AncientWanderer

This is all opinion, but I'll state it anyway. While I do suspect that the recent early closing is because of staffing problems, my preference is that at least one venue be kept open for late night socializing. We almost never stay up late, but...people take cruises to celebrate all kinds of things and part of the fun of it is not having to drive home after a late night. It's not that hard for a bar to close down and tell the folks drinking, "You guys can keep the party going over at the Ocean Bar," or wherever. Keep one open.

Perhaps this was just a one-off situation? Crew members down with bugs, so not enough to go around? Or test it to see if many people miss cocktails after midnight? I haven't seen this reported from any other ship.

Yeah...I noticed her absence, too. I hope she's not too down in the dumps. Long winter. 😞

@cruising sister, @Quartzsite Cruiser, @summer slope, and anyone else interested in the San Diego port, the article in the Union about construction there is under a pay wall, but the gist of it is that they had originally some very grand plans, with cruise lines chipping in on that, but since the pandemic, any plans have been scaled way back. The focus now will be on creating a more streamlined and comfortable check-in process at the cruise terminal. As far as when, they say, "start in early 2024, with completion targeted for a year later." So it will be awhile, but nice to have it done.

Good morning. For those sailing from port in San Diego, our newspaper is reporting that the port facility will be remodeled, as it’s currently unwelcoming. It needs it. They put a nice shopping and restaurant facility next door, but the port facility itself is just a big warehouse. Looking forward to the improvements! Multiple Personality Day brings to mind Dawn French in “Jam and Jerusalem.” She really switched things up. Good quote. We have a couple of “call anytime” friends and are fortunate to have them. Never been to the Philippines. The meal and beverages sound good. That was good news from @Vict0riann yesterday that Pat is feeling better. Sometimes they just need to prescribe those antibiotics. There was some discussion on one of the World Cruise threads about sharing meals. But I saw an even better suggestion. We’re off to brunch here soon. Wishing everyone a joyful day. Many thanks to those who organize and contribute to the Daily.

Great photos! Awesome smiles on the ski trip!

Our cruise on Golden Princess departed June 20 of 2004. It was a celebration for us as well -- graduation. We had our kids and DMIL along with us. Very enjoyable cruise.

Great photo! 😍

Good morning. It was so pleasant reading posts today — many moving words and stories. And a nice collection of days — no GI to hug, though. We used to love watching the marching band at Disneyland. We visited there often. The drink and wine sound good. All the chili recipes sound delicious. My mom always used cans of “small red beans,” which I never see around anymore. We sailed on the Golden Princess out of San Juan in 2004. Maybe same route as @JazzyV. @grapau27, thanks for sharing the story of the Durham miners. That’s great they still have the gala, @TAW1963, enjoy your cruise. We sail out of Galveston in October. Would love to hear about your trip. @smitty34877, the beach getaway to San Juan sounds wonderful. @ottahand7, great photos. I think all the dogs would make me nervous. 😬 @marshhawk, thank goodness you dodged tornadoes. We were all thinking of you. @summer slope, prayers for sweet kitty. @GTVCRUISER, more great photos. @cat shepard, we’ve also had a remarkable view of the planets from here in San Diego after our rain. So beautiful, @dfish, that’s great you have the nice gardens nearby. Enjoy the butterfly exhibit. @rafinmd, great story and love the quote. @mamaofami, congratulations to your daughter. Enjoy your visit with DGS. @ger_77, when I read your posts I have to laugh at what we think is cold here in San Diego. @Quartzsite Cruiser, thanks for adding the veggie chili recipe. @cruising sister, wonderful photo and story about your DS. @durangoscots, I hope you figure out Bandit’s trouble. @highscar, wow on the snow. Stay safe. We are dog sitting DD’s pommie while they are in Park City, Utah. We have another generation on skis. Happy four-year-old. Wishing all a lovely Saturday.

@Cruising-along, your Christmas village looked so good this year. I never put one up because I was down with Covid early December. So I decided to put a few things out for the winter to spring transition. There’s a pub, a tea shop and a fish and chips shop…as well as a bee-keeping operation. That makes a village, right? If anyone else here is a “Little House” fan, you have a great hobby. 😉

Happy TGIF, everyone. It's brisk out here in San Diego. Unusually cold for us. This afternoon we are meeting friends at a new-to-the-area event, The Great Junk Hunt in Del Mar, followed by dinner at one of our really good Mexican restaurants in Solana Beach. For years there has been a good antique show in Del Mar. This is, I guess, down the scale, but should be fun. I'll gladly salute caregivers and definitely want everyone to be happy. Not sure about the thumbs on the pets. 🤷‍♀️ The drink, wine and meal all sound good. Great photos today of Charlottestown. What a lovely place it is. We will be back there, God willing, in the fall of 2024. @1ANGELCAT, what an eye-opener you had this morning with the police knocking on the door. Sounds scary. @kochleffel, do take it easy. I did too many things after having covid beginning of December and it took a long time to fully recover. I was still coughing until just about last weekend. All clear now, though. I think it was bugs on top of a weakened system. Nobody needs that. @cunnorl, thank you for your post about DD. It's precious. You have mentioned her before and have come to mind sometimes when thinking about our own young DGS and what the future holds for him. You've been inspiring. The loving people here on the Daily really do make an impact they're probably not even aware of. @smitty34877, that's great that nothing was too alarming about your DH. Sigh of relief there for sure. @ottahand7, thanks for the photos from Boca da Valaria. It looks like you had an interesting day! @richwmn, darn on missing Madagascar. Sounds like you guys were mentally prepared for this, though. I've really been enjoying your "live from" thread. It's interesting to read all the threads and see how people enjoy their cruise in different ways. @Lady HudsonWelcome home. @Cruzin Terri, that stinks that Wayfair never showed up. @TiogaCruiser, I hear ya about the wet ground. Seriously crazy weather this year. @Vict0riann, I hope your DH and DD are on the mend soon and that you feel more upbeat. @luvteaching, that is wonderful that your DH is coming home. 😊 Everyone, thanks for the jokes and great photos. Prayers for those having difficulties and cheers to those having better times. Wishing all a lovely day.

Carolyn, I don’t know if I can entirely sort that out, because there were scans and things that might not show in My Chart. I know I can see blood tests on there. Tomorrow when my brain is fresh, I’ll dig in and see what is there. I definitely got a more fine-tuned diagnosis than what Gfr and the regular blood work shows. I’m just really glad you didn’t get super bad news. I didn’t want to say much before your visit because we all just have to deal with what comes up, but thank goodness things aren’t too far gone. Btw…I wasn’t put on special diet either, but I definitely feel better when eating moderate amounts of protein etc. Which is good to do anyhow.

Yes!!! I was waiting to hear how it went. That's a good report! I had to do the battery of tests and consult with the nephrologist and mine went like yours. I was amazed at how many more definitive diagnostic tests there are and was so happy that it wasn't as bad as the general tests had led me to believe. I was sooooo hoping that you would have a positive visit as well. I'm toasting you tonight, girl friend. Kidneys are...important.

Will be thinking of you, Jane, as you finish up tests tomorrow. I’m really sorry to hear you’ve been going through all this. What a month you’ve had. Just enduring all the tests would be quite a physical strain. Thanks for sharing your situation. Prayers are with you. Maxine

Carolyn, we took a City Line shuttle, but now when I google that, I only see a shuttle starting in the morning from Christchurch -- the opposite direction. What I have in my journal is that we didn't plan ahead to go there, but then found that Akaroa is quite small and so thought it would be nice to go farther afield. We quickly found transportation. In my search today, I did see another company that provides service when cruise ships are in. You might contact them to see if they will be operating when your ship is in port. https://www.akaroabus.co.nz/Cruise-Ship-Tours/ A lot of the historic buildings in Christchurch were destroyed, and we noticed that they were sadly being replaced with very nondescript buildings. BUT...the city also has a lovely river walk and we did have time for the museum, too. The Antarctica display at the museum is really good, as others have noted. Akaroa itself is delightful. Very French -- super cute.

Good morning. Chili, flowers and sleeping sound pretty good, as does the tortellini. I’m a Harry Potter fan and the quote is a memorable one. We have not been to Lyttelton, but have been to Christchurch from port stop in Akaroa. We don’t have photos, but I’ll share our experience there, since most seem to have mainly visited the museum. We enjoyed an early morning walk around Akaroa, which is a small but charming area, and then took a 9:30 a.m. City Line tour bus to Christchurch. It was about an hour’s drive and we booked the shuttle there where the tender dropped us off in Akaroa. We were there in November of 2015, so after the earthquake. The weather was perfect. We walked through the interesting “Container Mall” that had every kind of shop set up in a container. My understanding is that the area is closed now, as rebuilding has taken place. The amount of devastation to the area was heartbreaking. Beautiful old buildings destroyed. But…the main memory I have of Christchurch and the reason everyone should go there is the out-of-this-world Botanic Garden within Hagley Park. It is a truly magical area. There are oaks, chestnuts, redwoods — every kind of tree — larger and healthier than any we’ve ever experienced. The rhododendrons — also enormous and tree-like. All the colors were vivid beyond belief. DH took many photos, but, sadly, can’t seem to find them. Can you tell we enjoyed the park? It’s a must-do. And the drive there and back is lovely, too. We were back onboard at 4:30 after an especially enjoyable day. I hope everyone enjoys this day, too. I suspect there might be some napping amongst us. Thanks, everyone, for all the wonderful contributions here.

@StLouisCruisersSandi, I hope the two doggies behave. We have a similar situation. DD has a pommie and encouraged me to get one, too, with the understanding that they will keep both dogs when we travel, as they like having two dogs to keep company together. DSIL works often at home and the dogs are sweet there in his office with him. He enjoys having them with him. BUT… the dogs do get each other going with barking if they hear any noise outside or whatever. So…it is what it is — some positive and some negative. Hopefully the good outweighs the bad. By now, we are all so in love with both Pomeranians that anything goes. I expect that’s what will happen at your DD’s house.

Hi guys. Haven’t been online much lately, but today I did notice it was laundry day for a couple of Dailyites. I’ve been picking up tips from the interweb. 😍

This is why we cruise, right? Beautiful

I'll be saying an extra prayer that you receive your device without delay and that the results of the test are favorable. Hang in there, Roy. Medical stuff is not any fun.

Good afternoon/evening. It’s a sunny day here in San Diego, but rain and wind is apparently coming soon. We had pancakes for breakfast and will have gumbo for dinner. I keep green, gold and purple sprinkles in the pantry, so need to find a sweet to sprinkle them on. Tomorrow will be cutting back on internet, food and drink. Taken as reading greeting cards, I have a correspondence file full of them and enjoy them from time to time. Taken as fortune-telling, I got it in my head to learn to read tarot cards as a way to exercise my aging memory. There are lots of configurations to memorize. I bought a book all about it, but forgot to follow through. All languages are interesting. I like the quote from John Cleese. @dfishDebbie, we make a flank steak very similar to your dad’s. It’s a foolproof bbq. We call it “birthday flank steak” because that’s what we all want on our birthday. The cocktail and wine sound good, as does a visit to St. John. @StLouisCruisersSandi, DH sleeps like a brick, too. So lucky! I used to have a sleep med prescription and would take it one night a week, just to catch up. I liked that system, but my doctor doesn’t like to prescribe them at all, so now I just get by. It’s so weird how women wake in the middle of the night. @summer slope, thanks for the St. John photos. You and your friends must have many good memories about St. John. @ottahand7, scary about the iPhone. @RMLincoln, it sounds like you have a wonderful vacation planned. 😍 Many thanks to all who contribute to the Daily. Hello to those who just read and enjoy. 😊 Stay safe and warm out there.

Good morning. I'm so sorry to see @grapau27Graham's news about Sarah's friend. Condolences to Sarah and friends and family. Thoughts are with Jimmy Carter, too. I've read many of his books and they're really inspirational -- no matter how one leans politically. Quite a gentleman. Maybe I'll get DH his favorite chocolate mint chip ice cream today. And watch our DVD of Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in Road to Zanzibar. We're going out to breakfast and having a real R&R day. DH has been overworked lately getting his mother's house cleaned out for sale and handling her business, along with ours. He really needs a break. Thanks to all who are pitching in to keep the Daily up and running. Wishing all a peaceful Sunday.

Good morning. DH just headed out to our grandson's birthday party. I'm home -- still coughing and sneezing. One bug after another this year! Batteries are useful, wine is good, and whales are beautiful. I'll take the day! Not afraid of dying either. The soup looks great, but no scotch drinkers here, so no to that. Some day we will finally make it to Japan! Beautiful orchid, @puppycanducruise. DD always has one going in her home. Mine don't seem to do as well. @kazu, it's great that you are able to tap out posts here. I hope you're keeping your spirits up okay. @ottahand7, the fireworks show sounds lovely. I hope they do repeat for you. @ger_77, interesting about the memorial service. Kind of a "viewing"? Have fun at the flea market. That's such a great way to spend an afternoon. @kplady, amazing whale experience you had! @Seasick Sailor, what a beautiful baby! And such a great photo with the ladies together! Enjoy your cruise. Also big Bon Voyage to @57redbird @GTVCRUISER, it's always wonderful to see the Koningsdam in San Diego. I wish we were hopping on today! Many thanks, all, for our Daily dose of kindness. Wishing everyone a delightful day. 🛳️ ⚓ 🌊

We didn't observe any bad behavior on our one-week Mexico Carnival cruise. Granted, we stayed away from party areas at night, but we had Lido lunch every day and the other guests were very polite -- "You go ahead"; "No, no. After you."

Might be blah...but I want one.