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@VMax1700Thank you very much for your posts. Overall, what did you think of the ship’s condition? Was the room up to high standards? Any maintenance problems you could see? Considering booking my first TA on the Oosterdam Spanish Farewell cruise. Love smaller ships and enjoyed the Zuiderdam Panama Canal in February. (Celebrated my bday the day of the transit. Happy bday to you! We were both lucky to be sailing on our special day.)

Elemis amenities are provided in each stateroom including Shampoo, Conditioner, Shower and Bath Gel, Body Lotion

I am lucky enough to live about 30 minutes from the Conowingo Dam on the Susquehanna River, a premier destination for watching eagles. This photos was taken by Andy Vineberg. The following information is a summary of an article by Ad Crable in the Bay Journal. You can often see a 100 or more eagles as they perform aerial feats while diving for fish, their tail feathers skimming the water before rising upward with the prize locked in yellow talons. Plucking a fish is hardly the end of the drama. More often than not, trailing eagles will dive at the avian angler, trying to dislodge the fish. Sometimes, the freefalling fish is snatched out of midair. The river robbery is often successful, sometimes multiple times, before a victor wings away to a tree to devour its catch. Even then, the eagle may find itself winging through the labyrinth of branches with several eagles in pursuit. Adult eagles sometimes take their young on training runs. The parent will catch a fish and deliberately drop it so the juveniles can practice scooping it off the water surface with their talons. Eagles gather at Conowingo for a simple reason: reliable food. Especially in the spring, migrating fish find themselves blocked from moving upriver and mill around the tailrace. Throughout the year, fish on the upriver side of the dam are killed or stunned as they are sucked through 10 generators in the nearly mile-long dam. Eagles perching in trees and on towers and rocks can see a belly-up fish from about 1.5 miles away.

My entire family loves to fish. My BIL will go 100 miles to a canyon off shore in Ocean City with a boat with 1 engine and bring back tuna. My DH fishes for rockfish from a canoe in the Susquehanna. I like fishing for flounder from a kayak in Assawomen Bay.

The delicious HAL bread works for me with a cheese plate. I must have had an amazing steward on the Zuiderdam in February but I ask him if I could have a piece of dark chocolate every night and he put one one my pillow each night. (Maybe because I told him I didn’t need a towel animal.)

I love fresh vegetables! Every year we join a CSA. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, Interested consumers purchase a share and in return receive a box of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season. Advantages for farmers: Receive payment early in the season, which helps with the farm's cash flow. Advantages for consumers: 1)Eat ultra-fresh food, with all the flavor and vitamin benefits 2)Get exposed to new vegetables and new ways of cooking. This week, I got broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce, garlic scapes, snow peas and beets. All because I prepaid $15 a week in April. I highly recommend looking for a CSA in your area if you like fresh veggies.

@kazuIs the room service menu you posted from a Neptune Suite? I don't ever remember having that many hot breakfast item choices available for room service in my standard balcony cabin.

I love a Dirty Martini but only if it's made with vodka and extra olives.

I know many cat lovers post here, when I saw that today's port is in Iceland, I thought I'd share a story I heard on NPR yesterday. https://www.npr.org/2022/06/12/1104418196/cats-are-getting-a-curfew-in-some-icelandic-towns Iceland has traditionally been the land of cat people. The city of Reykjavík banned dogs for much of the last century, until 1984, based on the idea that they were farm animals. In April, Akureyri—the largest municipality in the country’s north, with a population of 19,000 people and some 2,000 to 3,000 cats—decided to ban their feline residents from night roaming outside. Neighboring Húsavík banned cats several years ago from going outdoors day and night. Other Icelandic towns are considering bans. Why? Cats kill birds and disrupt ecosystems.

In Ocean City for the air show. Want chef the practice yesterday. It was LOUD. The Thunderbirds are very impressive. My dinner plan for tonight is shrimp and orzo. (I’m a pescatarian.) We’ll have broccoli and salad too. And wine. Here’s my recipe. https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020330-shrimp-scampi-with-orzo

That is quite a long roll call!

I am looking forward to hearing about the condition of the ship. We are considering her for the Spanish Farewell in November 2022.

@Sharon in AZ So happy to hear to hear your husband is out of quarantine. Are you enjoying the Oosterdam? Is the ship in good condition? My husband and I prefer a smaller ship and really enjoyed our Zuiderdam Panama Canal cruise in February. It was the first time we cruised for more than a week and we really enjoyed it. We are now looking at the Spanish Farewell in November. Could anyone chime in on a transatlantic experience? I know you can't predict the weather but what did you experience on your trip across the Atlantic? I would really appreciate your insights. I'm trying to work up to a 35 day cruise. I love the pictures of the daily port and the recipes. I love the way the people on this thread support each other. I love the positivity. Happy World Oceans Day!

I know that June bugs are insects but in Ocean City we call the graduates that invade the town after graduation, June Bugs.

Is that the charge for Club Orange?

We are lucky enough to still have a Drive In near Baltimore, Bengie's which opened in June 6, 1956. They are one of the 11 Drive-In Theatres featured in “BACK TO THE DRIVE-IN”! documentary. The information below is summarized from the Bengies When the pandemic hit, drive-ins were suddenly the only safe venue in town, with press coverage about how drive-ins are “back,” and how they are thriving. The documentary goes from preparations before the customers arrive, to selling tickets, opening the snack bar, and getting the movie on screen. The doc is about authentic drive-ins and the passionate people who run them, but more broadly it highlights questions about the future of the theatrical experience, and the challenges of many small businesses wondering whether they will survive and make it to the other side of the pandemic. Did you know that, "The drive-in was created for seniors who found it hard to sit in indoor movie theaters comfortably."

I frequently make this applesauce cake because it is so easy, you mix it up in the pan. Fairly healthy too. I add extra cinnamon. https://www.acouplecooks.com/no-bowl-applesauce-cake/

Baltimore hosts dragon boat races in the Inner Harbor. The Baltimore Dragon Boat Challenge started as a local scrimmage in 2009, but now draws teams from across the Midwest and East Coast. The Under Armour waterfront becomes a tent city as teams rally for 500-meter and 2000-meter races. The race is covered by local TV news, and in 2018 the mayor declared the BDBC Challenge to be the official Dragon Boat Day in Baltimore.

@dfishWishing you a successful surgery and a speedy recovery. I appreciate all the recipes you post. Today's reminds me of Falafel. For those who are interested, here's a recipe. https://www.themediterraneandish.com/how-to-make-falafel/

Reassuring to “hear” I’m not the only one with a loved one that is hard of hearing. @summer slopeThank you for the TVEars recommendation. @Live4cruisesI look forward to hearing if they work as well for you. @Sea Viewer🤣My husband conveniently forgets things too. @aliaschiefI know what you mean about ear protectors. @USN59-79Thank you for your service. I’m glad you were finally able to receive effective hearing aides. @TiogaCruiserOne more…

I salute, Save Your Hearing Day. Unfortunately, my husband did not "save his hearing" during his younger days and now he is hard of hearing. When he started turning the TV volume up to 100, I insisted he get a hearing aide. He has one but it frustrates him. He does not wear it at home. If I ask, he will sometimes wear it when we go out. It is particularly difficult to wear with a mask. If he removes his mask, the hearing aide often comes with it. Thoughts ? Advice? I just try to grin and bear it....

@MISTER 67Your health insurance is required to reimburse you $12 per test. Some insurance companies have a network of preferred places where you can obtain a test for free. Check with your insurance company. For the future, order some free tests just to have in the house from covid.gov.

Happy … In Baltimore we celebrate flamingos year round. Sadly, the Hon Cafe closed this year but the icon flamingo still stand guard.

You can only use the Club Orange dining room if you purchased it or are in a Neptune or Pinnacle suite. If so, you can walk in to CO anytime during dinner service even if you have an assigned table in the MDR.

I’d rather have the larger room than a bigger balcony for a family of 4. I’d be happy.