"Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister ships
 

Sailed the inside passage to alaska on Ms Maasdam 28 August thru 5 September from Vancouver.

When we checked into our cabin (321, starboard Promenade) the smell of sewage was unbelievable. Going out on deck we originally thought we were moored downwind of the Vancouver Sewage Treatment plant. Alas, the smell was to follow us throughout our trip and often throughout the ship making an otherwise enjoyable trip a disaster.

Beating a path to housekeeping and the front office proved futile. The only thing we could get out of them was the new Laws on sewags disposal required dumping Zenon?? into the system. Engineering was supposed to be working on it but obviously hadn't a clue.
Got the same excuse for our toilets being intermittent (passengers fault).

Wrote the letter to HAL and CRUCON our booking agent and refuse to use either til this is resolved. What bothers me the most are the number of complaints being heard before AND after OUR cruise without seeming regard to passengers feelings.

Far as I know HAL is still sailing with new passengers and the same old problem. Its been my experience after some 30 years in and around Hazardous naterials that if something smells THAT bad it can't be good for you.
.

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

Dear Bob: Yikes! Sounds like the Maasdam is in dire need of her upcoming dry dock and refurbishing. Maybe they'll do more than cosmetic updates. I'm quite sure she is going into drydock from Oct. 16-25. Hope she passes all tests as I'm sailing on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2.

No doubt with the number of complaints they received they will address the problem whilst in dry dock. I appreciate the "heads up" (no pun intended), but think it's too late for me to change anything now. Will keep you informed on what they have done.

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

Me too! I'm shortly thereafter... Thanksgiving week.

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

................And I'm on the Maasdam on November 30 - December 7; so I, too, hope that the odor problem is resolved by then....& am would also be interested in hearing about what, if any, improvements will be made in dry dock ??? Don................

Re: Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister
 

What sister ships are you talking about???
I see that you had a problem with the Maasdam, but I see nothing about any of the other S-dam ships??
Have you gone to the HAL site, and went to the contact page for numbers etc, to resolve your problem?

Barry

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

Mandy,

My husband and I, and another couple will be on board the Maasdaam Thanksgiving week also. I am DYING to see what's on the menu for Thanksgiving Day...LOL

Becky

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

We have cruised in prior years over Thanksgiving on HAL ships and are again this year.

The menu will offer all of the traditional dishes most of us are used to. Turkey with all the fixings and a selection of pies etc for dessert. It is wonderful....and best of all, they do the shopping, set the table, do the cooking and serving and clean up the whole mess after we've eaten. :)

We cruised over Christmas and New Years last year and it was also great but a Thanksgiving Cruise is pretty great IMO

Re: Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister
 

I had a feeling that it would be awesome!!! I mean, the food on cruises is superb anyhow...LOL Would you know, by chance, it this is one of the formal nights? It would seem like a situation MADE for formality.

Becky

Re: Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister
 

The turkey on cruise ships is often so-so. I usually cook a turkey at home before or after the cruise. Then we order something else on Thanksgiving night because we have rarely liked the turkey on the several Thanksgiving and/or Xmas sailings we have experienced.

We may be too picky though!

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

I just returned from the Statendam which is a sister to the Maasdam. Everywhere I went on the ship she was clean and in just lovely condition. I was on the Maasdam in Aug. 02 and could find nothing wrong. Perhaps some folks just ran into some bad luck?

Re: Thanksgiving on Maasdam
 

ASUwife - that's great! We are soooo looking forward to a relaxing week. Six more weeks from today and we are in Fort Lauderdale!! :) We just want peace and relaxation. Sun is good, too!!

This cruise will just be the two of us. We married on our last cruise this past Spring, and had family and friends with us for that! It was a wonderful week, but this is our "relaxing cruise" we have been longing for! I'll take the turkey any way I can get it!

:)

~ Mandy in Dallas

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

My husband & I just returned from the Zuiderdam (October 4-11), we found none of the problems you encountered. From start to finish it was wonderful, excellent service, fabulous food & the service staff was beyond anything we had anticipated.I will be doing a review shortly on our trip. I will definately book on HAL again and soon! Cathy

Re: Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister
 

Sounds like the old girl should be sunk for an artificial reef.

With all kidding aside,its no wonder that people are getting sick on ships...all the cruiselines care about is the bottom line and their profits.

Re: Re: Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & si
 

Who is this person Bob Marks?
I asked a Question and he has seemed not to want to answer it, maybe this person has never been on a HAL Ship and just wants to sit back and laugh at us.

Barry

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

Maybe he works for Celebrity or RCI??!!

Re: "Buyer Beware" HAL MS Maasdam & sister shi
 

We sailed on the Veendam to Alaska in August and found the ship to be in good condition. We loved our cruise. However, there were indeed some foul sewage smells in certain areas of the ship sometimes, including outside the dining room, in the hallway. All public restrooms had some lingering odor, but so did a ship from another cruise line, to a lesser extent, that also has "continuous" sewage processing like the Veendam and her sisters. Perhaps it is that type of system that needs to be re-designed.

Re: Re: Thanksgiving on Maasdam
 

Mandy, you are so funny!!!

We're going on this cruise with friends, but I plan on doing nothing but relaxing. No shore excursions except to the beach or to shop. We went on a cruise to Hawaii this past summer and were worn out when we got home.....LOL

Have a great time!

Becky

Re: Re: Re: Thanksgiving on Maasdam
 

We were on the Maasdam from Sept. 18 to Oct. 16, we were in Cabins 394, 112, 674 and never had a smell.

There was 1 lady on Veranda deck who told me about 'The Smell' in her cabin. That was all I heard about.

On LP, there was a waterline break that flodded cabins forward of us, the ship was full, so they had to live with it. No happy campers, but they rec'd some ship credits.

I would take Maas anytime.