Almost Live: Maasdam - Seattle to Sydney 2019

[erewhon]

Great updates, thank you.

[SetAnOpenCourse]

Are The Maasdam’s cabins equipped for playing one’s own music?

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoying your reports -- great pictures.

[Btimmer]

5 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Are The Maasdam’s cabins equipped for playing one’s own music?

There is a DVD player in each room.  I cannot attest to the speaker quality.  There is no usb socket to play music.

[bcummin]

Thanks again for bringing us along.

Is Jason Kelly still aboard?  Are there any Zodiac plans on the way to Sydney?  Probably not in Russia.

Barbara

Edited August 5, 2019 by bcummin

[Btimmer]

6 hours ago, bcummin said:

Thanks again for bringing us along.

Is Jason Kelly still aboard?  Are there any Zodiac plans on the way to Sydney?  Probably not in Russia.

Barbara

Thanks.

 

Jason got off in Yokohama.  I've seen no mention of when the next use of the Zodiacs are.  We enjoyed using them in the Maldives to go snorkeling.

[azdrydock]

Great blog'.........

How is the temperature in the ship public area? Some past summer cruises the  restaurants, in particular, are freezing in the evening. Starting to pack so if we need more long sleeves.

 

Interesting story about HAL excursions and accident.

We were on Viking a few weeks ago. The last day, on an excursion,  a women slipped and broke her hip. Viking guide was on the scene immediatly and was in contact with the ship and other Viking guides in the vicinity. They took complete charge of the situation. They reassigned the escorts and guides so they had two people at the scene and all of the tours could continue.  They interfaced with the passenger and Portuguese  EMT's. They didn't like the Medical Center she was taken to so they arranged transfer to a larger hospital in Porto. The passenger was traveling with her nephew and Viking helped him with the insurance company. Since the ship was to be in Porto a few days on the next cruise, they arranged for the nephew to stay in a vacant cabin and also helped him find a place to stay near the hospital until his aunt was able to travel.

 

Edited August 5, 2019 by azdrydock

[Bellair]

Good Morning Kanazawa Japan!

 

Welcome to you all on the MAASDAM as she has docked there today the 6th of August 2019

Edited August 6, 2019 by Bellair
adjusted

[erewhon]

Bellair,

Thank you for posting this photo.

[Bellair]

2 hours ago, erewhon said:

Bellair,

Thank you for posting this photo.

You are very welcome.

 

It is live on the port webcam on youtube

[Bellair]

18 hours ago, SetAnOpenCourse said:

Are The Maasdam’s cabins equipped for playing one’s own music?

If you are in a Spa room, We were upgraded to one of these outside cabins recently and they have a bluetooth speaker that you can connect your phone or iPad or similar wirelessly to. You can then stream your music directly thru this device.

[Bellair]

A nice live image of Maasdam tonight in KanasawaKanazawa

[Krazy Kruizers]

Enjoying the updates and pictures.

[Bellair]

Just before sailing out of Kanazawa

Edited August 6, 2019 by Bellair
added

[Btimmer]

Japan should be called The Land of the Blazing Sun.  It hit 99°f here today, but we made it through our 8 hour Tours by Locals guide.  Details will be in my blog post but here are a few pictures from today.

At the Kenrokuen Garden

 

cell phones are everywhere

 

 

A selfie of a selfie

 

in a couple hours we're headed off to Russia for a two stops after a Taiko drum show.

 

[kira5]

Thanks for the information about the Kochi castle on your blog.    Sounds a little too strenuous and with potential for a fall.  I guess there's no elevator!   Also the temperature/weather reports.  I wonder if they sell those little sun umbrellas you sometimes see Asians carrying?   I feel like I will need some protection from the sun beyond a straw hat.

[Btimmer]

We ran at 20 knots last night and today and outran typhoon Francisco.  We arrived in Vladivostok 7 hours early at 12 midnight local time.

 

[Btimmer]

 

Passport checkers boarding at 12:15am.  They marched in formation.

[bcummin]

Enjoyed reading about your visit to Kanazawa, Japan.  Fascinating city.  You covered more territory with your guide than we did on our own.  The heat there is unbelievable.  Time to head north.  Thanks again for sharing so much.

Barbara

 

P.S.  Impressive passport checkers in Vladivostok.  When we visited Petropavlovsk in 2007, one lone kakhi uniformed Russian woman did all of our passports.

Edited August 7, 2019 by bcummin

[Hawaiidan]

On 8/4/2019 at 8:44 AM, Btimmer said:

Lance is the CD & Travel Director.  We have 4 EXC presenters now on board none of whom were on our FLL Cruise .  The Captain and HD are the same as the FLL Cruise.  Our wine steward, Marlon is on board as well.

 

Tim......   see if you can find out who they have planned to give  WW2 talks on the 28- cruise... I hope it  they are not duds....See if you can get their backgrounds.....

    See you the 29th.     All out tours are squared away where we are to gether....  Dan/ 546

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am enjoying your blog -- got behind.

 

Great pictures.  Glad you were able to outrun the typhoon.

[VK3DQ]

It seems such a long time until we join you on board on 3rd December ! I just paid the full payments yesterday and fixed my air transport from Melbourne to Sydney.

 

We traveled on Pacific Aria in April just a quick trip from Brisbane to Auckland and had one of the large suites , we were a little shocked , the ship was very dirty and salt stained and every window was salt caked , the Varandah had not been cleaned in months.

 

I know this is P&O and not HAL but Pacific Aria is a sister ship to Maasdam and we are concerned about her general condition

 

I assume from posts by a number of seasoned cruisers that the ship itself is maintained to high standards

 

We are very much looking forward to our cruise , this year has been very hard health wize and a nice comfortable ship is what we want ...along with good food and company 

 

So any photos taken around the ship would be most welcome

 

Kindest regards

John Jean & Elsie

 

 

[briangl]

Enjoying your posts.  Looks like you are having fun.

[erewhon]

Enjoying your reports,   thank you.

[Btimmer]

15 hours ago, VK3DQ said:

It seems such a long time until we join you on board on 3rd December ! I just paid the full payments yesterday and fixed my air transport from Melbourne to Sydney.

 

We traveled on Pacific Aria in April just a quick trip from Brisbane to Auckland and had one of the large suites , we were a little shocked , the ship was very dirty and salt stained and every window was salt caked , the Varandah had not been cleaned in months.

 

I know this is P&O and not HAL but Pacific Aria is a sister ship to Maasdam and we are concerned about her general condition

 

I assume from posts by a number of seasoned cruisers that the ship itself is maintained to high standards

 

We are very much looking forward to our cruise , this year has been very hard health wize and a nice comfortable ship is what we want ...along with good food and company 

 

So any photos taken around the ship would be most welcome

 

Kindest regards

John Jean & Elsie

 

 

We have sailed on the Maasdam 4 months in the last year and it is well kept up.  Major re-upholstery work and recarpeting was done last year.  The ship presents itself well in my opinion.