LIVE from the MAASDAM transatlantic cruise

[sansterre]

Click on the thumbnails (IF they show up!)

[maxout]

Click on the thumbnails (IF they show up!)

 

Nothing yet :(

[sansterre]

Day 18 - Barcelona

The weather continues to be perfect, with beautiful blue skies. In Barcelona, we had pre-purchased tickets for Sagrada Famila for 10:30. The ship docked at 9 and taxi got us there around 9:30. We walked all around the block, snapping photos continuously (one of materials being lifted by a crane to the top). We also purchased a couple postcards at the gift store, and stamps at a tobacco shop. Around 10:20, we approached the entrance and were allowed to enter a few minutes early. We expected the church to be grand, but it was more, much more than either of us expected. Pictures do not do it justice. We purchased the self-guiding tape and ear phones. It worked well as we could go at our own pace, although #1 was at the opposite side of the church. Still, we enjoyed our nearly two hours there.

Just outside, we caught the green line of a Hop-on Hop-off bus. (Note: there are two companies. One gives a discount to senior citizens. That one cost us 22Euro at the discounted price.) We rode for about 30 minutes to the Gothic Cathedral which was built 1298 to mid-1400’s. The 6 Euro ticket included an elevator to the rooftop with some amazing sites of the city and the cathedral’s spires.

DH and I stopped for a drink at the outside cafe in the walking street across from the entrance to the cathedral. The red line Hop-On/Hop-Bus took us back to the shuttle to the Maasdam (3 euro round trip or 2 euro one-way).

Day 19 Mallorca

Doug and Joan joined us on tth train to Soller. The ship wasn’t due to dock until 10 and the only morning train left at 10:30. It worked out fine as we were among the first off the ship at 10, were able to tell the taxi driver we need the train to Soller station and were on board by 10:25. The trip takes about an hour, stopping once for photos at a scenic spot. We explored a few side streets in Soller then enjoyed some pizza on the square next to the cathedral. The 2:00 train got us back to the ship easily by 3:30. .The weather was great so that made for a perfect day.. NOTE: Taxi was abut 12 Euro each way; the train ticket cost 19.50 round trip

5 days and 5 ports in Italy (mainland and Sicily) - I desperately need a sea day to catch up. As I write and post this, we are on our way from Sicily to Sardinia. The next day is a sea day and our second Meet and Greet. I will write and post the details of all Italian ports then. Just know that the weather has been absolutely glorious with temperatures in the high 60’s and no rain.

[sansterre]

Day 21 - Sea Day

Day 22 - Civitavechia (Rome) - We did a HAL excursion to Ostia Antica with guide Teresa who was excellent. Her English was great although every word somehow ended in an “a”. We found the site very interesting, but walking was difficult on the uneven ancient roads. Although we spent nearly 2 hours there, we only covered a small part and there is much more to be uncovered. Our tour also went to the “new” Ostia Antica town (built by Mussolini) where we enjoyed an ice cream cone.

Day 23 - Naples - Brian had organized our group of 4 to drive the Amalfi Coast and wine tour with Vito of Amalfi Coast Tours. Neither the drive or coast disappointed us; the weather was perfect and views were magnificent. In Positano we drove as far as cars were permitted in town, then walked down to the beach.....and then walked back up. The last part is a tough walk with steep stairs and no hand rails. We could only drive as far as Positano due to a landslide just 2 K beyond the town. Therefore we headed for the wine tasting on the lava fields of Mt. Vesuvius.

Day 24 - From 5-7 a.m. our ship moved from Naples and anchored off Sorrento. We took a HAL excursion to Hurculeneum. What an amazing site! This is best visited from Naples, but not much more than an hour from Sorrento. A shuttle bus ran from the tender dock to our larger tour bus. On the way back there were steps and a short walk to get on the shuttle and shopping.

Day 25 - Messina, Sicily - 8 of us took a private tour here with Ignacio of Sicily with Mario (they are brothers). We went to several places where The Godfather was filmed. Then several hours in Taorminia where we enjoyed a pizza and wine.

Day 26 - Palermo, Sicily - Exhausted after 4 big port days, we only went ashore to go to the bank and a little walking in this large city.

Day 27 - Cagliari, Sardinia - 5 of us took a private Jeep tour with Gabi. She is a great guide for Sardinia Dream Tours. It is obvious that Gabi loves Sardinia and enjoys sharing it’s history with tourists. We went to Barumini (UNESCO sight), 3500 years old then visited an area of wild horses brought by the Phoenicians before seeing some Cagliari highlights.

Tonight the Captain and Hotel Director hosted a lovely cocktail party for five star and suite guests. They, along with other officers, mingled with us in the Crow’s Nest from 7:15 until 8. I asked the captain about the electrical outage as we crossed the Atlantic on Day 8 or so. He said it was an unusual switch problem they think will never happen again. To be sure they will run a test in a couple days while we are in Cartagena. Captain Smith also told us that there is some bad weather out in the ocean now but he expects it to be better before we get there.

 

Day 28 Ahhhh, today is Thanksgiving Day and I am thankful for a sea day! We are all thankful for the fantastic weather we have had for the entire cruise. Our second Meet and Greet was this morning; we met 7 people who got on board on our Day 22 in Rome. Today we (5 star and president club) are invited to lunch in the Pinnacle. I understand there are over 100 of us so some will have their lunch on another sea day. We enjoyed a lobster appetizer, the coconut soup was too spicy for my taste, fillet (best beef of the cruise) with mini vegetables, and a delicious chocolate concoction for dessert.

For dinner, we had turkey and all the trimmings along with delicious pumpkin pie and spiced peach sundae. In the Rotterdam Dining Room, Ari greeted everyone dressed as a Pilgrim. The singers were back tonight with the program “Unforgettable”.

 

So far, I’ve been too busy to look for more WIFI in the ports. If I find it in the next 3 ports, I’ll post some photos. Otherwise, I will post a few as soon as we get back home. The internet on the ship is a little better now. but very slow and inconsistent.

[sansterre]

[sail7seas]

What a wonderful review.

Thanks so much for sharing with us. Very enjoyable reading. :)

 

[SilvertoGold]

Thanks so much for detailing the 5 star (and others') parties. Nice!!!

[Candiaccruiser]

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your journey with us!

 

 

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[socalcruisers2]

Thanks for posting. I'm scheduled to take the Maasdam on the 50 day RT Transatlantic next year and find your postings very helpful.

 

You didn't mention what you did in Tangier. I'm curious. Did you take a tour?

 

Thanks for your time. I know how those posting minutes can add up.

[erewhon]

Thank you for reporting during your Maasdam cruise.

 

Is the Staff Captain Catherine Williams?

[PathfinderEss]

Glad you've had such great weather. Thanks for keeping us updated on your Maasdam cruise.

Edited November 30, 2014 by PathfinderEss

[xjust4fun]

Thank you so very much for taking the time to post your reviews of this cruise. We just booked the Maasdam 50 day RT Transatlantic for next year while we were on our cruise a few weeks ago. The information you are providing us is invaluable, looking forward to hearing more about your journey.

[Folk Singer]

Thanks for checking in. Looks like a good cruise so far. Looking forward to the rest of your trip.

 

What fun. Thank you for sharing.:):)

[sansterre]

For the person who asked about Tangier: Eight of us were on Nancy’s pre-planned tour with Tours by Locals. The cost was less than $30 - an excellent value because our guide was very good and took us through the market as well as driving around the city. He also took us to a carpet store, pharmacy, and restaurant which were very good, but we bought more and ate more than we might have if on our own! Still, I highly recommend them.

 

Day 29 Cartagena

What a beautiful city! If the sun had been out today, this city would have sparkled with marble walking streets and some magnificent buildings. DH bought me a bouquet of white mums and blue iris which look wonderful in our cabin. Today was cloudy and windy and as we returned to the Maasdam, a few drops of rain began to fall. This is a port where you can walk into the city.

Note: There is a Taxi Tour Cartagena - if the weather had been better, we would have done this: for 35 Euro, 60-70 minutes tour includes 5 highlights of the city and will stop to take photos. This is NOT per person, but for the entire cab full. For 4 people, it is a great option.

Tonight the Unexpected Boys are back for their second show with Broadway songs.

 

Day 30 Gibralter

We went through a storm this morning but were glad to see the sky brighten and Gibralter appeared on the horizon. The Costa ship Fortuna passed by us, delaying our noon arrival time to 12:30. Later, we heard that the Fortuna had been struck by lightening and lost power earlier that morning, delaying it’s 8 am arrival.

Since this was our first time on Gibralter and we wanted to see everything, we joined Ann in a pre-planned 7 hour tour with

Rock Tours Gibralter. Carl Mesilio showed us the rock “inside-out” as we visited caves, tunnels from the Siege and WWII and one beautiful vista after another. As the sun set, we saw the airport and the long line of cars at the check point to enter Spain. Thousands of people get frustrated spending an hour or two going in and out of Spain daily to work. I was amazed at how many people live, work, and/or vacation on this unique peninsula.

Back on board, we were just in time for Fish and Chips poolside, followed by an entertaining Flamenco Dance group at 9:30.

 

Day 31 Cadiz The view of the church and square from our balcony was great. I will try post it eventually. The HO-HO bus had been recommended so we took the one hour interesting route around the city. Then, in search of an ATM, we walked through some narrow streets in the old part of town. Since it was Sunday few stores were open. We enjoyed a drink at a cafe on a small square adjadent to a church as the bells struck 12, then made our way leisurely back to the ship. The terminal is new, has a couple duty-free shops in it. It may have WIFI in it, but not many people (considering the Costa Fortuna was also here) were using it. This is a port where you can easily and safely walk around. The HOHO bus was 17 EURO but informative and stopped in front of the terminal.

 

Day 32 Casablanca

As soon as I stepped out on the balcony this morning, I knew I was in a different world. We were in a freight terminal and a big yellow crane was just a few feet from me. Along with the freight terminal noise, was the constant beep-beep from the traffic on shore. Since this was our first time here, we took the HAL “Highlights of Casablanca” tour. Our guide. Kahill (never was sure how to say or spell it) was great. The first stop was at the market where we (single file) weaved our way past fruit, vegetable, fish, spice, nuts, and flower markets. Then we visited a Catholic church, the outside of the Royal Palace, and outside area of the 3rd largest Mosque in the world. Finally we stopped a store full of souvenirs where DH and I did a little Christmas shopping of Cedar boxes, and a few other typical souvenirs of Morocco.

NOTE: There was a ship’s shuttle into town here. I think it was $10

NOTE: We talked with several people who made the trip to Marikesh. They had a great time. If we go again, we will probably opt for that excursion.

 

Day 33

Sea day and the other half of the 5 star luncheon in the Pinnacle.

Day 34

Ah, a second sea day. Book club today so I must read. More on the book club next time!

[StormyWildcat]

Glad to hear that power got restored quickly. When I was on in March/April we lost power but thankfully were in port.

 

I hope that Captain Ane Smit and Staff Captain Catherine Williams will both still be around for the 12/12 cruise next week. I am excited to meet the first female staff captain, though it means that Staff Captain Craig Ravesloot is not there, :p haha. I have wanted to meet Catherine Williams for a while now, she is a role model for me as an aspiring officer. :D

 

Hopefully I can get in a few more cruises before I go off to Maritime school next fall. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for sharing your journey, I have wanted to take that trip but never been able to, and now that I am going to school I won't be able to at least for many years... unless I get a job with HAL after graduation, but that would not be the same. ;)

 

Happy sailing!:cool:

[KirkNC]

Reading your report with interest as our next cruise is on the Maasdam. When you described what the captain said when you lost power I thought he was going to say something other than "you were in deep water"...:p

[yukongold]

Day 10- OK - I lied........just after making my last post, the strangest thing happened - the Maasdam lost all power. Lights, TV, and engine - everything stopped at about 12:15 p.m. Captain A. Smith came over the PA system after just a few moments and stated that we were in deep water and there was no reason to worry. He suggested we find a place to be comfortable while they check things out. After 8-10 minutes the lights came back on. I tried to turn on the television to see what direction the ship was headed and our speed but the TV was not working. Approximately 1:15, an hour later, while we were playing trivia, the staff captain announced the ship had resumed power and was moving at 12 knots, but there was no steering. Around 1:30 the steering resumed and we were assured that we would make Tenerife around 9 a.m. which earlier than the itinerary listed but slightly later than expected before the glitch. I do not know why power was lost but will report anything I learn. One of our trivia friends checked his GPS and said that the wind and waves turned the ship so we were headed back towards Ft. Lauderdale during most of that hour.

 

The Piano Man is Tom

Our Cruise Director is Mark B.

Our Staff Captain is a woman :-)

The ship seems to be a happy ship, staff has been very pleasant throughout the crossing. We have had great service in the Dining Room; the food is good although the beef isn’t as flavorful as in past years.

I think the only benefit we get with 5 star is a second Pinnacle Dinner - we think any cruise gets 2 Pinnacle Dinners whether it is 7 day or 42 days. However, we are very pleased with a table for two (really could seat 4) near the window in the DR. The hotel director, C. Owens, said either he, the captain, or the staff captain are trying to have dinner in the dining room every night. He likes to do that and said the captain and staff captain enjoy it too.

Tioga Cruiser - I will look for yarn, but right now have lots of projects under construction or just sitting there back home.

 

was moving at 12 knots, but there was no steering.:eek: :eek:

 

Was that a typo? The ship was actually sailing at 12 knots but completely out of control?

[Dave in NJ]

Was that a typo? The ship was actually sailing at 12 knots but completely out of control?

 

In the absence of functioning rudders ships have some maneuver capability by applying varying degrees of power to the two shafted propellors.

Edited December 4, 2014 by Dave in NJ

[erewhon]

Glad to hear that power got restored quickly. When I was on in March/April we lost power but thankfully were in port.

 

I hope that Captain Ane Smit and Staff Captain Catherine Williams will both still be around for the 12/12 cruise next week. I am excited to meet the first female staff captain, though it means that Staff Captain Craig Ravesloot is not there, :p haha. I have wanted to meet Catherine Williams for a while now, she is a role model for me as an aspiring officer. :D

 

Hopefully I can get in a few more cruises before I go off to Maritime school next fall. :rolleyes:

 

Thanks for sharing your journey, I have wanted to take that trip but never been able to, and now that I am going to school I won't be able to at least for many years... unless I get a job with HAL after graduation, but that would not be the same. ;)

 

Happy sailing!:cool:

 

We were pleased to meet Catherine Williams on board the Volendam during one of our Trans Pacific cruises, had read an article about her in one of our New Zealand newspapers.

[sansterre]

Day 35 Ponta Delgado, Azores

Wow!!! What an amazing island! Today we took a wonderful 6 hour tour with Amazing Tours. Our excellent guide was Ricardo who loved showing us his beautiful and amazing island in a comfortable Mercedes van. The price was quite reasonable at 50 Euro because we went everywhere on the western half of the island - from Fire Lake to Sete Cidadas, and several other crater lakes in between to a waterfall near a boiling pond of mud in a rain forest. There was also an overlook of crashing surf, the lovely town of Ponta Delgada, and a beautiful new terminal. If you are lucky enough to get to this island, make sure you get out to see as much of the island as possible; it is so green and so beautiful. April and May would be spectacular because there are many azaleas. Hydrangeas grow wild all over the island and bloom (mostly blue) all summer long! Some were still blooming along the roads and in the fields where farmers can actually use them for fences. I can only imagine what the island must look like in the summer!

On the Eastern part of the island are pineapple and tea plantations. I can’t wait to get back to this island to see more of it!

 

Day 36 - at sea and an opportunity to look at photos.

We are cruising at 17 knots on a course of about 244. There is a strong wind (6 of the Beaufort Scale) from the East so the ride is fairly comfortable. Tonight we had two excellent violinists entertain us; I believe their names were Lazlo and Claudia. Yesterday one of the soprano singers (I think her name is Chelsey Coyne) gave a special performance at 3:00; she was delightful.

Book Club - Did I mention that there was a Book Club during the first part of the cruise? We read a short, semi-biographical book set in Morocco by E. Freud, daughter of Dr. Freud, called Hideous Kinky. On our return trip we are reading The Sound of Butterflies by R. King. It is set in the Amazon and England - nothing to do with where we have been but apparently a popular book to review. Emily, the librarian, divides us into 3 groups of 6 or 7, making every effort to let everyone have a chance to talk.

Trivia - Did I mention that our team won the “first round” of cumulative trivia? Since our team was ahead by 7 points after 3 or 4 rounds, and because there were more people boarding in Rome, CD Mark declared us the winners of “Part 1”. Our prize was dinner in the Canaletto with CD, Mark. Prizes throughout the cruise for regular (non cumulative) Trivia have been the Holland America pins. Although our cruise is Atlantic Adventure to and from the Mediterranean, no Mediterranean Sea pins exist on our ship! There are Canada and New England pins, South America pins, Panama Canal Pins, and Caribbean pins. Occasionally, the orange oval and smokestack pins come out but nothing to do with Transatlantic or Mediterranean. Nevertheless, our team continues to compete for the prized pins. If we win cumulative for the “second round” we have voluntarily declined the “Grand Prize” so a different team can have dinner with CD Mark.

Mariner’s lunches - will be Saturday and Sunday. More on that later. There is also a Captain’s cocktail party Sunday night for 5 star cruisers.

 

Day 37 - at sea - the internet has not been working so I was unable to post this last night. It is now 11:00 p.m. and the internet is finally working again. BTW, winds are now 31MPH (7 on the Beaufort Scale) and we have been heading SW (230) for most of today in an effort to stay out of worse weather. We are now at 30 degrees N and I wonder if this is taking us so far out of the way that we will have to miss Half Moon Cay. For me, I'd rather take the safe route. The flowers on our table slid off and onto the floor a few minutes ago. Otherwise all is well and we look forward to a bright tomorrow:-)

[sansterre]

A photo of the green and blue lakes and Sete Cidadas (Porta Delgada).

[Folk Singer]

A photo of the green and blue lakes and Sete Cidadas (Porta Delgada).

 

 

Enjoyed our stay in the Azores.

[hpf]

Wishing you calmer waters and that you do get to Half Moon Cay.

Have really enjoyed your posts

 

Helen

[sansterre]

Wishing you calmer waters and that you do get to Half Moon Cay.

Have really enjoyed your posts

 

Helen

Thanks Helen! We had calm waters yesterday - read on:

Day 38 and 39 - at sea

The winds are now 26 kts (not MPH, as I posted previously). Yesterday the winds were nearly non-existent and the seas were perfectly calm. It is amazing how fast they can change. Because of smoothness of the water, the Maasdam increased speed to 18+ and direction to almost due West. Therefore we should reach Half Moon Cay on time.

Yesterday a Grand Show Buffet was set up in the Rotterdam Dining Room, deck 7. The Officer’s Ball took place last night at 10:15. I can’t report on it as we didn’t stay up that late; hopefully someone else will when we get back to free internet. Instead, DH and I enjoyed the Adagio Strings after our early dinner. Although there are just two, they are very talented young women from the Ukraine.

Some people delight in the fact that they are half packed to go home. We OTOH are in denial that we must get off in a few more days and are wishing we could stay aboard for a few of the Caribbean cruises.

There are only a few days left on our Transatlantic adventure to the Mediterranean. We sure have enjoyed this trip and appreciate these last 6 sea days to relax from all the port days in and around the Mediterranean. The high points were Arrecife in the Canary Islands, the Gaudi cathedral in Barcelona, Amalfi coast in Italy, Tangier and Casablanca because the sights and sounds in Morocco are just so different, Gibralter because it was nothing like I expected, and Porta Delgada in the Azores where the scenery was simply amazing. Of course, all the Roman ruins were interesting as well as those of even older cultures. I look forward to posting photos next week when I’m back to free internet!

[Vict0riann]

Sansterre, I think we were not on the same cruise! We lowly four star pax got very few invitations - the evening before the stop in Lanzarote, we got an invitation to a cocktail party, for 4o'clock that port day, when All Aboard was 5:30! We came back from our tour at 4:45, and raced upstairs, to find it was all over. When I questioned the wisdom of a party like that so early on a port day, I was told that the Captain had thought the weather might change! So, apart from the Mariners reception (where we were relegated to the balcony in the Showroom) and lunch, towards the end of the cruise, that was it for us. You were the party animals! All in all, it was a good cruise, with interesting passengers and ports, and of course, great staff. We really enjoyed meeting all our roll call friends. We will be happy to get home this evening, to start planning the next. We did meet a lot of people who have booked again for the cruise next year. I think we were told that after that Maasdam will be moving to the west coast. So I wonder if there will be ships that can get all the way to Montreal?

 

Oh, I meant to mention the explore4 cards we had. We really, really tried to make good use of them, and on our many sea days we occasionally got up to ten drinks, but still ended up with over $3,000 each remaining on our cards - and I never want to see an alcoholic drink again!

 

 

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