StLouisCruisers

Here we go on Alotau, PNG. In 2017 we flew to Sydney and began 4 cruises on Sun Princess. The first was a circumnavigation and it included a jaunt over to PNG to Alotau. Then the third cruise was mostly Papua New Guinea so we visited that port again two weeks later. This is a very poor town so don't expect the Ritz when you go there. We did see what they call an International hotel which I will show a photo of from the street. It had a big fence around it so we didn't try to get in. The view from the ship. Locals dressed up and danced for our arrival. There was actually a bus outside the ship but we didn't have a tour and like most others just walked to see the town. This must have been the local Walmart. I have no idea what this was. Homes on the hillside behind us. I would worry about landslides. We stopped here to see the War Memorial. It's called the Milne Bay Memorial. Everybody in town seemed very busy trying to sell their goods while the ship was in town. The kids were all dressed up in their native costumes looking for photo opportunities. We kept walking. Uh oh! Road work ahead! Right by the supermarket. We didn't go in. Ahh! Here's the Alotau International Hotel at Milne Bay. I wonder what the online photos looked like. By now we were probably drenched in sweat so headed back to the ship. We walked by this open air market and looked inside but didn't buy anything. The flag of PNG. Sailaway and a sunset. It was Halloween and the waiters at dinner were dressed up as ghouls (or whatever they wanted to). And the ship was decorated with many carved pumpkins. Well, that's all for Alotau.

Good morning friends! Today it is 55F and we expect a high of 65 with cloudy skies. There is a 40% chance of rain this afternoon. I hope those traveling this week to be with family for the Thanksgiving holiday are able to work around the upcoming storms and take their patience with them to the airport.🦃 Thanks Rich @richwmn for today's Fleet Report and Daily. Some interesting days to celebrate but I want to add National Absurdity Day and National Childs Day. Oh my on the bayonet quote. The menu suggestion of Easy Chicken Parmesan sounds good. Once again I'll skip the drink but I like Sauvignon Blanc so thank you for that! Cheers to the Tour de France bicycle race creation in 1902. Thanks to our friends Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for their reports on the food and beverages. Prayers for the people of Israel and Ukraine and the poor hostages in danger. Also for my DB and friends needing extra prayers. And not to forget the Dailyites who are sick, in pain, and needing medical intervention. Hope your problems are soon better! Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for handling the lists every single day!❤️ Yesterday DDIL traveled home to Michigan for her annual physical appointment today. DS and Ren fly home later today for the holiday week. Probably a wise decision since yesterday was a zoo at the airports. The elder DGS will be home from UCLA to celebrate the holiday with the family too. DH and I will be here in Georgia. We will travel to see family at Christmas. 🎄 The port this morning is Alotau, Papua New Guinea which was a port of the day on April 23, 2023. We visited there twice during some B2B's in 2017. I'll post the link for April 23 and my photos following that. According to Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser she has not yet been there. Yesterday for some reason I was very energetic and got a lot of chores done around the house. Lots of cleaning and sweeping, laundry, ironing, etc. Maybe because it was a day off from morning exercise and I slept in an extra hour. What's the old saying? "Make hay while the sun shines"? Hope you all have a great day! Stay safe and well.

Enjoy your transatlantic!!

Sorry Graham, I misspoke. Your dear Dad's 97th heavenly birthday.

Bruce @aliaschief sorry to hear you have some health problems all cropping up at once. I hope you start feeling better and the orthopedist has some good options to help the knees before your cruise. Love the memes today! Graham @grapau27 my best wishes to you today as you remember your dear Mam on her 97th heavenly birthday.❤️ Terri @Cruzin Terri and Jim, have a great cruise. You need it!

Here are the photos Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser posted on July 20, 2021 for Argostoli, Greece. We have been to Argostoli twice pm a BHB. Our first visit was in 2008 on the Prinsendam. That day, we took a tour to Lake of Melissani and the cave. It's a long walk down to the lake and the cave, and seems like a longer walk back up to the bus. Once at the lake, you board a large row boat for a tour of the lake and the cave. I'm glad we did this tour when we did, as the lake and cave have become very popular, with long lines even for tour buses. From the cave, we drove to a fishing village whose name I don't remember. On the way, we stopped at an overlook to see one of the prettiest beaches on the island. The bus driver did not attempt the windy road down to the beach. The fishing village, which was also our shopping stop. Arogostoli from the Prinsendam as we sailed to the next port. Eleven years later, the Veendam took us back to Argostoli. This time we just walked around the town. The main tourist/shopping area is flat and easy walking. This was a nce relaxing day. Lenda

Good morning friends! It's only 41F this morning but will again be sunny and around 69 this afternoon. 🌞 Thanks Rich @richwmn for today's Fleet Report and Daily. Let us all celebrate Men's Day, Women's Entrepreneurship Day, and especially Adoption Day! I like the quote, and would even like the baked ziti. I probably would skip the cocktail and don't know what the wine is yet. 🤷‍♀️ Hurray to explorers like Lewis and Clark who gave their all to try new things and see new places. Thanks to the F&B ladies Debbie @dfish (how was Farkle night?), Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your wonderful reports each day! Prayers for our group on the Care list and even those of you not listed but needing prayers anyway. Hope the pain level has reduced some. Prayers also for my DB, and friends and spouses in poor health, and to all in Israel and Ukraine suffering, with deaths in families and the hostages held so long. 🙏 I read that Annie's Chuck @catmando had a fall and hurt his head, so we send special prayers that he is going to be fine and it doesn't hurt too much today. 🙏 If you have happy celebrations happening and wonderful cruises, we send our congratulations to you.🥂🎉 May you have fair winds and smooth seas. 🚢 Many thanks to Vanessa @JazzyV for handling the list keeping for our Daily family.❤️ The destination for today is Kefalonia Island, Argostoli-Fiskardo, Greece. This was the port before on July 20, 2021 and January 21, 2022. I've checked but have not been to that particular Greek port before. But Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser has been, and today I'll post her photos for her. Please go to my links and retrieve your photos if you've posted them before. I noticed Maxine @AncientWanderer and Robert @Mtn2Sea posting photos before too. Here are the links. Have a great Sunday and please stay safe and well!

I'm sorry to hear of the health issues with your DH and your DS Karen. I hope things can be cleared up soon for both of them. Very worrying with all the unknowns. And to @Cruise Suzy bon voyage and enjoy your Eurodam cruise!

Bon Voyage!!

The Volendam Nov. 9, 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic Passage, 42 days, roundtrip Ft. Lauderdale. We booked it for Israel and the fact it involved Ft. Lauderdale at both ends, no long flights. I don't have any notices yet either from my TA. However I looked at my booking and see the itinerary has changed though my two Haifa and Ashdod shore excursions are still on the booking. I suppose they will cancel and refund my $300 credits and the charge on my credit card for the remainder.

Good morning friends! It is a warmish 56F this morning and will be a sunny day with a high of 70! Sounds great to me! Thanks Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily. All the princesses can celebrate Mickey Mouse Day and we can take care of 2 celebrations at once. Apple cider is good on a fall day. An interesting quote from O. Henry. Another interesting item would be Indian butter chicken. I have no idea what they're referring to but Debbie will solve that puzzle. No thanks to the Beam Ade and I will have to see an explanation of the wine from Ann. St. Peters Basilica has been around for quite a long time now, nearly 400 years though surely it's had some changes over the years. A truly beautiful place to visit! And whoopee for Steamboat Willie fans! Thanks to our gals Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for the great reports they provide every day. Prayers said already today for all in Israel and Ukraine suffering through invasions and war as well as the remaining hostages. Let's get them home! Also for DB and my friends Scott and Bob along with their wives doing the hard work of caretaking. Prayers that all here will soon see pain free days and improved health situations. I don't know how you all do it and still remain active and for the most part positive. 🙏 Cheers to everyone celebrating happy things in their lives and those cruising the seven seas. Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for taking the time to update the lists for us.🚢🥂 I heard last night on CC that the ports of Ashdod and Haifa were removed from our Nov. 2024 Ultimate Mediterranean and Atlantic Passage cruise which is the reason we booked it. I have to discuss it with DH but I have a feeling we will cancel it. It's one of the two 42 day cruises some certain relatives had booked too so I'm not too upset at missing half of that unique experience! It would have been 10 years since our last Holy Land cruise and I am very sorry about that aspect of it. The port this morning is Baie Comeau, Quebec, Canada. I just know that must be a gorgeous place because it sounds so glamorous. Last time we had this Quebec city was August 28, 2022 but I had no photos and neither did Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser. Somehow we've both passed it by on our travels and never stopped as we sailed past. Here is the link for those who have seen it and I saw several posts with photos. Please share them again with everyone! Thanks in advance! Hoping you all have a great Saturday! Stay safe and well.

Thanks for letting us know. I haven't received the notice yet, but see the itinerary has changed on my booking. My tours for Haifa and Ashdod still stand at the moment but they'll get around to cancelling them soon I suppose. We will probably be changing plans now and cancelling since we booked it to see Israel again. I'm also glad the decision was made early.

Thanks Pat!

We went to the grocery store today too but it was all about Thanksgiving there, thank goodness! Pretty crowded, of course, less than a week before the big holiday. We will be here at home, just the two of us, and DH says he'd rather try a spatchcock chicken this year than a turkey or turkey breast. Should be a lot easier. We aren't even having pumpkin pie! Our roofer was here last week checking his roof repair and he gave DH a bag of whole pecans. DH gave him a bag of Buc-ee's southwestern spicy trail mix. So we're having pecan pie for Thanksgiving and with only two of us didn't need any more pies. 😒

Gerry, please wish your DS and DDIL happy 13th anniversary!🥂 I will recommend she do that. Her fiance has sailed on RC once already. Their ship will be Odyssey of the Seas. I'm sure I would like La Paz. As for the sharks I've only trusted the small black tip reef sharks in Bora Bora. It scares me to see photos and videos of DGD (who is a master diver) in the ocean or tanks at the aquarium with the other types of sharks. She just got a promotion at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa she works at, and only has one class left to take next semester at Univ. of South Florida before graduating with her degree in marine biology. I'm thinking she will want to stay there in Tampa to live. She loves it there. I'll just plan on posting for the four days then. Let me know if you extend it. You don't want to overtire Steve with driving! Our neighbor Paul only likes to drive about 200 miles a day in their motor home. He says it's quite a bit of work to set up for the night and get ready again in the morning. Makes sense. We've only been to 2 of the next 4 days ports. I'd better check to see if any of my photos have disappeared though! It's been a long time since we've been to one of them!

Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser thanks for the photos today. It looks pretty nice there in Pichilingue. However I would never get in the water with a shark that big! Does that swimmer know something we don't?? 😄 Yes, I will be happy to post your photos the next couple of days. Let us know how you're doing and when you expect to arrive in Quartzsite as you get further along in your trip. Safe travels!

I am so sorry to hear that shocking news about your job. Good luck to you in locating new employment. The picture today is gorgeous so thank you very much for sharing it.

Good morning friends! Today it is 55F and will be cloudy with a high of 69 degrees. Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily for Friday the 17th. Today I'll celebrate students no matter where they are. I wouldn't turn down some baklava but there's none to be seen here. It would be a good day to take a hike. It's also Substitute Educators Day. The quote sounds odd to me. Someone really loves butternut squash, even in mac 'n cheese, but it's not me! I probably wouldn't drink a rum breeze but would enjoy the Sauvignon Blanc. Some great days in history including Queen Elizabeth I ascending the throne, the Suez Canal opening and the invention of the first computer mouse. Thanks to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for the F&B reports. Prayers this morning for all on the Daily Care list. So many of you are having pain and other medical issues and that includes Vanessa, Debbie, Pennie, Ann, Denise T., Annie and @57redbird (sorry I don't know your name yet). Hoping to hear better news from you all very soon! Also prayers for my DB and my friends Scott and Bob, for all the innocent people in Israel and Ukraine and the hostages still being held. Praying for peace for the world. 🙏 For those on the Celebration list we send our best wishes for happy days and exciting cruises. 🥂🚢 Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for keeping the lists updated even with little sleep.❤️ I appreciate all who answered yesterday my query on good taxi/car services for Rome. I made note of what you said. I was kept very busy yesterday but tried to keep up with the Daily. Sorry I had no time to reply to each one of you. Maureen @RMLincoln I was glad to hear your move and drive to your new place was accomplished. Hope you got a great night's sleep and the movers get things done quickly today. I'm glad you have help with the unpacking there. Jacqui @kazu I took a look at the bursary and it looked great! I hope it will be successful in helping medical professionals who need help setting up. Annie @marshhawk I hope you're feeling better and can gain some weight and strength back. Hope Chuck's doctor can take a listen to your lungs today! Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser good luck preparing for your return to Arizona. @arzz thanks for visiting the Daily yesterday and bon voyage on the Seabourn Sojourn! Sorry to hear about the condo debacle! Someone in the other condo should be paying for the damages. Graham @grapau27 thank you for your offer of help with RC for DGD. I'm sure they're pretty different from what she's used to (Princess). Terri @Cruzin Terri and Jim, have a good drive today to Miami and enjoy your cruise! The port today is Pichilingue (La Paz), Mexico. That was our port before on November 27, 2021 and July 25, 2022. I have not been there before so no photos today. Here are the links to the prior dates. Hope everyone has a successful Friday and good start to their weekend. Stay safe and well!

Bon Voyage Joy, Allen and Himself!!🚢

Question for everyone. What is the name of the car service you all recommend for Rome transfers to the ship? Was it RomeInLimo or RomeCabs? We used a different company in 2019 for our group of 12 because RomeInLimo was fully booked. They recommended an excellent company called ItalyPrivatExcursion.com and we booked them instead. They did a tremendous job and were very reliable. However I wanted to give my DGD options to check out for their honeymoon trip next September-October. She let me know today they have booked an RCI cruise roundtrip Rome stopping in Greece, Italy, and Crete. We are busy texting and emailing information today. Thanks in advance for your replies. They are also checking into an Airbnb for a few days and flights from Cincinnati.

We got to see the port of St. Pierre and Miquelon, France on our August 2023 Zaandam cruise which included New England, Iceland and Greenland as well as Maritime Canada. Unfortunately I felt pretty rotten that day and ended up cancelling our afternoon tour of Sailor’s Island and our Canaletto dinner. It was short lived and I felt fine the following day. Unfortunately the weather was rainy/misty and a bit windy – the only bad weather we had on this 25 days cruise. But since this port was a new one for us, I made myself get on the shuttle bus and in 10 minutes time I was walking the streets of St. Pierre and Miquelon. I should have studied French in school. I went in one of the souvenir shops to look around. They really like puffins here! After our short visit I headed back towards the shuttle pick up point. This appears to be a photo with a mural over the top edge of it. Interesting! I was glad to see the bus because I was getting a little damp and buffeted from the wind. This was the view towards the marina across from the parking lot the bus stopped in. Seen on our way out, some well-watered flowers And a damp park where strollers didn’t mind the weather. Once on board I noticed Seabourn Quest anchored very close to the where the Zaandam was tied up at the dock. Poor passengers had to endure tendering in that nasty weather. I’m grateful we had the dock!

Good morning friends! It's 53 this morning and we expect a high of 68 later today. First it will be a bit cloudy but the sun will be out for most of the day. Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday the 16th. Only one more week until Thanksgiving. A salute to clarinets, tolerance and buttons! It is also the Great American Smokeout day, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. Certainly a worthy day to honor. I'll be interested in seeing the recipes and photos today of the turkey tetrazzini with spinach. You might want to save that recipe for after Thanksgiving if you serve turkey. The drinks sure have odd names these days. I'm not sure what the wine is so will have to pay attention to Ann's wine report. Good days in history with UNESCO and The Sound of Music. Thank you Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your food and beverage reports. Prayers for my DB and dear friends in need, all the Dailyites with pain and suffering, and those at war including the return of the hostages. So many innocent people who have had their lives changed for the worse. Hurray for those with celebrations and wonderful cruises to enjoy. Hope you all have smooth seas and great food. Welcome back Graham @grapau27! Nice to see you here again. We missed you too! Hoping Vanessa @JazzyV had a decent night and gets some relief from her leg pain soon. Thank you Vanessa for working so hard on the lists every day but you should still be on that Care list! DS flew to Texas last night and will be there with DDIL and Ren through the weekend. He missed seeing them sorely last weekend and sadly was home alone for his birthday. Hope he has a nice visit in Frisco for the next few days. Port of the day is St. Pierre and Miquelon, France which is an island in Maritime Canada, not exactly what you would expect. The last two times we had that port, June 5, 2021 and Oct. 12, 2022, I hadn't visited that destination. However we were there recently on Aug. 19, 2023 on the Zaandam (along with Debbie and Sue). I'll provide the links for you and then show a couple photos of my brief visit there. Hope you all have a great day today. Safe driving to our Dailyites and stay well!

Oh, well then CC was definitely having a hiccup! No idea otherwise why they would say that.

This looks like an interesting different thing to do in Isafjordur. Thanks for the totally different photos. It's great you got a few more hours sleep. I should get a Fitbit to help me determine the amount of sleep I get. I'm sure it would come in handy in other ways too! I hope you enjoy seeing DD Ruth's mother while she's in the States. Welcome to the Daily! Hoping Montreal wins for your sake. Sorry Winnipeg! 😉 I think they don't allow posting twice within one minute. It's happened to me once or twice. Nice tour on your VofV cruise! More unique photos to enjoy.

That's a great photo of you two enjoying each other's company. I hope it brings a smile to your face as you recall the happy memories.