Maasdam Review
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As we live in Auckland New Zealand and the cruise left from there we were very excited about taking this cruise. The ship is fairly old (we heard that it is to be taken out of HAL's service in 2018) and it is showing its age. Our room was on one of the higher decks and the juddering when the ship was travelling fast, was quite unpleasant.
Amongst the most talked about issues on board involved the beverage department. Five days out from Auckland, there was no more Grolsch or Boddington's beer, and the only beers on offer were American, which to non-Americans are lacking in flavour and not an acceptable substitute. HAL offers wine packages, with a selection from a list: many of the wines on the list were not available and what should be a simple matter of choosing became "well, what can you offer?" There were essential ingredients missing in the cocktail bars too, and these issues persisted for the whole cruise. More beer was taken on board in Honolulu, but supplies ran out before we reached San Diego.
The food on board was generally of good quality. We ate lunch in the Lido, as we enjoy the wide choice, and dinner in the dining room, and found little to complain about in either case, although the selection seems smaller than in previous years for the dinner menu.
Cabin Review
Neptune Deluxe Verandah Suite
Our first time in a Neptune suite, and this was an ideal cruise for it, with many at-sea days. The room was spacious with a seating area and coffee table for 6 people, and the extra dressing room space was welcome, as was the extra storage. We made good use of the in-room coffee machine and Bose speakers (to listen to music on the verandah). The Neptune Lounge is a great facility with coffee and snacks available all day, and its own very helpful concierge. A highlight was being able to have breakfast in the Pinnacle Grill, to be greeted by name and given every attention.
As the suites are on deck 10 there is a lot of movement, and it was quite uncomfortable when the ship was going near its maximum speed (ie about 16 to 18 knots). Fortunately for much of the cruise the ship was going at a more leisurely pace.