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Maasdam - Carribean |
| Reviewed By: Trusler, Storrington on 1st Dec 2008 |
| Cruise Line: Holland America Cruises |
Times cruised before: 10+ |
| Cruise Ship: MS Maasdam |
Sailed:
November,
2008 |
| Destination: Caribbean |
Age: 56-65 |
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Having sailed with many cruise lines over the years, we were excited at traveling with Holland America for the first time. The Maasdam is a small ship by todays standards something that influenced my wife in choosing this cruise.
Before the moans begin, we have to say that overall we enjoyed the cruise which provided a good 14 night itinerary and excellent food. Probably our biggest disappointment was with the entertainment. The ships company and bands were on the whole appalling, with the individual acts geared towards and American audience. The Theatre which had very poor visibility of the stage, was half empty for most performances with a lot of people leaving early during a performance.The sailaway party every evening hosted by the band meant having to endure the same seven songs. If I had to hear about "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" one more time, I think I might have jumped overboard!
The food as stated was of a good standard, but probably because of the age and size of the ship venues were limited. The exception was the Pennant Grill which at a cost of $20.00 per head, offered similar food to main dining but in a more refined enviroment, why bother?
With the Credit Crunch hitting all businesses, cruises are getting cheaper, but beware! We found that especially for Brits with the US Dollar exchange rate, the cost of tippng, drinks and excursions was much higher than on other cruise lines. The cost of this cruise proved much higher than expected with these hidden costs.
Their bigger ships may solve some of our issues, but not the excessive extras they hit you with on board.
My advice before booking any cruise these days would be to check these hidden costs before booking to ensure you know the true cost of your cruise experience.
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| Quality of Food |  |
| Anytime dining. Puddings were not a specialty of the Chef. | | Entertainment |  |
| They had a comic/magician who was entertaining, and a jazz trio in one of the bars who were excellent. The rest of the entertainment was sub standard. | | Shore Excursions | n/a |
| | Staff | |
| | Children's Facilities | n/a |
| | Onboard Activities |  |
| | Cabins | |
| | Overall Rating | |
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Happy HOLIDAY's
Qeen Mary 2 cruise dec 2008
Queen Victoria - Caribbean 2008
MSC Fantasis Christmas Cruise
