First Time On Hal/maasdam

[Retired 07]

Hi everyone! We are taking our first cruise on HAL in October to Canada/New England. We are interested in an oceanview cabin. Our choices are A deck, main deck, and lower promenade deck. I heard there are privacy issues on the lower promenade deck, as people walking by can look in your window. Are there any issues on the other two decks? Noise from above or below, motion, etc. Does anybody have any recommendations or stateroom suggestions? There are so many choices, I'll take all the help I can get.

Thanks in advance!!

[Roz]

I've never had any privacy issues with the outside cabins on the Lower Promenade. The windows have a tint/glaze on them that prevents people from looking in. At night with the lights on you can make out forms, so I would pull the curtains shut. I like having easy access to the outside viewing deck. The Maasdam is a beautiful ship.

 

Roz

[sapper1]

Hi everyone! We are taking our first cruise on HAL in October to Canada/New England. We are interested in an oceanview cabin. Our choices are A deck, main deck, and lower promenade deck. I heard there are privacy issues on the lower promenade deck, as people walking by can look in your window. Are there any issues on the other two decks? Noise from above or below, motion, etc. Does anybody have any recommendations or stateroom suggestions? There are so many choices, I'll take all the help I can get.

Thanks in advance!!

Take the cabin on the promenade deck. The windows are treated and it is impossible to see inside during the day. When we took a cabin on the promenade deck I went outside and tried my darndest to see in but I couldn't. Of course at night you will want to draw your curtains. We had cabin C362 which was nicely amidship so there was less motion and we were right next to an outside door so stepping out onto the deck was real easy-----almost like having a balcony.

[sail7seas]

DH and I walk Promenade Deck laps all the time. We cannot see into cabins.

 

Hope you love your Canada/New England cruise as much as we love it on Maasdam. We do it every summer. Maasdam is a fabulous ship with a great crew.

 

[RuthC]

If I were booking an outside I'd choose Main Deck. The cabins are larger than the outsides on Lower Promenade, and you're further above the waterline than on A Deck. It's passengers both above and below you, too.

[wdw1972]

If I were booking an outside I'd choose Main Deck. The cabins are larger than the outsides on Lower Promenade, and you're further above the waterline than on A Deck. It's passengers both above and below you, too.

 

I totally agree, and I'll be on Main Deck next month. I would never want lower promenade, as I want to look at the ocean - not lounge chairs, a deck and a railing! I'll walk up a flight to go use the promenade deck - that's convenient enough for me!

 

Sue/WDW1972

Veendam 3/09/08

[Retired 07]

Thank you, everybody, for your answers. They certainly helped. Are there any HAL or Maasdam "secrets" or tips that you experienced cruisers could share? Our cruise ends with 3 sea days, and I hope they have enough activities to keep us busy! Thank you again!

[sail7seas]

You can't count on warm (sun sitting) weather that time of year at aft pool. Lido pool has the retractable roof so if you want to grab a lounge and relax poolside, HAL ships are the best choice for October in New England. Bring a few sweaters, a jacket and rain jacket as you will need some combination of all most likely.

 

 

[Retired 07]

Thank you again.

 

Does anybody know about the weather between Bar Harbor and Ft Lauderdale in the middle of October? I think it's still hurricane season. We've never been to that part of the country, and were wondering how rough the seas are. I know you can't predict the weather, but what are the general tendencies for that part of the year?

[RetiredMustang]

Retired07,

 

The weather then is changeable, which info I know is no help to you at all! Bar Harbor to Ft. Lauderdale is a long stretch with many different sea states.

 

In general, the hurricane season peaks in early Sept., but storms can come in October. It depends somewhat on the track the ship takes, although ships will maneuver to avoid bad weather if possible.

 

The Gulf Stream (and its turbulence crossing it) runs south to north, so I would think the ship's captain heading south would clear it if he can, but you should probably plan for the possibility/probability of some swell and roll off VA and NC. There is a section USN Sailors (I'm USN retired) call "The Wall" south of Virginia Beach, about Cape Hatteras latitude, that is tricky at any time of year, but more so in fall.

 

Having said all that, I have sailed that area in October and sometimes have had glassy calm seas. But, as someone (Damon Runyon?) once wrote, "the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong ... but that's the way to bet!" If I had to bet, I would count on some swells and rolls from Cape May to South Carolina, and be happy if I didn't encounter any. But, I don't know how you react to movement -- I generally enjoy those days, and sleep very well at night (and sometimes during the day!) on heavy seas days. It may bother you more than me, so I can't really say how much you will notice any swell/roll/pitch/yaw, but there is likely to be some.

 

Dave

[RetiredMustang]

BTW, we have sailed on Maasdam twice, and she is a lovely ship that rides well in the water. If movement affects/bothers you, I would say to select a cabin as low and central as you can -- of your choices from the original post, go for A deck amidships for least movement.

[Retired 07]

RetiredMostang-

 

Thank you for your very informative reply. Looking at your history of previous cruises, I can see you're a real Holland America fan. This will be our first cruise with them, and we are really looking forward to it.

 

Thanks again!