We arrived in to the 3-deck atrium of the Holland America ship, Maasdam, which is dominated by a 30 foot glass sculpture, and were instantly impressed. Whilst being a fairly small ship by today’s standards & holding just 1264 passengers at maximum capacity, the ship was very spacious.We began our tour of the ship, starting up on the lido deck. The pool area has a retractable roof, perfect if the weather isn’t so good. We then went through the public rooms on board, the casino, the buffet restaurant, the theatre & the bars & lounges, 1 of which has the same view of the captain, but 2 decks above the bridge.
There are 633 staterooms on board, with the majority being outside with window, and they are all a minimum of 182 square feet, a decent size compared to some of the more modern ships that average staterooms at 135 square feet.
The restaurant was light & airy, and spread over 2 decks. We were provided with a delicious 3 course meal & wine, and the staff were very attentive. We were told by several passengers how good the meals & entertainment had been on previous evenings, and a first time cruiser commented she was going to try & stow away!
All Holland America ships are currently undergoing major refurbishment, with the Maasdam entering the 2nd phase of the £350 million “Signature of excellence” overhaul in April 2011.
The ship will have new restaurants & bars, and will also feature the new Lanai staterooms, cabins which open up on to the promenade, so effectively having a shared balcony, but without the balcony price tag!
I would recommend the Holland America line for those passengers who want 5 star service, food & entertainment, with a 3/4 star price tag.
