7 Night Canada & New England Discovery (Montreal To Boston)
Sail date: August 05, 2017
Ship:
Maasdam
Cabin type: Oceanview
Cabin number: 747
Traveled as: Couple
Reviewed: 7 years ago
Review summary
All in all, one of the best ships, crew and overall experience I've had. A bit more TLC on the ship, and it would be perfect. I will sail Holland America again.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
The port facility at Montreal leaves a lot to be desired (essentially - event tents at the end of Montreal's commercial docks) although it will be better in a year or so. However, Holland America's teams did an excellent job of making this one of the fastest and easiest embarkations we've had with a cruise line. Quick and painless, and once on board, everything runs off of your room card.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
Very good food, and consistent between the main dining room and the Lido (buffet) deck. Usually, there is a drop off when you go to the buffet - not on this ship. However, I still prefer the reserved seating at a specific time for the dining room. Staff and wine stewards were excellent, and the food and choices were very good. The Pinnacle, where we dined one night, is more than worth the up charge, both in terms of food quality and the service.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
A great choice of onboard activities, from the pools and hot tubs to the specialty rooms. Not all of the "fun" features of say, Carnival or larger ships, but more than enough to keep the two of us busy when we weren't in port. My two favorite locations were the Test Kitchen, where they demonstrated how to make everything from salads to desserts, and the Navigators Lounge, a large library/puzzle/relaxation/coffee bar area on Deck 8. And don't forget to take the kitchen tour.
Entertainment
4 out of 5
Good, standard fare. The best night was the ship's crew on a performance night.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
Service and staff, from room stewards to security to front desk to dining, all were top notch. Friendly, helpful, and answered all of our questions.
Ship Quality
4 out of 5
A smaller ship (1200 folks vs 3-4 thousand) than others we have sailed on. Very comfortable, but a bit of engine vibration higher up. Very stable but our seas were not that rough. Extremely easy to get around and plenty of elevators. Almost all of the activities, short of disembarking at ports, were on Decks 7, 8, 11, and 12. The common areas are in good shape, but overall the ship needs some exterior work (painting and cleaning the windows!)
Cabin / Stateroom
4 out of 5
Cabin was very comfortable for the week we were on board. Enough room for two people to maneuver as needed, but we didn't spend much time in our cabin except to sleep and change. The room stewards were phenomenal. The bed is good, but not great, yet still comfortable for a good night's sleep. Plenty of closet and drawer space to store almost everything and our luggage. Note that in this ship, the higher the cabin number, the lower the deck you are on (700-800, Deck 4; 001-050 Deck 10).
Ship tip
A good, cozy ship, easy to get to know your fellow passengers when there are only about a 1000 on board, easy to navigate and everything is clustered on specific floors. Would seriously consider this ship on a major ocean voyage (it goes across both the Atlantic and the Pacific) with long days at sea. Large, comfortable public areas and very good food.
Another great port with great facilities, also with a lot to do around the port. We chose to do the Flying with Falcons tour, which was very good. And a very good and entertaining bus driver in Mitch.
Another great stop. Took a boat out to Bird Island, but you could easily have spent all day around the port. Saw more bald eagles than I could count on Bird Island, along with puffins, seagulls, and others.
Excellent, lots to do around the port. We took the Canada 150 years tour - not recommended unless you wish to spend most of the 7 hours on a bus. Saw 3 great towns, but you could do without Mahone Bay. As it was, we had about 40 minutes in each village, with the rest of the time on the bus. Go with a smaller group tour and only include Peggy's Cove and/or Lunenberg.
Tender port. But easy on/off the ship. And a great port. Highly recommend getting into Acadia National Park, as the more you see away from Bar Harbor the better. But a beautiful town and island.
By far and away, the easiest disembarkation ever. Our luggage was waiting for us, took it to the bus, did a tour of Boston and at the airport 3 hours early.
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