Dave's Live From Maasdam 6-17 Feb 2012

[catl331]

Thanks for the menus (I think!). The first few days I was picking out food that I wanted to try and even sometimes wondering which of the entrees as they all sounded good. Now near the end of your cruise the same thing is happening to me that happens when I cruise! I looked at the menu and think "oh no I have to eat again!" I guess I am full because of what I picked from the other menus. :)

 

I do remember walking back from Bridgetown to the port years ago and it didn't seem like a long walk. I think we will be there on a Sunday also. Hope they get those engine parts installed. C

[JJPacer]

Thanks Dave! Appreciate the info on snorkeling at Buck Island. You took us off the fence. Now we have to go! The entertainment sounds wonderful. You make me want to go cruising NOW instead of April! Great job on the Blog and much appreciated! :D

[RetiredMustang]

Monday, Feb. 13, Castries, St. Lucia

We entered Castries harbor just after sunrise, following a Thomson ship into port (Mein Schiff 2; you could tell it was an old Celebrity ship because you could plainly see the painted-over “X” under the Thomson logo on the stack.) The Thomson ship berthed at the Pointe Seraphine complex, and we were moored at the downtown waterfront.

We had signed up for the aerial tram and left in mid-morning, driving in vans along narrow windy roads, reminiscent of St. Vincent (which is the next island to the south, so it’s no surprise the two islands would be similar). We arrived at the tram complex and walked a hundred of fee or so and entered the trams, which held 8 people plus a guide at the back.

Well, that certainly was an easier way to see the rain forest than the hike in St. Vincent. We spent over an hour rising slowly up the mountain, through the understory of the forest and into the canopy and emergent layer. We would stop every now and then as another tram gondola was being loaded at the base station. We saw much the same plants and trees and we had seen in St. Vincent, and lots of birds – black hummingbirds with iridescent green stripes on their wings, warblers, and other kinds I don’t remember what they were called. When the tram stopped, would could listen to the sound of birds calling, water running in the ravines and wind blowing through the trees – at least on the way up. On the way down, we heard the calls, shouts and shrieks of the yellow-ball-capped loons who were riding the zip lines down – they had been in the gondolas ahead of us and were taking the hard way down the mountain.

We, however, just continued our gentle glide over and through the forest. At one point after the turnaround point, we could see out across St. Lucia and the air was clear enough to see Martinique off to the north.

If you want to see the rain forest but are not up to the up-close and personal hike of St. Vincent, I recommend you try the aerial tram in St. Lucia. It was not cheap, but we didn’t need walking sticks or extra water, and our shoes and clothing stayed dry. Those who wanted could take a short hike along the forest floor at the end of the tram ride. There are restrooms and a bar/gift shop at the base complex.

We then came back to Castries, and looked into the shops at the large complex by the pier. I did not use it, but did note that the bar that had a terrace overlooking the harbor offered free wifi.

We had a fine dinner and then attended the reception for Mariner medallion holders, and I was able to meet up with CC'ers -- Krazy Kruisers and SJSULIBRARIAN -- they had missed the meet and greet to attend the talks about the ports that were new to them.

I had met Copper John coming aboard ship one day, and we have arranged to have dinner or at least a drink together in the next day or so – looking forward to it.

Attached are some photos: Castries inner harbor, the rain forest, and the aerial tram; I’ll try later to upload higher-resolution ones to the photo gallery.

MDR dinner menu Feb. 13

Appetizers: Caramelized Orange and Grapefruit Cocktail; Dialog of Salmon Tartare with Avocado (Don’t know about you, but I don’t want my salmon raw, or talking to me); Golden Tomato and Mozzarella; Fusion Crab Cakes with Mango Slaw.

Soups and Salad: Red Bean and Chorizo Soup; Cheddar and Crab Chowder; Chilled Coconut Nutmeg Soup; Baby Oak and Frisee (the lettuce, not the tree).

Entrees: Ribbon Zucchini Risotto; Crabmeat Chop-Chop Salad; Grilled Salmon with Tomato Broth; Prime Rib of Beef au Jus; Rum-Glazed Barbeque Pork Ribs; Guava-Stuffed Chicken; “Mousakas Nistisimos”.

Dessert: Chocolate Cake with Blueberry Cream; Lemon Tart; Wildberry Charlotte; Tiramisu no sugar added; Vanilla Ice Cream; Chocolate Chip Ice Cream; Strawberry Sorbet; Cookies and Cream Frozen Yogurt; No sugar added Mint Chip Ice Cream; No sugar added Vanilla Ice Cream; Bananas Foster Sundae.

From the daily Explorer

Wine and Cheese Sail Away: with Lynn and the HAL Cats, 3:30 p.m., Navigation Pool.

Showroom at Sea: Road House, A little bit of country, a little bit of rock and roll, 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

Ocean Bar: The Neptunes, 6:30-11:30 p.m.; Foxtrot Set 6:30 p.m. Happy Hour: 4:30-5:30 p.m.

MIX: Piano Man David Anthony, The Music of The Carpenters 9:00 p.m. – close. Champagne Happy Hour 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Explorerer’s Lounge: Adagio Strings, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Crow’s Nest: DJ Armen, Name That Tune: Movies and Television 7:00 p.m.; Country Line Dancing 9:00 p.m.; All Request 10:00 p.m. Happy Hour: 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. and 10:30 – 11:30 p.m.

More later,

Dave

[kazu]

dh loves the chorizo soup:D nice that you will have a chance to meet up with Copper John. enjoying your posts as always:)

[Seago2]

LOL @ the "dialog" of raw salmon :D. What was the crabmeat "chop-chop" salad?

[KirkNC]

Your menus are killing me, I can't wait until Sunday when we board the NA. Thanks for your updates.

[Seavoyage]

THANK YOU RM for your wonderful and thoughtful reviews!! I just love reading about your daily adventures! It's like we are there right with you!!

 

Yellow ball capped loons.....Really funny!!!:D

 

Couple questions if you don't mind...

 

How is the disco? What time do they close up?

 

Also....Any chance you could "snag" a picture of the current schematic of the upper level dining room?

 

Thank you again for your fabulous reviews...looking forward to the next one!!

 

Have a wonderful day!!

[PaulaW]

Thanks for your reports!

 

I, too, will be on the Maasdam in April and was wondering who the officers were. Captain, Hotel Manager, Beverage Manager and Cruise Director?

 

Thank you!

 

(sorry if some of this has been covered already!)

[hpf]

Great reporting and photos. Thanks for taking the time we appreciate it.

Iv'e never been on the Maasdam but hope to soon.

 

Helen

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, Feb. 14, Philipsburg, St. Maarten

We were the last of five ships to enter Philipsburg cruise port – besides us there was a Celebrity ship, Disney Magic and two NCL ships, including the Epic, which the Captain said was the third largest cruise ship in the world right now (smaller to Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas). All told, with passengers and crew, we added more than 18,000 people to the island.

This was another place where we had done the shore excursions often, but it had been 15 years or more since we just walked about Philipsburg. The first time we visited, we anchored in the bay and tendered into the center town pier. So, we decided to go back to see what’s changed.

We walked out of the cruise pier area and turned left on a fairly new sidewalk. About 15 minutes later, we were at the east end of Front Street and the Boardwalk. Well, the town has certainly grown over the years, and the number of jewelry shops is incredible. In the 90s, if memory serves, there were only a few blocks of stores, and most were of the souvenir/T-shirt/beach gear type. What with the 5 ships in port, the place was hopping. I’ve attached a couple of photos.

We just took our time in town, wandering around and looking into shops now and then. We then sat at a beachside bar and enjoyed cold drinks for a while before ambling back to the ship. There were also water taxis available if you did not want to walk.

Just before sailaway, the Captain told us that the engine parts had indeed arrived, and were being installed, and we should not have any trouble making our scheduled arrival in Ft. Lauderdale … which is probably good news for those waiting to board the next cruise.

After another great dinner, we decided to take in the show – the performances were moved up to 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. to accommodate the Valentine’s Ball in the Crows Nest at 10:00. The performer was Steve Stevens, who played instruments, sang songs and told jokes. Very enjoyable.

To answer some questions:

Crabmeat Chop-Chop Salad: Dungeness crabmeat tossed with romaine lettuce, bleu cheese crumbles, crisp pancetta and Green Goddess dressing, served with a grilled Cajun-style chicken breast.

Disco: The smaller ships don’t have a separate disco like the Northern Lights in the Vistas; what Maasdam has is the DJ playing in the Crows Nest. The daily program usually says happy hour from 10:30 – 11:30 p.m., but I don’t know how much longer it goes; maybe it depends on if anyone is still around. I’m afraid I don’t know how good/bad it is -- it is open much later than I ever am in an evening.

Upper Dining Schematic. I don’t have a scanner with me so I can’t sketch it out, scan it and attach a file; I will try to get a diagram together after I get home. But, the scheme runs with the numbers rising from forward to aft, starting on the outside, with even numbers to starboard and odd to port. That is, tables against the outside start in the low numbers, and work up to the back and then start over in a second row, and then finally with the row in the center of the room. Our table is #48, and is in the middle of the starboard side. The tables for two along the railing at the front of the upper dining room are in the 70s.

Ship’s officers: Captain James Russell-Dunford; Hotel Manager Cees Tesselaar; Cruise Director Anthony Heywood. I don’t know the name of the beverage manager; if I find out, I will post the name. At the CC meet and greet, the CD said his contract ended at the end of this cruise, and he was going on two months’ vacation, then will join a ship on the Alaska run (sorry, I forget which one he said), and will rejoin Maasdam for next year’s Caribbean season.

MDR dinner menu Feb. 14

Appetizers: Mango and Orange Melange; Fruit de Mer on Vegetable Confit; Grilled Vegetables and Asiago; Beef and Chicken Satay.

Soups and Salad: Pasta Fagioli; Cream of Cauliflower; Chilled Mixed Berry Soup; Tomato and Romaine Salad.

Entrees: Ziti with Sauteed Andouille Sausage; Baby Spinach with Salmon; Blackened Ahi Tuna Oaxaca Style; Three Peppercorn Crusted NY Strip Loin Steak; Mixed Grill; Braised Chicken in Garlic and White Wine; Vegetable Lasagna.

Dessert: “DAM” Devil Chocolate Cake; Chocolate Dipped Fruit with Sugar Grapes; Rum Baba; Black Forest Cake no sugar added; Vanilla Ice Cream; Strawberry Ice Cream; Raspberry Sorbet; Raspberry Frozen Yogurt; No sugar added Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream; No sugar Vanilla added Ice Cream; Raspberry Sundae.

From the daily Explorer

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Sail Away: with DJ Armen,4:30 p.m., Navigation Pool

Pinnacle: Le Cirque Dinner, 5:30-9:00 p.m.

Showroom at Sea: Music and Comedy with Steve Stevens, a unique show with instruments, vocals and laughter, 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Ocean Bar: The Neptunes, 6:30-9:00 p.m.; Waltz Set 6:30 p.m. Happy Hour: 4:30-5:30 p.m.

MIX: Guitarist Chris 5:00-9:00 p.m.; Piano Man David Anthony, Love Songs 9:00 p.m. – close. Champagne Happy Hour 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Explorerer’s Lounge: Adagio Strings, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 – 11:00 p.m.

Crow’s Nest: The Valentine’s Ball, Come dance the night away; Featuring the Neptunes, 10:00 p.m.

More later,

Dave

[PaulaW]

Dave,

 

Thanks so much for the info!

[catl331]

Dave: we have never been to French side but are wary of all those other ships in port. We have heard that traffic heading back to the port for sail-away times can be horrid. So instead of booking a personal tour we have opted for a ship's excursion to be safe. Who would want to miss the ship and be stuck on a beautiful island for days! They could make a reality TV show out of that! C.

 

p.s. we have the same ships with us in St. Maarten.

[mamaofami]

Dave, thanks for taking us along with you. Reading your menus, I can't be positive, but I think we had a different menu on our 14 day cruise last month.

 

I love the French side of St. Martin. Good idea to take a ship's cruise, Carol.

[lawyerrose]

Dave,

 

Thanks so much!! It's almost as good as going on the cruise! Almost. :cool:

 

I love the way you told us a little about everything. You're a good blogger. What a nice gift you gave us all.

 

Rose

[innlady1]

Dave: we have never been to French side but are wary of all those other ships in port. We have heard that traffic heading back to the port for sail-away times can be horrid. So instead of booking a personal tour we have opted for a ship's excursion to be safe. Who would want to miss the ship and be stuck on a beautiful island for days! They could make a reality TV show out of that! C.

 

p.s. we have the same ships with us in St. Maarten.

 

Smart move, Carol. Haven't been to St. Maarten since '09 and '10, but the traffic was horrendous. Having been to the island several times, we did exactly what Dave did last time we were there. The year before, we were on the "Voyage of the Good Nuts" and went on a shore excursion arranged by the TA for that group. Lots of fun. A sailboat but I can't remember the name of it. Just walked over to the dock it sailed from so we didn't get involved in traffic then, either.

Edited February 15, 2012 by innlady1

[innlady1]

Dave, thanks for taking us along with you. Reading your menus, I can't be positive, but I think we had a different menu on our 14 day cruise last month.

 

I love the French side of St. Martin. Good idea to take a ship's cruise, Carol.

 

The menu doesn't look familar to me either, Carol.

We did a ship excursion over to St. Martin on one of the cruises we did from NY on the Noordam...we spent most of the time in traffic. It was not a good deal.

[AlanAllyn]

Dave,

 

I am enjoying your blog. We will be on the Maasdam for the first time April 6. I enjoy piano bars. The music David Anthony lists sound just right for me. Do you know if he will still be on board in April?

 

Thanks.

[RetiredMustang]

Wifi repeater locations on cabin decks

Joanie (and all others interested) – I know that jtl513 once provided a list of wifi repeater locations on a Vista ship. I had some free time, so I checked out Maasdam. I would think you could probably extrapolate this list to the other S-class ships. The cone-shaped repeaters are in the overhead (ceiling), and look like the attached photo. The closer your stateroom is to one of these, the stronger the signal you will have.

Wifi repeaters on Maasdam cabin decks are outside the following cabins:

Deck 4 port – 712, 732, 764, 804, 840

Deck 4 starboard – 713, 737, 759, 789, 825

Deck 5 port – 524, 556, 594, 634, 670

Deck 5 starboard – 523, 557, 589, 629, 665

Deck 6 port – 310, 326, 344, 376, 404

Deck 6 starboard – 311, 323, 341, 375, 403

Deck 9 port – 110, 128, 154, 182, 210

Deck 9 starboard – 111, 139, 167, 195

Deck 10 port – 008, 016, 026, 040

Deck 10 starboard – 005, 015, 041, 055

More later,

Dave

[Hawkeye1946]

Hi,Dave...

I've thoroughly enjoyed your blogs! We'll be repeating this journey on the March 12 sailing.

A couple of questions...what are they charging for WiFi? And...have you heard any comments about the Lanai cabins? We'll have a lanai...a "heads up" would be welcome.

Thanks!

Sue

[jtl513]

Wifi repeater locations on cabin decks

Thanks, Dave! As luck would have it, it looks we have one right outside our door on our upcoming Maasdam cruise! :D

 

...what are they charging for WiFi?

$3.95 to open an account, then $0.75/min, or blocks of 100 minutes for $55, or 250 min for $100. If you sign up on the first day you will get a 10 min bonus with the 100 block, or 20 min with the 250. Edited February 15, 2012 by jtl513

[Copper10-8]

. I don’t know the name of the beverage manager; if I find out, I will post the name.....

 

 

Stelios Nicolaou, nice guy from Cyprus

See ya at dinner!;)

[Crusing Bob]

Dave, enjoyiing your journey and very nicely written and informative.

 

The rail cars look quite comfortable.

 

Bob

[RuthC]

Even though I don't say so daily, Dave, I am enjoying every post of yours. I especially like reading the menu, and checking out the entertainment. So few posters even mention the entertainment that it's refreshing to get the info.

[Divi]

Even though I don't say so daily, Dave, I am enjoying every post of yours. I especially like reading the menu, and checking out the entertainment. So few posters even mention the entertainment that it's refreshing to get the info.

 

I agree with Ruth C.

I know the menus on our Maasdam cruise are likely to be quite different from yours but I do love reading menus.:)

It's also fun to think about the evening's entertainment. Where shall we have our pre-dinner drink tonight? What shall we do after dinner?

Don't you love dreaming about a cruise?:):)

Dave, thank you.

[Seavoyage]

Hi RetiredMustang/Dave-

 

Thank you so much for the reply and for today's review!!

 

Please do not go to any trouble with regard to a dining room diagram. You are so kind and your time is very much appreciated. The info on the table numbers is great. Thank you so much!! Thank you as well for the info on the Disco - Crow's Nest is great for a dance or two so will look forward to that indeed - hope the DJ likes the 70's!!

 

Happy and Smooth Sailing wishes....