kochleffel

As you can see from the table, it's limited to one device (at a time) unless you pay for more devices. They won't care how many people are in a stateroom, because the system automatically limits it to the number of devices that you paid for. It is OK to switch devices -- I used both a tablet and a phone during my last HAL cruise -- you simply disconnect one when connecting another.

I had to participate in Zoom meetings and upgraded from HIA to the streaming plan to be sure of having sufficient bandwidth.

No friends-in-law, because no in-laws. My first thought of Taffy Day was not candy, but Wales ("Taffy was a Welshman"). In favor of world turtles and even domestic turtles.

Would make the meal if I had the ingredients. No on the drink. For yet another SB, let's consider Hazlitt's even though only the 2023 is in stock, "notes of lemongrass and flavors of papaya, grapefruit, and gooseberry that linger on the finish.This variety has done very well in the Finger Lakes.  It’s an engaging, energetic wine with great aromatics and palate-cleansing acidity."

Also today in history:The Defenestration of Prague occurred in response to religious persecution, helping set the stage for the Thirty Years' War.

(When the captain of your cruise ship calls for a harbor pilot, hope that she or he speaks distinctly.)

1 hour ago, MISTER 67 said:

And then there were these.

I gave away my turntable and LP records when I was moving from Boston to Oklahoma in 1999. I gather that CDs and CD players are now considered hopelessly outdated, too, although LPs have developed a cult following.

I just looked up this cruise. It's not a time when I can travel, but if I could I would book immediately: right now balcony staterooms have lower fares than inside or oceanview.

16 minutes ago, Nickelpenny said:

"wait, it can't be Sunday".  Then I realized it was only Wednesday!  I used to wake up like this when I was a travel nurse - What day is it, where am I, do I need to be a work today! 

Before the Internet, I had a morning paper delivered partly to be sure what day it was.

Yes on all the days. Biodiversity is a topic in the courses I'm taking. I would make the menu suggestion if I had the major ingredients (do have a lemon). I would like the drink. For the wine, Red Tail Ridge 2022 Pinot Noir, "Aromatics of black cherry, crunchy strawberry, and plum. Flavors of fresh strawberry & black raspberry with some baking spice & tobacco notes," $32.97, but I think that the Pinot Blanc from Monday would be better with the chicken.

I have been to San Diego but never on a cruise or as a tourist, only for job interviews. One was so successful that they eliminated the job instead of hiring me. I'll be there in July for a conference at SDSU.

If people want to be Raptured I guess that is OK for them. I'm planning a world takeover for right after it.

The menu suggestion is one that I make often. The technique is called en papillote, referring to the original wrap of parchment paper. It is hard for me to think about deliberately adding tannin from another plant to wine. For a Sauvignon Blanc, I might consider Rooster Hill Vineyards 2020, from Keuka Lake. "Grassy and grapefruit aromas. A complex palate of lemongrass, grapefruit and herbal notes, with a subtle spice on the finish and lingering flavors of apricot and bitter almond," $24.99.

I slept through the night, which is so unfamiliar that I'm discombobulated. I did remember to take the trash out.

On 5/15/2024 at 3:32 PM, Lellena said:

went to the guest service, sent them the files as attachments to an email and they printed them for me at no cost

I've done this as well, on a ship of a different cruise line where there was no internet café.

39 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Sorry to hear about your back pain today and I hope the Ibuprofen works for it.

Thank you. I'm just in from the last bit of mowing.

No way am I drawing Mohammed. In addition to respect for the prohibition, I can't draw at all.

Asparagus season here is over, and we don't have spring greens yet. An organic grower who sets up a stand nearby on Monday afternoons may have some from his hoop houses, but I think that he will mainly be selling vegetable plants today.

OK on the spritz. We'll be having hot weather for the next few days. For the wine, Heron Hill 2021 Pinot Blanc. "Lively and energetic wine with an intense aroma and long refreshing finish. Harvested from Morris Vineyard situated on the west side of Seneca Lake," $25.

I intended to do some yard and garden work early today, but woke up with severe back pain, probably from the folding chairs yesterday afternoon, so I'm waiting for ibuprofen to work. BTW, the bakers for the dessert buffet, contrary to their usual practice, made lots of gluten-free cookies (disproportionate to the number of guests who required them) but one person was very upset about the absence of sugar-free desserts.

I've only ever done it from Sanford, from which there are no reasonable shuttle connections anyway. Uber works fine for either airport; your driver will likely be bringing someone coming from a ship and so the pickup will be almost instant.

I've also rented a car, when I was going to be in Cocoa Beach enough to use it. It's an easy drive, but returning the car before embarking can be difficult, because passengers leaving the ship will already have crowded into the rental office clamoring for cars, which the agency won't have until some are returned.

When TPTB recommended Hepatitis C testing for everyone in my age range, my doctor added to the list for my next blood draw. He mentioned that, out here in the sticks, he had never had a patient's test come back positive.

Yes on the salmon rice bowl, and I agree that farro might be good instead of rice. Or pearl couscous. Pass on the drink. Merlot will mature in slightly cooler conditions than Cabernet Sauvignon, with which it's often blended, and it does well here. I tend to avoid it as a 100% varietal, but we might try the 2021 from Wagner Vineyards. "Medium body, bursting with aromas of cherries and dark stone fruits. Classic flavors of black cherries, plums & a hint of dark chocolate," $18.99.

This afternoon I was at a cabaret performance of music by Irving Berlin, a fund-raising event for the synagogue. The four singers have worked together in musical comedy many times, and the program was wonderful. I was surprised that the two women made full costume changes for every number (they alternated with one or both of the men, who just wore black shirts and trousers and added jackets or vests for some). There was a dessert buffet; I would rather have had wine and cheese than tea and cookies, but I had two cookies at the intermission and have felt queasy ever since.

To say that the situation is annoying would be an understatement!

Taino Bay claims to publish its ship schedule for the current month only -- but doesn't really. Even the one for this month is blank.

The sites I would usually consult don't acknowledge the existence of Taino Bay. They list only "Puerto Plata/Amber Cove," but on some days they show five ships there, which I believe is more than Amber Cove's capacity.

On the date in my booking, Carnival has two ships at Puerto Plata and NCL has two. Each Carnival ship has more passengers than the two NCL ships (Gem and Jewel) combined.

OK on the special days, although I'm not sure about Reeses. HIV vaccine awareness is good but the development of a vaccine will be better.

I'll be ready for the asparagus around 7:00 p.m. My own crop of asparagus this year was very poor and I think it's time to replace the plants. No on the cocktail. Very little Pinotage is grown outside South Africa, although I know of some producers in Israel. It probably wouldn't ripen here, so I'll counter with a grape that grows well in the Finger Lakes but is almost equally rare in North America, Zweigelt, the 2018 from Fulkerson's, $25.

The Zuiderdam back-to-back is very, very enticing. I like the overnight in Quebec on the outbound and the different ports returning. It may well be the last chance to call at Bar Harbor, and is unlikely to be freezing cold like the last time I was there. Regarding the minimal markup over inside for an oceanview: the lowest-fare oceanviews have obstructed views, a category that I consider an especially good value.

A booking that I have for December is scheduled to dock at Amber Cove.

This wasn't the question, but one of my friends especially loves Danish butter. When I was cruising from Copenhagen, I was surprised to see that my hotel there served French butter, and the cruise line (not NCL) served Dutch butter. A few months ago that same other cruise line was serving Dutch butter on a cruise from the United States.

Based only on memory - I haven't saved MDR menus from past cruises - I would say that the appetizers are equivalent, as are the classics. The "Featured Entrées" and the desserts seem to be fewer, but not to the extent that it bothers me.

I received a shipment of plants this week, and as usual I had to look some of them up on the nursery's website because I had forgotten their requirements. I'm glad that I did, because I would have planted carex (sedge) in a spot that could be too sunny for it. They will spend a few days on the back steps (if it's sunny) or the deck (if it isn't, which is more likely) before I plant them, but I'll be putting in seeds this afternoon before the rain resumes.

I've pretty much settled on an excursion that includes the butterfly farm, plus an evening catamaran cruise, for Oranjestad. It's probably not possible to schedule an Atlantis submarine trip: the cruise line's time for it is during the morning excursion, and the only times open for public booking are too early in the afternoon. Catalina Island in the DR is the difficult one, because the cruise line's excursions all have one thing that I might like combined with another thing that I definitely wouldn't. Also, they are so long that they require taking box lunches, in the heat. Because all the excursions run through the lunch hour, NCL doesn't serve lunch on shore even though there are tents for it.

The business with the tassels was well-established when I was in high school, which was more than 50 years ago. Walnuts are OK but I would rather have Grüner Veltliner than Pino Grigio.

I would probably like the menu suggestion. The drink sounds way too complicated for the way it would turn out. For the wine, Hazlitt 1852 Schooner Red, $18, a blend of grapes from the Finger Lakes and Argentina. It's named for a schooner, built in 1939 for General George S. Patton, that Doug Hazlitt purchased and has restored.

I see that the "wrong route" thread is now locked. I haven't read any of it.

1 hour ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

Sounds like a classic accident onboard cruise ships, Roy! 😉  Hope you are dong well!

It happened to me once on a cruise ship! It was only a small scrape, but it bled profusely. I ended up sealing it with Superglue.

OK on all three of the days. The salad would be OK if I could get mizuna without growing it myself. No on the pseudotini. For the wine, Chase's Reserve from Glenora. Chase, the winery's spokespup until he crossed the Rainbow Bridge in 2016, survived Hurricane Katrina and lived on the streets before being rescued and then rehabilitated in Florida. A part of the proceeds from each bottle goes to Humane Society.

The current spokespup, GG, was rescued from a construction dumpster and has her picture on a white blend.

I was looking earlier at Holland America's transatlantic itineraries for the spring of 2025, and I think someone was half asleep. As is HAL practice, there are multiple itineraries for each sailing: the transatlantic portion alone, and extensions of it that add ports in Europe. But the descriptions for the 14-day TATL-only itineraries include references to ports that are only in the longer itineraries. For example, a 14-day itinerary to Barcelona includes Tangier but also mentions Rome and the Côte d'Azur, even though only the longer itineraries call anywhere in Italy or France.

Both taken on April 22, which was Earth Day. One was at the Houghton Land Preserve and the other at the Spencer Crest Nature Center.

2 hours ago, Vict0riann said:

Paul, when we were in Oranjestad in 2019, there was a free trolley that did a circuit of the town with a few stops (although I don't think we got off) It was an interesting ride, and you can count the blue horses!

Thank you.

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

We spent a week in Aruba.  I am going to give you two very different suggestions.  The Atlantis submarine company is available on several islands.  I am a bit claustrophobic but it was an amazing experience.  The Butterfly Farm was also very nice.

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Oranjestad is an easy walkable town.  However, to get the flavor of the island, you should get out of town.  We've always rented cars, which you can pick up just outside the gate on the pier.  You probably could hire a taxi to show you the island.

Thank you (both).

I'm not very aware of Kangaroo Care. I hope that a treatment for MPS is found.

I hope that the bread is made with healthy blueberries and lemons, but I don't think that it's notably healthful. Pass on the drink. Viognier is the typical white variety of the Rhone, so not an obvious choice for the Finger Lakes, but several wineries grow it and say that the slower ripening yields more intense flavor. I'd try the 2018 from Goose Watch Winery at the north end of Seneca Lake. I was in Athens before and after a cruise from Piraeus on the Norwegian Jade in 2022 but I posted my photos then.

This region was the center of the woman suffrage movement, beginning with the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Stanton's family lived in Seneca Falls and their house is part of the Women's Rights National Historical Park. Anthony was from Rochester.

I could use some help with planning shore activities for my Panama Canal cruise in December. The ports are Puerto Plata and Catalina Island in the DR, Willemstad, and Oranjestad.

I don't need any suggestions for Willemstad, where I spent a week several years ago. I've been to Puerto Plata twice, but the second time was when I was ill in January and didn't go ashore; I could reschedule the eating-drinking tour with Iguana Mama that I cancelled then, but I'm more of a mind to take a taxi to the teleférico and visit the botanical garden. Some standard tours go there but I don't think they allow enough time for the garden. I do not want to visit any more rum factories, ride about in a jeep, or ride a horse or donkey.

Catalina Island is notable for the lack of options, and the cruise line's offerings are distinctively unappealing. I'm open to suggestions for Oranjestad, which I've never visited.