86 Countries and Still Counting: Tuesday, February 20

Another beautiful sea day! First came breakfast, which was wild rice and quinoa topped with a poached egg and raw radish, cucumber, carrots and jalapeños. I also got a bowl of miso soup as a result of a delicious communication error on my part.

Then came the galley tour which I was very excited about. More on that in the photos. Then some Skip Bo.

Next came a salad for lunch from the Lido. Followed by tea and dinner in my cabin which was heavenly.

Both crew and passengers are lovely but I really do enjoy being by myself. A day of complete solitude isn't possible on the ship but at least I had some time alone. Aside from visits from crew to drop off food, pick up trays and the evening visit from from my cabin stewards. And phone calls from the galley to make sure I enjoyed my food. And a couple of calls from Guest Services, finalizing my transportation from the ship to the airport in Narita. If you're thinking, "why doesn't she just put out the "do not disturb" sign?", that only works so well. Have I mentioned the passengers are mostly elderly? In my experience, I'll get a visit and/or phone call to make sure I'm ok, even if the "do not disturb" sign is out. That's an observation, not a complaint. It's nice to know if I'm lying on my balcony with a broken leg, someone will find me sooner rather than later.

Unlike at home, where I'm convinced that after 24 hours without food, Buddy would start gnawing on my leg.

Photos! Which are not in exact chronological order due to slow WIFI and my incompetence. May (or may not) be fixed eventually.

Tea and pastries with a view. My idea of heaven

The galley tour was a quick 10 minutes long. Not as extensive as I'd hoped but they did give us a document showing information about the layout, staff and how much food we go through. I'll try to get this info posted when I have time

After a 10 minute walk through the kitchen we ended up in the Pinnacle Grill where they had glasses of complimentary champagne waiting. We were escorted out into the main corridor with glasses in hand

Presty is the Dining Room manager and encouraged to respond to the post-cruise evaluation survey from HAL and thanked us for our feedback during the cruise

I'm embarrassed that I don't know this gentleman's name. He's a manager in the dining room and also gave us the tour

She's the manager of the Pinnacle Grill, which is the steak house with an upcharge. I've only dined there once on this cruise and both food and service were excellent. I recommend the scallops, hanging bacon and chocolate souffle

The Pinnacle Pantry

The corridor from the kitchen to the restaurant

Trash cans are color coded

These guys were making soup. Most staff was on break, I assume

Cleanliness and food safety is a big concern. There were handwashing sinks everywhere

The pastry area was preparing the desserts to go up to the Lido

I'd be happy if they just delivered them to my cabin

That's my buddy Dante on the right. He's a sous chef

They use photos to ensure consistency in food appearance

We were walking through the section where the waiters collect our food. Spots for hot apps, cold apps, mains, etc.

This is where they take the calls for cabin service

Cabin service trays

Can you imagine all the dishes they use every day?

My dinner was two shrimp and black bean tacos. With a view, in my cabin. Plenty after the wonderful food I had for "tea"

Foggy with rough seas. What a great time for tea!

What a treat to have this in my cabin. I stuffed myself with an assortment of finger sandwiches and pastries

I saved some for the next day. My favorite was the scone with jam and whipped cream

Each item is two or three bites. Or one

I opted for the black tea

Lunch, a few hours before tea was a salad

Like beer? Lots of options at the Lido bar

So many options

A lot of us women of a certain age don't get a lot of attention from men. That's not true on HAL ships. Not implying any funny business. I happened to be walking behind this passenger who ran into the guy who does tech talks every day. One of my waiters in the MDR calls me "Mom Nancy" and touches my shoulder. I appreciate the kindness and attention