Questions about HAL Maasdam cruise from Auckland to Sydney

Hello, my husband and I are considering an Australian / New Zealand cruise in January or February 2018. I've looked online at prices and itineraries. The one I like the best is the Holland American Maasdam. Fewer sea days and more ports, better "bang for the buck".. I do have some concerns though. We are in our mid 50s, and are quite active. I've heard that the demographics on a HAL cruise skew to the much older side. Will we be the youngest people on the ship? Also, the Maasdam is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, of the HAL ships. I read a bunch of reviews about the aging and somewhat poor condition of the ship. Can anyone confirm or deny this, or just provide some needed feedback? My priority is the ports we go to but still want a pleasant journey. Also can anyone comment on the entertainment aboard the Maasdam? Thank you in advance for the assistance!!

You said Holland American is the best bang for your buck. You are correct I feel the age thing is coming down .

Thanks, I am hoping so! In your opinion is the Maasdam in good condition? I read online about plumbing and A/C problems people had that didnt get fixed for days... and how is the food??

We spent two months on the Maasdam last fall sailing to and around Australia. We wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again !

The main stage entertainment was the typical HAL cast show interspersed with other entertainers.

We had no plumbing issues and I don't recall hearing of any while onboard.

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Hi we were on Maasdam in June for Canada/New England cruise. We are late 50s and yes we were in the younger age group [emoji3]

We found the ship to be showing a bit of wear and tear but extremely clean, Good AC in our cabin and we found the food in the MDR to be really good, great portion size for us, well presented and good service.

Entertainment was mixed, some good some ok and some not for us.

Like you we pick cruises for the itinerary and we would not hesitate to sail Maasdam again.

We are doing New Zealand/Australia on Noordam in Nov and hoping its as good - again it was the itinerary that interested us.

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We are also in our early fifties and active, have done Maasdam earlier this year and with all of the HAL ships, we found her in good condition, lots of maintenance on a daily base. Indeed, only Prinsendam is older in the fleet, but we think she did not show her age in February, when we cruised her. We like the compact size (we have sailed all classes, from Prinsendam to Koningsdam) and some features other ships do not have (anymore), like the open deck on top of the bridge and crow’s nest complex, excellent for unobstructed views if weather permits and unique in the fleet, I think only Veendam shares this feature.

Entertainment was good on our last cruise, similar to other ships in the fleet.

Demographic on HAL in general is on the older side, but having said that, differs from itinerary to itinerary. Do not expect nightlife on board, at least not much after 23.00.

Search for the more intensive excursions if you want to be “challenged” or go on your own in search for active excursions.

We are looking forward cruising Maasdam on the same itinerary in December 2018, if all goes well.

Great info all thank you.. I've only taken two other cruises and both were Royal Caribbean. I am torn between the RCL cruise in January '18 and the Maasdam. Similar itineraries and price not too different, although the ports / timing on Maasdam are better in my opinion. We loved the entertainment on Royal Caribbean and food was excellent. How does Maasdam compare to Royal in those areas (food and entertainment)? Really asking about the shows - music, comedians. Not into casinos, dancing, late night bars (of which I'm guessing on Maasdam is little to none). I also read that some HAL ships have cooking demos, do you know if Maasdam has them? Thanks.

I cannot personally give you any comparison with any other cruise line, but we always have been more than happy with food choices in MDR on any Holland America ship, both quality and diversity. Having said that, food is always a personal choice and opinions and very subjective to ones expectation and preferences.

Entertainment is changing daily with 2 evening shows an early and late one (8 and 10 PM usually) which are the same for both early and late one. Ships singers and dancers usually perform about once every 3 or 4 nights, other nights performers can be vocalists, musical performers, variety or stand-up comedy, usually from all over the world.

During the day, sea days mostly, you will find cooking demonstrations, lectures of general or area specific subjects and also the usual bingo and other stuff, like sales demonstrations you find on every cruise. Also daily trivia’s (team, pub and music) and movies in a smaller venue, sometimes on large screen in the showroom.

We spent two months on the Maasdam last fall sailing to and around Australia. We wouldn't hesitate to sail on her again !

 

The main stage entertainment was the typical HAL cast show interspersed with other entertainers.

 

We had no plumbing issues and I don't recall hearing of any while onboard.

 

 

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We were on this same cruise with Btimmer and would do it again for sure. Love the Maasdam and it was one of the best of the 28 cruises we have taken.

just got off her a week ago. Food A+ Service A++ Entertainment B+ If you want to be with people younger than you there is Carnival. Not sure when being older became dull. She's older but works fine. Smaller but that a choice you make. I'd book her again.

I am in my early 30's and will be on the Maasdam in November- First time ever on HAL. I am on her because of the itinerary. The age demographic is not a concern to me. No nightlife after 10PM is a plus for me, means I'll get to bed early. No drink package also means I wont stay up late at any bars. Im not concern about ship aging, normal wear and tear. As long as the food areas are clean and service is top notch I am happy

OP, just go out and enjoy your cruise :)

Everyone's responses are very reassuring. Like one of the folks here said, as long as everything is clean and in working order, good food and entertainment aboard, we should be happy. Don't want a lot of screaming kids (like Carnival or some RCL cruises). Most likely will book this cruise on the Maasdam. Thanks, any other comments or details are certainly appreciated.

just got off her a week ago. Food A+ Service A++ Entertainment B+ If you want to be with people younger than you there is Carnival. Not sure when being older became dull. She's older but works fine. Smaller but that a choice you make. I'd book her again.

How was the crowd a week ago? More families because school is out?

We are 53 & 54 and the kids are 25 and 16. We sail her on August 5. Would be nice if the kids found compadres, too.

When we sail port heavy (and this is only our 3rd cruise and all have been) we aren't up late. We want to be up early so we can get off the ship and enjoy the day in a new port. We have already warned the kids (this is their first cruise) that they will need a vacation from this vacation.

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A January sailing may have more families on board as that is "Summer vacation" down under. We are on the Maasdam this Dec/Jan over the holidays. We are late 50's and really enjoy the smaller ship(s) as we sailed Veendam earlier this year and head to Prinsendam in October.

One thing to think about is the ports, as they are likely your primary reason for traveling. If you are a planner and either DIY or plan private / group tours, there is a huge advantage if you are on a smaller ship as the port is less crowded. Add length of time in port to the mix and it's hard to beat a 1300 passenger ship with a 3000+ ship.

Just booked the Maasdam, we are so excited! Can anyone tell me about the Wifi onboard? And any comments regarding the lanai ocean view rooms? Thanks!

Just booked the Maasdam, we are so excited! Can anyone tell me about the Wifi onboard? And any comments regarding the lanai ocean view rooms? Thanks!

Wi-Fi is available throughout the ship, although signal strength can vary, depending on how far from a booster you are.

Lanai cabins were formerly outside cabins that were converted. To make room for the sliders to the promenade, the furniture needed to be rearranged, with the head of the bed on the side wall. This necessitated moving the desk closer to the sliding doors, which meant it had to be made much smaller. It lost all those roomy drawers, and there is now less storage space than other outsides (or, insides, for that matter). There are drawers under the bed, though.

You will have two reserved loungers outside your slider.