drron29

Well we are low maintenance but still chat with our butlers and room attendants. most have been wonderful and a few have gone above and beyond. What really pleased us was the last cruise on the Muse. We could hear the TV from next door and it was quite lound. Our butler went next door and they had it on very loud so it was turned down. It made little difference. Maintenance came up and couldn't fix it. So the next day whilst everyone else was out on excursions our butler and room attendant went next door and had a very good look at their TV. Turned out that someone had taken the sound bar down and then put it back the wrong way round. Could only hear the very slightest noise if you concentrated on that after they fixed the problem. So butlers are very useful even if you don't think so. They are also able to progress. Our very first SS butler became an HD on SS and now has a senior management position at Viking.

That night the family went off to a Fire ramen restaurant. very small and you have to queue for some time. As it was freezing we decided on a nearby Yakitori restauran but it was closed so went to a cheap Izakaya across the road, Very basic. Order and pay by machine and hand your ticket to the cook. No English so Google translate saves the day. We shared some gyoza and chicken Karaage and I had a bowl of spicy Udon. The next morning i walked around the small hotel gardens. Surprising how much autumn colour there still was. And the small post office across the road from the hotel. We then caught the shuttle to the station and walked around the mall. I left Rojaan there and I went off to the third place I wanted to visit. That shinkansen is the first one to enter service way back in 1964.

Now the scenes everyone comes here to see. Very hard with the crowds to get a shot with no one in sight. And this is the point where I turned around and the family continued to climb the hill. But going down there were far less people. All the Instagrammers need to be on the summit for sunset. And this is where the Up and down tracks meet. apparently too late to get to the summit. Waited for the family and we strolled down the street which had many food offerings. First I had Takoyaki. Then Taiyaki but not the advertised variety but one filled with custard. Going down we caught the sunset. And finally back to the train station.

n the late afternoon I went with the family to Fushima Inari. The only major shrine in Kyoto I hadn't visited as Mrsdrron doesn't climb hills. Not far by train and the Tori gates start on the platform. Then you cross a river. And 2 train lines. Then start to walk up hill. Lots of temples. And finally to the rows of Tori gates.

The last of the gardens. Still some autumn colours but the winter camelias starting to flower.

The walk around the Gardens continues. So I climbed the base of the Keep. good vantage point.

We have been to Kyoto on several occasions and have seen most of the popular sites. I planned on visiting 3 places. The first was just across the road - the castle. The family went off. They had a full program whereas we could just take our time. It is though 1300 yen to enter with no senior discount. Through this gate is the real star of the place. The Palace. Shoes off and no photography inside. It is Magnificent. A place of history. Built by the first Shogun in 1603. Added to by the third Shogun. But in 1867 the fifteenth Shogun handed back power to the Emperor in this palace thus preventing a terrible civil war. Now off we go around the gardens surrounding the Palace. And another demonstration how particular they are in looking after nature.

And what better way to redeem myself than food pictures. First is the breakfast buffet at the hotel. When you first walk around it doesn't look much. lots of small plates like this with the bacon offering. But the bacon never ran out. they were constantly replenishing every thing. The thing I enjoyed most was the fruit selection. We both really love persimmons especially the Japanese varirty. I can't think of any other place where they were an option. So a bowl of persimmon and blueberries started each breakfast. I liked the chicken and pork dumplings. I also loved the marinated seafood and the marinated smoked salmon. Regular salmon was nice. But I didn't go for the peach buns. After my fruit I would have a cold plate then a hot plate. They changed from day to day.

I'm very sorry. I am a naughty little boy and have given myself a couple of slaps. So tonight no blue humour but back to images of Japan.

But the Moon took 30 days to sail from Athens to Mumbai. The ship is to leave Singapore on May 5th and it's first cruise in the Mediterranean is from Athens on June 6th just 32 days apart. Now they could cancel the first 2 Med cruises instead of the Singapore - Mumbai cruise. The problem is those 2 cruises although less days are both selling for more than the Singapore Mumbai cruise. Beab counters being what they are I think I know the cruise that would be cancelled.

I would definitely hold off booking flights out of Mumbai in May. The next voyage is Mumbai to Athens through the Red Sea. Doubt if it will be that much safer in 3 months time. The Whisper's Singapore to Mumbai cruise in March has already been cancelled.

It is very likely that lobster was loaded in New Zealand. An eastern rock lobster. https://australian.museum/learn/animals/crustaceans/eastern-rock-lobster/

When was the Spirit last in New Zealand?

I still am getting the flights I want on airlines I like by booking as soon as they are released. We always plan well ahead and I also am not prepared to gamble on later dumps of award seats.

But yours is not the only post on missed ports. So I was just pointing out some of the significant changes SS is making to scheduled ports.

Well we always book our flights 11-12 months out. We like to use our points so booking early is still the better way to ensure you get what you want. But Turkish are doing a lot of promotions now so likely SS could get a very good deal.

But Silversea does cancel ports after you have booked and well in advance of sailing. We had our Back to back Singapore-Doha-Athens May 25 cruise get a 6 day gap between sailing in and out of Doha. They expected us to pay for the 6 nights in Doha as well as the inconvenience of packing then unpacking again on the ship. They won't say why but I think it likely to be a 6 day Middle eastern charter. So we cancelled our Doha-athens voyage and instead added a Capetown-Capetown cruise to our 26 Mahe-Capetown cruise as we wanted to see a little more of Eastern Africa. However about 2 weeks after booking the cruises suddenly became waitlisted. Now back on but now it has become a west African cruise which we have already done. In late November after our last Muse cruise we were rusted on SS passengers. now I am thinking it's time to look elsewhere.

Should have booked the Benoa to Yokahama on the Muse on 18/3. You could definitely have joined a winning trivia team.

We have only had Barcelona o changeover days so no shuttle. if booking a private tour they can pick you up at the cruise terminal so no need for a shuttle.