pstoker

This is our first 30 day cruise and my first time to Australia. I have to say, so far I've been pretty impressed with the ship, the crew, and the activities. I've enjoyed several of the lectures so far and I like the fact that the ship doesn't "feel" as crowded. My wife and I are easy going travelers. I have noticed some things that are worth mentioning. Though, I've never been on the Maasdam before, it seems like the ship has undergone a remodel. It seems like some of he appliances and upholstery/furnishings are newer. I also like that when you walk near the casino, you don't smell smoke. The lifeboat drill was one of the fastest I think I've every been through on a cruise. The one drawback of the drill was the volume on the speaker was so loud that people had to cup their ears to tolerate it. 

So far I'm very happy with the trip. Tomorrow will be our first stop at Airlie Beach. Starting out with a couple of sea days is a nice way to recover from travel lag and get into the rhythm of things onboard. DSC_0DSC_0098.NEF098.NEF

10 minutes ago, kevingastreich said:

I agree. The crew and staff work extremely hard. I try to be nice to them regardless of the experience. BTW, what is "extremely poor middle class"?

It's living in a "middle class" income bracket but both parents working multiple jobs to make ends meet. Once I was old enough I worked as well to help out. 

My wife and I love cruising. We've never really had a horrible cruising experience with HAL. We have taken some pleasure in the hobby of people watching. Many people forget the fact that they are on a cruise, which only a small portion of people ever get to do in the first place. Some people take pleasure in treating the cooking staff on the Lido with audible contempt. Some people enjoy complaining about everything they encounter with respect to the cruise ship. Some people complain about the fact that one conglomerate has taken over the line and that HAL is just a puppet of a larger company. Regardless of the veracity of their statements or  perceived justifiability of their behavior, they seem to forget that not everyone gets to enjoy being on a cruise. I grew up in a very poor middle class family. Cruising was never an option I even dreamed about. Watching the Love Boat was about as close as I dreamed I would come to a cruise. Thanks to hard work and a bit of luck, I get to enjoy it now but I never forget where I came from. 

The people who serve you on these ships are far away from their homes and families for months at a time. The staff that cleans your rooms, cooks your food, and handles the ship, in most cases do it for a salary you and I would never consider as acceptable. They work enormously hard to please the guest and they absorb quite a bit of verbal abuse by people who frankly have it pretty good in life. Maybe it's my 21 years of military service, or maybe its the fact that I I still have calluses on my hands, I never overlook the hard work people do. The best thing you can do as a cruiser, whether you're a first time cruiser or an experienced cruiser, is to lighten up, take in the ocean air, and just enjoy the fact that you have the privilege to cruise. If your sheet isn't folded quite as perfectly as you would like, remember that you didn't have to make that bed. If you're treated rudely, by all means report that treatment, or don't tip as much. Before you decide to go an a rant ask yourself this question. Would you do what these people do for the pay they receive? 

I recognize that there are some truly bad things that may happen on a cruise. Back in January 2017, I was on the Nat Geo/Linbad cruise that threw a rod in the middle of the Drake passage and had to return under emergency power. But even then, the overall cruise was a great experience. I'm happy go lucky person. I love being on ships. Yes, I've noticed some changes in services, but I'm smart enough to realize that have a zero defect mindset is unrealistic. To keep myself grounded, though I'm retired,  I work part time in an industry that is woefully under paid (EMS). Many of my colleagues work multiple jobs to make ends meet. So remember, if you have a stable deck beneath your feet, don't have to do the dishes after dinner, or make your bed, you've got it pretty good in life. Enjoy yourself. Leave the grump monster locked up at home where he/she belongs. 

Hello,

 

How do you get the count down to cruise in your signature area? Thank you in advance:D

I honestly don’t know how the countdown works

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I apologize for the words that are crammed together. I pasted my post in from MS Word and apparently Word doesn’t play nice with HTML

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I'm on the Volendam atm, I always drink bottled water onboard, our friends next door have been drinking the water from their cabin tap, it's not marked as non drinkable but my water is brownish from the tap and in the shower, is it meant to be drinkable?

Water out of the taps is drinkable. Sometime if the faucet has not been opened or run for some times it will be a little browning from rust deposits. Just let it run until it is clear.

I’m relatively new to posting in Cruise Critic, but I am an experienced cruiser. I have traveled mostly with Holland America Line (still my favorite) National Geographic/Linblad, and Grand Circle. I have never been on a cruise where I was universally miserable the entire time nor have I gone on a cruise expecting perfection. I think many who cruise for the first time have an inordinately high expectation of what will happen on the cruise. So, I've decided to share what I have found to be helpful when cruising.

1)[Prepare your logistics ahead of time].

My wife and I have discovered that flying the same day your cruise departs is quite a gamble. We have been fortunate not to miss a departure, but we have come close.One time we were processing in as the lifeboat drill was taking place. I strongly recommend planning your vacation, so you arrive in your departure ports day or two before your cruise departs. This allows you to have contingencies in case and airport suffers a power outage, planes go down for maintenance issues,or whatever other unforeseen circumstances occur. Have a solid backup plan.

2)[Don’t forget those things you cannot function without].

I love checklists, but my wife and I have an empty suitcase we keep in our closet. The week before our trip we start dropping things we don’t want to forget in the suitcase before we begin packing. This works for us, and may notwork for you but you should have a place to put items you cannot forget to pack so it will trip your memory when packing time comes.

3)[Learn about the place you are traveling to before you go].

Use the internet, library, or people who have been there before to getan understanding of culture, amenities, and things to avoid when you are at a certain location. I recommend learning the polite words in the host language before you travel. You don’t need to be fluent but words and phrases likeplease, thank you, excuse me, and where is the toilet are immensely helpful. Donot assume that everyone should understand English just because they are a tourist port.

4)[Prepare for lack of activity].

Sea days can belong days. Not every ship is packed with activities. My wife and I are avid readers and load our devices up with plenty of electronic books before we travel. Remember travel games (for kids) and favorite DVDs (many cruise ships have DVD players in room). If your traveling with children, plan activities on sea days. You can arrange a ship spotting contest with your kids or identify constellations games (I know its crazy, activities that are fun and educational). Many shipshave charity walks on deck on sea days or other activities but don’t rely on the ship to fill your day.

5)[Exercise].

I know we defer healthy eating habits,diets, and New Years resolution when we travel but we also do this for so many other things in life. If you are able, avoid using elevators (they won’t work in emergencies so train yourself now). Plan walking events, uses stairs, have a small workout routine in the morning (plan for a minimum of equipment).

6)[Eating].

I recommend the dining room experience.The portions are gourmet rather than American so you not getting the sheer amount of food your used to but you’re probably getting the right portion size.Lido dinning is OK occasionally, but it is very easy to lose self-control and over eat. If nothing else, go to the Lido once and observe how people eat and act. That by itself can be enough to deter you from eating there.

7)[Adapters and chargers].

Some cruises are about power strips but bring 220/110 adapters for your laptops. Most laptops today are built for dual voltage. Since most cruise ships are built in Europe, they tendto have very limited 110 options in public spaces. Our last cruise the room only had one 110 outlet and there were no 110 outlets in public spaces. Don’t forget camera battery chargers, USB and data transfer cables. Options to get these on ships or in ports are surprisingly limited.

8)[Read your programs].

You get a program in your room every night. Read through it, don’t just toss it to the side. Time zone changes, meeting places, tender schedules, and entertainment are included in the programs. I’m amazed at how clueless some people appear because they didn’t take the time to read what was provided.

9)[be on time].

If your tender is supposed to leave at 8am be at the meeting place at 7:45am. Don’t be “that guy or gal.” Others want to enjoy their vacation in a timely manner. Being late is rude, especially if it is within your power to be on time.

10)[be civil].

You are on a cruise, for some people just to take a small cruise is a bucket list item. For the duration of your cruise your only real function is to relax and enjoy yourself. If you cannot manage to smile and be nice, stay in your room so that others don’t have to share in your misery. Remember you are on a ship where your politics, religion,or worldview are largely irrelevant. If someone butts in line in front of you,let it go, Karma will take care of them in the long run. You acting defensive or aggressive will only make you and other miserable and will most likely get you labeled as “that guy or gal.”

This if far from an all-inclusive list but it may help new people think and prepare for an experience that should beenjoyable. I hope you find this useful.