rkacruiser

Thanks! That's funny. At least there is a slice of light Rye at the top of the thing.

People watching can be great entertainment.

Many years ago, my family sailed on the S. S. South American of the Georgian Bay Line. The line did Great Lakes cruises. Our cruise was from Detroit to Buffalo to Cleveland and back to Detroit. It was a nice cruise; the ship was certainly smaller and much less modern than current cruise ships are. We had a Bedroom which was the best quality category available and it was a nice accommodation. This really was my introduction to a cruise and it helped me to become addicted to cruising.

Thank you very much, Lenny! It's been a decent day for me with contacts from people with whom I often don't hear.

Yes. for my world cruise, I packed a box of such items and sent them with the luggage service that HAL provided. My drug store Manager thought I was "nuts" when I told them I wanted XX numbers of boxes of eye drops. toothpaste, and deodorants that I needed for the length of time I would be gone. (They were over the counter.) Got them without a problem.

The PG experience has been very inconsistent from ship to ship. It depends, I think, on the PG Chef and the PG Manager. My most recent experience was in the PG on the Eurodam (January 2020). All was good. Service, food, presentation of the food: there was nothing to fault. Rudi's, on the other hand, has been very consistently excellent whether it is a pop-up or a stand alone. If Rudi's can achieve this, then the reason the PG cannot is......?

Your friend is obviously not a reliable source of information about the HAL experience.

Agree! Such a thoughtful thing to do for these hard working men and women.

Don't blame you. This is not a dessert that appears appetizing.

Rudi's is my recommendation. Escargots and Dover Sole with a dessert of Apple Tarte Tatin or Crepes Suzette always are good. If you are at a port, when some fresh fish has been taken aboard that day and is being served, that might be the best choice for an entree.

Not in my experience, but, maybe the New York versions might be. Sour pickle side? Absolutely appropriate. If there is an issue that I have with most restaurant 21st Century of sandwiches is how thick they have become. They are not "sandwiches". I try, give up, and get my knife and fork in use. Maybe my orthodontist was right when I was a teenager. You have a small mouth. (I always thought it was because he had such large fingers.)

Thank you for your birthday wishes! It has been a decent day thus far with cards, e-mails, and phone calls (no robo calls for a change--so far). Even received a call from my Minister which was a surprise. Never got one from any Minister on my birthday. I celebrated my 60th as well as my 70th on a cruise. My 80th? TBD. No fancy dinner tonight. Chef RKA will prepare a steak and a Baked Potato. Wine will be a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc: Villa Maria, my favorite white wine.

An excellent sandwich! Light or Dark Rye Bread? Mustard? What kind? Whether cold or hot, they are good! A grilled Ruben is hard to beat as well.

My inbox this afternoon contained the same e-mail only, this time, with MSC in place of Costa in the address. My guess is that I was not the only person who had concerns about this e-mail from Lexus Nexis. Certainly sloppy on their part!

I wonder if a Chase Bank Manager would be helpful. Particularly, if one has an account(s) other than just credit cards with them. Sometimes, my branch Bank Manager has done some things that I didn't expect that certainly benefited me. Doesn't hurt to ask!

Good for you!

Particularly on an Alaskan cruise, there is likely to be some in his age range/generation. The demographics and ages on HAL are much broader than what some believe. Since your Son has season tickets for the Saints, there is very probably going to be both college and NFL games being shown at the ship's sports bar. Whether it would be a Saints game? If so, it would be a coincidence.

Nine years ago tomorrow, aboard the Eurodam, I began my 7th decade of life. My traveling companion and I celebrated the day with a special dinner that took place that evening in the Pinnacle Grill. A menu, preparation, and service experience by Johnnie Boer. It was my first experience with a deconstructed dining experience. It was a memorable dinner. Food served was good. Dishes on which the food was served was different--black. (Black seemed to be the color theme from the service ware to the uniforms of the Stewards.) Wines were excellent. The final course was a deconstructed Apple Pie. What a mess of ingredients! At the very end, a traditional small cake with a candle and a confectionery greeting was served to "save" the evening. By then, Nadine and I had no room for a second dessert. We took it back to our stateroom and enjoyed it the next day. What has been your experience?

There will be the ability to obtain US currency from the Front Desk. In major ports, I would expect that the currency of that country will be available. Smaller ports, such as in the South Pacific? I doubt it. The US dollar will be accepted, I expect. Otherwise, plan on using a credit card with no foreign currency fee.

Interesting of you to think of making a comparison! Since the atmosphere of the Crow's Nest has changed, I have not been a patron of their bar. The appetizers in the Ocean Bar has changed in recent years. Always good. Sometimes, 4 on a platter; sometimes 3. There has been an occasion when one of the choices was a small dish of----potato chips--! In HAL's past, there was an experienced HAL veteran by the name of Mary Ellen. Fortunately, I got to know her and she was a frequent patron of the Crow's Nest. A bartender would present her with a bottle of peanuts after serving her beverage. "I want "formal nuts"! would be her answer. ("Formal nuts were mixed nuts.") She got them and her bar companions did as well.

PEI is a genuine winner on a cruise itinerary! There is so much to experience!

More often than not, the items that I have been served with the recipes of these "experts" have been more misses than even OK. Hits? There has not been one! Rudi's conception and execution of Sel de Mer is an an outstanding exception. Princess fares much worth than HAL with this celebrity chef competition. Chef Curtis Stone's items on the Princess ships on which I have sailed have been dreadful. One was so bad--never did this before--after two bites, I rejected the dish and told the Steward to put it into the garbage.

A cruise brochure that lists such information? For any cruise line? As an Elite Captain's Circle guest, I didn't receive what you did. Those brochures are so much more helpful and convenient to use than having to use online resources for the same information. History is cyclic. Some "bright, new MBA" hired by a cruise line will "discover" something "old" that then will become "new". Be patient.

As would I. This will be at least the second time that this terminal and its slip has been extended/ renovated in recent years. Was not aware that this was going to take place and most certainly not for Disney. Will this terminal then become an exclusive Disney terminal for awhile? And, for what ship? The new Disney Wish?

You ate well. Garlic or Tomato Sauce for those Mussels? Sacrilege! A cold LaBatt's or two makes them even better.