Maasdam Review
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THe Maasdam is a lovely ship. The embarkation procedure was very well organized and we were able to complete it quickly. The crew is very warm and helpful. I travelled with my mother and our cabin steward, Made, had been mistakenly informed that we were husband and wife. He quickly changed the bed from a queen to two twins. He was extraordinarily efficient.
The food was excellent. I only had one disappointment during the cruise and that was on the first night when I ordered the Monkfish wrapped in pancetta. We had the 8:00 seating and I think that the fish was left over from the earlier seating. It was dry and tasteless. Everything else was heavenly. We loved the option of dining at the Lido. It offers almost the same food as the dining room (usually four choices of entrees, two soups, different vegetables, etc.). You choose your own salad and then place your order for your entree and it is brought to your table. It was a very relaxing way to eat and many of the passengers took advantage of this option.
We enjoyed the ports, especially Martha's Vineyard and Bar Harbor. We only booked one shore excursion through Holland America (Kennebunkport Sightseeing). In Martha's Vineyard and Bar Harbor we booked tours in town. In Martha's Vineyard we booked the same tour that the ship was offering. Holland America offered the 4 hour tour of Martha's Vineyard for $39.00 per person. We booked the exact same tour with the same company for $19.00. It covers the entire island with a stop at the Gay Head Light House for pictures. The guide pointed out where the movie "Jaws" was filmed, etc. We especially enjoyed the tour of Acadia National Park. We were walking down the street in Bar Harbor and saw a tour bus offering tours of Acadia. We walked into a restaurant called Testa's across the street and bought tickets. The tour costs $20.00 and was excellent. The scenery was breathtaking. You will see Thunderhole, go to the top of Cadillac Mountain and stop at the Jordan Pond Restaurant in the park. The guide's name was Roger and he was hysterically funny and interesting. He knew a great deal about the area, the lobster industry, the wildlife, etc. It was very enjoyable.