazed at the attitude of this person, so foreign to my newbie experience with 2 happy HAL cruises under my belt. As someone who was planning to purchase FCD’s on my upcoming Maasdam October Atlantic Adventure I find this very unsettling.

Let me say that as one who has had 42 years experience working with the public our best defense is to document these unfortunate substandard performances by copying and pasting the aforementioned posts (#313, 314, 317, 330, 332) into a document. By taking them along on our next Maasdam cruise we will have published testimony of past unprofessional performance. These copied testaments, publicly posted by Maasdam passengers, should put us in good shape if any glitches develop with our forthcoming Future Cruise Deposits.

Good Luck to all. --Charles

OMG, when I asked for an update on Maasdam stateroom plumbing issues never, ever, would I have imagined that! One does not expect a booty bounce when nature calls.

Seriously, thanks for keeping us future Maasdam cruisers in the know. And no, I am not deterred from the Atlantic Adventurer cruise in Oct.

Enjoy the rest of your cruise. Cheers!

Alberta Quilter, there are over 100 of us signed up on the Maasdam 50 day cruise roll call for Oct 30 sailing. Last year we heard many reports of plumbing stateroom issues on the same cruise in 2014. I am sure all of us would be grateful to hear any updated information you report on this. Thank you for doing the live cruise blog. Relax, enjoy, have fun! --Charles

of course. I have 4 made: one for the booked oct maasdam 50 day cruise; two for want to be cruises; and one if I win the lottery! So if I'm weird also it looks like I am in good company! Happy cruising and dreaming!

We are Chuck & Joe (65/75) sailing westerdam 1-24-15, 7 days and maasdam 10-30-15, 50 days. Any others on the maasdam Atlantic Adventure with us? We are in the Orlando area. Looking forward to the twice TA Oct-Dec and genteel camaraderie. 'Cin cin'