Just back from Canada/New England 14-day RT from Montreal

[Faircliff]

I'm just back from the 14-day Canada/New England round-trip from Montreal on the Maasdam. While it is fresh in my mind, does anyone have a question? I know the ship has now headed south - I wish them luck!! - so your questions/answers might pertain to next season.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome Home!!

I just would appreciate if you would do a review of what you thought of the ship, where all you ate, what you did in the various ports.

[erewhon]

Did you hear of any plumbing problems on board the Maasdam during your cruise?

[Faircliff]

Welcome Home!!

I just would appreciate if you would do a review of what you thought of the ship, where all you ate, what you did in the various ports.

 

I did write a review but for some reason it wouldn't load. Here it is (just ask about anything I don't mention)

 

We had heard that the Maasdam was an older ship and this had its pros and cons. We really appreciated the smaller size which is getting harder to find nowadays, although admittedly it does not have the glitz that many cruisers want. For us, between 50-65 years old, it was just fine. Our main concern was the itinerary and going round trip from Montreal. Most of the larger ships cannot go further than Quebec down the St. Lawrence.

 

We boarded about 1 pm and I was surprised at how few people were there. No crush and we were on the ship very promptly. We immediately went to the main dining room for lunch, even though the staff won't tell you it is open.

 

One of the older, and smaller ships, the Maasdam still was serviceable and we never noticed anything that was dirty. We had trouble flushing the toilet one day but that was fixed before we got back to our room. The staff everywhere were very friendly and always had a "Good Morning".

 

Glad to see the Maasdam and HAL were respectful of the endangered whales and slowed the ship to 10 knots through those restricted areas. This made for excellent whale and dolphin viewing and was so restful it was one of our favourite parts of the cruise. It meant leaving one or two ports a hour earlier, but was well worth it.

 

The shops onboard were pitiful, as was the selection of things to buy. Unless one was looking for diamonds, I guess. I was looking for great HAL t-shirts to remind me of this cruise but the ones they had were only for the ship, not our itinerary. They did have some "local" t-shirt options on one of the blowout sales events but all the t-shirts were size S or M. I don't think anyone on our cruise would have fit those, especially if they were eating the food provided. We had OBC to spend and didn't want drinks so it made it difficult.

 

We mostly ate in the main dining room. We were on a waitlist for, but managed to get, early traditional dining upon boarding. The wait staff were great and the food, on the whole, was very good. We did not go to specialty dining options: Canaletto's (the Italian speciality restaurant) was a joke. To me, food and atmosphere are the most important in speciality dining. Canaletto's is a segregated section inside the Lido cafeteria. Other than the $15 charge you would think you were still eating in with the noisy masses. You could be at a table and just over the railing behind you could be the Lido. It really should be its own room. We went to 3 of our 4 Gala/Formal nights but really didn't dress up too fancy.

 

Breakfast we had in the Lido (loved the mini croissants) and one or two lunches. Really liked the omelette and pasta bars where they made-to-order. For the first time we had burgers and fries out by the pool. The vegetarian Portobello mushroom burger was to die for! And, their fries were probably the best I've ever had. We returned to the ship for lunch a few times just to indulge in these. Interestingly, I talked to a couple of people eating in the Lido cafeteria who weren't award that they were allowed to go to the main dining room for free. And, they thought they had to dress fancy every night.

 

Not only did we find it hard to get a decent seat in the show theatre, unless one got there an hour before, but there always seemed to be heads in front of us making it difficult to see. I don't think the showroom is laid out all that well. The entertainment in the main theatre was hit and miss. There didn't seem to be as many shows as I've seen on other cruise lines, and I would give what they did have about a 6/10.

 

We listened occasionally to very good music in the three bars.

 

We did enjoy the Microsoft sponsored classes they had on board. Since we couldn't dock in Sydney on our way down due to high winds, we had an extra sea day. These classes were informative and helpful.

 

We purchased the 7 day option for the hot stone benches and thermal pool. While they were nice I don't think it's worth the money. $249 per couple. Most days after we returned from a port intensive day and had a filling dinner, we were too tired to make the effort to go. While the thermal pool was interesting, I would have preferred a Jacuzzi for the sore muscles.

 

One beef we had was that many of the interesting activity options were scheduled right at the time of the early dining seating. We missed a number of things we would have liked to go to because they were scheduled at dinner time and not repeated.

 

We mostly did HAL shore excursions and liked all the ones we did, though most were overviews of the areas. As Canadians from provinces other than Quebec, we were a little bummed out when our tour guide in Quebec for the UNESCO sites tour, thought she had a busload of Americans and proceeded to complain that French Canadians were still considered second class citizens. Not true. Talk about a huge chip on her shoulder! Otherwise, she was very knowledgeable.

 

In Charlottetown we had a wonderful walking tour guide who dropped us off at the play "Anne & Gilbert" which was fantastic - and then guided us back to the ship with more history. Loved Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadian National Park. In Boston we did a local (non-ship) Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus that stops about a block from the cruise terminal.

 

Most ports had Wi-Fi areas right at the pier, along with shops, which was very convenient for both passengers and crew. Also, pretty well all of the ports and cities we visited were very clean.

 

We found the idea of doing the 14 day cruise very convenient. There was the chance to see each port twice and do different things each time. But, we sure were tired after 14 days of mostly hot weather and glad to be heading home.

 

Upon returning to Montreal, disembarkation was handled smoothly and we left our suitcases at the port. We'd been told there was a charge for this but we found there was no cost. We walked along the waterfront and visited the excellent museum across the street from the pier and then (later) headed to our evening flight.

BTW... We had an inside cabin on deck 5 and it was great. I've had balcony cabins and outside cabins before but I find that I sleep so much better in a quiet, darker inside cabin. It was very roomy with two double beds's twin beds and a couch area. No claustrophobia at all The bathroom and shower were clean and in fact better than some hotels I've been in.

[Faircliff]

Did you hear of any plumbing problems on board the Maasdam during your cruise?

 

There did seem to be the odd plumbing problem which was brought to our attention by a notice in the daily printout. I think most, if not all, were caused by people putting things other than the official toilet paper down the toilets. And, continuing to pump flusher when it didn't work. this overloads the pressure in the system. Our toilet wouldn't flush one day but we mentioned it and it was fixed before we even return to the room. Given that all these rooms have people in them 24/7 365 days a year, I am amazed that they are in as good of shape as they are.

[erewhon]

Thank you for posting your review.

Did you notice if Maasdam still has a book exchange cupboard in the Library?

[Faircliff]

Thank you for posting your review.

Did you notice if Maasdam still has a book exchange cupboard in the Library?

 

Yes, it does. Also a good selection of books to borrow.

[erewhon]

There did seem to be the odd plumbing problem which was brought to our attention by a notice in the daily printout. I think most, if not all, were caused by people putting things other than the official toilet paper down the toilets. And, continuing to pump flusher when it didn't work. this overloads the pressure in the system. Our toilet wouldn't flush one day but we mentioned it and it was fixed before we even return to the room. Given that all these rooms have people in them 24/7 365 days a year, I am amazed that they are in as good of shape as they are.

 

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, we know that some people put inappropriate items down the toilets.

[erewhon]

Yes, it does. Also a good selection of books to borrow.

 

Thank you,it's a good system, we left several books last year, will sort some books to take and leave again this year.

[puppycanducruise]

Thank you for taking the time to post your comments.

Glad you enjoyed your cruise.

[easyboy]

Thank you for your feedback!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Winters in NZ]

As Canadians from provinces other than Quebec, we were a little bummed out when our tour guide in Quebec for the UNESCO sites tour, thought she had a busload of Americans and proceeded to complain that French Canadians were still considered second class citizens. Not true. Talk about a huge chip on her shoulder!

 

Tour 'guides' as you have described make themselves look utterly foolish...they should be reported after exhibiting such hostility. But, c'est la vie.

 

Having been on this ship on 5 previous Canada/New England cruises, I found your report to be quite thorough and informative. Great job !

[Faircliff]

Tour 'guides' as you have described make themselves look utterly foolish...they should be reported after exhibiting such hostility. But, c'est la vie.

 

Having been on this ship on 5 previous Canada/New England cruises, I found your report to be quite thorough and informative. Great job !

 

Thanks. I wouldn't say the tour guide was hostile. It was more a "poor us" attitude aiming for sympathy... I think. Or, perhaps she truly believes they are put upon, having heard it for centuries. When other provinces see the extra money they receive from the Federal Government (often lead by French Canadian Prime Ministers) THEY are the ones who should feel inferior.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thank you for taking the time to write your review both of the ship and your excursions.

We have sailed quite a few times on the Maasdam -- in fact our first cruise on HAL was in 1996 doing the Baltic.

We have done several different versions of the Canada/New England itineraries. We did yours as well but we did the 14 days -- Boston to Montreal to Boston.

Maasdam's Canaletto a few years ago convinced us to never to it again. Too much noise, poor service and my food was still frozen.

We noticed several years ago that HAL stopped having t-shirts made showing the itinerary of your cruise. DH always liked getting one for the gym to show off where we have cruised.

[The-Inside-Cabin]

I did write a review but for some reason it wouldn't load. Here it is (just ask about anything I don't mention)

 

 

 

We had heard that the Maasdam was an older ship and this had its pros and cons. We really appreciated the smaller size which is getting harder to find nowadays, although admittedly it does not have the glitz that many cruisers want. For us, between 50-65 years old, it was just fine. Our main concern was the itinerary and going round trip from Montreal. Most of the larger ships cannot go further than Quebec down the St. Lawrence.

 

 

 

We boarded about 1 pm and I was surprised at how few people were there. No crush and we were on the ship very promptly. We immediately went to the main dining room for lunch, even though the staff won't tell you it is open.

 

 

 

One of the older, and smaller ships, the Maasdam still was serviceable and we never noticed anything that was dirty. We had trouble flushing the toilet one day but that was fixed before we got back to our room. The staff everywhere were very friendly and always had a "Good Morning".

 

 

 

Glad to see the Maasdam and HAL were respectful of the endangered whales and slowed the ship to 10 knots through those restricted areas. This made for excellent whale and dolphin viewing and was so restful it was one of our favourite parts of the cruise. It meant leaving one or two ports a hour earlier, but was well worth it.

 

 

 

The shops onboard were pitiful, as was the selection of things to buy. Unless one was looking for diamonds, I guess. I was looking for great HAL t-shirts to remind me of this cruise but the ones they had were only for the ship, not our itinerary. They did have some "local" t-shirt options on one of the blowout sales events but all the t-shirts were size S or M. I don't think anyone on our cruise would have fit those, especially if they were eating the food provided. We had OBC to spend and didn't want drinks so it made it difficult.

 

 

 

We mostly ate in the main dining room. We were on a waitlist for, but managed to get, early traditional dining upon boarding. The wait staff were great and the food, on the whole, was very good. We did not go to specialty dining options: Canaletto's (the Italian speciality restaurant) was a joke. To me, food and atmosphere are the most important in speciality dining. Canaletto's is a segregated section inside the Lido cafeteria. Other than the $15 charge you would think you were still eating in with the noisy masses. You could be at a table and just over the railing behind you could be the Lido. It really should be its own room. We went to 3 of our 4 Gala/Formal nights but really didn't dress up too fancy.

 

 

 

Breakfast we had in the Lido (loved the mini croissants) and one or two lunches. Really liked the omelette and pasta bars where they made-to-order. For the first time we had burgers and fries out by the pool. The vegetarian Portobello mushroom burger was to die for! And, their fries were probably the best I've ever had. We returned to the ship for lunch a few times just to indulge in these. Interestingly, I talked to a couple of people eating in the Lido cafeteria who weren't award that they were allowed to go to the main dining room for free. And, they thought they had to dress fancy every night.

 

 

 

Not only did we find it hard to get a decent seat in the show theatre, unless one got there an hour before, but there always seemed to be heads in front of us making it difficult to see. I don't think the showroom is laid out all that well. The entertainment in the main theatre was hit and miss. There didn't seem to be as many shows as I've seen on other cruise lines, and I would give what they did have about a 6/10.

 

 

 

We listened occasionally to very good music in the three bars.

 

 

 

We did enjoy the Microsoft sponsored classes they had on board. Since we couldn't dock in Sydney on our way down due to high winds, we had an extra sea day. These classes were informative and helpful.

 

 

 

We purchased the 7 day option for the hot stone benches and thermal pool. While they were nice I don't think it's worth the money. $249 per couple. Most days after we returned from a port intensive day and had a filling dinner, we were too tired to make the effort to go. While the thermal pool was interesting, I would have preferred a Jacuzzi for the sore muscles.

 

 

 

One beef we had was that many of the interesting activity options were scheduled right at the time of the early dining seating. We missed a number of things we would have liked to go to because they were scheduled at dinner time and not repeated.

 

 

 

We mostly did HAL shore excursions and liked all the ones we did, though most were overviews of the areas. As Canadians from provinces other than Quebec, we were a little bummed out when our tour guide in Quebec for the UNESCO sites tour, thought she had a busload of Americans and proceeded to complain that French Canadians were still considered second class citizens. Not true. Talk about a huge chip on her shoulder! Otherwise, she was very knowledgeable.

 

 

 

In Charlottetown we had a wonderful walking tour guide who dropped us off at the play "Anne & Gilbert" which was fantastic - and then guided us back to the ship with more history. Loved Bar Harbor, Maine and Acadian National Park. In Boston we did a local (non-ship) Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus that stops about a block from the cruise terminal.

 

 

 

Most ports had Wi-Fi areas right at the pier, along with shops, which was very convenient for both passengers and crew. Also, pretty well all of the ports and cities we visited were very clean.

 

 

 

We found the idea of doing the 14 day cruise very convenient. There was the chance to see each port twice and do different things each time. But, we sure were tired after 14 days of mostly hot weather and glad to be heading home.

 

 

 

Upon returning to Montreal, disembarkation was handled smoothly and we left our suitcases at the port. We'd been told there was a charge for this but we found there was no cost. We walked along the waterfront and visited the excellent museum across the street from the pier and then (later) headed to our evening flight.

 

 

 

BTW... We had an inside cabin on deck 5 and it was great. I've had balcony cabins and outside cabins before but I find that I sleep so much better in a quiet, darker inside cabin. It was very roomy with two double beds's twin beds and a couch area. No claustrophobia at all The bathroom and shower were clean and in fact better than some hotels I've been in.

 

 

 

Thanks for your review.....did you notice if the shows used the big LED screen now on many ships?

[Keith1010]

I enjoyed your review.

Keith

[ontheweb]

I'm just back from the 14-day Canada/New England round-trip from Montreal on the Maasdam. While it is fresh in my mind, does anyone have a question? I know the ship has now headed south - I wish them luck!! - so your questions/answers might pertain to next season.

 

We're doing the 7 day from Boston to Montreal next summer on the Maasdam. Which ports can be done on your own? Are there any attractions that really should not be missed?

[lazey1]

I very much enjoyed reading your review, thank you for posting it here. In a couple of weeks I will be doing the Hal excursion Anne & Gilbert and I am sure that I will enjoy it. I do however have one concern. I am 76 and have COPD therefore I can not walk fast. Does the Guide allow plenty of time for old people to walk, are there any rest stops or should I plan to take a bus or taxi?

[Augie's mom]

I'm just back from the 14-day Canada/New England round-trip from Montreal on the Maasdam. While it is fresh in my mind, does anyone have a question? I know the ship has now headed south - I wish them luck!! - so your questions/answers might pertain to next season.

Welcome home and thanks for the review . My cruising pals and I have talked about doing the 14 day next fall,so I really appreciate your taking the time to write this. We did a 14 day Alaskan cruise this pad July on the AMSTERDAM ! And we like the smaller ships.

Thanks

Terri aka Augie's mom

[mamaofami]

I love Masada, but she really does have plumbing issues that are not the result of putting the wrong items in the toilets. On our last Maasdam cruise several years ago, we saw many leaks from pipes overhead.

 

We did the New England cruise back and forth from Boston and loved the itinerary and especially the delicious lobster in every port.

[Faircliff]

I very much enjoyed reading your review, thank you for posting it here. In a couple of weeks I will be doing the Hal excursion Anne & Gilbert and I am sure that I will enjoy it. I do however have one concern. I am 76 and have COPD therefore I can not walk fast. Does the Guide allow plenty of time for old people to walk, are there any rest stops or should I plan to take a bus or taxi?

 

Our guide walked VERY fast. There was one person who could not keep up and she ended up calling a cab both ways.

 

We talked to someone who said they booked the play directly with the theatre and took a cab each way. It cost less than the ship's excursion.

[Faircliff]

I love Masada, but she really does have plumbing issues that are not the result of putting the wrong items in the toilets. On our last Maasdam cruise several years ago, we saw many leaks from pipes overhead.

 

We did the New England cruise back and forth from Boston and loved the itinerary and especially the delicious lobster in every port.

 

They did seem to be vacuuming the carpets outside the staterooms a lot so perhaps there were leaks....

[Faircliff]

We're doing the 7 day from Boston to Montreal next summer on the Maasdam. Which ports can be done on your own? Are there any attractions that really should not be missed?

 

There really so many things that should not be missed, which is why we opted for the 14 day cruise so that we would see things twice. I guess it depends on your interests and tastes.

 

Having said that, a lot more of the ports are doable on your own than in other parts of the world. We particularly liked the excursions through the cruise ship because they guarantee you will be back to the ship on time. Also, due to high winds we missed Sydney on the way down – I understand it sometimes happens – and the excursion was immediately refunded to our account.

 

Old Town Quebec is very walkable from the ship; literally across the street. Charlottetown too is right there, although a lot of people head out to the Anne of Green Gables attractions. We loved both the Anne & Gilbert play and the horse trolley. Be sure to walk into the main part of town, don't just stay by the Harbor.

 

Sydney is a place you really need an excursion; there is almost no town to speak of but really neat things in the countryside.

 

Halifax itself is probably walkable if you are fit. We really Enjoyed the Canadian Museum of Immigration (Canada's Ellis Island) which is literally neat door to the cruise terminal. And of course you'd need an excursion or car for Peggy's Cove.

 

 

In Bar Harbor the ship's tenders let you right off at the bottom of the main street. Lots of touristy shopping but Acadia National Park is with seeing and you'd probably need some sort of tour with the limited time on shore.

[ontheweb]

There really so many things that should not be missed, which is why we opted for the 14 day cruise so that we would see things twice. I guess it depends on your interests and tastes.

 

Having said that, a lot more of the ports are doable on your own than in other parts of the world. We particularly liked the excursions through the cruise ship because they guarantee you will be back to the ship on time. Also, due to high winds we missed Sydney on the way down – I understand it sometimes happens – and the excursion was immediately refunded to our account.

 

Old Town Quebec is very walkable from the ship; literally across the street. Charlottetown too is right there, although a lot of people head out to the Anne of Green Gables attractions. We loved both the Anne & Gilbert play and the horse trolley. Be sure to walk into the main part of town, don't just stay by the Harbor.

 

Sydney is a place you really need an excursion; there is almost no town to speak of but really neat things in the countryside.

 

Halifax itself is probably walkable if you are fit. We really Enjoyed the Canadian Museum of Immigration (Canada's Ellis Island) which is literally neat door to the cruise terminal. And of course you'd need an excursion or car for Peggy's Cove.

 

 

In Bar Harbor the ship's tenders let you right off at the bottom of the main street. Lots of touristy shopping but Acadia National Park is with seeing and you'd probably need some sort of tour with the limited time on shore.

 

Thank you. That is very helpful information. Although we sometimes take ship tours or private tours, we generally go out on our own.

[lazey1]

Our guide walked VERY fast. There was one person who could not keep up and she ended up calling a cab both ways.

 

We talked to someone who said they booked the play directly with the theatre and took a cab each way. It cost less than the ship's excursion.

 

Thank you, I will talk to the shore excursion desk as soon as possible after boarding and see if they will provide me with a cab or other transportation. I have prepaid for the ship's excursion.