The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday November 16th, 2022

[richwmn]

 

Today is Clarinet Day, International Day For Tolerance, and National Button Day
 

We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.--Anais Nin

Meal Suggestion for today - Potato-Kale Soup with Crispy Chorizo
Drink of the Day - Coconut Spritzer
Wine of the Day - Greek Wine Cellars 2018 Flowers Agiorgitiko (Nemea) Greece
Destination of the Day - Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati
 

Eurodam

Panama Canal - Colon, Panama 05:00 - 20:00
 

Koningsdam

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Riviera 08:00 - 21:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

San Juan, Puerto Rico 13:00 - 23:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

Willemstad Curacao, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 16:00
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Miami, Florida eta 11/19
 

Rotterdam

Basseterre St Kitts, Port Zante 08:00 - 17:00
 

Volendam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 11/19
 

Zaandam

Nosy Be Island, Madagascar 07:00 - 15:00
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea Destination San Diego, California eta 11/17

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Alotau, PG
 

Westerdam

Gisborne, New Zealand 08:00 - 17:00
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Fleet Report!  Tolerance is so important!  I will pass on the meal and the drink.  Not sure about the wine.  

 

There is a bit of snow on my car along the bottom of the windows and  it is overcast here today.  I think I might get a fire going in the fireplace.  My husband is going to start getting busy now with tire changes now that snow is actually sticking around.  Our customers will be upset that they can't all come today before noon.   We already have a full schedule for the day.  

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning and thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Another cold, snowy day here.  Winter has come early and is staying.🙁

 

I don't play the clarinet but will listen.  Tolerance is important.  I have lots of buttons, some get pushed.

Interesting quote.

I'll pass on the meal and the drink but hope the wine is tasty.

I've never been to today's port, thanks in advance to those who will post pictures.

 

Prayers for everyone.  I hope there are lots of celebrations.

Have a wonderful day.

Stay safe.

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is 42°F and cloudy here.

Thank you for today's daily reports Rich.

We should all show tolerance even though others might have different views or religion.

Some people enjoy collecting buttons that are different sizes and colours.

I have never played the Clarinet.

Thought provoking quote.

I will pass on today's food and drink.

Never been to today's port so I will look forward to seeing photos.

Wishing everyone good health.

Graham.

 

 

 

 

[MISTER 67]

Good morning from beautiful Southwest Florida.

Good selection of days, tolerance is a good quality to have.

I like the quote.

Pass on the food and drink.

Saw the hand surgeon yesterday and he said things look good as the infection is gone, just going to take some time to heal and the swelling to disappear, it's still sort of ugly looking but I am wearing just regular band aids. The nail should grow back in 3 months but will not look normal for 3 cycles or

9 months. See him again in 2 weeks and hopefully I get the OK to start golfing again.

Thanks for The Daily, stay well and have a great day.

Edited November 16, 2022 by MISTER 67

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the fleet update and general info.

 

National Button Day; The Misses is always telling me to button it up so she said she will have a drink today to celebrate.

 

No news on our cruise. In St Thomas today for my grand snorkel adventure at Secret Beach from the beach all by myself.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

A very good morning from a cold (39F) central Texas.  I got a little more sleep last night.

 

DH and older DD played clarinet in their high school bands.  DD stilly plays in the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble.  Tolerance is needed now more than ever.  I have more buttons than I'll ever use, but I hesitate to call it a collection.  They are just buttons that came with clothes or with other sewing accessories.  I guess I should do something with them.

 

The Anais Nin quote is interesting and true in many cases.

 

We'll pass on the meal (kale), drink and wine.

 

@MISTER 67I'm glad the infection is gone, and I hope you will be allowed to golf again in two weeks.

@atexsix  It was good to see you posting Bruno, but I'm sorry the news wasn't better.  DD is lucky to have  your as his caregiver, but remember to take care of yourself too.  I know it is hard to find time for yourself, but I'm learning how necessary it is.

 

Christmas Island, Kiribati, was the port of the day on May 12, 2021.  I don't have a link to @richwmn Riches post, but to mine. 

 

This is what I posted on May 12, 2021.

 

 

FYI, there are two Christmas Islands, and today's port is the one in the Pacific very close to the equator.  The other is in the Indian Ocean and is under the authority of Australia.  On trivia questions, it is the one in the Indian Ocean they are asking about as Christmas Island is it's only name.

 

We've been to Kiritimati (Christmas Island) Kiribati at least three times. This is a tender port, with the ships anchoring in the lagoon.  It is very shallow in places, and the tender drivers have to be extremely careful.  However, that was not enough as one tender ran aground, and it took a while to get it refloated.  Fortunately, we were not on that tender.

 

The first time there was in 1997, so no pictures from that stop.  I'll see if DH has videos of the sunset that day since it as the best sunset we've ever seen.  The water was glassy and you could see the clouds looking like they were rising from below the curvature of the earth.  They were not thick clouds and we were able to see the sun set and IIRC the green flash.

 

Christmas Island is a fairly undeveloped island.  These pictures are from our 2007 b2b Hawaii-Tahiti-Hawaii cruise on Pacific Princess.

 

As we left the dock the pre-school class was there to serenade us.

 

The local "tour bus" we picked up at the dock for a tour of the island.  Notice the "sturdy step" to help get in the truck.   In 1997, they had a old school bus donated by the state of Hawaii as their tour bus, complete with a view of the road as you passed over it. 😀

 

At the other end of the road is the Captain Cool Hotel, the only one on the island.  It offers air conditioned rooms and non-air conditioned rooms.  Fishermen would fly in for a week's fishing trip.  It was a week long trip, since the only flight was a weekly one from Hawaii, as of 2007.

 

The beach at the hotel.

 

Where some of the islanders live

 

Back from our tour, some of the adults put on a show for us.

 

They even had an Internet Cafe, with very slow speeds.

 

The shopping for the tourists

 

Add the shopping for the locals, but of course, they would take our money too.

 

Looking down the beach from the dock

 

If you ever see an itinerary with Christmas Island, it is well worth a visit.

 

Lenda

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich! A bit gloomy this morning, but still warm. 
 

Roy, thank you for sharing your journey with us & still keep our lists! A busy day for me starting with a couple of gym classes. Then I need to start getting beds and the house ready for next week’s visitors. Looking forward to my niece, her SO and her 11& 7 year old visiting. The girls think my 80 degree pool water is warm. Hah! They live in New Hampshire - of course it is warm to them. 
 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone!

 

***********

Greek Wine Cellars 2018 Flowers Agiorgitiko (Nemea)

The 2018 vintage is a bit elusive online, but other vintages are ready to ship  They might need a year or two to mature. Or pull out that handy Clef du Vin to help it along. I found several online distributors offering the 2019 vintage with prices starting at $8.99.

92 Wine Enthusiast 

Aromas of tomato, olive, dried herbs and cherry start this elegant red. On the palate, smoke, savory meats and fresh cherry flavors are both complex and easy to love.  

Edited November 16, 2022 by cat shepard

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a great day!

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It's a nice day for a change and I intend to enjoy the sunshine.  We are heading out this morning for Covid tests and hopefully by noon will have the results.  

 

Thanks Rich @richwmnfor the Daily and Fleet Report.  Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati is the port today and like Lenda said it was last shown on May 12, 2021.  The link to that date is below.  Clarinets deserve a day of appreciation.  Tolerance is a good quality to have, and I seem to recall us all talking about buttons before so has another year gone by since we last celebrated buttons and our button boxes?  The potato kale soup might be okay but it seems like kale is in everything these days.  Five or ten years ago I'd never even heard of it.  Thanks to our Food and Beverage people who take care of telling us about the food, drinks, and wines!  You are invaluable!

 

Many prayers for everyone here on the Care list.  I'd also add the people of Ukraine, the two Polish citizens lost this week in a bombing, and those still working at setting their lives back in order after the hurricanes.  Hoping for happy times for the Celebration list.  Smooth seas for all of us on cruises now or soon.  

 

Here is Rich's post from last year when Christmas Island was on the Daily.  We have not been there before.

 

 

Busy today but I will at least come back to report negative or positive.  Hopefully I can catch up on reading the Daily too.  Have a great day!

[aliaschief]

Early to rise and currently onboard a plane for our first leg to Atlanta. We have spent a lot of time flying this year. Hence upgrades to First Class.

 

Getting ready to shut doors. Thanks for the reports.

[summer slope]

Coconut Sprtizer cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 part Pinnacle® Coconut Vodka
2 parts Soda Water
1 splash Pineapple Juice
Pineapple Slice

Instructions
Mix in a glass filled with ice and garnish with a pineapple slice.

 

[HAL Sailer]

@MISTER 67 Glad you got a good report about your forefinger.

 

BTW, thanks for your Asian Fusion recommendation.⤵️ Very enjoyable!

 

-Melisa

[smitty34877]

Good morning .It is raining but will clear up soon and I will be able to walk the two dogs with less difficulty.We have the kale and potato soup often around here but leave out the chorizo. Tolerance is a beautiful  thing and I like the quote.We have not been to the port.

@Quartzsite Cruiser, Lenda, I was so happy to see your post last night regarding Steve's marked improvement.Let's hope for continued  progress,especially  with the BP issue.

@MISTER 67 , I was also glad to hear of your good report from the doctor.Golfing will resume soon, I hope.

@StLouisCruisers, good luck with the tests  and Bon Voyage to you both!

We are managing better here with  extra help.Thanks to all for your support .

 

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the Hump Day report, Rich from beautiful but steamy Lake Gatun.  Not surprisingly, I am running far behind today.  I like the days (losing buttons far too often) and the quote but have not been to Christmas Island.  I'll pass on the meal.  My alternative is Gourmet Greens, Pork Chop, and Diplomat Strawberry Tart, as served on MS Eurodam November 15, 2022.

Back with the lists later.

 

Roy

[marshhawk]

Good Wednesday Morning!  Feral Fawn is now hunkering down in the warm porch earlier and earlier each day, and I think yesterday she came out twice....Bubbles has taken over the box (there is a bed in it) but I will need to get him a blanket.  

 

We heard back from the vet yesterday, she gave us some tips for relieving Irving's litter box pain, but with his rapid weight loss, it looks like he might have cancer.  Of course more tests to follow. And it might also be arthritis....and it does appear he has kitty dementia. ( i could have saved some money on those tests) But now we have to keep a food diary for the cat.  And he needs to be taken in again for another weigh in, if he is still losing weight, it's time to test for cancer with x rays.  ( I thought there was a blood test, that tested for cancer).

 

We did have a fire in the wood burning stove last weekend,  looks like we will be buying wood in bulk this year. 

 

Today is a long work day,  and sometime before Friday I really need to go to the store. I have no idea when though.  I really didnt need to clean the fridge the other day...It had already been cleaned out.

 

 

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

We got about an inch of snow last night.  What we got yesterday during the day was pretty much gone by last night.  I did enjoy a walk around the neighborhood yesterday after the snow let up some.  It was still snowing, but very lightly.

 

 

The neighborhood is so nice and peaceful.  Yet, a 12 minute walk up the street brings you to a main street and tons of traffic.  So, secluded and peaceful, but still close to everything I need.

 

Today's weather is perfect for today's meal.  I don't have the ingredients on hand, but I can get them easily!   Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet.   https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-kale

 

Inspired by caldo verde, a soup traditional in northern Portugal and served with corn bread called broa, this satisfying winter soup features tender potatoes and spicy chorizo sausage. Collard or mustard greens can be substituted for the kale. https://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/252761/chorizo-potato-kale-soup/

 

 

This one has me thinking seriously about stopping at the store on my way home from the gym.  https://tastespace.wordpress.com/2010/11/12/brazilian-potato-kale-soup-with-sizzling-chorizo-caldo-verde/

 

 

Caldo Verde is a traditional Portuguese soup that is packed with flavor, with only a few simple ingredients, This hearty soup is chock full of kale, Portuguese Linguiça (smoked sausage), potato and aromatics.  

https://www.delishdlites.com/type/gluten-free-recipes/caldo-verde-portuguese-kale-chorizo-soup/

 

 

This super simple Smoky Potato and Kale Soup is the perfect cold-weather dinner…great for nights when you’re craving something warming. Spanish sausage simmered in a garlicky smoked paprika broth with potatoes, kale, a touch of lemon, and Manchego cheese. 

https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/potato-and-kale-soup/

 

 

I don't know if it will be this soup or something else, but soup is definitely on the menu.  Healing thoughts and hugs to all who are battling health issues.  Cheers to all who are celebrating and those getting ready to board a BHB.  Wishing everyone a good day.

[GTVCRUISER]

Good Morning  🙂  photo of Koningsdan cruising into Puerto Vallarta this morning 

[richwmn]

FB just reminded me that three years ago I spent a wonderful day with @erewhonin New Zealand!

Great memories!

[ottahand7]

Good Wednesday morning.  We have 6-8" of snow in the forecast for tomorrow through Friday.  Therefore we are going to make another visit with my DB today since I hate driving in snow.   I see yesterday's snow melting off the trees.    

Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports @richwmn.  I used to play the clarinet and I especially remember the Principal clarinetist in the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.   He looked like our neighbor who died of leukemia but he was a master of the clarinet.    Amazing I can remember him after all those years.   Tolerance is so important and an interesting story on the news today is that the Church of Latter Day Saints is supporting the gay marriage bill in the Senate now,  walking the walk.  I brought a large bag of buttons from all my years wearing business clothes to the Salvation Army when I moved away from MD.   I have a small collection building again.   Has anyone here done the button factory visit in Manta Ecuador?   

@dfishthanks for the photo of your beautiful street but I will take a pass on the potato soup.    @summer slopeThanks for the coconut spritz recipe, it looks really good, I love coconut.   @cat shepardthanks for your daily search for our wines of the day, I think I will pass on Greek wine.    @Quartzsite Cruiserthanks for the photos of Kiritimati.  It looks like a beautiful island.  So glad Steve is doing better.    @StLouisCruisersI know your Covid test will come back negative.   

@rafinmdRoy thanks for sharing your dining choices on the Eurodam.  I hope you are having a great cruise with great weather.   Thanks for our care and celebration lists.  Prayers for all on our care list and for the people of Ukraine.   Have a great Wednesday.  Hopefully no bad news for my DB today and that he is doing his PT.   Nancy 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  It's a nice day for a change and I intend to enjoy the sunshine.  We are heading out this morning for Covid tests and hopefully by noon will have the results.  

 

Thanks Rich @richwmnfor the Daily and Fleet Report.  Kiritimati (Christmas Island), Kiribati is the port today and like Lenda said it was last shown on May 12, 2021.  The link to that date is below.  Clarinets deserve a day of appreciation.  Tolerance is a good quality to have, and I seem to recall us all talking about buttons before so has another year gone by since we last celebrated buttons and our button boxes?  The potato kale soup might be okay but it seems like kale is in everything these days.  Five or ten years ago I'd never even heard of it.  Thanks to our Food and Beverage people who take care of telling us about the food, drinks, and wines!  You are invaluable!

 

Many prayers for everyone here on the Care list.  I'd also add the people of Ukraine, the two Polish citizens lost this week in a bombing, and those still working at setting their lives back in order after the hurricanes.  Hoping for happy times for the Celebration list.  Smooth seas for all of us on cruises now or soon.  

 

Here is Rich's post from last year when Christmas Island was on the Daily.  We have not been there before.

 

 

Busy today but I will at least come back to report negative or positive.  Hopefully I can catch up on reading the Daily too.  Have a great day!

 

🤞for negative test results.

 

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Early to rise and currently onboard a plane for our first leg to Atlanta. We have spent a lot of time flying this year. Hence upgrades to First Class.

 

Getting ready to shut doors. Thanks for the reports.

 

Safe travels to both of you.

 

35 minutes ago, marshhawk said:

Good Wednesday Morning!  Feral Fawn is now hunkering down in the warm porch earlier and earlier each day, and I think yesterday she came out twice....Bubbles has taken over the box (there is a bed in it) but I will need to get him a blanket.  

 

We heard back from the vet yesterday, she gave us some tips for relieving Irving's litter box pain, but with his rapid weight loss, it looks like he might have cancer.  Of course more tests to follow. And it might also be arthritis....and it does appear he has kitty dementia. ( i could have saved some money on those tests) But now we have to keep a food diary for the cat.  And he needs to be taken in again for another weigh in, if he is still losing weight, it's time to test for cancer with x rays.  ( I thought there was a blood test, that tested for cancer).

 

We did have a fire in the wood burning stove last weekend,  looks like we will be buying wood in bulk this year. 

 

Today is a long work day,  and sometime before Friday I really need to go to the store. I have no idea when though.  I really didnt need to clean the fridge the other day...It had already been cleaned out.

 

 

 

Hoping Irving improves and doesn't have cancer.

 

Now, I'm just about ready to head to Waco.

 

Lenda

 

[MISTER 67]

1 hour ago, HAL Sailer said:

@MISTER 67 Glad you got a good report about your forefinger.

 

BTW, thanks for your Asian Fusion recommendation.⤵️ Very enjoyable!

 

-Melisa

Glad you enjoyed it.

[lindaler]

Good morning all. Thanks to those who contribute to make this a must read. Today I should get my luggage tags and that will help make the trip seem more real. So far I haven't opened the suitcase I packed. And since we won't know about special events until I am already on board, I will have to make do with whatever is in the suitcase. It is getting very cold here. I went out to kayak and as I set at the launch everyone else chickened out. They said it was too cold. So I came home. Prayers for everyone.