Maasdam --- Too tired or not?

[rubinstein2r]

We are considering a transpacific on the Maasdam because we like the itinerary (many more ports than Celebrity) but the reviews make the ship seem run down and even a health hazard.  Need to make a quick decision.  I can stand some wear and tear but don't want to be three weeks on a ship that is too run down or a health hazard.  Suggestions welcome.

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, rubinstein2r said:

We are considering a transpacific on the Maasdam because we like the itinerary (many more ports than Celebrity) but the reviews make the ship seem run down and even a health hazard.  Need to make a quick decision.  I can stand some wear and tear but don't want to be three weeks on a ship that is too run down or a health hazard.  Suggestions welcome.

 

Run down? - heavens no.  Heavy paint layers because ships get rusty at sea, yes. Lovely recent refurbishments. Yes.

Health hazard? - C'mon. Wash your hands and keep your fingers out of eyes, nose and mouth. 

 

Why do you put more emphasis on a few bad reports and not similar weight to all the good ones that more than cancel those one-off bad reports? When I read those occasional bad reports I also get  the strong feeling nothing would have made those persons happy. Sorry they are putting you off. This is a smaller older ship.

 

Of course it will be different from a brand new ship.  The realities of keeping equipment at sea exposed to the sail air- caution, you will see rust spots and the effects of a few decades or normal ocean air corrosion. That is a given. Run down? - not sure what that means.  She was pretty gorgeous and we just got off a 34 day voyage. Why would any hospitality company want to make their customers suffer with an intentionally poor product. That is what I don't understand when I read those complaints.

 

We have enjoyed many days on her - but there will be issues on any ship. If you require total perfection to some unknown land based standard, I would avoid any cruise ship. Ships move, make noise, have vibrations and all the hazards of close living quarters with a large group of strangers. Nature of the cruise experience.  And ships always require on-going maintenance so things can, do and will happen. Plus it is always a total gamble what weather you will encounter on this sort of long, open ocean itinerary.  You will have to accept these potential variables upfront.

 

We did the long transatlantic on her a few years ago - Rome to FLL --with a jaunt around Mediterranean ports - it was a great cruise. Biggest kick was in Madeira where we signed up for a private company "levada" hiking trip. At the end of the tour,  the bus dropped people off at various hotels in town and then took the detour into the port to drop us off. When the rest of the bus passenger saw our "hotel" they all let out this huge spontaneous cheer.

Edited October 27, 2018 by OlsSalt

[Sea girl 23]

HAL is starting to realise how run down some of their ships are and are selling them;but those ships will always have their defenders.🙄

Edited October 27, 2018 by Sea girl 23

[OlsSalt]

16 minutes ago, Sea girl 23 said:

HAL is starting to realise how run down some of their ships are and are selling them;but those ships will always have their defenders.🙄

 

HAL does not let its ships get "run down". They do expect 30 years useful life and that is why they are for sale. More modern systems on newer ships return greater operating efficiencies too. But being "run-down" is never the case.  One of the oldest, the Maasdam, just went through a beautiful refurbishment in her last dry dock.

Edited October 27, 2018 by OlsSalt

[Copper10-8]

2 hours ago, rubinstein2r said:

We are considering a transpacific on the Maasdam because we like the itinerary (many more ports than Celebrity) but the reviews make the ship seem run down and even a health hazard.  Need to make a quick decision.  I can stand some wear and tear but don't want to be three weeks on a ship that is too run down or a health hazard.  Suggestions welcome.

 

If she was a "health hazard", Lloyd's Register, U.S. Public Health and the U.S. Coast Guard wouldn't allow her to sail when they last inspected her. She just came out of dry-dock on 09 September. It pays to not believe all the "reviews" you read on this fine site 

[DocJohnB]

2 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Run down? - heavens no.  Heavy paint layers because ships get rusty at sea, yes. Lovely recent refurbishments. Yes.

Health hazard? - C'mon. Wash your hands and keep your fingers out of eyes, nose and mouth. 

 

I sailed on her on a b2b in Boston/Quebec 5 months ago.  I couldn't agree more!  She is 25 years old and has held her age quite well.  While she may not have all the glitz and glitter or newer ships, she is a right fashionable lady.

 

IMO, her (relatively small) size and small number of passengers is what attracted me to her (don't feel swallowed up by the crowds), but it is her crew that "seals the deal".  They are fantastic.

As to "health hazard".  I, for one, would certainly not use that term.  Certainly, when traveling in a confined space (such as an airplane or cruise ship), one has to be cognizant of health issues that may arise.  I am aware of the possibility of being exposed to flu, norovirus, etc.  Aware, but not overcome with fear.  I take the recommended precautions (washing hands, trying to remember not to put my hands around my face, etc.).

 

If a perceived "health hazard" is a major concern of yours, then perhaps a cruise would not be in your best interest.

Edited October 27, 2018 by DocJohnB

[Sea girl 23]

Do the Statendam and Ryndam not mean anything?They were not in the best condition when they were turned over to P&O....

[sammiedawg]

 Health hazard is the wrong description for the older ships of Holland America.  But we will not sail these tired ships again.  

Maasdam, Veendam have been for sale for years.  Prinsendam was for sale for years and is now sold.  I haven’t been on Rotterdam but I’ve read too many negative  comments to be interested. 

 

[OlsSalt]

1 hour ago, sammiedawg said:

 Health hazard is the wrong description for the older ships of Holland America.  But we will not sail these tired ships again.  

Maasdam, Veendam have been for sale for years.  Prinsendam was for sale for years and is now sold.  I haven’t been on Rotterdam but I’ve read too many negative  comments to be interested. 

 

 

Assume this will be a mutually welcomed choice by all concerned.

[bcummin]

2 hours ago, Sea girl 23 said:

Do the Statendam and Ryndam not mean anything?They were not in the best condition when they were turned over to P&O....

Why must you insist on arguing?

We sailed on ms Statendam's final voyage, and she was still a lovely lady.

Barbara

[Sea girl 23]

Not arguing..both ships needed a LOT of work pre-turnover. Was talking about this several cruises ago with someone who was VERY in the know about such things.

[OlsSalt]

32 minutes ago, Sea girl 23 said:

Not arguing..both ships needed a LOT of work pre-turnover. Was talking about this several cruises ago with someone who was VERY in the know about such things.

 

 

Willing buyer met willing seller. Nothing wrong with that.  They got what they paid for. 

 

Meanwhile to flesh out your arguments for credibility's sake please provide more details and fewer anonymous slurs:

1. who was this ... someone who was VERY much in the know

2. what were the... such things

[Skoogs]

Too tired or not was your question, after 35 days on her with 11 friends on three different cruises. NOT is the overwhelming answer. Hal’s employees are some of the finest people I’ve ever met in the service industry. How they can deal with so many people, and still be genuinely friendly, is just amazing. The ship, cabin, food and entertainment I find very satisfying. I would sail on the Maasdam tomorrow if I could. 

I will be on the Volendam in three weeks and if my last 10 cruises on Hal are any indication, I will have a great time, meet wonderful people and gain a few pounds. 

Bon Voyage! 

[OlsSalt]

What does "tired" even mean, when referring to a ship?

 

After 20 years at sea, do heavy layers of paint, less than pristine metal brightwork, ragged looking caulking and ongoing rust spot battles define being "tired"? Is so, the Maasdam is "tired". As she should be after such outstanding service on the high seas.

 

 If the preceeding is a deal breaker, then best stay away from the venerable Maasdam. Her new decor after the very recent drydock gave her a very beautiful, far more subtle contemporary look. But alas, no rock climbing walls, bumper cars or water slides. No video walls. No Broadway productions.  

 

Nothing but buffed up traditional and quiet graciousness.  And some more layers of paint. And a very attentive crew that loved her to her spit and polish best every day.

Edited October 27, 2018 by OlsSalt

[rubinstein2r]

Thank you truly one and all for your comments .  This is why I love Cruise Critic.  I now feel comfortable to book on Maasdam which has the Cruise itinerary I most want in the month I most want it.  

[Sea girl 23]

Not slurring anyone..it was NOT a HAL employee..someone who cruises a LOT-they had been on MANY HAL(and non-HAL cruises)

 

The such things were that both ships were in need of serious work when they were sold.Someone mentioned that they were on the last Statendam sailing..have to wonder how long there was between then and when it was handed over.

[bcummin]

2 hours ago, Sea girl 23 said:

Not slurring anyone..it was NOT a HAL employee..someone who cruises a LOT-they had been on MANY HAL(and non-HAL cruises)

The such things were that both ships were in need of serious work when they were sold.  Someone mentioned that they were on the last Statendam sailing..have to wonder how long there was between then and when it was handed over.

 

We stepped off the ship in Singapore as she was handed over to her new owners.

That is what a final voyage means.

Barbara

 

[daisybertie]

We have just booked another 17 days on the Maasdam, to add to our  already accumulated 50 days. I agree wholeheartedly with OlSalt. “Traditional and quiet graciousness” and a “ very attentive crew “ describe her perfectly. Add that to an attractive itinerary and you will have a great cruise. 

[Copper10-8]

When P&O Australia was interested in, came calling for, and eventually obtained (remember, this was an internal transfer, not a sale!) Statendam and Ryndam from HAL, they sent several staff from their Deck and Technical Departments to both ships for thorough on-sight inspections, both in-port and while the ships were sailing for HAL. Prior to these events, Statendam had her last HAL dry-dock in January 2013, while Ryndam had her most recent HAL dry-dock in March/April 2014

 

After completing their final voyages for HAL, Statendam and Ryndam were both routed in such a way that they both wound up in Singapore for a double dry-dock at Sembcorp Marine Ltd. This involved more than 900 contractors spending around 250,000 man hours on extensive

makeovers/refurbishments/maintenance of both ships.

 

To top that off, both ships' last HAL captains as well as their most recent HAL staff captains were seconded to P&O to remain in their positions with the future Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden for the following two years. HAL technical staff also spent time on P&O Oz two new ships during this two-year time period to assist their, mostly Italian, counterparts. P&O Australia knew, or shoulda known, what they were getting in those two ships.

 

If both ships were still "in need of serious work" after acceptance by P&O Oz, confirmed by a source identified as a "passenger who cruises a lot with HAL", hey do a better job inspecting what you're obtaining and ensure you get your money's worth out of your dry-docks! 

Edited October 28, 2018 by Copper10-8

[OlsSalt]

Meet the Fleet - P&O Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden today: https://www.pocruises.com.au/ships

Sure are a lot of familiar layouts in the photos of both these sister ships of the Maasdam.   Happy to see they too are getting an extended life, but sorry those right-sized ships are no longer part of HAL's family. Their upgraded "face lift" decor may well have tweaked things up a bit for the rest of the older HAL fleet.  

Edited October 28, 2018 by OlsSalt

[Sea girl 23]

How to say this without getting banned.. well,imma say it anyways:

 

There is a HUGE amount of cognitive dissonance going on on these boards.Or willful “I don’t want to hear anything bad about HAL..ever.”

 

This is why I choose to cruise on the “newer”(I know the Westerdam isn’t that new but she was the last ship I was on) ships. I’d prefer not to have to deal with “ship happening”. Not that I can’t be flexible(I can) but toilets not working(*especially* toilets not working) is a deal breaker for me.

 

I’ve never really noticed shabbiness on any of the ships I’ve been on but as I said earlier,I primarily am on newer ships.

 

The takeaway here:Don’t discount people’s experiences and say  “ship happens”. That’s ridiculous.Doesn’t matter how long the cruise is.It’s unacceptable.

 

Every time the topic of “Is a ship too worn out” comes up there’s always a few people who say that say they wouldn’t cruise on those ships because of issues that they’ve had on them.I think that’s a fair comment.

 

Do your due diligence and do a LOT of research before you book a cruise(that goes without saying..) Caveat Emptor,y’all.

 

And disregard the overly glowing “(insert name of ship here” is wonderful,and I’ve never had a bad experience on her” reviews and posts on Cruise Critic.The posts that tell the truth(as much as some here don’t want it to be)are just as valid. 

 

OK,this was way rambly but I had to say it.

 

[PSR]

3 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

Meet the Fleet - P&O Pacific Aria and Pacific Eden today: https://www.pocruises.com.au/ships

Sure are a lot of familiar layouts in the photos of both these sister ships of the Maasdam.   Happy to see they too are getting an extended life, but sorry those right-sized ships are no longer part of HAL's family. Their upgraded "face lift" decor may well have tweaked things up a bit for the rest of the older HAL fleet.  

 

Thanks for the link! Enjoyed looking at the Aria, saw some familiar places!

[BJzink]

23 hours ago, OlsSalt said:

 

Run down? - heavens no.  Heavy paint layers because ships get rusty at sea, yes. Lovely recent refurbishments. Yes.

Health hazard? - C'mon. Wash your hands and keep your fingers out of eyes, nose and mouth. 

 

Why do you put more emphasis on a few bad reports and not similar weight to all the good ones that more than cancel those one-off bad reports? When I read those occasional bad reports I also get  the strong feeling nothing would have made those persons happy. Sorry they are putting you off. This is a smaller older ship.

 

Of course it will be different from a brand new ship.  The realities of keeping equipment at sea exposed to the sail air- caution, you will see rust spots and the effects of a few decades or normal ocean air corrosion. That is a given. Run down? - not sure what that means.  She was pretty gorgeous and we just got off a 34 day voyage. Why would any hospitality company want to make their customers suffer with an intentionally poor product. That is what I don't understand when I read those complaints.

 

We have enjoyed many days on her - but there will be issues on any ship. If you require total perfection to some unknown land based standard, I would avoid any cruise ship. Ships move, make noise, have vibrations and all the hazards of close living quarters with a large group of strangers. Nature of the cruise experience.  And ships always require on-going maintenance so things can, do and will happen. Plus it is always a total gamble what weather you will encounter on this sort of long, open ocean itinerary.  You will have to accept these potential variables upfront.

 

We did the long transatlantic on her a few years ago - Rome to FLL --with a jaunt around Mediterranean ports - it was a great cruise. Biggest kick was in Madeira where we signed up for a private company "levada" hiking trip. At the end of the tour,  the bus dropped people off at various hotels in town and then took the detour into the port to drop us off. When the rest of the bus passenger saw our "hotel" they all let out this huge spontaneous cheer.

I second the above reply - was on the same cruise, enjoyed absolutely every minute- would definitely choose this ship again...…….

[OlsSalt]

58 minutes ago, BJzink said:

I second the above reply - was on the same cruise, enjoyed absolutely every minute- would definitely choose this ship again...…….

 

On that same great Maasdam transatlantic, we were followed just a few days later by the Nieuw Amsterdam, which at the time was HAL's newest ship. Our TA weather on the Maasdam was pretty serene, but it was reported later that the NA just a few days later got hit by a rogue wave that momentarily knocked out  power leaving her adrift with systems down - a truly scary event. (All ended well very quickly.)  

 

So one never knows what weather one will encounter or whether a new ship will be better than an old one. Keep thinking of the early explorers who went out in to these vast uncharted oceans with almost zero back up resources and comforts.  Tip your hat to them, when we compare our own cruise ship experiences, even when "ship happens"..

[Sea girl 23]

Explorers had to deal with a lot more than bad weather..scurvy for one.