Maasdam

[mcrcruiser]

We are thinking of a 12  night cruise  via this ship .  However ,We are very reluctant because of the lack of entertainment  .Tell us we are wrong & we will be forever grateful ?

[Nang]

Better you know than not know.....

 

We did a 21 day to Alaska in late May and came away underwhelmed. Nothing wrong with the ship, staff or food but no BB Kings was a MAJOR dent in the entertainment. If you aren't bothered by no BB Kings then the entertainment was similar to other cruises we have done except for too much focus on lectures of which we are not fans. Depending on the itinerary, the lectures may be wound back.

 

The ship was very quiet compared to the 7 other cruises we have done on HAL and we will avoid HAL's smaller ships from now on.

[ontheweb]

We were on the Maasdam summer of 2018, Boston to Montreal. And yes the entertainment is lacking. DW especially missed opportunities to dance and dance lessons.

[CruiserBruce]

The BB King groups doesn't appear on ANY of the smaller (R and S class) ships, like Veendam, Maasdam, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, etc.

[RuthC]

There was entertainment on the Maasdam when I was on her for a 21-day Alaska cruise this past June/July. 
There was a show most every night. Beyond that, there was a piano player in The Mix, a combo in the Ocean Bar, and a chamber music group. There was also a movie in the Wajang Theatre. 
This is the same type of evening entertainment as has been on HAL for decades---nothing changed here. 
There were also plenty of lectures during the day/early evening as this is the EXC ship. 

Because the ship was in Alaska, where passengers tend to want to be up and out early, and being active all day long, they did tend to go to bed early. 
Also, for some reason, in recent years HAL has encouraged people to return to their cabins early. They are scheduling dinners earlier, as well as evening performances. The Explorers Lounge shuts down by 10:00! 
Even morning activities are starting earlier in the day compared to recent years. 

I enjoyed my cruise on the Maasdam, and would be thrilled if I could do it again. 

[Sir PMP]

You might want to check out the topic 'Maasdam misadventures' an experience poster had booked a 97 day cruise, but left after 80 days, seen enough...

[3rdGenCunarder]

5 hours ago, Nang said:

Better you know than not know.....

 

We did a 21 day to Alaska in late May and came away underwhelmed. Nothing wrong with the ship, staff or food but no BB Kings was a MAJOR dent in the entertainment. If you aren't bothered by no BB Kings then the entertainment was similar to other cruises we have done except for too much focus on lectures of which we are not fans. Depending on the itinerary, the lectures may be wound back.

 

The ship was very quiet compared to the 7 other cruises we have done on HAL and we will avoid HAL's smaller ships from now on.

 

The lectures are part of Maasdam's "expedition" focus on experiencing local culture, history, nature, etc. That's one of the things that would make me interested in a Maasdam cruise. 

 

[VennDiagram]

6 hours ago, mcrcruiser said:

We are thinking of a 12  night cruise  via this ship .  However ,We are very reluctant because of the lack of entertainment  .Tell us we are wrong & we will be forever grateful ?

 

I think you have mentioned previously that you'd be sticking with the newer ships in HAL's fleet.  Maasdam is not new.

 

JMHO -- you need to be clear in your own mind why you are considering this cruise.

 

If this is a Sea of Cortez itinerary, and you want to go to more "off the beaten path" ports, such as Guaymas and Loreto and La Paz, I encourage you to do it.  Those seldom-visited ports are interesting and enchanting IMHO.

 

If, however, you're just considering the trip to stay onboard at all the ports, you may find you aren't overly thrilled. 

[lstrong]

I’ve done maasdam twice. Once the 14 day Alaska cruise and once 14 days Boston to Montreal and back. The cruises were fine—never had a bad cruise—but I don’t want to cruise maasdam again. Frankly, the ship is half of my destination and she just doesn’t offer what the larger ships do.  It really depends on your own expectations.  Personally loved the NA and Eurodam since then. Laurie

[ontheweb]

12 hours ago, lstrong said:

I’ve done maasdam twice. Once the 14 day Alaska cruise and once 14 days Boston to Montreal and back. The cruises were fine—never had a bad cruise—but I don’t want to cruise maasdam again. Frankly, the ship is half of my destination and she just doesn’t offer what the larger ships do.  It really depends on your own expectations.  Personally loved the NA and Eurodam since then. Laurie

I think my DW felt the same way about the Maasdam after our Boston to Montreal cruise.

[ScottishMaid]

Do you like to wander the deck with a pair of binoculars or camera looking for seabirds ? Would you like to attend quality lectures about wildlife, the ocean, how to take better photographs ?

Would you like the option of an evening lecture between shows ? Would you like to go to small ports little visited by HAL or other cruiselines ? Would you appreciate that you are getting this at a fraction of the price of a small expedition ship such as Lindblad ?

We have been on two Maasdam trips since the new EXC program started, one for 48 days from Fort Lauderdale to French Polynesia via Easter Island, and one for 46 days from Seattle to Alaska and around Japan. In January we are going on the Maasdam around New Zealand. We are going because we appreciate we are seeing some unusual ports and learning a huge amount, including about local culture, history, geology, local foods, at a bargain price and the EXC on the Maasdam may not last much more if not supported.

 

Our experience is that about half the passengers really love the format and were traveling for multiple segments and are returning for more, whereas a small number, mostly non English speakers, enjoyed lying in the sun. However many people were totally unaware of the EXC In Depth program and had booked their cruise last minute through a travel agent or online, assuming the Maasdam was the same as any big new cruise ship. They expected a different experience.

 

[3rdGenCunarder]

42 minutes ago, ScottishMaid said:

Do you like to wander the deck with a pair of binoculars or camera looking for seabirds ? Would you like to attend quality lectures about wildlife, the ocean, how to take better photographs ?

Would you like the option of an evening lecture between shows ? Would you like to go to small ports little visited by HAL or other cruiselines ? Would you appreciate that you are getting this at a fraction of the price of a small expedition ship such as Lindblad ?

We have been on two Maasdam trips since the new EXC program started, one for 48 days from Fort Lauderdale to French Polynesia via Easter Island, and one for 46 days from Seattle to Alaska and around Japan. In January we are going on the Maasdam around New Zealand. We are going because we appreciate we are seeing some unusual ports and learning a huge amount, including about local culture, history, geology, local foods, at a bargain price and the EXC on the Maasdam may not last much more if not supported.

 

Our experience is that about half the passengers really love the format and were traveling for multiple segments and are returning for more, whereas a small number, mostly non English speakers, enjoyed lying in the sun. However many people were totally unaware of the EXC In Depth program and had booked their cruise last minute through a travel agent or online, assuming the Maasdam was the same as any big new cruise ship. They expected a different experience.

 

 

I think HAL needs to explain/promote the EXC in Depth better. I think it sounds interesting and would have booked Alaska this past year if I hadn't already booked Alaska on QE. QE was greatr. They had excellent lecturers. The naturalist did a good job with commentary on "viewing" days.  If the EXC program survives, I'll be watching it for itineraries I'd like to try. 

[Btimmer]

We, too, have sailed a lot on the new EXC format (5 months worth) and totally love it like Scottish Maid described.  We've also booked the Maasdam spring 2020 SD to Vancouver via Mexico.  My daily blogs of all the trips is filled with details of the voyages.