Maasdam Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Charming Ship, Enchanting Ports, Magical Vacation

Review for Canada & New England Cruise on Maasdam
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Cruiser Bruiser
10+ Cruises • Age 50s

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Sail Date: Jun 2015
Cabin: Large Ocean-View Stateroom

My 17-year-old niece just graduated from high school, so her 47-year-old single uncle decided to take her on a cruise. We couldn't afford Paris (her first choice) so we went to Quebec City and Montreal instead.

We flew from Portland to Boston on a red-eye flight. We stayed at the Chandler Inn in central Boston. It was in a neat little neighborhood with shops and restaurants. It was also walking distance to the Freedom Trail. Did I also mention it was very affordable? In Montreal, we stayed at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth. It was very well located and a very nice hotel.

Maasdam is the smallest ship I've ever sailed, but it was charming, well maintained, and strangely didn't feel that much different that larger ships I've sailed, like Norwegian Epic. Maasdam had a major overhaul in 2011 and it feels very modern despite being 22 years old. We had an ocean-view cabin that was very roomy! We spent a lot of time by the Lido Pool, which is my favorite location on the ship. In the evenings after dinner, we would float from lounge to lounge listening to different kinds of music. We saw most of the shows and enjoyed them, although the overall quality was just very good. We particularly enjoyed the musical entertainment, including the pianist, guitarist, jazz trio, and Adagio duo.

Cabin Review

Large Ocean-View Stateroom

Cabin DA

Our cabin was clean, well maintained and very roomy. Being on the Main Deck 5, we had very convenient access to tenders and the gangway. We were close to a stair tower so we felt like we were very well located. Beds were very comfortable. Storage was great. Bath room set up was excellent. I love the curtain in HAL cabins that separates the dressing area from the main cabin. This made getting ready a breeze.

Port Reviews

Boston

We stayed in central Boston at the Chandler Inn. This was a nice hotel that was convenient to shops and restaurants and close enough to walk to the Freedom Trail. The trail was the focus of our one day in town, and we feel like we got our dose of Colonial History. The Paul Revere House was a highlight.

Bar Harbor

Bar Harbor was beautiful but small. As we live in the Northwest, hiking wasn't a priority. We did do some shopping and took full advantage of the walking map provided by the city. Ultimately, we only spent a couple hours in Bar Harbor.

Halifax

We saw the noon firing of the canon at the Citadel. We then enjoyed the beauty of the public garden, shopped the high street, and had lunch in a nice restaurant near city hall. Finally, we saw a beautiful exhibit at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia focused on Halifax and the surrounding area. Finally, we walked along the waterfront back to the ship. Halifax is lovely. If I hadn't seen it before, I would have insisted we visit the Maritime Museum.

Quebec City

As Quebec Tourism says, "So Europe, So Close." We walked the upper and lower city, enjoyed the scenery and had a delicious lunch on Rue St. Jean at Les Trois Garcons gastropub. We ate right on the sidewalk and enjoyed the people watching. Endless charm.

Montreal

We stayed at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which is close enough to Vieux Quebec to walk. It's also super close to Ste. Catherine Street. We bought a subway pass and had lunch in The Village at a fantastic chocolate cafe. We had dinner back on Ste. Catherine Street at Les Trois Brasseurs, a restaurant that exists only in Canada and France. Get the Montreal Tourism Guide and follow their excellent walking tours to maximize your exposure to points of interest.

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