September 23rd - Special HAL Crew Members

Alan and Ayu

As usual, I think I was assigned the best cabin stewards on the ship - lucky
me. Ayu and Alan are a great team, anticipating ones' every desire and need
and making one feel like royalty. These two work so hard, yet they always
have a smile on their faces and have time to say hello and chat about your
day.

Nixon and Yossie

These two dining attendants were fabulous. Within a day or two, they had
figured out what my preferences were, including my large consumption of
water (2-4 glasses with a meal), my glass was never empty, and I never had
to ask. These gentlemen are amazing to watch as they take care of so many
people at each meal. How they keep track of so many, knowing when each table
is ready for the next course is beyond me, they make everything look so easy
and effortless. Nixon always has a song for you and Yossie has an infectious
smile to welcome me.

Ceppy

Hal has many dining hosts to help people get seated, circulate to make sure
that everything is running smoothly and assist the dining attendants as
necessary. They are all wonderful, but occasionally, one stands out as
exceptional - such is the case with Ceppy. He is just in training, but is
one of the nicest, most welcoming hosts I have come across in my travels. I
find myself actually looking forward to seeing him in the dining room.

And to all those that one never sees or gets to meet - the ones preparing
those ever so tempting meals, those keeping the ship looking like it is
brand new, the laundry personnel taking such good care of my clothing (they
iron everything), and of course, the crew who keeps the ship on course and
gets us safely into each port. I have to make special mention about Captain
Werner Timmers - he is one of the most approachable captains I have come
across. He has a wonderfully dry sense of humor and it is evident he enjoys
what he does.

I was leery about being on such a large ship, but other than the amount of
time it takes to get from aft to stern (I get more steps on my fitbit),
everything runs as smoothly, sometimes better than on the smaller ships. I
have been truly impressed at how quickly they manage to get so many
passengers on and off the ship.

September 22nd - Halifax, Nova Scotia

As the ship pulled into the second largest natural port (Sydney, Australia
being the largest) we were welcomed by bagpipers on the pier, hard not to
tap the feet a little as one listens!

I have been to Halifax several times, so today I headed out on what is
called the Lighthouse Route.

First stop was to Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, that they claim
is the prettiest town in Canada. This town was settled in the mid-1750s by
Germans and Swiss and was once the busiest shipbuilding town in the world.
It is still lovely, but has become a tourist town filled with shops and
restaurants as one gets closer to the waterfront.

The next stop was to Mahone Bay, another picturesque town with coastal
charm. Some interesting shops here - would not be surprised to discover that
it was once a hippie haven or place that attracted artists.

Headed back to the ship since we had an early all-aboard and enjoyed a
scenic sail away.