Harry's log Maasdam 29 Nov thru 9 Dec trip

[Harry1954]

29 Nov 07

Landed in FFL uneventfully (happily) and after claiming our luggage (very happily) we caught a taxi to the pier. As the airport is so close to the pier, the cost was only $17 including a nice tip for the driver– one of the least expensive ports from which we have cruised. Traversing security and check in at the pier was handled by HAL in an organized and disciplined fashion with the guests acting appropriately. Skipping the picture-taking, we boarded in just a few minutes. Pre-registering via the internet made a significant difference in boarding time compared to those who had not done so.

 

Our room was already available even though it was only 12:15pm, so we dropped off our carryon bags and headed to the Lido for lunch. The staff was friendly and courteous assisting everyone where possible. The food selection was abundant and except for the roast beef (very tough to eat), the lunch provided a premonition of coming meals – very tasty and fun. Naturally, I had to indulge the bread pudding – could not wait till later and it was more yummy than I remembered (as it should be).

 

We spent the afternoon unpacking, attending the boat drill, and then getting ready for the sail away and dinner. We proceeded to the Crow’s Nest for the sail away and naturally imbibed some cocktails to complement the event.

 

We had chosen Pinnacle for the first evening’s meal as we knew it would be less crowded and service would be at its peak. We were not disappointed. Service was indeed impeccable and the dinner was as well. We had preordered a bottle of cabernet sauvignon to be delivered early so they could have it opened and ready for us to drink when we were ready for it. All in all, this was a very nice beginning.

 

Following dinner, there was a meet/greet party for all suite guests hosted by the hotel manager. This was an opportunity to start getting to know some of the neighbors. While there was little room left for the food, the drinks and comradely was grand.

 

30 Nov 07

The morning brought sunlight and the white sandy beaches of Half Moon Cay into focus. Quickly working through breakfast, we dressed and headed for the tenders. An orderly and efficient process got us to the beach in twenty minutes. Looking out we could seen not only our ship, Maasdam, but also the sister ship Zuiderdam disgorging its passengers at a frantic pace. I knew the beach was going to be hopping ... and it was!

 

The layout has the rentable huts numbered 1-15 stretching from the pier area (location of number 1) around the beach to number 15, the purple hut somewhat remote relative to the location of the beach chairs available for all to use. We worked our way around about half way and settled in two of the chairs to get some sun. Two lovely couples from the Canary Islands joined us after informing us they were from the Zuiderdam. We spent the morning basking in the sun, visiting with our newfound friends, swimming and just taking in the beauty of the island. I wondered back to the pier area to snorkel. I swam out almost to the channel where the tenders were operating but saw very few fish. In questioning a couple of the life guards on duty, they said a recent tropical storm had chased all the firs away and they haven’t returned yet. We decided to skip lunch and head back to the ship since it was our first day in the sun in a couple of months – didn’t want to get burned (yet).

 

1 Dec 07

The following day was a sea day – oh how grateful we are for these days spaced nicely between the more strenuous port experiences. We slept late, had breakfast on the verandah, and after lunch, took part in the first wine tasting of the trip. ‘Rod’ (like Rod Stewart?) was the wine master and conducted an informative and fun afternoon’s imbibing. We shared our table with a couple from England and one from Chicago. After digesting the lecture and enjoying the wines, we spent the next hour discussing taboo topics – politics and religion – quite harmlessly as it turned out.

 

Dinner was formal so this Ken doll got dressed up by his bride. The only problem was the boutonnière that was provided for the occasion by the ship’s personnel, did not have a pin so I was unable to attach it to my tuxedo. Consequently, I wore it behind my ear in protest until the boss made me take it off. She thought I was being tacky. Dinner was a fiasco this evening, unlike the prior ones. My dear wife has special diet needs due to serious (life-threatening) allergies. During the prior evenings, it was handled without a lot of hoopla .. but this night, while decked out in formal attire, I suppose the devils were engaged in probing everyone’s psyche. The dinner was to be rack of lamb – but they brought her three bowels – one with shredded lamb, a second with pureed green stuff (I tasted it and never could figure just what it was), and the last was potato mix (like we had in the army). We questioned everyone of the staff, but they said this was what she was suppose to get. A bit later, after she resigned herself to eating some of it, they came back and said a mistake had been made. She had gotten someone else’s dinner. They were very unhappy about it (not that we weren’t), and after a bit of a lull, she finally got a normal dinner. Unfortunately, the embarrassment and the delay put a bit of a cramp on the meal – or maybe it was my repositioning the boutonnière on my ear again?? The bottle of Magnificat was wasted on an incomplete dinner. Oh well, not every night can be perfect, even in paradise.

 

Following dinner, the entertainment was a fellow named Chris something or other (embarrassed to say I don’t recall last name) who was worth seeing. He kept everyone focused on his performance not only by showmanship, but also due to the unusual variety of instruments he used. For instance, he played a regular old wood saw using a violin bow – the sound was eerie. We saw him later in the trip and thanked him for the fun evening

 

2 Dec 07

The new morning of the third day brought us into St Thomas, a port we have enjoyed a couple of dozen times. We docked at Crowne Point, cleared customs quickly and orderly, and made our way to our excursion – champagne catamaran snorkel and sail. The taxi driver took our small group (wonderful size with only nine) thru the town, along the bay and to the dock, making for a colorful view of the local habitats. The captain of the boat (Jeff) seemed perplexed to see us – apparently, he had been informed the excursion was cancelled due to squalls and low attendance – but here we were. So, they stopped the maintenance they were doing on the boat, reclaimed the refreshments from the shore refrigerator, and off we went. We motored across to St John and Honeymoon Beach where we were to snorkel. We could see the famous Caneel Bay Resort just to our left. After instructing everyone on safety issues and use of snorkel equipment, the captain shooed us off the boat. The sun was shining brightly lighting up all the variety of coral from the fan-type to the brain coral. The species of fish were vast, but the highlight for me was a golden colored eel that slithered underneath me like a wiggling ribbon. I followed it briefly until it sadly scooted into a small hole in the coral, not to be seen again.

 

After about forty-five minutes or so of snorkeling, Jeff broke out the champagne, rum punch, pina colada, and beer for our return to port. It rained some on the trip back, but no one seemed to mind as we were under cover in the middle of the catamaran enjoying the refreshments and the new found friends. Having been on many cruises and several of this type of excursion, my wife and I decided this was by far the best crew and experience so far for snorkeling – we would highly recommend to anyone considering it – and we later let the Excursion Desk know our feelings as feedback.

 

After a short nap, we headed to the bar to listen to the trio playing and before dinner drinks. We were able to watch the islands in the vicinity of St Thomas breeze by while enjoying the sounds of the musicians. Dinner was a return to the Pinnacle Grill for another round of fabulous food. It was very satisfying as it had been on the first night.

 

3 Dec 07

This morning required an early start so as not to miss entry into Dominica. What a beautiful island – very mountainous and lush. Our HAL-sponsored tour took us to the national park in the center of the island where we were able to hike to the emerald falls and thru the rain forest itself. The flora was unusual (to us) and the bird sounds were reminiscent of old Tarzan movies. The distinctive smell of the rain forest conjured up memories of my childhood days in Florida, the odors being of similar brew.

 

The next stop was an old sugar mill that has been converted into a bus stop for tourism. We began our sort visit with refreshments, choosing from rum punch, pina colada, local beer called Kibukii, or soft drinks and water. I decided to see how the local beer compared to other foreign brews. It tasted as though the recipe of Miller or Bud was imported and copied here – refreshing but not particularly exciting. Following the required passage through the trinkets store area, the visit culminated by our witnessing a Creole dance and song fest. Colorful dancers and musicians sang of our welcome to their island. Group dancing was a prelude to a more sensuous interlude of a couple who seemed to act out the mating dance of rooster and hen. It was quite lovely, pulling everyone into the beat of the music and the sway of the performers. Having been duly aroused, we were all invited to join them on stage for a dance-a-thon. About one third of the visitors did just that, juking and swaying with the locals to the continued beat of the drums and other instruments. Naturally, this caused most if not all of us to fill the tip box with American dollars in gratitude for the sincere performance.

 

The last segment of the excursion was a drive through the botanical gardens terminating with a photo stop at a cliff overlooking the harbor, the city, and the Maasdam. This was a fulfilling trip and one that I would recommend highly, not only for the opportunity to discover Dominica itself, but also to immerse oneself in the spirit of the island.

 

Dinner this evening was a delight. Our tablemates were animated, the waiters had gotten the hang of my dear wife’s culinary needs, and the meal was as it should be. The last stop of the evening was a visit to the Crow’s Nest for a by-invitation party. Why we got the invitation, no one could tell. I presume it was because we were in the Mariner group of repeats. We engaged two lovely couples who had many more cruises than us and exciting stories to punctuate their travels.

 

4 Dec 07

Another sea day .. relaxing and doing nothing! Spent the morning on the verandah enjoying the quiet and the rays while taking in a good book. Early lunch at 11:15 was about half of the Mariners onboard. Apparently, this was a changed from previous voyages as they announced it was a new approach to allow meet/greet among Mariners. Since this was our first time qualifying (second HAL cruise), we did not know any different. The meal was excellent, there was good wine to drink, and we did indeed meet two couples with whom we shared the meal. We have been on another cruise line where they have a cocktail party for repeat guests, but I find this approach has more class.

 

Crossword puzzles and more book reading for the afternoon. Then we donned our formal wear and headed to dinner. This evening’s main course was prime rib – and it was outstanding. I splurged on a very good bottle of wine to accompany the food and was glad I did as it fully complemented the meat. The show following dinner was the Maasdam dancers and singers who performed a non-stop 50s,60s, and 70s renditions of everyone’s favorites. They were really outstanding.

 

5 Dec 07

Arriving in Curacao, we were greeted by the shining sun as well as the brightly painted houses in the harbor area. We look forward to this island as it always seems clean, organized, and friendly – welcoming tourism as a break-through economic boon for the people. Since we had previous excursions and shopping on this island, we decided to take the HAL beach excursion. They bussed us through the city to the Blue Harbor Resort, a sort of time-share set of houses with a nice beach. Snorkel equipment, soft drinks and beach chairs were provided. All we had to do was sun ourselves and if the energy was there, snorkel around the rocky areas outlining the beach. I spent about forty minutes investigating where the better snorkeling might be and returning after informing some of the others what I had seen. The assortment of tropical fish and coral was sufficient to keep one occupied the whole time we were there. There was no wind and the sun was bright, making for an excellent snorkeling adventure. This was worth the excursion fee.

 

The afternoon was more rest and relaxation. The sunny morning gave way to some rain just as we returned to the ship for lunch. The guide had indicated this was the start of the rainy season, so I suppose we must expect some rain – thank goodness it was after we did our beach stint. The unfortunate issue was that with no wind today and the mist of rain, there was a distinctive pungent smell of the refinery permeating the whole area around the ship. Those planning on shopping in the afternoon were to be heckled by this smell, but at least it was not overpowering, just a bit irritating. Later we were told that there had actually been a gas leak and that was what caused the odor as well as the cancellation of the performance late that afternoon by some local children for safety reasons.

 

6 Dec 07

We docked early in Aruba. Having previously been there, shopping and walking around was of no interest, so we decided to take the HAL excursion that toured the island. Tony the driver spoke with a heavy Hispanic accent and took quickly. Everyone had difficulty understanding what he was saying, but his friendliness somewhat compensated for this short-coming. Unfortunately, the island is a tour of New Mexico countryside – not much to see except time-shares, cacti, and cinderblock houses. We were relieved of the boring nature of the island with a stop at a butterfly farm. This was the highlight of the excursion for me as they imported a variety of pupae and colorful butterflies were flitting all about as they lectured on the subject. Since I make a hobby of collecting pictures (only) of butterflies, I had the opportunity to wander off (while dear wife listened intently to the information) and capture a series of awesome pictures to add to my collection. The challenging part will be identifying the specific type of butterfly and country of origin.

 

The last segment of the trip was a visit to their (in)famous use-to-be natural bridge along the north coastline. Apparently until two years ago, this was the site of one of the largest natural bridges in the world – now it looks as if there had been an earthquake there. Seemed a bit silly to visit this as Tony’s bus had to negotiate some very difficult terrain as the only ingress/egress. I suspect the tour buses use to drive across the bridge and return to town easily – but not anymore. I would skip tour of island and take taxi to butterfly farm if interested. Some friends went on the beach excursion and said they had a marvelous time with exciting snorkeling and a tasty barbecue.

 

The rest of the day was uneventfully relaxing. Following dinner we were served one of the top entertainments of the trip – Donnie Ray Evans. He performed a review of Nat King Cole’s music, whom we always enjoy. The surprising element was that he sounded exactly like Mr. Cole – so closing one’s eyes, they could just feel his presence permeating the theater. His stage personality was such that he received a standing ovation at the end of the performance.

 

Well, the last two days are sea days, so I think I will close out this segment of our travels. HAL deserves kudos for this trip – it was not overly stressful with too many stops and the sea days were blissfully quiet and relaxing.

 

 

Harry

[SDHALFAN]

That was a great write-up, thanks for posting it. Makes me wish that I were on some dam ship in the Caribbean instead of sitting here in rainy San Diego gloomily staring at my computer monitor.:D

 

Valerie:)

[las313]

I enjoyed your report. We will be on the Maasdam 3/15 but will be doing the alternate tour. Visiting different islands.

Louise in FLA

[advocado]

Wonderful post! I'll be on the Maasdam next month. Can you comment on the condition of the ship? How was your experience with the Neptune concierge? Any other useful tidbits about the Maasdam would be appreciated. Thanks.

[grannynurse]

Thanks for taking us along with you. I really enjoyed reading your review.

Maasdam is wonderful, isn't she?

GN

[Harry1954]

Wonderful post! I'll be on the Maasdam next month. Can you comment on the condition of the ship? How was your experience with the Neptune concierge? Any other useful tidbits about the Maasdam would be appreciated. Thanks.

we are still onboard .. but I will post a review once the trip is completed. I wanted to post this in case anyone was on the Dec 9 trip they could use the input for excursion choices. The Maasdam is in excellent condition - they were working on ship every day ... the Christmas decorations just went up a couple of days ago and today there are four lights on the hannuakh candle which added to the festivities.

The concierges are Abbie and Jennie and are wonderful, attending to any needs. The coffee machine is fabulous as always, much better than room service coffee. Room Service for breakfast - we have on verandah every morning - was timely and the food was fine.

harry

[MercedMike]

Great report ... and once again proves that attitude is what makes a cruise great! There are posters on this board who would have made a HUGE fuss about the small glitches and posted screaming about that to the exclusion of all the other wonderful things you mention. But your attitude clearly made this a great cruise and I am glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the report!

[WeLoveCruising]

Thank you for such an interesting report. I wonder what type of special dinner that was that they incorrectly served to your wife?

 

I'm glad you're having a great time. I love the Maasdam :)

[RuthC]

Following dinner we were served one of the top entertainments of the trip – Donnie Ray Evans. He performed a review of Nat King Cole’s music, whom we always enjoy. The surprising element was that he sounded exactly like Mr. Cole – so closing one’s eyes, they could just feel his presence permeating the theater. His stage personality was such that he received a standing ovation at the end of the performance.

There's a new name to add to my "look for" list. Thanks for the referral! :D This entertainer sounds like someone I want to hear, if I ever have the chance.

And thank you, too, for the rest of your report.

[Love Cruises]

Thanks for taking the time to fill us all in on your cruise on the MAASDAM. On one of our former cruises we saw the gentlemen who does the Nat King Cole tribute and he was fantastic. Glad to hear that he is still doing shows on HAL.

[NoNoNanette]

Oh, Harry! I SO enjoyed reading your journal. Thanks for posting. :)

[advocado]

we are still onboard .. but I will post a review once the trip is completed. I wanted to post this in case anyone was on the Dec 9 trip they could use the input for excursion choices. The Maasdam is in excellent condition - they were working on ship every day ... the Christmas decorations just went up a couple of days ago and today there are four lights on the hannuakh candle which added to the festivities.

The concierges are Abbie and Jennie and are wonderful, attending to any needs. The coffee machine is fabulous as always, much better than room service coffee. Room Service for breakfast - we have on verandah every morning - was timely and the food was fine.

harry

Thanks, Harry ... you've got me drooling out of the both sides of my mouth!! I look foreword to more comments from you when you return. Your cruise sounds just like what we all want from the cruise experience.

[richnorto]

Thank you for your overview of the Maasdam. We will be on her over Christmas and I'm glad the decor has begun to go up! I'm happy to hear she is in good shape and we are very excited about our upcoming cruise!

BTW - That special dinner had to be for a baby or someone without teeth!!!:eek:

[Harry1954]

Thank you for your overview of the Maasdam. We will be on her over Christmas and I'm glad the decor has begun to go up! I'm happy to hear she is in good shape and we are very excited about our upcoming cruise!

BTW - That special dinner had to be for a baby or someone without teeth!!!:eek:

I think it was the latter as the lamb had been shredded ... it was the green stuff that had me fascinated .. reminded me of a meal I had in Beijing earlier this year - no idea what that was either!

hope you have a wonderful cruise!

harry