Ports of Call: The 28-night cruise from San Diego to Lima and back aboard the Maasdam visited Cabo San Lucas, Huatulco and Puerto Chiapas in Mexico; Fuerte Amador, Panama; Salaverry (Trujillo) and Lima (Callao), Peru, with an overnight in Lima; Manta, Ecuador; Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica; Corinto, Nicaragua; Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala; Manzanillo and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico; before returning to San Diego, California.
Embarkation/Disembarkation: Both processes were handled professionally and efficiently, with minimal waiting. Lunch was available during embarkation, featuring a selection of hot and cold options from the upper-deck buffet. Cabins were ready by early afternoon and were assigned in order of suites first, then balcony rooms, ocean-view and finally inside cabins.
Stateroom: The Maasdam, an older vessel built in 1993 and refreshed in 2016, offers comfortable traditional accommodations. Our Vista Suite was a balcony stateroom with a separate sitting area, private veranda, a tub with shower and ample closet space—convenient for longer voyages.
Services/Amenities: Dining on board was generally high quality. Given the ship’s moderate size, dining choices were limited to the main dining room, an upper-deck buffet and two specialty restaurants, supported by six bars and lounges. Evening service in the main dining room tended to run about two hours, which suited older guests and large tables. The crew also served a daily afternoon tea at 3 p.m.
Additional services included a beauty salon and barber shop, a full-service spa, eight elevators, Cellular at Sea (available at premium rates), self-service laundry and paid laundry/dry-cleaning. For leisure and entertainment, the ship offered pools and a hot tub, a library, a casino, a disco, a movie theater with several daily showings, an outdoor movie screen, a video arcade, retail shops and a main showroom for evening performances and lectures.
Top Takeaways:
◆ Events and activities were well organized and began on schedule.
◆ Crew members were consistently positive and attentive to passengers’ needs.
◆ High-caliber entertainers performed from around the world.
◆ Daily lectures focused on the history, culture and people of upcoming ports rather than pushing shore excursions for sale.
◆ Craft classes on sea days were enjoyable; sewing classes were especially popular and included the sewing machine to take home.
◆ Internet access was expensive and often slow due to satellite bandwidth limitations—an area where cruise lines continue to need improvement.