Maasdam review pt2

[wdblake]

The Ports:

 

First day at sea…

Rain and fog was the weather of the day. We found ourselves keeping busy with the various shipboard activities. We played trivia in the Crow’s Nest and won luggage straps. We played name that tune and won CD cases. I guess lady luck was on our side. At least we escaped the heat!

 

2nd day in Martha’s Vinyard…

We tendered into Oak Bluffs Monday morning. My wife still cracks up at my impersonation of the captain saying Oak Bluffs. The weather was gorgeous that day being sunny and cool. This tiny town looks like it fell out of a post card. There are a lot of quaint little shops and eateries. When strolling down main street you will come to a store called “the secret garden”. If you turn right there and follow the sidewalk back into the houses you will find one of the most picturesque sights in town. I believe it is called Trinity park or the campgrounds…something like that. There is a circle of tiny little cottages that look like something out of a Hans Christian Anderson story. The residents have gone to great lengths to decorate these homes with antiques and flowers and each cottage has its own theme. I would highly recommend seeing this and bring your camera. We rode the oldest carousel in the United States which has you reaching for the brass ring. There was a seafood restaurant across from the carousel that my wife and I regretted not trying. If you get the chance you might drop in there for a lobster roll.

The park facing the ocean provides some great breezes as well as beautiful scenery. We were plenty entertained just walking around town.

 

3rd day in Portland:

As we cruised into Portland we sat in the Crows nest and watched the Portland Head lighthouse drift by as we sipped our coffee. I would recommend this since there are a lot of lighthouses and forts to look at as you are pulling in. We rented a car from Enterprise who picked us up at the dock and helped us map our trip to the Portland Head lighthouse. They were very friendly and professional. It was fairly easy getting to the lighthouse since there were a number of blue signs pointing the way. This was one of our favorite stops of the whole trip. Portland Head light is nestled on the rocky coast and provides some captivating views. It is in a large park filled with lush greenery as well as a beach and an old fort. We spent over an hour wandering the paved path along the rocky coast and sitting on the benches to soak up the scenery. We later rode down the road to view the Cape Elizabeth lighthouses which were o.k. but rather anticlimactic after seeing Portland Head. After working up a healthy appetite wandering along the rocks that make up the coast we returned to town in search of lobster. We decided to eat at DeMillo’s which is a floating restaurant right by where the Maasdam was docked. You can see it from the ship … it’s a big blue and white ark looking building. We got the lazy lobster there (already out of the shell) and it was delicious. It was very tender and succulent with a lot of flavor. The prices were reasonable so I would go there for your lobster fix. We finished the day with some shopping and returned our car.

 

4th day in Saint John, New Brunswick…

 

We are glad we packed our warm coats and rain gear. The temperature was in the mid 50’s with a steady rain. This didn’t detract from this ports ambience. The people in this town are extremely friendly. The handed my wife a rose as we left the ship and a lot of the locals went out of their way to help us find things. We walked uphill (huffing & puffing) to get to the shopping district. There is an indoor walkway that connects the market area to the three story shopping mall so it’s fairly easy to avoid the weather. We enjoyed browsing the old market which had a lot of flavor to it. Most places take debit so you can avoid getting Canadian change.

 

5th day in Halifax, Nova Scotia…

 

We rented a car for the day, once again from Enterprise. It was a good thing we reserved ahead of time because they were booked solid when we arrived. The Enterprise office is across the street from the port terminal which made it extremely handy (others have to take you into town). There was a small parking lot to drop off your car and a drop box for the key. After getting some directions we decided to take the lighthouse route out to Peggy’s Cove lighthouse. It was a fantastic 30 minute drive through some unique and picturesque country. It was overcast and misty so that added to the scenery.

We passed lakes nestled in deep green forests. Open fields with giant boulders that looked like they had been dropped from the sky. The town of Peggy’s cove looks like it was lifted off a water color painting. We found a small fishing community amidst a rocky cover with old fishing boats and small cottages. The lighthouse itself is very majestic framed with the ocean splashing the rocks in the background. Beware of slippery rocks when walking as I almost stumbled a few times (wear good tennis shoes). There is a gift shop/restaurant there but it was kind of pricey. We snapped lots of pictures then ventured back to town. Halifax downtown was very congested. Driving was one way, bumper to bumper. If you don’t mind a bit of a walk I would suggest seeing it on foot since parking is hard to find. We were pretty beat after our lighthouse adventure so we decided to shop in the shops right at the port rather than hike into town.

 

6th day in Bar Harbor (pronounced Baa Haa Baa)

 

This was our favorite stop of the whole trip. We tendered into town and immediately booked a whale watching excursion. We then window shopped in this quaint little Maine town. My wife and I were very excited about seeing Acadia national park. If you walk uphill to the park in the center of town you can catch one of the Islander free busses. Their website has the times and stops. We took bus number 3 which takes you to Sandy Beach, Thunder Hole, and Otter cliffs. If you get off on Sandy Beach there is a paved coastal trail which winds its way along the rocky coast to these three sites. There are many stops along the way with breath taking scenery. We again felt our stomachs growling so we returned to town to eat at the Lobster Claw and enjoy a butter dripped lobster roll. It was spectacular, packed with tons of lobster meat. We then set out on our whale watching adventure. This did not turn out so good. Since the water was so cold and the air warm there was a huge amount of fog out at sea. We couldn’t see anything and it was too dangerous to go out deep where the whales were. We instead went to an island and saw a large group of seals basking on the shore. The experience was neat but we felt the boat company (friendship V) could have been more honest about our chances of seeing a whale (with the fog they should have know we wouldn’t see anything). If you book a whale tour ask ahead about weather conditions at sea.

 

7th day at Boston and time to leave…

 

We had the easiest disembarkation we ever had on a cruise. We had went to the front desk to voice our concerns about catching our early flight and they gave us luggage tags and a number to get off the ship first. We found our luggage waiting in the terminal right by the door. They had a system where they lined you up to get a taxi which was extremely helpful. All in all things went as smooth as silk.

 

My wife and I would highly recommend this cruise. The weather was great and very refreshing for July/August (we live in South Carolina where it hit 100 degrees about every day). If you like rocky coasts, lighthouses, quaint towns, and lots of fun shopping this cruise is for you.

[localady]

Thanks for your post!!! Glad you enjoyed the Maasdam, and your cruise. Being from the Sacramento Valley, we tend to flee to cool locales in the summer too, this year it was Alaska. If you've not been there, you really should consider it!!!

 

Your post makes me want to look at the East Coast/ Canadian cruises now....!!!!

[iluvcruzin]

Thanks for the Wonderful Review.. Both parts 1 & 2. Thanks for sharing

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

Thanks for posting your review. Enjoyed reading both parts.

Glad your enjoyed your cruise and the ports.

:)

[Peggy Sue]

thank you for sharing your recent cruise experiences with us all. Great report! Glad you enjoyed your New England / Canada adventure.

 

Being from New England (North Shore of Boston) we indeed love all that wonderful towns, shore lines etc. right in our back yard. We often take weekend jaunts to Portland and "Baa Haa Baa" - Acadia is our favorite park to visit in the fall..Just beautiful!

 

We have had an unusal weather pattern this summer, with rather wet and cool conditions. As I type this, it's Friday afternoon at 1 PM and it's only 68 degrees outside! Weekend is suppose to be cool tomorrow and mid 70's on Sunday...This is early August! We had a very COLD winter, which I understand from reading other reviews of your cruise is the reason for so much fog this year.

 

We love visiting the south too! Just never in July and August! ;-)

 

Glad you had a great cruise..thanks again!

 

Peggy sue

[Charlie2na]

ayuh!! glad you enjoyed my neck of the woods! Can't wait till my Maasdam cruise this coming Jan.