The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday December 7th, 2022

[richwmn]

 

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day

Today is National Cotton Candy Day, National Illinois Day, and National Joy Day
 

If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.--E.B. White

Meal Suggestion for today - Tex-Mex Tortilla Casserole
Drink of the Day - Independence Spice
Wine of the Day - Parducci 2019 True Grit Reserve Petite Sirah (Mendocino)
Destination of the Day - Red Bay, Labrador, Canada
 

Eurodam

Willemstad, Curaco
 

Koningsdam

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

Nieuw Amsterdam

San Juan, Puerto Rico 13:00 - 23:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

Grand Cayman Island, George Town Harbour 08:00 - 17:00
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Puerto Montt, Chile eta 12/08
 

Rotterdam

St Thomas, USVI
 

Volendam

Icoaraci (Belem), Brazil 08:00 - 18:00
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Banjul, Gambia eta 12/08
 

Zuiderdam

Dry Dock Freeport, Bahamas Completion 12/14

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Adelaide, South Australia 08:00 - 23:00
 

Westerdam

Melbourne, Australia 8:00 AM To 11:59 PM

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Happy Hump Day.  Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Interesting days.  Is Joy Day a day to spread joy or a day to celebrate people named Joy?

Thought provoking quote.

The meal sounds good, looking forward to seeing the recipe.

I  hope the drink and wine are good too.

I haven't been to Labrador (yet).  Thanks in advance for pictures.

 

Prayers for everyone. 

Have a wonderful day.

Stay safe.

[seagarsmoker]

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

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is currently sunny and 34°F.

Thank you for today's daily reports Rich.

Pearl harbour remembrance Day is important.

We call cotton candy

Candy Floss and it is readily available at UK seaside resorts.

Today's quote seems complicated.

Wishing everyone a lovely day.

 

Edited December 7, 2022 by grapau27

[summer slope]

Good Wednesday morning.

 

Independence Spice cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden's® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1/2 part fresh Lemon Juice
3/4 part Simple Syrup
7 Blackberries
7 Fresh Mint Leaves
2-3 parts Wine, Sparkling

Instructions
Muddle 6 blackberries and 6 mint leaves in a Boston Shaker with ¼ part simple syrup. In the mixing glass, combine Basil Hayden's® Bourbon, lemon juice and remaining simple syrup and add to the muddled blackberries and mint leaves. Add ice and shake. Double strain into a Collins glass with fresh crushed ice. Top with sparkling wine. Garnish with a skewered mint leaf and blackberry.

 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report.  Remembering those that lost their lives this day defending this country.  Hat tip to Illinois and cotton candy.  What could be better than Joy Day?  I like the quote.  The meal suggestion sounds delicious.  I haven’t been to today’s port.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list today.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events! 

[kazu]

Thanks for our Hump Day Daily, Rich 😊 

 

Nice collection of days.  the more joy we can bring to others, the better and I don’t think anyone can forget Pearl Harbor - at least, I hope not.

 

I like the White quote & today’s meal suggestion sounds good.

 

Gray and drizzly here again and for a couple of days thanks to a system moving in here.  I need to stop watching the weather forecasts for the upcoming week - a 50% chance of a hurricane/tropical storm developing - if it forms, it’s name will be Owen. 😔 Hurricane season is over and they are rare in December but they do happen. ‘Sigh’

 

 

Today  I will do serious  work on the Xmas presents and Xmas cards and get them off.  

 

 

@Cruzin Terrihappy to hear your good news on the house 👍 You’ve had a long wait.

 

Prayers for those on the Care  List and a 🥂 to those on the Celebratory / Shout Out list.

 

 

Have a great Wednesday everyone & stay safe.

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Report!

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the fleet update and general info.

 

Arriving in Grand Cayman and only two ships here today. That’s a miracle!

 

[RedneckBob]

National Cotton Candy Day. I use to eat it and pick it ; and prefer eating it 😀

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the Hump Day report, Rich.  Interesting juxtaposition of the Day that will Live in Infamy and National Joy Day.  Illinois is a great state.  The quote is quite interesting but a bit over my head so early in the morning.  I've never cruised to Red Bay but visited it in 2000 as the end point of the Newfoundland-Labrador ferry on a land trip.  I'll pass on both the Cotton Candy and the Casserole.  My alternative is Chilled Sour Cherry Soup, Oven Roasted Beef Tenderloin, and Raspberry Sundae as served on MS Prinsendam December 7, 2013.

 

Today’s care list:

Tana with pneumonia hoping for continuing results from new antibiotic
Cruising along severe flu
Otahand7 DB back in hospital but rehab continuing
From the rotation:
Marshhawk and DH struggling with smoking
cruisin single step-son with double cancer and months of recovery before kidney removal
Crabbbi Patti dealing with Dad’s dimentia
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Work starting on Cruzin Terri’s house
The end of the US Election season
Restrictions loosening in China
Quartzite Cruizer DH doing great at home
4 days for Seasick Sailor (Rotterdam 12/11 to 1/25/23)
3 days for Cruisin Terri (Insignia 12/10 to 12/28)
Lady Hudson (Enchantment OTS,  to 12/9), RedbeckBob (Nieuw Statendam to 12/10),   Dobiemom (Discovery Princess  to 12/10), Mister67 (Nieuw Amsterdam to 12/11) SusiekIslandGirl (Island Princess to 12/12)  StLouisCruiser  and Summer Slope (Volendam  to 12/17) at sea
Cunnorl (Noordam to 1/2/23),  Damcruiser (Nieuw Statendam  to 1/14/23), and  Horizon Chaser1957 (Zaandam to 12/20; Zuiderdam 12/22 to 5/12/23) at sea

Roy

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It's a pretty nice day here anchored off Icoaraci, Brazil.  We're trying to decide if we want to take a tender ride over to see the small city.  From there they have complimentary shuttle buses to drive guests an hour away to Belem.  I know for sure we're not doing that.  I see the last shuttle bus leaves Belem at 4 pm and you just know some people will miss that shuttle.  Yesterday the Captain asked us all to be back on time because we have to put pedal to the metal to get this ship to Barbados on time.  Let's just see how this works out today, shall we?

 

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is a worthy day for us all to remember.  It is also my DSIL's birthday and I just texted him to send good wishes his way.  I would certainly like to celebrate those named Joy especially our own @Seasick Sailor.  The Tex Mex tortilla dish sounds good.  Big thanks to Rich @richwmnfor posting here each day, and to Roy @rafinmdwho tries to keep up with all our happenings.  Prayers for those in need and cheers to those celebrating.  Thanks also to the Food and Beverage ladies who do their posting even while cruising.  ❤️

 

Speaking of celebrating, still no Christmas decorations or trees up on the ship, just the gingerbread village on deck 3 atrium.  Don't these ships send teams into a port and they unbox everything and set it up?  I've never been on a ship in December without Christmas trees before.  HAL probably can't afford to send people to Brazil to decorate so I hope they get it done Dec. 17 in Fort Lauderdale for all of you coming on for the holiday cruises.

 

Today's port is Red Bay, Labrador, Canada.  This was last posted on June 24, 2021.  Here's the link to Rich's post that day.

 

We were there on Aug. 26, 2018 on the Seabourn Quest on our Iceland/Greenland/Canada cruise.  What a fabulous itinerary!  I would do that again!

 

Red Bay was the buggiest place I'd ever visited.  Even with bug spray on they found a couple of spots to bite me on the back of the neck near both ears.  My hair was covering it too.  The following day I found all those itchy red spots hiding out back there.

 

Here you go:

 

 

A cute church

 

 

 

 

There was a hiking trail on this peninsula that some of the passengers hiked on.  Not me!

 

A close up of a viewing platform at the trail's end.

 

A view back to the town from the ship.  All day long there was a whale surfacing in that bay, first along the dock area where the tenders went and then alongside the ship in the afternoon.  Unfortunately he was too fast for me because I never got him in a photo.  Just lots of pictures of the water!

 

Have a great Wednesday everyone!

 

[Cat in my lap]

Good morning!  I was just in Red Bay on Voyage of Vikings.  High point was an exhibition of a whaling boat.  the old building was no longer there and I didn’t see any whales there.

Edited December 7, 2022 by Cat in my lap

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich.
Happy Joy Day, @Seasick Sailor! @grapau27 Graham, thank you for enlightening me!

Another glorious morning here. We could use a bit of rain, but the weather has been so amazing, I hate to complain. 
 

Roy, hope you are still seeing improvement. Just one class for me today. Then some chores. This evening, friends and I are gathering at a local wine bar to celebrate the upcoming holidays. 
 

 

 

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

 

*******

Parducci 2019 True Grit Reserve Petite Sirah (Mendocino)

This one might be a bit too bold for me, but I would love to taste it. Every released vintage shares the same excellent ratings.  It is available from several online distributors with prices starting at $15.00.

 

Winemaker Notes

The True Grit Petite Sirah has heady aromas of oak, nutmeg and black pepper, followed by a lively rush of fresh blackberry, anise, plum and vanilla flavors. This bold wine boasts soft tannins and a broad, rich texture.

Enjoy with blue cheese, glazed pork chops or Moroccan beef stew.

Vegan. Produced in a "California Certified Sustainable Winery" (CCSW)

WE92 Wine Enthusiast

The deep, dark, inky color of this full-bodied and tannic wine is a good indicator of how intense and concentrated its blackberry, blueberry and charcoal flavors are. Quite firm and gripping in texture, this impressive beast will age almost indefinitely.

Edited December 7, 2022 by cat shepard

[kochleffel]

I know how to run a cotton-candy machine but I hate doing it -- you end up coated in sugar. I haven't been to Red Bay, and this may not be the best time of year to visit there, but I wish I were anywhere but here. Aboard the Eurodam would suit me, because I love Willemstad.

 

Tortillas again?

 

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  Pearl Harbor is certainly to be remembered.  I enjoy a bite or two of cotton candy and that's about it, just too sweet.  We've driven through Illinois, and what a great day to celebrate our own @Seasick Sailor, Joy!

 

Okay, it's ugly cold out there again this morning; we've got a wind chill of -45C.  Just heard on the radio that none of the school buses are running - I can't blame them.  Parents now either have to drive their kiddles to school, or they get a day at home in the middle of the week.   Never fear though, apparently by Friday we will be seeing a lot warmer temps with a high predicted of -4C.  Go figure.  

 

Not a lot going on today, although even with the cold, we still need to go out and get groceries.   One of the stores has a flyer that begins this morning and if you don't get there early, they sell out and have to wait for another shipment which could be in a couple of days or even next week.  Of course every one these days is looking for grocery bargains, with prices having gone way up recently.

 

I like today's menu suggestion, but we do have that stew that made the house smell so nice yesterday.  We'll be having leftover stew, buns, and a side salad at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all with celebrations going on.  Stay well, be safe.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It is warm and muggy here with rain expected. I will certainly remember Pearl Harbor and recall my parents and relatives talking about where they were that day. The  Pearl Harbor memorial in Honolulu was very emotional for me.

Joy day is perfect for our Joy @Seasick Sailor.  Enjoy your day!

We were  in this port on a VOV and remember the bugs. If I had netting like Debbie @dfish, it would have been ok. I walked to the viewing platform and was surrounded by the bugs. Yikes. It was worse than the mayflies we sometimes had in New Hampshire.

@Cruzin Terri, Terri, I am so glad something finally got started on the house. Enjoy your cruise and hopefully things will have improved greatly upon your return.

Wishing all of you a great day today.

[GTVCRUISER]

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  I would like to visit Pearl Harbor one day.  We regret not going to Hawaii while HAL did it as a 14 day itinerary.  Work doesn’t allow either of us out of the office more than two weeks. Today’s meal suggestion sounds good but will confirm once @dfish posts.  
For Amelia the struggle to be good is real.

[aliaschief]

Good morning we are in dense fog alert until later this morning. We are having record high temperatures yesterday and possibly today. Pretty good improvement on cold symptoms over night and I’ll be very happy to put this cold  to bed in my medical history. We have been to Labrador but not Red Bay.

 

Lest we never forget this day that went down in enfamy.🇺🇸 
Thanks to all that contribute to my Daily read.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info.

[ottahand7]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Red Bay was the buggiest place I'd ever visited.  Even with bug spray on they found a couple of spots to bite me on the back of the neck near both ears.  My hair was covering it too.  The following day I found all those itchy red spots hiding out back there.

Those bugs sound like black flies.   We are pestered by them at our cabin every year.  Like @dfishwe wear our netting when they are bad an pray for windy days when they are around.

BTW how are the bugs in the Amazon?   We were thinking bringing our netting but mosquitoes are held off better by sprays than black flies.  

Edited December 7, 2022 by ottahand7

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone.

 

It was a rough night last night as I just couldn't relax and get to sleep.  I think it was 3:30 am before I drifted off.  Fortunately, the only thing I have to do is get a letter to the post office.

 

Thanks for the pictures of Red Bay.  I will be there next summer and I'm looking forward to it.  I will be sure to take my netting to keep the pesky bugs away!  

 

The Tex Mex casserole sounds yummy.  Probably more carbs than I want, but I can look for the low carb tortillas.  This first one is for the vegetarians in the family.  It is quick and easy and looks delicious.  https://www.sidechef.com/recipes/134/tex_mex_tortilla_casserole/

 

 

I'm not sure what the difference is between the tortilla casserole and the tortilla pie.  This next one is an enchilada casserole and it is for the carnivores in the family.  https://www.melskitchencafe.com/tex-mex-enchilada-casserole/

 

 

This one is from Ree Drummond and it looks great.   https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/mexican-tortilla-casserole-3364358

 

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.   For those who are ailing, prayers for a quick recovery.

[portofrome]

Thank yoi for the Fleet Report.

[kplady]

Good morning!

 

A quick check in before DH and I meet with our financial advisor - now that I'm retired I think we need some guidance!

 

We were in Red Bay this past August on our Canada-Greenland-Iceland cruise.  It wasn't too buggy that day, but the FOG was crazy! We were told the name came from the red rocks along the shore.

After we tendered to shore, the fog started rolling in, and in about a half an hour we couldn't see the ship from the harbor.  DH was experiencing "technical difficulties," so he stayed on the ship, and I got off with our friends we were cruising with, and walked around the town.  Very cute, VERY small town!

 

Hoping for good news for all with challenges, celebrating with our cheer list, and wish I was on a BHB with those cruising!

 

Have a great day,

Laura