REVIEW - Maasdam 29 Nov thru 9 Dec Caribbean

[Harry1954]

This is our review of the Caribbean Cruise 29 Nov thru 9 Dec 2009 on Maasdam – roundtrip Ft Lauderdale. Overall, it was a truly relaxing one for us. We hope to repeat it in the not too distant future. The Maasdam was a great ship for a cruise and HAL’s price point for this was very consumer friendly. I do not apologize for my criticisms as these are our personal views and naturally will vie with those of many others; however, the only means for communicating is to speak up – otherwise, one’s views are irrelevant to anyone else.

Evening shows – most were well executed, kept everyone’s attention, with quality programming and performance. Only one show toward the end was a bowser, we left it early. Two performers were particularly exceptional: Donnie Ray Evins singing Nat King Cole and Chris ?? playing a variety of instruments. Seating was a bit awkward as the Maasdam does not have graduated elevation so it is difficult to see over those in front of you. Many folks got to show as much as thirty minute early to get the best seats. Lastly, the music was well orchestrated.

The trio playing instrumentals in the Ocean Bar provided very nice background and dance music for pre-dinner drinks and discussion with others. We occasioned that bar several nights and found the music and drinks very good.

The four person string quartet played in another bar area which name I do not remember. They were accomplished musicians and their choice of chamber type music meant one would have a relaxing time imbibing and talking in their presence. They also played at a couple of functions we attended and added the quality touch to the event.

Neptune Lounge – concierge personnel were friendly and attentive to our needs. The coffee machine was extremely tasty and convenient for breakfast. The chocolates and other sweets were quality.

Mariner’s Luncheon – excellent way to thank repeat customers. Offers opportunity to meet other folks who appreciate HAL. The food was very good – well done on HAL’s part.

Unknown Cocktail Party – received invitation to a cocktail party in Crow’s Nest one evening early in cruise. No explanation on the invitation and none of the fine folks we met could explain in fact what it was about. The cocktails and hors d'oeuvres

were great. Fun but no one to thank for the formal invite and we were certainly not going to ask the Captain (who greeted us).

Danish Pastries – the danish was some of the best we have had on our thirteen cruises on three different lines. It was light, flaky and makes me drool now thinking about it.

Ship Condition – we found the Maasdam to be in very good condition on visual inspection. Further, continued maintenance was the practice daily for the eleven day voyage, in port, at sea .. all the time. The crew was courteous and helpful at every opportunity – we look forward to returning to this fine vessel.

Excursions – well done – see log below that I originally published while still onboard the cruise.

Dining – first the ugly … we were disappointed in the limited menu. There were insufficient vegetables. Many evenings I asked our waiter to bring me sautéed spinach to fulfill my own needs for veggies. There were almost no fish selections nightly. For a Caribbean cruise, we expected red snapper, cod, sole, mahi mahi, grouper, etc .. any of these but only seemed to have salmon and one evening snapper. We ate more meat on this cruise than any of our other cruises. Putting that aside, the meals were otherwise excellent, sufficient portions and the two outstanding dishes were the prime rib and the ‘rack of veal’ which we would call veal chop. Desserts varied from ok to very good.

Lunch consisted of either Lido for us or pizza, tacos or hot dogs at the grill. Except our first lunch where we got unchewable beef, the rest of the meals were as we hoped. The ice cream was very good and the soft serve was great! The only criticism is that one day a woman fingered every piece of pizza before picking the ones she wanted. There has to be a cleaner way to dispense pizza than the honor system, especially when one has experienced a code red condition on a cruise and knows the consequences of a lack of cleanliness and proper practice.

Bar Drinks – generally we visited the Ocean Bar before dinner and had a cocktail. Some evenings after the show we would head to the Crow’s Nest for a nightcap. The bars seemed stocked with most brands and the call brands were the good ones. They even had a decent ten year old port and limocello (ok, limoncino for the Sicilians onboard).

Verandah – being in a deluxe suite, we had a verandah on steroids. Each morning we ate breakfast out there, enjoying the ocean breeze and the view. Rather than sitting around the pool, we would spend the part of the day not excursioning sunning out there as well. HAL’s verandahs are setup well for this type of relaxation … and … most importantly, they are very private. We could sun in the nude (too comical to do this) if we wanted with no peeking from the peanut gallery.

Activities – here is where HAL departs from the more sophisticated lines such as Crystal, our other most traveled line. Most of the activities seemed a bit trite to me and before anyone gets mad, this may well be personal taste. The talks were mundane and participating programs just were too basic. Even the bridge room was not to my liking and I play tournament bridge when not working, so I generally am able to distinguish when this activity is wanted or not supported well – it was not here, even though there was a bridge group onboard. My wife enjoys painting on cruises, but the only art involvement was the horrid auction stuff. Possibly this is not long enough of a cruise for better quality activities and if so, it is understandable as the price of the cruise does not comport with higher quality activities.

Ingress/Egress – initial boarding, end-of-cruise exiting, and port calls were handled very professionally. We never waited long for any of these to occur and we always knew what we were to do and when.

Tender Service – see ingress/egress as it mirrors those experiences. The crew was especially cautious with the older folks and accommodating to all.

Laundry Service – a bit slow but everything was clean, folded or on hangers. No real complaints here.

Dress Code – this is an area that I fault the crew of Maasdam. At lunch in Lido, there were (different) people on multiple days that came through the line in their bathrobe. One man’s fat, hairy chest was exposed for everyone to take in and be repulsed – and he paraded around the Lido several times during that meal. On formal evenings, there were people in shorts and t-shirts in the Ocean Bar while the rest of us were in tuxedos and evening gowns. The Pinnacle Grill had this assortment of dress as well – some looked as though they were headed to the barbeque at Half Moon rather than the Grill for dinner. There should be no excuse for this sloppiness as it breeds resignation to dress down in the future for those who are making an effort to contribute properly to the atmosphere most of us seek onboard.

Pinnacle Grill – we ate there the first evening and then again on Master Chief’s night as the Master Chief menu was too limited for my wife to be able to have a meal. The food was fabulous and sufficient options for most everyone. The service was at the appropriate level for a specialty restaurant. I found the maitre d’ a bit aloof, even though I tried engaging him the second evening we were there in discussion of his beautiful homeland, Croatia. Most disappointing was the wine list – so, so very limited that if one is attempting to be a bit extravagant on vacation, they can not in the wine department. Fortunately, a very nice young lady (Libay) was manning the pre-order wine store the first day onboard and warned us about this limitation. Consequently, we pre-ordered wine both evenings and were content. If she had not brought this limitation to our attention, the meal would have been a failure for us as we looked forward to a special meal at this special restaurant.

I know there are some things I have omitted. I take notes during trips and then rehash when back on land. Unfortunately, when a thought hits me, we may be on an excursion. Speaking of such, below is a reprint of the log I posted while still onboard toward end of cruise as it outlines the excursion experience. I apologize for any redundant comments.

Harry

Log of 29 Nov only thru 6 Dec previously posted on CC:

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

[gizmo]

Thanks for taking the time to write your review. I enjoyed it. :)

[earl_m]

Thanks for the review!! glad you enjoy the cruise!!

[starysacz]

Your review and log were very interesting. Enjoyed both.

[sail7seas]

Very nice review, Harry. Thanks for it.

 

I loved reading about your experiences on our same cruise. :)

 

We were at the Crows Nest party and agree it was terrific. The Invitation was from Captain Draper and Hotel Manager Bararda. They both were in the receiving line and were our hosts. Who knows how they select who comes? In some cases it is because a guest may have a great many days sailing. As long as you enjoyed, doesn't matter why you were included. :) That's the way we always look at it.

 

 

 

 

 

[Crusing Bob]

wouldn't Harry have rec'd the Capt's invite because they were in a Deluxe Suite.

[RuthC]

Evening shows – most were well executed, kept everyone’s attention, with quality programming and performance. Only one show toward the end was a bowser, we left it early. Two performers were particularly exceptional: Donnie Ray Evins singing Nat King Cole and Chris ?? playing a variety of instruments. Seating was a bit awkward as the Maasdam does not have graduated elevation so it is difficult to see over those in front of you. Many folks got to show as much as thirty minute early to get the best seats. Lastly, the music was well orchestrated.

 

The trio playing instrumentals in the Ocean Bar provided very nice background and dance music for pre-dinner drinks and discussion with others. We occasioned that bar several nights and found the music and drinks very good.

 

The four person string quartet played in another bar area which name I do not remember. They were accomplished musicians and their choice of chamber type music meant one would have a relaxing time imbibing and talking in their presence. They also played at a couple of functions we attended and added the quality touch to the event.

Since most of the entertainers---both headline and in the lounges---move from ship to ship, it would be quite helpful to those of us looking forward to our own cruises if you would give the names of the entertainers you especially liked, or didn't like.

[Copper10-8]

Dress Code – this is an area that I fault the crew of Maasdam. At lunch in Lido, there were (different) people on multiple days that came through the line in their bathrobe. One man’s fat, hairy chest was exposed for everyone to take in and be repulsed – and he paraded around the Lido several times during that meal.

 

MAN BOOBS!!:eek: :eek: :eek:

[sail7seas]

wouldn't Harry have rec'd the Capt's invite because they were in a Deluxe Suite.

 

No, not necessarily. Sometimes on some ships, all guests in category "S" suites are invited to what some call the VIP Party. Sometimes not all suite guests are invited. It varies by ship/by cruise.

 

There is always a welcome aboard Suite cocktail party. Usually it is the day of embarkation but sometimes because of Captain's necessity to be on the bridge, it is another time. All Suite guests are invited to that party.

[richnorto]

Thank you for such an in depth review! We are so looking forward to our Christmas cruise on Wednesday and you have filled in some questions we had about the ship and activities!

As far as a bathrobe in the Lido, I hardly think of that as a swimsuit cover although some may...I guess it technically is so you can't fault the staff for that:D.

I also understand your feelings about "formal night" staying formal. We do dress for dinner and all meals accordingly, but - The minute dinner is over, we all dash to the room to change into something comfortable yet appropriate! Believe me, with 3 teens, formal wear won't stay on unless some young man or girl has caught my children's attention! My husband has to be bribed to wear a suit (too much like work) and most of my formal dresses are way too uncomfortable to wear for long - although they look good;)! - and I don't want to be the only one in "tails". Euw - shorts is pushing it in the Ocean Lounge on formal night! The casino, ok for shorts on any night. Gotta be comfortable to lose money!:D

I really do thank you for putting in the time to post all this for us! I feel very good about the upcoming trip! Thanks!!!!

[Seago2]

Thank you for your review. I, too, was invited to the Unknown Cocktail Party. I was a CC member- that's about it. No suite, no Mariner. It was a very nice time... but we WERE wondering why we were there!

[Harry1954]

Thank you for your review. I, too, was invited to the Unknown Cocktail Party. I was a CC member- that's about it. No suite, no Mariner. It was a very nice time... but we WERE wondering why we were there!

The amusing aside is that the captain Henk and the hotel manager Frank, who were charming and gracious hosts, became 'Honk and Fronk' from Father of the Bride (Steve Martin version) momentarily when we first read the invitation. We had a bit of a time keeping from grinning as we went thru the receiving line.

harry