Holland America's MS Maasdam

Overview

This is my first cruise with Holland America, and will probably be my last for the next little while.  Cabins are large and spacious, which is a plus, but is offset by underwhelming food.  Entertainment is so-so, and there just doesn't seem to have much to do on board.  Probably because I'm not interested in learning "how to use a computer" or "cooking classes".  Early dining is waaaay too early (5:15pm).

Fellow Passengers

A more senior crowd, and as a result very courteous and chill.  No loud and annoying teenagers, which is always a plus.  Great if you want some peace and quiet.

Cabin

More spacious than other cruise lines, I liked our window view cabin.  Washroom is spacious, and the room is clean and comfortable.

I noticed that there is a deck with a window that opens up to the walkway, try and avoid those cabins.  It's really no fun to have joggers being able to look into your room.

Dining

Bit of a disappointment here.  

• Rotterdam Dining Room - grand two storey main dining hall.  Early dining is REALLY early.  Service is good, but the food is only so-so.
• Lido Buffet - the food here sucks.  And I don't understand why you still have to ask for the food even though it's a buffet.  Majority of the mains are behind glass panels, you have to ask for it.  I have a small appetite, and they always give me more than what I need.  The buffet here also closes early, so after my very early dinner there is no place I can go for a midnight snack.
• Poolside Dive-in Burger Bar - is surprisingly the best.  Their burgers are delicious, and their fries with dive-in sauce is one of the best I've ever had.  We end up ditching dinner at the Rotterdam for several nights and opted to have burger and fries here instead.  The only thing they can improve on is the waiting time - towards the end, all the other cruisers seem to have found this hidden gem, so expect up to 15 mins of waiting time.  Still, completely worth it!

Activities

Not much to do.  There are some cooking demonstrations which a kinda boring, and a large library where you can snooze or read a book.  It's a pretty boring ship.  There are evening shows featuring dancing, singing, comedians, and magic show, but overall, it's a bit of a snooze.

Pro

• Quieter ship, less annoying teens
• Small ship, easier to get from place to place
• Library has a large collection of travel books

Con

• Nothing to do after 10pm
• Although refurbished, the ship is from an older fleet
• Food so-so (only good place is the dive-in burger joint by the pool)

Rotterdam Dining Room

Cabin

Lido Buffet

Exploration Cafe - Library

Swimming Pool