drron29

The crew might all be starting new contracts but for most it is unlikely to be their first contract therefore not inexperienced crew.

Though for this Muse cruise the Maitre'D of Atlantide said you have to ask the restaurant manager the first time we asked. The change came from higher up. As well although the Maitre'D in Indochine kept a table for us he did say it wasn't a reservation. I was told by both the HD and restaurant manager that as Atlantide and Indochine were listed as no reservation required tables could not be reserved. I replied that not required doesn't mean can't be done. They didn't agree saying that if someone turned up and requested the table we may have reserved before we arrived they would have to seat them there. Absolute rubbish.

The last of Hirosaki Castle. The sakura festival had started and there were quite a few food stalls on the way out. Then we walked back down the road to the museum and our bus. Before I got back on the bus I bought myself an extra spice curry bun. Delicious.

Great views of Mt.Iwate from the castle. Locally it is known as Fuji san Iwate.

Then we walked to Hirosaki Castle. We passed through a little shopping precinct. Some interesting food places. We came to Hirosaki Castle in 2016 but 2 weeks later at the end of April and it was peak Sakura time and still the best display we have seen. So I was not expecting much this time but it was a little more advanced than I thought it might be. Hirosaki is one of the 12 Japanese castles that remain from before the Mieji Restoration.

I’m not going to like your post because I am very jealous.

It’s certainly a problem on the Muse at present but wasn’t on our cruise on her last October. Both the Restaurant Manager and the Maitre’D last month insisted that Atlantide and Indochine are no booking restaurants so you can’t book for 8 which is the maximum table size in Atlantide. The Maitre’D in Indochine however if you told him the night before would say we will keep an area aside for you although he would say it is not a booking. We always got a table for 8 not the big table. In October if you asked the Restaurant Manager by about 4 pm you would get one of the tables for 8 in Atlantide. Though you couldn’t do that on formal nights as those tables were used for hosted tables. So it seems to be a particular manager problem. So mention it in the mid cruise and final surveys as I did. I also complained to the HD with no result other than no invitation to a hosted table for the first time ever.

After going through the museum shop there were a few craftsmen doing their thing. Then it was out into their garden.

Volunteers try their hand at Taiko. not too bad. I have to admit to being very naughty at this point. there were 2 annoying women. one in front of me in the performances holding her phone above her head videoing the whole performance and another young woman who all through the cruise would walk in front of others taking photos. I photobombed both more than once. The young one complained and I politely told her I could do it another 33 times to catch up to the number of times she had done it to me.

A different kind of welcome. Then I set off on an excursion to Hirosaki Castle Town. Snow still on the ground. First we went to Neputa Mara for a view of the Neputa Annual festival. Our guide and translator.

The next morning we are steaming in to Aomori.

Back to Atlantide. Rojaan had the seared scallops. And I had the Carpaccio and then the seafood chowder. Rojaan then had the lamb cutlets and I the Stroganoff. Then she finished off with the crumble.

Back to the ship and our sail away. The Namahage join in. And we sail away from another wonderful Japanese farewell. More visual pollution.

They had a store there with a lot of local products. I bought these 2. The first was a tomato snack. A bit too much sugar. The second pickled smoked Daikon said to be a local favourite. I liked it but a pungent odour and I had to keep it on our balcony. And from the bus back to the ship.

But on the way to the lookout the road was closed as the fire brigade was doing a burn off. The bus stopped just as my window was level with a clump of wild daffodils. Never fear there was another road going up to the lookout. A few shots from the bus as we go up. Good all round views but not spectacular and too many environmental eyesores. The burn off site.

Then a whole room of the different Namahage styles. So just a couple of shots before we head off to the Mt. Kanpu Revolving lookout.

And this fellow is the last one on the Peninsula who makes the namahage masks. A couple of women were trying to find out how long it took him to make a mask. They weren't having any success so Ron and Google translate came to the rescue. It takes him a month to make one mask. Unfortunately the women now regarded me as the translator for the rest of the excursion. A display of some other masks from around the world.

Then meeting the arranger of the Namahage visit. The Namahage enter. And are given food and sake. Now I managed to make eye contact with the one in black. I nodded and smiled appropriately - easy as I smiled when the Japanese guests laughed. He looked straight at me a lot. They are now reading from the Children's naughty book. The Namahage now stomped around the house looking for the Children. A Japanese couple had bought their toddler who was screaming in fear. The parents were laughing. Any way my ruse worked. At the end of the performance the black Namahage came over and patted me on the back. He only did this with one other fellow who was Japanese. So now off to the Museum.

We then reached the Namahage Cultural Centre. We were then taken in to a replica of a namahage home. A play was put on telling the story of the Namahage visiting on New Years Eve. All in Japanese of course but they gave us some outlines. reading the first part I wasn't sure if I should take any photos. Now we had to sit on the floor with your legs underneath. mine don't do that any more so I made sure I was in the front row with my legs outstretched. Then the Narrator came out. Next was the head of the house telling of the family.

A lot of the tour was about the Namahage. Ogres that come out at New Year to make sure children and new wives are being good. The first stop was seeing the "big" Namahages. We stayed too long so I looked around their little general store which was also a coffee shop. Winter is very cold with lots of snow so crafts are obviously popular. In the store lots of Namahage souvenirs. Next to the store a grove of camellias plus one of the numerous solar arrays. The road ran beside the sea for some time. We gradually started climbing into the mountains.

Saturday and we arrive in Akita. A nice welcome. They had organised a market inside the terminal. It had rained heavily the day before and there was still an occasional shower. Fortunately when on the excursion they occurred only when we were on the bus. I went on the Exploring the Oga Peninsula tour. The cherry blossoms appearance was the sign to prepare rice fields. Obviously ploughing had begun but the rain then made a mess. And even out into the country large box stores.

All cruise lines lost staff over the COVID pandemic. SS had the added problem of 4 new ships to staff. Moon, Dawn, Nova and Endevour . Silver Origin also joined the fleet in 2020 but was replacing a similar sized ship. The plans for the new builds were made well before Covid. So SS is sure to have quite a few more experienced staff but there will have to be some new recruits as well. The new crew we have talked to haven’t usually come from other cruise lines but most come from a hospitality background and usually from higher end hotels so service shouldn’t be alien to them. One of the new hires that we met on the Muse was so good that after 3 months into his first contract he was promoted to a senior waiter in La Dame. And we heard that he is back for his second contract and has a further promotion. The Ray will have a senior Captain as well. It will be Captain Zanello who has been the first Captain of the Muse, Moon and Nova.

And having stayed 4 nights in Kawaguchiko last month and driving past that Lawsons a few times and going into it once I fully agree with what the locals propose to do. There are way too many feral tourists there.