The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday August 29th, 2022

[richwmn]

 

Today is International Bat Night, More Herbs, Less Salt Day, and Motorist Consideration Day
 

There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve; the fear of failure.--Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist

Meal Suggestion for today - Chicken Gnocchi Pesto Soup
Drink of the Day - Razzmatazz Truffle Martini
Wine of the Day - Sandlands 2018 Mataro (San Benito County) Central
Destination of the Day - Montreal, Quebec, Canada
 

Eurodam

Juneau, Alaska 13:00 - 22:00
 

Koningsdam

Juneau, Alaska 1:00 PM To 10:00 PM
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Ketchikan, Revillagigedo Island, Alaska eta 08/30
 

Nieuw Statendam

Saint John NB, New Brunswick Canada 07:00 - 14:30
 

Noordam

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska 15:00 - 18:00
 

Oosterdam

Mykonos, Greece 16:00 -
 

Rotterdam

At Sea Destination Bergen, Norway eta 08/30
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Juneau, Alaska eta 08/30
 

Zaandam

Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada 09:00 - 18:00
 

Zuiderdam

Ketchikan, Revillagigedo Island, Alaska 10:00 - 18:00
 

Volendam

Rotterdam Waalhaven Ukraine Relief
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[grapau27]

Thank you Rich for interesting fleet reports and today's daily.

As our roads have got busier motorists consideration of others has gone down so it is good for us all to have a day to think of how we can be more considerate on our roads.

The quote can be true.

Todays food sounds interesting but not sure about the drink.

Prayers 🙏 for all those they will help.

I hope everyone has a nice day.

 

 

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Suzi was so happy next season of HAL Caribbean cruises is available now. 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Fleet and Daily Report.

 

It's hot and humid already this morning.   It's forecast to get to 28C (82F) but with the humidex it will feel like 36C (97F).  Quite a change from a few days ago when it was only 7C (45F) in the morning.  We've got a chance of thunderstorms this afternoon.  The rain will be welcome, but not the lightning and thunder.

 

An interesting collection of days.  Bats eat a lot of mosquitoes (hooray!).  I try to use less salt and more herbs when I cook.  I wish motorists would be more considerate.

 

Love the quote.

The meal sounds good, looking forward to seeing recipes.

Hope the drink and wine are tasty.

 

Prayers for everyone.  Have a great week.

Stay safe.

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the Monday report, Rich.  As in the UK, Motorist Consideration is in short supply here.  Bats are essential but most of us would prefer they keep a distance.  One or more of my troop's Eagle Scouts has set up bat houses in certain areas to help control insects.  More Herbs and Less Salt sounds great although I'm trying to figure out how that relates to my low sodium levels.  Montreal is a great city but sadly HAL is down to 2 ships that can get under the bridges to reach it.  I love the quote but am not sure about the meal.  Today is the first day of school and my church men's group will be part of a welcoming party for new and returning students.  Sad to hear on the news about another grocery shooting:

 

Today’s care list:

Marshhawk’s friend Jessee with throat cancer
Sandi’s neighbors David (RIP) and Linda in critical condition
Horizon Chaser 1957 needing new treaatment for arthritis
The locks at Ijmuiden(Rotterdam diverted to at least 9/11)
From the rotation:
Tana with persistent problems although somewhat better
Atrex6 Father severely declining
Strength and healing (physical and emotional) for Kazu
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Hawaii Little League World Champions
Tiogacruiser stepping up to cover wines  for cat shepard
7 days for cat shepard (Nieuw Amsterdam 9/4 to 9/11)
Cruisin Terri early appointment with hand surgeon
Bon Voyage  Oceansaway17 (Quantum OTS 8/29 to 9/5)
Av8rix (Zuiderdam  to 8/31), Kochleffel (Voyager OTS  to 9/3), luvteaching (Crown Princess to 9/3), Eurodam to 9/10). Vax1700 (Rotterdam  to 9/11) and Gail&Marty (Rotterdam to 10/15) at sea
Staff Captain Sabine - Our first female Staff Captain and HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

Roy

 

 

[kazu]

thanks for our Monday Daily, Rich.

 

 

Haven’t seen any bats flying around here but they certainly play an important role in the environment.  Always use herbs and little salt so I guess I am celebrating the day.  LIke the rest of you, I wish more motorists were considerate although there are a few around here.

 

Love today’s quote. And Montreal is so beautiful - especially Old Montreal.  Never been there by cruise ship but by land instead.

 

 

Well, I did it!  I started the calls last night to get people to save the weekend (waiting for a shorter term weather forecast to finalize whether it’s Saturday or Sunday) for Jose’s Celebration of Life.  More calls to do today and then I better start to figure out cleaning this house with my knee.  I certainly won’t be scrubbing the kitchen floor in my normal way (on my hands and knees).  Hoping I can pull it off well 🤞 

 

 

Along with that going to visit my widow neighbour who has had hip surgery and is tied to her house.  Think I will take her some cherry tomatoes to munch on 😉 

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care list & for those that need them and 🥂 to those on the Celebratory / Shout Out list.

 

Have a great Monday everyone!!!

 

 

Stay safe and please don’t forget your 😷 

[smitty34877]

Good morning  to all. It is very humid here and quite similar to @puppycanducruise's weather.My dogs were quick to return to the house this morning  as it felt like a wall of water we trudged through.

I do cook with less salt,more herbs and watch DSIL in horror as he salts before tasting. Of course, as a mother in law I keep my lip zipped. There  are bats in abundance  hanging about and eating  mosquitoes  here.

Drivers around here have always  been scary but are totally reckless.I was waiting for a left turn arrow at a major intersection  yesterday.The oncoming traffic was heavy with no breaks.The car behind me  beeped and then went around me and into the intersection  causing an oil tanker to almost crash into both of us. This is the sort of excitement  I could do without.It was 9 am on a Sunday...

 

Montreal is one of our favorite  ports.We visited it on the Veendam and the Maasdam .The last time we were there was our "constant rain cruise" in May of 2017.Rain gear saved the day during that cruise and we had a great time with cruising friends.

Enjoy the day and thanks for the Daily

 

Edited August 29, 2022 by smitty34877
crazy auto correct

[superoma]

@kazu here’s something for you to think about, something I learned from my dad’s partner Elizabeth. Like you, I always cleaned top to bottom before  gatherings. Elizabeth told me to just make sure the house was presentable before hand, dusted, straightened up, damp mopped kitchen floors and clean bathrooms. She said she always did the major cleaning afterwards. This saved me so much stress and time and I have been able to enjoy my company much more. Just a thought to help out. Would you consider getting in a cleaning service one time after the fact just to save wear and tear on your knee?

 

already hot and humid here too this morning. Weather report says rain but the clouds (and storms) keep splitting north or south from us.

 

the garden has been very good to us this year. We have given away so many tomatoes, mostly cherry tomatoes. endive lettuce, summer squash, have also been plentiful. I have blanched and frozen some tomatoes to use in soup or stew. Yesterday I did summer squash and early in the summer green beans. All that will taste great in the middle of winter!

 

 

[marshhawk]

Good Monday Morning Dailyites!

 

@kazu Don't know if you can do this with your bum knee right now, but my old neighbor taught me to clean the floor with towels and my feet.  Get a towel (large) wet and plop in on the floor.  Put down some cleaning agent, and shuffle across the floor with your feet on the towel.  Rinse out the towel with clean water, plop it down again, and shuffle across to get all the soap up, and then one more time.  Take a dry towel and shuffle across to dry it up.  Then place fan on floor to finish drying.  Wash towels.

 

My DH thinks i am crazy doing it this way, but I don't have to get on my knees. I can cling on to the counter so i don't fall, and I can watch tv or listen to music while i do it.  I do hope your knee is doing better.

 

We are off to the bank this morning.  And then to work.  

DH started his new meds yesterday, I hope that they don't make him too looney, cause yesterday was not the best.

 

A mini bagel  for breakfast, and I bought some Tillamook cream cheese.  Trying something new today.

I have to call the pre cruise hotel, as I noticed that they sort of got my request wrong...got the directions printed, and I have started packing by putting everything in a drawer, so I can throw it in the suitcase the night before (this is not my style  but my available hours are minimum)

 

Have a great day, I like bats, just not if they are trying to eat me, we have bats in the yard at night.  Less salt, great idea, love herbs and spices, and when it comes to motorists, I often consider buying a tank, and blasting most of them.  Something about how the world went when covid appeared, more red lights are run, more speeding, more recklessness.  I also consider not getting in my car most days.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  Another 70F day with 98% humidity this morning.  It should get up to 88F for a high.  Haven't said all my morning prayers yet but will get on that after I finish here.  Today is a PT exercise day so that's on the agenda too.  Jacqui @kazu, I agree with Eva @superomaabout the extent of the house cleaning before a get together.  If you do the bathrooms, mop the kitchen floor and straighten up and put away that will be plenty.  Love the housekeeping meme today so thanks for that!  

 

Thanks Rich @richwmnfor the Daily.  Bats are scary to most of us but do help with the insect population.  I've never seen a bat around here.  I appreciate motorist consideration and try to be considerate myself when driving.  I'll leave the seasonings up to my DH chef.  He likes more seasonings than I do so will try to be careful what he puts on my food.  The chicken gnocchi pesto soup sounds like a winner.  I would probably skip the drink and wine.  A great quote again today.  Montreal is a wonderful place to visit, and it was posted here by Rich on May 18, 2021.  It's on page 52 of his posting activity but here is a link to that date in case you have photos you want to repeat from back then.

 

 

Thanks also to Roy @rafinmdfor keeping the lists updated.  I haven't heard any news on Linda the past two days, but my next door neighbors who visited her while on their road trip got home last night.  They will be coming over to pick up their garage door opener remote that they left with us for trash pick up day, so I will inquire how Linda is in case they have any new information.  Still haven't heard about Linda's dog so I hope he's safe.  Prayers will be said soon for all on our Care list, and the people of Ukraine who have been suffering for 6 months.  Congrats to all on the Celebration list.  Have a wonderful cruise to those leaving or already on a ship!

 

Here are my photos from May 18, 2021.

 

In August 2018 we sailed into Montreal on the Seabourn Quest at the end of our Route of the Vikings II cruise.  It began in Reykjavik and cruised to a nice group of ports in Greenland and Maritime Canada.  This was our view as we headed towards the dock.

 

We reluctantly disembarked the beautiful Quest and boarded a bus for a tour of Montreal.  At the end of the tour we would be dropped off at the airport to fly to Amsterdam for our next cruise on the Prinsendam.  Our first stop on the tour was at the Notre-Dame Basilica. 

 

 

The interior of this cathedral had some of the most beautiful lighting, altars and statues I have seen anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

The scene in front of the cathedral

 

Unique statuary seen about town as we drove through the streets.

 

What is with their noses?

 

The Museum of Fine Arts.

 

At a scenic overlook you can see Olympic Stadium in the distance

 

Our second time in Montreal (6 weeks later in October 2018) was the beginning of a Rotterdam Canada, New England, Atlantic Coast Cruise which ended in Tampa, Florida.  Continuing on down the coast of the U.S. to Florida makes this a very interesting and unique voyage.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Edited August 29, 2022 by StLouisCruisers

[kazu]

10 minutes ago, superoma said:

@kazu here’s something for you to think about, something I learned from my dad’s partner Elizabeth. Like you, I always cleaned top to bottom before  gatherings. Elizabeth told me to just make sure the house was presentable before hand, dusted, straightened up, damp mopped kitchen floors and clean bathrooms. She said she always did the major cleaning afterwards. This saved me so much stress and time and I have been able to enjoy my company much more. Just a thought to help out. Would you consider getting in a cleaning service one time after the fact just to save wear and tear on your knee?

 

Thanks - this is embarrassing to say but I just have stuff everywhere still from trying to re-organize and then getting hampered by Shadow, the wrist and now the knee.  So I need to get things presentable somehow before I would dare call in a cleaning company.  LOL.  I do plan to do that at some stage but I want the mess sorted out of first (You know what it’s like when you start to sort, give a way and don’t finish?)

 

The only mess after the guests will be the kitchen.  The party will be outside (please give me good weather).  I have far more room on my deck and it’s more congenial for mixing than I do in my cut up house.

 

It might not be perfect - but as long as it’s presentable and clean, I’ll be content.  I have nearly 2 weeks so I can pace myself doing that and getting the dishes and additional flatware upstairs.

 

Celebration will be on the 10th or 11th.

 

[0106]

@kazuyour guest don’t care about the kitchen floor.  I agree with @superoma advice.

 

Today is the first day of school for most schools in MD.  Thank a teacher for helping to make the world a better place.

 

I was lucky enough to board the Veendam in Montreal.  (I miss the smaller ships.). Had a wonderful time walking around the beautiful city.  Unfortunately, I rarely take pictures so have none to share. 

 

Hoping everyone has the best day possible.

[aliaschief]

Good morning! We arrived home on time at 8:00 PM and we both crashed by 9:00 PM. Neither one of us slept well and we were both up by 4:30 AM!

As always after a, long time away from home there is a lot to do today and that will carry on for a few days. It was a wonderful vacation and we highly recommend Best Scottish Tours if you want to have a private tour of Scotland. They take care of everything and their guide/drivers are knowledgeable, fun, flexible and dedicated to presenting you the best of Scotland.

 

Our Rotterdam cruise was fine. It was good to see some crew from our March cruise. It was definitely a different atmosphere as there were many new time cruisers, families and us English speaking guest were probably the minority. Surely saw and experienced some beautiful scenery and beauty.

 

The bags need unpacking, the mail is stacked high and there are laundry loads awaiting. Oh yeah! The cupboards are bare!

 

Thanks Rich and all who contribute. Fast WiFi is back, how wonderful!

 

Bruce

[ottahand7]

Good Monday morning! We are heading to town soon.   Last trip for the season I hope.  68 degrees and about 98 % humidity.  A good day for town.  I still have hummingbirds I think the latest they have ever stayed.  We have no bats here any longer due to the white nose disease.   I think soon some of the remnant will reproduce enough to find the cabin again.  They figured out how to get under our metal soffit and we could hear them skittering around in there during the day. The dragonflies try to put a dent in the mosquitoes. 

Thanks for the Daily Reports @richwmnand @rafinmd. Prayers for all needing them and the people of Ukraine.   Have a great day. 

I still have some Daylilies blooming.  

[marshhawk]

@aliaschief  It's nice to have you home.  I truly loved your photographs of your trip.  Except for great food, and being pampered, I felt like I was walking along with you.  It's OK to wake up at 4:30 this morning, nap time will call you back later. 

[dfish]

Good morning everyone!

 

Today has dawned with abundant sunshine and abundant heat and humidity.  Thunder bumpers are supposed to roll in this afternoon and cool us down a bit.  That would be a good thing!  The only thing on my agenda is painting the living room.  The room is bigger, but there is more room to maneuver around than in the kitchen and dining room.  I think that will help make it easier.  

 

Today's meal is pure comfort.  It is thick, rich, and creamy.  It would be wonderful on a cold night in January.  It is not for the calorie or carb counters.   https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chicken-gnocchi-pesto-soup/

 

 

This next one is a little lighter on the calories and the carbs.  More broth used helps do that.  https://thekitchengirl.com/10-minute-pesto-chicken-gnocchi-soup/

 

 

This is a vegan version.  The chicken is left out, but could easily be included.  https://www.delishknowledge.com/gnocchi-pesto-soup/

 

 

If you want to skip the soup version and just go for the chicken gnocchi pesto, here's the recipe.

https://www.chiselandfork.com/chicken-pesto-gnocchi/

 

 

One last version:   https://www.healthyfood.com/healthy-recipes/pesto-gnocchi-and-chicken-bake/

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from partly cloudy and humid central Texas.  Our rain is supposed to start tonight, with chances of rain all week.  Naturally, tomorrow has the highest chance of rain since DH has a doctors appointment.  Luckily, it is with out PCP in town.

 

As others have stated, bats are very important.  There is a colony of bats that in the summer live under the Congress Street bridge in Austin.  People gather at sunset to watch them emerge for their nightly hunt for insects.  I don't cook with salt very often, but I also don't add a lot of herbs.  I wish more motorists were considerate instead of just trying to get where they are going as fast a possible.

 

I like today's quote.  We'll pass on the meal and the drink.  I'll wait for the wine report.

 

We have been to Montreal and I'll repost my pictures from May 18, 2021.

 

@kazu  Jacqui, don't worry too much about the house.  As @superoma Eva said, as long as it's presentable that's all that matters.  Your guests will be there to see you and honor and celebrate Jose's life, not to inspect the house.  BTW, just shut the doors to the messy rooms if you run out of time.  

@smitty34877  Terry, I'm glad an accident was avoided yesterday.  I really think some drivers are getting worse by the day.

@aliaschief  Welcome home, and thanks for allowing us to join you on your vacation.

 

We drove to Montreal from Dover, NJ, in 1969 or 1970, when DH was in the army.  We cruised there in 2004 on the old Regal Princess b2b round trip from NYC.  

 

As Montreal was a turnaround day, we had 2 1/2 days there, but were meeting friends, one of whom joined us for the return trip to NYC.  The other friend lived in St. Cathartines, ON, and took the train to Montreal to see the three of us.   We did some sightseeing, including a city bus that made a loop with a stop at Mont Royal Parc overlooking the city.  The first afternoon, we wandered around the underground shopping mall.  The last day, which was a short one, we went out to the Olympic village.

 

These are some of my pictures as walk around and rode on the city bus.

 

The view from Mont Royal Parc with the Olympic swimming venue in the background.

 

More of the fall colors

 

The swimming venue

 

Now, it's time to run to the store before it gets crowded.

 

Lenda

[dfish]

We visited Montreal on the Rotterdam in 2018.  It was a b2b Boston/Montreal/Boston and Montreal was our turn around day.   We didn't take any excursions as they all were airport transfers.  One of the things we did do on this trip was explore the cuisine.   Montreal was smoked meat sandwiches and poutine.  

 

 

We did like the gardens we saw.  

 

 

 

 

And, we enjoyed coffee at a sidewalk cafe.  

 

 

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you for the Monday report, Rich.  As in the UK, Motorist Consideration is in short supply here.  Bats are essential but most of us would prefer they keep a distance.  One or more of my troop's Eagle Scouts has set up bat houses in certain areas to help control insects.  More Herbs and Less Salt sounds great although I'm trying to figure out how that relates to my low sodium levels.  Montreal is a great city but sadly HAL is down to 2 ships that can get under the bridges to reach it.  I love the quote but am not sure about the meal.  Today is the first day of school and my church men's group will be part of a welcoming party for new and returning students.  Sad to hear on the news about another grocery shooting:

 

Today’s care list:

Marshhawk’s friend Jessee with throat cancer
Sandi’s neighbors David (RIP) and Linda in critical condition
Horizon Chaser 1957 needing new treaatment for arthritis
The locks at Ijmuiden(Rotterdam diverted to at least 9/11)
From the rotation:
Tana with persistent problems although somewhat better
Atrex6 Father severely declining
Strength and healing (physical and emotional) for Kazu
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Hawaii Little League World Champions
Tiogacruiser stepping up to cover wines  for cat shepard
7 days for cat shepard (Nieuw Amsterdam 9/4 to 9/11)
Cruisin Terri early appointment with hand surgeon
Bon Voyage  Oceansaway17 (Quantum OTS 8/29 to 9/5)
Av8rix (Zuiderdam  to 8/31), Kochleffel (Voyager OTS  to 9/3), luvteaching (Crown Princess to 9/3), Eurodam to 9/10). Vax1700 (Rotterdam  to 9/11) and Gail&Marty (Rotterdam to 10/15) at sea
Staff Captain Sabine - Our first female Staff Captain and HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

Roy

 

 

Thank you for today's lists and interesting post Roy.

[grapau27]

Last week we were talking about Hang gliders and we were watching 2 today at the beach.

[summer slope]

Razzmatazz Trufffle Martini cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Pinnacle® Whipped® Vodka
2 parts DeKuyper® Razzmatazz® Schnapps Liqueur
1 part DeKuyper® Creme De Cacao Dark Liqueur
1 part Kamora® Coffee Liqueur
1 splash Half and Half

Instructions
Pour all ingredients into a mixer. Shake and strain into a martini glass.

 

[grapau27]

56 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  Another 70F day with 98% humidity this morning.  It should get up to 88F for a high.  Haven't said all my morning prayers yet but will get on that after I finish here.  Today is a PT exercise day so that's on the agenda too.  Jacqui @kazu, I agree with Eva @superomaabout the extent of the house cleaning before a get together.  If you do the bathrooms, mop the kitchen floor and straighten up and put away that will be plenty.  Love the housekeeping meme today so thanks for that!  

 

Thanks Rich @richwmnfor the Daily.  Bats are scary to most of us but do help with the insect population.  I've never seen a bat around here.  I appreciate motorist consideration and try to be considerate myself when driving.  I'll leave the seasonings up to my DH chef.  He likes more seasonings than I do so will try to be careful what he puts on my food.  The chicken gnocchi pesto soup sounds like a winner.  I would probably skip the drink and wine.  A great quote again today.  Montreal is a wonderful place to visit, and it was posted here by Rich on May 18, 2021.  It's on page 52 of his posting activity but here is a link to that date in case you have photos you want to repeat from back then.

 

 

Thanks also to Roy @rafinmdfor keeping the lists updated.  I haven't heard any news on Linda the past two days, but my next door neighbors who visited her while on their road trip got home last night.  They will be coming over to pick up their garage door opener remote that they left with us for trash pick up day, so I will inquire how Linda is in case they have any new information.  Still haven't heard about Linda's dog so I hope he's safe.  Prayers will be said soon for all on our Care list, and the people of Ukraine who have been suffering for 6 months.  Congrats to all on the Celebration list.  Have a wonderful cruise to those leaving or already on a ship!

 

Here are my photos from May 18, 2021.

 

In August 2018 we sailed into Montreal on the Seabourn Quest at the end of our Route of the Vikings II cruise.  It began in Reykjavik and cruised to a nice group of ports in Greenland and Maritime Canada.  This was our view as we headed towards the dock.

 

We reluctantly disembarked the beautiful Quest and boarded a bus for a tour of Montreal.  At the end of the tour we would be dropped off at the airport to fly to Amsterdam for our next cruise on the Prinsendam.  Our first stop on the tour was at the Notre-Dame Basilica. 

 

 

The interior of this cathedral had some of the most beautiful lighting, altars and statues I have seen anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

The scene in front of the cathedral

 

Unique statuary seen about town as we drove through the streets.

 

What is with their noses?

 

The Museum of Fine Arts.

 

At a scenic overlook you can see Olympic Stadium in the distance

 

Our second time in Montreal (6 weeks later in October 2018) was the beginning of a Rotterdam Canada, New England, Atlantic Coast Cruise which ended in Tampa, Florida.  Continuing on down the coast of the U.S. to Florida makes this a very interesting and unique voyage.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Nice photos Sandi and lovely cathedral.

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing and caring 😀.

 

Have a wonderful day.

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Fleet Report!  I went to Montreal on a school trip when I was in the 8th grade.  When I drove for a living, I found that large trucks, tow trucks and taxi drivers were far more considerate than  others. I think it's because people who drove for a living tried their hardest to not get into accidents.  I never had an accident that I caused in over 28 years.  I was rear ended by a drunk driver in the early '90's, which was my only accident ever.  I've only had 1 ticket since I got my license.  (My front  tires came to a stop just over the line at a stop sign, it was raining cats and dogs and the vehicle in front of me didn't stop at all, but the cop  pulled me over and let the transport  truck go.)