HAL Maasdam Review (back to back cruises)

On 1/23/2007 1:52 PM grandma Rosalie wrote:
Warren wrote:

Rosalie B. wrote:

I should have called and reconfirmed my room - I did not realize that
I should do that, and my TA did not alert me to do that. Definitely
an oversight on my part.

You need to make your wishes clear when you put down your deposit. I
instruct TA's that I am NOT to be upgraded without being asked.

Most of the cruise lines now make it quite easy to check a booking on
their websites. I usually keep an eye on mine from final payment date
until embarkation.

Warren


I really thought I HAD made it clear. I had numerous conversations
about it - both with HAL and with the TA

I can only think that this TA did not really pay attention, and I am
not surprised because I couldn't get in touch with him once I made the
booking. So I won't be using him again.


Yeah, that sounds like a hit the mark say the lines kind of TA. My TA
is my sister Karen. If there is any change at all in my bookings I get
an email from her, and a phone call. She also watches the queues. If
the rates go down she does whatever is needed for my air, hotel or
cruise booking to reflect the lower price - and I am notified. It's not
just family, she does that with all her clients. That is the sign of a
professional.

--
____
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
____
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

On 1/23/2007 8:56 PM Charles wrote:
In article , Surfer
E2468 wrote:


There is nothing about older people and rice pudding,We have enjoyed
rice pudding since we were little kids,and it is BREAD PUDDING on the
HAL ships,not rice.


Bread pudding would be even easier for older people to chew than rice
pudding. Perfect for HALs clientele.


Well, when my choppers no longer work - I'll have flan. ;-)

--
____
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
____
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

Brian K wrote:

On 1/23/2007 8:56 PM Charles wrote:
In article , Surfer
E2468 wrote:


There is nothing about older people and rice pudding,We have enjoyed
rice pudding since we were little kids,and it is BREAD PUDDING on the
HAL ships,not rice.


Bread pudding would be even easier for older people to chew than rice
pudding. Perfect for HALs clientele.


Well, when my choppers no longer work - I'll have flan. ;-)

Yuck - I don't like flan much - too slippery. Probably due to the
time I stayed in a hotel in Valencia for a week and that was all they
had for dessert every day. Once it was nice. Twice was OK. The
third time I wanted something crunchier.

I like rice pudding OK, and I like plain bread pudding. Don't care
for it much when they fancy it up with kiwi fruit and pecans and stuff
like that.

Rosalie B. wrote:
The complete trip report with all the details including descriptions
of the food and some pictures from

Norfolk, Bahamas, St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts, San Juan,
Norfolk again, Fort Lauderdale, and Xmas at sea.

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abed/#TL Embarkation Dec 11
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ac51/#TL Half Moon Cay-Dec 13
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8acaa/#TL St. Thomas - Dec 15
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8acaa/#TL Dominica Dec 16
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abc3/#TL Barbados Dec 17
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abc3/#TL St. Kitts - a.m. 18th
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8a1af/#TL St. Kitts - train
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8aba4/#TLA San Juan Dec 19th
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae58/#TL Norfolk (changing
rooms) - Dec 22nd
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae65/#TL Ft Lauderdale - Dec
24 and Christmas

Rosalie B. wrote:

The complete trip report with all the details including descriptions
of the food and some pictures from December 11th -Norfolk, Bahamas,
St. Thomas, Dominica, Barbados, St. Kitts, San Juan, Norfolk again,
Fort Lauderdale, and Xmas at sea, Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, Dominica,
St. Thomas, Bahamas, to Port Everglades disembarkation Jan 4th

Each of these reports with 8 photos each and linked, and if you start
at the first one, you can continue by clicking on the link at the
bottom of the page.

I was going to try to put the rest of the photos up on Cruise Mates
website, but it was Sooo Slow, that I gave up - so in between each
report there are the more complete albums of photos

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abed/#TL Embarkation Dec 11

Photos 06.12-11.12D Embarkation & Sea Day" - 42 photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...CEC3C2CF&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ac51/#TL Half Moon Cay-Dec 13


Half Moon and at sea - 50 photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...0F82C2D0&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8acaa/#TL St. Thomas - Dec 15

Link to view the St. Thomas photos (55 photos):
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abb5/#TL Dominica Dec 16

Dominica photos (some of these have captions) 60 photos
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8abc3/#TL Barbados Dec 17

Barbados Lighthouses Link - 60 photos - starts with the prison
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

Link to view the rest of the Barbados photos: (78 photos)
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8a1a9/#TL St. Kitts - a.m. 18th

Link to view these 55 photos:
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8a1af/#TL St. Kitts - train

Link to view train photos: (60 photos)
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8aba4/#TLA San Juan Dec 19th

Link to view San Juan photos, days at sea -with a lot of food
pictures, and Norfolk (66 photos)
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae58/#TL Norfolk (changing
rooms) - Dec 22nd
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae65/#TL Ft Lauderdale - Dec
24 and Christmas

Link to view the Fort Lauderdale and Sawgrass excursion photos (48):
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8aec8/#TL Aruba Dec 27

"06.12-27D Aruba - 41 lighthouse photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...EB53C2E4&cb=PW
== Link ends here
and the rest of the 70 Aruba photos
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW


"06.12-24-27D At Sea", 58 photos - lots of food photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...F053C2E7&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae6d/#TL Curacao Dec 28

Link to view these 52 photos:
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar... lb_pml&cb=PW


http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8aecd/#TL Barbados Dec 30

Three parts
Arrival and Barbados Orchid Farm (45 photos)
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...2972C2E9&cb=PW
== Link ends here

St. John church, Sunbury plantation and end of Best of Barbados tour
(77 photos)

Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...8822C2EB&cb=PW
== Link ends here

Barbados Museum and leaving Barbados - 46 photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...BB22C2FA&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8af65/#TL Dominica Dec 31

Dominica Tram 95 pictures including rainbows as we were leaving.
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...5ED2C2F3&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8ae78/#TL St. John January 1

St. John 69 photos
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...A2E2C306&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/19205f/ Parasailing Jan 3

Link on parasailing (50 photos) starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...9EB2C306&cb=PW
== Link ends here

http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/tt/8af4c/#TL Ft. Lauderdale Jan 4

Last days at sea (30 photos)
Link starts here =
http://www.photoworks.com/share/shar...C852C30B&cb=PW
== Link ends here

Rosalie B. wrote:

Stateroom - C

It was an outside window which was nice, but the room was cramped and
noisy. They didn't have much drawer storage space and no place to put
things at the bathroom sink without stacking things.

I am surprised to hear the room was cramped. According to travelocity
an outside cabin on the Massdam is about 197 sq ft, which isn't that
bad. On the Volendam we had a Verandah Suite which was 292 sq ft and
we have more storage space and drawers then we needed. In the bathroom
we had a shelf under the sink, don't know if you had one or not.

There are two nice pools - one outside which I used once, and one in
the middle of the Lido Deck. They had the water in the Lido Pool even
though it was a little rough and I was surprised that someone wasn't
hurt the way the water was splashing around in the pool.

The first two days on the Volendam the seas were very rough. One day
as we were sitting in the hot tub, the pool looked just right for
surfing(grin). We saw a guy get into the surf, do some laps and then
get out. We were both afraid the guy would be slammed up against the
wall of the pool and get hurt.

They gave us luggage labels with colors and numbers or letters, but I
could make no sense of what the colors meant. They seemed to be
random. So one couldn't figure out when they might be called. Maybe
they did that on purposed, but if I had a deadline it would have been
anxiety making.

Because we had an early flight we checked at the pursers desk and
found that we would be the second group off the ship.

Glad that you enjoyed your cruise, I know we enjoyed ours!

sue

Rosalie B. wrote:

I don't know why it is so hard for someone to understand that when I
book an inside center cabin (under other cabins and not under the
kitchen or restaurant or someplace like that) that I do NOT want an
upgrade to an outside cabin under the kitchen.

Next time tell your travel agent that you do not want any upgrade and
that should solve the problem.

sue

Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

Thank you for your comments

I had tried to tell my TA that I didn't want an upgrade, but he didn't
ask me, and he was never there when I called and did not return my
calls. I didn't check before I went, and that was a mistake on my
part, but I don't think I should have had to do that - I would expect
that a travel agent would ask before giving someone an upgrade. In
the past they have done that, or I have indicated at the beginning
that I would be OK with an upgrade.

Rosalie B. wrote:

Stateroom - C

It was an outside window which was nice, but the room was cramped and
noisy. They didn't have much drawer storage space and no place to put
things at the bathroom sink without stacking things.

I am surprised to hear the room was cramped. According to travelocity
an outside cabin on the Massdam is about 197 sq ft, which isn't that
bad. On the Volendam we had a Verandah Suite which was 292 sq ft and
we have more storage space and drawers then we needed. In the bathroom
we had a shelf under the sink, don't know if you had one or not.

No we didn't. There was a small shelf above the sink, but that was
all. I think shelf or cabinet space under the sink would be an easy
way to get more storage.

It wasn't so much that the room was actually small. But the furniture
didn't fit very well. The sofa was nice, but the table was very small
(smaller than the breakfast tray), and the little stool at the dresser
was more for show than for sitting on. It could have been left off
altogether.

There are two nice pools - one outside which I used once, and one in
the middle of the Lido Deck. They had the water in the Lido Pool even
though it was a little rough and I was surprised that someone wasn't
hurt the way the water was splashing around in the pool.

The first two days on the Volendam the seas were very rough. One day
as we were sitting in the hot tub, the pool looked just right for
surfing(grin). We saw a guy get into the surf, do some laps and then
get out. We were both afraid the guy would be slammed up against the
wall of the pool and get hurt.

Yes that was what we observed.

I do sometimes find that when I point something out to people that
might be a hazard, and they say something like "Oh we've always done
that and never had a problem", that if they DO have a subsequent
problem, they seem to think it was my fault. :-(

They gave us luggage labels with colors and numbers or letters, but I
could make no sense of what the colors meant. They seemed to be
random. So one couldn't figure out when they might be called. Maybe
they did that on purposed, but if I had a deadline it would have been
anxiety making.

Because we had an early flight we checked at the pursers desk and
found that we would be the second group off the ship.

Why didn't they just tell everyone?

We were purple 4.

Glad that you enjoyed your cruise, I know we enjoyed ours!

Yes I did enjoy it.

Rosalie B. wrote:
Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

In the bathroom
we had a shelf under the sink, don't know if you had one or not.

No we didn't. There was a small shelf above the sink, but that was
all. I think shelf or cabinet space under the sink would be an easy
way to get more storage.

In addition to the shelf under the sink, we had a corner cabinet with
three shelfs on the right hand side of the sink. Same cruise line,
diffeent ships, different layouts.

It wasn't so much that the room was actually small. But the furniture
didn't fit very well. The sofa was nice, but the table was very small
(smaller than the breakfast tray), and the little stool at the dresser
was more for show than for sitting on. It could have been left off
altogether.

The stool by the dresser/desk opened for more storage and I used it to
sit on at the desk. Also our table was a little bigger then the
breakfast tray, so it worked fine for us.

sue

OY VE!
"Sue and Kevin Mullen" wrote in message
...


Rosalie B. wrote:
Sue and Kevin Mullen wrote:

In the bathroom we had a shelf under the sink, don't know if you had one
or not.

No we didn't. There was a small shelf above the sink, but that was
all. I think shelf or cabinet space under the sink would be an easy
way to get more storage.

In addition to the shelf under the sink, we had a corner cabinet with
three shelfs on the right hand side of the sink. Same cruise line,
diffeent ships, different layouts.

It wasn't so much that the room was actually small. But the furniture
didn't fit very well. The sofa was nice, but the table was very small
(smaller than the breakfast tray), and the little stool at the dresser
was more for show than for sitting on. It could have been left off
altogether.

The stool by the dresser/desk opened for more storage and I used it to sit
on at the desk. Also our table was a little bigger then the breakfast
tray, so it worked fine for us.

sue