We chose this Australia-bound cruise on the Maasdam as it ticked several key boxes. Foremost was our preference for smaller, more intimate ships that offer more of the Old-School cruising experience. The embarkation port and itinerary were also important given the easy proximity of the Seattle gateway and our desire for a broad survey of Polynesia and Melanesia on our way Down Under.
For the most part, the Maasdam did not disappoint as it is in remarkably good shape for a ship of her relatively advanced vintage--1993. The cabins were larger than their equivalents in competing lines and the ship looked well cared for. There were a few signs of age and neglect including the riot of mismatched carpets, garish colors, and the black mold growing in the grout of our bathtub. The ship lacked amenities that we take for granted in more modern ships--no mini refrigerator, just one (!!) 110v outlet in the entire cabin, and the internet connection crawled at dial-up speeds. One traditional touch that we enjoyed was the well stocked ship's library and the presence of a helpful and knowledgeable librarian on board. We are distressed to hear that HAL is eliminating librarians on future Maasdam cruises and I hope they reverse this decision.
Dining was good but not great. About midway through our 23-day cruise, we began to tire of the bland monotony of the daily fare aboard the ship, and we began to look forward to the ethnic offerings at lunch and the chance to eat off the ship during our port calls. Our waiter was also kind enough to keep a jar of fiery Sambal Olek, Tabasco, soy sauce and other condiments handy to spice up our bland dinner choices. We tried the Canaletto restaurant once but the fare was uninspired and similar in quality to the dining room. We tried one wine tasting but it was a disaster, with the sommelier running out of stemmed wine glasses and service creeping to a crawl. The food was served cold and the red wines were served straight from the bottle at tropical room temps rather than cellar temperatures.
Nice roomy cabin, adequate storage, comfy beds. Great location free of mechanical noises, service doors, elevator activity, or other disturbances. The only weak areas were the lack of sufficient electrical outlets, no mini fridge, and the black mold growing in the bathtub grout.
Fast, smooth embarkation. I aprreciated that were were allowed to arrive early, check into our rooms swiftly, and proceed to the dining room for a leisurely lunch. The port is bare-bones though with no public free internet or even paid options like Xfinity or Boingo.