Hlitner

One other issue, meaningless to me. We left port around 6:30 pm, as the Captain managed to maneuver, in significant wind with the help of two tugs. But now, at 10:20, the casino remains closed. Why? We should have been in international waters before 8pm. Perhaps our smooth seas are also too much for the slots. Strange cruise line is this. Hank

It is 9:30 and I am sitting in Billboard listening to the mediocre performers. Why? For the 2nd, maybe the third, time we have boarded the ship our Step 1 show was suddenly cancelled because of sea conditions. If the ship is moving, we can not feel it and our drinks are dead still in the glass. While I understand that safety is Number 1, this is a bridge too far. It makes a case for less dancing and more music. Speaking of music, our only option for now are the Billboard pianos or pre recorded music in Rolling Stone. Dinner tonight was with a nice British Couple who agreed with the theme that there are better options than HAL. They also mentioned they have heard much of the same from many folks. As to Cruisemom, if we do not see you we wish you a safe trip home. Tonight we have a new shortage which are limes in the bars. We suggested we could buy limes in Yokohama and bring them aboard to give our favorite bar tenders, but it was suggested it would either be contrary to the rules or we might need to pay a “lime corkage fee.” I would also be happy to donate some Cognac to our favorite bar, but HAL would also not permit that practice just like they will not resupply our ship with booz that has been absent for months. Read Cruisemom’s, post about Canoletto and we were also underwhelmed with the venue and the policies of the day. We had planned on dining at Canoletto, 3 times, on the next cruise but decided to keep it to one visit. So we will enjoy the piano players (the only live entertainment) as the alternative is to go to bed at 10. One other issue. Tonight, DW and I had Wiener Schnitzel. But it was made with pork (not veal) which would be Illegal in Austria. Another cut-back. Hank

We often discuss these kinds of insurance issues on the CC/Cruise discussion topics/ trip cruise insurance board. And by the way, some (not all) Medicare Advantage Plans do include some out of the country coverage for Emergency/Urgent Care. Folks need to be aware that nearly all out of country coverage will require you to pay the bills and later seek reimbursement. Hank

After lunch on the ship, we decided to again brave the chilly wind and go ashore. This time we walked (about 10 min) to the Redbrick warehouse shopping area and spent an hour exploring the various shops/stalls. DIY ALERT. Folks, two of the major tourist attractions in this port are a stone’s throw from the port. Another, the cable car (called a ropeway) is also walkable from the ship and costs about $14 to ride. The ship’s excursion that covers those 3 places costs $130 pp So a couple can save over $230 by simply crossing the street from the port and adding another couple of miles of strolling! If you can’t handle the longer walk to the Ropeway, a taxi would cost you less than $10. Do you really need a guide to drop you at two different market venues? As to the Ropeway, as predicted it was closed due to high winds. The other excursion options from Hakodate are somewhat underwhelming. This is one of those ports that should be on a comprehensive itinerary, but lacks the great tourist options found in other more popular ports. The port is right across the street from the train station, but unlike many other ports in Japan, there really is nowhere to go on a train (for cruisers). Hank

Using bikes in Japan is routine with many cities having marked bike lanes (often ignored by pedestrians. We have had quite a few windy days and have often seen groups of parked bikes that were blown over. Our Captain, somehow got us docked (on schedule) in Hakodate in crazy gale force winds. We are docked next to the popular morning market where I saw a lot of King Crabs, and many other type crabs. Prices are typically high for King crab legs (I saw 3 for about $100). We also noticed squid ink ice cream 🤮 which some describe as fishy tasting vanilla. DW and I started to walk a few blocks to the Red Warehouse shopping area, but the winds were so nasty that we gave up ( for now) and returned to the ship for some morning libations. Our Captain continues to do an excellent job getting us in and out of ports on schedule. This is the last port on this 14 day segment and, this evening, we will start cruising south towards Yokohama for another turn-around day. I will again reiterate that DW and I have enjoyed this cruise and its itinerary. We have not had the best weather, but that is just part of the travel game. As mostly independent travelers, we can often adapt our plans to the weather. Other times you just go with the flow, even when that means rain is flowing over your eyes. One shocker, for me, was noticing that it still takes nearly 4 hours from Hakodate to Sapporo via train….just as it did when I lived in Northern Japan 53 years ago. Train travel in Japan is generally fantastic, but not for those who want to go to Sapporo. Hank

After a fantastic day we joined a New Zealand couple for a truly enjoyable dinner. We then went to the Rolling Stone Lounge, where we joins some Aussie friends to enjoy the excellent band. All of us were upon the dance floor for a great time. But that all ended at 11pm when the music ended….on the entire ship. I guess that is a. Improvement on the nights when the music stops at 10:45. Perhaps the new Hal marketing campaign should be “the cruise line where all the fun ends at 11. Hank

Greeting from Aomori, We docked early this morning and the ship was cleared around 8. For once, it was sunny and a bit chilly with temps in the 50s. DW and I always knew, that if the weather was OK our priority would be to go about 25 miles to Hirosaki Park. Today was the first day of their Cherry Blossom festival and it is considered one of the best places in Japan to view the beautiful trees. HAL had an excursion for $189 which had been sold out for months. So, this was the perfect day for we DIYers. We walked about 1 mile to the train station and caught a 9:10 train which arrived in Hirosaki about 9:45. We could have taken a local bus to the park, but opted to walk (about 1.3 miles). By 10:30 we were among the Cherry Blossoms enjoying the opening ceremonies of the park festival. Many of the Cherry Blossoms were losing their blossoms (they bloomed about 2 weeks early) but there were plenty of others near their prime. The park had a good crowd and we were delighted with our visit. We also had a good look at the parks famous Temple (now under renovation). By noon, we decided to leave, so we strolled back to the station, caught a return train, and were back on the ship by 2:15. Total cost of our DIY adventure was about $30 (total cost for 2) saving us $350 versus the excursion. That excursion did also visit two other places and included a lunch. One of those places was a minor temple (we could have walked or taken a local bus if we wanted to visit) but we are now part of the ABT crowd, “Another Bloody Temple.” After 5 weeks of Temples and Shrines we choose carefully. Regarding the missing passenger in Busan, it was a single lady who left her excursion group to spend more time shopping. She got a taxi to the port, but the driver went to the wrong port. They were able to contact the ship (which waited) and she made it aboard. We heard the story from a bar friend who had spoken to the missing woman’s roommate. This afternoon, visibility dropped as Japan was again overtaken by the Yellow Sand which blows in from China’s Gobi Desert. This rarely reaches Japan, but this has been a strange year, climate wise. Tomorrow our Captain will try to get us into Hokodate despite the forecast of high winds. We know many on the ship want to go up the mountain on the “ropeway” which could also be an issue if it is too windy (and we manage to dock). Hank

Greetings from Aomori, delete

ROFL. Even we old folks were not born with that knowledge. I do think the Japanese are trying their best, but this society can be hung up on procedure, when I saw 6 officials watching two infra red cameras I could not help but wonder what these well educated officials did during 3 years of COVID isolation.

Howdy all, An update on Otaru. Our Captain did a good dessert by getting us here an hour early. Although we docked by 9, it took until about 1pm to clear all the passengers. The Japanese had 18 immigration officers working who checked Passports, took index finger prints, and a photo. During the clearance process we had our Passports checked 5 times. As I said earlier, DW and I had not battled the masses to get a low number, so we did not get off the ship until 12:30. It is a cool 52, overcast, damp day, but mostly dry. We walked into the heart of town (about 1 1/4 miles and enjoyed the interesting shopping area. There was an abundance of sushi and sashimi places for those who were hungry. We were off the ship about 2 1/2 hours since we did not stop for lunch. Lots of very nice glassware in Otaru for the shoppers. There was only one HAL excursion in this port that toured a local mansion and then the shopping area (where we walked). That excursion cost $140 per person so we saved $280 by skipping the mansion. For those who wanted to DIY, the local bus to the mansion cost 240 yen and admission is 300 yen. In dollars we are talking about $4.50 per person to duplicate that excursion. Hank

Internet not very good. Yesterday was a normal sea day with lots of fog. Last evening was a dressy night with the usual tenderloin/shrimp combo in the MDR. DW and I had another fun dinner table with a Canadian couple (Vancouver Island) and a couple from Sydney, AU. we have just docked in Otaru where everyone must again have a face to face with Japanese officials. This process will likely take many hours and put many into a foul mood. Japan forces cruise ships to leave their country (cabotage laws) and requires everyone to go through both exit and entrance procedures. The other day many passengers queued up at 6am to get a low number (order for processing). Apparently it was an awful situation for those who wanted a low number. DW and I could care less about Otaru, so avoided all the hassles. Today we will wait until the afternoon (with short queues) and might walk around town for a couple of hours. Hank

If you are already committed to that hotel than you must deal with being out by Haneda. It means you will spend more time using public transit. If you are not committed you might want to rethink and change to a hotel closer to desired parts of Tokyo. With a 3 night stay it would my preference to choose a decent more centrally located Tokyo neighborhood. I tend to look for locations convenient for Dinner places, some nighttime activity, and also convenient to a Metro station or major train station. But I am sure many would disagree with me on this issue. Hank

Another alternative is to take the bus (if memory is right it is the 100). The bus gives you a much nicer view and has more convenient drop locations in MC. Hank

Fabulous pictures. I would love to show them to the Hotel Manager on the Westerdam (if she can be found) where they did nothing except pass around a few snacks in the Rolling Stone Lounge during the normal dance set. Hank

Just a warning that we are on the Westy now, and all the HAL Excursions for Kushiro are sold out. This has been a recurring problem at nearly all the ports. We will know more after our April 26 visit. Hank

Howdy fellow cruise,fans, Today was Busan, Korea, a port necessary to satisfy Japanese cabotage rules and a short port day (everyone aboard by 2:30). The early morning meant a face to face with Korean authorities which was a bit of a mess with the queue extending more than half way through deck 2. But we were cleared and soon on our way to a mediocre excursion that included a Buddhist Temple and a couple of downtown markets. When we returned to the ship we had to deal,with the longest queue we have seen in over 50 years of cruising as the local authorities slowly allows cruisers through their sub standard security. This meant that we again had to clear security onboard. Not HAL’s fault and just the cards we were dealt. We wondered how this ship would celebrate the 150th Anniversary of HAL. As Cruisemom said, they had a couple of items on the MDR dinner menu. There also,was the Orange party, tonight, which was pathetic. The cruise director scheduled a normal comedy/magic show in the theater at 9:30 at the same time as the Orange Party in Rolling Stone. The Orange Party was simply the normal 9:45 set of the band. The Dutch Senior Officers were not to be seen and nothing special happened other than some passengers wearing Orange. Speaking of the Anniversary, we thought there might be some bitterballen or other treats at pre-dinner, but there was nothing other than the awful tiny pretzels at the bar. Apparently HAL does not think that being 150 is special and made that very clear. However, they did have paper napkins in the bar with a 150 year motif. DW and I,enjoyed dinner in Canaletto only to be overcharged by $12.92. When I pointed out the error the manager tried to fix it, but said nobody in Financial Services answered the phone, This is only our 5th or 6th overcharge of the cruise and will be resolved tomorrow. Hank

The sad truth is that the HAL system can and does fail some of us with drink packages. Even though your cruise card will indicate you have the HIA package, overcharges happen ( 6 times to us on our current cruise). The good news is that it is usually easy to get adjusted by bringing it to the attention of guest services. We strongly suggest that all cruisers check their onboard account on a daily basis in order to quickly deal with issues. You can easily access your account by using the Navigator App. Hank

If you truly want to “see” Spain, than consider spending a few weeks in the country with a rental car. Just look at a map and you will understand that much of the country is not on or close to a sea port. Hank

Where to rent a car in Rome? We would be fine with renting near Termini as long as we were immediately driving out of the city. One also needs to be aware of Rome’s restricted ZTL and use a carefully chosen route out of town. The rental car office should be able to show the the proper route. Renting at FCO is certainly much easier (most rental car companies are inside one of the airport parking garages. But it is not as convenient if you are coming from a Rome Hotel. As always, be aware that most rental cars in Italy have a stick shift. If you need or prefer an automatic, be sure to book far in advance and be prepared to pay a premium. Hank

We do take exception to the negative characterization of Paris. Having been to over 130 countries, we still consider Paris among our top 10 places in the world (DW rates it #1). But we are not fans of the one day trek from Le Havre, because of the distance. Having spent months in Paris, we would happily return for additional weeks. The recent unrest in France (not just Paris) is a transient issue and this too shall pass. I still smile at DW’s hairdresser who once said he did not like Paris “because it’s old!” We had dinner, last evening, with a delightful gentleman who said about Paris, “whenever I walk around that city it makes me smile.” With that we agree. Hank

I just talked to a friendly bar tender about your question. He said the liter Pelegríno is $6 but for those with drink packages they are supposed to charge it as two Perrier. So, why is a $6 bottle of water charged as 2 drinks on a package that includes drinks up to $11? “It is company policy.” The other issue would be whether all the bar staff follows this same policy? As to the beverage manager, that is another officer that seems to be on hiding 😋. Two nights ago I went to order a glass of red wine in the MDR and asked about options. The waiter said they only had Cabernet (at that time). The Pinnacle bar still has Cline Zinfandel, but we could not get that in the MDR. We know a few folks who get wine in the Pinnacle bar and carry it to the MDR. Bush league stuff, but it is an option. I want to be clear that DW and I are enjoying the cruise and do not let this kind of stuff ruin our day. That being said, HAL is not making a good case to book any future cruises.

I believe the all day bus pass must be purchased at a counter inside the train station. But since we did not buy the pass, I cannot be 100% certain. The shuttle drops at the Kanazawa Train Station, which is also a major bus station. We simply paid the exact 200 yen fare to the driver. Our SUICA card would have worked, but we only had 170 yen on the cards and did not want to go back into the station to replenish. We do not know the exact location of the location of the local bus. Once a Japanese tourist official showed us the schedule, we lost all interest. Hank

Evening fans ( all 1 or 2). This will be a basic blog about our day in Kanazawa. We docked around 7 and were awakened by the usual HAL announcements. It was a cloudy, cool, quiet Sunday morning and we went to the Lido, about 8, for breakfast. I got eggs, made to order, since most pre made options are not hot. After breakfast, we went to the Crows nest for our usual cappuccino and to relax with some reading. At 9:30, we decided to head off the ship. Inside the cruise terminal,we asked about taking the local bus into town (about $3.00 round trip) but since it was Sunday it only ran once an hour. So we opted for the HAL bargain $25 round trip shuttle to the local station. At the station we took the local Loop Bus ($1.70 or about $4.50 for the entire day) over to the popular Kenrokuen Gardens. Admission to the gardens (one of the best in Japan) was free for we seniors. After spending more than an hour in the gardens (and seeing HAL tour groups that paid hundreds to be at the same place) we walked over to the nearby Castle Park to do some exterior explorations. We have had enough of climbing castle steps so did not go inside. We then walked about 15 minutes to the local Omicho Market (also on some HAL excursions) where we browsed for about a half hour. We then continued walking through the city, browsing some shopping areas, until we returned to the station. All that walking was about 3 1/2 miles. We decided not to spend more time in the city, and caught a shuttle back to the ship. A very enjoyable morning when we duplicated a HAL Excursion that would have cost the two of us $210.00. Our DIY cost was about $58 because we used the HAL shuttle. If we had waited for the local bus our cost would have been about $8. Since we are leaving Japan (to cruise over to Busan, Korea), everyone had to clear Japanese Immigration (required when entering or leaving Japan). This was done in the cruise terminal and took us about 5 min. The Japanese procedures are a pain, but their authorities have, so far, assigned enough folks to expedite the procedures. Tonight, DW and I stopped at the Ocean Bar at, chatted with a few friends and listened to the easy listening trio, and finally headed to the MDR around 7:30. There was actually a queue of 4 folks (the longest line we have had for any dinner) and we were quickly seated at a table of 4 with another American couple. Dinner was enjoyable, and we finally went on our way about 9:30. The show was the same Filipino Violinist that has already performed 3 times on our cruise, so we did not attend. So let me explain about this ship at 9:30. There were 100-150 in the main show. Rolling Stone Lounge was closed tonight. Lincoln Center Stage is always dark because there is no group onboard the ship. The new easy listening trio was in the ocean bar playing to about 20 folks. We went to Billboard to listen to the two piano players/singers (who quit at 10:45). The adjacent casino (at 9:30) had zero clients and about 10 employees. Not even a single slot player. At 10:20, when the violin show let out, about 8 stopped at the casino, and 10-15 joined us in Billboard. At 10:45, all the entertainment was over, We stopped at the late night Gallery Bar where there were exactly 2 patrons, DW’s reaction to this lively ship was, “we are not booking anymore HAL cruises.” I have said this before, everything on this cruise is OK. But we can do much better than OK on some other lines. Perhaps we are being a bit harsh, but there are probably more lively nursing homes than this ship. For us, the saving grace has been the excellent Rolling Stone Lounge Band, but they do get some nights off :(. For long time HAL fans I will toss out a few things. There are no deck parties, no more special brunches in the MDR, no more cooking lessons, no dance classes, no Indonesian crew show, no Filipino crew show,etc. One passenger told, us the highlight was being able to toss beanbags at the indoor pool, No more ice carvings, fruit carving demos, etc. HAL,does go through the motions, but something is missing from the line. The crew knows it, and many passengers also seem to know it. We still see some of the old HAL,with the terrific bar tenders, cabin stewards, and a few others. Perhaps that is enough for some. Hank

Lol on the E &J. Even Gallo won’t use their name on that stuff (hence E&J). DW did bring along some Earl Grey, but her private stash was not sufficient for weeks. The latest shortage is that the $20…12 Ounce lobster tail has now become two 5 ounce lobster tails (but only $15). We continue to have no Perrier and they have now run out of the “ah ha” substitute. Plenty of Pelligrino, but only in large bottles not covered by drink package. Hank

On the Westy now ( for the past 3 weeks) and there has been no Rudi. Cannot say whether that might change in the future. Policies seem to change with the tides. Hank