Maasdam 6-10-06 Review

[purplenorway]

We flew to Montreal the day before the ship set sail. We booked our own air but booked our hotel, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth through HAL because we could not find anything else available. When we arrived, a HAL rep was waiting just for us; she escorted us to a taxi and took care of the fare.

The hotel was elegant with marble everywhere. The room was small and the bathroom extremely small, but just consider it preparation for the cruise cabin. We had an excellent view of the Cathedral, Mary Queen of the World, which you must visit inside. It is breathtaking! The hotel connects to the underground with shops, a train station, and massive food court areas. We made the mistake of touring here during lunch rush hour. It was very crowded and everyone was in a hurry. There are some nice vendors with beautiful French pastries and chocolates.

We did an advanced check in at the hotel and received our ship I.D. cards and information. Our bags were picked up on Saturday and we met for the transfer. We were unaware that this included a tour. So we got to the ship after 3, very hungry. We immediately waited in the security line which took awhile. Then we went to a special line for those who already had ship I.D. cards where all that was left was to get a photo taken and we walked right onboard.

Cabin: Our cabin reeked of stale cigarette smoke! I have no idea how much the guest before us must have smoked in there! After talking with the cabin steward and front desk, they decided to do a deep clean. The room still stunk. We could smell it all night without getting used to it. We determined that of everything in the cabin, the curtains smelled the worst. So the front office (who soon called us by name) sent over two stewards to take down the curtains to be washed. They also did an ozone treatment a few times which is a strange wheeled machine with a long tube connecting to the bathtub drain. It was placed in the room. It later blew a fuse in the electrical outlet. By the third day, the smell was basically gone. Staff were constantly stopping by or calling to follow-up on the smell. They seemed horrified that we would only have one layer of curtains overnight while the others were drying. We assured them that this was just fine. They sent a note of apology with a bottle of wine and a plate of chocolates. This was my eleventh time on HAL and the first we have ever had an issue with the cabin. The staff should be commended because once they started on the problem; they didn’t stop until it was taken care of.

I shared a verandah suite with my parents and therefore slept on the sofa bed. It was comfortable, but not very long if you are a tall person. I thought the sheets and towels were very soft. The cabin steward was very good. We asked for a couple of extra hangers but got fifteen. They sure go above and beyond any requests. Dad asked for some more shampoo and ended up with more of every Elemis toiletry there is.

Dining/Service: We requested a 6:15 dining time and were even confirmed for this on our documents, however, we were given 8:00 instead. We were a bit upset at first, but I found that I like this time much better! There is more time to spend in port, watch the sail- away, take a nap, pig out at afternoon tea, all three of us could take a shower, and we had a genuine appetite for dinner. We will most likely request the 8:00 time from now on.

We had a table for eight with excellent tablemates who never lacked topics for conversation. There were times when other people would turn to stare because we were laughing so hard. Our waiter, Una, was very efficient and friendly.

The food was some of the best I’ve had! The flavors and sauces of the entrees were amazing. Every piece of chicken, whether it was in a stir-fry or a salad, was perfectly tender. There were only two disappointments: the French onion soup lacked flavor and my favorite dessert the warm chocolate truffle was taken off the menu, according to the executive chef.

Afternoon tea was wonderful. They offer many kinds of desserts and little sandwiches. Head waiter, Janar, oversaw the teatime each day. He would have my favorite marble pound cake sent over almost as soon as I sat down.

While reading the dinner menu outside the dining room one day, we peeked in on the practice for the Master Chef’s Dinner. It looked a bit chaotic, but you should have seen how excited the crew was about it when they filed in the hallway between songs! This made its debut on the Maasdam June 14 and was very fun. Dinner choices are more limited than other nights, but don’t miss it!

The HAL staff does a great job of learning names. It makes the service very special.

Entertainment/Activities: I thought the Maasdam cast was very talented. They performed at the welcome aboard show, Party Gras, On Track, and Gold (of which the first seating’s performance was cancelled due to the rough seas after Halifax, but was admiringly performed for the main seating audience of only fifty-some people who sounded like two hundred). There were also performances by comedian Danny Storts, singer Annie Frances, and an illusion/acrobats/comedy pair Kasner and McPherson.

It turns out that my dad was chosen to be Mr. Maasdam. He actually had to ask someone to ask him before the unveiling.

The Explorations Café has music stations where you can listen to almost any artist imaginable for free. This is a popular hang out spot because of the computers, books, and the infamous jigsaw puzzle table.

The dam dollars program is a great way to get people, as they say onboard, “out and about”. We exchanged ours for a sweatshirt, towel, and luggage tag.

Ports:

Quebec City: In the morning, we walked to the Funiculaire and took it up the hill. We explored the Chateau Frontenac’s lobby and shops and then we walked down the hilly cobblestone streets to the ship. We took the city tour/ Isle of Orleans/ Montmorency Falls excursion in the afternoon. They served tea and cake at the Manoir by the Falls. We sailed away after 10 instead of 5 because we had to wait for an engine part to be delivered.

We woke up early to watch the Saguenay Fjord cruising. It is like a miniature model of the Norwegian fjords, scattered with waterfalls.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island: We took the Harbor Hippo. It is a nice way to see the sites and cruise around the harbor where many jellyfish float about. The dirt is so red!

Sydney, Nova Scotia: The shops aren’t the greatest, but the people were extremely nice. They truly care about making their visitors feel welcome. It was a cute town and the lilacs were in full bloom.

Halifax, Nova Scotia: We took the Titanic Tour. The tour included a stop in the cemetery where many of those who died in the sinking are buried. It would have been nice on a good day, but the weather was miserable due to tropical storm Alberto. We also stopped at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. There were very few Titanic artifacts here. A whole hour was not necessary here to see everything. While docked, the ship was shaking in the intense wind and waves. A deck chair blew off the ship and landed on the cruise terminal! Through this nasty weather the devoted bagpiper still played as we left. Seasick bags were placed around the ship. It was a sparse crowd for the dinner and many people left partway through their meal; I think we were the only completely full table around. The lido pool area was closed because the pool water sloshed out all over the floor.

Bar Harbor, Maine: The weather was the polar opposite of Halifax. It was a perfect day! The town’s shops are very nice and many give discounts to cruise passengers. The tender line was unusually slow. I don’t know what the problem was. We knew we wouldn’t have time to return to the ship for lunch because of the tender situation, so we found a restaurant with outdoor seating by the sidewalk. It was excellent for people watching. We then took the island tour. There are some stunning views from Cadillac Mountain!

Disembarkation: We had a leisurely breakfast in the dining room and were off the ship before nine.

Although there were some unusual instances here and there, it was still a fantastic cruise! HAL remains my cruise line of choice! Feel free to ask any questions.

[johnlcruise]

Very nice review.

As allways HAL is the best.

[sail7seas]

Great review. Thanks for posting it. Sorry you had to deal with the smoke smelly cabin but really happy to hear how dedicated the crew was to getting it fresh smelling for you.

 

We can't wait for our turn to board the beautiful and elegant ms Maasdam in August. Your review makes me even more eager. :)

 

Do you have your "Who's Aboard" to look or do you remember the Chef's name? We we thought the Chef on Maasdam last summer to be really good.

 

Also.......do you know if they had the salmon barbeque on deck at Lido one lunch time during your cruise? That is soooo good.

 

Welcome back.

 

[lindacat]

I will be leaving Saturday on the same cruise. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed your cruise. We also booked independent air arriving on Friday, but booked the hotel through HAL. How long was the tour/transfer? What time did it leave the hotel? Did you have a choice of times? And most importantly how was the tour? We are going to try and book a short tour for Friday afternoon and would prefer not to duplicate any tour that HAL may be offering on Saturday.

 

Thanks

 

Linda

[purplenorway]

John: Thanks! Yes HAL is the best!

 

Sail: The Executive Chef was Martin Groenendijk. He must know what he's doing since the food was so excellent! I have no idea if they had the salmon barbeque.

 

Linda: They picked up our luggage after 8 am and the transfer left at 12:30, I don't think we had a choice of times. We did not even know there was a tour! We expected to just go to the ship. Anyway, it passed some of the pretty houses and stopped at the basilica for photos. Since I cannot remember much else, it was not too exciting, I think you could still do another tour. Be sure to visit the cathedral next to the hotel! We got to the ship after 3.

[CoastalCounseling]

Great review. Thanks for sharing. Did they install the thermal ceramic beds and hydro pool on the Maasdam yet?

[RuthC]

...my favorite dessert the warm chocolate truffle was taken off the menu, according to the executive chef.

WHAT?????:eek: Sacre blu! What on earth!!!!!

Pleeeze tell me this is only on that ship. On that itinerary. And not across the board! Why do they think I cruise so much!

Oh, this will not do at all. :mad: RuthC is NOT happy to read this.

The rest of the report, however, she was very pleased to read. Thank you.

[lindacat]

Thanks for the info.

 

Linda

[purplenorway]

Coastal: I did not visit the spa, but would assume that all spa upgrades have been completed after the drydock.

 

RuthC: Yes, this is a tragedy. During the galley tour, I asked the executive chef if the warm chocolate truffle was coming up at a dinner and he replied "No, it was taken off the menu because it is too similar to the chocolate volcano cake in the Pinnacle." Not everyone goes to the Pinnacle each cruise! Plus, I don't think it compares at all to the truffle!

[Bar Harbor]

I'm glad some passengers survived the storm at Halifax. Unfortunately, there were 6 of us in our group who got violently seasick and then contacted some kind of virus or bacterial infection. Three of us had to be hospitalized in Boston, my husband and I being 2 of the 3. We're still not feeling 100% well and have missed 1 1/2 week of activities now. Since were in our 50's and early 60's, I wondered how the rest of the passengers fared this cruise because a vast majority of them were in their 70's-80's.

[formercruisestaff]

I'm glad some passengers survived the storm at Halifax. Unfortunately, there were 6 of us in our group who got violently seasick and then contacted some kind of virus or bacterial infection. Three of us had to be hospitalized in Boston, my husband and I being 2 of the 3. We're still not feeling 100% well and have missed 1 1/2 week of activities now. Since were in our 50's and early 60's, I wondered how the rest of the passengers fared this cruise because a vast majority of them were in their 70's-80's.

 

 

Ahhh yes, that was a special night. Even the majority of the staff became seasick! 4/5 Club HAL staff were stuck in bed along with the majority of the Assistant Cruise Directors....I had the joy of being the lone un-seasick Club HAL staff....LOL...I almost joined the group myself after holding a 10 year old girl's hair back while she said goodbye to dinner :eek: :( (Sorry for being so graphic...but you can understand how hard a task that really was!)

 

It just goes to show you that no matter how comfortable you are on the water, there's always a risk of becoming seasick...and it hits so fast that there's not much you can do once it's arrived....

[purplenorway]

Interesting that so many of the staff got sick, maybe that storm was just unusual. I have been on 20 cruises and never been seasick. Lucky I guess!

[Bar Harbor]

Ahhh yes, that was a special night. Even the majority of the staff became seasick! 4/5 Club HAL staff were stuck in bed along with the majority of the Assistant Cruise Directors....I had the joy of being the lone un-seasick Club HAL staff....LOL...I almost joined the group myself after holding a 10 year old girl's hair back while she said goodbye to dinner :eek: :( (Sorry for being so graphic...but you can understand how hard a task that really was!)

 

It just goes to show you that no matter how comfortable you are on the water, there's always a risk of becoming seasick...and it hits so fast that there's not much you can do once it's arrived....

Why do they set sail in terrible storms like Tropical Storm Alberto? Wouldn't it be better to wait for a few hours until people got their evening meal and went to bed? I would much rather have had my land tour in Bar Harbor delayed a few hours rather than endure that terrible seasickness.

 

Just wondering.

[formercruisestaff]

Why do they set sail in terrible storms like Tropical Storm Alberto? Wouldn't it be better to wait for a few hours until people got their evening meal and went to bed? I would much rather have had my land tour in Bar Harbor delayed a few hours rather than endure that terrible seasickness.

 

Just wondering.

 

In this particular instance, I can truly tell you that the conditions were a lot worse than expected....As for sailing decisions, I have no idea what gets considered in the process. What I do know is that unfortunately whatever decision is made, people will be affected.

[CruiseBumm]

We saile dthe Massdamm last septembger from Motreal to Boston. had a grat time. Enjoyed your post purplenorway.

 

Was Randall still at the piano bar? He was a gas.:D

[purplenorway]

Steven Lowenthal was at the Piano Bar