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Today's sunrise is another from my 2019 QM2 transatlantic leading to continuing on Crystal Bach, Crystal Serenity, and Crystal Symphony. A little bit of improvement in the weather than previous days: Roy

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie for the Sunday report. I try to make a difference, have helpful neighbors, appreciate fossils, and eat a handful of nuts every day. I visited Stockholm on a land trip in 2003 and on the Elegant Explorer in 2015. .. I like the Wiesel quote. While Edison's invention is now superseded by technological improvements it was a certain game changer. Standardized time zones were also a game changer. Chicken Marsala sounds nice. My alternative is Chilled Peach and Ginger Soup, Spice Crusted Prime Rib, and Apricot Crisp Roy

I can see both points of view on Reflections. I understand the desire to reduce paper and going to a constant 6 pages has been a huge step in that direction. The current Reflections is constatnly a 17x11 folded sheet with pages 1,2, 5, and 6, and an 8 1.2 by 11 sheet for pages 3 and 4. I have saved virtually all my Reflections since late 2011 but only in electronic format since I carry a portable scanner with me. I always did keep the paper copies until the end of the cruise but tossed them the last night. I often refer to previous Reflections during the cruise, so I like the paper copies. I do wonder about a middle ground. The key schedule information about events is all on that middle single page so if people could request that it would be a big help while saving 2/3 of their paper. Not sure if keeping track of that is practical but it seems like a thought. Roy

I've seen the 2 ships together a few times and visited the other ship occasionally. The last time was in Grand Turk about 4 years ago. I was on Symphony at the time. Their dock holds only 2 ships and Carnival owns the port so their subsidiary HAL's Nieuw Amsterdam had priority for one of the berths. Since Serenity has azipods and can do dynamic positioning Symphony got the dock. First an overview: And closer a view of just the 2 Crystal ships: Roy

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 MS Amsterdam Grand Asia segment. On October 21 we visited Kagoshima, Japan: Roy

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 MS Amsterdam Grand Asia segment. On October 21 we visited Kagoshima, Japan: Roy

What I posted from Surabaya in 2021: I "sort of" visited Surabaya off the Crystal Symphony March 2, 2014(Enroute to Singapore and Crystal Symphony to Cape Town and finally Amsterdam to Florida). "Sort of" because I had a bad night with serious vomiting the night before. The medical center declared me non-contagious and I did at least venture into the cruise terminal. I believe a more modern one was under construction but this was a warehouse with some nice vendor stalls and free wifi: It was foggy but I could see a statue through the fog: Fortunately, the malady faded quickly and I had steak that evening. Roy

One thing about the Daily is that posts stop quickly. I'm not sure if this works with other browsers but in Firefox a real url shows up and at the HAL main page if you start by clicking page 6, you can then adjust the url to show something like /page=506/ and see where the posts are, then zero in on the post date. At the moment the Surabaya thread is on page 418 Roy

I don't think there's any need to like posts but complaining is not really a good course either. An example for me is that I don't really like long strings of port photos and I'm unlikely to "like" a post with more than 4 or 5 but recognize that this is a community and that what does not appeal to me may be important to others. Roy

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie. I try not to observe any of today's "days" but perhaps today should be National Nurses Day. Nieuw Amsterdam getting some timely repairs but not so timely for those whose first port may be Fort Lauderdale. Not sure I understand the Goethe quote but I like it anyway. I was in Surabaya in 2014 on the Crystal Serenity. I will probably pass on the soup. My alternative is Chilled Apricot Soup, Japanese Chicken Yakitori, and Blueberry Crisp as served on MS Amsterdam October 21, 2017: Roy

Today's sunrise is another from my 2019 QM2 transatlantic leading to subsequent cruises on Crystal Bach and both Crystal Ocean ships: Roy

Today's sunrise is another from my 2019 QM2 transatlantic leading to subsequent cruises on Crystal Bach and both Crystal Ocean ships: Roy

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie for the TGIF report. Three great culinary days to celebrate. It should be Waiter's day throughout the world. I love the Goldsmith quote. 2 great days to celebrate and I have had the fortune of attending several performances at the Sydney Opera House. I have not been to Rostok, and will pass on the meal. My alternative is Fruit Cup au Naturel, the turf from Surf and Turf, and Cherry Crumble Tart as served on MS Amsterdam October 17, 2017. Off early to the mall to walk and then on to Wegmans. Roy

Partial Panama Canal. Much the same itinerary as last year except through the new locks. Roy

First, today I finished the online checkin for the Rotterdam and have created my boarding pass. I visited the ports for Santiago 4 consecutive years, 2016-2019. In 2016 and 2018 it was on the Crystal Symphony to Valparaiso. In 2019 it was the Prinsendam to San Antonio. In 2017 I was on the Zaandam for what I think was HAL's last call to Valparaiso, but the photos will be from 2018. All 3 of my calls to Valparaiso docked at the same pier in virtually the same exact location. In 2016 we had a shuttle to the original cruise terminal about 2 miles from the ship's location. The terminal was old but serviceable, but was about 1 1/2 miles from the center of town in what felt like a pretty seedy neighborhood. On the Zaandam in 2017 we were probably one of the first ships to use the new terminal. It was probably less than a mile from the center of town which sounds like a good thing. Not exactly. While the terminal location (and the terminal itself) was better, the only way out of the port was a second shuttle from the new terminal to the old one where we emerged in the same seedy neighborhood. There were 2 ways we could have gotten better access to town. The new terminal was within sight of a subway station but there was a barrier between the station and the terminal and no access. The other possibility was even closer to the town square, probably within one or 2 short blocks. There was an area the shuttle went through that had complete public access but the shuttle was not permitted to stop there. If they could have done immigration on the ship and used the terminal only for embarking or disembarking passengers, the shuttle could have stopped right in the heart of town. I don't think we have had photos of the Maritime Museum but that was my destination in 2018, It was at the top of a funicular just a short distance off the main square. While billed as a Maritime A feature was a model of a destroyer, Latorre: The museum courtyard included an interesting outline of an anchor: Roy

Today's sunrise is from a 2019 QM2 transatlantic. October 19, 2019 was the first sea day on a string of cruises that let to a river cruise on Crystal Bach, Crystal Serenity transatlantic, and a Crystal Symphony Caribbean Cruise: Roy

Today's sunrise is from a 2019 QM2 transatlantic. October 19, 2019 was the first sea day on a string of cruises that let to a river cruise on Crystal Bach, Crystal Serenity transatlantic, and a Crystal Symphony Caribbean Cruise: Roy

Here's an article on the situation in Valparaiso Looking at the data in cruisetimetables dot com it doesn't look like they have done anything to fix the problem: https://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news-headlines/valpara-so-cruise-calls-risk-berthing-labor-issues Roy

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie for the Friday Eve Fleet Report and Daily. I probably dress like a dork pretty frequently. It's likely too late for me to really evaluate my life but we need conflict resolution now more than ever. Bon Voyage @Lady Hudson. I think I like the Leonard quote. A great day in medicine but not finance. As @StLouisCruisers HAL has replaced Valparaiso in recent years with San Antonio, I think because of a strange attitude by the port officials there. I'll try to say more later. The pork chop sounds good. My alternative is Lingonberry Soup, Macadamia Crusted Chicken, and Apple Buckle a la mode as served in the MS Amsterdam Lido October 19, 2017. I had a late tour that day and did not get to the dining room: Roy

Oops. Either the Oncology office or I goofed. Got to the office and they told me my appointment was Monday. Not what I had on my calendar and I cannot imagine that I would have accepted the first day back from my cruise. Rescheduled for next Monday. Roy

Today's sunrise is from a 2012 Crystal Symphony cruise from Montreal to New York. On October 18 we sailed part way up the Saguenay Fjord to Cape Trinity. Roy

Today's sunrise is from a 2012 Crystal Symphony cruise from Montreal to New York. On October 18 we sailed part way up the Saguenay Fjord to Cape Trinity. Roy

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann for the Hump Day reports. Three great days to celebrate and 3 great days in history. I love the Kubler-Ross quote. I have not been to Latvia. I'll probably pass on the chili and spices. My alternative is Fruit Palette, Veal Cutlet, and Pineapple Crisp as served on MS Amsterdam October 18, 2017 Nice day in Maryland with a chilly start. I visit the oncologist this morning. Roy

Just a very few photos of Fakarava. The primary settlement and tender landing is the landing of Rotoava: This is the beach on the Pacific Ocean: The population is under 1,000 and there were a few stores, mostly offering non-perishable food as well as a primary school: Roy

I think the post numbering is the way it has been for some time. When a page is loaded, the numbering is sequential. When a new post is added, it does not follow the sequence but starts up again with the first number of the current page. The full numbering is restored when the page is reloaded. Roy