Adventures on the Maasdam Journal

[Su&Andy]

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER! The following are excerpts from Andy’s (and Su’s) journal of the Maasdam’s 3/31 cruise originally written for friends and family. Please excuse the overall composition, we’ve not been able to find the time to edit it for the more savvy Cruise Critic Board! We are both 51, never cruised before and were celebrating our 30th anniversary and first getaway sans kids. (We both have degrees in Hospitality Management and a combined 30 years upscale dining experience.)

 

 

 

Thursday 3/31/05

 

 

We arrived at the MS Maasdam in downtown Norfolk from Germantown, MD around noontime – gray day, about 60 degrees. We were able to drop off the luggage right from the car. There was a woman porter to get the bags, but the two suitcases were so heavy that Andy insisted on loading them. (Were we supposed to tip her? We didn’t know. Oh, well...)

 

 

After finding the long term parking lot ($100 for 10 days), we boarded a bus to get back to the ship. There were about three other buses ready to load, waiting for more passengers ('pax'). Looking around the small population of the bus, most of the other folks on the bus were gray and/or bald, 60's – 70's. One couple was younger than us. Hmmmmm.

 

 

Dropped off at the ship (saw our luggage at the bottom of a large baggage pallet, the hanging bag w/ Andy's suit and dress shirts being mushed by suitcases on top. (Maybe we should have tipped the porter....). One line for Immigration and Check In where they recorded our credit card, birth certificates, driver’s licenses; got our ship passes. Another line where they examined our immigration docs and tickets. Another line where they scanned our carry on luggage (purse, jewelry, computer, cameras) thru a metal detector just like the airport. Then a final check of our tickets. Holland America had everything very well organized – you'd think they've done this before.

 

 

Walking up the gangplank, we were directed to go to the Lido on 10 since our rooms weren't yet ready. Lido's the buffet/cafeteria line restaurant, plus there is a taco, burger, dog bar by a small pool and hot tub. It’s all enclosed w/ a sliding roof – one small section was open to the outside. We still had our 4 carry ons plus purse. Hit the line – prosciutto, gravlax , veal marengo, grouper, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, plus cream of broccoli soup. They also had a cook-to-order pasta bar that we bypassed. The tables were all occupied, finally found one right at a window. We had a great view of the Nauticus museum and the battleship Wisconsin. (USS Wisconsin was where Japan signed their surrender in WWII – you remember the famous photograph with Douglas Macarthur...) There was a small ceremony going on there w/ a Navy band, giving awards.

 

 

Anyway, food was good not great, but it certainly hit the spot. Very good desserts – generally small bites to encourage trying many different types – Su found a cherry pie that was the best she'd ever tasted. Chocolate mousse, cherry crisp, layered filo w/ fresh raspberries and whipped cream, pecan pie; desserts were overall much better than on a standard catered buffet. Afterwards we wandered some more, found the second cafeteria line w/ the same selections plus pizza, ice cream bar, salad bar.

 

 

While eating there had been an announcement that everyone's rooms were ready so we headed out to find ours on 9. #163. Room is about 12x25, nicely decorated w/ a king bed, sofa, built-in desk. Veranda's about 6' deep. Bathroom compact 6x6 plus a small whirlpool tub. Large individual wardrobes. A small safe that you secure w/ a mag-stripe card. Best of all, no off stale smells like cigarettes or mold to give Su headaches– very clean.

 

 

Our luggage hadn't arrived, so we went exploring. Dining room at the rear on 7 & 8 (lower & upper rooms) Found our two-top, just one table away from the windows at the stern. Décor kinda glitzy - dark brass, dark wallpaper, gilded chandeliers – but still nicely done. Lots of oriental art and befitting the Dutch empire owning Indonesia (most of the staff are Indonesian or Filipino, the Anglos seems to be mostly Dutch or Canadian). Fresh flower displays at many locations and in our cabin. The Library had a few hundred books, generally recent fiction but also some reference works, plus a dozen magazines. Internet Cafe right next door w/ about 15 workstations. There were shops for jewelry, booze, geegaws, clothes, artworks, etc. A casino w/ many slots, roulette, poker etc. Lotsa bars. All places to spend your excess money.

 

 

Our luggage was finally delivered around 4, so we spent some time unpacking and sampling the Black Box Cabernet we brought (3 different boxes, totaling 9 liters). Went to the Rotterdam dining room for the 6:15 seating. 'Casual' dress – just no jeans or t-shirts, although a few wore them. There were about six different appetizers, soups and salads, and six entries. We started w/ mussels in a curry cream sauce, and smoked salmon with crème fraiche and avocado. Breads warm, crusty and yummy. Then tomato basil soup, followed by a spinach salad (bleu cheese dressing). Andy had roast pheasant with sage cream sauce. Su had mahi-mahi w/ roasted salsa. We shared a side of another entree, a farfalle pasta with basil and portobello mushrooms, which included fresh basil leaves that had been fried crisp. For dessert we had a rich chocolate cake with bitter orange and a cream custard. All the food was extremely good.

 

 

There was a 'show', actually just introducing some of the staff members and of course each of the stores. The entertainment staff sang and danced to a cruise version of 'Rock the Boat'. Then to bed since we were tired. During the night, we passed Cape Hatteras. There was some lurching we noticed, but our stomachs survived ok after taking bonine earlier and using seabands.

 

 

 

Friday April 1

 

 

We were at breakfast by 8 in the Rotterdam dining room, starting with V8, grapefruit, (passed on the pastries). We both had Eggs Benedict that weren't as good as Andy's, but still good. We were sat with a retired couple from Plainfield NJ, John & Renee who were experienced cruisers. Weather was cloudy but warm enough for shorts and sandals.

 

 

We later toured the galley (along w/ about 200 other folks) – very interesting how they handle the large number of covers; we had samples of cookies, sausage; and spoke with the Food Manager comparing our restaurant management experience; then sat for a cooking demo of crab cakes, with more samples.

 

 

We looked at but bypassed the make-your-own Bloody Mary's “(@$4.95) at the Lido cafeteria/buffet for lunch. Andy had a Vietnamese stir fry (w/ extra garlic & chili sauce) Su had an excellent tilapia filet w/ a ginger mango sauce. Desserts that we sampled included lemon meringue pie, white chocolate mousse, strawberry/apple pie. Again, all excellent.

 

 

By now the sun was fully out, so we retired to our veranda to rest and get some sun since we were facing west. At 1:00 the captain made his daily announcements – we had traveled about 300 miles at about 19 knots (22 mph?) were due east of Savannah and west of Bermuda. He said there was a low pressure front coming in tonight that might cause rain at night, hopefully will clear up for Half Moon Cay Bahamas on Saturday.

 

 

Tonight is a Formal Night.

 

 

 

Installment #2

 

 

Su in a long black dress with lots of gold jewelry, Andy in black sports jacket and black trousers. Is that formal enough?? We went to our dinner seating, saw that there weren't that many tuxedos. All the women had very nice dresses, some long, most not. Probably about 10% of the men in tux's, 30% in sports jackets, everyone else in suits. So yes, we were formal enough. Fried brie with fried onion straws, pate fois gras on tomato aspic garnished with alfalfa sprouts and what we think was jimica. Pate was excellent, brie good. Great breads also, every night (what diet?). Crab & corn soup, gazpacho w/ cilantro (was yellow, maybe from peppers??), both excellent; shrimp cocktail; salad, then we both chose the roasted lamb chops with a scalloped potato and ratatouille – all very good but Su's was a bit fatty. Crème brulee and chocolate souffle – when will the horror end!! As before, we had our wines before dinner, so only drank water with dinner. There were about a dozen different 'happy birthday's with several stewards and waiters singing (and a 6” cake) – I guess people save their birthday celebrations for formal nights.

 

 

Wandering around afterwards, there were even people in shorts! On formal night! How dare they – and why can't I go back and change? Lots of folks getting formal pictures in front of various backdrops. Long lines for the evening show. We missed the movie ('Ray') by a few minutes, so decided to go back to the room to watch Ladder 49 on TV. But they had messed up the schedule, it was just ending. So we watched 'Alfie' on another channel, but after it ended in 45 minutes, it was obvious we had started in the middle and didn't even realize it. But we found 'Shall We Dance' from the beginning, enjoyable fluff. It's vacation.

 

 

 

Saturday April 2, Half Moon Cay, Bahamas

 

 

Since we're going to Half Moon Cay ('HMC' for us experienced cruisers), we did the Lido buffet for breakfast. Su had an omelet (as good as Andy's?? She claims not), Andy just plain old fried eggs and bacon. But also smoked salmon, stewed figs, muesli, raisin bun (BTW, all baked goods are baked fresh daily except for hot dog and burger buns. On the galley tour someone mentioned how great the raisin buns were, and the guide said the crew called them 'bread with flies'). They also always have a choice of pancakes, french toast, sausage, crème de la wheat, cold cuts, cold cereals, danishes, etc. Then back to the cabin to slather on the suntan lotions before the beach- SPF 15 and 30, she and he.

 

 

Cap't van der Loo made an announcement that due to head winds, we wouldn't arriving at HMC until11 (and leave @ 5) and will have to use engines to maintain position – will they charge us for the extra gas used? (ha ha). We had to wait in the theater @ 9:30 to get our tender number, we got #7. We eventually saw the numbers as high as 40, although not sure if they used the highest numbers. Each tender held 80 people. Tenders were actually four of the ten lifeboats. Andy noticed a sign on the tender that said its capacity as such was 90, but as a lifeboat 150. By sitting on laps, I guess.

 

 

It took some time to get the ship into position, then away all boats! Around noontime lucky number 7 was called, so we proceeded down to the gangplank I mean gangway. We were maybe ¼ mile off shore, so there wasn't a long trip, but it was pretty bouncy – I think they said 3-4 foot swells. Tenders rode like bucking broncos. HMC is an unpopulated isle, but they had some imported labor. We had rented a 'clamshell for $9 – essentially a half- tent – to reduce the burn. It was hazy and probably 80, so it wasn't uncomfortable, but the burnin' is easy. Sand was very fine and soft, the water a beautiful azure but not too warm – fine once you got in but seemingly chilly compared to the air. So Su didn't go in beyond toe depth. She was spoiled by Jamaican waters.

 

 

The food (and booze) had to be brought over from the ship, so it didn't get set up and cooked until after 1:30. Burgers, dogs, ribs, cobbed corn, grilled bluefish and chicken, coleslaw, tater salad, cookies and brownies. After sitting on the beach for an hour (and an excellent pina colada), we were famished and so overloaded our plates (well, at least Andy did – he must have thought there wasn't anything good for dinner!).

 

 

After lunch, Andy tried out his new snorkel equipment (from that well-know dive shop, Costco). They had sunk some containers to encourage fish to visit, but there were only a few there. He went over to the rock breakwater and found a few different types. Nothing spectacular, but still fun – what I would call 'zebra fish' w/ yellow and black stripes, skinny blue 'needle fish' about 8” long but only 1/2” in diameter – the eyes were about 3” back. These were in groups of about a dozen, always just an inch or two below the surface. I also saw a river of silvery fish, flowing along the contours of the bottom (about 8'), fun to watch from above. Reminded me of the herd of dinasours in the second Jurassic Park, a sinuous wave back and forth. By the time I poked my head up, I found I had swam beyond the guide ropes and was about 50 yards out – time to head in.

 

 

Su had dozed while Andy was fish-searching. After another hour or so, we headed back around 3:30 so we weren't take a chance of being Gilligan'ed – plus it's tiring in the sun (whine, whine).

 

 

Casual dinner – thank goodness. Oysters Rockefeller, duck and black bean quesidilla, sun dried tomato bread, apple vichyssoise w/ applejack brandy (excellent), baked potato soup (just ok), baked grouper with refried beans and salsa (good), paella (overcooked & gummy). Chocolate 'avalanche' cake, almond cake, both ok. It wasn't worth complaining about the paella since no one starved, but both the waiter and steward were very concerned when we told them later and insisted that we inform them immediately if we were not satisfied with anything in the future. (The steward did the running and kitchen setup for the waiter, who never left the table area. Our waiter AG and steward Harry were responsible for 22 seats.) We received excellent service each night, silverware swapped, crumbs swept away, glasses refilled and prompt serving and clearing. AG and Harry rocked and made sure that we had our cappuccinos every night with our desserts.

 

 

 

Sunday April 3d

 

 

Another sea day, to relax after being ashore – and we need it. Plus we changed to Daylight Savings Time and lost an hour. We seem to be exhausted each night, can barely stay awake past 10. Maybe it's the seasick medicine we've been taking once/day, Bonine. When we didn't take it on Sunday, we seemed to have much more energy. Speaking of seasick, there has always been some movement – not constant, more an occasional lurch. No problems so far. The cruise boards say that passing Cape Hatteras is the worst, which was our first night.

 

 

Our now-standard breakfast in the Lido, then off to find a place to lay out. We had previously scoped out a small deck on the stern on our level 9 that seemed nice - only a dozen chairs, no smokers, not as windy - but was still just a few steps away from the pool on the level above. By the time we got there, all the lounge chairs were taken. Same thing around the pool (on Navigation - 10) deck. Next level (Lido) was also full, but we found two together, but right behind a smoker. But with the sea breeze whipping past, it wasn't bad. After reading for a while, Andy went swimming in the pool: salt water, maybe 75 degrees. Very relaxing.

 

 

 

Sunday April 3d

 

 

Although we get a few TV channels, (TNT, CNN, ESPN) they're all non-US programming. And CNN is 7x24 Dead Pope! “The World in Mourning.”

 

 

We've settled into a standard breakfast around 9 – Su gets smoked salmon on rye toast and some fresh fruit, followed by an 'everything' omelet with spicy fresh salsa. Andy usually gets figs and muesli, two fried eggs over medium plus sausage & hash browns, maybe english muffin, lotsa coffee. Then we usually go to the Library to connect and check emails and the cruise critic boards and send Maasdam updates.

 

 

Lunch on the Lido – stir fried basil chicken and stir fried calamari. Yum. Then off to team trivia. We were a couple of minutes late so we just watched and played along. Didn't do as well as we had hoped, maybe 70%. The questions were all from Trivia Pursuit. Andy attended a lecture on “The Influence of Sea Power on History and Politics” - it was strictly about Prince Henry the Navigator and his influence on Portuguese exploration and empire. It was part of a series of lectures that were given daily, so there was a certain lack of continuity. At 3:30, they had Dutch Royal High Tea – small sweets and savories - pastries (generally the same as available at dessert), pate, sausage rolls, chicken ala king on puff pastry and of course tea while a string quartet played. We were sat with an older couple from Manchester NH – he grew up in Lawrence, MA.

 

 

For dinner, chicken sate, antipasto plate, garlic soup, chilled summer squash soup w/ a hint of curry, Beef Wellington, rib of veal w/ herb crust, flambéed pineapple over vanilla ice cream. They flambe at a separate station at the front of the dining room (we were in the far back, just next to the stern windows, so we didn't see it.) But it sure was good.

 

 

After dinner we saw “Ocean's Twelve” in the movie theater, then the show - an Australian singer named Annie Francis – very good voice and her song choice fit the ship's demographics.

 

 

 

Monday April 4th

 

Charlotte Amalie (ah-MAHL-ya), St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. P.cloudy & hazy, 85o

 

 

We were a bit late arriving in Charlotte Amalie (the capital city of USVI on the island of St Thomas), a bit after 10. Coming in, we saw lots of houses built on the hills similar to So.Calif. There was one other ship docked there, Carnival Destiny. (Andy counted 24 life boats, twice as many as Maasdam, therefore estimated 2500+ pax. From the other side of the bay, it looked about twice the size.) Since we had touched foreign soil (HMC Bahamas), everyone had to have their immigration checked (our birth certificates), even if they weren't going ashore in St Thomas. They called us by letter of our last name (W) (boo!) But it will work out since to be fair, when we repeat the process for San Juan, they'll reverse the letters. And we have less time there, so it actually works out for the better. (Yay!) We were done with that by 11:30. We gathered a couple of towels since we might go to one of three beaches, broke down and bought a liter bottle of water ($2) and were off to meet our guide that Su had found on the cruise message boards. (That water bottle became a lifesaver over the next four days ashore.)

 

 

Godfrey was a young fellow, maybe mid-20's, who owns a large red Chevy pickup that had the bed converted to 5 rows of open seats with a cover. He dropped us off in a shopping district with plans to meet the rest of his passengers in 45 minutes. Don’t miss the pretty cobblestone alleyways draped in tropical flowers. Jewelry stores accounted for probably 75% of the establishments. Many stores had shills directing us inside. Su looked at some tanzanite bracelets – only $745. Wait, just for you we'll drop the price down to $545! She’ll stick with the ‘Q’. Andy looked at a liquor store that was giving out samples of rum and a Bailey's knockoff and coconut rum. We wandered into an artist's shop (Jonna White), found a pretty print and purchased same. Too much free rum?? Framing and shipping back home included.

 

 

By the time we made our way back, everyone had already found their seats, so we had to sit up front with Godfrey. Although it was a bit cramped, we were able to ask him more questions (ex: gas was only $2.35/gal, a buck cheaper than in Antigua the next day). He took us to several places where we saw spectacular views. Magen's Bay is rated as one of the top 10 beaches in the world by Nat'l Geographic. Beach was named by the last owner - Lawrence Rockefeller – for his daughter when he donated it to the island (in 1951?). Godfrey pointed out a house there where ‘Bill & Hill’ had stayed, owned by a friend of Al Gore. Stopped at the Mountain House that claimed to invent banana daiquiris and would happily part with one for $7. Godfrey pointed out that there was no fresh water on the island, all drinking water is either distilled or rainwater saved in artesian wells and chlorinated. Pointed out big plastic jugs (6' tall) that served as artesian wells. All the islands were very dry, not at all lush, and it’s not even hot there yet.

 

 

Everyone else was dropped off at any of three beaches (Magen's Bay, Coki or Sapphire), we had decided that we'd had enough sun at the pool the previous day, and it was just too hot, humid & uncomfortable for us (85o). So we wandered around Sapphire for a few minutes (saw several iguanas as long as 3'), then went back to the ship around 2:30, just in time for lunch. Then relaxed & read on the veranda until dinner sipping our cabernet.

 

 

CNN still in All Pope mode.

 

 

Casual night, Salmon & potato confit; avocado & smoked salmon soup; jerk chicken with fried plantains coconut rice; venison w/ mushroom glaze. Pineapple flambe with vanilla ice cream. Then watched “Meet the Fockers” in the packed theater – very funny.

 

 

At 11:15 PM, Andy went to a special Indonesian show put on by the crew, moderately interesting. It reminded him of middle school concerts that try to expose you to other cultures, but I guess that was their point. 17k islands, 9k inhabited, most people speak the language of their island, plus national Indonesian, plus English. (“What do you call someone that can speak two languages? Bilingual. What do you call someone who can speak only one language? American.” Ha. Ha. One of the Jokes.)

 

 

Tuesday April 5th

 

St John's, Antigua, British VI, (“an-TEEG-a”, not “an-TEEG-wa”) Sunny 85o

 

Lawrence of Antigua was also found on the Ports of Call message board. He said that we had to cross thru lots of aggressive taxi drivers to find him – how true. He was about 30, very personable, had a Toyota minivan w/ air conditioning, even had camel logos. We also had a family from Maasdam (mom, dad, grandma, 3 kids 8-12) plus a couple from the Celebrity ship in port. Lawrence pointed out several former windmills for the sugar cane; that crop was dropped when it became unprofitable when slavery was outlawed in 1840's. Lots of goats wandering around in yards and loose in the roads. Lawrence said he'd give a free tour for any kid that would accurately count all the goats. Also saw some egrets, plus some saw mongooses (mongeese?) that had been brought in to combat snakes in the sugar crop (Andy missed it). Now the island has no snakes but plenty of mongooses. We stopped at several ruins of British forts that ringed the island, all with spectacular views (to lookout for the French). It wasn't as hazy as on St Thomas. From one of them we could see a large compound alone on a peninsula that is owned by Eric Clapton. Not nearly as crowded or as many houses perched in the hills as in St Thomas, but driving through the interior there were more poverty and poor villages. Gas $3.45/gal – a dollar more than St Thomas undoubtedly due to taxes. One stop was at Nelson's Dockyard, dating back to 1820's, a World Heritage site, the only 19th century dockyard remaining. Very quaint and very British. Our group got a free rum punch by mixing in with a tour from England. Total tour was about 3 hours. Again, we could have been dropped off at a beach (365 beaches on the island), but nobody decided to. Too comfortable on the “beautiful and elegant Maasdam” (the term the captain uses in his daily updates). In later discussions w/ other pax who didn't take a tour, they were very uncomfortable walking around St John's. Very aggressive sales people and taxi drivers, a hole in the sidewalk that flowed w/ sewage, smelly. We were glad to be on the tour for $25 each.

 

 

At lunch, we finally got around to trying the ice cream bar. Usually they have 4-5 flavors plus vanilla & chocolate: you can have it in a dish, cone or waffle cone. Top-it-yourself of whipped cream, caramel, chocolate sauce, chopped candies. We tried the pineapple frozen yogurt – spectacularly intense flavor.

 

 

We partnered with two other people and won today's group trivia contest, defeating the defending champs. Su notes that Andy’s head was full of normally useless trivia as usual, but she was the one who got the bonus 2 point question to put us over the top. (Where is Kangamangas Hwy?) Now proud owners formally from New England of ‘Dam Keys’ keychains.

 

 

Dinner: portobello mushroom & ricotta crostini, artichoke and crab dip; chilled avocado & smoked salmon soup, conch chowder; Greek salad; tuna steak w/ sesame & glazed vegetables, horseradish mashed potatoes, broccoli fritter; osso buca w/ mushroom risotto; flambéed lychee nuts with peach liqueur over vanilla ice cream. Then to ‘Spanglish’ in Wajang Theatre.

 

 

 

Wednesday April 6th

 

Philipsburg, St Maarten

 

There were 8 ships in port so we had to tender into port, about a 10 minute ride. The pax on the six docked ships had to take a water taxi to the downtown anyways, so we were better off tendering. We had decided not to take a tour and just walked around. As elsewhere, lots of jewelry shops, but tried some local guava berry liqueur (tasted like cough syrup). There was an artist's shop for a fellow that had designed Yoda in Star Wars. We got a signed print for Kyle, even though he's past Star Wars. After walking around for a couple of hours and finding some trinkets, we went back to the ship in time for lunch, stopping to sip lemonade provided by the ship at the tender dock. We tried the sandwich bar (just about anything you'd want), got a Reuben & a BLT, plus some California pizza. They always had three different pizzas at lunch, all w/ excellent thin crispy crust. Ice cream bar had passion fruit sorbet and watermelon sherbet - yum. Then we went to team trivia, and lost by one point. Then sat around the pool and read for a while. Andy got a bit burned despite SPF 30.

 

 

Dinner dress, since we had a port day, was casual – no shorts or jeans. But the food wasn't casual: Lobster & shrimp spinach dip, country pate; chilled mixed berry minestrone, excellent gumbo; nasi goreng, an Indonesian dish with pork sate', spiced chicken leg, beef curry & fried shrimp rice; grilled snapper with red pepper aioli on a bed of savory mashed sweet potatoes; plus a side of ham and olive pasta with lemon olive oil; crepes Suzette, chocolate mousse tart – the tart shell was made from toffee. Saw “National Treasure”, a far-fetched but rollicking fun yarn.

 

 

 

Thursday April 7th

 

San Juan, Puerto Rico, cloudy & early showers.

 

 

We docked around 7 AM and were scheduled to leave @ 1. We had to go thru immigration aboard the ship, but as mentioned earlier, they reversed that alphabet so we were done first. Since there was so little time, and we were docked by Old San Juan, we decided to just walk around. Wandering around the lovely streets we were reminded of a cross between Quebec City and New Orleans, with wrought iron balconies, cobblestone streets, bright colored walls, interior courtyard gardens peeking through archways. We hiked out to the Castillo del Morro, a 17th century fort – spectacular views, a complicated layout over 5 levels. Overall, Old San Juan was by far the most picturesque stop.

 

 

When we were supposed to leave, there was a passenger who still hadn't come back, so they waited for about an hour. She had apparently been caught in traffic jam caused by a bike race. One of the staff said later that the ship may wait – or not – based upon several factors, among them the port fees for leaving late, and if there was another ship incoming. When we were on the islands, Craig would say “all aboard is 5:30. If you can't make that, be sure to have a good camera so you can get a nice picture of the Maasdam sailing away.” But they never left anyone, delaying us at both San Juan and when we left Norfolk.

 

 

Captain Arjen van der Loo announced that prior to San Juan they discovered a problem with one of the five diesel generators – a seized bearing on the crankshaft – so they has to shut it down. These generators power everything from AC & H2O distillation to the electric engines that propel the ship. This loss reduced the total capacity by 25% so the top speed of the ship was reduced somewhat – from about 21 knots to 18. There should be no other impact, i.e. no safety issues. Talking to other passengers, they said they had felt some roughness while they were in the pool (at the stern); indeed, during the movie last night we had felt some unusual shaking also.

 

 

 

Met another cruiser named Susan in the library wearing the infamous ‘We Support Two Teams~ The Red Sox and any Team who Beats the Yankees’ t-shirt. Turns out she’s from Harvard, MA. Told her that our daughters sport the same shirts. Fortuitously we met her and her husband up in the Crow’s Nest for another round of trivia and once again triumphed over the Trivia Masters. HAL luggage tags this round.

 

 

Saw “Sideways” later in the afternoon at Wajang. A minor distraction was it had been 'edited for content' to remove bad words (and scenes?): “Man, we're gonna get you loved this weekend!” “You Ashcroft!”

 

 

Dinner (casual dress) – duck breast with apple-celeriac slaw, grilled scallops with hearts of palm and chipotle dressing. Chilled berry soup w/ cumin, pumpkin and squash chowder; spinach salad with citrus sections; grilled calf's liver with apples and bacon (first few bites a bit strong, according to Su – Andy wouldn't try it), Indonesian grilled lamb chops with rosemary mashed potato's. Flambe Bananas Foster with vanilla ice cream. On the way out, num-nums like mints, but also dried figs and what we always get, a chunk of ginger in syrup to clear the palate.

 

 

Finally broke down and watched the entire theatrical show – a Brit singer named Mark Newsome who had played a lead in 'Les Miserables'. It was only ok.

 

 

Friday April 8th

 

 

Two days at sea heading back to Norfolk. Usual breakfast at the Lido, with Ernesto making a superb omelet as usual. We tried Scattergories, but Andy had trouble remembering how to play; they only did two cards, we were far behind. There was a Maasdam Scavenger Hunt that we didn't participate in, but we saw the results. They had to find various information like the middle name of the captain, where a certain fire hose was located, etc. They also had a Newlywed / Not-so Newlywed game that was funny. Some older gent actually answered “what's your favorite condiment?” with “Trojans” - and he was serious!

 

 

Captain said that our reduced speed will make us late getting into Norfolk. Estimated it to be 4 PM (rather than 8 AM), but it also depended on “the weather gods”. Since most of the passengers had driven to Norfolk, only a minority had flight changes. HAL would work out travel arrangements, or put folks up in a hotel. We'd just have to spend more hours on the ship (too bad!). They also would have open bar for 2 hours this afternoon. Having been keeping up on the cruise message boards for months ahead of time, we couldn't help but feel bad for the pax on the next cruise – they would be losing out on their cruise by whatever time extra we had.

 

 

The two hour open bar @ 2 PM arrived as we were finishing Team Trivia in the Crow's Next. The waitress came around with rum punch for all. We stayed and discussed the situation with two other couples. One had a cabin that had no a/c and the TV had no reception for the whole cruise. I hope they ended up getting some compensation by HAL. Here's the waitress with another round...sure, we'll have more. After two or three rum punches and a pina colada, we wandered around to find some other lounges, but they were all closed during the day.

 

 

The ship had three other lounges that were only open at night: a piano bar, one that featured a 'champagne strings' group, and a third that had some other mellow live music. We never spent any time in them because there was always smokers and we had no real desire to drink. Speaking of smoking, we were very happy to find that although there were little noticeable effect from smokers (or perfumes!), other than the casino and the lounges. They didn't have smoke-free cabins, but ours was as neutral as any hotel we've experienced. Although we occasionally could smell someone smoking from the veranda, it was not intrusive. Before the cruise Andy was concerned that the cabin could have a moldy problem (being in a moist environment); that was an additional reason we upgraded to a veranda so if necessary the door could be opened if there were “odor issues” - happily there were none.

 

 

The last Formal Dinner. Long Black Dress with Pearls/Suit. We both had escargots plus a side of duck foie gras on layers of puff pastry; cream of asparagus and chilled strawberry bisque; lobster tails (2), roasted beef tenderloin with Bearnaise and grilled portobello mushroom; a side of rigatoni with roasted garlic. We only got one order of lobster tails, but others ordered more. Where do they get the space to fit it? Baked Alaska paraded by all the waiters weaving thru the dining room with sparklers on each was the penultimate dessert.

 

 

Ahh, sitting out on the veranda at 9 PM updating this journal, hearing the waves rushing by, too quickly....

 

 

Andy went to the movie theater to see 'The Incredibles' while Su stayed in and read.

 

 

 

Saturday April 9th

 

 

Our last full day (sob!).

 

 

The captain started the morning with an announcement that we're making better time due to good weather & less headwinds, so he improved our estimated arrival in Norfolk to 1 PM, although they were keeping an eye on weather system that was heading towards us. He said there were parts waiting for the ship in Norfolk and some engineers to work on the engine. The way he explained it, it sounded like the pistons were scored and they had to sand them “for three days”.

 

 

As an aside, Andy was surprised how much the headwinds & currents affected the ships top speed. He had naively thought that they could just 'step on the gas' and power through these factors, but the ship is essentially a big flat sail with a lot of wind resistance – and obviously no power to spare!. When it's cruising @ 20 MPH and you add in a 30 MPH headwind, its gotta reduce the speed. Imagine the effect on gas mileage – they normally use something like 300 gallons of diesel per mile.

 

 

After breakfast we had disembarkation meeting – they're gonna have to drag me off kicking and screaming! Assuming they succeed in getting us off the ship, we need to have out bags packed and outside the cabin by 1 AM. They also revealed who had been selected as Mr & Ms Maasdam –They also had a little contest, dividing the theater into two sides to compete in a scavenger hut where the teams had to provide different items – a book from the ships library, an empty purse, a certain coin, the most number of belts over 42”, the most shorts or pants, and finally the most bras. We contributed. Hilarious.

 

 

Spent the day doing the same as other days - games, checking in on the Internet to keep the outside world updated of the ships' issues and arrival changes via the cruise message board. All while watching our remaining Internet minutes – Su would connect and download the pages from the cruise board, then compose responses to questions, updates etc, then reconnect and upload them. The message board was buzzing with the next round of pax upset since they would have to lose some of their cruise time due to our late arrival, and lose at least their first stop at Half Moon Cay in order to make up time.

 

 

Dinner (casual since our bags are being packed): seared tuna carpaccio with jimica chips, salmon & shrimp cake; seafood bouillabaisse, leek & onion vichyssoise; greens salad w/ grilled onion, apples & raisins & walnuts; orange roughy with lime aioli with cilantro mashed potato, prime rib with baked potato; chocolate praline cake and fresh berry's with sabayon cream; and the usual cappuccino.

 

 

During the dinner, the wait staff got together and sang an Indonesian Farewell song. As we were saying our sad goodbye's to AG & Harry, AG had a surprise. On our first dinner so long ago, Andy had asked AG if he could get copy of the dinner menu, but it wasn't clear AG understood. Clearly he did, 'cause he presented us with each night's dinner & dessert menu - very nice. Andy wished he had given AG an even better tip...

 

 

The show was a conglomeration of three of the entertainers, each doing a few minutes of their show. Since we had only seen one of them – Mark Newsome the Broadway singer – it was a good show. The magician Bob Brizendine was especially entertaining, making us regret having missed his full show. The other fellow David Pengelly was a ukulele player, but he was actually pretty good.

 

 

Time to complete packing...

 

 

Sunday April 10th

 

 

The weather front hit Saturday night around 1 AM. Rain, wind and waves. We didn't get much sleep. The ship was tossing around in a very disconcerting manner, rolling maybe 10o . - hard to guess, but it seemed like a lot. You know how at speed a power boat will bounce over waves and crash on top of the next wave w/ a boom? The ship was doing it too! Boom, shudder & shake! We had to spread out our arms while in bed to brace ourselves from rolling around. It was a bit scary, but we had confidence in our ship and the captain despite swells of up to 30 feet!

 

 

Andy kept thinking that it would be spectacular pictures to show (like in 'Titanic'!) if he could find a way to safely take them. But there was no way he was going to step outside – not that stupid! Finally around 5 AM he got up and went out with his camcorder to see what he could see. Staggered up the Lido deck, and was surprised to see the kitchen staff was getting ready for breakfast – Ernesto setting up his omelet station! But no place to take any pictures through the windows. Went to the indoor pool area – the water in the pool was crashing up to about 10' above the pool over the dolphin sculpture, and this was with little water left in the pool after hours of bouncing around, so he rolled the camcorder. The pool water that had splashed onto the deck was rolling around and soaked him up you his knees. Time to go back to bed.

 

 

We finally gave up on attempting to sleep and got up around 7. We were impressed that neither of us had gotten seasick – Su had worn her SeaBands we had purchased for the cruise, wrist bands with pressure points that were supposed to prevent seasickness. There weren't many at breakfast!

 

 

The captain announced that “last night the weather gods turned against us” so we had lost some time and revised the arrival time in Norfolk back to 4 PM. He said that the speed had been reduced due to the storm front plus having to 'break thru” the edge of the Gulf Stream at the same time. He had reduced speed for the “comfort of the passengers and to prevent any structural damage to the Maasdam.” What??? Structural damage!?!?!?

 

 

Since the cruise was now extended a total of eight hours, cruise director Craig had to scramble to create events to keep the restless natives occupied. One of these was a Q&A with Captain van der Loo. Questions about his career path (he was the youngest captain in HAL at 42), but also what about the storm, especially the comment about “structural damage”. He said that he would rate the seas last night as a 7 out of 10, which we thought was pretty impressive in his 20 years of experience. Also that he had seen a ship that had its bow ripped off in a storm in such conditions– so we were happy he had reduced speed. Later we saw him in the Lido for lunch, standing in line for a sandwich like everyone else, chatting with pax - an excellent & open managerial style.

 

 

Another event thrown together was the magician/comedian, Bob Brizendine, doing some more tricks, and a 'stump the entertainer' where a passenger would get up to tell a joke and a panel of two of entertainers and the cruise director would guess the punch line. Some got a bit racy.

 

 

We entered the bay towards Norfolk around 1 – land ho at last. We now had cell phone service and called the kids. Customs were brought aboard, anyone that had more than the allowed had to go see them. We had brought nothing back but a few trinkets, nothing to declare. We had to vacate our cabin by 3 to allow the housekeeping staff to start cleaning for the next cruise. Andy wandered around to see some of the other cabins both above and below ours so we can plan better for our next cruise. Most of the lower ones were very similar in size to ours, just w/o the veranda and a bit shorter, or for interior cabins, any window. The suites above were spacious with lots of granite.

 

 

We waited in the Crow's Nest for them to call our numbers. Andy went down to the Lido for one last bit of food – a hot dog and burger – not many choices left, but it was impressive they were still serving anything at all. After passing a few dozen ships in the Naval Base, we docked at 4:30. Andy spotted what he thought were the three engineers that were coming aboard to work on the engine – sure enough they were the first up the gangplank. Watched the forklifts moving the luggage bins. Finally they called us at 5:30. Time to leave the ‘beautiful and elegant Maasdam.’

 

 

After leaving the ship (sob!), we scurried thru a final security check – Immigration? Customs? The luggage was in a large room, once we located ours we had to lug it and our carry ons – computer case, camera case, makeup case, purse, two big suitcases and a suit bag – about 100 yards to the shuttle bus. Next time, fewer clothes and less luggage.

 

 

By 6:00 we were at the car. Driving in the light Sunday evening traffic was...eventful. After not driving for a few days Andy's driving skills were surprisingly rusty (but he didn't tell Su that until now). Even missed the exit to the Beltway (doh!), but eventually found our way home, cherry trees about to burst. Home again, home again, jiggety jog. But ready to go again....

 

 

If you can tolerate any more of our trip: http://www.grovestreet.com/jsp/picview.jsp?album=69516

 

[sable1]

Enjoyed your review so much and it has increased my anticipation and excitement even more, July 16th. Took notes on some of the food you enjoyed.

How would you rate the cruise director? Were all the prizes for Trivia key chains, mugs & such?

Thanks again for a very informative post.

Happy cruising,

Joanne, the chocoholic

[TedC]

Su and Andy, thanks for your wonderful and compehensive review. It was especially valuable because of your expertise in hospitality and food.

 

We'll be on the Maasdam for 35 days In July and August and I'd better start dieting now - particularly if we have the same chefs that you did. Do you know who the executive chef was? That often makes a big difference in the dining experience.

 

I also hope the engines and generators are in top condition for our adventure!

[obriendan]

A well written, wonderful review!

[Su&Andy]

Sable1, Craig the Director was very personable, funny and seemed to run things pretty well thru his staff (there were a couple of instances of the game leaders being late or mis-scheduled). But since this was our first cruise we have nothing to compare him to. On the last day, with an extra 8 hours to occupy, he seemed to pull extra things together quite well.

 

The prizes for the lowkeyed games we played were 'dam keychains, luggage tags and rarely, 'dam mugs. We didn't win any of the mugs, but teammates Brian & Susan gave us one of theirs. :D

[Su&Andy]

The only name we have for Hospitality Manager on the 3/31 Maasdam cruise is Kees Streuding. We do know that the executive chef for the Pinnacle had only been on board for two weeks prior.

[noddie11]

Thanks for a more upbeat review of your recent cruise. The diet starts tomorrow in anticipation. It all sounds delicious. Why did you bring your own wine and did HAL not mind you having it in the cabin?

[ahoymatey3]

Thanks for the review. I was on the same cruise as you, and it brought back good memories.

[jbhcw]

What a great review! Being a foodie, I really enjoyed all the info on the menu, I cannot wait. Sounds like the Maasdam is just what we are looking for, now if November will just hurry up and get here. thanks again for a well written entertaining review.

[cheric]

What a great review. We were on the Maasdam 2/28 - 3/10 and loved it so much we have already booked the same cruise out of Norfolk for March 3rd next year. It was our first HAL cruise (only Celebrity in the past), and we thought it was wonderful ... even though we had 40 foot waves. Your review made me feel like I was back on her and increases my anticipation for next year. Thank you. Wasn't the food wonderful? DH and I sure thought so!

[Su&Andy]

Noddie11, yes, HAL does allow you to bring your own wine aboard. We splurged for a Verandah Suite and wanted to sip Chardonnay and Cabernet on our balcony at our leisure. We had originally considered bringing bottles of wine on board but consequently discovered that Black Box wines provided premium varietals in a non-breakable container at a very reasonable price. So, we packed [3] 3-liter boxes in our suitcase and were as content as could be!

[Sweetdreams]

Wonderful review-thanks for sending the link my way. It certainly is apparant that you both enjoyed the culinary and high sea adventure. Glad you both had a great time inspite of the mechanical problems and some very rough seas. Thanks too for all the helpful tips you offered before we departed for our cruise 5/1 on the Maasdam.

[mikefang]

:) Su and Andy-Thanks for the good review. DW and I have always enjoyed the Maasdam, including our back to back late last fall. The USS Wisconsin is very impressive and we enjoyed taking a tour of her as well as enjoying the view from the Lido area. The surrender was signed on the the USS Missouri, same ship class as the Wisconsin. The Missouri is currently privately mainained near the USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor. The beginning and the end of the Pacific portion of the war so to speak. Sure glad you enjoyed the Maasdam and you brought back some good memories.

Thanks again! Mike

[Robert AG99]

I enjoyed the review. It makes me even more excirted about our September cruise on the Maasdam. We will be fist time on HAL. THanks for all the good news about her cundition. Glad you had a great time.

 

Robert and Cheryl;)

[Su&Andy]

To Mikefang: Clearly the beautiful and elegant Maasdam turned my mind to mush and confusion while I was writing on board that first day. Thanks for correcting my error in reference to the Wisconsin.

[Sweetdreams]

Saw your journal pop up & it reminded it me to ask you if you ever posted your menus? I forgot to ask in advance for our menus & now sorry that I did not because I'd like to do a memory book of our cruise.

[mikefang]

Su and Andy-I am grateful that you took the time to write on that first day. We spent two days before the cruise in Norfolk and had a chance to spend quite a bit of time on the Wisconsin. She is really impressive. We are on the Amsterdam this December to Hawaii and we are looking forward to seeing the Missouri again-I saw quite a bit of her in the old days in Long Beach before her latest decomissioning. Can't tell you how great your review was.

Mike

[Aussie Gal]

Su and Andy,

 

We were on vacation when you first posted this wonderful review and I missed it. I am so glad it has come to the top again as I have just spent an enjoyable 20 minutes reading it.

 

After reading about the delicious food and the entertainment on board, I cannot wait until we board her in 6 weeks time for our 17 days cruise to Rotterdam. Thanks for posting this and I so glad you had a great holiday even with one engine out.

 

Jennie

[Su&Andy]

Sweetdreams~ We have scanned all of the menus, and just need to work on getting them uploaded. Will post the link when they are accessible. ~ Su

[Sweetdreams]

Thank you Su & Andy! I'll be checking in for them from time to time. Just spent an exhausting weekend moving DD from CIA dorm to PA & now on to her extern site for the next four months. She'll be back in Hyde Park early Nov. if you need reservations.

[Su&Andy]

Sweetdreams, getting a bit closer to having those menus on line. Where in PA will your daughter be?

[Robert AG99]

Sue& Andy looking forward to menues. Do they change menues for the fall crusies?

 

 

 

 

Robert and Cheryl

 

MASSDAM 9/2005

[Sweetdreams]

Bump for new cruiser.

[Sweetdreams]

Sweetdreams, getting a bit closer to having those menus on line. Where in PA will your daughter be?

 

She's at the Historic Hotel Hershey.

Sorry didn't see this post until I saw you names pop up today!

Planning another cruise yet? We'd love to but our lives have been a bit hectic lately. MIL has moderate to severe dementia and lived with us until we recently found a suitable, safe retirement community for both of them.

 

Anyway, just got off the phone with daughter. She's doing the early shift for morning breakfast presented in the Circular Dining room. Thus far, it's been a good externship for her but she is anxious to return to the CIA.