Tour & Lunch onboard Holland America Maasdam

This week I got to take a look at Holland America's Maasdam while it was docked in Dover. Luckily for me it was just before the rain came, the sun was high in the sky and not a cloud to be seen so I got to see the ship in all her glory.
This was my first time on a HAL ship so I was intrigued to see how it would match up to the company ethos. Now I know I chose one of the older ships in the fleet but that didnt matter to me - if anything it made more sense, this way I get to see the service and atmosphere onboard for what it is. All without being seduced by new furniture and sparkly decor.

The ships staff were very attentive which ever part of the ship I happened to be, but of course I noticed the service most at lunch. My waiter was gracious and ready to answer any of my queries or requests. He brought more bread without asking, topped the wine before I'd noticed the level going down and brought out the food in a timely and effortless manner. I was more than impressed.

The lunch itself was just delicious - i'm not really a beef lover but i (rather wisely) chose the filet mignon which turned out to be cooked to perfection, medium but with no blood, simply full of melt-in-the-mouth flavour. As HAL has a good reputation for food, the quality of my lunch only served to reinforce that.

The ship was pretty easy to navigate my way around due to the size and layout. Most of the facilities were grouped towards the center of the ship on levels 6,7 & 8 then other facilities either side of the Lido pool. There was notabley plenty of space on the deck areas which were filled with comfortable loungers.
I got to have a sneaky peak into one of the few empty outside twin staterooms while I mooched around the lower decks. The spaciousness of the cabin was such a breath of fresh air to me - having been stuck in pokey cabins on other cruise lines. The decor wasn't necessarily to my taste but I am one of those aweful creatures that prefers minimal, modern, beiges and curves.

The kind staff in the spa took me for a mini tour of their facilities including the Thermal room - I particularly liked the idea of relaxing on heated stone loungers in a steamy room whilst staring out through the large windows to sea. Dipping into the whirlpools every 10 minutes to reveive my senses.
The fitness area was suprisingly large and found it to contain all the equipment the avid gym-goer would need.

The most modern and the most recent additions to the ship were the culinary arts center, wine tasting and Explorations library/cafe. The culinary centre was set up like a small theatre with a purpose built kitchen taking the centre stage. Any demonstrations there would, im sure, be easy to view and feel like you are part of the process rather than just a spectator.
The library was larger than expected, a very comfortable area that exuded a scerenity that masde me want to drop my backs and put my feet up with a coffee and the latest hardback!

All in all, my tour showed me that even the older ships on the Holland America fleet have an undefined charm that cannot be overtaken by the lures of any new ship. Long may Maasdam sail the seas and fly the flag of excellence.

7 of our Favourite Cruise Ship Cakes

Its probably no secret that we like cakes in the Ideal Cruising office. Thats why we decided to put together a slideshow of our favourite cruise ship themed cakes accross the world wide web.

And lets not forget that we owe a big thank you to Kelly Tayor, one of our multi-talented cruise specialists, for her special cruise ship themed birthday cake (photo on the right). Made specially for Ideal Cruising's 6th birthday. This photo was taken with a bity of a dodgy phone camera - within and hour there were barely crumbs left. Yum, thanks again Kelly!



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Oasis of the Seas docks in Florida

Although its Friday the 13th, there is no bad luck surrounding the Oasis of the Seas arrival in Fort Lauderdale today.

What I wouldnt give to be watching that magnificent example of ship engineering sailing in to harbour. The sight of the massive $1.5 billion vessel would have been awe inspiring. After all, the Oasis of the Seas is nearly 40 percent larger than the industry's next-biggest ship and five times larger than the Titanic. The ship will accommodate a whopping 6,300 passengers.

Royal Caribbean, you sure have exceeded yourselves this time - which cruise line dare challenge them for the crown of cruise innovators?

How to choose the right cruise ship

With nearly 100 ships to choose from, this becomes a very important question for the first time cruiser, especially as many of us can be very easily taken in by the glamourous & glossy brochures, clever marketing and promises of perfection. This can often leave you feeling as though every ship will be good for your needs and only the price need be a consideration. This isn't so i'm afraid! If you choose your ship on price alone, you may come back disappointed!

Firstly most cruise ships fall roughly into one of 3 categories - budget, premium or luxury. As with anything, the more you pay, the higher the level of personal experience you expect. The main difference between luxury liners and the others is usually that the staff to customer ratio is higher - meaning that those cruise lines employ more staff to attend to your personal needs - hence being able to receive butler service and the like.

The first thing i would recommend is read to read as many customer cruise reviews as you can - that way you can many different perspectives from real people who have sailed onboard the ship. Often this way, you can see a little further than the brochure discription. For example, you may read a ship has a theatre with nightly shows and feel this is adequate for you but what the brochure won't tell you is the types of shows, whether they are performed by professionals or by amatuers, how good the view or sound is, whether the theatre gets very full quickly etc.

If you have kids, look out for ships with the best activities for kids. Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line are some of the best family ships. Fitness fanatics have it pretty easy as all ships have spas, gyms, jogging tracks and exercise classes. Royal Caribbean goes even further than that - Its Voyager class & Freedom class ships (Voyager, Adventurer, Explorer, Freedom of the Seas) have rock climbing walls, roller blading and ice skating.

If you’re traveling with a large group of family or friends, i would look for a large ship with plenty to do for all age groups, such as Royal Caribbean’s Voyager/Freedom class ships.

If you are on your honeymoon or celebrating an anniversary, you may wish to opt for a small more intimate ship such as the Windstar ships, with their high standard of cuisine and personal service. Alternatively you may wish to have a completely child free cruise and opt for an adult only ship such as P&O's Artemis or Arcadia.

Besides going ashore, what are your personal preferences to how you spend your time onboard? While all large cruise ships have theatre shows and bands, they’re not necessarily equal in terms of quality - this is usually where reviews will help you decide.In the large ship category, Celebrity Cruises stands out in food and service or if you’re feeling flush, head for a luxury vessel like Crystal, Radisson or Silverseas for gourmet dining and personalized service. Crystal Cruises have guest lecturers and computer classes so that you may sail & lean all at the same time!

Whichever ship you choose, as long as you have researched it thoroughly, should ensure a wonderful holiday! Try www.idealcruising.co.uk for the best value cruise holidays today.