Hlitner

Evening folks. Just a warning that this will be a mostly positive post. Today was a long needed sea day after 11 straight port days! Woke up bout 7:30 and I went to deck 1 to get a number we need for Japanese immigration when we return to Otaru after our visit to Korea. We got a high number of 20, but DW and I have seen little reason to be off the ship early. We later heard that there were long queues and some impatience among folks who went at 6 am to get a low number. After a late breakfast, on a dreary and chilly day, we headed to the Crows Nest where we got two of the last seats along the bow windows. The Crows Nest was packed, all morning as folks read, played games, etc. I stopped at the Shore Excursion desk to inquire about a wait list and our remaining credit (from the HIA) package. it took nearly 10 minutes for a staffer to determine our unused credit since they have to go through our entire account and use a calculator. This is 1950 technology at its best. We enjoyed our morning of reading, and around 12:30 (after the usual lunch surge) we walked down to the pool area and grabbed a table for lunch. DW soon returned with a sandwich and I had a delicious Dunkin Dog ( hotdog with cheese, onions, and jalapeños) along with cheesy fries. All good. We spent the afternoon reading on loungers near the pool. Around 4, we headed back to our cabin to relax, shower, and dress for “dressy night”. About 6, we headed to the Ocean Bar for our cocktail time and socializing. At 7:30, we were off to the MDR for our normal open sitting. There was nobody in line, we checked in, and were immediately taken to a table for 6. It was another great table with an Aussie couple and a couple from Dallas. We both had the decent escargot and tenderloin. Dinner conversation was a lot of fun, but we broke up the party around 9:20 so we could go to the i Step One Musicology Show (which we saw 2 weeks ago). The one negative was that when we asked about getting glasses of red wine, the waiter mentioned there was no more Malbec or Zinfandel. We had to settle for the so-so Cabernet. The ship is rapidly running out of wine choices so the next week will be interesting . On the way o the show we stopped at the Pinnacle Bar to get our drinks (with drinks there is no need to mask) and grabbed great seats for the 9:30 show…which was excellent. After the show we headed to the Rolling Stone Lounge to hear the terrific band’s10:45 set. There were about 50 at the show (which means about 2000 were in their cabins). The set was great and we enjoyed the music and drinks. After the show (at11:30) we noticed that the late night Gallery Bar had zero customers, so we headed to our cabin (much too early). Even the casino was near empty. HAL certainly lived up to its reputation as an early to rise and early to bed line. I will emphasize that despite the ship being full, we never spent more than 20 seconds in a queue on a sea day. For us, it was a near perfect sea day doing nothing but reading, drinking, and eating and socializing. Life is good! Hank

We seldom waste time/energy choosing a cabin location because having a quiet cabin (a priority) is much about luck. We are currently on the Westerdam in a small suite, and it is among the quietest cabins we have had in over 50 years of extensive cruising. This is not a new build, nothing special about our location, but the suite has been absolutely quiet… even in rougher seas. Guess you could our ship has come in 😁. We have also been in our share of noisy cabins. Sometimes the use of cardboard or paper shims can help, and other times the only solution are ear plugs

If you are planning on spending more than a night in Tokyo, we would suggest looking at some Tokyo locations ( Shinkuku, Ginza, etc) rather than focusing on a near port location. Transportation around Tokyo is good and there are advantages to staying in Tokyo. If your port turns out to be in Yokohama you might consider that can take 40 min (plus minus) to move between Yokohama and Tokyo. You can get lots of advice (and differing opinions) on the most convenient/best areas to spend your nights.

We cruise and fly all over the world (in Japan now). These days we do not think a single strategy is the way to go. One should explore various options for each trip/flight including cruise air, direct bookings with the airlines, looking at the options on booking engines such as Orbitz, and also looking at the IATA site for flight/routing options. Sometimes spending a few minutes doing research can pay off. We recently flew from the East Coast to Tokyo in Business Class for less than $2200. One could have also booked our exact flights for over $10,000. In our case we got a great deal using HALs online booking engine and using Iberia Air to get a fantastic deal on British Air to JAL. The good deals are often there for those that do their homework. Hank

We are fans of open dining and sharing large tables (great way to meet folks and socialize). Currently on the Westerdam which is near capacity. We usually go to dinner after 7:15 and have never waited more than 5 minutes to be seated (with no reservations). In the first 19 days, we have had 18 fun tables and only one boring dinner. I do think some folks get their jollies by waiting in queues. Queue avoidance is quite simple if you adjust. For example, folks who go to the Lido at 11:45 will often fight the crowds. Go at 12:30 and there is seldom a queue. Have a question for Guest Services? Instead of waiting in a slow moving queue you can simply message them through the Navigator App and they do respond within a few hours. Don’t want to wait in queues at the ports? Wait a few minutes until the initial surge has cleared! Hank

On the Westy now. There is a dance floor in the Rolling Stone Lounge and they sometimes have an hour of recorded dance music around 7pm. Crows nest has zero entertainment. Hank

I other thought is to check out Rentacar.fr They may still have a rental location right at the port, which is very convenient. We never used them in Le Harve because they used to demand renters buy their expensive insurance. But that was over 5 years ago and things may have changed. Hank

It is listed as 6am - 10pm.

Have no clue. So much has changed, post COVID, that it is wise to check with individual rental car offices

No specific time announced, but we would assume around midnight

It was a nice 15 minute walk from that shuttle drop to the Castle. The walking route was through a series of covered shopping streets and a nice walk. No issue with the shuttle except the $25 cost. Tough on those with mobility issues, but decent exercise for others. Hank

Quite a day. Nasty rain and we decided to stay aboard since we have visited enough shrines and temples to last a lifetime. My laptop crashed (blue screen of death) and I will not be able to fix the problem until we get home which is a reason we always preach to have some kind of backup. The port was Fukuota. Tonight we left the Rolling Stone Lounge around close. There were about 25 folks at that venue, which was the only entertainment on the ship after 10:15. We did checkout the late night gallery bar where there were 6 patrons. So this lively ship had fewer than 50, out and about, after 11:15. Dinner tonight in the MDR was pretty good and we had a good table with 2 Brits and 2 Aussies. Since it was 7:45, there were few Americans ( a table topic). Truly enjoying our open seating with no waits after 7:15, and mostly fantastic shared tables. There was a show, but it was a violinist we heard last week, so we skipped the show to enjoy more time In the Rolling Stone Lounge. Hank

Egads no. It was just a coffee shop that was part of a much larger book store (the book store was closed early in the morning when the coffee shop was open). It was along the main street about 3 blocks from our hotel (Intergate) but Google maps displays most of specific info in Kanji. Hank

Did not even know about that issue and heard nothing on board or when we were in Kochi. Today we are docking in a city on Kyushu which is a long distance from Hokkaido. Hank

Fair question. I guess we could have walked to the back of the closed casino (not sure why) tonight, after leaving the Rolling Stone Lounge at 11:30 (when it closed). But we prefer bars where we can hear some live (or even recorded) entertainment. I will check it out on some other night, perhaps when the casino is open. That Gallery Bar is in a strange location on this ship. We tend to stick to things along the so-called Music Walk which extends from the main theater, past the Billboard side of the Casino, and past the Rolling Stone Lounge! The Gallery Bar is located on the opposite side of the ship in a place that works for those at that side of the casino (which seemed to be closed at 11:30 tonight) but is hardly noticed by folks seeking out entertainment along music walk. Speaking of strange, we now have the Lincoln Center Stage (in a heavily trafficked part of the ship) which is dead space. There is no more Lincoln Center group on this vessel (they went home after the last cruise and apparently will not be replaced) so that space just sits empty! Hank

They had a BBC Documentary early in our first cruise (3/27 embarkation) but it has not been repeated. DW and I actually enjoy those kinds of films, but that is what we can watch in our home where we have a decent large screen TV and good sound system. We do not pay the big bucks for cruise vacations to watch TV, movies, etc. When HAL had their onboard movie theaters, that was the perfect venue for moves, documentaries, etc. But we think that the large theaters, that were constructed with the lights, stage, and sound systems necessary to support shows should be used for that purpose. Hank

You might (I emphasize "might") be able to find one bar open until around midnight, although it will likely be very quiet. On this ship the Gallery Bar (Deck 2/casino) is listed as being open "late" and we have heard (by the rumor mill) that one can get a drink there until around midnight. I have long wondered (and asked this question in the past) whether HAL's evening hours are the product of a clientele that simply goes to bed early or if it is the HAL policy that drives folks to bed early. We have met several folks who have told us they have no clue about the evening activities because they return to their cabin right after dinner to read or watch the TV. Last evening, DW and I "closed" two lounges (where they had the only entertainment and they were not very crowded by closing time (10:15 and 10:45). A few updates about our cruise. I have never been a big fan of how HAL makes its "fou-fou" drinks by using "Sunsational" mixes that come out of 32 oz cartons. So, for example, a strawberry daquiri made without strawberries leaves something to be desired as does a banana based drink that has no banana. On some other mass market lines they will actually use real fruit (either fresh or frozen) which makes a big difference in the final product. HAL does generally make a decent Bloody Mary, but this is a case where they do not use a mix and prepare the drink with tomato juice, Demitri's spice mix, tobasco, etc. On a happier note, a fellow cruiser reported seeing one of the Maitre d's shopping for tea (in Yokohama) and we now have some Black Tea aboard. However, there is still no Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea. DW pointed out that if a ship ran out of coffee there would likely be a mutiny, but tea drinkers always seem to play 2nd fiddle. It does boggle the mind that there would be any kind of tea shortage when cruising around Japan, where tea and tea shops are in abundance. Hank

Just to make it clear, there are essentially no COVID restrictions in Japan (other than the requirement to either be vaccinated with 3 jabs OR have a negative COVID test). For practical purposes, nearly all the restrictions melted away in early March. We have been in Japan since March 16 (in Kochi at the moment) and have seen zero restrictions. That being said, a large majority of Japanese do continue to wear masks (they are not mandated) and some very rare private facilities still have their own mask mandates (we have seen this in one store in the past month). There are still some requirements for cruise ships and whether the May 8 changes impact cruises remains to be seen. Most (if not all) cruise ships try to have some kind of onboard mask mandate which we think is more out of fear of the Japanese 10% dictate (ships might be prevented from docking if more than 10% of souls onboard have COVID). On our ship (HAL's Westerdam) there is a requirement to wear masks onboard, when indoors (unless eating or drinking). Nearly all the passengers on our ship do follow the "rule" although we have seen no attempt to enforce the rules on those who are lax. Hank

Ok folks, here comes another rant! It is 11:00pm and DW and I are in our cabin. Why? Because the last entertainment (of any kind) on this ship ended at 10:45! While I understand that many HAL cruisers are happy to go to bed at 7 or 8, that is not me! There is no excuse...NONE, for a ship shutting down everything at 10:45. The last entertainment were the two Billboard piano player/singers whose last set began at 10 and ended at 10:45. There was no show of any kind in the main theater (except the showing of an old movie), the Rolling Stone Lounge Group was off, there is no Lincoln Center Stage group on this ship, and the new Third Avenue Combo ended at 10:15! For those casino lovers, even that is closed since we did not sail until around 8pm and they never bothered to open the casino (even after getting to international waters). So, while I get that many HAL fans could care less what happens after 8:30, this cruiser enjoys some evening entertainment. In my world that means there should be something...anything...to at least 11:30 and generally midnight. Most cruise lines actually go beyond midnight with one late night venue (often a DJ) but I will accept that it might not be a good fit for a floating nursing home (which seems to be the goal of HAL). But having something...anything....after 10:45 is not asking for too much! I have said it before and will say it again. Having cruised on 16 cruise lines, HAL is alone at shutting down a ship this early! This evening we had a delightful dinner (with an awful menu) at a table of 8 and the lady next to me indicated that she always goes to her cabin around 8:30 - 9:00 to quietly read in her cabin. My thought (at the time) was she was a perfect fit for HAL who should now market themselves as the cruise line for those who want to have quiet nights in their cabin! There are some here on CC who have, in the past, argued with me when I posted about HAL being a ship for those who go to bed early! I am posting this to prove the point! There can be no debate as I am simply posting the fact that this ship, with over 2000 passengers, has absolutely nothing (tonight) for folks who want to even stay awake until 11pm! For those that noticed my "awful menu" comment (and want to take me to task) I will post some details. Starters were Seafood Deviled Eggs, Smoke Cod Fish (which was supposed to have horseradish which was completely missing from my plate), Boston Lettuce with Gorgonzola Cheese, Cantonese Hot and Sour Soup (which one at our table said was tasteless) and the routine stuff. Mains included such gourmet dishes as Chicken Chow Mein. Chilli Prawns with Garlic Butter (it was barely OK), Parmesan Stuffed Chicken Brest, Beyond Chicken Stuffed Zucchini, and the usual regulars! And I forgot to mention Five Spice Pork Belly! Come on HAL! "Chicken Chow Mein!" Are you kidding me? And we could talk about the everyday stuff like spaghetti and meatballs, rustic lasagna (tasteless), etc. I had the Chili Prawns. If there was any garlic in the butter, I could not taste it! The shrimp was OK (properly cooked) with no flavor without garlic or chili. While we think the food on this cruise has been generally OK, the use of spices, garlic, or anything else that would give something flavor is missing! If HAL wanted to market itself as the line with bland food, and a quiet ship after 10:45, it would be accurate marketing. My goodness, even a basic Ceasar Salad (at dinner) has no flavor. Hank P.S. Forgive me for being a bit harsh, but what I have posted is accurate. Hank

Regarding the price of wine in Japan, I do not think that imported wines (i.e. French, USA, Italian) is inexpensive because of Japanese taxes. There are certainly some low-moderate priced Japanese wines, but not sure they are going to satisfy most wine lovers..not to mention paying the $20 corkage. One also needs to consider the HAL wine list, and what is available onboard. We have not used the wine list since we have the HIA package and are simply settling for the offered wines by the glass (not particularly good, but drinkable). But, we know from talking to others, that many items on the wine list (and also the bar list) are not onboard. So, if having a specific wine (or type of wine) is very important than you might want to consider checking out the prices in Yokohama as an alternative to settling for whatever HAL has in stock on the ship. Getting back to drink logistical issues, things have not really improved much in the past 3 weeks. The 3 single malt scotches covered by the Signature Drink Package are still not in stock. The only Cognac covered by the package (Courvoiser VSOP) is not in stock. Malbec, by the glass, has not been available for over 2 weeks (despite being on the wine list). A friendly bar tender just shrugged at my question about logistics, indicated that many popular items have been out of stock for months, and had no opinion when or if they would ever be in stock. In my humble opinion, if HAL fails to carry their menu items covered by the drink packages they should substitute a reasonable alternative at the drink package price. Otherwise, it just appears that HAL is trying to promote the higher priced items and negate a reason many folks buy the drink packages. One other tidbit. Last night was a "dressy night" with a pretty decent menu. One of the major offerings was tenderloin of beef with shrimp. The tenderloin was as good as the filet offered in the Pinnacle which makes one wonder if the PG is worth the money (for those who must pay full price). DW and I have enjoyed our two PG meals (since boarding) but did not think they were a good value at $39+ 18% (our PG meals were covered by the HIA package). We have already cancelled another future PG meal (which would have been free) and replaced it with another meal in Canaletto. DW and I have never been big fans of dinner in the PG (we have long enjoyed the lunches more than the dinners) and nothing on this cruise has changed our minds. We also acknowledge that food/cuisine is subjective and we are sure many others would disagree. Hank

Our cruise cards are clearly marked with "HIA" in the upper right corner. We do not know if the error happens at entry (inadequatly trained bar staff) or within the onboard IT system. But it obviously is a big problem for HAL since we are not the only folks with "HIA" and the Signature Package. Consider that just for us (DW and myself) the errors have totaled around $100,,so far. Exterpolate that to the 2000+ others on the ship, and the number of HAL ships, and we are talking lots of money (always in HAL's favor). Last night we enjoyed the new "Third Avenue West" group who played in the Port Side of the Ocean Bar area (where the piano is located). It is a trio (guitar, bass, and piano) and they play what I would call contemporary smooth jazz. Quite delightful for background music in a lounge setting. For us, this is a good thing. But for the many HAL cruisers who enjoy classical music, not having anyone playing at the Lincoln Center Stage is a disappointment. This should not be an either/or situation as HAL needs both kinds of music. Speaking of entertainment, folks might want to consider what HAL has done over the years. At one time, on a ship like the "Westy" we would have had 8 dancers, 4 singers, and a ship band (which used to be 5-7 pieces). That has all been replaced with 6 Step One Dancers! Most of the HAL entertainment moves have been about eliminating positions. There used to also be two dance instructors (generally a married couple) who conducted dance lessons. That is also gone! Those dance instructors only cost HAL the cost of a cabin (and food) as the instructors were not paid. It is the same with bridge instructors (we did have two onboard earlier in the cruise). Hank

Good Afternoon Folks (morning in North America), Today started early (too early) when our Captain brought us alongside the small commercial port at Omaezaki. Apparently, we are the first "large" (to quote our guide) cruise ship to ever dock at this port and the locals wanted to show their appreciation. So at 6:30am a very loud drum band started playing (within feet of the ship) and those of us on the Port side were abruptly woken up to the crashing drums. It must have been hard on the crew, whose cabins were within a few feet of the drums. As it was, our deck 8 cabin was rattling :). The port seems to be a modest size container operation which also is an export center for new cars and small trucks. DW and I took one of our rare cruise excursions (have to use our HIA credits) which was a 5 1/2 bus jaunt to the Kasuisai Temple and later to the Kakegawa Castle. These places added another 100 or so steps to the "thousands" of steps we have climbed since arriving in Japan nearly one month ago. The excursion was fine (folks actually returned to the bus on time) although our guide seemed to be obsessed with talking about all the wonderful traits associated with green tea! We were again blessed with a near perfect day with mostly clear skies and temps in the high 60s. We suspect that the reason this place has not previously been a popular cruise port is that many of the attractions are some distance (in our case about an hour) distant. We did not see the town (accessed by shuttle buses) but were told it is a relatively small and sleepy place. Kudos to HAL for taking us to a new place :). We are now into our 2nd fourteen-day cruise (we are on 3) and there is somewhat of a change from the last cruise. This group of passengers seems to more lively, although last night that ended by 10pm. When DW and I left the Rolling Stone Lounge (about 10:15) there were fewer than 40 folks in that lounge and the nearby Billboard lounge (with the 2 pianos) had even fewer folks. The main show last night was a single showing at 7:30 of the History of HAL. From the pretty crowded MDR (at that hour) there did not seem to be a lot of interest in that "fabulous HAL entertainment." Last evening was also notable because it was the 5th day (our of 15) when we have been overcharged for drinks (covered by our HIA package). As, in the past, I sent a message to Guest Relations (using the Navigator App) and the extra charge was reversed by this morning. HAL needs to get their act together on how the bars handle the accounting for the drink packages. We again caution future HAL cruisers to check their "statement" on a daily basis (easily done through the Navigator App). I want to again bring up an old pet peeve issue of mine. Cruisers and international travelers really need to have a working Smartphone and know how it works. On this ship, all the excursion tickets are generally handled via smartphones. When you check-in for an excursion you are expected to show the tickets on your phone! Hard copies are not sent to cruisers although I assume it is possible to get something by going to the shore excursion desk. But that desk is rarely open (since we have few sea days) and the few hours when it is staffed can often find a queue with only 2 folks handling the issues. Another weird issue is that although passengers can book alternative restaurants using the Navigator App, there does not appear to be a way to cancel a reservation without getting through to someone on the phone (this can often be near impossible) or taking the time to physically go to the restaurants when they are staffed and do not have much of a queue. We hope that eventually HAL will improve their Navigator App and add a cancellation function. Hank

When we started taking our DD on cruises (at age 5) she absoutely loved being "dumped" into the children's program (mostly on Sitmar and RCCL (now RCI)). Even now, over 35 years later, she remembers those cruises and some of the friends she made in the kids program. Many children do prefer being with a group of other kids rather than with "grown ups."

Hard to follow Cruisemom's depressing about the Lincoln Center Stage. It almost sounds like HAL has become self-destructive and looking for a way to alienate just about all their fans. But for a brighter note, we had a fantastic port day on Shimizu. DW and I went on an 8-person private tour arranged by a wonderful Canadian lady. We had an excellent English-speaking guide and driver in a nice van. Our tour cost about $110 per person (for 5 hours) and HAL had nothing comparable. Our tour was all about Mt Fuji, and we went to several viewing sites, a nearby waterfall area, and a Shinto Shrine (to the Gods of Mt Fuji), Our little group of 8 consisted of 4 Americans, 2 Canadians and 2 English. A fantastic group of folks able and willing to deal with the walks and steps on our tour The various views of Mt Fuji were fantastic, and we lucked out with the perfect weather. We returned to the ship in time to get ready for cocktails and dinner. We met some friends (who are disembarking tomorrow) for cocktails and went to the MDR for a so-so dinner, After dinner we saw the best show of the cruise which was a hybrid show made up of the Step One dancers, duel piano players, and a terrific singer from the Rolling Stone Lounge Band. It was the biggest crowd we have seen in the theater, which proves the point that if HAL puts on something akin to a Production Show, the folks will come! IMHO, this was the only decent "Production Show" of the 14-day cruise. After the show we went to the Rolling Stone Lounge for a drink (and show) and that entertainment ended at 10:30! I kid you not when I say that was the end of all the entertainment on our ship! At 10:30 you either go to bed, sit at near empty bar (only 1 is open after 11) or go to your cabin for sleep. I will admit to normally being a night owl and find 10:30 a ridiculous time to end entertainment on any vessel. Tomorrow, it is back to Yokohama for a "turn around" day. DW and I have been debating taking the train into Tokyo vs just spending the day in Yokohama with a nice lunch in China Town. As independent travelers we will likely make our decision when we get off the ship in the morning. If we do decide to go back into Tokyo (about a 45 min train ride) we need to decide among many options in that huge city. While we are sad that many of our newfound friends are leaving the cruise, we are also excited at the prospect of welcoming new cruise mates. Hank If the suits in Seattle think that they can attract a younger crowd by ending entertainment at 10:30, they should all find a new profession! I recently read a Celebrity blog about a late-night comedy show (about 11:30) that was packed! On HAL, not only are there no late-night shows, but adult comedy does not exist! I

We just completed two days in Osaka, which is a wonderful port because of its relatively close location to many major tourist towns (besides Osaka) including Kyoto, Nara, and even Hiroshima (a more distant day trip). Our first day again had us in awful weather with lots of rain. Those with cruise line excursions and private tours were forced to "tough it out" in lousy circumstances. Most of the major Japanese tourist sites involve some outside touring and the conditions could not have been much more awful :(. But today, a cold front cleared out the rain (we actually had a few hours of sun and blue sky) so it was a darn shame that the Japanese authorities held up the tours this morning. The Captain made it clear he could not extend our port time because of the distance to our next port (complicated by our power issues with one Azipod). But for we more independent folks, adjustments are the name of the game. Yesterday morning, when we saw the miserable weather, DW and I decided to simply walk about 5 minutes to the world-class Aquarium. Before leaving the ship we went online and bought our timed entrance tickets (avoids the queues) and really enjoyed the large facility. We later walked back to the ship for lunch. With the continuing rain, we decided to head over to a popular shopping, food, and club district called Dotonbori. We had to walk (through the rain) about 3 blocks to the nearest subway and used our SUICA Cards (which we purchased when we first entered the country 3 weeks ago) to use the two subways necessary to get us to our destination. We walked through some shopping/eating arcades (covered) and had some fun exploring a bit of the local culture. This excursion cost us about $8 (for two) for the local subways. This morning, once the ship was finally cleared, we decided to take advantage of the dry conditions. We headed back to the subway and went about 20 minutes to the stop for Osaka Castle. About a 10 min stroll from the subway station got us to the castle park and it was well worth the trek. We paid our small entrance fee, went inside the famous castle, took the elevator up to the 5th floor (as high as you can go with the elevator) and walked to the top 8th floor. We enjoyed the fabulous views (you can see all of Osaka) and slowly worked our way down the various floors while enjoying the museum/historical displays. Back outside we spent a little time enjoying the adjacent grounds before returning the nearby subway stop. From there we got on a different subway line and went over the station nearest Shittenoji Temple (another major site in Osaka) where it was only a short walk (less than 10 minutes) to the popular site. We spent some time at the Temple complex, enjoying both the outside and inside of quite a few of the different buildings. Finally, it was back to the subway and the ship (for a late lunch). A truly perfect day touring the two major sites of Osaka, and the cost was less than $25 (for two). The cost of the cruise line excursion that went to those same two sites was about $100 per person. I want to again stress that mentioning prices is intended to let folks know their options. We keep hearing complaints (onboard) about the price of the cruise line excursions, and we would stress that folks get to make their choices when cruising/traveling. During our subway journey back to the port we debated taking a detour to one of the decent "foodie" parts of town, but decided we did not want to deal with the anxiety of cutting things too close on getting back to the ship when we had an early 4pm departure. Part of independent port days is knowing when to be a bit conservative and not push the time issue. And I was really craving a "Dive In" Hot Dog loaded with cheese and jalapeno peppers! There are just some times when a decent "dog" beats a bowl of soba :). This evening we had our 3rd "Dressy Night" of this 2 week segment and the menu was OK (not awe inspiring) with a tenderloin-shrimp main, duck breast, or sea trout. If one wants a lobster night in the MDR it is available for $20 (any night). We saw a nearby table enjoying the lobster tails, they were quite large (said to be 12 ounces), but also appeared to be a bit tough. To my untrained eye the tails served in the MDR seemed to look about the same as the tails served in the Pinnacle ($39 + a $20 add-on). We went into the MDR about 7:30 and shared an interesting table with another couple (5* Mariners) who were very well traveled. A lot of good table talk about travel and cruising and our tablemates were not the first folks we have met who expressed some disappointment with the overall HAL product. Their feeling is that HAL would be happy to be rid of we 4-5* folks and replace us with younger cruisers who spend more money onboard. We got some interesting travel tips from this couple and it was another delightful dinner. They were the first American couple we met at dinner, since boarding the cruise, with everyone else being Aussies, Brits or Canadians. Tonight, the main show featured the return of an entertaining magician (the best guest entertainer we have had on this cruise) followed by the Orange Party (in the Rolling Stones Lounge). That Orange Party drew a nice crowd (we just looked-in for a few minutes) and it was great to see so many awake after 10pm. I should also mention that my breakfasts in the Lido have been pretty decent. We have seldom waited long in queues (perhaps it is because we are a bit contrarian when it comes to dining times) and I have had excellent omelets, eggs made to order, very good banana pancakes (made to order), etc. We did hear one complaint this morning ("the ship is out of pineapple"). I also miss the days on the Prinsendam where they had real maple syrup! There is apparently fresh squeezed OJ on the ship ($4.50 + 18%) but I have yet to see it or have any clue where to even find the stuff. I might go looking for the fresh OJ some morning when I am a bit bored 🙂 Hank