Maasdam Review - Canada/New England

[lomo]

As promised, here is my review of the Canada/New England cruise I just took from Boston to Montreal. Its a bit long, so I hope I won't bore you too much. Please let me know if you have any questions or if I can help you in any way.

 

Maasdam Review – Canada/New England

 

August 27-Sept 3, 2005

 

 

 

Let me start off by saying that this cruise was absolutely fantastic and we loved every minute of it. Our cruise started in Boston and ended in Montreal. This was our 6th or 7th cruise, but our first on Holland America. We have cruised on Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian, Carnival and Renaissance. This was the first time we have cruised to Canada and New England, although we have wanted to do it for a long time. This was also our first time ever in a suite. We usually book a mini-suite. (When I say we, I mean my parents and myself). So this was definitely a cruise of many firsts.

 

 

Pre-cruise

 

Since we live in Southern California, we flew out a day ahead. It took us almost all day to get to Boston and we arrived at 5:00 pm. We took a taxi from the airport to the Marriott Custom House (taxi cost $22.00 including the toll fee and took about 15 minutes). The Marriott Custom House is a timeshare, but they rent out their available units. It was a nice place in a great location – right next to Quincy Market. We went to their wine and cheese reception and then over to Quincy Market to get some take-out (they have everything you can imagine).

 

 

The next morning we had a light breakfast in the room and then went over to the waterfront to catch the Historic Trolley Tour. It was a hop-on-hop-off trolley, but we just elected to ride it all the way so we could see a little bit of Boston. We got on the very first tour at 9:00 and there were only a few of us at the start. Later on, it was really packed. Our tour guide was named Richard and he was hysterical, he told jokes all along the way. This is a great tour and a great way to see Boston – I would recommend it. We got off the trolley tour where we started and went over to the Union Oyster House for lunch. It was very tasty. We shopped around Quincy Market for awhile and then went back to the hotel to check out (I requested a late check-out). We took a taxi to the cruise terminal. The taxi cost about $8.00 and took about 15 minutes. The weather in Boston on both days was about 79 degrees.

 

 

Check-in

 

The taxi dropped us off at 12:50 and we were in our cabin by 1:10. There were about 100 people in line when we got there, but since we were in a suite, we had priority check-in, so we were able to move past the huge line. Check in was pretty uneventful. We had all our forms filled out in advance, they took our pictures, gave us our ship ID, took our credit info and we were off.

 

 

We were escorted up the elevator and to our cabin by one of the stewards. Just as we got in the elevator, the signal was given that the cabins were available. We went to our cabin and met our cabin steward, Edi (he was the best). We went to the Neptune Lounge and met our Concierge, Aileen (she was outstanding and took excellent, excellent care of us).

 

 

Our cabin itself was very, very nice. In fact, it was huge with a big, huge balcony. I can’t imagine ever sailing in anything other than a suite. It was very comfortable for 3 adults. We had 2 bottles of champagne in our suite – one from the captain and hotel manager, and one from our travel agent.

 

 

We toured the boat and I took pictures. We went up to the Lido and met Shy. I told him he was famous on the internet and he laughed and said that he knew about that. He asked us our names and then remembered them every time he saw us. And, we were not the only ones. Shy remembered everyone’s name.

 

 

Day 1 – Boston – Casual Dress

 

We had the mandatory life boat drill at 4:15 (which was pretty standard). There was a sail away party on the pool deck and we left right on time at 5:00. We ate dinner in the Lido the first night, because there was a problem with our table assignment. We had requested a table for 3 at 6:15. We got the 6:15 seating, but we were at a big table for 8. They promised to fix it for the next day, so we just ate in the Lido.

 

 

The captain and the hotel manager had a welcome aboard party for the suite passengers in the Neptune Lounge. It was nice to meet the captain and the hotel manager, who were very personable, and to meet some of our fellow passengers. It was really crowded so we didn’t stay too long. We did some gambling at the casino, looked in the shops and then went to bed fairly early, around 10:00. This was going to be the standard for this cruise as we were pretty busy during the day and tired at night.

 

 

Day 2 – Bar Harbor – Formal Dress

 

We pulled into Bar Harbor and anchored in the bay with the starboard side facing the docks. The water was very smooth sailing up from Boston to Bar Harbor. We arrived about 7:00 am and the forecast for the day was 73 degrees, but it seemed much hotter than that. We tendered to shore around 9:00 and it took us about 10 minutes to get from the ship to the dock. Since it was Sunday, most of the stores did not open until 10:00, but there were a few that were open. We walked around and bought a lot of stuff. I recommend buying stuff in Bar Harbor, because they have the best deals and they are pretty cheap. We bought some chocolate covered blueberries and some popover mix and we wish we had bought more, because they make great gifts and were very reasonable. We didn’t take any tours, because my parents had been there before and toured the whole area, so we just opted to walk around and shop (I don’t mind, because I can shop anywhere).

 

 

We ate lunch at West Street Café. There were a lot of people from the boat, eating all kinds of lobster dishes and everything looked great. The food was good and the people were friendly. We ordered blueberry pie with ice cream and it was awesome (the one at the Lido was also very good). We tendered back to the ship around 1:00 and the ship left

 

Bar Harbor at 3:00.

 

 

We were pooped, so we took a nap, had some snacks from the Neptune Lounge, and then got ready for formal night. They still didn’t resolve our table issue, so we ate at a temporary table for that night and Franz, the head waiter, said that he would take care of it. After dinner we went to the casino and shopping for awhile. We went to the show to see Morry Coleman, the world’s fastest banjo player. He was really good and we enjoyed the show. It was the only show that we attended the whole cruise. We went to bed around 10:30 and found out that we would have to move our clocks forward one hour, so it was actually 11:30 –whoa!

 

 

Day 3 – Halifax – Informal Dress

 

We docked on the portside of the boat at 8:00 in the morning. We were met by bagpipes, drums and a town crier. It was such a nice touch, especially the town crier who was in a wheel chair, but stood up to make his announcements. The weather was cool and foggy when we arrived, but the forecast was 79 degrees and it was hot. I had arranged for us to take a private tour with Your Cab to Peggy’s Cove, Chester, Lunenberg, and Mahone Bay. I had exchanged emails with Jonathan Druru and he met us at the dock. I highly recommend this tour and I cannot say enough about Jonathan. He was an excellent guide who kept us entertained and we truly enjoyed getting to know him. Meeting him was one of the highlights of our cruise. The scenary and the beauty of Nova Scotia is evident when you visit these places and see how the people live. I didn’t think I would like Peggy’s Cove and even debated whether or not we should go there, but I loved it.

 

 

We ate lunch in Lunenberg at the Old Fish Factory and invited Jonathan to join us. We had a very pleasant lunch and a great conversation. The food was excellent and I recommend the bacon-wrapped scallops and the blueberry cake with ice cream – really good. We drove around Lunenberg, then to Mahone Bay, Chester, and then back to Halifax on the highway. Jonathan took us to Sobey’s (their grocery store) so we could buy some bottled water and soft drinks. I highly recommend the tour out to Lunenberg and Peggy’s Cove, but only if you do it with Jonathan – he is awesome (you can reach him through his website at yourcab.ca)

 

 

We shopped at the stalls that were open at the terminal. They had some different things and it was interesting. We got back on the boat around 3:00 and the boat sailed at 4:30. It was a very full day. We had snacks from the Neptune Lounge and then sat on our veranda during the sail away while the bagpiper played. The scenary sailing away from Halifax was very nice.

 

 

We got our permanent table assigned to us. Franz put us in the upper dining room, but allowed us to eat at 6:15 since that was our request. We tried to split the difference and showed up most nights at 6:00. Our waiters were Putu and Yan, and our wine steward was Ferry – they were all great. We had a bottle of Asti (we love Asti too, LAFFNLASVEGAS). Also, the peach flambé was really good.

 

 

Day 4 – Sydney – Casual Dress

 

We arrived in Sydney at 8:00 and docked on the starboard side of the boat. The forecast was 79 degrees with some scattered showers. I rented a car with Enterprise and I called them from the dock to come pick us up (my cellphone worked in Canada). They picked us up, drove us to the office, and gave us great directions to Baddack where I planned to go. The scenary driving up to Baddack was incredibly beautiful. It took us about one hour to drive there and it was a very easy drive. We went to the Alexander Graham Bell Museum, but we just looked around the grounds and took pictures. We didn’t go into the museum. We walked around the town and did some shopping. They had some quaint shops and some really nice people working there.

 

 

We ate lunch at Bell Buoy and it was really good. I recommend the lobster stuffed mushrooms or the au gratin fish. It started to rain a bit right before we left, so we decided to hide straight back to Sydney. We hit some road construction along the way, but it only delayed us about 10 minutes. We filled gas in the car and returned it to Enterprise who drove us back to the ship. We checked out all the crafts at the dock and bought some things. We also walked up a few blocks from the dock to the craft sale behind the church. There were some great people at both craft sales. We checked out the giant fiddle and then got back on the boat around 3:30.

 

 

We had our usual snacks at the Neptune Lounge and then watched the sail away from the veranda. The rest of the evening was pretty much the same – dinner, casino, shopping, sleep.

 

 

Day 5 – Charlottetown, PEI – Informal Dress

 

We docked at 8:00 on the starboard side of the boat. It was a bit cool and the forecast was 68 degrees with rain likely. Both buffet lines were open at 7:00 am and were packed as we did not have much time in port. We did not have any tours booked and opted to walk around the town. When we got off the boat, a little girl dressed like Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables was on the docks – she was very cute.

 

 

Most of the shops opened at 9:00. We walked up Queen Street to the Confederation Mall where there were some good shops. We walked back to Peake’s Wharf and it started to rain. We bought French fries from Taters at Peake’s Wharf which is supposed to have the best French fries in Eastern Canada. They are not lying. The French fries were really good and we brought some back for Aileen, our concierge, and for Edi, our cabin steward. We walked back to the ship and had lunch in the Lido.

 

 

That night, we had dinner in the Pinnacle Grille. Our travel agent paid the per person fee for us, so it was a nice gift. We had a nice window table and a great meal. I recommend the cedar-planked scampi (bigger than the lobsters on lobster night). I was not all that impressed with the volcano cake, sorry to say. After everything I read about the volcano cake, I was disappointed. If you want an awesome volcano cake, try the one at Flemings Steakhouse (if there is one near you) it is really good and they serve it with ice cream.

 

 

That night we were invited to a cocktail party with the captain and the hotel manager. I’m not sure what the cocktail party was for or why we were invited, but we went and had a great time. We got to talk to some of our fellow passengers and got to know a great couple from Virginia that we had been running into all week. The drinks they served were very good and lots of variety. There was no program or anything, so I’m not sure what it was about.

 

 

We went to the Dessert Extravaganza that was held in the Lido at 10:30. It was nicely done and you could tell that people worked very hard on making all the preparations for this presentation. I didn’t eat much, but I took lots of pictures and had a great time. We also set our clocks back one hour before going to bed.

 

 

Day 6 – Cruising the Saganauy – Formal Dress

 

This day was a much needed day of rest and relaxation aboard the ship as this was not a port day. The restaurants were busy for breakfast as people took advantage of the dining room and the Pinnacle Grill (for suite passengers). I missed the kitchen tour and the cooking demonstration, but went to the boutique sales. We tried some of the Salmon bake to see how it was and it was pretty good. We took our food back to our cabin and ate in the suite.

 

 

We went to the suite luncheon at 12:30 in the Crow’s Nest. It was more of a finger food type of event with drinks. It was a nice event and well-attended.

 

 

At 3:00, we entered the Saganauy Fjord and sat on the balcony for some of the time and in the room for some of the time. It was a bit cold some times. It was nice to sit on the veranda and watch the scenery go by. We say the statue of the Virgin Mary around 5:30.

 

 

We went to the formal farewell dinner at 6:00. It was nice to have dinner and look at the scenery as we sailed out of the Fjord. We had the Baked Alaska parade from the waiters which was very nice.

 

 

Day 7 – Quebec City – Casual Dress

 

We arrived in Quebec at 7:30 and docked on the starboard side of the ship. The forecast was for 72 degrees, but it felt much hotter than that. Everyone was up early and in the Lido for breakfast. We did not have a tour scheduled, but planned to walk around the city. We left the ship around 8:30 and walked along the harbor to the farmer’s market (the Marche). It was a nice market with some really beautiful fruits and vegetables. The vendors take great care in displaying their fruits and vegetables. We just bought some jam.

 

 

We walked all the way over to the lower town and then took the funicular to the upper town. We looked at the view from the upper town and went to the Chateau Frontenac to look around. What a nice hotel. We then walked around the upper town for awhile, took the funicular back down and walked around the shops in the lower town. By then, we were pretty pooped from all the walking we’d done, so we went back to the ship and had lunch on the ship.

 

 

We started to do some packing as we had a lot of stuff. We went to dinner and said good-bye to our waiters. It was a nice evening, but it was sad to say good-bye to those guys. We spent some time at the casino, in the shops, and then went back to the room to do some more packing. We put our luggage out that night before going to bed.

 

 

Day 8 and 9 – Montreal – post cruise

 

We arrived in Montreal very early in the morning and went to breakfast. It was not crowded at all. We got to say good-bye to Shy and Rolando and the rest of the guys in the Lido. We also said our farewells to Edi, our cabin steward, and the Aileen, our concierge. I have never felt so sad to say good bye to people that I had just met on the cruise, but I really felt sad leaving.

 

 

They called the first group at 8:30 and we got off then. We went off the boat, found our luggage and got a taxi. We stayed over one night at the SpringHill Suites in Old Montreal. Our room was ready when we checked in (I requested an early check in). After settling in, we went on the double decker tour of Montreal. We got off at the casino, had lunch and then got back on the tour. We rode the tour to the end and then got a taxi back to our hotel. After resting for awhile, we went to dinner in the Place Jacques Cartier and watched all the people go by, especially all the brides who got married that day at the Court House.

 

 

We walked around and bought some pastries for breakfast the next morning. It was a nice transition between the cruise ship and home, because we didn’t want to leave the cruise ship, but we were ready to go home after we stayed over in the hotel. Our flight was at 7:30 am and I reserved a limo to take us to the airport at 4:45. We went through check in and US customs very quickly. We were home about 9 hours later, tired, but very happy and relaxed.

 

 

 

Impressions

 

· I will never forget how warm, friendly, professional, and pleasant everyone on the ship was. I have never encountered a cruise staff that is so wonderful and they made a huge difference in my whole cruise experience. I feel like a got to know each and every one of the people who I came into contact with on a regular basis. I hope this never changes at Holland America, because it definitely sets them apart. I'm not sure that I will be able to cruise on any other cruise line but Holland America.

 

 

· I don’t know if I will be able to cruise in anything other than a suite. Its not that I like to be pampered, because I really don’t. It was just a very nice experience with some nice perks.

 

 

· We made full use of the complimentary laundry service and sent out our laundry every other day.

 

 

· I never thought I would use the concierge for much, but it seemed like everyday, I had something or other to ask her or to take care of. We spent a lot of time with Aileen and got to know her well. She is such a sweetheart. We would just stop by a couple times a day to see how she was doing.

 

 

· The weather was great and pretty warm everyday. Even the times that it rained, it was still pretty warm. The seas were very calm and you could barely feel the ship moving.

 

 

· The only question I have now is when can I book my next cruise on Holland America, in a suite, of course.

[JimVrhovac]

Thank you for an informative and well thought out review.

 

Glad you had a good trip.

 

Jim & Ruth

[Krazy Kruizers]

Loved your review.

 

We have cruised many times on the Maasdam and have done 2 Canada?New England cruises on her.

[CPPADILLA]

Thank you so much for your review. DH and I will be on the same cruise in two weeks and the information you provided is very very helpful.

[the2ofus]

I really enjoyed your review. That is another cruise I'd love to take one day. Lots of great info. I'll file it for future reference.

[starysacz]

Excellent review and very informative. We cruised from N.Y. to Montreal several years ago on HAL and enjoyed the service.

[1drifter]

Thanks so much for your review. We are trying to decide between this cruise and several others--your information has been very helpful!

[LAFFNVEGAS]

Lomo, thanks so much for your wonderful review. It brought tears to my eyes just remembering how wonderful our cruise was on the Maasdam. I did not go to all the ports you did but you did such a great job describing in detail all of them.

I could almost hear the bagpipes in Halifax.

 

I know what you mean about that suite, we had out first last November on the Ryndam, we were not able to get it for the Maasdam but the Mini Suite was still nice. You can bet though all of my 5 upcoming cruises we are booked for a S Suite;)

 

Lomo, isn't their Asti the best:D That was one of my biggest thrills to see it was on the Wine List on the Maasdam. When we were on the Westerdam thay claimed they could no longer get it. Some Asti is too sweet HAL's Asti is just perfect.:p

 

Thanks again for your wonderful review and for greeting Shy for us.

[crazy4cruisn]

I hope you will also post a review when you return as we will be on this cruise Oct 15. Ours will be 11 days from MOntreal to Newport.

Nancy

[cuppy]

My husband & I just reserved this ship for next August in an S cabin. Can't wait.

[BLStokes23]

What a great, informative review - I really enjoyed reading it. We've never tried a Canada/NE cruise, but just might have to book one someday soon. Glad you had a great time.

[Time2sail]

Nice to hear that you really like HAL--:)

[RuthC]

Would you post who the lounge entertainment was, please? And maybe your thoughts on how they were? You posted a great deal about the ports, but not much about the cruise itself.

 

There were to be several changes after I disembarked 8/20. I know there was a change in the Piano Bar. Bill Forrest gave us his countdown every night. There was a temporary music director brought on during my cruise (very good, btw), and he should be gone now. There was a change in the Explorers Lounge during my cruise; don't know how long they were to be on for.

 

I'm always interested in the entertainment on board.

Thanks.

[sail7seas]

Thanks so much for your great review. I loved reading it and felt we were back aboard the 'beautiful and elegant' ms Maasdam. Having done your cruise roundtrip this June, I felt as though I was reliving it. (We have booked it bavck-to-back again for next summer----guess we really like that itinerary and the ship. :) ) And, we really love boarding thirty minutes from home.

 

Thanks again for a great review.

 

Welcome Back.

[Lisa63]

Thank you for a fine review. This is our favorite itinerary (we've done it several times on different ships, including Maasdam), and we are seriously thinking of repeating it next August on Maasdam.

 

Just one question - did you book your pre- and post-cruise stays with HAL or independently?

[lomo]

Thanks everyone for your great words of encouragement. I hope I have helped people relive their memories of their cruise and that I can help others who are thinking about this cruise. I know, we thought about this itinerary for a long time.

[lomo]

Would you post who the lounge entertainment was, please? And maybe your thoughts on how they were? You posted a great deal about the ports, but not much about the cruise itself.

 

There were to be several changes after I disembarked 8/20. I know there was a change in the Piano Bar. Bill Forrest gave us his countdown every night. There was a temporary music director brought on during my cruise (very good, btw), and he should be gone now. There was a change in the Explorers Lounge during my cruise; don't know how long they were to be on for.

 

I'm always interested in the entertainment on board.

Thanks.

 

The reason that I didn't write much about the entertainment is that I didn't attend much of the shows or lounges. The itinerary was very port intensive and we were pretty tired by the end of the night. I do have my daily newsletters, so I will try to answer your questions based on that.

 

Seacrest was in the Crow's Nest

Manila Quartet was in the Ocean Bar

Randall Powell was in the Piano Bar

Magic Strings was in the Explorer's Lounge

 

I hope that helps.

[Sheebah]

Lomo,

What type of suite did you have? Was it an S?

Hubby and got a great deal on the Maasdam, S suite August 2006. Would LOVE to see your photos if you have any.

 

Wonderful review. Thanks.

[lomo]

Sheebah,

 

Yes, we did have an S suite and it was very, very nice. Originally, we booked a a veranda suite (category A), but we were offered an upgrade to the S suite. It was more money, but we were really glad that we did it. It was the best experience, by far that we have had. The room is very large and comfortable, the veranda is huge, and the little perks that come with the S suite were wonderful.

 

I might have some pictures of the suite, but I'm not sure. I still haven't downloaded my pictures yet.

 

Good for you, if you got a good deal for next year. I hope that I can do the same. Let me know if you have any other questions.

[Sheebah]

Thanks Lomo.

The rates on the Aug 26, 2006 sailing are unbelievable (literally thousands less than other dates). We thought it was a mistake.