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Holland America Line

MS Maasdam

Your Rating:
Reviewed by: Ruth Perkins
# previous cruises: 4
Date of Trip: February 3, 2002
Itinerary: Caribbean - Western

Spectacular! We were sorry to see this cruise end and can't wait to go again! In fact, we're already planning our next cruise on the Maasdam for February 2003.

The public areas were spacious, comfortable, and clean! The walk-around promenade on deck 6 was wide, and it was easy navigate during the Passport to Fitness 1 mile walk.

The food was wonderful and there was a great variety on the buffets in the Lido restaurant. We ate in the Lido for breakfast and lunch, but we ate in the Rotterdam dining room every night. The nightly menus in the Rotterdam had a good selection, but many items contained mushrooms and/or some form of fish or seafood. The service was excellent and very efficient. The staff was very attentive and cheerfully addressed any needs you may have.

Our cabin was unbelievable! There was more than enough closet space. The cabin was very clean and efficiently laid out to maximize space. The shower/tub combination was a little narrow, but not enough where you were hitting your elbows constantly. The bathroom, in general, was very roomy. We had a curtain that separated the doorway from the rest of the cabin, which helped keep the noise to a minimum.

We didn't attend any of the shows, although fellow passengers told us they enjoyed them.

There was a nice pool and 2 whirlpools on the Lido deck and another pool on the Navigation deck. We did notice that there still were "deck chair hogs", even though signs are posted asking passengers to not reserve chairs.

We participated in many of the Passport to Fitness activities - our favorite was the Stretch and Relax class.

Our ports of call included Cozumel, Mexico; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; and Half Moon Cay.

Cozumel - We went on the Tulum excursion. Our guide, Ignacio ("Nacho") was very knowledgeable about the ruins and their history. The ferry ride to Playa del Carmen was rough. At least one person got sick on the ride.

Grand Cayman - The shopping is great! We went on the island drive, which was rather lame ("this is the such and such shopping center......"). The shopping area was very crowded this time due to many ships being there at the same time.

Ocho Rios - We mostly stayed on board, but did take a quick shopping trip to the Soni's plaza. The security in Jamaica has increased tremendously, and we didn't feel uncomfortable there this time.

Half Moon Cay - What a beautiful beach! We went on the guided kayaking tour and had a great time.

We met a lot of very nice people of diverse backgrounds. We were at the younger end of the spectrum - the majority of the passengers seemed to be retired.