Maasdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
By way of background, spouse and I have cruised for 40 years and we enjoy sea days and repositioning cruises the best. On this trip we were with family members. We are not fans of big ships (and the Maasdam is big), having been spoiled for life by the late-lamented Song of Flower. We are also fans of the Windstar line but its itineraries are a real snooze with no variety.
We arrived in Montreal the day prior to sailing and spent a cold and dreary night and morning essentially trying to buy warm clothes as the weather had changed from the time we left our house til' we got to Canada! We stayed at the Embassy Suites on the outskirts of the Old Port but were not able to enjoy its prime location due to late arrival of flight and morning need to shop!
Embarkation was the usual irritation (this is another reason we like little ships) with all the attendant processing, screening and the like. We arrived just as the rooms were available so dropped off luggage and went for lunch at the Lido (as Mariner Club members we thought there'd be lunch in the main dining room but this wasn't offered).
Cabin Review
Large Ocean-View Stateroom
We had 2 of 3 cabins in a section on the Promenade deck and liked them very much for these reasons: immediate access to outside without cost of balcony which would have been a waste of money in the fall; speedy access to elevators and stairs; convenient to laundry and show room. The cabin is small and gets smaller the longer you're on board. The tub is very deep so getting in and out for able-bodied folks is dicey so I don't understand why HAL, which caters to more 'seasoned' and less nimble clients, doesn't remove them and replace with the tubs with walk-in showers. Biggest complaint - air conditioner/heater vents positioned so they blow directly on the bed (I had a sore throat every morning from the air in my face overnight) and there is no way to alter the air flow or turn down the fan speed (there is a constant mild roar). Finally, all the paperwork that appears hourly is such a waste!