Canada and New England Cruise 2014 Part 2

Last week we cruised on the Holland America Maasdam heading from Montreal to Boston. This was actually a continuation of the previous week’s cruise because this was a back to back cruise (14 days).

Day 5 (9/24/14 Sydney)


Here is the link to the pictures.

Yesterday we went to Sydney and I went back to the craft fair to visit the knitters. One lady knitted little people and I liked them so much that she gave me the pattern! Then we went back to the ship because we were invited to an Indonesian luncheon which was fabulous. I don’t know what I ate but it was amazing! After lunch we went to the movie theater but the speakers were broken and we couldn’t hear the movie so we left and walked around town some more. At 4, we went to happy hour in the Ocean Bar and then at 5, we moved to the Crow’s Nest happy hour. While there Don spotted some whales so we had the whole bar in an uproar! After dinner we went to the show which featured the comedian Derrick Cameron.

Day 6 (9/25/14 Halifax)


Here is the link to the pictures.

Since we were just here last week, we walked around town some more. We tried to find out about this FRED (free rides everywhere downtown) that someone told us about but the visitor center said that it ended a few years ago. So, we walked all the way to the casino and found an elevated walkway that went from building to building. It took us almost to the citadel at the top of the hill which was nice. On the way we went through the Scotia Mall and we walked around. We returned to the ship for lunch and then had a nap until happy hour. It was formal night at dinner and then we went to the show called Road House where the singers and dancers sang country songs. It was an enjoyable day!

Day 7 (9/26/14 Bar Harbor)

Here is the link to the pictures.

It was an interesting morning. We had to go through customs on Deck 8 at 8:15 because we were entering US soil and then we went for breakfast. We thought this would give the crowds to empty from the tenders. After breakfast we went to the showroom to get our tender number at 9:45. We didn’t get on the tender until 11:18! By the time we got into Bar Harbor, it was almost noon. We walked around town and admired the changing leaves. We had some issues with our rental house and spent some time coordinating things with our daughter and son in law (who are absolutely wonderful for taking care of things for us!). After we had walked around town, we took the tender back to the ship. After lunch we packed our suitcases and then rushed to happy hour! All four of our dinner mates were there! We are so lucky to have had 2 weeks with fantastic dinner mates! At dinner, the waiters sang a traditional song to me for my birthday (two different times) and they gave me a birthday cake! It was a wonderful evening.

Day 8 (9/27/14 Debarkation)

We were told to be ready to get off the ship by 8:15-8:30 and we were called around 8:20. We got off the ship and quickly found our bags. It was fast and easy to get off the ship! Then we found the taxi stand and easily got the second taxi out of a long line of taxis to the Hampton Inn (Boston Logan Airport). It cost $27 + $3 tip to the hotel about 15 minutes away. (I would not recommend this hotel for a park and cruise package because they only offer the shuttle to the ship and you have to take a cab back to the hotel.)

Summary of Overall Cruise:
1. Service: The service was excellent all around the ship. No matter where we went, crew members always greeted us and were smiling. Anything we wanted or needed was given to us immediately.
2. Dining room – Our service was wonderful! Sulaeman was our main dining steward and he did a great job considering he was stuck with us for 2 weeks! He was always patient and helpful. The service was quick enough but not rushed so we could make the show and get a good seat. Ketut was always there outside to give us mints and ginger as we left the dining room.
3. Stateroom: Our cabin felt large with a bed and a sofa in it. Our cabin steward was excellent and our room was cleaned around breakfast time while we were gone and then dinner time.
4. Ship: The size of the ship was perfect for us. It was not too small where we felt bored or confined but small enough where we saw other people we became friends with and could talk about the day or excursions that were taken. The ship was clean and well taken care of!
5. Tender: Absolutely dreadful! We waited over 90 minutes in the showroom to get off the ship. Some people waited two hours! There had to be a better way of organizing this because we have done this on other ships where it was done quickly and efficiently.
6. Food: There was a great variety of food on the ship and they tried hard to vary the dinner menu from the first week so we didn’t just have a repeat of the first week. This was a really nice thing to do.
7. Entertainment: The shows were good along with the singers and dancers. I looked forward to going to them. We also saw a couple of comedians that we enjoyed. They also changed the entertainment from the first week so it wasn’t a repeat also.
8. Cruise Director: Jeremy Whited was absolutely awesome! He was very personable and always took time to have a conversation with us. He had a great sense of humor when speaking to a group. On the day we had to cancel Bar Harbor due to weather on the first week, we heard him speak about the Halifax explosion and he made it interesting to hear.

Things I Learned:

1. Pauline shared with me how to cook a “jacket potato” her way. First I punch holes in it and cook it in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. Then cover it in oil or butter and salt. Then cook it in the oven at 350 degrees until done.
2. St. Georges Island in Halifax was used as a prison by the British for Acadiens.
3. Halifax was founded by the Portuguese.
4. I never noticed before that the nickel and dime do not have the number value printed on them. Our dinner mates from the UK asked about them and I guess I’ve always taken it for granted and never noticed it.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Canada and New England Cruise 2014 Part 1

Last week we cruised on the Holland America Maasdam heading from Montreal to Boston. This was actually a continuation of the previous week’s cruise because this was a back to back cruise (14 days).

Day 1 (9/20/14 Montreal)

We didn’t have to check in again since we were already on the ship the week before. You can read about this day on my previous posts: Part 1 and Part 2. The most exciting thing was watching a fire start up on the roof of an apartment building and then blaze into a huge fire. (I later looked it up on line and no one was injured but it took 125 firemen to put it out!)

Day 2 (9/21/14 Quebec City)

Here’s the link to the pictures.

After breakfast we went out to the city again and it was much warmer than it was 2 days ago! Today had a low of 55F and a high of 67F (compared to the low of 35F the other day!). We walked along the  streets to past the Citadel and near the hotel with the round glass restaurant at the top. Then we walked back to the ship for lunch. After lunch we went to the movie theater to see the movie: X Men Days of Future Past which was pretty good. After dinner we went to the show and enjoyed it. We got a letter before dinner from the captain saying he is expecting about 13 foot waves during the night and tomorrow so make sure all loose items such as suitcases, cell phones etc. are all secure and to wear appropriate shoes. They also told where to get seasick medicine if needed. Tomorrow may be an interesting day!

Day 3 (9/22/14 St. Lawrence River)

After breakfast we did 2 loads of laundry. I was surprised that I was the only woman there and all of the others were men. I must not be training my hubby right! LOL At noon we had the Mariner luncheon. After lunch we went to the movie Fault In Our Stars which was good but a tear jerker. Then it was time for happy hour before we had to dress for the formal dinner. We had an early night since I only got about 4 hours sleep the night before because we went to bed late, had to turn our clocks forward one hour, and then I woke up early.

Day 4 (9/23/14 Prince Edward Island)


Here is the link to the pictures.

Prince Edward Island is referred to as PEI. We walked around town again but went to areas we didn’t go to last week. Then we stopped at the Northern Watters Knitwear store again to say hi to Bill (the owner). We also asked him about the Brewery tour that we thought about going on but from his reaction we decided not to do it. It sounded like a tourist trap to just make money. He wasn’t very positive or proud about them charging $10 for a microbrewery tour. So we walked around some more and then returned to the ship for lunch. After lunch we took a nap before happy hour where we bought some margaritas ($6.95 for the first one and $1 for the second one). At 7:30 we had a cocktail reception with the captain and senior staff which was nice. After dinner I hoped we would go to the Indonesian Crew show but there was a 90 minute gap until the show and we fell asleep and missed it!

Things I’ve learned:
1. Quebec City is pretty even if it is raining.
2. Always bring a rain poncho just in case it rains.
3. The washer cost $2 and the dryer $1.
4. People in the UK slap their children’s hand for putting their fork in their right hand after cutting their meat.
5. In northern England people think those who drink a New Castle brown ale can become loopy. Is also known as lunatics broth (but don’t say it to their faces)
6. Don’t take the brewery tour in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
7. In PEI, they always stop their cars to let tourists cross the road wherever they are trying to cross.

Original photos by Pat Hensley

New England and Canada Cruise 2014 Part 2

Last week we cruised on the Holland America Maasdam heading to Bar Harbor and Canada!

Day 5 (Wednesday 9/17/14 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island)


Here’s the link to the pictures.

We walked around town on the main streets that ran from the ship and back in the morning and enjoyed looking at all the shops. Then we returned to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we walked the streets that ran from each side of the main streets. I found the Gahan Brewery that the lady in Sydney recommended but since we already had lunch we didn’t stay. I did get her some business cards for her to give out. Then we stopped at Northern Watters Knitwear and met Bill, the owner. He was fabulous! He showed us thrummed mittens and socks which were amazing! Then he shows us the staff working on the knitting looms, piecing the parts together and then doing the finishing work. After that, the pieces go to his wife Wanda for inspection. After that, Bill recommended that we try some red beer and suggested going next door but they didn’t have any red beer so we went to the next place called Fish Bones. We got 2 very large beers (maybe 16 oz. each?) for $7 each. It was a great beer and we will look for that when we get home. After that we got back to the ship and took a little nap. After dinner we went to the comedy show of Julie Barr and then watched the Philippine Crew Show.

Day 6 (Thursday 9/18/14 St. Lawrence River)

Today was a sea day and we didn’t get off the ship. It was so cold outside and around the ship! After breakfast we went back to bed and huddled under the covers! Then we ate a snack on the Lido deck around 11am because we had a Mariner Luncheon at 1pm. This is for repeat guests of Holland America where they introduce the captain and hotel director and then give us a souvenir tile. After lunch we went to a lecture by a captain (H. A. Dalkman) who had been with Holland America for years and wrote a book about its history. After the lecture we had a meeting for guests who were staying on another week and then we saw the movie The Amazing Spider Man 2 which was very good. But the theater was freezing! When we changed for dinner, we asked our cabin steward for some blankets which he got for us. Dinner was formal night and we had surf and turf (filet mignon and lobster tail).

Day 7 (Friday 9/19/14 Quebec City)

Here’s the link to the pictures.

We got off the ship around 9am and a free shuttle dropped us off at the end of the Lower part of Old Quebec. We walked along the water and up tons of stairs to a boardwalk. Eventually we walked up 310 steps to the Governor’s Promenade and the Fort. Then we walked through the shops of Old Quebec and it was pretty. After stopping at the train station, we walked back to the ship. In the afternoon we watched a movie called Failure to Launch with Matthew McConaughey and Sarah Jessica Parker which was funny. Then we went out to watch us pull out of the port and head to Montreal. We went under a bridge with only 6 feet clearance between the bridge and the top of the ship! After dinner we saw the movie which was Grace of Monaco.

Day 8 (Saturday 9/20/14 Montreal)

Here’s the link to the pictures.

We got off the ship easily and was given an “In Transit” card so we could return to the ship without standing in lines. Montreal was okay but I wasn’t that impressed. The city looked dirty and smelled of horse urine. We walked about 6 miles before returning to the ship for lunch. When the ship was leaving the port, Don noticed a building was on fire and it caught the attention of everyone on the ship. It looked like a really bad fire and we hope no one was hurt. For dinner we sat at the same table we had been at last week and 2 of the ladies (Agnes and Dyann) have returned also.

Things I Learned:
1. Thrummed mittens are really really warm!
2. People on Prince Edward Island are really friendly.
3. Red beer is pretty good.
4. I want to find the book that tells about Holland America’s history by the captain we talked to.
5. It was 35F in Quebec when we got there.
6. There are a lot of hills and stairs in Old Quebec.
7. Montreal was a dirty city and reminded me of New York.
8. The buildings from the Expo 67 were all around the city.
9. They charge to go into the big old churches.
10. There was a protest going by the police and firemen and other government workers and we didn’t know about it as we walked around the city.

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

New England and Canada Cruise 2014 Part 1

Last week we cruised on the Holland America Maasdam heading to Bar Harbor and Canada!

Day 1 (Saturday 9/13/14 At Sea)

Here is the link to the pictures.

The shuttle left for the ship about 9:45am and porters were waiting for us when we got off the shuttle. We tipped them $1 for each bag to check it in and then we find out that the check in was only about 30 feet away past the shuttle and we could have taken them there ourselves! Oh well, a lesson well learned and it only cost us $3! Within minutes we were through security and checked in to the ship. An hour later we boarded the ship and our cabin was ready. We immediately went to the Rotterdam dining room for our Mariner lunch and sat with 4 other people who were interesting. At 1pm I had to go see the Maître’d to change our dining from any time to assigned seating and we were given Table 68 at 7:45pm. Then we walked around the ship for a while before going back to our cabin to unpack our suitcases. At 3:15 we had our life boat drill and then went to taste a couple of desserts on the lido deck. After that we ended up sitting in the Crow’s nest watching us leave because it was so windy and cold outside! We met 12 people who were on the ship that had been in a fraternity at Indiana University years ago. Then we went back to the cabin to rest for an hour before getting ready for dinner. We sit with Diane and Agnes from Virginia Beach and Hebe from South Africa and Eve from England. They are so interesting!

Day 2 (Sunday 9/14/14 Bar Harbor)

Here is the link to the pictures.

We decided to go ashore after breakfast since we had to tender in this port. During breakfast it was announced that tender operations were suspended because the conditions were too rough and dangerous. Around 10am, it was announced that the port was cancelled and we were leaving. We felt bad for all the people who had never seen Bar Harbor before. They decided to have a Bloody Mary happy hour until 11am so we had a a couple of them. At 11am, Jeremy, the cruise director gave a talk about the big Halifax explosion in 1917 that killed or injured about 25, 000 people (half the population of the town). At noon we went to the dining room for lunch and then another lecture about the Montreal Expo ’67. After that we went to a cooking demonstration where we had a sample of Butternut Squash soup that I really didn’t like. We went to the Lido deck and got some dessert and I had the bread pudding which was wonderful. After a nap we had dinner and it was formal night so we dressed up. At 10pm we saw the show Bob Mackie’s Broadway where the singers sang Broadway songs dressed in Bob Mackie costumes and it was nice.

Day 3 (Monday 9/15/14 Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Here’s the link to the pictures.

After breakfast we left the ship to explore Halifax. We walked along the boardwalk and then took a ferry to Dartmouth, NS. It cost $2.50 per person exact change so we had to go to the RBC bank and exchange some money. There was a $3 fee for any amount of exchange so we exchanged $100. When we got on the ferry, the man gave us paper transfers to get back on the ferry so it didn’t cost anything to come back. When we arrived in Dartmouth (about a 20 minute ride), Don saw a map on the wall showing different businesses and one of them was Dartmouth Yarns. So, we walked to the yarn shop but they were closed on Mondays. After walking around a little, we headed back to the ferry and Halifax. We walked some more around Halifax when I looked up and saw The Loop sign. I vaguely remember that name coming up when I looked on the internet for yarn stores in Halifax so we went in. The girl there was so nice that I couldn’t resist buying some Opal yarn. Then we went back to the ship for lunch. We left the ship again to do more exploring and walked past the Citadel and around that area. Finally we decided we were tired and went back to the ship. We had walked over 10 miles! We had a little snack and then took a nap before dinner. After dinner we went to the show featuring a band from Cape Breton. They were quite good!

Day 4 (Tuesday 9/16/14 Sydney, Nova Scotia)

Here’s the link to the pictures.

Sydney was an extremely friendly town! We walked around town and looked for a yarn shop but it was closed down. After walking around town, we went back to the ship for lunch. After lunch we walked to the craft show at a local church and I found a bunch of knitters sitting there knitting! I showed off my socks and they invited me to knit with them when we come back. I bought a bookmark from them for $5. There was another craft shop that we stopped at while exploring and the prices were much higher. We stopped at the cruise terminal where there was a craft show and their prices were even higher. I enjoyed the friendliness of everyone that we met though. Before dinner we went to see the movie Draft Day with Kevin Costner and it was wonderful! After dinner we didn’t go to the evening show which was the movie Maleficent because we were too tire.

Things I Learned:

1. Boston in September can be pretty cool in temperature.

2. Don’t tip porters to check your bags in at the port in Boston.

3. Quebec Sugar Pie is really sweet and tastes like Mary Jane candy.

4. Chocolate Mousse Pie is wonderful. It is light and chocolaty!

5. Get a transfer before you get on the ferry to get back for free.

6. They were afraid of getting invaded by America and becoming Americans.

7. Many died in the Crimean War (which is in the Black Sea.)

8. There are a lot of beggars in Halifax.

9. Sydney is a very friendly town!

10. Sydney relies heavily on tourism.

11. Tim Horton’s sold diet Pepsi.

Original photos by Pat Hensley