Almost live Maasdam 3/23 cruise report

[RMLincoln]

Excuse me?? Dr. Dawg, what are you talking about??? I do not understand???

 

Please tell us you posted to the wrong thread, Please??

 

Maureen is far from being a snob!! she is the sweetest most wonerful person you could ever hope to meet:) She drove down to be with me when I nearly lost my toes in February, and had never ever met me before.

 

Please say this was a mistake in posting, Please????

 

Joanie

 

It's Ok Joanie... and thank for you for your kind words. I'm sorry if I offended someone and certinly didn't mean to, so maybe something came across wrong.

 

I think HAL does a wonderful job or I wouldn't have cosen to spend my vacation on Maasdam for this extended cruise. I'm having a blast and thankful for every bit of it. Some things are different as time goes along but it's all good :) and I think many folks enjoy hearing what's new or different or changing. So be it! and peace to those who read more into it that what was meant. I hope their day gets better. I know my day will be good, thank you friends! I feel very blessed! m--

[IRL_Joanie]

hi, joanie. i was reacting to the post of kk. i thought her outrage over others than just high suite folks being allowed so-called embarkation perks was snobbish. and i still do. even four-stars have to wait behind suite guests. i just sense a kind of attitude in her posts that i do not appreciate. i know, that as you say, she may be a kind and gentle person, but it does not come across. she disses a lot. i did not mean to offend, really, it just struck me as elitist. thanks for your reply to my reply.

 

While I will disagree with you about Krazy Kruisers, I respect your reply, and the fact you came back to explain so quickly:) Thank You!!

 

I thought you were "dissing" Maureen aka RMLincoln, whom I adore:)

 

Joanie

[RMLincoln]

Did that Land & Sea Tour and it is wonderful!!

 

Heads up though, sit in the front ride seats or you will not get any photos as the bus does not stop but once (at a church) and that reminds me, bring tissues as the bathrooms behind the building do not have any!!! AND bring some Euros and try some of the little cakes the ladies are selling in the driveway of the church, right beside where the bus stops.

 

Yeah, we had a bit of rain/snow. The southern and western parts of the state did have some fires, but....

 

Joanie

 

Great tips! I used some other tips I picked up here for our tour to St John Island and they helped make our day. Luv ya, m--

 

Oh and sorry to hear about the fires in the south... Oh and the tornados in OK, OY. Every day is a gift to cherish, and a chance to send out our love:)

[dr.dawg]

hi, kk, joanie, et al. i'm not trying to diss anyone; lord knows i've been dissed enough in my life of 68 years. i was just reacting to what i perceived as a 'superior' attitude. obviously, i was wrong; i haven't been on cc long enough to know the 'regulars' and their styles. mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. i'll be very careful when i come back to this site again. no hard feelings, please. dr. dawg

[IRL_Joanie]

hi, kk, joanie, et al. i'm not trying to diss anyone; lord knows i've been dissed enough in my life of 68 years. i was just reacting to what i perceived as a 'superior' attitude. obviously, i was wrong; i haven't been on cc long enough to know the 'regulars' and their styles. mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. i'll be very careful when i come back to this site again. no hard feelings, please. dr. dawg

 

Been there and done the same Dr. Dawg. So I completely understand:)

 

It is hard at first to get to know the ins and outs of people on a board such as this one. People come out looking and sounding much different in a post than they actually mean to:eek:

 

KK is one of the most helpful ladies around these boards and once you learn her style, you will understand why I say this:)

 

Have a great day Dr. Dawg and do not worry, none of us will beat you down for the misunderstanding:)

 

Joanie

[erewhon]

Maureen,

 

Thank you for the updates of your cruises.

Yes, we saw you waving at the second Fort Lauderdale sail away.

 

Enjoy the remainder of your time on board the ship.

[Copper10-8]

................ The Showroom at Sea approach utilizes the lounge entertainers in some of the shows, especially Encore which features the tenor Alberto Sanchez and soprano Laurie Ynez accompanied by the HalCats and the Adagio Strings. .................

 

 

Alberto and Laura are awesome! and the rest of Maasie's cast are no slouches either! "The Goode Company" and "Roadhouse" with Roy and the gang are favorites! "I like beer";) Enjoy the rest of your cruise!

[RMLincoln]

April 23, St Kitts. It’s been one month since we boarded Maasdam and it’s been a truly wonderful relaxing experience. We’ve had repeats of treats in recognition of this third leg of our Collectors Voyage: another Mariners tote bag, chocolate strawberries, a cocktail party and an Indonesian luncheon. And we won a wheeled tote as a door prize at the Turn-around Day instructions gathering! This 11 day itinerary visits St Martin, St Lucia, Barbados, St Vincent, St Kitts, St Croix and HMC. We find all the islands have their own beauty and they are all quite warm, especially for us mountain dwellers. This is the last ship of the season for many ports and the local folks will miss the business. Of course, the ships follow the money trail, so they go to Europe and Alaska for the summer.

 

At St Lucia we had a grand day on a pre-reserved excursion with Spencer Ambrose. He organizes a variety of tours and we chose the Land and Sea version which was a great balance beginning with a drive on narrow roads with steep, tight switchback turns taking us over some of the mountainous country to Soufriere, including to the sulphur springs of this volcanic island, and then by boat to Jalousie Beach between the two giant Pitons rising like lush pyramids from the coast. The tour included roadside stops for fruit at a banana plantation and two unique bakery spots where our driver, Neptune (Spencer’s brother) purchased samples for us of cassava bread and clay-oven-baked bread, both very different and delicious. At our breach visit we were served a home-cooked picnic style lunch of island-spiced chicken with rice, plantain, slaw, salads and some other dishes that I didn’t recognize but enjoyed. I snorkeled there for a short time until we were warned that jellyfish were coming in on the tide. The fish were pretty and diverse; the coral was not the best but still lovely. We had shade and lounge chairs enough for our group and the view was spectacular. At the beach we were joined but folks who had taken other variations of Spencer’s tours. He took us all back to the cruise ship in his new, fast power-boat with idling stops at the bat cave, a tour of the beautiful and ritzy Marigot Bay and other sights of the island’s coast. It was a sometimes rainy day but thoroughly enjoyable.

 

Our entertainment stepped up a notch into the classics with two shows by Hyperion Knight, a young but accomplished concert pianist. He played an afternoon concert for us, during which he brought the music to life with explanations of the emotional births of some of the pieces including selections by Gershwin, Liszt and Rachmaninoff. The next evening he had his regular show which, in my and many others’ opinion, unfortunately included some back-up by the ship’s HalCats band – we thought the piano music stood very well on its own and was a very special treat for us. Plus we got to meet Hyperion and his friend Paula at our Meet and Greet, with Paula having been active on the CC roll call.

 

We had another most unique concert, this one by Junior of the HalCats band who not only played steel drum for us but gave us a lesson in the history and manufacture of this 20th century instrument; he did a separate lesson on how to play the steel drum with about 5 or 6 participants. Junior played Gershwin very differently than Hyperion, but also lovely, along with Broadway classics of Sound of Music and Fiddler on the Roof, plus a touch of Bob Marley. And in the later evenings we continue to enjoy Barry from Boston in the piano bar with his 1-hour themed cabaret shows nightly, followed by requests until the wee hours (so I’m told… I’m not up that late!). I find Barry’s piano playing mesmerizing.

 

MDR menus continue to repeat with some slight variation, though I’m still waiting for some of the very special chocolate desserts; with only a few dinners left I may have to just be satisfied with having had them on our 14-day leg; mostly I’m enjoying the delicious sorbets now. I feel like I’ve tried a little of everything and no longer need to experiment. In a few days I’ll have to re-learn how to cook… and dessert will consist of a cup of tea!

 

Today at St Kitts we are hoping for a change in the weather, waiting for the mountain tops to clear so we can take a taxi to Brimstone Hill’s fort, from which one can see 6 or maybe 7 neighboring islands on a clear day, but alas we can’t even see the mountain tops today which is in thick clouds. Maybe in an hour or so…otherwise another fabulous “Ship Day”… also such a rare treat! m--

[PathfinderEss]

Don't you just love St Lucia........Your live reports just keeps getting better and better. Thanks so much for taking the time to post them.

[RMLincoln]

27 April, Friday, Disembarkation Day! :( But what a wonderful time it's been!! Thank you all for your replies and I hope to be able to spend some time reviewing this thread for questions I missed and any new ones that have come up.

 

Flying home all day today, then we'll be going to a neighbor's funeral tomorrow to honor her long life of 93 years! Back to "work" Sunday doing fire department truck inspections (volunteer, but work nonetheless) plus unpacking and laundry... oh and getting the 5 weeks of mail sorted, OY. Oh yeah, and I guess we'll need groceries too becasue there'll be no menus in the dining room either! I'll catch up with you all real soon. Blessings, m--

[aliaschief]

Thank you very much for taking us along on your great cruise aboard the wonderful MS Maasdam. Welcome back.

[RMLincoln]

Thank you Chief for your kind words. I'll have to get up to speed and find out what sail aways will be like from here out. I'll tune in again as soon as I can. Enjoy the wave party! m--

[mamaofami]

Thank you for your wonderful posts from the Maasdam. I enjoyed sailing along with you. Where was your cabin located that it got so hot you needed to use the fan? Just wondering.

[innlady1]

Thanks for your wonderful and interesting posts, Maureen! I enjoyed each and every one....and, welcome back to reality!

[erewhon]

maureen,

Thank you for such thorough reports of your cruise, which I enjoyed reading.

 

Welcome home.

[kazu]

Welcome home Maureen - thank you so much for your great posts:)

[RMLincoln]

Greetings from Homedam! Thanks to you for following this far. It’s been a fun adventure to share. This will be my last installment to this thread unless there are questions to address. I’ll try to recap the issues that are most often asked about on the threads.

Formal nights: We had 10 total, 4 on the 14-day, 2 each on the 10-day and 11-day legs, though the shorter cruises we advertised to have 3 each, but it was not so. In the MDR nearly everyone dressed according to the recommendations, or closely at least. The dining room managers greeted all MDR guests and to those not dressed formally they asked if they prefer to return to their cabins to change, borrow a jacket from them or have dinner in the Lido. Except for the 3rd formal of the 14-day cruise (Barbados), all were on sea days, of which there were only 9 in 35 days.

Entertainment: We enjoyed entrainment day and night. The Showroom at Sea cast comprised very highly trained professional high quality singers and dancers; guest entertainers were virtuosos musicians: flutist, pianist, violinist, fiddler; comedians, a juggler, and magicians. The CD’s Explorations team included something new (to me) with a Lifestylist who presented Tai Chi twice daily and several guided mediations, and talks on sleep, nutrition etc. A Port Speakers gave talks on the ports’ histories, culture and interesting natural features. Other offerings were twice-daily trivia, games, bridge, library offerings of crosswords, sudukos, trivia quizzes, jigsaw puzzles, chess, checkers, scrabble, news, and thousands of books to choose from. The free Digital Workshops were very popular and well attended. Plus the old style cruise games of ping pong, putting, bocce ball etc. Plus all the free DVD movies you could ask for! It’s all good!

Food: Lots of it and I gained weight but overall I agree with others that the MDR selections though varied are hit and miss for excellence but consistently good to very good; the beef is not what it used to be but the lamb, pork fish and chicken were as good or better than I remember in the past, the veal not as good. We found the salmon excellent no matter how it was prepared, presented or in which venue. Lido food I think was very good and offered carving stations daily with two selections, Asian choices, sandwiches made to order, a variety of salads with trimmings, all enjoyable. The desserts overall I think look better than they taste. I did get a written answer to my question about the sweetener used in the No Sugar Added desserts and was told it is a combination of Sweet and Low, xorbitol and xylitol.

Cabin: We had #784, cat M, assigned from a Flash Fare booking (guarantee NN). It is located midship on Deck 4. It was occasionally noisy from mechanical workings beneath us. We adapted to this and recognize that we were on a working vessel. The room temp varied 72 – 76 and the fan we had help me during the nights (being in my late 50s I still manage through hot flashes so the fan helped greatly).

Ship: She’s a lovely ship, elegant and well appointed. Comfortable. Only chilly in the Digital Workshop. There’s plenty of room for everyone; pool loungers to be had; deck chairs available even though it’s different than before the Lanai cabins. We had no trouble with lines which were usually short, if at all. Tender operations are never easy but the return waits seemed longer than they should have been especially with no shade. HMC has large shore tenders but when we shared HMC with Nieuw Amsterdam the larger tenders served her guests and we used our ship tenders with somewhat more difficulty. Such comes with the charm of sailing on a smaller ship.

Ports: Too many to go over. We enjoyed several ship excursions, some better than others, and some private tours also some better than others. But a great variety of ports which is something HAL does well, with interesting itineraries.

Service: We feel like royalty aboard, served so well, always with courtesy…. Sir, Madam, My pleasure, Of Course! The crew works so hard, and so pleasantly for us in all needs and requests. The officers must strive to balance the needs of our safety and comfort against corporate goals because it is a money making operation, but we feel that HAL does this quite well and we hope to return to cruise with HAL again with another good deal on an interesting itinerary aboard a comfortable ship.

So it’s back to Homedam, also where life is good, but different. Thanks to you all for your help with me planning, kind words of encouragement and appreciation along our way. I count you all among my many blessings and wish you good times ahead on the cruise of your liking! m-- :)

[kazu]

We have been blessed with your reports Maureen - thank you so much for taking the time to share with us:) I am so glad to see you enjoyed all those days on board:) Now the big question - where are you going to eat tomorrow night:p:p Safe travels!

[RMLincoln]

We have been blessed with your reports Maureen - thank you so much for taking the time to share with us:) I am so glad to see you enjoyed all those days on board:) Now the big question - where are you going to eat tomorrow night:p:p Safe travels!

 

Thank you Jacqui. I have to admit that the longer I stayed on board, the harder it was to get off! Neighbors kindly had us over to supper last night but now it's almost 5pm and I guess I have to really bite the bullet and dig into the freezer for something for supper... probably salmon as that's my 'go to' dish. As hard as it'll be for both of us I guess it's what helps us appreciate our vacations so much :) m--

[Typhoon1]

Very thorough review. Thanks for taking the time.

[innlady1]

Thank you Jacqui. I have to admit that the longer I stayed on board, the harder it was to get off! Neighbors kindly had us over to supper last night but now it's almost 5pm and I guess I have to really bite the bullet and dig into the freezer for something for supper... probably salmon as that's my 'go to' dish. As hard as it'll be for both of us I guess it's what helps us appreciate our vacations so much :) m--

 

It's such a let down to return from a cruise and have to get back to cooking, etc. That's the one down side..the longer the cruise, the more spoiled we become!

[IRL_Joanie]

I am glad you made it safely and totaly understand the withdrawals:)

 

You have 3 emails:) The last one, if you have a problem with downloading it, let me know and I will put it on my site and you can download it from there.

 

Joanie