Holland America's Maasdam in Canada and New England

In the fall, the cruise ships gather in New York and in Boston for cruises to Canada and New England. The autumn leaves are starting to change and people want to see the colors. Also, it is hurricane season in the Caribbean and the weather in Europe is starting to decline so the ships gravitate toward the northeastern United States.

One ship that one frequently sees on such cruises is Holland America’s Maasdam. One of the S-class HAL ships, Maasdam is large enough to provide the amenities of a modern cruise ship but also small enough to get to ports such as Montreal. Thus, Maasdam is well-suited to the Canada/New England run.

I have had the opportunity to photograph Maasdam several times when she was in Canada and in New England. She has pleasing lines and is photogenic.

Accordingly, I have added a photo essay to the Beyondships’ profile of Maasdam showing her in Halifax, one of the more popular ports of call on this route, and in Boston, which is the embarkation port for many of her cruises. This essay is posted at http://www.beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-photo-1.html

Photo Tour of Holland America's Maasdam

When Maasdam entered service in 1993, she was one of the largest ships ever to be built for Holland America Line. However, as cruise ships have grown ever larger, at just over 55,000 gross tons, Maasdam is now relatively small. Indeed, she is 30,000 tons smaller than HAL’s most recent ship Eurodam.

However, her size has let her find her own niche. She is large enough to roam the oceans of the world but small enough to visit ports that the new larger ships cannot. She is large enough to have most of the amenities that one would expect on a modern cruise ship but small enough that it is easy to get around. With some 1,200 passengers, there is the opportunity to get to know a variety of people but not so many passengers that one feels lost in the crowd.

Life on Maasdam seems well-ordered and serene. One is surrounded by displays of museum quality art punctuated by displays of fresh-cut flowers. The lighting is kept low giving a restful ambiance to the public rooms with their contemporary designs and superior quality fabrics. Passengers tend to indulge in quiet conversation, social dancing and the ship’s enrichment program, which includes cooking demonstrations, lectures and films.

Maasdam offers a premium cruise experience. This means that in addition to nice surroundings, the line strives for service excellence. The ship has been continually upgraded over the years with new features while at the same time adhering to traditional values.

My profile of Maasdam can be found at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam.html and the photo tour and commentary begins at http://beyondships.com/HAL-Maasdam-Tour1.html

On the military side of the site, I have posted an article in which Assistant Secretary of Defense Tom Hall discusses the transition from a strategic reserve to an operational reserve and how that has affected America’s armed forces Reserve and National Guard. http://beyondships.com/sspi-hall.html