1st time cruisers on HAL Maasdam - any advice?

[sharon]

Greetings everyone!

My husband and I are booked on the Maasdam Canada/New England cruise from Boston to Montreal on September 1, 2007. We have never been on a cruise before so we are totally clueless about what to expect. We are staying in the verandah suite BA124 - I'm hoping this is a good location. I have a few questions already...

Should we use travelers checks or credit/debit card?

Is it best to book shore excursions online or wait until we get onboard?

Is internet service extra?

Seasickness - what's the best remedy?

Any advice or tips for us newbies would be greatly appreciated If anyone has cruised on this ship before or taken the Canada/New England trip I'd like to hear about your experience also.

Thanks,

Sharon

[JoeyandDavid]

Hi Sharon and Welcome again to CruiseCrazies the friendliest cruise forum on the internet.

All good questions ...

As far as paying for on board charges... either or is fine.. when you are off on excursions and exploring your ports of call.. cash is good for small items and credit cards are wonderful for the larger purchases...

We tend to do a little bit of both.... if there is one particular excursion we want then i book it ahead of time on line to ensure that it is done.. for lesser ports of interest i have booked as late as the night before on board...

Internet is extra.... it normally is bundled into packages.. IMHO it can be pricey..

Seasickness.... ginger is excellent as in have a ginger ale... plus i hear good things about the wrest band therapy... i have never suffered, so i can't speak from experience .. others will I am sure be able to offer more assistance..

Hope I have helped in some way .. enjoy your planning...

Joey

[JohnG]

We use Bonine, an over the counter anti-motionsickness medication in tablet form. Start it the day before you sail. Works great for my daughter, the only one in the family who is prone to the malady.

Credit cards are the safest to use, and provide some buyer protection, but you still need cash for things like taxis. We have never bothered with travelers checks in 30 cruises. I just don't take gobs of cash, and there are ATM machines worldwide. Debit cards don't provide the same buyer protection as credit cards, and have a daily limit on them.

That cabin is a nice location, near the elevator.

[zebra]

Hi Sharon,

Welcome!!!!

We have been on the Maasdam and absolutely loved her!! She's a smaller ship, which I think is great for your first cruise, you find your way around easily. You must go to the "Tea" which is served in the restaurant every afternoon with live orchestra.... the best afternoon tea of ANY ship we have been on. Also ask your travel agent if you can get a table at the window (for dinners) OR where we sat, alongside the upstairs rail, where we could look down on everyone on the lower level as well as the best seats for seeing the Baked Alaska display coming down the elegant staircase on the last formal night.

Sorry, we don't get seasick but either the wrist band or the patch behind the ear are what friends of ours have used. The dramamine tablets do the job but you spend most of your time sleeping...... not an option for me I'm afraid. As Joey says Ginger is supposed to be the best natural remedy.

Excursions - if there is something you absolutely MUST do, then book it online (it's only charged to your account on the day of the excursion and you can always cancel it onboard if you've changed your mind. So why don't you go ahead and book all the excursions that you are interested in online, when you get to your cabin there will be an envelope waiting for your on your dresser with all your excursion coupons in it. As I say if you've changed your mind on any of them, just go to the purser and cancel, so long as it's 24 hours before the excursion. They will let you know in your daily newspaper when a particular days' excursions close.

As soon as you check in at the terminal they will take your debit/credit card impression and then give you a room card which will be your door key as well as your card to pay for everything onboard. We use our cards for everything... on land, then you don't have to concern yourself with the Canadian exchange rate or getting their currency.

If I can be of any more help...just give me a shout!!

[JohnG]

That is why we used Bonine for my daughter.....it doesn't make you drowsy like dramamine.

[rogue]

Welcome to CruiseCrazies, Sharon.

My wife takes Bonine and it works like a gem. She can get motion ill just by walking down a street, but has never been sick on a cruise ship. I use a Scopolamine patch, and that also works great. I'm going to try just the Bonine on my next cruise and see how that works for me. I also have a bad history of motion illness.

Have a great time planning your cruise. It's all part of the enjoyment. Your cruise will be here before you know it.

[Gregswife]

Sharon, so glad you found us here. Wow, your first cruise - how exciting. You will be hooked on day 1!!! I cannot ride backwards on a tender into shore, bus or train as I get really nauseated, but I have never felt even an inkling of it onboard a ship. I think John give you some excellent advice as to starting it the day before you cruise - that way you will also know if you are going to have any adverse reaction to it, and it will be in your system before you set sail. Looking forward to hearing your impressions once you return.