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Name: Paul Slinski
Email: slinskps@erols.com
Age: 40+
Occupation: Self employed
NumberOfCruises: 10+
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 3/31/95
Itinerary: Wester Caribbean
FoodDiningRoom: 85
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 100
DiningRoomService: 80
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 80
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 95
ShoreExcValue:
GoodForHoneymoon: 60
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 75
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 95
ExerciseFacilities: 100
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon: 95
EntertainmentPoolside: 25
CruiseActivities: 50
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram:
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 95
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 30 Nov 1996
Time: 10:19:21
Remote Name: 205.177.154.138
Remote User:
Comments
We sailed on the Maasdam on a 1 week western caribbean cruise over Easter break.
Compared to the other mainstream cruise lines the first thing you notice is the
spaciousness of the ship and lack of crouds. Plenty of room in the public areas and deck
spaces. Even though the ship was booked to capacity, it was not crowded. We never had to
search for a deck chair, or a quiet place to sit and read and we NEVER had to wait in
line!
The dining room was fabulous, the service polished and understated. The food was ample and
the choices many, but a little to bland for us - it needs a little more pazzaz and served
with more flair -- I think bus boys would help. The Lido buffet and pool-side
pizza/fajitos were done right - other lines should take take note.
The entertainment was, like the food, professionlly done but tame. No band on deck, and no
deck parties. The main loung entertainment was very good but again understated.
The ship itself was -- well breathtaking. Fresh flowers all around and changed every day
(including in your cabin). The cabin was roomy sleeping 3 without the need for a pull down
bunk (a separate sitting area with a sofa converted into the 3rd bed.) In addition
numerous free amenities that you pay for on other cruise lines - (like a free gorment
coffee and tea bar).
We loved the ship and the service, if they would only gear the food and entertainment to a
younger crowd!
Name: Jim Splitstone
Email: split@prodigy.net
Age: 72
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 10
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 1-12-97
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 100
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 85
CabinAmenities: 100
FoodLidoDeck: 98
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService: 90
ShoreExcValue: 90
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService: 95
TenderService: 95
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess: 90
ExerciseFacilities: 95
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 80
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 80
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 80
AirSeaProgram: 95
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 95
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 18 Jan 1997
Time: 08:09:42
Remote Name: 207.115.1.161
Remote User:
Comments
This was the most beautiful and well appointed ship that I have ever been on. Lots of art
work and room on deck and in public rooms. Very clean everywhere. The cabin was unusual
spacious with plenty of storage room, a real bathtub, large window, plenty of amenties
(TV, rado, safe, soap, et..)
Fresh fruit every day in cabin. Fresh flowers in public rooms. Crew and staff were very
friendly and helpful, going out of there normal duties to help when requested. Fairly easy
to learn your way around. Elevator service excellant.
Food in dining room was about as expected on a cruise. Lido food was excellent. Dining
room steward (no longer waiters and busboys) was very efficient although our steward was
not overly friendly. Cabin steward likewise was good and was friendly. Crew was Philipine
and Indonesian (as on all HAL shps) and made a concious effort to remember names and
wants. Bar service particularly good.
Somewhat disappointed in ports of call. Panama Canal very good with a good commentator
brought on board but other ports of call were not outstanding (heat, bugs, begging
children, poverty). A bit disappointed in the shows (expected better on a large ship like
this). The showroom seating however was very good (uncrowded, comfortable). Very stable
ship although we did not encounter any really rough seas. The embarkcaton and debarkaton
were handled very smoothly. We even got a free tour of Acapulco to kill time until our
plane left. The shipboard activities were minimal (the usual bingo, horseracing, etc.) The
library was very good with plenty of books and even video tapes that you could take to
your cabin.
Overall, very impressed with the ship itself. Disappointed in shipboard activities and
ports of call.
Name: Ira Miller
Email: Imiller@conterra.com
Age: 52
Occupation: Real Estate Broker
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 5/11/97
Itinerary: Eastern Med/Black Sea
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector:
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 98
FoodMidnightBuffets: 90
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 75
ShoreExcValue: 70
GoodForHoneymoon: 80
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 80
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 90
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 90
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 85
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino: 90
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 95
ShipCleanliness: 93
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs: 90
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 95
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jun 1997
Time: 12:08:58
Remote Name: 206.30.180.124
Remote User:
Comments
MS Maasdam is a very nice, very large but spacious, well appointed, elegant ship. Food and
service in main dining room
was very good, comparable to the best restaurants in the city (Columbia, SC) where we
live, but certainly not NY or
Atlanta, etc., top end restaurants. The ship was extremely stable, and we hardly felt that
we were on a ship at all,
although, in fairness, we happened to be blessed with extraordinarily great weather the
entire 13 days!
Rooms were
spacious, bathroom nice, and a safe in the room was a nice plus. Rooms were quiet, another
plus. The ship was always
clean, even in public areas including bathrooms, another great plus. Deck and bar service
was very average; cabin and
Main DR service very good.
Overall staff was very friendly. Piano bar was warm, friendly, and the pianist great!
Classical
string trio good. Majority of passengers were USA/Canadian, and the ship essentially
catered to that market, although
there were a scattering of many other nationalities on board.
The ports of call were very interesting, including Katakalon
(Olympia), Patmos and Athens in Greece, Kusadasi and Istanbul in Turkey, Yalta and Odessa
in the Ukraine, Constanza,
Romania and Nessebur, Bulgaria. One long day was not nearly enough time to see Istanbul,
however; it would have been
much nicer to have skipped Constanza altogether (the worst port) and had two full days in
Istanbul.
Negatives: First, an
observation. At (I'd like to think a young) 52, I almost felt like a child on this cruise.
90%+ of passengers were over 65,
the great majority over 70. While we found many very delightful people to talk to, it was
hardly an adventuresome crowd
overall. Holland American completely orients itself to this age group and market (despite
its supposed efforts to attract
younger 'cruisers'), and offers very little additional to younger people. Example: They
put a net over the swimming pool at
6:00 pm, and cover the entire pool area with this giant plexiglass-type cover. We were at
sea in late May in the Med,
where it was quite warm and sunny, and we didn't have to be ready for dinner until 8:15.
The pool is closed at 6:00? You
can still get a suntan at 6:00, and it's not dark 'til 9:00 or later. Why not keep the
pool open to at least midnight? It doesn't
cost anything extra. The 'midnight' buffet is from 11:30 to 12:15, and it shuts down at
12:15, not 12:16! If you have a
second seating dinner, you have less than two hours after your meal before the late night
buffet closes. This was a
reasonably expensive cruise on a upper end cruise line, yet I always felt HA was trying to
extract a little additional money
for nickel and dime things. Example: a club soda, or any soft drink, costs $1.50, a beer
is $3.00, and a measured one
ounce drink was $4.00 or more. On a trip that cost about $13,000, with everything, how
many cokes, or beers, for that
matter, could a person drink, and, at HA's cost, how much could it matter? I would have
rather paid a couple of hundred
dollars more and not felt that they always had their hand out for more money!
The same goes for the money exchange on
the ship. That could/should be a service provided for its passengers on a ship in this
class. Instead, they try to make it a
profit center. Turkish lira, for example, were 179,600 to the dollar as soon as you walked
off the gangplank of the ship
anywhere on land, but were 162,000 on board. You could redeem them for about 181,000 on
land, but it was something
over 189,000 on board. If you exchanged $100 of currency, they only made an extra $2-3 on
you; on a ship in this price
class, why not do it as a service? Dress code: There were three formal nights, and three
semi-formal nights, with the
others 'elegantly casual' in the main dining room. Formal nights ties were required,
formal wear suggested. On the formal
nights, I (and probably 80+% of the men) wore dinner jackets, and the women dressed
accordingly. 15+% of the men
wore coats and ties, and the women reasonably nice clothes. There were some, however, who
refused to dress
appropriately. While my wife was rather elegantly dressed and I was in a tuxedo, there was
seated near me a man who
never wore a tie the entire cruise, and another woman who had on a skirt, cotton blouse
and sneakers on 'formal' nights.
This was in the main dining room. There are several dining areas on the ship (plus 24 hour
room service), and I felt that
those people who were unwilling to dress appropriately should not have been seated nor
allowed to remain in the main
dining room, as would be true in finer restaurants on shore in the US. There were plenty
of alternative, more casual,
dining areas on board for those who elected to eat and dress in such an environment. (We
are hardly formal people; we
took all of our lunches on board poolside in shorts or bathing suits. There is, however,
an appropriate time and place for
everything.) I felt HA should enforce its own dress code!
Shore excursions: If you're under 70, or have any spirit, don't
go. They are very expensive, and you can do much more and have more fun on your own for a
lot less money. Riding
around on a bus and waving at a ruin isn't anything particularly rewarding to me, nor is
crowding hundreds of people at
one time into a small church or room in a museum or even a ruin site, where all one could
see is the tops of other people's
heads. Remember that Holland American is primarily interested in selling their tours
(again, to make money), and does not
make much of an effort to help you if you don't pay for their services. Example: They
would tell you of the sights and
museums to see in each port, but they didn't tell you, for instance, that most museums
were closed in Odessa on
Sundays, when we were there, or on Mondays in Constanza, also when we were there. All that
notwithstanding, we still
had a great time in every port by ourselves; much better than those who took the tours. Be
adventuresome! We rented
motorcycles, took taxis, walked (and walked, and walked, and ...), and really got to see a
lot of the areas much better
than from the window of a bus. It was sometimes trying, not being very conversant in
Turkish or Ukranian, for example,
but it was always fun! It truly was a great trip!
Overall: We had a great time, and the ship was very nice. The important things, i.e.,
food, service, cleanliness, ports of
call, etc., were very good. The negatives listed above were included as advisements to
prepare any prospectice
passengers on what we found negative, but they did not materially detract from a very good
cruise. We thoroughly
enjoyed it!
Name: Ralph S. Valentine
Email: rvalent175@aol.com
Age: 64
Occupation: retired
NumberOfCruises: 30
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: June 10, 1997
Itinerary: Greek Islands, Turkey, Black Sea
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 95
CabinComfort: 95
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 90
CabinAmenities: 95
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 95
CabinQuietness: 95
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 95
FoodVariety: 90
DeckService:
ShoreExcValue: 95
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 85
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 95
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges: 95
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 95
OverallPortsofCall: 95
BeautySalon: 90
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino: 95
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 03 Jun 1997
Time: 17:25:14
Remote Name: 152.163.207.36
Remote User:
Comments
This was our 30th cruise and our 4th on Holland America. We expected a lot and were not
disappointed. There were no
weak points. The food was top notch, the entertainment excellent. Holland America manages
tours better than any other
cruise line we have been on. Virtually no waiting. They assign a bus number and when they
have a full bus, they send you
out immediately. No huge crowds and very little waiting. The itinerary was great,
especially the Black Sea ports which
were new to us. We stopped at Yalta, Odessa, Constanta Romania and Nessebur Bulgaria.
Other stops at Kusadasi,
Istanbul and Athens were not new but alway interesting. The stops at Olympia(Katakolon)
and Patmos were also very
good. We were supposed to stop at Mykonos, but high winds prevented safe tender service,
so we went on to Patmos.
This cruise ranks in the top five of the 30 we have taken.
Name: Lynn Huggins
Email: 2huggins@usaor.net
Age: 35
Occupation: Dietetic Technician
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 8/27/97
Itinerary: European Capitals
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 80
CabinComfort: 80
FoodRoomService: 95
CruiseStaff: 88
CabinAmenities: 75
FoodLidoDeck: 95
DiningRoomService: 70
CabinQuietness: 70
FoodMidnightBuffets: 85
CabinSteward: 97
ShoreExcVariety: 78
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 99
ShoreExcValue: 78
GoodForHoneymoon: 90
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies: 90
LoungeService:
TenderService: 92
GoodForSeniors: 90
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities: 98
EntertShowLounge: 75
OverallPortsofCall: 98
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 75
CruiseActivities: 80
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 97
EmbarkDisembark: 85
DiscoNightclubs: 70
DeckSpace: 97
Stabilization: 85
ShopsOnBoard: 70
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 90
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 12 Sep 1997
Time: 18:31:57
Remote Name: 206.148.135.20
Remote User:
Comments
I must start out by saying that when we recently boarded this HAL ship, we had high
expectations based on what we had heard and read. This
is unfortunate, because we were disappointed in some aspects but thrilled with others.
Embarkation took place in Copenhagen, Denmark. We were shuttled to a non-airconditioned
hotel on a hot, stuffy bus after being awake all
night flying. After checking in at the hotel, we had to wait nearly an hour before being
transported to the ship on another hot stuffy bus. We
had to sit outside the gangplank area on the bus while other buses unloaded and the line
lengthened. Enough said. Disembarkation went
totally the opposite in Rome, Italy. We were given a number which was called at the time
we were given, and were immediately put on a bus to
Rome.
Our room was a verandah room with sitting area. It was adequate for space but the
furnishings looked worn. There was a ticking noise in the
cabin which we heard every night when retiring. The ship's rocking and chairs moving about
on the deck above also kept us awake on several
nights.
The food was all very good by our standards. Desserts are the BEST around! The service in
the main dining room was adequate, but far from
the best we've ever seen. Food and service on Lido was excellent. The decks for sunning
are serviced nicely with cushioned mats on the
chairs, unlimited towels (and blankets for colder days) plus waiters who served up comp.
iced tea and lemonade at specified times. I'm more
used to the waiters trying to sell other drinks. Nice touch!
Great fitness room overlooking the sea with steppers, treadmills, bikes, weights and an
aerobic room. Several headliners scheduled in the show
lounge were fantastic but HAL's entertainment (singers and dancers) were typical of other
cruises and fairly boring. Also a great library on the
ship with video tapes available for those who have a VCR in cabin.
We found HAL to be lacking in the communication department which caused us and other
passengers to be inconvenienced at several points
throughout the trip, and at other points the ships representatives were there to help us
when we expected to be going it alone. Another
inconvenience was that we did not receive any travel documents until 4 days from sail--so
we had to alot of itinerary homework and
second-guess where shore excursions might be going. Also, once we received the documents,
we could fax in our excursion orders before
embarking, however, due to their untimeliness, these had to be made in a rush. They kept
us wondering the whole time, but in the end we were
more pleased than not with the overall cruise and itinerary.
Name: Mary C. Nagle
Email: mnagle@sr.dvusd.k12.az.us
Age: 41
Occupation: speech-language pathologist
NumberOfCruises: 3
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 1/13/97
Itinerary: Panama Canal - Alcapulco to Ft. Lauderdale
FoodDiningRoom: 95
CruiseDirector: 99
CabinComfort: 99
FoodRoomService: 99
CruiseStaff: 99
CabinAmenities: 99
FoodLidoDeck: 99
DiningRoomService: 99
CabinQuietness: 99
FoodMidnightBuffets: 99
CabinSteward: 85
ShoreExcVariety: 99
FoodVariety: 99
DeckService: 85
ShoreExcValue: 85
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff: 99
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 99
TenderService: 99
GoodForSeniors: 100
BeautySalonStaff: 99
EntertainmentLounges: 100
WheelchairAccess: 80
ExerciseFacilities:
EntertShowLounge: 100
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 99
EntertainmentPoolside:
CruiseActivities: 100
Casino: 99
AirSeaProgram: 99
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 100
EmbarkDisembark: 100
DiscoNightclubs: 99
DeckSpace: 100
Stabilization: 100
ShopsOnBoard: 95
SpaceRatio: 100
OverallCruiseValue: 100
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 11 Oct 1997
Time: 21:52:40
Remote Name: 12.64.117.247
Remote User:
Comments
I was traveling with my parents, and had a fantastic time!!! Holland America really knows
how to treat you like royalty on the Maasdam!! We were fortunate
enough to have a deluxe suite with verandah, which was IDEAL for viewing the journey
through the Canal!!!! The cruise staff couldn't have been nicer,
with extra special thanks to Edwin Rojas and Scott Walden !! The food was delicious and
plentiful, however, don't expect rare prime rib- the only
unremarkable meal I had. The Captain's dinners were wonderful - especially the Indonesian
rice table and the Balineese dancer! The ports of call were
good- really liked the cliff divers in Alcapulco before we set sail, and Costa Rica. We
took the trip into Sarchi, and were lucky to have Manfred as our guide.
He was SUPURB! Lots of good shopping at the village, as well as delicious fruit awaiting
you. The ship went to Cartajena, Columbia instead of the Grand
Caymen islands. I didn't like that port, as the locals were very rude to us. The 'old
town' tour was ok, but the 'wonderful values for emeralds' touted to us
on board ship were not to be found. The ladies in the beauty salon were great, and made my
mom & I look like 'celebrities' for the formal nights. All in all,
the Panama Canal Cruise went far and above my wildest expectations, and I would recommend
it to anyone!
Name: Wayne Dobrowski
Email: luv2cruz@pacbell.net
Age: 44
Occupation: Data Processing Manager
NumberOfCruises: 19
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: August 3, 1997
Itinerary: Scandinavia & Russia
FoodDiningRoom: 98
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 90
FoodRoomService: 80
CruiseStaff: 65
CabinAmenities: 92
FoodLidoDeck: 88
DiningRoomService: 75
CabinQuietness: 50
FoodMidnightBuffets:
CabinSteward: 90
ShoreExcVariety: 85
FoodVariety: 95
DeckService: 83
ShoreExcValue: 75
GoodForHoneymoon:
CasinoStaff:
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 80
GoodForSeniors:
BeautySalonStaff:
EntertainmentLounges: 85
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 90
EntertShowLounge: 85
OverallPortsofCall: 93
BeautySalon:
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 90
Casino:
AirSeaProgram: 80
MedicalFacilities:
ShipCleanliness: 95
EmbarkDisembark: 75
DiscoNightclubs: 95
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 95
ShopsOnBoard: 90
SpaceRatio: 95
OverallCruiseValue: 75
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 06 Jan 1998
Time: 11:36:24
Remote Name: 206.170.65.76
Remote User:
Comments
The following is a letter we sent to Holland America after returning from the cruise. It
amply describes our cruise experience aboard the
Maasdam.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ After
eighteen cruises in the last seven years on a variety of
different cruise lines including Princess, Renaissance, RCCL, NCL, and the now defunct
RCL, my wife and I decided it was time for a more
upscale cruise experience. We are in our mid forties and have gradually come to enjoy the
more luxurious aspects of newer ships including
cabins with balconies, wide dining and entertainment choices, and ever more varied and
exotic, or adventuresome, itineraries. After
discussions with our travel agent and the recommendations of friends who previously sailed
on your ships, we chose Holland America for your
advertised 'five-star tradition of excellence'. It was thus with great expectations that
we embarked the MAASDAM for its recent August 3-15
Scandinavia & Russia cruise from Copenhagen to London.
However we are extremely sad to say that had it not been for absolutely idyllic weather
conditions for the entire twelve days and truly
exceptional cuisine, this may very well have been our most frustrating, sleepless, and
unsatisfying cruise experience ever. Granted some of
the Holland America 'extras' such as complimentary hors d'oeuvres before dinner and being
summoned to dine by intimate chimes are
delightful bonuses, but they become insignificant when 'basic services' relating to cabin
accommodations, dining service, and shore
excursions are woefully inferior to even the more 'mass market' cruise lines. Please let
us give you some examples of our complaints.
1. Cabin Accommodations: My wife and I booked a category B deluxe outside stateroom with
verandah (the fourth highest category on the
MAASDAM) and were assigned cabin #173, which was indeed more spacious--with a larger
balcony--than comparable staterooms on other
cruise lines. However, there was a large steam pipe under and adjacent to this cabin with
a valve that kept banging and clanging virtually
twenty four hours a day. Thus we were unable to get a single full nights sleep, nor nap
during the day if desired, for the entire cruise! We
brought this problem to the attention of the front desk at 3:00AM on the third night and
it was subsequently investigated by the engineering
staff. The following day the MAASDAM Guest Relations Manager--Christel Mensink--informed
us that the problem had been fixed, but when
we told her it was still occurring she summoned an engineering officer who informed her
the problem was not fixable without totally cutting
off steam to the pool and kitchen, but that they had adjusted the valve to hopefully
reduce both the frequency and volume of the banging (it
was in fact not quite as loud nor as frequent thereafter, but not enough to allow us an
uninterrupted nights sleep). Christel then apologized
for the situation but informed us we could not move to a new cabin because the cruise was
entirely booked, offering us instead a
complimentary bottle of wine and a pair of earplugs (some 'five-star tradition of
excellence')! Unfortunately, she then increased our irritation
by making what we consider to be one of the most insensitive customer relations comments
possible at such a time, namely 'This is the first
time anyone has ever complained about this.' If in fact there were no other accommodations
available, a more appropriate solution would
have been to fly us back home from the first available port, refund our cruise fare, and
allow us to rebook a future cruise.
2. Dining Service: My wife and I dined at a second seating table for two. Although we
always ordered the same number of pre-entree courses,
they were not always the same one, as she may have preferred a cold appetizer and soup
while I desired the hot appetizer with salad. Each
evening we made a point of asking our table steward to please serve differing courses at
the same time and, although he nodded assent, this
never happened. My wife would wait while I ate my hot appetizer, then I would wait while
she had her cold appetizer and soup, and finally she
would wait again while I was served my salad. Angered by this service, we finally
confronted our steward on the third evening and were told
that serving different courses at the same time was against ship rules. For example, if
his supervisor saw him serving soup and salad at the
same time he would be in trouble. He then bluntly told us that we should talk to his
supervisor and request a new table (some 'five-star
tradition of excellence')! We then talked to the Maitre d'hotel who moved us to a new
table where we had excellent service for the rest of the
cruise. However, we never should have been forced to endure such a poor level of dining
room service which contributed to our now
increasing displeasure with Holland America.
3. Shore Excursions: My wife and I booked this cruise almost one year in advance, at the
end of August 1996. We made our final payment
when it came due at the beginning of June 1997. We received a call from our travel agent
on July 1, 1997 informing us that our travel
documents had arrived, and picked them up that afternoon. That evening we filled out our
shore excursion reservation form and faxed it to
your head office the following morning (July 2). Imagine our surprise when we arrived
onboard the MAASDAM August 3 to find out one of our
requested excursions was full and not available (Kalmar & Oland Island)--actually two
additional excursions were similarly full (Kalmar &
Orrefors Glassworks and Waterways of Stockholm). When we went to the shore excursion
office requesting an explanation, we were told they
had excursion reservation forms dated as early as March and April 1997! Since they could
not explain how some passengers had been able
to reserve excursions three and four months earlier than us (at least 160 since the
desired tour accommodated that number of people), we
once again contacted Guest Relations Manager Christel Mensink who two days later informed
us that although she had no definitive answer,
it had something to do with order of bookings, etc. Yet we know this to be inaccurate
since a couple we dined with one evening (Phil &
Beverly Cline of Connecticut) told us they booked the cruise one month later than we did
(late September 1996), paid at the same time
(early June 1997), but received their documents and excursion reservation form around June
12, more than two weeks before we got ours!
Clearly, there is some extremely unfair application of document distribution, especially
when you consider that some passengers received
their documents (or at least the excursion reservation form) up to four months earlier
than others (some 'five-star tradition of excellence')!
Even if there were some logical explanation for this variation, such as preference being
given to Holland America Alumni, or to those who
fully pay in advance, this should be clearly stated somewhere in your brochures to ensure
everyone an equal opportunity.
We trust the above complaints amply demonstrate the degree of displeasure we experienced
aboard Holland America. In our opinion, if
services are deficient in the 'basic' areas of shipboard life such as cabin
accommodations, dining service, and shore excursions, it doesn't
matter how many 'extras' are offered. A cruise line which does not have a backup plan for
a passenger cabin which somehow becomes
uninhabitable is not a 'five-star' cruise line. A cruise line which does not acknowledge
reasonable passenger dining room requests is not a
'five-star' cruise line. A cruise line which does not grant all passengers equal access to
facilities such as shore excursions is not a 'five-star'
cruise line.
In all candor we can say that none of our previous eighteen cruises has been perfect in
all respects. Yet the problems we experienced on
other cruises, some of which seemed significant at the time, pale in comparison to the
wide variety of serious concerns we endured aboard
the MAASDAM. When hard working individuals take a vacation for rest and relaxation, but
are unable to get any sleep, are unable to see the
sights they had planned to see, and have to suffer stress every time they sit down to eat
wondering how and when they will be served, it is
anything but a vacation. We had been contemplating your Hawaii Grand Circle cruise in the
near future (in addition to two other cruises we
have already booked for 1998: South America in March with NCL and Trans-Atlantic in
September with Princess), but now will probably never
sail with Holland America again.
The lack of any sincere concern on the part of your staff aboard the MAASDAM (with the
possible exception of the Maitre d'hotel) does not
give us any desire to give Holland America a second chance. So many small things could
have been done to offset the most serious, and
seemingly uncorrectable, problem with our cabin to prove to us that Holland America really
cared about still providing us the ‘comfort and
enjoyment' quoted in Christel Mensink's letter. These included getting us on the excursion
we had requested but been denied, supplying
robes for use in our cabin (Princess offers these in almost all of their cabin categories,
just like a towel in the bathroom), perhaps an
invitation to the bridge for a quick tour, a periodic call to see how we were faring, or
any number of other actions to convey honest concern
and understanding--one of the attributes of a real 'five-star' organization.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In fairness, we have to state that many aspects of
the Holland America experience were truly exceptional (especially the food), but we had so
many different problems that we must advise
anyone contemplating a Holland America cruise of potential problems and the apparent lack
of concern of the cruise staff. A subsequent
response from HA offered us $500 off a future cruise (to be used within 1 year!), and the
explanation for our unavailable shore excursion as
'However, at times, we have travel agents/passengers that demand to receive the shore
excursion booklet early, or we received one form for
a group of passengers that a travel agent has booked.' We suspect the latter because there
was a large (INTRAV) group of almost 500
people aboard. So if you are planning a cruise on HA, demand your shore excursion booklets
early or you may be out of luck (and take some
earplugs with you).
Name: Mike and Cindy Bush
Email: mbush@flash.net
Age: 47
Occupation: Executive Recruiter
NumberOfCruises: 5
TravelAgent: No
Ship: Holland-Maasdam
SailingDate: 11/24/97
Itinerary: Panama Canal
FoodDiningRoom: 97
CruiseDirector: 85
CabinComfort: 89
FoodRoomService:
CruiseStaff: 96
CabinAmenities: 90
FoodLidoDeck: 92
DiningRoomService: 96
CabinQuietness: 96
FoodMidnightBuffets: 92
CabinSteward: 95
ShoreExcVariety: 90
FoodVariety: 97
DeckService: 88
ShoreExcValue: 88
GoodForHoneymoon: 96
CasinoStaff: 90
PrivateIsland:
GoodForFamilies:
LoungeService: 90
TenderService: 90
GoodForSeniors: 98
BeautySalonStaff: 90
EntertainmentLounges:
WheelchairAccess:
ExerciseFacilities: 96
EntertShowLounge: 86
OverallPortsofCall: 90
BeautySalon: 96
EntertainmentPoolside: 90
CruiseActivities: 96
Casino: 86
AirSeaProgram: 90
MedicalFacilities: 96
ShipCleanliness: 90
EmbarkDisembark: 90
DiscoNightclubs:
DeckSpace: 90
Stabilization: 90
ShopsOnBoard: 96
SpaceRatio: 90
OverallCruiseValue: 94
Submit: Submit Review
Date: 25 May 1998
Time: 13:36:21
Remote Name: 209.30.26.19
Remote User:
Comments
We've taken five cruises: two on Celebrity, two on Princess, and this one on Holland
America. Overall, this was our favorite. The clientele on HAL tends to be a
little older; the ships are smaller than some of the megaships currently rolling out; and
things are quieter poolside. So, if you want a party atmosphere, (we're
told) try Carnival or RCCL or, in our experience, Princess. But since Cindy and I travel
alone, we like HAL just fine!
The food, both in quality and variety, were the best we've experienced. The midnight
buffets were light; since we only made two of them this was great. Our room
(mini-suite) was spacious and had a verandah (not as large as Princess, but nice
nonetheless).
It must be a trait unique to HAL, but by the mid-point of our ten day cruise, all the
staff we regularly interacted with knew us by name! They were attentive to
concerns and addressed them. At meals, we were seated with three other couples similar in
age; this was thoughtful. I'm a stickler for beginning and ending on
the right note, so we were pleased with embarkation and disembarkation; both went smoothly
and quickly.
The only downside to our cruise was the Casino; I like to play poker, and could only get
into two games in the evening the entire cruise. Since I usually lose,
however, maybe this wasn't such a bad thing.
Since we intend to cruise yearly, we will be back on HAL again soon, after we've sampled
RCCL and sailed on the Grand Princess.
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