Maasdam Review
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After choosing this cruise because of the itinerary, we had mixed experiences on the ship. A norovirus episode on the prior sailing made for a delayed, and very poorly organized, embarcation. Long wait, poor communication, inadequate seating, limited information. The ship is in need of updating. Upholstery is worn, wood finishes in public areas need work. The cabin, forward on main deck, was very nice. Clean, great attendant, quiet except for docking times. Jarringly loud sounds which we couldn't identify accompanied every entry into a port. The food was, as others have said, uninspired; bland, somewhat limited in choice. We were disappointed to find that the Lido buffet area was closed between 8 and 10:30 p.m. as a late snack is nice, but not enough to tempt us to stay up as late as that. Anytime dining didn't work except for early scheduling; it is possible to reserve dining times and all the reservations between 6 and 7:45 were made the first night, leaving very long wait times for walk-ins. Several lounge entertainers were exceptional. Adagio, a piano and violin duet, gave beautiful performances every evening. The Neptunes trio played a jazz style for dancing, or just listening.
We enjoyed all the ports. Without booking ship's excursions, we used hop on hop off buses in Montreal (arriving a day early) and Quebec, and taxi drivers in Prince Edward Island and Halifax. For half the ship's prices, we were able to see all the sights and have free time. In Bar Harbor, we had pre-reserved the Lulu Lobster Boat tour for $31 each, to find the other passengers had booked through the ship for $59. In Boston, a 4:30 flight left us plenty of time to use the water taxi service; pick up, store luggage, walk around for 4 hours, and be taken to the airport shuttle. $25 each was less than just the transfer fee from the ship, and the boat rides through the harbor were fun. The ship's offer of a 2 hour bus tour and airport transfer cost $70 per person. If you're able to roll your luggage maybe .1 mile to the taxi dock and walk a bit of the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston, this is the choice to make.
Cabin Review
Large Ocean-View Stateroom
Comfortable and spacious cabin. Good storage space, but closet configuration was odd; no full-length hanging space without removing shelves. Bathroom had a tub and was larger than most shipboard baths we have seen. The steward was exceptionally good, and the folded towel animals a welcome surprise; haven't seen them in awhile.
Port Reviews
Sydney (Nova Scotia)
We walked into town and followed signs to a craft show at the old Anglican church hall, which is evidently held on days with ships in port. Local people with mostly handmade wares at reasonable prices. The town is small; there is a walking tour map pointing out historic buildings and sites. A few blocks of downtown, then back to the ship along the waterfront walkway.
Boston
We had read about the water taxi service on line. We were picked up at the port (maybe .1 mile from the ship) and taken to Rowe's Wharf, where we left our luggage in their office. We spent about 4 hours walking the Freedom Trail, visiting several of the museums and historic sites, then returned to the office. The water taxi took us to the airport stop, where a shuttle took us to the terminal. Charge for the total transport was $25 each. The water transport was a bit of a harbor tour, and much more fun than a taxi ride would have been, besides allowing us to see Boston without being caught in traffic or on anyone's schedule but our own.