StLouisCruisers

Thank you Terry @smitty34877, Graham @grapau27, Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser, Melanie @puppycanducruise, Gerry @ger_77, Joy @Seasick Sailor and Elizabeth @Haljo1935 for the happy birthday wishes for Morgan. She will love knowing everyone here wishes her well.🤗 Bruce @aliaschief I'm sending that Hobby Lobby meme to DD. Good thing my DSIL doesn't have to wait outside for her, she drives herself!

Good morning friends! We are having another day of 70F at dawn, followed by a high temp of 87 and cloudy. Only change is it’s not supposed to rain. Thank goodness! We’ve had enough this week. Yesterday’s rain gauge reading was 8/10ths of an inch. As soon as the gauge was emptied at 5 pm it started raining heavily again. We could use some time to dry out a bit. The humidity is so high I can’t get outside to do some trimming, weeding and cleaning up around the outside of the house. Thank you Rich @richwmn for today’s Fleet Report and Daily as well as the location maps. Armed Forces Unification Day sounds like a good way to honor all our forces at one time. Having just recognized cousins, today we can honor our aunts and uncles. We have very few left and they are both in their late 90’s. I guess bagels deserve a day of their own. I’m not connecting with the quote of the day. No thanks to the menu suggestion or cocktail but yes, I’d try the Sauvignon Blanc. Thank you F&B ladies, Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports. Prayers for our Care list people including their ailing relatives. Tana, Chuck @catmando and Annie @marshhawk, Jacqui @kazu, Joy’s @Seasick SailorDS Bonnie, Nancy’s @ottahand7 DB, Roy @rafinmd, Terri @Cruzin Terri, Ann @Vict0riann and Elizabeth @Haljo1935 to name a few. Also for my DB with IPF and twin sister awaiting shoulder replacement surgery, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the remaining hostages, and our men and women in uniform overseas. As for the celebration of special events let me start with happy birthday wishes to DGD Morgan who turns 22 today. Congrats to her and all here celebrating and cruising. Thank you once again Vanessa @JazzyV! The port today is Tunis, La Goulette, Tunisia. It’s been quite popular here having seen it four times before. Oct. 25, 2021, July 11, 2022, May 16, 2023 and Jan.7, 2024. I haven’t been there yet but do have it on an upcoming itinerary. Maybe I should go back and read up on it and check out some photos posted previously. Here are the links for your convenience in retrieving your photos. Hoping everyone enjoys this final Friday in July. Stay safe and keep well!

We took a tour through HAL to the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities in Cairo, lunch at the Le Meridien Hotel, the Giza pyramids, the Great Sphinx of Giza, and a shopping stop. We did not go into the pyramid. Do they say they take you inside on the tour description? We did get close enough to touch the pyramids though.

Gerry, I think your description of a mammogram is pretty darn accurate! It's done for this year and hopefully the results are good. Enjoy having your DS visit! Terry, I'm sorry last night was so difficult and you got no sleep. I hope Tana and you both have a much better night tonight. Takeout sounds perfect! Yum, that pasta dish looks delicious! Everything went well at the mammogram but yes, it was a bit painful. The price we pay. I have to agree about the little angels, Declan and Clement. Just adorable! 👼

Pauline is right on both counts! Will be glad when that is over for this year. Debbie @dfish I'm sorry to hear about the fire across the street from you. It's a terrible tragedy and a big disruption for the neighborhood. Nearly 10 years ago a house a few doors down from us went up in flames due to an electrical problem. The fire department was here all night with many trucks at the scene. The neighborhood smelled like smoke for days, and the house actually smoldered and began small fires later that day. Fire crew had to come back. People from all over were driving up and down our street for weeks looking at the shell of the house. The house was totaled and it took about a year for them to get back into the rebuilt house. I hope it won't take that long for your neighbor's house.

Jacqui could you please remove us from the Nov. 9, 2024 42 day Volendam Ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic Passage? And then please add us to the Jan. 4, 2025 Volendam 21 day Ultimate Caribbean cruise. And also add us to the June 8, 2025 28 day Alaska Arctic Circle Solstice cruise on Westerdam. Thank you so much!

Good morning friends! The weather is like a broken record here. Temp this morning is 72 with a high of 87 expected, cloudy skies and chances of rain this afternoon. It’s been raining a lot. DH measures the previous 24 hours rain at 5 pm every day. Yesterday at 5 there was about 1.1 inches. After he emptied the rain gauge it began raining heavily again! This morning we’ll be driving to my mammo appointment and run any other errands necessary. Tomorrow will be our heavy grocery shopping trip. We picked up the few necessities we needed Sunday on the way home from dropping off the rental car. Fridays are 4X fuel points day at Kroger, and we let DS, DDIL and Ren use our points to fill up their cars. We use so little gas, it just makes sense. Thank you Rich @richwmn for today’s Fleet Report and Daily as well as the location maps. Two great veterans appreciation days and I would hope all veterans would have a job waiting for them when they finish their service to our country. I have a pair of red kitten heels but they aren’t worn very often lately. It’s also Christmas in July and National Hot Fudge Sundae Day! Yippee! Today’s quote is another amusing comment by the late Joan Rivers. The recipe should be interesting today. No idea if I’d like a Baileys Colada. Not sure about the wine either. A big day for women in space and for transportation advancement. Thanks Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your reports each day. Prayers for DB, twin sister, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the few hostages still left and probably losing faith, and our men and women in uniform overseas. Many prayers for our Care list people here. We pray for your good health, excellent medical procedure results, and reduction in pain for all. Sending prayers of gratitude that Declan and Clement arrived safely and in perfect health. They are miracles! Congrats to all celebrating special events and enjoying wonderful cruises! Thanks go to Vanessa @JazzyV for her hard work paying attention to all our comments and updating her lists each day. What a champ! The port of the day is Celukan Bawang, Bali, Indonesia. This was the port before on Sept. 3, 2023 so I’ll post that link. I haven’t been to that port before, only Benoa, Bali. Thanks for your photos today! Hope we all have a great day, negative mammogram results, and please try to stay safe and keep well!

Vanessa @JazzyV you reminded me to text Ren and see how he's doing this week. I think he's taking it pretty easy and sleeping the proper way and all. I have a photo taken today of Clement and Declan snuggling on Mama. They've had lots of tests today and all seems to be just fine. We're very thankful for that! DD says won't it be fun to watch them grow up and see how identical they really are? I agree! Big sister Elliott Rose met them this morning too. She will be 2 in October. These new parents sure have their hands full now, but are beyond excited and grateful they were given these blessings.

Excellent progression in your PSA numbers. I hope you start feeling less neck pain very quickly. Hugs to you as you deal with all the details in your and Chuck's life now. 🤗

Graham @grapau27 happy birthday to your cousin Yvonne today. Do you get to see her often? The twins were born yesterday on what would have been my DD DMIL's 98th birthday. Lisa thought that was a nice outcome. Lisa and her sister used to go visit her at the nursing facility once in a while, which we really appreciated since they weren't even blood relatives. My DD DS Nancy brought those girls up right! Charlene @cunnorl I hope you have a good day in Corner Brook. Did you bring nets to wear over your hats? If not use some insect repellant in Red Bay. Maybe it isn't even biting fly season yet. Enjoy your time in Red Bay and watch out for that frisky whale!

Nancy @ottahand7 I'm sorry I forgot to mention your DB with his knee problems. Joint replacements are common in my family and I hope I don't have to go through it. Dad had a hip replacement, DB has had knee replacements, twin sis has had both knee replaced and is getting a shoulder replacement Aug. 16. My DD DS Nancy had knee replacement too. Your brother has certainly had the worst experience I've heard of yet. I hope something can be done to help him and send my prayers to him. The pain must be awful!🙏

We were in Red Bay on Aug. 26, 2018 on the Seabourn Quest on our Iceland/Greenland/Canada cruise. What a fabulous itinerary! I would do that again and have done similar on HAL. Just not to the extent Seabourn does it. Red Bay was the buggiest place I'd ever visited. Even with bug spray on the bugs found a couple of spots to bite me on the back of the neck near both ears. My hair was covering it too. The following day I found all those itchy red spots hiding out back there. Here are my favorite sights in Red Bay, population 142. Someone was busy Probably the only restaurant in town. A cute church An interpretive center had a small display on whaling in Red Bay. The deck on the back of the interpretive center building This is Saddle Island, right across from the dock area. There was a hiking trail on this peninsula that some of the passengers hiked on. Not me! A close up of a viewing platform at the trail's end. A view back to the town from the ship. All day long there was a whale surfacing in that bay, first along the dock area where the tenders went and then alongside the ship in the afternoon. Unfortunately he was too fast for me because I never got him in a photo. Just lots of pictures of the water!

Good morning friends! I finished exercise and breakfast and am ready to tackle the day including the Daily. Yesterday we got quite a bit of rain starting around 2 pm. Many times with thunder and lightning up to the time I went to bed last night. Today it is once again 71F, cloudy with a high temp of 87F. We expect more thunderstorms and showers this afternoon. The weather is in a rut! Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the location maps. It’s great we have a cousins day to celebrate that family relationship. Self care day can help focus on a healthy lifestyle. Drive-thru day champions an easy way to get your meal without leaving your car. Interesting quote. If there is a soup that aids in weight loss I’m sure it would be very popular. I think I’ll pass on the whiskey sour and the wine. Two big events in exploration history. Thanks Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for your reports. Prayers for all on the Care list. Tana, Jacqui @kazu, Debbie @dfish, Chuck @catmando and Annie @marshhawk, Vanessa @JazzyV, Elizabeth @Haljo1935, Roy @rafinmd, Terri @Cruzin Terri, Joy’s @Seasick Sailor DS Bonnie, and I do hope I haven’t forgotten someone in real need of improvement. Prayers for the people in Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still living, and our troops at sea and on bases in the region. Also for DB and twin sister. Alex and Jordan are thankful for prayers for their sons and are ecstatic they arrived safely yesterday. Thank you for your prayers! Cheers to everyone celebrating special events and cruising. Dixie @summer slope I hope you are enjoying celebrating your birthday this week with your siblings. It's great they could all surprise you like that. Have fun! Much appreciation Vanessa @JazzyV for the list keeping today! The port of the day is Red Bay, Labrador, Canada. This was the port before on June 24, 2021, Dec. 7, 2022 and June 14, 2023. We visited there in 2018. Here are the links for your convenience. Here’s what you want to know about Alex and Jordan’s twins. I’m told they both weighed 6 pounds, 13 ounces which is a great size. They were given the names Clement John and Declan George. John is Jordan’s Dad’s name and George was Alex’s Granddad’s name. Here are the photos I promised. Grandma Lisa, my niece, is sooo happy and excited! Hope everyone has a very good day! Stay safe and keep well!

Vanessa @JazzyV good luck at your mammogram tomorrow. Mine is Thursday. Sorry to hear of all the vertigo and dizziness issues. I hope they can come up with something to help you. Well, I just had the best news from niece Lisa. Apparently the baby boys couldn't wait until Thursday to be born. They came early. Today! Everyone is doing well, and Grandma Lisa gets to meet the boys tomorrow morning. Photos coming tomorrow. Our prayers have been answered. 👶👶

Debbie @dfish good to hear all went well and you are currently pain free. May that continue from here on out! Enjoy your patio sitting time.

In 2009 we took B2B Alaska cruises which started out in Vancouver. Upon arrival at the airport we tried the SkyTrain to downtown for the first time. Leaving on Sapphire Princess the following day. In 2010 we did more coastal cruises, staying in Vancouver at a hotel for about 3 days in between them. We got to do a lot of walking to new places, and old. Here we are crossing a bridge to Granville Island. Besides restaurants there are plenty of veggie stands and flower markets. Nice views of the city from there. The next day we took in the scenery on our way to Chinatown. Then got to see some lovely gardens at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Park On our final day we visited this Inukshuk display A great city to see any time of the year.

Port of day Vancouver, BC Canada Vancouver is an important port when it comes to Alaska cruises. Many start or end there. I can count visiting there about 5 times, all on Princess ships. On our first cruise in 2002 to Alaska we ended up there and enjoyed a day of sightseeing before spending the night there and driving to Seattle the following day. We walked around enjoying a lovely sunny warm day and were told by a waitress it wasn’t this nice every day. I’m sure that can’t be right! Here is the Star Princess docked at Canada Place. We took public transportation to the hotel DS had chosen for us. While walking around the city, we passed by a filming location for a Muppet Christmas movie and saw them applying rolls of “snow” being laid down on the flat surfaces. Beautiful views every way you looked. Walking through Stanley Park, we saw what looked like a Holland America ship across the way. Everyone was out enjoying the park. In 2006 we were in Vancouver overnight between two cruises. Arriving early and going under the Lions Gate Bridge on the old Dawn Princess. We stayed nearby at the Westin Bayshore. Our view of the water and the high rises apartments and office buildings. Another walk in Stanley Park We stopped at the famous Teahouse in Stanley Park for a snack I'll continue my next visits to Vancouver in a second post.

Happy Birthday Dixie @summer slope!! And welcome home Katherine @Lady Hudson.

Good morning friends! It’s 71F and partly cloudy this morning. It will rise to 87 with a chance of afternoon thunderstorms. I have a hair appointment this morning so hope to be home before any storms come through. I got up as usual this morning and headed to the treadmill. I walked slightly slower, with a lesser incline and for only 2 miles instead of 2.5. I need to ease back into it so I don’t wear myself out. Yesterday we completely unpacked the bags and I did many loads of laundry. There’s a lot of ironing to do but that can wait a few days. Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily as well as the location maps. I can honestly say yes, it IS hot enough for me! Sprinkles are okay but not a necessity. A big cheer for all the gorgeous grandmas out there! I like the Julia Child quote. I’m sure there are plenty of zucchini bread recipes coming our way today. Blue Motorcycle is quite a name for a cocktail. I would bet DH would enjoy today’s wine. Sounds very interesting being aged in a bourbon barrel. Hurray for all the This Day in History events. Thanks for the Food & Beverage reports by Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard. Prayers for my DB, twin sister, and Alex/Jordan’s baby boys. Just two more days till their birthday! Also for the people in Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, and our troops overseas. More prayers for our Daily Care list group. Hoping for good results for Debbie @dfish after the nerve ablation today. Prayers for Tana, Jacqui @kazu, Chuck @catmando and Annie @marshhawk, Joy's @Seasick Sailor's DS Bonnie, Ann @Vict0riann, Terri @Cruzin Terri, and Vanessa @JazzyV. Sorry if I've missed anyone because I know we all have our daily problems and hate to complain too much. Hoping for improvement in everyone's conditions and maladies. Thanks Vanessa for your work on the lists for us. Great job! Today we have Vancouver, BC, Canada as our port and believe it or not this is a new port. I looked hard and never found it listed before. It’s a lovely city and many of us have been able to enjoy it over the years. I’ll try to get some photos pulled for Vancouver but have to prepare to leave for my hair appointment too. I’ll do my best. Vanessa @JazzyV, please wish your BFF a belated happy birthday from me. I’m still trying to catch up on the Daily from the past couple days. Hoping you all enjoy your day, stay safe and keep well.

Newcastle upon Tyne, England UK On Sept. 2, 2018 we boarded the Prinsendam for our Irish, Scottish and European River cruise. It was a great itinerary. At our first port of call, Tyne, we took a shuttle bus to Tynemouth to the train station. We walked around town a little bit before going to the train station. With the help of a train station employee at the Tynemouth station, we purchased tickets to the town of Newcastle upon Tyne. The city is located on the Tyne River. The pedestrian bridge here is called the Gateshead Millennium Bridge. The Glasshouse International Centre for Music Newcastle Castle St. Nicholas Cathedral Walking along the quayside we saw this little sandy beach they had fashioned with beach chairs and cabanas. The day was cloudy and in the upper 50's so that was pretty optimistic! At left is St. James' Park, home of the Newcastle United Football Club. Nearby is the Chinatown "gate". If I ever go back to Newcastle Upon Tyne, I'll be happy to have the opportunity to meet my new friends Graham @grapau27 and Pauline. 😉

Good morning friends! I slept pretty well last night so no surprise there. But it's time to get up and get myself back on schedule again. The weather at home is 70 and cloudy. High will be 85 and we have good chances of afternoon rain. Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Daily and Fleet Report as well as the location maps. An excellent collection of conversation points. I appreciate all the reports from Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for the descriptions of the coleslaw recipe, Bloody Caesar, and the wine. Prayers for my DB, twin sister and Alex and Jordan's twin boys, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages still held, and our men and women in the military overseas. Lots of prayers for our Care list folks who are in need of them. I admit I haven't read all of the the last two days of Daily reports but will do that ASAP. I hope Jacqui @kazu, Annie @marshhawk and Chuck @catmando are doing okay. Congrats to all celebrating special events and the cruisers. Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for keeping up with us all and making the lists. The port of the day is a new one! Newcastle Upon Tyne, England! This destination is very close to where Graham @grapau27 and Pauline live so I'm sure he can tell us a thing or two about Newcastle. We visited Newcastle Upon Tyne in 2018 on the Prinsendam. I'll collect my photos shortly. I hope everyone has a good day today. Stay safe and keep well.

Surprise! I haven't slept at all today because I hope to get a good rest tonight. We had things to do around the house when we got home. We haven't unpacked except for a few important items, so I will do that tomorrow and begin some laundry. We sent lots of laundry out while away but I don't send clothing that requires gentle cycle and air dry. It's just easier to do it at home. We actually arrived home at 9:30 a.m. which was 24 hours after they handed us the keys. The car they rented us was brand spanking new - it only had 10 miles on the odometer! We took good care of it for them. We did decide to return our rental car this afternoon instead of first thing on Monday morning, so that meant a drive to the airport with me driving one of our cars and DH the rental car. Lots less traffic but more time in a car. The Atlanta airport car rental center was jammed with people returning and renting cars, plus people like me trying to find a parking spot in the tiny little lot they have. Lucky for me someone vacated a front spot as I pulled in to park and wait. Roy @rafinmd you were also exactly right about the port today, Easo, Lifou, New Caledonia. It was here once before on Nov. 14, 2021 as you said. Thank you for posting the link today. I'll try to go back and read all the posts tomorrow. Boy, what a transition back to my regular laptop at home. DH's is a very small HP and I had a heck of a time getting used to that keyboard. Now I can't get used to my own laptop's keyboard. I guess it will take a few days. We will have a small snack for dinner tonight and then I know DH will head to bed. I will be there shortly after him. And I think we can both wait to start back to our doing our exercise routine in the morning. We'll get plenty of exercise putting everything away tomorrow. @St Pete Cruiser I'm very happy to made it to Maine and were boarding today at Bar Harbor. Was your flight booked through Flight Ease? How did you get through to them? No one I know did. Our tickets are essentially consolidator tickets so that puts us at the end of the list when they are filling spaces on other flights. I'm glad we took our fate into our own hands and rented that car. So funny, I feel like I'm sitting on the ship typing this. I'm rocking back and forth unintentionally. DH says he hasn't got his land legs yet either. Maybe we will feel like we're being rocked to sleep tonight! Oh Annie @marshhawk this morning heading towards Atlanta we began getting heavy showers on and off. Then the same going home from the rental car center. What the heck? Feels like Florida. And so humid! When I picked up my mail from my neighbors we were all standing outside sweating. Not too bright of us! I know you've been talking about this lately. Looking forward to a change to less humidity and lower temps.

Good morning friends! I wasn’t at all sleepy last night so we drove all night. We had stopped at a hotel and it was full so we just decided to go further. I actually drove a majority of the late night hours. DH was pretty tired from battling the incessant jams yesterday so he rested. We’re switching drivers now for the final 150 miles. As for the port today I don’t have my notes for today on me. They’re in DH’s laptop sleeve buried in a suitcase. It’s possible it’s new or maybe not. I haven’t been there before. If Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser can find some links I’m sure she can post them for you. I’ll check in again later today. Have a great Sunday!

Hi all. We could not arrange for a flight before Monday. Flight Ease never answered the call to them. We were on hold an hour or so. So I booked a car near the cruise port before they all sold out. Driving in the northeast is a disaster. We averaged 37 mph the first 6 hours! We’re on 81 south of Carlisle Pennsylvania and will stop when we’re tired. Probably wouldn’t sleep a wink in a hotel anyway. Talk to you tomorrow sometime. 😉

Charlene what is the name of your hotel? we would rent a car and drive two days to get home but don’t know if there are any cars left. Trying to figure out if we should go to the airport or where?