Writer M.L. Abbott based this independent review on her 9-night Canada/New England cruise departing from Norfolk, Virginia.

Maasdam wraps guests in a warm, welcoming atmosphere as if you’re coming home to the manor. European and Asian antiques and marine artifacts reflect the long global seafaring heritage of Holland America Line. Teak, brass, Delft tiles, and rich colors add to a classy, comfortable feeling. Longtime cruisers relish such traditions as daily teatime and power walking around the promenade, while the younger set works out in Pilates and fitball classes. The pace is smooth and relaxing. Games aim at matching wits rather than hairy chests. With her cabin amenities, exceptional service, and better food, Maasdam distinguishes herself from the ordinary, delivering touches of luxury at affordable prices.

Note: One of the line’s older ships (built in 1993), Maasdam already has some of HAL’s Signature of Excellence upgrades, particularly noticeable in the cabins. In April 2006, changes will be made in public rooms, including an expanded spa, improved children’s facilities, a new Internet café/coffee bar area, a new Culinary Arts Center for cooking programs with an adjacent wine bar, and new teen facilities.

Why Maasdam?

• Easy camaraderie: A friendly, smaller ship, Maasdam carries about 1,260 passengers and 560 crew. She’s spacious but intimate and comfortably sized to foster conversations and strike up new friendships.
• A caring crew: Following a long tradition of the line, the crew is mainly Filipino and Indonesian and their service is outstanding and sincere. Nearly every member seems really happy to be part of the operation.
• The best beds afloat: None of those skimpy camp-size mattresses here. All rooms have thick Euro Top mattresses that are supremely comfortable and enhanced with luxurious linens.

Who should go
Mainly active travelers of a certain age mix with some younger sophisticates seeking downtime from the fast lane. Ballroom dancing fans can get a workout nightly. Europeans will feel comfortable as an occasional “guten morgen” or similar greeting is heard among passengers, and most officers are Dutch. Maasdam’s longer itineraries appeal to those who like several days at sea.

Who shouldn’t go
Energetic go-getters seeking a high-octane experience will likely find this too low-key. While Holland America has expanded its children’s program, couples with action-oriented kids will find more to do on sister line Carnival’s “fun ships.”

Hits and misses

• Don’t miss: The crew shows put on by the Indonesian and Filipino staff are a big hit.
• Best part of the ship: The Crow’s Nest proves a great perch high on the bow with panoramic views. The Piano Bar is sexy and inviting -- Moroccan feeling with fabric walls and ceiling swags and red stools around an undulating bar of satiny wood.
• Best experience: Evenings in the Piano Bar draw standing-room–only crowds as the pianist goes through a broad repertoire, including music from Simon & Garfunkel, Elvis, and George Gershwin.
• Best shipboard activities: The cruise director’s Q&A session on “Life at Sea” goes behind the scenes with insights about ship operations and the staff.
• Needs improvement: More enrichment talks about the destinations rather than seminars to sell merchandise would fit well with this audience. Also, some evenings it’s an obstacle course to get somewhere as photographers set up so many backdrops for formal portraits.
• Activities to skip: Forget the port talks, which promote specific shops. These aren’t such high-pitched sales talks as on some other ships, though, and the port maps/background sheets are among the best provided by ships, with more interesting, useful information than common.

How to meet the captain
Follow the black-dress brigade the first formal night, when the captain greets passengers before the free champagne reception, shaking hands and chatting long enough for the photographer to snap a picture. At the party, he usually introduces the senior staff. Past passengers are automatically members of the Mariner Society and treated to a special event with free drinks. The captain recognizes passengers with a high number of sailing days, usually well above 100. This event can be crowded as more than 50 percent of the passengers sometimes are Mariner Society members.

Tip: The captain’s table is at the center of the lower level of the dining room, but he rarely dines there (except maybe on a formal night). If you book the top suite or have sailed the longest number of days, you may be invited to the table.

From Indonesian dishes to all-American BLTs, Maasdam chefs do a superb job, and the wait staff is friendly, efficient, and pampering. All in all, passengers have a dining experience well above average. In particular, the customary breakfast and lunch buffets in the Lido Restaurant have far more appetizing food than on buffets of other popular ships. Nice tradition: A “chime master” still strolls the ship playing chimes to announce dinnertime.

Rotterdam Dining Room
Elegant but not intimidating, this two-level restaurant with windows around the stern has an upper-deck platform where instrumentalists play for dinner. In rich tones of gold, blue, and burgundy, it has large hanging Oriental lanterns and a curving staircase. For the formal night with lobster and a parade of baked Alaskas, the dining room goes especially festive, with white-and-gold damask tablecloths and white covers on chairs. The menu is wide-ranging, with perhaps steamed mussels, escargots, or crab cakes to start. Follow with lobster bisque or a three-berry soup, then on to rack of lamb, grilled salmon, or filet mignon. Dessert? Go for the chocolate choice. Waiters are attentive to detail and service is evenly paced.

Pinnacle Grill
Fine Bulgari china, Riedel stemware, Frette linens, candlelight, and orchids set an elegant, romantic tone in this specialty restaurant, a quiet place with sea views. The menu focuses on Pacific Northwest cuisine, with wine, hand-selected steaks, and seafood all presented with artistic flair. Steaks are quite large, but there is a small filet. The lamb rack chops are an excellent option. A salad with pecan-crusted Oregon blue cheese, dried cherries, and pear vinaigrette; and warm chocolate volcano cake were tastebud treats. Allow two or so hours to dine; service can be slow. Pinnacle Grill is by reservation only, at $20 per person. A tasting menu pairing each of six courses with a wine costs $49 per person. Some days lunch is served, also by reservation ($10).

Lido Restaurant
The casual buffet food is freshly cooked, appealing, and tasty. With two separate lines and several stations for additional selections, there’s rarely any wait. Look for a separate salad bar and a dessert buffet, where the warm bread pudding with vanilla sauce keeps people coming back. At breakfast there’s an omelet station and at lunch one side of the Lido has a made-to-order stir fry station, while the other has a deli with freshly made sandwiches, paninis, and pizza. In the evening, usually 6-7:30 PM, the restaurant serves a casual buffet dinner, featuring similar items from the dining room menu and made-to-order entrées brought to your table.

Other dining options

• The Ice Cream Parlor: This spot in the Lido Restaurant serves free changing flavors of ice cream, sorbet, and yogurt with a variety of help-yourself toppings.
• Terrace Grill: Poolside on Deck 11, the grill does burgers and hot dogs and hosts a taco bar.
• Room service: Order-ahead breakfasts come on time, and last-minute orders come fairly quickly. Service is free (though tipping is encouraged).

Best dining

• Dish: The Pinnacle Grill’s lamb rack chops with an apple-spice chutney are tender and flavorful. In the dining room, try the nasi goreng rijsttafel, a sample of Indonesian foods with intriguing spices.
• Dessert: In the Pinnacle Grill, the warm Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake, like a soufflé, pleases all the senses, with a heavenly aroma and silky taste. With whipped cream on the side, it’s wonderfully decadent, but not heavy.
• Restaurant: The Pinnacle Grill takes a nod here, but the Rotterdam Dining Room also has excellent service and an extensive menu.
• Food seminar: Chefs usually do a demonstration, preparing a regional specialty, such as crab cakes, with recipes provided. By mid-2006, the Wajang Theater will incorporate the new Culinary Arts Center with a show kitchen and large screens for cooking classes, wine tastings, and presentations by noted chefs and cookbook authors.

How to…

• Get a table for two: Request at booking or see the dining staff at hours specified in the welcome-aboard literature on embarkation day. Small tables are available on both dining room levels and in the Pinnacle Grill (which requires reservations). At the grill, ask for a table by the window.
• Celebrate a birthday/anniversary: Tell your booking agent of any celebration or talk to your assistant maître d’ when you’re aboard. Waiters will bring a small cake (complimentary) and toast birthdays with a song. There may be a charge for larger cakes.
• Change seating: The maître d’ and assistants take requests at specified times on embarkation day, or see the maître d’ at lunchtime or before the early dinner.
• Dress for formal night: A few tuxes step out, but dark suits are the norm. The long look (dresses, skirts, or flowing pants) dominates for women. Think black and you’re fine. A sizeable number of passengers choose not to dress up and instead dine in the casual Lido restaurant, or in their rooms.
• Dress for casual night: Sweaters and slacks are common on cruises in northern areas, and lighter weight coordinated outfits in bright colors are customary in warm climes.

Tips:

• The dining room has four dinner seatings, normally 5:45 and 8 PM in the upper level, and 6:15 and 8:30 PM in the lower level.
• A Dessert Extravaganza has such artistic creations that you hate to cut into the pastries. It’s a late-night event in the Lido Restaurant.
• Lounges serve hot hors d’oeuvres at the pre-dinner cocktail hour to help the need for a nibble.
• The Lido Restaurant has late-night snacks 11 PM to midnight, with changing themes such as Mexican, Italian, and Asian.

Luxurious mattresses and fine bed linens in all cabins draw raves from passengers. It’s easy to see the mattress is much thicker than customary on most ships, and one touch tells it’s plush, firm, and comfy. Beds are triple-sheeted in white-on-white and instead of a cumbersome spread have an attractive narrow coverlet with matching throw pillows. Most décor is a soothing mix of patterns in blue and green, and sandy tones complimented with light woods. Rooms are more spacious than normal (197 square feet for an oceanview; 182 for an inside) and have larger drawers, ample hanging space and shelves, and a small sofa that can actually seat two. Oceanview cabins have bathtubs with showers, usually an uncommon amenity in lower-priced cabins. Bath towels are fluffy Egyptian cotton. Besides the customary safes and TVs (watch your head by the high shelf), nice extras include plush bathrobes, a magnifying mirror at the desk, a mounted hair dryer in the bathroom, another dryer to use in the cabin, massage shower heads, and fresh fruit.

Cabins for guests with disabilities
Six oceanview cabins are fully accessible, with roll-in showers and wider doors. Nine additional cabins, including three balcony suites, are modified for wheelchairs with ramps as needed, but doorways are standard size.

Tips:

• Everyone gets a logo canvas tote bag, handy for taking things to the pool or ashore.
• Bathtubs are comparatively deep -- good for soaking, but rather high for stepping into, though handlebars are well-placed for assistance. Inside cabins have the standard step-in showers.
• Cabins on Deck 6 have windows fronting the promenade, a popular spot for walking, so you lose privacy with drapes open.
• Most passenger decks have self-serve launderettes (eight quarters in washer, four in dryer, detergent free).
• The suite life brings extra amenities, including DVD players with free movie rentals. The penthouse (1,159 square feet) and deluxe suites (556 square feet) add more perks, including access to the private Neptune Lounge with concierge service.
• Gratuities of $10 per person, per day (for cabin stewards and dining staff) are added to onboard accounts. This can be adjusted; however, you cannot designate an amount for a particular person. If you want to tip someone extra, you can request envelopes and give cash to him/her personally. All bar orders have a 15 percent service charge added.

Click to view a virtual tour

Maasdam’s smaller size contributes to an easy flow and friendliness as passengers move from the coffee bar to the movie theater (free popcorn), from team trivia contests to wine tasting or cooking classes. Before dinner, there’s dancing or a show, and afterward it’s off to the piano bar or the casino. The three-story atrium is more a traffic conduit than social center, though the shore excursions desk and front office are here on Deck 7. A soaring aquamarine pillar of Murano glass in various shapes adds interest to the atrium, which is otherwise rather dark.

Click to view a virtual tour

Bars, lounges, and casino
At the Ocean Bar, dancing cheek to cheek is still in style. The Explorer’s Lounge has classical strings for listening, and the Crow’s Nest goes lively with line dancing, ’50s and ’60s music, or other themed tunes. But the best spot is the intimate Piano Bar with a wait staff that has as much fun as the guests. This ship doesn’t have a martini bar but it has some of the best specialty martinis, gimlets, and cosmopolitans afloat (try the fresh grapefruit cosmo for a change of pace). The casino is small and tables often are quiet.

Heard on the deck (from a fun-loving bar waiter while sailing in the Saguenay Fjord): “The more you drink, the more whales you see.”

Swimming pools
Rain or shine, the Lido Pool midship sees action as a sliding dome adds protection in inclement weather. On a sunny but chilly day in Canada, the dome made the poolside setting perfect for the salmon cookout with live music. Besides the covered lounge chairs, umbrella-shaded rattan chairs and banquettes in the poolside Dolphin Bar provide a favorite spot for reading. A tall sculpture of jumping dolphins reigns over the pool and two hot tubs. On Deck 10, a large open pool is for adults only and ringed with rows of lounges. At times, you may find yourself alone here to enjoy a swim or sweeping sea views. Towels are provided by the pools, and deck attendants circulate, if somewhat randomly.

Shows
The Maasdam Cast does two productions, alternating with visiting comedians, singers, pianists, and other entertainers. Performances are in the two-level Rembrandt Lounge, which has moveable chairs unlike most show lounges. It’s a beautiful, intimate theater with seating close to the stage and curving staircases on either side to the scalloped balcony. However, it has sight flaws. For best viewing, sit about mid-room on the lower level. Farther back it’s hard to see over people’s heads or view the entire stage if you’re under the balcony. Upper-level seating is tiered some but a front railing and glass panel hamper sight.

Shore excursions
Tours ashore run the gamut from high-energy challenges to bus trips. Passengers can kayak along the coast at Bar Harbor and in the Caribbean. There are hikes in parks and rain forests, safari-style adventures in 4x4 vehicles, and beach time in private cabanas with butler service. Among the newer interactive tours, on cruises into Canada you can step back in time to 1870 and be part of Queen Victoria’s army at the Citadel in Halifax. Tour prices range from $29 to over $300. Book ahead and tickets are delivered to your cabin on embarkation day. Check them carefully to see if there are any mistakes or changes in departures.

Heard on the deck (while sailing in the Saguenay Fjord of the St. Lawrence River in Canada): “I think this is prettier than the (Alaska) Inside Passage.”

Weddings and vow renewals
There’s no chapel, but weddings and/or receptions can be arranged starting at $1,295. The captain conducts vow-renewal ceremonies followed by a champagne and hors d’oeuvres reception with music. The package ($129) includes a corsage for the bride, a photo, and dinner for two in the Pinnacle Grill. Caribbean itineraries calling at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas offer more casual island-style vow ceremonies in a chapel for $49.50. Talk to an Expedia agent about bookings.

Looking for…

• Quietest spot: During the day, settle in the Crow’s Nest on the bow or the Explorer’s Lounge (if no function is scheduled there). Outside, claim a chair on Promenade Deck (blankets are available for chilly weather).
• Liveliest spot: The Piano Bar usually becomes a rocking scene with a spillover crowd.
• Most popular activity: Outside decks fill up to watch as the ship sails past impressive scenery.
• Best view: Go to the Deck 11 Observation Deck or the Deck 12 Crow's Nest for great panoramas.
• Best show: The Romance on Broadway show by the Maasdam singers and dancers gets ovations (the ball gowns are eye-catching). The biggest applause, though, goes to the shows by the Indonesian and Filipino crew.
• Best drink: Even die-hard martini purists may take to some of Maasdam’s special martinis, such as the gimlet-super lime or mint martini. They’re between a margarita and a martini, and doubly good!

Tips:

• Access to the Internet is 75¢ a minute, or you can save with time plans of 250 minutes for $100 or 100 minutes for $55. A one-time $3.95 activation fee applies. Wireless access is available in the Internet café and several other spots on the ship. Buy a time plan the first day and get an extra 20 minutes free.
• Cigar aficionados have a gathering spot outdoors under the stars on Deck 10.
• Wine packages are available. Six glasses of the standard house wine are $20.50; of the select wine, $30; and of the premium, $40; each a savings of about $5. Wine desks on Decks 8 and 11 have tastings at $1 each.
• Tours can be booked online at Holland America’s Web site up to 10 days ahead of departure. Any cancellations after the cutoff date must be done onboard and a 10 percent cancellation fee applies. When onboard, watch deadlines for changes/cancellations for each port -- there are no refunds after the deadlines.

Though typically catering more to adults, Maasdam is expanding her youth program to serve a growing trend of multiple generations traveling together. Club HAL currently serves guests ages 5-17 in two hard-to-find areas: The small WaveRunner on Deck 12 and the even smaller KidZone on Deck 7. Activities vary depending on how many youths are onboard. Young kids have arts and crafts, the tweens go on scavenger hunts and play games, and the teens challenge each other at sports and gather for hot tub parties (or hang out on their own). In April 2006, the program will expand to cover ages 3-18, with revamped facilities on Deck 12. The youngest set will have a brightly colored play area with paint brush pillars, palette art tables, and paint-can stools, while the tweens will have space to test skills at video games and Sony PlayStations. Teens get their own Loft lounge with winding stairs up to the teen-only sun deck with hammocks and a waterfall pool.

Tips:

• Club HAL has an orientation signup for parents and kids on embarkation day.
• Caribbean itineraries may have special kid-only shore excursions, and if there’s a large number of children onboard, watch for Youth Olympics and Family Olympics competitions.

Spa and salon
The upper-level spa is cozy, with a small waiting area and friendly staff who concentrate on pampering rather than pushing products. If you’ve wondered about a hot-stone massage, you can get the scoop on it (and hold one of the stones) when therapists demonstrate treatments during open-house tours on embarkation day. Sip free champagne and plot indulgences like a full-body massage. It’s a good start to relax those muscles tensed up from grappling with luggage. The best bargain is the “sole delight” treatment and pedicure; at $55, it pampers your lower legs and feet and includes exfoliating scrubs, massage, and oil treatments with warm towel wraps. In 2006, the spa area will be revamped and enlarged, removing an unused bar. New massage rooms and a thermal suite with heated tile beds and a hydro pool will be added.

Fitness areas
Equipment is limited, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem as the gym is often quiet. Nine treadmills by large windows see the most action. They’re augmented by some step machines, bicycles, and muscle-toning equipment. A small area is devoted to beauty and health seminars and exercise classes, which include five different types of free workouts, plus Pilates, yoga, and fitball for $11 each. Outdoor exercise fans have shuffleboard and two courts for tennis, volleyball, and basketball.

Tips:

• Joggers have a short track on Deck 12 with 10 laps to a mile. Walkers have a wide path on Deck 6 with four laps to a mile, and the bow area is protected from the wind.
• Watch for spa treatment specials. For instance, Internet users who buy a time plan may get $20 off one of five spa treatments. Flyers put in your cabin also spotlight spa deals. Reduced prices sometimes are good only on port days.

Heard on the deck (from a man in the spa waiting area): “I’m having the first facial of my life.”

Shops are grouped near the casino along a “spending” corridor. A boutique sells “…dam ships” logo items and sundries and the adjacent Gourmet Shop has liquor and chocolates. Bargain hunters browse the $10 kiosk for belts, stoles, purses, straw bags, watches, and scarves. A shopping arcade draws the most attention with such duty-free items as diamonds and sapphires, costume jewelry and watches, sequined blouses and bags, name-brand cosmetics and perfumes, and color-coordinated shorts sets with matching fabric tote bags. Art auctions let you muse over lots of works while sipping free champagne, and you may even find a good buy to take home.

Tips:

• Check the schedule for free liquor tastings outside the shops, and a fine jewelry show with free champagne.
• Daily sale merchandise varies, and specific items, such as watches, may be offered only one time.
• Best buy: For the extra things that won’t fit in your suitcase, a large logo duffle-like tote bag with zipper pockets is $14.99. On other ships, smaller ones sell for $19.95 or more. It folds into a zippered compact bag you can carry in your suitcase next time.

Maasdam sails 7-night Canada/New England cruises from Boston and Montréal. In mid-summer, she sails a 17-night transatlantic to Northern Europe and Rotterdam, followed by an 18-night return trip with different stops. In October she repositions to Norfolk for 10- and 11-night Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruises. In April 2006, she goes into dry dock for changes to some public rooms, and then returns to Canada/New England.

• Cruise line - Holland America
• Ship name - Maasdam
• Type of cruise - Elegant
• Passenger capacity - 1266
• Decks - 10
• Total cabins - 633
• Private balcony cabins - 149
• Total crew - 557
• Year entered service - 1994
• Tonnage - 55451
• Officers nationality - Dutch/English
• Ship size - Large
• Registry - Netherlands
• Ship length - 720