The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday May 26th, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Shavuot

Today is Sally Ride Day, National Paper Airplane Day, and World Redhead Day
 

When I was a boy the Dead Sea was only sick. - George Burns

Meal Suggestion for today - Steamed Mackerel with Green Chile Dashi
Drink of the Day - Makers Mark And Kumquat Marmalade
Wine of the Day - Smith & Sheth Syrah Hawkes Bay Cru Omahu 2020
Destination of the Day - Aqaba, Petra, Jordan

Today in History:
1927 Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company produce the last (and 15th million) Model T Ford / Tin Lizzie

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Victoria, British Columbia 2000-2359
 

Koningsdam

At Sea destination Vancouver, Canada eta 27 May
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Glacier Bay, Alaska 0700-1600
 

Nieuw Statendam

Bergen, Norway 0900-1800
 

Noordam

Ketchikan, Alaska 1100-1900
 

Oosterdam

Malaga, Spain 0800-1800
 

Rotterdam

At Sea destination Amsterdam, Holland,Netherlands eta 27 May
 

Volendam

Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm/Juneua, Alaska 0900-0930
 

Westerdam

Ketchikan, Alaska 0700-1300
 

Zaandam

At Sea destination Sydney, Nova Scotia eta 5/26
 

Zuiderdam

Le Havre, France
 

 

[superoma]

Friday May 26 care and celebration list

 

57redbird’s cousin with gioplastoma, prayers for peaceful passing and family comfort

Crabby Patti caring for DF  who is no longer ambulatory

Cunnorl recovering from surgery 

Cruznterri’s dh taking it easy after mohs surgery

1angelcat with a very sick kitty

Heartgrove concerned for Sam

NextOne with new afib concerns

RIP Tina Turner 

 

Wildfire and tornado victims

Smoke from the wildfires moving east

Too many shooting victims every day

Citizens of Ukraine and the Sudan 

Flooding victims in Ravenna, Italy

From the rotation:

 

Summer Slope’s friend with a brain injury

Scrapnana getting chemotherapy

NextOne needing valve surgery 

Former president jimmy Carter in Home hospice care

 

 Celebrations

 

Tana, celebrating small wellness victories as they

Rafinmd fleshing out September and November cruises

Cruising-along good nephrologist appointment 

Summer slope’s Bailey doing better

Good news on mamaofami’s second cataract surgery

 

Nickelpenny retiring May 26/27 congratulations 

 

 

Many Dailyites cruising or with upcoming cruises

 

1 days Oceansaway17 (Disney fantasy 5/27 to June 3)

2 days for DeniseT (n. Amsterdam 5/28 to June 4)

 

 Cruising 

 

Crazy For Cats(Zaandam to 5/27)

Jazzyv cruise, Germany vacation to 5/28

Cruising sister (Nieuw Statendam to 5/28)

SusieKIslandGirl (Nieuw Statendam to5/28)

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[superoma]

Good morning all. Sunshine high of 70 today but possible frost on low lying areas tonight. I will be out of touch until suppertime as we are across the county dealing with dad’s estate and I have no data on my phone. Hope everyone has a great day.

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is sunny and 60°F here in North East England.

Thank you for today's fleet reports and Daily collection Rich.

3 interesting days.

I will give today's food and drink a miss.

Wishing everyone a lovely day.

 

 

[seagarsmoker]

Good morning Dailyites and thank you for the Daily Report! 

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend!

PS Congrats to Penny, it's her last day at work and is retiring today. 🙂 

 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone, happy Friday.  It looks like we are going to be having very nice weather this Memorial Day weekend.  Hats off to Sally Ride, a truly exceptional woman who left us too soon.  I haven’t made a paper airplane in years so today’s the day. Redheads are awesome.  Funny George Burns quote, I miss his humor.  I think I’ll pass on both the drink and meal suggestions today.  I haven’t been to today’s port but it’s on my bucket list. Prayers for those on our prayer list and for those recovering from recent surgeries, take it easy and heal.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events!

[grapau27]

Relaxing in the garden.

[summer slope]

Happy Friday.  Prayers and shout outs to our lists.

Makers Mark and Kumquat Marmalade cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
1 splash fresh Lemon Juice
1 splash Simple Syrup
1 tsp Maker's Mark® Kumquat Marmalade

Instructions
In a shaker, place enough ice to half-fill a rocks glass, followed by 2 parts of Makers Mark® Bourbon and splashes of fresh lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously (until ice is crushed). Pour entire contents of shaker into a rocks glass until full. Garnish with Makers Mark® Kumquat Marmalade.

[rafinmd]

Happy Friday.  Best Shavuot to all who observe it.  Wishing Penny a long and happy retirement and Eva as little stress as possible as she works on Dad's estate.  Happy Heavenly Birthday Sally Ride.  A salute for those with red hair, including at least occasional dailyite @Red Haired Lady.  I was never good at paper airplanes and miss George Burns.  Tin Lizzie really changed America.  I've been to Petra Just once, way back in 2007 on the Silver Whisper.  What I remember was slogging down a long hot dusty trail, and then the glory just hitting me all at once as I rounded a bend.  WOW!,  I'll pass on the meal.  My alternative is Fruit Salad with Yogurt and Honey, and Turkey Roast with Giblet Gravy and Cranberry as served on MS Prinsendam May 26, 2015.

 

Headed out soon to Wegmans.  Thank you Rich, Eva, Debbie/Tina, Dixie, and Ann.

 

Roy

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It is a nice day here going up to the mid seventies. I salute Sally Ride and redheads. We have quite a few in our family, including my DGS. My “ brownish red “ hair started graying in my thirties so I became a bottled red head until I let the gray take over after retirement.I have not been to the port and I am probably the only person in the family who likes mackerel. 
@Nickelpenny, Congratulations on your retirement!

 

@dfish, Debbie, so glad you are home and hope things are going well today.

@marshhawk, Annie, did you enjoy Vancouver before the cruise? It sounds like the cruise itself was full of adventure but I am sorry you were ill.

 

Enjoy the day everyone 

[Denise T]

Good morning, everyone. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet report. 

And so, the adventure begins. 

Today is for last minute preparations. Picking up prescriptions, running to the bank, last minute packing and taking our three cats to the vet for boarding. The cats are very suspicious right now. 

I am in the process now of printing boarding passes for the ship and our flights. 

My sister and I will be spending the night at a hotel at the airport as we have to be at the airport at 4:30 tomorrow morning. 

My plan is to pack my patience as this is a busy travel weekend for Memorial Day. 

I hope to post pictures of my travels. I do have a live so you can join my adventures. 

Thinking of you all today. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

 

 

[0106]

Today’s recipe Steamed Mackerel with Green Chili Dashi is another one hidden behind the Bon Appetit firewall.  I am going to start by explaining some of the key ingredients in the dish. I have copied the recipe for those of you who can’t see it at the bottom of the post.

The stock used to steam the fish is Dashi which most commonly utilizes a combination of kombu (kelp seaweed) and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), but other ingredients used to make dashi are shiitake mushrooms and niboshi (small dried fish).  Dashi differs from other kinds of stock; Western stock is boiled over a long period; Dashi uses carefully prepared ingredients, patiently matured, which are only soaked in water or heated briefly so as to extract nothing but the very essence of the ingredients’ flavor.  Dashi creates a savory umami flavor from all these ingredients and you don't need to season the food as much once you have a good stock. With a distinctive sweet and savory note, the deep umami flavor is what sets dashi apart from other stocks. (Umami is often called the fifth taste; it is a combination of the basic tastes of sweet, salty, bitter, and sour. )

 

Mackerels belong to the "oily fish" category; they're one of the best sources of omega-3s — good fats that keep your heart and brain healthy. Mackerel has very similar levels of omega-3 as salmon, and its rich flavor works best with simple seasons to allow the flavor of the fish to shine. Canned mackerel tastes richer (and milder) than tuna; it is especially good when packed in olive oil, making it the perfect entry-point for anyone still unconvinced about the whole fish-in-a-can concept.  Here is an interesting segment I recently heard on NPR: The "Lowly" Fish that Created Cape Cod's Prosperity “ 

 

Steamed Mackerel with Green Chili Dashi

 

4 4-ounce boneless, skinless mackerel filets

Kosher salt

2 dried shiitake mushrooms

4x4-inch piece kombu

½-inch piece ginger, finely grated

garlic clove, finely grated

3 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons soy sauce

¼ teaspoon mild red pepper flakes

½ cup very thinly sliced peeled daikon 

½ cup spinach (or kale, cilantro, or parsley), trimmed

½jalapeño, seeded, chopped

Cilantro leaves (for serving)

Step 1  Season fish generously with salt (but don’t go crazy). Let sit for 20 minutes to absorb seasoning.
Step 2  Meanwhile, mix mushrooms, kombu, ginger, garlic, mirin, soy sauce, red pepper, and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan fitted with a steamer insert or bamboo steamer. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, discard kombu, and continue to simmer, adjusting heat as needed, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
Step 3:  Rinse fish and pat dry. Scatter daikon across bottom of steamer insert and lay fish over. Steam fish, maintaining an active simmer in liquid (err on the side of less heat if you aren’t sure), until fish is just opaque at the center and a tester inserted into the thickest part of the filets meets no resistance, 6–8 minutes.
Step 4  Transfer fish to a plate. Discard mushrooms, then carefully pour steaming liquid into a blender. Add spinach and jalapeño. Remove cap from hole in lid, cover opening with a kitchen towel, and start blender on lowest speed to prevent hot liquid from splashing out the top like a geyser. Gradually increase speed and blend until smooth.
Step 5  Divide fish, daikon, and broth among bowls. Top with cilantro.

 

Asian Steamed Cod  Steaming is an excellent way to prepare fish.  Here is a simpler recipe made cod steamed with ginger and glazed with a delicately sweet mirin (Japanese wine), dashi, soy sauce and green onions.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[StLouisCruisers]

Sorry folks but I have prepared my entire post today, including links and many photos from Aqaba, and I am getting a new warning that my content contains terms that are not allowed.  Then it says to remove content highlighted.  The entire content of my post was highlighted and the photos removed.  So I am at a loss as to what to take out.  I tried removing half the photos and trying to post and it did the same thing.  This is something I haven't seen here before so will have to try asking those in charge what to do about it.  I hope I can figure things out.  Petra is so great and I'd like to share it with you.  Just checking in to let you know why I am not posting today.

[kazu]

Thanks for our TGIF Daily, Rich.

 

A happy Shavuot to all who celebrate.

 

 

Great collection of days.  Sally Ride is certainly deserved of her day.  Yay for all redheads - I was one when I was younger.

 

Love the George Burns quote.  He really had a knack 🙂  Today’s meal sounds good (maybe sans chiles?).  Waiting on the wine - not sure if it is red or white.

 

 

DH and I were in Petra many years ago.  Saw much of Israel on a BHB.  It was a truly wonderful cruise and Israel is just awe inspiring - amazing to step in places that you have read about in the Bible.

 

May is a month full of memories for me.  29 years ago today, I met DH for the first time.  We became good friends fast and the rest was history.

 

It’s another cool one here (is Spring or Fall?) with rain in the forecast.  If the rain holds off, I think Ivan and I will try to get some more planting done before it comes.   But first, coffee, I need more coffee.

 

 

@Denise T Safe travels to you at that very early morning hour tomorrow.

 

@Nickelpenny Have a fabulous last day at work and kick your heels on the way out.  Happy Retirement!

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care List & for those that need them and cheers 🥂 to those celebrating.

 

 

Have a great Friday everyone !!!

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s R & D, Rich! It is very cloudy already and is supposed to rain off & on this morning. The good thing is that this eliminates my need to water plants or add water to my pool. But my pool water was a cool 84.9 yesterday. I braved the waters and did some water exercises.  I know Dixie @summer slope will appreciate my efforts. 
 

Eva hope that each passing day brings you wonderful memories that help sustain you. And as always, thank you for keeping up with us. 
 

Debbie, hope you feel a bit better today & your recovery goes smoothly. 
 

Today I hit the gym, take some Bindi walks and prep for tonight’s dinner with friends. 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! @Nickelpenny Happy Retirement! Enjoy every day! Have a fun road trip. 
Get well & stay well everyone. 

 

********

Smith & Sheth Syrah Hawkes Bay Cru Omahu 2020

Well at least this wine is in my budget, and at least one distributor will ship to me. Sadly that distributor is in New Zealand, so I am afraid to guess what the shipping cost would be. But the wine price is $36.63. 

19.5/20, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

"Deep, full, ruby-red with a purple hue, even colour throughout. The nose is elegant and structured with broody aromas of dark fruit of boysenberry, blackberry and plum melded with gravels, dark herbs, lavender and savoury dusting. Full-bodied, blackberry, boysenberry and plum aromas show purity, entwined with broody dark herbs, lavender, gravelly minerals and iodine, and linger with cedar and clove. The fruit is pure and concentrated with weight and depth; unfolding layers of herbs, minerals and cedar add interest and complexity. Finely extracted, ripe, savoury tannin provides structure and vitality alongside a fine acid line. This rich, broody Syrah features dark fruit with multilayers of herbs, minerals and spices, supported by fine tannin extraction and an acid backbone that suits extended cellaring. Match with venison and lamb racks over the next 15+ years. Fruit from Gimblett Gravels, 100% destemmed, gentle extraction with one pump over daily, total skin time 15-21 days, aged 20 months on average in a combination of new French oak barriques 60% and a seasoned French oak foudre 40%. 13% alc. Vegan friendly." 

Edited May 26, 2023 by cat shepard

[StLouisCruisers]

Here are the links to July 27, 2021 and Aug. 26, 2022 when we last had Aqaba, Jordan (for Petra).  Great port of call!

 

 

 

I'm going to eat breakfast now and come back later to try to post my photos for you.  Hope this works better!

[ottahand7]

Good morning.    We continue to get a lot done in our catch up work for cabin opening.  Yesterday I planted my 3 tomato plants in their large containers, 4 pot Dahlias and about 30 Tithonia and Cardinal Climbers I grew from seed at home.  I have Zinnias and Marigolds seeds started here now.  We got the wiring installed for the Starlink and today it is putting it on the porch roof.  We are really pleased with it, much faster than AT&T hard wired at home.   We actually can stream here.  The phone service has also improved so I can text from my easy chair.   

Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports.  A great quote by George Burns.   Pass on all three comestibles and thank you for researching them for us each day.  Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine.   

@Nickelpenny Happy retirement.   Wishing you lots of fun and adventure in your future! 🍾

[StLouisCruisers]

We enjoyed a visit to Aqaba and Petra in October 2016 on the Emerald Princess.  We took a private tour with a roll call group and it was excellent.  Draining though with the heat so drink twice as much water as you think you should.  I nearly fainted at the end and had to plop down on the ground to prevent injury as we got back to the visitor center.  But I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

 

On Oct. 10, 2016 our private tour group drove 2 hours from Aqaba past the Wadi Rum desert wilderness area and arrived at Petra, one of the new seven wonders of the world.  We arrived by 9 am which is a good thing since this is a very hot, dry area and it only gets hotter as the day goes on. 

 

 

The entrance to the visitor center. 

 

When you first start out there is an area on your left where they keep the horses.  You can either ride a horse, take a cart, or walk.  We walked.  The long walkway here is called Bab Al Siq.

 

 

Next you'll see the Obelisk Tomb.

 

It's named after the four Indian obelisks that decorate the top of the tomb.  This tomb has two stories to it.  

 

 

 

The Siq is a spectacular gorge that leads into the ancient city.  The original channel cut in the walls to bring water into Petra can be seen, and in some places the original terracotta pipes are still in place. 

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite photos of DH walking through the curvy walled tunnel.

 

 

One particular rock formation looked like a fish from the side but an elephant from the front. 

 

The elephant view

 

The colors of the rock can vary widely.

 

Most interesting are the many niches carved into the sandstone walls.

 

Suddenly ahead we saw, through the gap in the rock, the magnificent Treasury!

 

It rises to almost 128 feet and is intricately decorated with Corinthian capitals, decorative bands, figures and more.  It is crowned by an urn, which according to local legend conceals a pharaoh's treasure.

 

 

 

To the left of the Treasury is this area to rest and shop. 

 

You could rent a camel for a ride here in case you were tiring from the walk.

 

From the Treasury we proceeded on to the Street of Facades, the name given to the row of monumental tombs carved into the southern cliff face.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Theatre

 

 

Our guide Zayed and some of the Royal Tombs.

 

 

 

 

We walked as far as we could.

 

All the way to the Nymphaeum, a semi-circular public fountain shaded by a 450 year old wild pistachio tree.  No water here!

 

Further down was the Colonnaded Street which would have been a shopping street in ancient Petra, but by now we were ready to turn back.  We had miles to walk, uphill to return to our bus.

 

 

When we walked back past the Treasury there were lots more people there.  Glad we got there early!

 

You had to watch out for carts and horses all the time or risk getting run over.

 

 

On to lunch at a Petra restaurant in the next post.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

The restaurant we ate lunch at was called Alcantarah.  They had a huge buffet inside but on the porch they were preparing a delicious chicken and vegetable stir fry dish.

 

 

 

 

I think we cleaned them out of desserts!

 

 

 

 

On the drive back to Aqaba we stopped at this shop and were able to have a restroom break.

 

 

 

 

We had very nice clean restrooms which were much appreciated by this very tired group.

 

See anything you like?

 

 

 

 

 

I recommend the restaurant and the rest stop here highly.  

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning from Bar Harbor,  thanks for today's daily fleet report.  I'll pass on today's meal suggestion. We will be in the Canaletto tonight for our last dinner on the Zaandam.  Once immigration is finished we will get on a tender and walk around town.  

I forgot to mention that during yesterday's mariner event the host said that all ships eill have Starlink by the end of the year. They will keep the old system in place as a backup.

Also, a change from the past.  The mariner drink cards can now be used for any drink. Not just the special drink.

 

[summer slope]

@cat shepardyou are brave to get in that cold water.  Good for you!!!

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info. You know who you are!

 

I like quote of the day. Hear is my take on it.

 

When I was a boy RedneckBob was only Bob.

When I was a boy the Great Lakes were not Great

When I was a boy the Dollar Tree Store was the Penny Tree Store

[1ANGELCAT]

Fluff 💔She just passed at home in my arms.Thank you God for 9 years with our sweet girl