We're sailing on the Ryndam in January and my husband is eager to meet up with some fellow chess players.

For those of you who have travelled on HAL, dare we hope that the events' organizer would organize a sign up for chess players.

With a total of 12 sea days, this matters to my husband. He does have a travel electronic game, but he'd love to play with 'real' people.

On our Celebrity cruise last winter, we saw people playing both bridge and chess but it appeared they were friends travelling together.

I didn't see any announcements about chess or anyone playing chess; but I'll bet if you approach the cruise director right away, he can arrange a sign up.

You're right of course, but my husband is shy about making such requests and refuses to allow me to do it for him.

Maybe someone will see him playing with his electronic game and offer to play -- really all like schoolyard angst!

RUth

If he wishes to generate interest their is a huge walking on type chess board in the Lido area with giant chessman. It is really cool. I don't play myself but I have seen others use this. There will also be a daily team trivia game that is much fun and a great way to befriend others. There will several of us meeting up the first sea day in the Crows Nest as it gets closer I will let you know if you want.

Thanks again experienced HAL cruiser. I just told my husband about the giant chess set so he's delighted.

Yes, we'd love to meet up early in the cruise. I think we've decided on open seating, fearing that four weeks is too long to be at one table. What has been your experience on dining arrangements on long cruises. Our cruise last winter was for 14 days and we were assigned to a table of 6. While we enjoyed our table mates it would have been nice to switch tables mid cruise.

My husband has Arizona roots.

Ruth

Our cruise in Oct will be the first cruise that offered anything other than traditional dining and we will try it then. We are already confirmed for early upper traditional on the Jan cruise.