The Fleet Report and Daily for Tuesday February 14th, 2023

[cat shepard]

 

Today is International Book Giving Day, Ferris Wheel Day, and National Organ Donor Day
 

I finally understood what true love meant...love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be.--Nicholas Sparks, Dear John

Meal Suggestion for today - Skillet Chili & Meatballs
Drink of the Day - Choco Peppermint Shake
Wine of the Day - Figgins Estate Red Blend, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State
Destination of the Day - Pulau Penang Island, Georgetown, Malaysia Penang
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 2-15
 

Koningsdam

At Sea Destination Ensenada, Baja California Mexico eta 2-17
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Oranjstad, Aruba eta 2-15
 

Nieuw Statendam

Puerto Plata-Amber Cove, Dominicana 08:00 - 17:00
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Ushuaia, Argentina eta 2-17
 

Rotterdam

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 09:00 - 15:00
 

Volendam

Buenos Aires, Argentina 15:00 Depart
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Riviera eta 2-15

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Fiordland National Park, New Zealand eta 2-17
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Jakarta, Java Indonesia eta 2-16
 

Zuiderdam

Adelaide, South Australia 14:00 Arrive

 

 

 

 

 

Ann for Paul, Sandi, Roy & Rich - the creator of it all!

Edited February 14, 2023 by cat shepard
Adding the maps!

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[0106]

Good morning from the Rotterdam approaching Half Moon Cay.

 

Wonderful quote for Valentine’s Day 💘

 

[seagarsmoker]

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

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is 41°F and sunny now after early morning frost and 30°F.

Happy valentines day to my Dailyite friends.❤️

Thank you Ann @cat shepardfor taking the helms so wonderfully and posting today's daily reports.

Several years ago we went on the London Eye which is a Ferris wheel giving wonderful views.

Today's quote is excellent.

NIce food today.

Best wishes for improved health for everyone on our care list.

Take care and stay safe.

Graham.

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Happy Valentine's Day! ❤️

Thank you for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

We have a sunny day in the forecast with a high of 9°C, usually our temperature is -2°C, I think we'll enjoy today!

 

I love giving (and receiving) books.  I haven't been on a Ferris Wheel in years, the last one I was on was the London Eye.   Being an organ donor is extremely important.

Love the quote, very appropriate for today.

The meal sounds good, but not very romantic.

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

 

Prayers for our world.

Have a wonderful day.

Stay safe.

[aliaschief]

It’s final packing and will headed to airport soon. Happy Valentines Day to all. We celebrate every day!❤️

 

Have a great day adios Mexico!

One more sunrise!

 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  Today’s meal suggestion sounds good to me and I look forward to pictures and recipes from @dfish .  
Happy Valentines Day

[grapau27]

2 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

It’s final packing and will headed to airport soon. Happy Valentines Day to all. We celebrate every day!❤️

 

Have a great day adios Mexico!

One more sunrise!

 

Safe travels and thank you so much for all of your wonderful photos while you have been on holiday.

Graham.

[aliaschief]

Sunrise getting better!

 

[cat shepard]

Rich, thank you for creating all the content for the Report & Daily! Vanessa thank you for taking on our Care/Celebration lists. Dixie & Debbie thank you for sharing the F & B department with me. Lenda thank you for taking on all the port photos posting. I marvel at your patience and diligence!

 

It was a very nippy 40 this morning and Bindi did not want to linger long. The sun is just cresting the trees and hopefully it will warm up soon. Lots of things on my to do list this morning before heading to the gym for an early afternoon class. 
 

Last night’s open house was a success. An amazing array of hot hors d’oeuvres and charcuterie offered. Hopefully the turnout indicates this amazing woman will easily be re-elected as one of the Town Commissioners. 
 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

**********

Figgins Estate Red Blend, Walla Walla Valley, Washington State

This Bordeaux style red blend sounds amazing. I used the 2018 vintage info, since it might be the easiest to find, but all released vintages share the same excellent - superb reviews. It is fairly easy to find online, but it is pricey. The lowest price I found online was $91.99.

 

Winemaker Notes

On the 10-year anniversary of their inaugural vintage release (2008), it is apropos that the 2018 Estate Red is unquestionably their favorite to date. When Figgins planted this site, this was the single vineyard wine they dreamed of making! Explosive, high-toned nose of mixed florals, vibrant candied cherries, freshly picked blueberries, and pencil shavings. The palate has layer upon layer of plum and dried figs. While the wine is structured and dense with the stuffing to age two decades easily, it is plush, balanced, and already drinking beautifully for a young bottle of Figgins.

D97 Decanter

Inky and brooding once in the glass this is quite simply the best wine ever produced by this estate. Needing an hour in the decanter, this unveils tar and tobacco leaf tones aromatically with graphite and a massive core of dark fruits also providing intrigue. Juicy, with outstanding acidity and freshness, this shows off cassis, anise, charcoal and menthol flavours that mingle with the bright sense of verve. Glorious now, try to resist this beautiful wine for at least another year. Drinking Window: 2022 - 2045.

JD97 Jeb Dunnuck

The 2018 Red Wine is another stunner from this talented team. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot aged 23 months in a mix of new and used barrels, it has an incredibly pure bouquet of both red and blue fruits as well as graphite, violets, and blood orange. Playing in the medium to full-bodied end of the spectrum, it stays tight and focused on the palate, with a beautiful mouthfeel, ripe yet firm, chalky tannins, plenty of mid-palate depth, and a great, great finish. It’s a gorgeous wine that will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and cruise for 15-20+ in cold cellars.
Rating: 97+

V97 Vinous

The 2018 Red Wine Estate might just be the best edition ever of this incredible high-elevation bottling. It’s nothing short of a blending masterpiece by Chris Figgins and his winemaking team. This thing is massive monster of a wine that really needs several hours of air to get going. But once tamed, the aromatics explode out of the glass, unveiling dark currants, roasted figs, black rose petals and creosote tones with shades of green bell pepper from the Petit Verdot. The palate is soft and opulent in the mouth. Layers of crème de cassis, anise, violets, dark cherry cordial, graphite and espresso bean with green bell pepper undertones all brilliantly combine with a vibrant sense of tension, and firm tannins hold everything in place. While this is extraordinary to savor upon release, try your best to resist it for at least a few more years. Drinking Window: 2025 - 2050.

JS95 James Suckling

Blackcurrant, blackberry, walnut and mint chocolate on the nose, as well as hints of radish and mocha. It’s full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins. Concentrated and chewy with a dense core of black fruit. Solid and tight. Cabernet sauvignon, petit verdot and merlot. Give this time. Try from 2024.

RP94 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Immediately impressive in the glass, the 2018 Estate Red Wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot with aromas of juicy and ripe blackberry, spiced black cherry preserves, elegant floral tones and elements of boysenberry and blueberry with a soft amount of volatility. Full-bodied, generous and full of flavor, the blend displays power and finesse, unpacking layers of complexity with a tight tannic grip that will loosen with additional bottle age. The wine somersaults to a spectacular finish with a firm, juicy and dusty sensation that gives pleasure at every turn. The wine rested for for 23 months in new and used French oak barrels. Just give it another few years in the bottle for the wine to shed its baby fat. Just under 19,000 bottles were filled. Impressive; Bravo!

WS94 Wine Spectator

A dynamic and refined red, with detailed blackberry, green olive and spicy espresso flavors that build tension and polish on the long finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot.

[JazzyV]

Today’s care list:

Roy slowly getting back to normal

Cruzn single lung problems

StLouisCruisers’ DB with worsened pulmonary fibrosis

Tupper10 with back pain, but improvement

36,000+ deaths after Turkish & Syrian earthquakes

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Jacqui recovering from elbow surgery

Kochleffel with Covid/Paxlovid side effects

Scrapnana undergoing chemotherapy
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)

 

Celebrations and Shout outs:

Cruising sister having less pain

Sarah feeling much better

Marshhawk getting more work hours

Cruzin Terri’s Master Bath work progressing to completion

Tupper10’s son going home from the hospital

Luvteaching’s DH out of hospital and back in rehab facility

 

Aliaschief in Cancun until 2/14

4 days for Seasick Sailor (Koningsdam 2/18 to 3/25)

4 days for 57redbird (Koningsdam 2/18 to 3/25)
StLouisCruisers (Sky Princess to 2/18), ktbraun (Eurodam to 2/15), Cruzin Terri (Oceania Sirena to 2/19), Norseh2o (Oceania Marina to 4/6), 0106 (Rotterdam to 2/15), Lindaler and Ottahand7 (Volendam to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12) at sea

 

[smitty34877]

Good morning. My Valentine is fast asleep still but will be surprised later with his favorite pound cake for dessert. I will salute the days,have not been to the port and look forward to recipes.

Yesterday seemed to be at least three or four days rolled into one. Tana and I managed well but agreed on the ride home that the visit was pretty darn depressing. I did not expect good news but sometimes the way things are conveyed to a patient can make a difficult situation feel  awful.

I am glad I was with her though because we can at least discuss things honestly. It is much harder for her sister at this point. I knew the ambulette would cost a fortune too!

I am seeing my ortho doc for my last post op visit today. Things are going well and I hope he is as pleased as I am with my fancy new hip.

Enjoy the day everyone.

[rafinmd]

Thank you @richwmn and @cat shepard for today's daily.  Unfortunately, this is not a happy day in my family.  My brother died 2 years ago today.  Later this morning I see my pulminologist.  Thank you @JazzyV for the lists which appeared while I was typing.

 

Roy

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

 

Today’s care list:

Roy slowly getting back to normal

Cruzn single lung problems

StLouisCruisers’ DB with worsened pulmonary fibrosis

Tupper10 with back pain, but improvement

36,000+ deaths after Turkish & Syrian earthquakes

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Jacqui recovering from elbow surgery

Kochleffel with Covid/Paxlovid side effects

Scrapnana undergoing chemotherapy
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)

 

Celebrations and Shout outs:

Cruising sister having less pain

Sarah feeling much better

Marshhawk getting more work hours

Cruzin Terri’s Master Bath work progressing to completion

Tupper10’s son going home from the hospital

Luvteaching’s DH out of hospital and back in rehab facility

 

Aliaschief in Cancun until 2/14

4 days for Seasick Sailor (Koningsdam 2/18 to 3/25)

4 days for 57redbird (Koningsdam 2/18 to 3/25)
StLouisCruisers (Sky Princess to 2/18), ktbraun (Eurodam to 2/15), Cruzin Terri (Oceania Sirena to 2/19), Norseh2o (Oceania Marina to 4/6), 0106 (Rotterdam to 2/15), Lindaler and Ottahand7 (Volendam to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12) at sea

 

Thank you for today's lists Vanessa and Sarah's mention.

Graham.

[grapau27]

3 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you @richwmn and @cat shepard for today's daily.  Unfortunately, this is not a happy day in my family.  My brother died 2 years ago today.  Later this morning I see my pulminologist.  Thank you @JazzyV for the lists which appeared while I was typing.

 

Roy

Sending you our best wishes Roy on your brother's second memory.

I hope everything goes well at the pulmonologist later.

Take care.

Graham.

 

 

[grapau27]

8 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. My Valentine is fast asleep still but will be surprised later with his favorite pound cake for dessert. I will salute the days,have not been to the port and look forward to recipes.

Yesterday seemed to be at least three or four days rolled into one. Tana and I managed well but agreed on the ride home that the visit was pretty darn depressing. I did not expect good news but sometimes the way things are conveyed to a patient can make a difficult situation feel  awful.

I am glad I was with her though because we can at least discuss things honestly. It is much harder for her sister at this point. I knew the ambulette would cost a fortune too!

I am seeing my ortho doc for my last post op visit today. Things are going well and I hope he is as pleased as I am with my fancy new hip.

Enjoy the day everyone.

I'm sorry to hear Tana and yourself did not get better news yesterday.

Good luck at your last post op visit at the orthopaedic Doctors later.

Graham.

[marshhawk]

Happy Valentine's Day to the sweetest people I know.

Edited February 14, 2023 by marshhawk

[cat shepard]

18 minutes ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. My Valentine is fast asleep still but will be surprised later with his favorite pound cake for dessert. I will salute the days,have not been to the port and look forward to recipes.

Yesterday seemed to be at least three or four days rolled into one. Tana and I managed well but agreed on the ride home that the visit was pretty darn depressing. I did not expect good news but sometimes the way things are conveyed to a patient can make a difficult situation feel  awful.

I am glad I was with her though because we can at least discuss things honestly. It is much harder for her sister at this point. I knew the ambulette would cost a fortune too!

I am seeing my ortho doc for my last post op visit today. Things are going well and I hope he is as pleased as I am with my fancy new hip.

Enjoy the day everyone.

 

Terry, I am so sorry that yesterday did not go well for Tana, you and her family & friends. Praying the situation improves. 

[summer slope]

Good morning.  It's cold this morning, 42 degrees!!  I don't like cold weather. 

Going for an ultrasound on my carotid artery this afternoon. Not really having any problems, just a precaution. 

Nephew and his family and his best friend are here for a week.  Seeing lots of things in Florida and them back to the pool at night.  The littles are loving it.  Warm in the pool but cold getting out.

 

Choco Peppermint Shake cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1/2 part DeKuyper® Creme De Cacao Dark Liqueur
1/2 part DeKuyper® Peppermint Schnapps
1 part Pinnacle® Vanilla Vodka
2 1/2 parts Half and Half

Instructions
Shake over ice and pour into glass.

 

Edited February 14, 2023 by summer slope

[GTVCRUISER]

🙂  Happy Valentine’s Day  🙂

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!  

 

Happy Valentine's Day to all who are celebrating.   I'm spending the day by going to the gym and then going over to DB's to help clean the apartment.  He's worried about state inspection on Thursday, but unless he has obvious mold and rot issues, I think he'd be ok.  He's normally pretty neat and clean.  @smitty34877 I guess he's frustrating his physical therapist because he has his own way of doing things.  He's relying on a wheelchair the apartment building is letting him use rather than getting up and walking and the knee is pretty stiff.  You can't tell him anything!

 

Today's meal may not be very romantic, but it is comfort food for those who celebrate solo.  This first one would have been good for Sunday's game.  https://thymeforcocktails.com/chili-cheese-meatball-skillet/

 

 

This next one looks pretty good, too!  I can feel the pounds packing on just by looking at the picture.

https://thecuriousplate.com/one-skillet-meatballs-with-chili-sauce/

 

 

This one is slightly different, but I had to include it after our discussion yesterday of names.  It comes from HEB, so let's see what Mr. Butt has for us.  https://www.heb.com/recipe/recipe-item/skillet-green-chili-meatball-alfredo/1399005988616

 

 

This recipe from Fustini's uses an infused olive oil.  If you have a Fustini's near you, try it out.  Other spicy infused olive oils would also work.  They have an olive oil/vinegar combination of Persian Lime and Coconut that I love for fish.   https://www.fustinis.com/recipes-nav/recipes/skillet-chili-meatballs

 

 

I'm sure there is one of these that can appeal to almost everyone.  

Healing thoughts and hugs to all who are ailing in any way.   Cheers to those who are celebrating.  Wishing you all a wonderful day.

[superoma]

Good morning all! Happy Valentine’s Day to all who celebrate. Always a special day in our house since our twins were born on this day 52 years ago! I still can’t wrap my head around that number. We will have a party on Saturday since work and school for attendees interferes today. 
 

another gorgeous day here today. @kazui am still trying to send this weather your way and to my cousin who lives in the laurentians north of Montreal. They too are buried under at least two feet of snow.

I know I have posted this picture of our girls before but it is just so darn cute I can’t resist doing it again. We are very fortunate that we all live in the same city and within walking distance, 45 minutes.

 

prayers for all who need them and a shoutout to those celebrating.

 

[marshhawk]

Happy Valentine's Tuesday Dailyites!  Computer says its 47 and clear.  and now it shows, that earnings upcoming.  Well, that's a weird weather forecast...

 

I like giving and receiving books.  Books are the most constant friends.  The characters don't change, they are as true to you when you first read the book and are the same when you reread the book 20 years later.  We may change during that time, and maybe we don't like the same characters, because we don't think along the same line, but they don't change...

 

My license states that I am an organ donor, but not sure anyone would want the parts...none of them are in good working order these days. Ferris wheels are fascinating, they seem to be at every F1 race, but I dont do UP very well, so I stay off. (not that i go to the F1 races, just watch)

 

Part of the quote reminds me very much of the quote that we had from Stranger from a Strange Land last week.

 

DH's vision is still blurry.  I thought that it was because of the antibiotics that we had to use on the stitches getting into his eye, but in reality it was because when the lid had folded under, it was scratching his eye ball.  The doctor said that it will heal, but takes about two months.  Swelling and bruising will go on for a few more weeks. 

 

Tonight we have tickets to the DSO...Dekalb (our county) Symphony Orchestra.  They perform at the college that is near us, so since I am on strike against my previous employer (ASO) (not really on strike, they let me go, they went to ticket master several years ago) I decided that if I wanted classical music, the best way I could do it, and be happy,  would be to support my local symphony.

 

I do have a question about HAL today, I read in the section what you need to know-Why does HAL take your passport away from you when you board?    I'm doing Alaska and Canada from Vancouver.

 

Have a great day!

Edited February 14, 2023 by marshhawk

[ottahand7]

@smitty34877  Terry, I am sorry about Tana's disappointing news.  

Sandi @StLouisCruisersI am so sad to hear of the bad news about your DB.  I am also sorry to hear your ship is so crowded.  

Roy @rafinmd I hope you have good news at your pulmonologist today. 

Ann thank you for doing the Daily and care reports for us. We will stay in Buenos Aires until 19:00.  A nice surprise for many guests I am sure. We were in port with a smaller Royal Caribbean Shop, a Silversea ship and today so far it it is a smaller MSC ship. 

Happy Valentine's Day!   We are having a Valentine's dinner in the PG and a special bottle of wine with dinner.  We will walk around the city today.  No message from Guest Services yet. 

Prayers for all on our Care list, the people of Ukraine and Tana, Jacqui, Kathi and Roy. @grapau27 thank you for the update on Sarah. I am glad to hear her pain is beginning to get better. 

We did a panoramic city tour and tapas and wine yesterday afternoon. It was a overview of some of the sights in the old town. Then we had our tasting in a restaurant cellar and had an informative talk about the growing regions of Argentinian wines.  We didn't get to taste any chardonnay so we didn't buy anything there (the ship is currently out of decent chardonnay) so we selected a couple of Catena Mendoza chardonnays at the port facility. We were able to bring them aboard with no corkage because of our tour allowing a bottle each no corkage.  The food and wine were very nice, the comments were excellent but the glasses were crummy. That is our last shorex until February 24. Very little in Brazil are compelling and after hearing of Sandi's experiences in Brazil with the heat I don't think we will be to disappointed.  Have a wonderful day!  Ours started with a beautiful sunrise.  I always know when to get up when I hear cabin doors slamming.