Live from the Maasdam - Nov 7 to 21, 2008 - Southern Caribbean

[Bobed1927]

I'm still trying to get an answer to my question about bringing wine aboard in St. Thomas. While you were there did you notice anyone bringing wine or liquor aboard? Were they allowed to keep it or was it stored for delivery at the end of the cruise?

[takemewithyou]

Any other shops at Crown Bay besides jewelry shops? :)

[sail7seas]

I'm still trying to get an answer to my question about bringing wine aboard in St. Thomas. While you were there did you notice anyone bringing wine or liquor aboard? Were they allowed to keep it or was it stored for delivery at the end of the cruise?

 

You are permitted to bring wine aboard from St. Thomas, on embarkation day, in San Juan..... in every port.

 

We have been to St. Thomas dozens of times on HAL ships and they have never taken and held wine. Wine and champagne are permitted.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Any other shops at Crown Bay besides jewelry shops? :)

 

 

A liquor store -- clothing shops -- purse vendor -- the usual.

Nothing different.

[Krazy Kruizers]

GraPajama

Is there any way you can find out if your main cabin steward has to share extra cash tips with the helper??

[sail7seas]

Any other shops at Crown Bay besides jewelry shops? :)

 

 

We weren't impressed with any of the Crown Bay shops. Nothing there interested us.

[sail7seas]

We saw Dutch Pea Soup on the menu, so that was the starter for us. Nobody does split pea soup like Holland America. I got adventuresome and tried the Bami Goreng. It was pretty good.

 

I so agree about the Dutch Pea Soup. I love it and am so happy to hear Bami Goreng is back on the menu. They had been serving Nasi Goreng that last few years and I don't care for it nearly as much as the Bami Goreng. Even though it is white noodles, I think I'll be ordering that! :)

 

[GmaPajama]

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

St. Kitts

 

What a gorgeous island this is! We took the tour called “Panoramic St. Kitts” and very much enjoyed it. The winding mountain roads are not my thing, but we were plenty safe in the hands of our capable driver. There are some interesting shops here, so we walked around after our bus dropped us off. There was the usual mob of taxi drivers trying to drum up business, but they were not as pushy as we’ve found in other ports.

 

Since we had an early tour, we ordered a room service breakfast. It arrived on time, was hot, and was exactly as ordered. We rarely use room service - but did enjoy sitting on our own balcony for breakfast. My only disappointment was the coffee. Definitely from the Lido. Dining room coffee is much better - and we are more than spoiled with the Neptune coffee. Fortunately we are right across the hall from the Neptune and it was easy to grab some of the good coffee.

 

It looks like we won’t get any more information about the resident couple here. When I asked again, all I was told is that they have been here 6 months and are moving to another ship soon. This much was told to me by two different crew members, so I don’t doubt the truth of it, but think they are respecting the privacy of the couple by not telling more..

 

We spent a lazy afternoon enjoying the scenery from our balcony. Well, I watched - Jon slept. It IS vacation, he says. The daily quiz was on geography. We muddled through, but cannot possibly be the winners. We can hardly wait to see all the correct answers in the morning. It’s another formal night at dinner. The menu looks wonderful and I’m sure we’ll find our meals perfectly prepared and served.

 

I've downloaded your questions and comments, and will respond with tomorrow's posting. Thanks to everyone for being so interested. :)

 

Any St. Thomas experts out there? This looks like a big parking lot, but it’s on a very steep hill. What do you suppose it is?

 

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for keeping us updated on your cruise.

 

I wish some other HAL ships would stop at St Kitts. It has been quite a few years since we were there.

[AlbertaCruisers]

We agree the staff on the Maasdam was great and alway seemed happy. We were on the October 24 sailing, so just got off on November 7, and we were amazed at how many people knew our names by the end.

 

If you see DJ Dan around say Hi to him from my husband Dan, the champion Wii bowler!

[GmaPajama]

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Dominica

 

I’ll answer a few questions before I post about our day.

 

For KK - We plan to tip both of our cabin stewards, as we see them always working together on the rooms. It makes for some extra expense for us, but we’re certain the cash will make them much happier than it makes us. I suppose they share, but I don’t feel comfortable asking.

 

For Sail - Our room stewards are Danang and Yusuf, and they are amazing.

 

I see that the remaining questions have been answered by others on the board. I like that - it saves me a little internet time.

 

So, we’re in Dominica. We didn’t book a tour here, as we’ve been trying to stick with touring only every other day. This way we can repeat the itinerary and still see things that are new to us. It’s a pretty island, and we did get off long enough to browse the straw market here. The shopkeepers were friendly and not at all pushy. That always motivates me to buy something, so we picked up a couple of gifts. Coffee is grown here, up in the mountains, and I had to have a bag of that for our pastor at home - he’s definitely a Coffee Gourmet, and will surely enjoy tasting something new. It’s sort of a tradition at church - members bring him coffee from their travels, and he loves it.

 

We’ve been invited to cocktails with Captain Henk Draper and Hotel Manager Simon De Boer at 7:00pm tonight, in the Hudson Room. That’s a pretty small venue, so I’m more than a little curious as to what it will be. I’ll definitely report on that tomorrow.

 

I’ve noticed a couple of changes since our last cruise, though that was on the Zaandam. There is no Assistant Cruise Director, but they have added a Party Planner. The Cruise Director (Savannah) is very visible, and I suspect it’s because she’s having to do so many things herself. But, like the rest of the crew, she is always smiling.

 

This was a Spa day for me. I don’t do spas at home, so it’s always a treat to get to one on a ship. I am not only invigorated, but I look 10 years younger. No push to sell products this time, but I did receive a card with additional recommended treatments. I may go back if I get bored. Right! Like anyone could possibly get bored on a ship!

 

We got a couple of quotes from the Cruise Consultant on board. I was shocked to see him quote $300 per person MORE than HAL’s Website for a Maasdam Cruise early next year. If I can catch him at his desk I will most definitely ask about that.

 

Tomorrow is Barbados, and a beach day for us.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks Donna!!! I figured that we would also tip both cabin stewards.

The VIP party in the Hudson Room is great!!! Lots of drinks -- all kinds -- lots of appetizers -- not and cold -- and there was even a display of desserts since some people had just come from dinner. Hope yours is just as nice as ours was when we were on the Maasdam.

Dominica is a lovely island -- we have been there quite a few times. And we always found the people to be friendly.

The first time we encountered the Party Planner was last spring on our Westerdam cruise -- not impressed with the one we had.

Keep up the great reports.

[ookpik]

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

St. Kitts

 

What a gorgeous island this is! We took the tour called “Panoramic St. Kitts” and very much enjoyed it. The winding mountain roads are not my thing, but we were plenty safe in the hands of our capable driver. There are some interesting shops here, so we walked around after our bus dropped us off. There was the usual mob of taxi drivers trying to drum up business, but they were not as pushy as we’ve found in other ports.

 

Since we had an early tour, we ordered a room service breakfast. It arrived on time, was hot, and was exactly as ordered. We rarely use room service - but did enjoy sitting on our own balcony for breakfast. My only disappointment was the coffee. Definitely from the Lido. Dining room coffee is much better - and we are more than spoiled with the Neptune coffee. Fortunately we are right across the hall from the Neptune and it was easy to grab some of the good coffee.

 

It looks like we won’t get any more information about the resident couple here. When I asked again, all I was told is that they have been here 6 months and are moving to another ship soon. This much was told to me by two different crew members, so I don’t doubt the truth of it, but think they are respecting the privacy of the couple by not telling more..

 

We spent a lazy afternoon enjoying the scenery from our balcony. Well, I watched - Jon slept. It IS vacation, he says. The daily quiz was on geography. We muddled through, but cannot possibly be the winners. We can hardly wait to see all the correct answers in the morning. It’s another formal night at dinner. The menu looks wonderful and I’m sure we’ll find our meals perfectly prepared and served.

 

I've downloaded your questions and comments, and will respond with tomorrow's posting. Thanks to everyone for being so interested. :)

 

Any St. Thomas experts out there? This looks like a big parking lot, but it’s on a very steep hill. What do you suppose it is?

 

Think that is a water catchment area..we lived in Bermuda for 20 years

and saw many of these areas..to collect the rain water for storage in underground tanks.Ours were lime washed tho'so looked much whiter than

this one..maybe I am wrong but that is what it looks like

[sail7seas]

Thanks, Donna. Neither of your cabin stewards names are familiar. We may get to meet them when we go to Maasdam SOON. :)

 

Hope you enjoyed the cocktail party. Maasdam's is Wonderful!! We've had it in the Hudson Room as well as CrowsNest and always enjoy it wherever it is held. Captain Draper is a Wonderful Host as is Hotel Manager Simon de Boer. They run a 'great ship'.

 

Thanks again for your ongoing reports. REALLY enjoying reading everything you have shared with us.

[GmaPajama]

Friday, November 14, 2008

Barbados

 

Well, it was raining to beat the band at tour time for us - so we skipped our Mailbu Beach Break. The sun did come out eventually, and we sat out by the Aft Pool for a while. It sure is relaxing back there. I’ve been trying to imagine that area being all cabins and the new “Retreat” on the Lido Deck. I like things the way they are, but whatever will be, will be. I guess all of life is an adjustment. An interesting notice on the program for Barbados: “IMPORTANT NOTE: On the island of Barbados it is illegal to wear any sort of camouflage material at any time. Please dress accordingly when planning your day ahsore”.

 

I downloaded tuggers thread about displeasure with the Pinnacle Grill, and read it through this morning. I’m sorry to know the experience was not a good one. We had dinner there once, and have breakfast there nearly every day. For us, it has been wonderful - the food, the service, the decor - all perfectly put together. I’ve heard no one onboard complain, so am hoping there will be no more experiences like tugger had. The new Pinnacle Grill manager is Matej, and he’s terrific. He seats us, asks about our day, comes by to check on us at least once, and even clears away plates.

 

The Captain’s cocktail party last night was strictly social. There were just a few dozen people invited, so it was easier to chat. We met our Captain’s wife, Cassie. She is a delight and we enjoyed talking with her. KK is right about all the snacks set around - even the dessert table. Yummy stuff! I’ve still no idea why we were invited - must be a random thing.

 

I saw the FCC onboard (Alan), and sure enough the pricing he gave us for next March is accurate. It must have been a sale when I saw it at the lower price. Even with the terrific pricing, we will probably wait till next fall to cruise again. Probably - but who knows.

 

This is the first port we have shared with another ship. The P&O ship Oceana is here. There’s a banner with big red letters hanging over her side “Security Alert - Keep 50 Metres Away”. Wonder where she’s been to need that?

 

On the menu tonight is Italian Meat Loaf. A full week of gourmet food calls for a brief return to comfort food. We’ll definitely do the meat loaf. Our favorite crew member (Jonathon at the Ocean Bar) has been doing other things around the ship. A couple days ago he did an “All About Rum” lecture - today he’s doing a Coffee Flambe demonstration. A man of many talents, for sure. Maasdam is lucky to have him.

 

St. Lucia is next up, and I’ll post about that tomorrow.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Thanks for the report.

 

All the times that we were invited to the VIP on the Maasdam -- it was packed!!

[fuzzywuzzy]

Really enjoying your reports. We are really looking forward to seeing St. Kitts again. We hope to book a taxi guide right off the ship and tour the island. Perhaps they could take us to a lovely plantation for lunch or some beach time.

 

Enjoy the rest of your cruise....:)

[Scarlotte]

Hi GmaPJ. thanks for posting, so those of us on the turnaround know what to expect.

 

I have a couple of questions about the ship. We were on the Maasdam a few years ago; and it had a movie theater. Do they still show movies?

 

Some of the ships have converted the movie theater to a culinary demo. Has the Maasdam added a culinary demo? If so, do they charge for it.

 

Thx

[scopewest]

Enjoying your reports, thanks for posting them.

[GmaPajama]

November 14, 2008

St. Lucia

 

Questions first: For Scarlotte - Yes, there is still a movie theater on the Maasdam. It is a combination room - used for movies and for culinary demonstrations. The demos are free, and there is one almost every day, but there is a $29 charge for the “hands on” classes.

 

Fuzzywuzzy - You’ll have no trouble finding a taxi - the drivers approach everyone on the dock offering rides to here and to there. We were advised to always settle on a price before getting into the taxi. The ship has some nice excursions in St. Kitts too - and there’s no pricing to figure out.

 

St. Lucia is another of the most gorgeous islands we’ve seen. We did a tour that took us up a mountain to see the Governor’s house and visit one of the mansions. The drive up the steep and narrow roads was a little hairy, but the views were unbelievable. We were served Tea, Juice, and Desserts on the verandah of the mansion - which overlooked the docked Maasdam. It was great. I’m surprised that we haven’t shared ports much - other than the one with Oceana, we’ve been alone.

 

While we were stopped at Soufiere to pick up our touring passengers, our ship was surrounded by locals in small boats. They were hollering “Will dive for American Dollars” and “Will dive for beer”. Surprisingly, folks did through some things overboard - and the divers retreived them. It seemed to me that Holland America should do something to discourage the activity, but the locals stayed with the ship till we sailed away.

 

Dinner was amazing, as always. It was prime rib night and not only was it delicious, the portions were huge. I couldn’t finish mine and had to explain that it was simply too much. Three separate crew members saw that I didn’t eat it all and wanted to be sure nothing was wrong with it. We only eat 2 meals a day onboard, and even then it’s sometimes difficult to eat all that is set in front of us. We’re not small people - it’s just more food than we could possibly eat.

 

We’re still running into Cruise Critic folks - and everyone seems happy with the cruise. We’re told there will be a Suite Dinner this time, instead of a Suite Luncheon.

 

Short report today - how many times can I post about the perfect meals, the perfect crew, and the perfect ship. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

Great reporting!!

I am surprised that the captain did not come on and ask people not to throw things over board -- our captains -- various ships -- have done that in many ports when the divers come out . There is always the concern that one of them could be killed by the ship, thrusters, etc., and they try to discourage people throwing items overboard.

Suite dinner -- that would be way better than a lunch!!

[Deep68]

Great reporting!!

 

I am surprised that the captain did not come on and ask people not to throw things over board -- our captains -- various ships -- have done that in many ports when the divers come out . There is always the concern that one of them could be killed by the ship, thrusters, etc., and they try to discourage people throwing items overboard.

 

Suite dinner -- that would be way better than a lunch!!

We were on this cruise 2 weeks ago and the captain made an announcement not to throw things overboard.

Also in the daily schedule there was a notice advising people this would happen and not to throw anything overboard.

We were told by crew that several locals have died doing this!

[Susie51]

Thank you for your posts. I'm glad you are having such a wonderful time. The itinerary sounds wonderful.

[Bobed1927]

GMAPajama, I didn't realize that they serve breakfast in the Pinnacle. What are the hours and how much do they charge?

[Deb C.]

Did you say your CD was Savannah? Last cruise we had Michelle. She did a great job!

Our invite was to the Hudson Room also. It was wall-to-wall pax.(A large group of Dutch and all of our CC partiers!!) Excellent choice of finger foods. I took a small plate of chocolate covered strawberries to dinner at 8 for my dessert! Yummo!!

Glad to see you are enjoying your cruise! Deb C.