tamadig2001

We'll be on the Avalon Passion sailing from Budapest to Bucharest on September 26. Keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no water level issues. And thank you notamermaid for keeping us posted. Monica

I stumbled on this thread a couple of days ago and I'm so glad I did. This is truly a wealth of information not only on water levels of the Danube but also on so many aspects of river cruising. I have learned a lot thanks to everyone's input, particularly notamermaid with her regular updates. My husband and I and two other couples will be cruising the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest on the Avalon Passion from September 16 to 26. This will be our fifth river cruise, two of which were on the Rhine and the Danube in the fall and we never had issues with water levels. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that our coming cruise will not be adversely impacted, and I'll be following this thread closely over the next few months. Once again, thank you everyone and keep the info coming! Monica

My friends who are currently on the Westerdam have Chinese congee with salmon almost every day but I think it's in the Lido. But I'm sure it's available in the MDR if you ask for it.

From your description of the shore excursion tomorrow I think they are taking you to Shirakawa-go (literally "white river village") which is just a little over an hour's drive from Kanazawa. Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, the village is famous for its traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. We went there more than ten years ago in March, and we were lucky it snowed that morning. The thatched roofs were covered with snow and it was like a winter wonderland. That was one of the highlights of our trip. Monica

That's good to know and thanks for the information as I'll be on a similar cruise on the Westie in October. On the Diamond Princess in November 2019, the ship's shuttle was free. They took us to somewhere near the Harimaya Bridge which is two or three tram stops to the market and Kochi Castle. I think HAL's shuttle must have stopped there too because it looked like a waiting area and convenient for picking up passengers returning to the ship. Monica

That's one advantage of having a fixed table. You have the same waiters and they know what to get you without your asking. Also, they would go the extra mile hoping to get an extra tip from you. With open dining you get a different waiter every night and they know they wouldn't get much extra. Perhaps the more experienced waiting staff are assigned to fixed seating? Monica

On our past cruises they always had a big jar of PG Tips at the coffee and tea stands on the Lido Deck. We loved its rich and refreshing flavour and prefer it to other English teas. Don't tell me it's no longer available. Monica

Sorry, I really didn't know my font was hard to read on a cell phone as I use my computer to send messages most of the time. So here it is again in the default font. Hope you'll find it easier to read. Hank, I wasn't aware of your travelogue until JohnCA posted about it in the April 10 - May 7 roll call. It has made for interesting reading and provided great insight into what cruising with HAL is like these days. We are 4-Star Mariners and have been loyal to HAL all this time but could not help but notice the cutbacks that have been happening in recent years. What keeps us coming back is the wonderful staff and the attractive itineraries. I will withhold my judgment until our next cruise this October, which is also a Yokohama round trip. I am with you 100% about the freedom and flexibility of independent travel, not to mention the dollars saved. In fact, I believe that having to do prior research would give you a better understanding of the places you travel to. So kudos to you Hank, and keep the commentaries coming. You have found a fan in me! Monica

Hank, I wasn't aware of your travelogue until JohnCA posted about it in the April 10 - May 7 roll call. It has made for interesting reading and provided great insight into what cruising with HAL is like these days. We are 4-Star Mariners and have been loyal to HAL all this time but could not help but notice the cutbacks that have been happening in recent years. What keeps us coming back is the wonderful staff and the attractive itineraries. I will withhold my judgment until our next cruise this October, which is also a Yokohama round trip. I am with you 100% about the freedom and flexibility of independent travel, not to mention the dollars saved. In fact, I believe that having to do prior research would give you a better understanding of the places you travel to. So kudos to you Hank, and keep the commentaries coming. You have found a fan in me! Monica