Maasdam Review

4.0 / 5.0
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Wonderful First Time Cruise to Alaska Aboard the HAL Maasdam

Review for Alaska Cruise on Maasdam
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traelee01
First Time Cruiser • Age 40s

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Sail Date: Jul 2016
Cabin: Large Interior Stateroom
Sea lion on our way to Hubbard Glacier
Our Tracy Arm sightseeing day was too icy to go as planned, so our Captain
A landing float plane next to the Maasdam in Juneau from the catamaran that
Afternoon tea was a nice treat. The English tea was really nice but this In

This was our very first cruise, but I can't imagine making a better decision! The 14 night Great Alaskan Land Explorer itinerary caught my attention right away. At 45 days out, we got a great price so I booked an inside room for myself and my 2 sons, ages 10 and 12.

I know my review will be fairly long, but hopefully it has some good tips for first timers. We were due to arrive into Seattle at 11 am on the day of embarkation, instead we were delayed until 2 pm due to weather. Booking the HAL transfer seemed like it may have been a little pricey when paying for more than 2 people, but it provided great peace of mind as a new cruiser. We were able to easily find representatives at the baggage carousel and everyone was helpful and professional all the way through the embarkation process. Showing up a little bit later meant that we barely had any line to wait in and we breezed through check in. In the future, I'd prefer to arrive a day or 2 ahead of time so flight delays aren't as big of a worry.

The ship itself was very well maintained. We saw them cleaning windows, etc at every port. The decor could use some overhaul. There were some finishes that seemed worn. But, really, that was cosmetic and the crew really worked tirelessly. The Maasdam has all the necessities and then some to be comfortable. Our major concern was the reputation of HAL being for a much older crowd and we were afraid of formal nights. We worried for no reason. Everyone we encountered was friendly. You saw kids around, but you barely noticed them since they were all well behaved. The older guests were fun and lively. I was a little worried when we heard that our sailing would include a number of square dancers. It turned out that they was a lot of fun to watch and were happy to teach anyone and include them. There was no hesitation to strike up a conversation from the time we trudged to the mandatory drill on the 6th deck during the first hours to the pick up line outside the terminal after disembarkation.

Cabin Review

Large Interior Stateroom

Cabin J

Room 776 was on the 4th floor in the very middle. It was sufficient for three people once we had the chair and small table removed. I rented a refrigerator for $2/day (I traveled with refrigerated needles for my arthritis. Just ask for a sharps container if you need one which are free).

The fridge took up the space under the desk. Everything functioned fine once we got used to it. The small shower concerned me at first, but it was much easier than having the tub (in oceanview or higher categories). Having no window was great in Alaska when daylight could last 20 hours.

I believe all rooms are equipped with only one electrical outlet. One plug is a higher 220? volt used for the provided hair dryer. The other plug is a standard 3 prong. We bought an extension cord with 2 outlets and 2 or 3 USB hubs. With the fridge, my laptop, camera battery charger and a portable fan (I enjoyed the air movement and white noise) we found having 3+ outlets would have worked better since we had to constantly unplug/replug items in as needed. Our USB items like tablet/phones got little use since we kept them on airplane mode the majority of the time.

Port Reviews

Ketchikan

We saved a few bucks by buying tickets to the Lumberjack show on our own. We had about an hour to spend before the show exploring and really enjoyed the shops and scenery of Creek Street. We didn't go into Dolly's House, but it was $10 for adults and free for kids. There are lots of low priced souvenir stops and you can walk off the ship to see most of the downtown sights. The lumberjack show was a little cheesy but very fun for my 10 and 12 year old boys. The jokes were lighthearted and it was fun to cheer for either the American or Canadian lumberjacks as they showed off their skills in a quick series of competitions

Icy Strait

We didn't plan anything in this port. They have worked hard to make it cruise ship guest friendly but as there was nothing we could find for breakfast and I forgot my camera's SD card, we just enjoyed a quick walk of the cannery, stared into the water for a while (saw some jellyfish) and walked back to the ship after seeing the shops were pricier than other stops. I'm sure if you booked an excursion or picked one up at the tourist center, it would be a lot more interesting. The zip line looked like it would really be a thrill, but it was more than I wanted to spend for something that flew by in a minute

Seattle

I always find Seattle and it's quirky residents interesting. The cool weather even in July was a treat (especially as a lifelong FL resident). We had a wonderful time at the Pike's Place market sampling food and watching the fish mongers, crafters, artisans, etc. We followed the walk through the crowd with a relaxing ride on the Ferris Wheel followed by a leisurely lunch of fresh seafood after our earlier fill up with amazing macaroni and cheese at Beecher's. If we cruise to Alaska again, I'd definitely book a few extra days in Seattle to explore the interesting and progressive city.

Homer

I was really looking forward to going to Homer, as I had heard about it's quirky personality and how it draws Alaskans to it for recreation. Unfortunately, there were very long lines to get onto uncomfortable school buses to get to the spit area, which included a walk through a very smelly seagull covered dock. It was unusually warm and sunny so after a quick walk on the beach we decided to skip the shops and went right back to the ship. Many people seemed to enjoy a trip to the saloon and the halibut fishing was supposed to be amazing.

Kodiak

Kodiak wasn't the most exciting stop and we were w a little tired, so walking to churches and the crowded wildlife center weren't the highlights for us. The fact that there was a McDonalds we could walk to put a spring in my kids' step. We lived without wifi or decent coffee for long enough, so it was a nice stop for many of the cruise passengers, albeit not exotic in any way other than the Big Mac was called the Denali Mac and cost $6.50.

We chose to walk back to the ship, as did dozens of others. It was a really nice walk, just under 1 mile and fairly flat if you took the right path. It sure beat standing in line for the school bus transportation and was probably faster too. It was also a good way to see some of the places the locals worked and shopped.

The sail away from the island was great. We saw so many great animals in the water from the ship without paying for an excursion.

Sitka

This was our best excursion and for the lowest price. It did sell out, so book ahead of time or within the first couple of days on the ship. What a thrill! I was actually really scared, but for no reason. The ride was super bumpy, but I never felt like we were in danger or out of control. It was just a little bit of 'beat up the tourists'. They recommended you use your feet to absorb an impact as you went over the waves, which was good advice if you didn't want a sore behind. First we took a really quick van ride across the street, which wasn't really all that necessary. Then we suited up in this flotation suits that went over your clothes. They had a youth size and most adults wore a size small suit, but I'm sure they had even bigger ones if you're over maybe 250 pounds. Anyway, you really bundled up with them, followed by gloves and a fleece headpiece if you felt like you needed it. It wasn't particularly cold, but the wind made it feel cooler once we got moving. We were able to just wear our glasses, but they had some little goggles if you wanted to borrow them (which they sanitized between uses). Then we waddled across the street to meet the raft, which held up to 6 passengers and the driver (who does 2 to 3 tours in a day). We were on the later tour at noon, which worked out great because we got to stay out longer and see way more than the earlier tours (much of it depends on the tide). We floated up to sea otters, saw the most amazing birds and went into a volcanic cave. We even got to see about 30 puffin on the water. On the way back we slowed down to look for whales when a humpback came up about 10 feet away from us within seconds. It was incredible. It was so much fun. We noticed many of the guests getting off the ride before us were likely in their 70s and had a great time too, so don't be intimidated by it sounding strenuous. They were kind enough to drop us off at the ship afterward so we didn't have to wait for a bus back from downtown. The downtown area was easy to navigate and we were about to buy some souvenirs while waiting for our noon departure for the raft ride. The library was next to where you were dropped off and lots of people were out front using the wifi. There were also many tours available downtown for things like the raptor center that others enjoyed visiting

Victoria

I didn't book an excursion ahead of time and thought we may go to Butchart Gardens, but figured we'd pick up a tour when we got off the dock. First we saw the pedicab tours, but they wanted $240 for me and my 2 sons for 2 hours. I felt that was a little steep and didn't want to sit in the direct sun in the afternoon for that long. Next we considered the sightseeing buses, but figured I'd talk to someone independent first. We talked to an older man with a van who said he'd do a 90 minute tour for about half the price of the pedicab. Another couple walked up and agreed to go with us and share the cost. Alan was a surprise. He knew a great deal about the city he lived in and was very proud of it. We were about to see places that buses weren't allowed to go. The weather was perfect. The streets were packed with tourists and we just rode around slowly enjoying it all. The highlight for me was in Beacon Hill park where he handed up a little container and told me to shake it out the window. Peacocks came running out! So he parked and told me to hold them about a foot off the ground and the beautiful birds were eating out of my hand. Literally. The city was just so beautiful and people seemed so relaxed and happy. I would love to return there for a longer time.

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