Maasdam Review

4.0 / 5.0
0 reviews

Smooth Sailing, New Ports, Great Speakers, and Lots Of Fun Ways to Spend Time

Review for South America Cruise on Maasdam
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floridanative1
10+ Cruises • Age 70s

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Sail Date: Feb 2018
Cabin: Large Ocean-View Stateroom

I chose this cruise because it had several ports that I have never visited.Embarkation was the easiest I've ever experienced. We boarded before noon and our OV cabin was ready. We were on the main deck which just under the promenade. We were midship and equidistant from the elevator banks. We had the late seating in the MDR. Our dining waiter and his assistant were great and we were happy with all our meals in the evening. The service during breakfast and lunch was less satisfying. We were seated promptly, but then there were long waits for everything, -for coffee, for our orders to be taken, for the meals to arrive, etc. One day, our order was lost and after 55 minutes our first plate arrived. No one apologized although they admitted that our order had gone astray. Again, the food was tasty, albeit too salty for my taste. If you are wondering why we didn't eat in the LIDO it is because of a food allergy that is best accommodated by preordering and eating in the MDR.

We enjoyed the frequent lectures focused on Latin America history and politics given by Tommie Sue Montgomery. They were well informative, organized, interesting, and well-presented. We didn't miss a single one of hers.

The most interesting port for us was Salaverry in Perú. The nearest city was Trujillo. (We were advised to not visit Trujillo.)The ship had several excursions that visited sites from the Moche Culture. We were blown away by the extensive archeological sites. Amazing! Do NOT miss this opportunity to see this.

Cabin Review

Large Ocean-View Stateroom

Cabin C

Quiet and clean. Plumbing was erratic. Hot water fluctuated. There is not a refrigerator in the room. The stewards filled the ice bucket daily and filled our fruit basket as needed. Personally, I don't really want a towel animal each night. I think that would be a nice touch in the very few cabins with children on this ship.

Port Reviews

San Diego

We arrived in San Diego one week before embarkation. We stayed in an Airbnb in Little Italy and had a wonderful time exploring San Diego.

Huatulco

Easy walk off the ship. There were some good shops that were clean and reasonable. We took photos of the town and visited the open-air church. We stopped at a cafe and bought a couple of colas so we could use the Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi was terrible. The town was photogenic.

Cabo San Lucas

We spent time on shore shopping for a cable for our camera. It is a lovely port and has expanded greatly since our last visit there. It is clean, safe, and pleasant. The shopping mall is in walking distance from where the ship is moored. We had arranged for a private whale watching tour, but the seas were too rough for whale watching.

Fuerte Amador (Balboa)

We had planned to visit Our Pueblecito museum which we read about on trip advisor. When we went to the taxi stand, the man called over another driver who said he would take us for $20USD. I knew it wasn't far and said it was too much. He argued and stuck to his price. My husband said we shouldn't waste time and just go. We went. It wasn't far, although the traffic was bad. We enjoyed the tour, but it contained similar things to what we have in our historical museums. The setting was lovely. There was a taxi in the parking lot. That driver said he would take us back for $6USD. I knew the first guy was ripping us off.

Corinto

The town is very typical of small Nicaraguan towns that host tourists: a population of friendly, "real" people who live, work and shop in the town and the subset who sell souvenirs to the tourist. Ignore the souvenir sellers and you will get a real sense of small-town life in Nicaragua.

Puerto Quetzal (Antigua)

The 1.5 hour ride to La Antigua was scenic and comfortable on our clean and airconditioned bus. The guide was very interesting as he pointed out things on the way and provided us with background information. La Antigua is a Colonial city and the original capital of Guatemala. We were there on a very important religious Sunday in Lent. The city was filled with people from the region. The streets are cobbled with and I would not recommend visiting unless you are comfortable with walking on uneven pavement. During our visit we were not allowed in any churches. The streets were filled with people hawking their wares. The street vendors were pushy. I suggest you shop at the Artisan Market just a few blocks from the park & fountain near the main cathedral. The Jade museum is the real deal. An American arqueological geologist found jade in the 1970's. Her photo was on the cover of The National Geographic Magazine. This is a free real museum. It does have a gift shop, but the museum is an oasis of peace in the busy city. They have clean restrooms and water to drink. The 5-10 minute orientation talk is informational and is not a sale's pitch.

Manzanillo

Manzanillo is a quiet port. Just as you leave the port gate, there were some great crafts for sale. My husband bought a beautiful pine straw basket. the vendors are not pushy. Across the street are stores. the Malecon is an enjoyable walk. Manzanillo seems small near the port.

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