The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday February 18th, 2023

[cat shepard]

 

Today is National Battery Day, National Drink Wine Day, and World Whale Day
 

I'm not afraid of death

Meal Suggestion for today - Beef Wild Rice Soup
Drink of the Day - Bobby Burns
Wine of the Day - Maude Pinot Noir Central Otago Poison Creek 2020
Destination of the Day - Ishigakijima Island, Sakishima-Yaeyama, Japan Okin
 

Eurodam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 07:00 - 16:00
 

Koningsdam

San Diego, California 07:00 - 16:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 2-19
 

Nieuw Statendam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 07:00 - 16:00
 

Oosterdam

Punta Arenas, Chile Antarctica 10:00 - 22:00
 

Rotterdam

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

Volendam

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 08:00 Arrive
 

Zaandam

San Diego, California 07:00 - 16:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Timaru, New Zealand 07:00 - 15:00
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Pulau Komodo Island, East Nusa Tenggara Indonesi eta 2-20
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea Destination Fremantle, Perth, Western Australia eta 2-21

 

 

 

 

 

Ann - for Paul, Sandi, Roy & Rich - the Editor-in-Chief!

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Saturday Fleet and Daily Report.

 

An interesting collection of days.  I appreciate batteries, somedays mine needs to be re-charged.  Every day is Drink Wine Day! 🙂  Save the whales!

 

Interesting quote, it sounds unfinished.  I think Woody Allen said "I'm not afraid of death, I just doesn't want to be there when it happens.  Someone else said "I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of time".  I also remember "I'm not afraid of death, I'm afraid of dying"  Thought provoking quote no matter how you finish it.

 

The meal sounds good for a cold winter's day.  Looking forward to seeing the recipe.

I'm sure my hubby would like the drink.  I hope I'll like the wine.

I've never been to today's port, thanks in advance for pictures.

 

Prayers for everyone.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

Stay safe.

[richwmn]

It is late in the evening on Saturday and I just noticed that I truncated another quote. The one I like is:

I am not afraid of death, I just don't want to be there when it happens.

Woody Allen

Hope everyone has a great weekend

 

[grapau27]

Good afternoon from a wet but mild 52°F North East coast of England.

Thank you Ann @cat shepard for supplying today's daily reports.

A nice Sauvignon blanc or Prosecco is always nice with our meals.

Whales are amazing creatures and deserve their day.

Unfortunately death will come to all of us but those of us who have had a near death experience the thought of death makes you unafraid of it and gives you the motivation to enjoy every day.

Today's food sounds good.

Prayers  and good wishes to all those who are unwell.

Take care and stay safe everyone.

Graham.

[puppycanducruise]

My orchid is blooming again.  So nice to see on a winter's day.

 

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you Rich, for making this happen! And catching the truncated quote! Vanessa thank you for taking on the lists! Lenda, thank you for posting all the links and pictures for the destination of the day!

 

A lovely, but nippy morning here in East Central Florida. A busy weekend here with the Daytona 500 race. Not sure how easy it will be for me to get around. Hoping to get to Zumba at the gym this morning. Then out in the yard & Bindi walks. 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

******

Maude Pinot Noir Central Otago Poison Creek 2020

Another elusive New Zealand wine. I did find one New Zealand distributor willing to ship for a reasonable price of $35.62 + shipping. Perhaps @erewhoncould start a side business of shipping their amazing wines to us. 

Distributor notes

 

Inky, blackcurrant vine and violet aromas - a sinewy and structural frame with remarkable line and length.

From the Poison Creek Vineyard in Queensberry / 280m elevation / planted in 2003. The name refers to the pure mountain stream that provides the water vital to the growth of this vineyard planted on an ancient and very free draining river terrace. Clone 5 / 36% whole cluster / 23 days maceration - perhaps the most refined of the 4 single vineyard Pinot Noirs. 

13.5% abv.

The year no-one will ever forget, 2020. The 2020 growing season followed a very mild winter, bud burst coincided perfectly with very cool Spring conditions, thankfully Maude avoided any damage from 3 significant frosts. Spring conditions remained cool with intermittent periods of rain. Flowering as a result was interrupted and drawn out which affected the fruit set, they knew they were in for a light cropping year. With the beginning of the calendar year, the weather settled, warmed up and despite the initial predictions that they would need to do a lot of green thinning to even up the crop, they found the tiny berry size and bunch weights ripened easily in the warmer conditions. A year where the small berries, light bunches and cool ripening conditions has meant flavours are ripe and concentrated, with good vibrancy and acidity.

Edited February 18, 2023 by cat shepard

[summer slope]

Bobby Burns cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 ounce blended scotch whisky (ideally a 12-year-old)
1 ounce sweet vermouth (such as Noilly Prat rouge)
1/2 ounce Benedictine
Garnish: lemon peel

Steps
Add the scotch, vermouth and Benedictine to a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Twist a lemon peel over the glass to release its oils and then drop it into the drink.

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info. 

[0106]

12 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

I'm not afraid of death

Another way to finish the quote…..Stephen Hawkins said,  “I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die, I have so much I want to do first.”

 

I’ll celebrate World Whale Day by committing to a whale watching tour in Ponta Delgada next Fall on the Rotterdam transatlantic.  Nice to have something to look forward to🐳🐳🐳🐳

 

@puppycanducruise Beautiful orchid.  I was happy to see a similar orchid in all the ladies rooms on the Rotterdam last week.  I love the floral arrangements on the BHBs.

 

Thanks to all who make this such a wonderful place to start my day!

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning from somewhere in the Atlantic near Cuba and Miami.  Today is the last day of our cruise.  That means packing and doing the last minute things we want to do on this cruise.

We are glad we got away and hope we find our bathroom finished when we arrive home on Monday.

 

Thank you to Ann @cat shepard for the Daily and Fleet Report.  And thank you to all who contribute that make this the place to be everyday.

I like the days—especially National Drink Wine Day.  I also like Woody Allen’s full quote. Thank you Rich for filling in the blanks.

The meal sounds good, but I will have to eat what is available on the ship tonight. That will be Chateaubriand.  Not a bad substitute. Same for the wine and the drink.  I have not been to the port.

As for the other two days, Battery Day and Whales Day, Hats off to them too.

 

Hope everyone has a good day.  Prayers for all who need them and cheers to those celebrating.

God Bless,

Terri

[JazzyV]

Today’s care list:

Roy slowly improving; awaiting test results

Cruising sister recovering from hand surgery, new cast on

My BFF’s Uncle, who is doing poorly, and has perhaps only days

42,000+ deaths after Turkish & Syrian earthquakes

New Zealand enduring cyclone and flooding

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Tana with pulmonary issues

Jacqui recovering from elbow surgery 

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

 

Celebrations and Shout outs:

Cat Shepherd’s great job in starting the Fleet Report/Daily every day

Bon Voyage Seasick Sailor!

Bon Voyage 57redbird!

StLouisCruisers Welcome Home!

Lindaler Welcome Home!

Kochleffel feeling better

 

5 days for Lady Hudson (Enchantment of the Seas 2/23 to 3/3)

7 days for RMLincoln family cruise (Rotterdam 2/25 to 3/8)

7 days for SusieKIslandGirl (Noordam 2/25 to 3/11) 

7 days for Cruisercl (NCL Bliss 2/25 to 3/12)

Cruzin Terri (Oceania Sirena to 2/19), ottahand7 (Volendam to 3/18), Norseh2o (Oceania Marina to 4/6), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12) at sea

[kazu]

Thanks for our Saturday Daily, Ann.

 

I’ll happily celebrate whales - magnificent mammals - enjoyed watching them in Cabo & hope to again in the Azores in October.  Of course I will celebrate

 

 

I agree with @puppycanducruiseI think the quote is unfinished.  I like @0106’s Stephen Hawkins choice 👍   Thanks Vanessa for the great job on our lists.  Looking forward to the our F & B department with thanks as always to Joy, Ann & Debbie.  While we are all cooking and trying things, I saw this about the future of cooking. 

 

 

I did get out yesterday before the mess started.  Stupid me - wanted to save someone having to drive me and took a cab - fine to get there but an hour wait for them to get back.  😡 But, I did get home before the worst of it.  There’s no choice in cab companies out here 😔 

 

It’s a mess out there - you would think it’s nearly snow - nope it’s ice pellets and ice underneath.  And of course, we’re back to the cold 😠 So done with this crap.

 

 

@puppycanducruisewhat an absolutely gorgeous orchid!

 

@Cruzin Terrienjoy your last day on board.

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care list, people of Ukraine, New Zealand, earthquake victims and all those who need them.  And cheers 🥂 to those celebrating.

 

 

Have a great Saturday everyone !!!!!

[ottahand7]

Good morning from Rio.  We arrived an hour late and ate sitting in the terminal while John backs up his photos.  No tours for us. Two of mine were cancelled due to Carnival traffic issues and the the remaining tours took us to great heights that I am afraid to see. We will use Google maps and walk around this area. Really afraid to take a taxi die to the traffic problems.    

Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports Ann.  Thanks for the cares report @JazzyV. Prayers for all on our list and for the people of Ukraine.  Prayers for a ship friend who had to disembark yesterday because of severe breathing problems.  She had been using her portable oxygen for the last couple of days and now she is too unstable to return to the ship.  I hope that that they can get her stable enough to fly home soon.  😿

We saw fire works last night over the neighborhood across the river.  I hope that is ongoing each night. Have a great Saturday! Nancy 

 

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

National Battery Day. I guess today I will get charged up!

World Whale Day. I guess it will be a whale of a day. Or maybe not. O whale!

[ottahand7]

For whale day.  Probably Paradise Bay. 

[GTVCRUISER]

[rafinmd]

Happy  Saturday and thanks Rich, Ann, and Vanessa for keeping this community going.  For some on the world cruise the next few days will be poignant as the Volendam nears Fremantle where so many world cruises ended last time.

 

I think I slept reasonably well last night.  No real sense of sleeping but never felt the hours of wakefulness dragging on until about 4AM.  A cold day here today.

 

Roy

[aliaschief]

Good morning! It’s 32 F this morning but next weeks forecast shows temperatures nearing eighty degrees! It will be a typical Saturday with a food run to the commissary and no plans other than that. Of course I’ll be watching more Daytona racing today and tomorrow.

Other than that I’m drawing a blank. Maybe I need to drink my coffee faster!

Thanks to all who have more to contribute then me!

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a cold, 30F, central Texas where the sun is just beginning to rise.

 

It appears that today is the first time for Ishigakijima Island, Sakishima-Yaeyama, Japan Okin as the port of the day.  It is one of those Japanese ports we have not visited.

 

Batteries are a very useful part of our lives now.  Whales are amazing creatures who need our protection.  Of course, I'll celebrate Drink Wine Day -- actually will celebrate it just about 365 days a year.

 

I like all versions of today's quote that were presented.

 

We'll pass on the meal since we are having Korean beef short ribs tonight.  We'll pass on the drink, but I'd like t try the wine.

 

@richwmn  Rich, thanks for catching the missing part of the quote.

@puppycanducruise  Beautiful orchid.

@Cruzin Terri  Terri, enjoy your last sea day, and safe travels tomorrow and Monday.  Hope you arrive home to a brand new bathroom.

@kazu  Jacqui, I'm glad you got your errand run yesterday and were home before the mess started.

@ottahand7  Nancy, I'm sorry your tours were canceled.  Sometimes there is a shuttle from the port into town in Rio.

 

Lenda

 

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  We always have a good supply of batteries on hand, just like we do with IKEA tea lights.  Did someone say National Drink Wine Day?  Woo Hoo!!!  I've never seen whales in the wild, only in aquariums.

 

We had a good day yesterday - picked up our friend around noon and headed out on the highway.  The drive began with grey, cloudy skies, but the closer we got to our destination, the brighter it became.  By the time we arrived, we were bathed in bright sunshine, which made the task at hand much easier on everyone.  The memorial for the young woman was quite different, it was described as a "come and go".  We thought it would be a lot of people standing around, coffee in hand, cookies or sandwiches on trays, etc.  Instead, we walked into the room and there she was for viewing, and chairs were set up in rows just as if it was a regular funeral.  People came, gave their condolences to the family, sat for a while, and left.  Most unusual.  I think Covid has relieved many families of the huge expense of regular funerals; something that has been a long time in coming.

 

Today there's a flea market across town that we'll be going to - sponsored by the Lions Club.  I have almost a dozen pair of glasses that DH and I have had over the years, and will be bringing them to drop off for use in other parts of the world.  Who knows what treasures we might find among the tables while we're there?

 

Bon Voyage @Seasick Sailor and @57redbird!

 

I'm pretty sure I'd like today's menu suggestion, but have a package of coleslaw mix that is waiting to be made into a pot of borscht today.  It's looking like we'll be enjoying borscht and crusty buns at the kitchen table tonight.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, especially for the earthquake victims, the people of Ukraine, and the flooding in New Zealand.  Cheers to all with celebrations.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

[smitty34877]

Good morning to all. It was only 28 degrees this morning when the dogs and I ventured into the outdoors. It dropped thirty degrees yesterday afternoon after a crazy windy rain event. 
We seem to need a lot of batteries these days so I guess they can have their own day. I like the quote with either author and agree with @grapau27, Graham,that close calls serve to make one want to savor every available day. I no longer drink but certainly understand the importance of wine having its own day. @summer slope, like @marshhawk, I enjoy looking at the pictures of the drinks! Whales are very beautiful creatures and should have several days devoted to them.

 

Thanks to everyone here and all of the regular “reporters” of the Daily.

Enjoy the day everyone .

 

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, RedneckBob said:

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

National Battery Day. I guess today I will get charged up!

World Whale Day. I guess it will be a whale of a day. Or maybe not. O whale!

I forgot, it is also National Drink Wine Day. I will drink today my favorite wine, Pinot Topo Gigio. 
 

Maybe it’s to warm to drink wine or maybe the wine don’t taste good or maybe I can’t hold the glass of wine due to a hang mail. Could I have some cheese with that whine! 😀
 

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by RedneckBob

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

We are supposed to warm up to 40F today after yesterday's cold high of 24F.  I'll take it!  My plans for today are to hit the gym this morning and then go buy a dining room light.  Still haven't actually done it.  It was a good idea that I measured before I went last time and then talked to my niece's husband.  He's agreed to install it for us and told me what to look for to make it sure it can do what we need it to do.  Fun, fun, fun.

 

Today's meal is a good one for a winter's day.  It is also very versatile.  If you want to make it a vegetarian dish, leave out the beef and load it up with mushrooms.  Use the vegetables you like and leave out the ones you don't.  You can make it a creamy soup with heavy cream or leave it brothy.  It is all up to you!  Here's the first recipe:  https://www.aheadofthyme.com/beef-wild-rice-soup/

 

 

This next one is super easy and relies on cream of mushroom soup instead of heavy cream.  

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/beefy-wild-rice-soup/

 

 

This next one has several suggestions for tweaking the recipe to make it fit  your needs and desires.  It is also a great way to use up left over beef.   https://thefamilyfoodkitchen.com/beef-wild-rice-soup/

 

 

Special thanks to all who help make this place a home for so many of us.  That is from those who post the daily drinks, port pictures, lists, to those who post to let us know how things are going with them.  And especially to those who understand that this is a safe place for us all and respect those boundaries.  

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

[grapau27]

@Seasick Sailorand 

@57redbird

Sending my very best wishes for you both to have an amazing cruise.

Graham.

 

Edited February 18, 2023 by grapau27