Maasdam Review
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Let me start by saying we choose our cruises based on the itinerary, not the cruise line or ship. We have sailed Carnival, RCI, Norwegian, Princess and one cruise on HAL previously (where I broke a tooth on pasta). While the previous HAL cruise was one of our worst, we liked the itinerary and decided to give them another try. There were three of us, my husband and me, both in our mid 40s, and our 18 year old daughter. We were in an oceanview cabin.
The ship itself is very dated. I felt like I was in an 80s flashback. As soon as I got on the first elevator I noticed paint scratched off the walls. The ship is definitely overdue for dry dock. It's also probably the smallest ship I've even been on. The rooms were actually quite large and provided ample storage, something the newer ships tend to lack. The bathroom was also quite large, but I was surprised at the height of the side of the tub. I do not have any mobility issues, but seeing as the majority of HAL clients are 60+, I could see that being an problem for some. We had considered one of the Lanai cabins on the lower verandah deck and were glad we did not go with that one. Those cabins have sliding glass doors that open directly onto the promenade where people walk around. While they have some sort of film on the glass that supposedly prevents people from seeing in, you still could see in if they had their lights on. Just something to keep in mind.
Food on the ship left a lot to be desired. Menus were unappetizing (we chose not to eat in the main dining room 2 or 3 of the nights because of the menu) and dining hours were ridiculous. The main dining room did have lobster tails the second formal night which was nice. The buffet at dinner time closed at 8pm. And then it was only open for an hour (10:30 - 11:30) for a late night snack. We did like the grill at the pool where they had cooked to order burgers and hot dogs. The nacho/taco bar at the pool had weird items on it, but no taco meat. They did do a poutine bar for Canada day which was good. Room service was prompt and they did have a large menu for breakfast rather than the traditional continental breakfast.