My wife and I were looking forward to a nice pre-Xmas cruise to help us ease into the holiday season. The Maasdam's 14 day itinerary intrigued as there were some new ports for us, and some tried and true. We overall had a very nice cruise and considered that Holland America delivered solid value for our holiday dollar.
Pre-cruise: We generally fly in to Florida one day before, just in case there are weather or airline delays. This time we stayed one night pre-cruise at the DoubleTree Gallery One in Ft. Lauderdale using my Hilton Honors points. What a waste as the hotel was a dud, so stay elsewhere. But, that made our anticipation for the ship even greater.
Boarding, Cabin: Boarding the Maasdam was very easy, and not just because we were in a deluxe verandah suite with its own check-in. By the time we arrived at the port, around 12:45p.m., the early crush had dissipated, and there were few in line. Given this is a smaller ship, the boarding is easier than a Vista ship, which was our prior cruise on HAL. Staff in the check-in hall were very friendly and, best of all, the photographers were not insistent that we get that ubiquitous "bad-hair" pre cruise photo. We and others were able to step out of line to avoid "Mr. Camera", and those who wanted their pictures taken were free to do so.
A deluxe suite on the HAL "S" class of ships is very comfortable. While somewhat dated in some respects, given the ship was built in 1993, these cabins are elegant and spacious, with lots of closet space and a dressing area, and dressing table which the ladies will particularly enjoy. The verandah is huge enough for a gathering of friend, and perfect for dining "al-fresco". A deluxe suite on HAL includes certain extra amenities such as the Neptune Lounge and excellent concierge service for all bookings and arrangements, thus meaning one never has to line up at the front office or anywhere elsethe concierges do it all for you! Complimentary laundry and dry-cleaning is also included. While a deluxe suite can be costly, it also represents a reasonable value for those who feel sufficiently "flush", or who want to splurge.