En Route with Hank in Japan and the Westerdam

[cruisemom42]

Coming to you live from Pinnacle Grill. As I’ve said before, PG is far from my favorite specialty restaurant. Tonight was a freebie with the HIA package.

 

Perhaps with low expectations (and contrasted with the now very hit or miss MDR experience) I have to say it was a nice if not inspired meal. The high points were the good service - attentive enough but not intrusive - the bread ( more on that later) and the steak itself. 
 

I played nice and only ordered one app: the crab cakes. As Hank already mentioned from another meal, each one was small but there were at least two of them and they were tasty with obvious crab. The filet mignon was a perfect medium ( as ordered), butter soft and tasty. The baked potato was disappointing, with a strange oily and slightly fibrous consistency. Soufflé for dessert was as expected not as good as at Celebrity’s top specialty restaurant, Murano.

 

Why mention the bread? It was good, very good. In fact the restaurant smelled of fresh baked bread when I entered. The bread in the MDR has been pretty abysmal. Tonight reminded me that what was feared when specialty dining was first introduced has actually been fully realized. Bread like this — meals like this — used to be dependably offered in the regular dining room. Not any longer….

 

 

 

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, cruisemom42 said:

Coming to you live from Pinnacle Grill. As I’ve said before, PG is far from my favorite specialty restaurant. Tonight was a freebie with the HIA package.

 

Perhaps with low expectations (and contrasted with the now very hit or miss MDR experience) I have to say it was a nice if not inspired meal. The high points were the good service - attentive enough but not intrusive - the bread ( more on that later) and the steak itself. 
 

I played nice and only ordered one app: the crab cakes. As Hank already mentioned from another meal, each one was small but there were at least two of them and they were tasty with obvious crab. The filet mignon was a perfect medium ( as ordered), butter soft and tasty. The baked potato was disappointing, with a strange oily and slightly fibrous consistency. Soufflé for dessert was as expected not as good as at Celebrity’s top specialty restaurant, Murano.

 

Why mention the bread? It was good, very good. In fact the restaurant smelled of fresh baked bread when I entered. The bread in the MDR has been pretty abysmal. Tonight reminded me that what was feared when specialty dining was first introduced has actually been fully realized. Bread like this — meals like this — used to be dependably offered in the regular dining room. Not any longer….

 

 

 

I remember earlier in this thread, Hank gave you his cabin number. Do you intend to meet him, maybe even share a meal? Easy enough to give a phone call when one has a room number.

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

I remember earlier in this thread, Hank gave you his cabin number. Do you intend to meet him, maybe even share a meal? Easy enough to give a phone call when one has a room number.

Patience, grasshopper. I have been a little under the weather the last couple of days. I seem to have developed a sinus infection that, coupled with the long flight has led to significant tooth pain and tiredness. Today I saw the onboard doc for some meds, since Japan does not allow me to bring either of my normal two sinus remedies into the country!! I hope to be back to normal soon.

[Hlitner]

We look forward to meeting Cruisemom and hope she is on the road to a rapid recovery,  Sinus infections truly suck.  Tonight, we were in the Rolling Stone Lounge  (the only live music on the ship after dinner) and saw a lady with shoes off, dancing around on the floor to the decent music.  I wondered, "is that Cruisemom?"  LOL.  

 

I want to be clear to the HAL fans (and perhaps others who are thinking about HAL).  We came on this cruise with lowered expectations, and so far, have been quite happy.  Yes, the entertainment (or lack thereof) leaves much to be desired, and the food could certainly be better, but in so many ways it still feels like the HAL we have enjoyed many times in the past.  The "vibe" onboard is good, the crew we have encountered is excellent, and we are really enjoying our fellow passengers.  There are certainly negative aspects (such as the constant overcharges), but like most experienced cruisers you learn to focus on the positive and not let the negative stuff ruin your day.  

 

By the way, our dinner experience continues down the path we mentioned in an earlier post.  DW and I normally had to the MDR around 7:30 and head to the open dining "no reservations" counter.  We have always told them we like to share large tables.   In the 5 nights we have been on the ship we have never waited more than 2-3 minutes to be seated and every table has been fun.  And, as expected, all of our tablemates have been from England or Australia except for one single American.  Why?  The consensus at our tables is that most Americans eat much earlier than 7:30.  

 

As to those who love Fixed Dining I will tell tonight's tale.  We went to dinner at 7:30, met another couple (from the UK) who we had dined with earlier in the cruise, and decided to join them and request to share a large table.  We were taken upstairs (Fixed Dining tables) to a table of 10 that had one younger Canadian couple,  They were happy to get tablemates and told us their tale of woe.  They had booked Fixed Dining at a large table because they like getting to know their waiter and tablemates.  None of their 8 tablemates bother to dine in the MDR so they have been alone for several nights.  Their waiter (who they liked) was moved (yesterday) to the Pinnacle. So now they have lost even that aspect.  DW and I told them we had a similar experience on RCI (over 15 years ago) which was the last time we ever booked Fixed Dining on any ship.  The next table (also a large table) only had one couple and 8 empty seats.  HAL is one of the last cruise lines to still embrace Fixed Dining, but I do think it is a risky proposition for those who want to share larger tables unless they are dining with a group of friends.

 

Hank

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ontheweb]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Patience, grasshopper. I have been a little under the weather the last couple of days. I seem to have developed a sinus infection that, coupled with the long flight has led to significant tooth pain and tiredness. Today I saw the onboard doc for some meds, since Japan does not allow me to bring either of my normal two sinus remedies into the country!! I hope to be back to normal soon.

I shall try to get my aging body into a lotus position and wait patiently.

 

I hope you get better soon. 🤞

 

And remember, the best way to have dinner with Hank and Mrs. Hank is to pretend to be British or Australian. So work on you accent. 🤣

[floridatravelersforlife]

6 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Patience, grasshopper. I have been a little under the weather the last couple of days. I seem to have developed a sinus infection that, coupled with the long flight has led to significant tooth pain and tiredness. Today I saw the onboard doc for some meds, since Japan does not allow me to bring either of my normal two sinus remedies into the country!! I hope to be back to normal soon.

Your comment on sinus remedies concerns me.  May I be bold to ask what meds were banned.  Considering the Cherry Blossoms are a nightmare for allergy sufferers, this is an issue.  When we were in Reykjavík, last year, I tried to buy pseudonephrine from behind the counter, as I do regularly from Walgreens.  No luck, its banned in Iceland

 

 

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[LAFFNVEGAS]

24 minutes ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

Your comment on sinus remedies concerns me.  May I be bold to ask what meds were banned.  Considering the Cherry Blossoms are a nightmare for allergy sufferers, this is an issue.  When we were in Reykjavík, last year, I tried to buy pseudonephrine from behind the counter, as I do regularly from Walgreens.  No luck, its banned in Iceland

 

 

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I do not have the list of banned prescription but I can tell you that pre covid when we traveled my husband would have his list of prescription with him plus we had some over the counter meds such as Pepto Bismo, Allergy Relief Diphenhydramine, and Mucinex tablets. We had these in clear plastic bags. Both times they looked at the bag, not super close but appeared to read each item and placed them back in our bags. These items we carry with us on each cruise. We were prepared to have them taken away but did not. The one item we brought the 2nd time I wished I had the first time was Vicks Vapor rub they do not sell that in Japan and is suppose to be a no no as well that was also in our big plastic bag and nothing was said in September 2018. Don't know if we just got lucky or not. Our first cruise on October 2017 on the Diamond Princess I came down with a very bad cough and in the Diamond Princess Gift shop they sold Mucinex which was the first time I had tried it and it worked great.    

[MomentsNotice]

 

To anyone on the Westerdam:

Thanks for the reports.    I will be on Cunard Queen Elizabeth mid April circumventing Japan. I have a  question if you don’t mind as procedures may be the same…. Plus a favor and a comment.

 

1) Japanese passport interviews before returning to a Japanese port—we have a sea day between Busan and our Japanese port (Kanazawa). Did you have any sea days between and if so did they have the Japanese interviews onboard on the sea day or was your interview at the actual Japanese port?. I have been on several ships where they fly the  interviewers to the non-Japanese port and conduct the interview on the sea day to save everyone time in Japan. QM used to do the same on their crossings. 

 

2) My primary enticement to book a HAL cruise is Lincoln Center classical music. I was on Oosterdam last fall and there was a rumor circulating that Lincoln Center Stage is going to be discontinued this summer and replaced with a few classical concerts on the main stage rather than 2-3 daily concerts   in the intimate Lincoln Center Stage room. If you can find out any details on the validity of that rumor I would be most grateful. If the rumor is indeed true, I need to find a new cruise line as the classical music is the primary reason I sail on HAL. 

 

3) Lastly Hank, I for one loved the pre-made sandwiches in the Lido. It allows one to easily take lunch to the pool or back to cabin to eat on balcony without standing on a line. On the Oosterdam in November they had also discontinue the grab and go and the pre-mades did not have a sign defining the type of sandwich nor the ingredients. And there was no staff member stationed there to answer questions.  Not great. I don’t think in my 2+week cruise I saw one person take a sandwich. And the grab and go sandwiches were much more interesting: brie and pear was my favorite. 

 

Thanks in advance for any feedback. 

 

 

[Hlitner]

I can only answer your Japan interview question vis-a-vis what is being done on the Westerdam.  The Japanese authorities are doing all their interviews (entrance and exit) at the Japanese ports.  The Taiwanese officals, on the other hand, did come aboard, yesterday, while we were still in Japan (Ishigaki) so they could work on clearing the ship before we dock (this morning).

 

The pre-made sandwiches still exist here, but they are on platters in the Lido and no longer is paper bags.  No problem grabbing one (or more) and taking them out to the pool area.  But instead of carrying a bag, you now would put them on a plate :).   DW and I have both enjoyed several of the sandwiches, although my own preference would be to stuff them with more stuff (which I have done by adding meat from the cold-cut area.

 

Cruisemom mentioned that she enjoyed the Lincoln Center Stage group, and they were a dinner topic (last night) at our table.  Everyone we have met, who has heard the current group, thinks they are excellent (especially the violin), It is a darn shame they are leaving the vessel after this segment.  I keep thinking that HAL needs to rethink their entertainment staffing.  This ship desperately needs another pianist (perhaps a piano bar/singer) who would work in the Ocean Bar (there is an unused piano) and provide some pre/post dinner music for the bar and atrium.

 

Hank

[MomentsNotice]

Thanks. 

On previous ships including Oosterdam May 2022, there was a lovely pianist before dinner in the Ocean Bar. I was back on the Oosterdam November 2022 and she was gone, replaced by a loud trio before dinner in the Ocean Bar. 

 

Yes almost always the Lincoln Center groups are exceptionally talented. Often I have followed them on Facebook so I can see their careers advance. I would think that when your current group leaves (they usually have 6-9 month contracts) they will be replaced by a new group. Particularly for the crossing to Seattle where there are so many sea days. I would be interested to hear if this is the case for you as I am trying to get a handle on the future of Lincoln Center on HAL. It generates no income for the ship and the area is only used for concerts so it is mostly dead space.  And again, if you are able to find out if there will be a permanent change to the HAL  Lincoln Center setup, I would be immensely grateful. Corporate will tell me nothing. 

[GeezerCouple]

3 hours ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

Your comment on sinus remedies concerns me.  May I be bold to ask what meds were banned.  Considering the Cherry Blossoms are a nightmare for allergy sufferers, this is an issue.  When we were in Reykjavík, last year, I tried to buy pseudonephrine from behind the counter, as I do regularly from Walgreens.  No luck, its banned in Iceland

 

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The *original* formulation of Sudafed is prohibited in Japan.  That's the one that is probably only available "behind the counter".  That's in our state, anyway.

 

The "new" Sudafed doesn't have the "objectionable" ingredient, and is allowed.  That's probably the one that is on the shelf along with other cold/allergy meds.

 

GC

[slidergirl]

cynthia - if you need more than what the ship doc gave you, let me know.  I'll ask my friend who is stationed on Okinawa what OTC to get.  

[Mary229]

10 hours ago, Hlitner said:

couple,  They were happy to get tablemates and told us their tale of woe.  They had booked Fixed Dining at a large table because they like getting to know their waiter and tablemates

This is a new, unfortunate and rude trend.   People are reserving fixed dining just so they have a table at their beck and call.  It exacerbates service problems in the MDR as staff needs to be assigned to those tables for these constant no shows.  They could at least have the courtesy to notify the waitstaff of the impending absences.    Sorry, folks, that is simply rude.   Don’t reserve tables you aren’t going to use, don’t hold up your dining partners nor waste the staff’s time.

[Florida_gal_50]

1 minute ago, Mary229 said:

This is a new, unfortunate and rude trend.   People are reserving fixed dining just so they have a table at their beck and call.  It exacerbates service problems in the MDR as staff needs to be assigned to those tables for these constant no shows.  They could at least have the courtesy to notify the waitstaff of the impending absences.    Sorry, folks, that is simply rude.   Don’t reserve tables you aren’t going to use, don’t hold up your dining partners nor waste the staff’s time.

I agree.  This is even worse for early dining because that one is really sought after.  I rarely go to the dining room so I always pick open.

[stairMaster]

On 3/28/2023 at 6:45 PM, sunviking90 said:

Generally I would agree with you and having managed a business, I would be the first to realize how damaging accusations can be. Having said that, this is not a one off or an occasional thing, but a regular occurrence on HAL ships. I have not booked another HAL cruise since my last extremely unpleasant experience trying to prove post cruise that I didn’t drink anything from my minibar. I don’t think this is “intentional” and I don’t blame the front line crew at all, but regular overcharges like this certainly show a lack of will on the part of HAL to train properly, or to put procedures in place to prevent this. They don’t seem to think it’s a priority.

The other concern would be are the crew members getting in trouble when overcharges and errors are reported. I hope not. Why do these corrections always have to go through the beverage department and can’t be handled immediately?

Agreed, HAL needs to handle overcharges in a better manner otherwise they will undoubtedly lose more good clientele like yourself, sunviking90.

A rough calculation, assuming 1000 cruisers have a drink package of 15 drinks per day that equals 15,000 drinks served on any given day. If the bar staff get 99% of the orders correct that still results 150 overcharges and a lot of irate customers.

Most of us would agree that anything over 90% success rate in any job is outstanding service. We seem to hold HAL to higher standards.

Perhaps HAL's policy should be to just accept the x% error rate rather than having to dispute the overcharges.

On another another note, the cruise staff are working months on end without any days off. I was on a 39 day Trans Pacific cruise and we had the same wait staff and cabin stewards, etc. for all 39 days. I will be error prone if I were working 7 days straight let alone a whole month.

 

[cruisemom42]

16 hours ago, floridatravelersforlife said:

Your comment on sinus remedies concerns me.  May I be bold to ask what meds were banned.  Considering the Cherry Blossoms are a nightmare for allergy sufferers, this is an issue.  When we were in Reykjavík, last year, I tried to buy pseudonephrine from behind the counter, as I do regularly from Walgreens.  No luck, its banned in Iceland

 

 

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Someone on our roll call posted a list of all OTC products that are not allowed. I do t remember them all but nothing with pseudoephedrine is allowed for sure. (I depend on the original Sudafed for sinus issues). No NyQuil, DayQuil or Tylenol Cold or Advil Cold (and generic equivalents of these as well). I strongly suggest finding the link and reviewing it carefully before traveling to Japan. 

[Florida_gal_50]

30 minutes ago, cruisemom42 said:

Someone on our roll call posted a list of all OTC products that are not allowed. I do t remember them all but nothing with pseudoephedrine is allowed for sure. (I depend on the original Sudafed for sinus issues). No NyQuil, DayQuil or Tylenol Cold or Advil Cold (and generic equivalents of these as well). I strongly suggest finding the link and reviewing it carefully before traveling to Japan. 

This is eye opening.  I’m sure I’ve heard it before but I’d forgotten.  It’s a good reminder so thank you.

[Darlirious]

I had saved this for my Mom’s cruise - she’s on the Westerdam right now. 

[ghstudio]

Arriving/departing Japan/Korea last month, no one cared or even bothered to look at any of our bags. I guess some day I'll regret not strictly following the rules and taking each medicine in it's own bottle, etc....but to date with millions of miles in the air and 25+ cruises around the world, I've never been checked or questioned.  

[GeezerCouple]

6 hours ago, Darlirious said:

I had saved this for my Mom’s cruise - she’s on the Westerdam right now. 

 

It's VERY important to check the actual ingredients.  Cruisemom42 has provided some important information.  "Sudafed" has two formulations (with a couple of extra letters for one of them, I think).  It is "pseudoephedrine" that is prohibited, and only one form of Sudafed contains that:  The original formulation.  That's why they created the "new" version, so it didn't have the problemmatic ingredient.  That caused difficulties here in the USA, too.  The "old version" is now (usually? always?) sold from "behind the counter", even though at this time, I don't think any prescriptions are needed.  The newer version, without pseudoephedrine, is usually right on the shelves next to the other cold/allergy meds.

 

I don't think Lomotil is prohibited in Japan, or it wasn't a few years ago.

We emailed them *every* med, Rx or not, that we'd be traveling with, and they told us what we could bring, what had limitations on quantities, and what were prohibited.  Only the original formulation of Sudafed was completely prohibited.  They knew we were arriving with Lomotil, and no one questioned us at any time, including upon entry, when we were handing over our advance med permission forms.

 

They were very easy to deal with in advance by email.

 

Note:  It is possible that the requirements/restrictions have changed since we were there, perhaps 5 years ago (pre-Covid).

GC

[cruisemom42]

Shuttle info:

 

I’m tossing some old dailies but before I do I wanted to share shuttle info, as it’s not usually available except on board.

 

In Ishigaki, there was a port shuttle (free but limited) to the Ishigaki Ferry Terminal which is walkable to some attractions. Ride is about 20 mins each way. 

 

In Hualien (Taiwan), complimentary shuttle service was offered from the ship to the Hotel Les Champ Hualien, in the city, about a 10-minute ride.

Some other places have a for-pay shuttle through HAL. I’ll list those ports and details later.

 

[cruisemom42]

One more thing about Hualien — Taiwan only accepts Taiwanese dollars and many places don’t take credit cards. There is a cash exchange point at the port building if you just need some pocket change (especially if you have more than one day in Taiwan). Or in town there are many 7-11 convenience stores - almost all of these have ATM machines that work with out of country cards - if you want a larger amount of cash.

[Hlitner]

On 4/1/2023 at 11:55 AM, stairMaster said:

Agreed, HAL needs to handle overcharges in a better manner otherwise they will undoubtedly lose more good clientele like yourself, sunviking90.

A rough calculation, assuming 1000 cruisers have a drink package of 15 drinks per day that equals 15,000 drinks served on any given day. If the bar staff get 99% of the orders correct that still results 150 overcharges and a lot of irate customers.

Most of us would agree that anything over 90% success rate in any job is outstanding service. We seem to hold HAL to higher standards.

Perhaps HAL's policy should be to just accept the x% error rate rather than having to dispute the overcharges.

On another another note, the cruise staff are working months on end without any days off. I was on a 39 day Trans Pacific cruise and we had the same wait staff and cabin stewards, etc. for all 39 days. I will be error prone if I were working 7 days straight let alone a whole month.

 

For the past two days, we have been in Taiwan (see Cruisemom's comments above).  In Hualien, we took a small group private tour (arranged on the CC Roll Call) which turned out to be an excellent choice, Our entire all day (about 8 hours) tour was designed around the areas famous Taroko Gorge.  This might be loosely thought of as the Grand Canyon of Taiwan although much of it would be categorized a "slot canyon" in parts of our West.  Our group was originally supposed to be 17 people split between two vans, but it turned out to be 15 people on a luxurious tour bus that could hole about 50.  Our tour guide (and she was excellent) decided to rent a bus (good move) and we all appreciated the comfort.  The tour involved several aspects of the expansive gorge area and included 3 hikes (two of them quite long) with some of it happening in rain :).  It was a hoot, we got an amazing view of the most famous spots of the gorge, and managed close to 10 miles of walking.  Nobody on the bus complained about the long walks (often in the rain), everyone was on time,  and it was a good group.  Our tour also included an OK lunch at the Taroko Gorge Hotel (staffed and operated by the local Taroko tribe).  That long tour cost us about $65 per person (which included the lunch) which is far less expensive than anything offered by HAL.

 

Today we docked in Keelung, which is the most common port for cruise ships that visit Taiwan.  It also happens to be the most convenient port to visit the city of Taipai.  Since it was Sunday and a National Holiday, I did not expect much to be open, but decided to take DW to Taipai for her first visit (I have previously been there twice).  We walked from the ship to the local train station (less than a 10 min stroll) and took the frequent local train (runs about every 30 minutes) into Taiwan (a 42 minute ride.  The train/subway cars were immaculate and you can set your watch to the punctual schedule.  Once in Taipai we walked over to the Chaing Kai Shek Memorial Hall (visited by just about every tour to Taipai) and enjoyed the Hall and expansive grounds.  We than took another long walk to the Wanhua neighborhood (one of the older areas of the city) where we found quite a few markets and shops open on the holiday.  Our walk continued to the very popular Longshan Temple (also open on Sundays) which is one of the nicest Buddhist Temples in Taipai and the country.   From there it was about a 1 1/2 miles stroll back to the train station.  We had hoped to find a nice restaurant for lunch (preferably Dim Sum) but failed due to so many closures.   We simply took a return train/subway back to Keelung and the ship.  Total cost of this day (which included 6 miles of walking) was less than $6 (total for the two of us) for the two train tickets!    

 

When we got back to the Keelung terminal, I still had a 1000 Taiwanese Dollar note (worth about $33) and was able to covert it back to US Dollars in the terminal.  For us it was two terrific days (except for the rain on Saturday).  We now are ready to enjoy a relaxing sea day and rest our weary legs/feet :).  Regarding the trains on Taiwan, going from Keelung to Taipai is very easy and cheap.  The train ticket machines have an English option and except credit cards.  Taipai is a good DIY city for those that do some homework.  Although DW and I did a lot of walking (our choice) one could easily plan a day using public transportation (mostly buses) in and around Taipai.

 

I have decided to routinely talk about cost (on this blog) since we assume that many cruisers coming to this part of the world are on a budget and enjoy DIY stuff.  For those that prefer tours, we think that in nearly all cases, a smaller group private tour is the way to go (in terms of both cost and not being part of a large group).  We do have a few HAL Excursions on the voyage, but we would likely have done none except for the fact we bought the HIA package which includes an excursion credit of $300 per person on our first 28 day booking and $200 per person on the following 14 day cruise that takes us to Northern Japan, over to Alaska and finally gets us to Seattle.

 

As to the Westerdam, we are mostly pleased with the cruise (so far).  However, we did meet a younger couple (4* Mariners) that are quite angry/disappointed and told us they will never again cruise on HAL.  Much of their complaint revolves around one having a major dietary issue (Dairy) and getting near zero cooperation from the staff....despite repeated pleas to help her avoid anything with dairy.  They told us this had never been an issue on previous HAL cruises and they thought it reflected what they thought was a major degradation in "everything HAL."

 

One final comment about the Westerdam.  I truly hate what they have done to our beloved "Crow's Nest" and would love to keelhaul whoever made that decision :(.  This is an old topic, but I cannot resist!  If anyone in Seattle reads this blog, please consider turning the Crows Nest back into a decent bar and throwing those two large monitor screens (which impede the view) overboard!

 

Hank

 

 

[xCaGrapeGrower]

5 hours ago, Hlitner said:

For the past two days, we have been in Taiwan (see Cruisemom's comments above).  In Hualien, we took a small group private tour (arranged on the CC Roll Call) which turned out to be an excellent choice

 

What was the name of the tour operator? Thank you.

 

[Hlitner]

45 minutes ago, xCaGrapeGrower said:

 

Give me a couple of days to find out and I will message the person that put it all together.

 

Hank