Maasdam Review
Rating by category
Additional details
This was our third HAL cruise, but the Maasdam may just be my favorite ship among the three. Other than the Lido on embarkation day, it really was never was crowded. The ship is smaller but generous with space in both the cabins and in the public areas. The only downside is that with fewer balcony rooms these are considered suites and are priced accordingly on these smaller ships. The larger inside/outside rooms offer even a better value than on the Vista class ships. The service was actually very good on this ship. Overall this cruise was a great travel experience. The explore4 signature beverage package we received for booking early was also a great deal. It made us more adventurous than usual to try new drinks. It also added a great deal of overall enjoyment to the cruise since we did not really have to worry about the bar bill at the end of the cruise.
Boston and Embarkation
Black Falcon is very easy to get to or from by public transit. The Design Center Bus Stop is across the road by the small park. Any SL2 Silver Line Bus goes to/from South Station where you can connect to the Red Line, or to the SL1 Silver Line Bus, which goes to all terminals of Boston Logan Airport.
Cabin Review
It is important to note that the stateroom categories are different on Cruise Critic than on the HAL web site. This is an early version of the deck plan, which was likely updated after the 2011 refit. If you just go by the stateroom number itself you will know which stateroom the reviewers are referring to, as the numbers do not repeat on the Maasdam. Our stateroom was formerly known as E688 and is now labeled DD688, which is not a partially obstructed view stateroom. This outside stateroom was bigger than some I have had on other lines. It was nicely furnished with a full-sized sofa that will make a bed, a pull down upper berth, another occasional chair and a vanity chair. With three traveling, we chose to use the upper berth for the third traveler so that the sitting are could be used by us earlier risers. Bathroom was nicely furnished with granite counter tops and a tub. Linens were clean and nice. Big bath-sized towels and complimentary robes were provided. Elemis products were provided for your every need. Nice assortment of standard in-room literature, which was very informative. Stationary and envelopes were provided. Everything you need to know about the ship and room service was nicely presented.One closet door had two hinges, which had come loose. This was reported on day one of the cruise and it fell off completely on day three of the cruise. It was promptly fixed when I reported that it had fallen off. One small drawer with a broken track in the bedside table never was fixed. There is plenty of storage in this stateroom for three travelers, even without this drawer. Ventilation was not the best, as not much air seemed to come out of the vent at all. I cannot say that it was ever that hot or cold. The thermostat seemed to do little if anything. Not a bad stateroom, just a few minor glitches.