Dave’s Live from Maasdam 14-day Southern Caribbean, March 13-27, 2015

[Alcarondas]

I don't blame you for passing on the dessert. The choices there suck. That said, usually the fruit crisp is good as long as they don't put rhubarb in it.

 

Heh, the Rhubarb Crisp is one of the things I look forward to. Although I'm not generally a "sweets" person, I enjoyed most of the dessert selections.

[Susie51]

On RCCL we have gone to Havensight and with HAL we were at Crown Bay. Once when Mom went to St. Thomas, she had to anchor.

 

Thank you for continuing to post.

[RetiredMustang]

Monday, March 16, St. Thomas (Cont.)

 

Well, it turns out we didn’t do all that much. It was sunny when we pulled into Crown Bay (thumb attached, link at:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/Crown_Bay.JPG

 

 

Many of our fellow passengers boarded the Island Girl to go on excursions to St. Johns:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/Ferry_to_St_John_s.JPG

 

We caught a cab to downtown and wandered a while, but it was quite warm, so we bought postcards and eventually found a bar near the water where we could write them (and coincidentally, buy a beer).

 

We popped into shops and bought nothing for a while, and then decided to catch a cab back to Crown Bay. We encountered a Crown Bay resident on the way back to the ship:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/518/Crown_Bay_dweller.JPG

 

 

The skies were looking like rain when we arrived (see the clouds around Maasdam):

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/518/Maasdam_at_Crown_Bay.JPG

 

In fact, we got a few drops as we were coming aboard. Then, for much of the afternoon, rain squalls came and went, and we were glad we had not signed up for a beach chair at Magens Bay or something similar. At one point, from our balcony we could see the Kon Tiki party boat going by in the height of a downpour:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/518/Suckstobeyou.JPG

 

 

More later,

Dave

Edited March 16, 2015 by RetiredMustang

[cruz chic]

Sorry you got stuck at crown bay. That was sheer luck that we ended up at havensight last time.

[slabeaume]

Heh, the Rhubarb Crisp is one of the things I look forward to. Although I'm not generally a "sweets" person, I enjoyed most of the dessert selections.

 

I love their rhubarb crisp, too!

[cruz chic]

Heh, the Rhubarb Crisp is one of the things I look forward to. Although I'm not generally a "sweets" person, I enjoyed most of the dessert selections.

 

I love their rhubarb crisp, too!

 

You can both have my share:D;).

[RetiredMustang]

Monday, March 16, St. Thomas (Cont.)

 

We lazed about for a while, and then went down for happy hour in the Ocean Bar. It was not very crowded, since all aboard was something like 5:30. The Crows Nest happy hour was probably more crowded.

 

We usually drink the house pinot grigio (Zonin label, quite drinkable), but I decided to try the house merlot. It is Santa Carolina label, and I believe POA1 reported it has a decently-high rating. I found it well-rounded and quite pleasant. I also learned that it is like the quality of mercy; it is not strained. Which might explain the look on the maître d’s face when I smiled at him when we went in to dinner.

 

In any case, here is the MDR menu:

 

Starters * Soups * Salads

- Seafood Deviled Eggs – smoked salmon, crab, honey mustard dressing

- Sweet Tomato and Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella – aged balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, focaccia

- Grilled Lamb Kebobs – homemade tzatziki sauce

- Creamy Carrot Soup – roasted garlic, ginger, nutmeg

- Chicken Pho with Lime and Rice Stick Noodles – coconut milk broth, cilantro, galangal, mint, bean sprouts, Serrano chilis

- French Onion Soup “Les Halles” – Gruyere cheese crouton

- Chilled Guanabana Soup – toasted coconut, nutmeg

- Garden Bounty – gourmet greens, cabbage, radish, red bell pepper, sourdough croutons

- Classic Caesar Salad – Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

 

Mains

- Rustic Home-Made Lasagna – chunky tomato sauce, basil

- Cobb Salad – chicken breast, avocado, Blue cheese, bacon, tomato, egg, lettuce, signature vinaigrette

- Barramundi with Coconut-Lemongrass Reduction – broccoli florets, seafood-Israeli couscous salad

- Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto – basmati rice, Swiss chard, garlic cherry tomatoes

- Curried Beef Short Ribs – braised parsnips, carrots, rutabaga and potatoes

- Broiled New York Strip Loin – cauliflower gratin, green peppercorn sauce

- Parmesan-Coated Veal Loin – artichoke mushroom ragout, mascarpone polenta, French green beans

- Coq au Vin – red wine, mushrooms, bacon, parsnip puree

- Oven-Roasted Chicken – quinoa pilaf, herb-roasted vegetables, jus

- Vegetable Tagine with Apricot-Almond Couscous – Moroccan-style braised vegetables, garbanzo beans

 

Since I consider balsamic vinegar on buffalo mozzarella a worse stone-palette move than chili with beans on lobster, I went with the carrot soup instead. DW had the same. It was creamy but not completely pureed; it still had small bits of carrot. Very flavorful. For main dish, DW had the strip steak minus sauce but with rice. I went with the coq au vin. It was pretty good, but I thought it was a bit light on the wine, bacon and mushrooms.

 

We long ago agreed to eat dessert only if one of us had a “wow” moment. Last night, we did not, but tonight DW hit “wow” with the mille feuille; so I ordered the orange sorbet, which I enjoyed. She said the Napoleon was excellent.

 

Here is the dessert menu:

 

Desserts

- Chocolate Balance – Spiced rum ganache, Malabu chocolate mousse, salted caramel sauce

- Pineapple Cheesecake – Creamy rich cheesecake studded with pineapple, buttery crumb crust

- Grand Marnier-Flavored Cherry Mille Feuille – Vanilla cream, gianduia gelato

- Hazelnut Mousse Cake no sugar added – White sponge cake, rum-flavored hazelnut mousse, hazelnuts, pistachios

 

Frozen Treats

- Vanilla Ice Cream

- Rocky Road Ice Cream

- Orange Sorbet

- Cookies N Cream Frozen Yogurt

- No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream

- No Sugar Added Coffee Fudge Ice Cream

- Cherries Jubilee Sundae – French vanilla ice cream, cognac-Bing cherries, whipped cream, chopped nuts

 

Available Daily

- Crème Brulee – Creamy, dreamy Grand Marnier-scented custard with a sheer layer of crisply caramelized sugar

- Fruit Crisp of the Day: Peach Crisp – Freshout of the oven, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

- Sliced Fruit Plate – An assorted selection of fresh fruit

- Cheese Plate – Bel Paese, Old Amsterdam, Pecorino Romano, Stilton

 

Espresso Drinks

- Espresso - $1.25

- Cappuccino - $1.75

- Extra shot - $0.50

 

Recommended Cordial of the Day: Tangerine Dream – Grand Marnier and Crème de Cacao White - $5.95

 

 

More later,

Dave

[innlady1]

Just found your "Live From", Dave. Enjoying it a lot! Been busy lately with a lot of stuff on the home front, so haven't had much time to pay attention here...but am glad I checked in to find your thread!

 

Have a wonderful cruise on the Maasdam!

[erewhon]

I too, have just found your great live from Maasdam thread, which I am reading with interest.

Thank you.

 

If you speak with a Senior Staff member, would you kindly ask if it's true that Maasdam will be sailing to Australia October next year, for the "down under" summer season??

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts

 

Top of the morning to you on this St. Patrick’s Day! There is nothing like celebrating Irish heritage than visiting a French island. Today we are in St. Barts, and we have an early shore excursion – a snorkeling trip. I don’t know if the snorkeling will be good or poor, but I look forward at least to a scenic sail along the coast. Hope the weather is good.

 

Here are links to today’s On location, and to the Explorer booklet pages about St. Barts:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/17Mar15_Program_1.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/17Mar15_Program_2.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/St_Barts_1.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/St_Barts_2.JPG

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[slabeaume]

Where did you go snorkeling and how was it? Did you book through the cruiseline or go on your own?

[Susie51]

Looking forward to more of your review and pictures. I'm glad you did not get stuck in the down pour.

[Folk Singer]

Thanks for the Report. Happy St. Patricks Day.:D:D

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts (Cont.)

 

We passed south of St. Maarten at dawn, and headed east and a bit south to St. Barts. The islands are not that far apart. In fact, we could see St. Maarten from our balcony after we anchored off St. Barts.

 

We had a ship’s excursion, and as directed went to the show lounge to be stickered and wait for the call for tenders. There was a large number of people who had signed up for the island drive, and the shore excursion rep called for the group to his left to go down to the tender. Then followed several minutes of not much activity, and a few passengers got disgruntled. It was clear they did not understand tendering, so the HAL rep explained that it was a process to load the max number of people aboard a tender, then send it on its way, and have another tie up to be ready to board more passengers. Most got it, but there were still a few fuming

 

It has been a great many years since we first tendered that we forgot that it is strange the first time. I had already gotten a shot of the tender boat being lowered just after we arrived, so I decided to get a few more shots, for anyone who may not yet have experienced tendering on HAL (veterans go on to the next post):

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/Lowering_the_boat_early_morning.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/boarding_the_tender1.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/On_the_tender.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/510/Tender_approaching_the_harbor.JPG

 

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts (Cont.)

 

We were called for the next tender, and rode about 20 minutes to Gustavia inner harbor. The island is a pretty one, with a small natural harbor, commanded by Fort Oscar on the ridge. Here are some photos. The tender landing was on the landward side of the harbor.

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20harbor%201_zpszxa1zxqi.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20harbor%202_zpso7vwehjc.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20harbor%203_zpsxhffyaug.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20harbor%204_zpsmpym6q27.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20harborfront%20street_zpsh4n468qq.jpg

 

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts (Cont.)

 

The excursion was a ship’s one called Odyssee Caraibes Snorkeling. We gathered ashore, and after a few minutes were led down the pier to board a motorized catamaran. We sailed out of the inner harbor and out past the yacht moorages in the outer harbor to a group of volcanic small islands/big rocks that we had passed on the tender between Maasdam and the harbor.

 

The trip took only about 10-15 minutes, and we were able to snorkel on the leeward side of the rocks for an hour or so. The snorkeling was fine, among the best we have seen in the Caribbean. And, there were only a dozen of us, so it was not crowded at all. There was not much coral, although we spotted a magnificent elkhorn coral and several fan corals (and a fire coral – beware). But, the water was crystal, and the fish plentiful and varied. We saw lots of parrotfish, butterfly fish, wrasses, sergeant majors, etc., etc. I spotted a pipe fish, and everywhere were lots and lots of sea urchins. As I approached the boat to get back aboard, a school of small fish, silvery in the sunlight, surfaced and darted in front of me, spooked probably by the guy in front of me who had just heaved up the ladder. What a special moment.

 

Here are some photos of the snorkel excursion:

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20snorkel%201_zpstqbrxsul.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St%20Barts%20snorkel%202_zps7o1hwlfc.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20snorkel%203_zpsj1qfivee.jpg

 

http://i1280.photobucket.com/albums/a485/retiredmustang1/Maasdam%202015/St.%20Barts%20snorkel%204_zpsfc7aspax.jpg

 

The seagoing yacht in the photo with Maasdam is Seam Dream I. It only appears to be about as large as Maasdam because it was closer. It is a large yacht … but not as big as an S class HAL ship.

 

More later,

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

Oops, I had the link right, but uploaded the wrong last thumbnail on my last post. Attached is the correct snorkeling 4 thumbnail.

 

More later,

Dave

[cruz chic]

Thx for the update. St. Bart's is one place I haven't been to in the Caribbean.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for the update and your great photo's.

[0bnxshs]

Seems your having a ball... keep up the good work! Thanks for devoting some time to the rest of us. :D

[slabeaume]

Looks like a great excursion. Still trying to decide what to do on St. Barts next month.

[POA1]

Thx for the update. St. Bart's is one place I haven't been to in the Caribbean.

It's the best port. It's expensive though.

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts (Cont.)

 

Shortly after 3 p.m., we went to the Crows Nest for a wine and cheese sailaway part with the HAL Cats. They were a bit loud, but we sat a bit away and enjoyed a few tunes, before claiming what are turning out to be our seats at the Ocean Bar for happy hour.

 

There have been some hors d’ouvres most nights at the bar, and tonight included bitterballen. A photo is attached and linked for Cruz chic:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/514/bitterballen.JPG

 

We went for our early fixed dining at 5:30 and found the MDR nicely decorated:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/514/St_Pat_cake.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/MDR_entry.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/MDR_decorations.JPG

 

 

 

More in the next post,

Dave

Edited March 18, 2015 by RetiredMustang

[RetiredMustang]

Tuesday, March 17, St. Barts (Cont.)

 

Our waiter and assistant waiter were dressed for the occasion:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/Waiter1.JPG

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/Assistant.JPG

 

 

Here is the dinner menu:

 

Starters * Soups * Salads

- Fruit Palette des Artistes – assortment of fruit, Grand Marinier

- Coppa, Genoa Salami, Melon and Figs – served with crostini, olives and sun-dried tomato

- Corn Pancakes with Dill-Orange Cured Salmon – honey-Dijon sauce, corn, scallions

- Curried Breadfruit Soup – Island spices, spinach

- Bourbon Street Chicken Gumbo Soup – okra, tomato, onion, Creole seasoning

- French Onion Soup “Les Halles” – Gruyere cheese crouton

- Iced Melon Bisque – Grenadine, melon pearls

- Sala of Arugula and Frisee – William pear, mandarin segments, pistachios, cherry tomatoes, organic mized seeds

- Classic Caesar Salad – Parmesan cheese, garlic croutons, anchovies

 

Mains

- Asparagus-Tomato Risotto with Fresh Goat Cheese – toasted pine nuts, balsamic-caramel

- Pacific Rim Salad – grilled chicken, mixed greens, cucumber, green onion, bell pepper, green beans, mango, crisp wonton, macadamia nuts, sesame seeds, signature vinaigrette

- Baked Crab Cakes – black bean-mango salsa, creamy jalapeno Jack cheese grits

- Grilled Salmon with Ginger-Cilantro Pesto – basmati rice, Swiss chard, garlic cherry tomatoes

- Caribbean Braised Pot Roast – red wine sauce with rum raisins, frizzled onions, root vegetables, mushroom medley, pineapple mashed yams

- Broiled New York Strip Loin – cauliflower gratin, green peppercorn sauce

- Grilled Pork Chop with Pineapple Rum Glaze – roasted fennel, broccoli florets, mashed Boniate ****e sweet potato

- Turkey Roast with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry – apple-pecan stuffing, glazed dill carrots and turnips, Brussels sprouts, candied sweet potato

- Oven-Roasted Chicken – quinoa pilaf, herb-roasted vegetables, jus

- Roasted Beet Risotto – arugula salad with pine nuts

 

 

I had expected to see something Irish on the menu, like corned beef and cabbage, but there wasn’t. So, I decided to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Thanksgiving dinner of roast turkey and dressing. It was quite good, actually. DW was a bit more adventurous and tried the roasted beet risotto, which came with the arugula on top of the rice. She said it also was excellent.

 

But, the best part was dessert. Here is the dessert menu:

 

Desserts

- Snickers Cake – Chocolate sponge, peanut-nougat cream, salted caramel frosting

- Warm Fig Tart – Biscotti ice cream

- Mango Spire – Mango mousse, mango puree, chocolate sauce

- Chocolate Delight no sugar added – Chocolate cake, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse, chocolate shavings

 

Frozen Treats

- Vanilla Ice Cream

- Tiramisu Ice Cream

- Watermelon Sorbet

- Raspberry Frozen Yogurt

- No Sugar Added Vanilla Ice Cream

- No Sugar Added Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

- BLueberry Sundae – French vanilla ice cream, blueberry sauce

 

Available Daily

- Crème Brulee – Creamy, dreamy Grand Marnier-scented custard with a sheer layer of crisply caramelized sugar

- Fruit Crisp of the Day: Pineapple Crisp – Fresh out of the oven, served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

- Sliced Fruit Plate – An assorted selection of fresh fruit

- Cheese Plate – Blue Cheese, Brie, Gruyere, Leiden

 

Espresso Drinks

- Espresso - $1.25

- Cappuccino - $1.75

- Extra shot - $0.50

 

Recommended Cordial of the Day: Violet Beauregard – Chambord & Crème de Cacao White - $5.95

 

 

We both hit the “wow” meter with the Snickers cake. We had both enjoyed the Snickers pie dessert that HAL served years ago, and immediately ordered a slice each of the cake. It was very rich, chocolately and peanutty. A great dessert. I took a picture:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/514/Snickers_cake.JPG

 

 

As we left the dining room, we met the Yum Yum leprechaun:

 

http://pictures.cruisecritic.com/data/520/Yum_Yum_leprechaun.JPG

 

 

More later,

Dave

[cruz chic]

Oh so jealous! Save some bitterballen for me. I'll be right there ;):D. I remember that snickers pie. I hope they have the cake on my cruise. Yum! Thx for the update.

Edited March 18, 2015 by cruz chic