This was our second HAL cruise, and our first 2 week cruise, and the Maasdam is the smallest ship to date for us. We [hubby and myself], loved the size of the ship, and although it is an older ship, thought it was well maintained. We had a lanai cabin with no A/C or plumbing issues and loved being able to step out onto the promenade to enjoy it. We were blessed with fantastic weather and calm seas so we enjoyed the promenade a lot. We also thought the Maasdam crew was fantastic at every level, among the best we have encountered cruising.

For dining we ate most of our meals in the main dining room and a few breakfast/lunches at the Lido. Overall, no complaints from us, we always found something we wanted and enjoyed our meals, we also had anytime dining and usually ate 5:30 or 6 and never had to wait for a table. Entertainment was pretty good for this size ship and enjoyed all the Maasdam singer/dancer productions. We also spent a lot of time in the Crows nest [bar and lounge at the front/top of ship], great views to watch for whales while enjoying a drink or listening to live music in the evenings.

Ports: We did DIY for our ports and only did 2 pre-arranged excursions in Kodiak and Sitka. For Sitka if you are looking for a private boat tour to see wildlife or fishing, try looking up Gary Downey [just started his own business and can't say enough good things about him, loved it!]. Weather was great for all ports and generally did some shopping, a lot of hiking, usually had lunch in port, and generally enjoyed just poking around the towns. Really excellent itinerary and would do this cruise again in a heartbeat -loved Homer and need to go back!