Canada/New England first time questions

[TwinCruiserMom]

I feel like a fish out of water planning this cruise because every other one we have been on revolves around beaches and sunshine. The four of us (dh and twin 18 yr old sons) are really looking forward to our Montreal to Boston cruise on the Maasdam on June 29th.

 

However, my packing list for the Caribbean/Bermuda is just not going to cut it!

 

Are the pools usually open for these cruises? I am so glad to have the outdoor pool area in the back instead of the weird sunning area on the Veendam and I was looking forward to it being warm enough to enjoy.

 

I usually wear nice capris and sandals for smart casual dinners - will it be too chilly for this? I plan on packing several cardigans but I am not fond of wearing slacks in the summertime.

 

It seems the weather is very changeable for Ft. Louisbourg which we are really looking forward to. Should I pack some jeans? Is it always pretty windy at this location? Just wondering what others have worn and if they wished they had dressed warmer or cooler.

 

How rough are the seas on this cruise? We cruised from New York to Bermuda on the Veendam and people were dropping like flies on the first sea day. The 4 of us did pretty well as long as I kept the boys on the lower promenade in the fresh air. Is this cruise as rough or smoother in your opinion? Still will pack the ginger pills and meclizine, but it is nice to know what to expect.

 

I know that variances can happen, but did you find on your Maasdam cruise that the port arrival times were on time? We are renting a car in Sydney so that day I need to make sure we keep to a tight schedule. If we sail at 4pm, will we need to be back by 3pm or earlier?

 

I know this cruise will be an older crowd and that is perfectly great for all of us, but I was wondering if the dining rooms would be very crowded earlier for any time dining. Should we wait until a bit later to arrive at the dining room? Maybe 7:30pm or so?

 

Any advice for the Montreal port? I have read that it is not the most organized place and we plan to arrive a little later because of that. We usually try to get to a port around 10:30am but were thinking of around noon for this one. Is that a good or bad idea?

 

I sincerely appreciate any advice for this cruise. I could pack and plan a Caribbean cruise with my eyes closed but this one has thrown me for a loop :)

[sail7seas]

This is a great cruise we have done many times.

 

June 29 can and should be full, warm summer weather in Boston but as you go north, it can get considerably cooler. There is no way to know in advance what weather. As you point out, it is changeable.

 

I would bring one pair of slacks in addition to your capri pants. If you run into a cold, rainy spell, you could be chilly in your capri pants. You also definitely should bring your swimsuit. It is likely you'll enjoy some time at the pool.

 

Bring a hoodie and/or lightweight water resistant jacket, short sleeve tops and one or two long sleeve. You don't need a lot of clothes but you need an assortment for warmer, sunny weather which you likely will enjoy or rainy, raw weather which can happen.

 

We've far more often than not had great weather. :)

 

[dcguy9]

Sail, how are the waves usually? Since the Maasdam is an older ship, is it more prone to rocking? On average, I mean...

[RuthC]

I disembarked from this cruise last Saturday.

I won't talk about weather, as it is so changeable, but do be prepared for both hot, and chilly rain.

The sail down the St. Lawrence was very smooth, but since it's a river I expected that. I never felt any motion after we entered the Atlantic and down to Boston, but that can vary based on storms out there. You will also be sailing against the Gulf Stream, so that could be bumpier than a north-bound cruise.

If the motion of the ocean can be a problem for you, at least have some remedies available.

Age of the ship has nothing to do with how much motion you feel. It's the design of the hull and the direction of the waves that counts.

Most people found the ship chilly-cold at night. The dining room was quite cool. Even the men at my table looked forward to formal nights, saying they would get to wear a jacket! The women were ordering wine to warm up.

The Mix was the only warm area, but that was due to all the body heat from the crowds in the area; when the crowds thinned, it did cool off.

We were definitely on target for arrival times; a time or two we were delayed leaving while waiting for a tour to return.

I found the Montreal port ran very well. I arrived about 11:30 (don't arrive too much before that as they can't do too much for you then). The people in charge got me a seat while I waited for a wheelchair. They had me fill out the medical form, wheeled me to a designated check-in desk (that was low so the person in the wheelchair could transact her own business :)), and sent me aboard.

There were people waiting in the further area as general boarding had not started.

[sail7seas]

Sail, how are the waves usually? Since the Maasdam is an older ship, is it more prone to rocking? On average, I mean...

 

 

Again it is impossible to say how much motion of the ocean you will experience but out of our many days sailing this route round trip, we have had remarkably calm seas. We have often found riding the Caribbean to be rougher than the 'usual' for the Canada/NE Maasdam itinerary. I have sometimes looked out the window to be sure we were moving. :) Maasdam may be 'small' in comparison to other huge cruise ships but she is still 55,000 ton. In the scheme of all the years of ships and sailing, she is substantial. :) We think she rides very well. We've been in calm and we've been in rough weather (mistrals off the coast of Africa - that was frighteningly rough!!!) and Maasdam has carried us comfortably and safely. :)

 

[mamaofami]

When we took this cruise B2B a few years ago, we had a mixed bag of weather in June. It started out rainy and cold, and then warmed up.

 

I find I wear the same clothing at night in the MDR whether it's a Caribbean or New England cruise. It's always air conditioned in the MDR and I take a sweater with me every night.

[TwinCruiserMom]

Thanks for all of the replies!

 

I think most of my questions were answered except the one about the best time for anytime dining on this particular route. I imagine it will be more crowded early on, but maybe that is not true. Is 7:30 a good time to plan on dinner for this cruise?

 

I am going to have to be creative and take clothes for hot and cold conditions. The boys are glad they have their graduation suits so I will be hauling 3 mens suits (they are all over 6 foot tall too!) and I was trying to figure out how to make the clothes packing easier. Sigh.

 

Thanks also to everyone who has written reviews. I really appreciate the advice and details about the ports, the weather and the ship.