The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday September 14th, 2023

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, Heartgrove said:

One thing I forgot to mention about our cruise. Just like a few weeks ago receiving a survey  about the MSC booking process, this time I received an email from the captain, Captain Francesco Iacono, welcoming us onboard the MSC Preziosa. In his email he gave a short history of the ship and how happy the crew were to sail aboard her.

 

Great photo.

I hope you both have an amazing cruise on MSC Preziosa.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

On April 10, 2006, we arrived in Road Town, Tortola, BVI, for our first visit on the Old Regal Princess.  We were on our Amazon River cruise, but would be returning later that month as we headed back to Florida.  That was easier and more fun than flying home from Manaus.  If you were not a charter flight, you would have to fly to another city in South America and then to FLL or Miami, and a final flight(s) to your home airport.

 

The first day in Road Town, we rented a car and drove around the island.  This first picture is from the ship as we approached Road Town.

 

The boardwalk in the small boat harbor.  I seem to get a lot of pictures of DH from the back.  This time he was heading to the car rental place.

 

A nice beach close to the harbor

 

The view from a high point of the island, the observatory, and Road Town in the distance.

 

 

 

We didn't do the swim with the dolphins or see their show, but we did see this one interacting with one of the trainers.

 

We found a lovely place on the beach to have a beer or a coke.

 

Some of the locals at the bar

 

Our final view of Road Town as we sailed toward Dominica.

 

Lenda

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Great days -- I love crab (more than lobster) and cream-filled donuts.  Also love quiet!  "Silence is golden". People who just can't be quiet and monopolize conversations make me nervous. 😉 My first thought about the quote was that it's sad.  I'm sure I'd like the wine but will pass on the drink and meal.  Tonight will be take-out, since I've cleaned out the fridge and don't want to be doing kitchen clean-up tonight.  We'll leave early tomorrow morning for Seattle.  

 

The weather is playing a trick on us, but it will make for a beautiful sail-away.  Instead of the high 60's we've had all week, tomorrow will be 80 here and in Seattle.  Lots of sunshine.  So I'll be wearing summer clothes tomorrow but packed a lot of cold-weather/rain clothes for Alaska where it will be quite cool and raining every day!  😂

 

Bon Voyage @Heartgrove, @Lady Hudson and @Mr. Boston!

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

 

 

[seagarsmoker]

@Heartgrove  @Mr. Boston  @Lady Hudson

 

         Bon Voyage!

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We returned to Road Town on April 28 on our way back to FLL.  That time, we took a tour to Virgin Gorda, another island in the BVIs.  This was on the recommendation of DFIL who along with DH's stepmother, and others had rented a catamaran and sailed around the islands. 

 

Our destination was The Baths, an area of large boulders and caves.  We snorkeled and swam through one of the caves.  Since we didn't want to fight the current to swim back to the starting point, we walked through another cave.  In hindsight, I think the swim would have been easier since there was one steep point where we had to climb over a boulder and use a rope "handrail" to help pull yourself up the boulder.  I didn't get any pictures in either cave because the camera was not waterproof, and I needed both hands walking through the second cave.

 

The view of Road Town as we headed toward Virgin Gorda.

 

The Baths from the parking lot from our open air bus.  Tortola is in the background.

 

The area of The Baths at sea level.  This is just a small portion of the area.

 

 

 

The restaurant at the top of The Baths and the views from the restaurant.

 

 

 

Our final view of Road Town and Tortola as we headed to sea and FLL.

 

I wish more ships that sail from the US would call at the BVIs.

 

Lenda

 

[luvteaching]

Good morning everyone!

 

I got back on Sunday and the cruise went well. I had my teary moments but they lessened as the week went on and I was fine. I'm a "tough old broad" if the truth be known. I do tell people I was born with my bladder behind my eyes which is why they leak! hee... 

Juneau was a gorgeous day and Sitka and Ketchikan were overcast but no rain. Hubbard Glacier was foggy and wet but the small boat excursion was definitely worth the time and money. We got to within 1/2 mile of the glacier which was more than a mile closer than the ship did. 

 

Since getting home I've been busy with water aerobics, unpacking, PT for my leg, my DH's 65th High School Reunion yesterday (there were 22 of his classmates there ) and getting ready for his Celebration of Life/Family Picnic on Saturday. I got reminded, gently, by my brother-in-law on Tuesday about making Nanaimo Bars so that's on the schedule today along with Dh's fave Oreo Cookie fudge. I also got a call last night that my cousin, who was under the evacuation alert in Chase, BC, is coming down for the weekend and will be at the event. They are bringing their motorhome and staying not too far from me. I'm so grateful they're making the trip (it's about a 5 hour drive and an international border crossing) and we'll get to visit as it's about 4-5 years since we've seen each other. 

Today is sunny weather, PT, and baking and cleaning - so exciting!
 

Karen

[aliaschief]

Good morning. Running late this morning. Unlike yesterday we awoke to beautiful clear skies and a calmer Pacific Ocean. Not sure what’s on todays agenda as it’s always flexible. Though tomorrow we are going on an old steam locomotive train ride. 
Thank goodness we have WiFi at beach house as there is no service in many areas.

The bacon is sizzling and calling me to breakfast. Thanks for the report and post. Bruce

 

[1ANGELCAT]

Good sunny afternoon, change of plans for today. Tux has developed some type of left eye infection. The vet can see him at 3:00. It doesn’t seem to bother him, but there is some discharge. Back later.

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

I will pass on crab fest day. I don't like cream-filled donuts. National Quiet Day is a good day. Interesting quote. Pass on the meal, I like the drink, and pass on the wine. I haven't been to Tortula. Both important days in history.

 

It was quite chilly at 52F this morning, and we'll go up to 72 later. I just spent almost 2 hours in a MS Teams meeting. Later this afternoon I have PT. BFF and I and his visitors all went out for Mexican last night, and it was very good. Tomorrow BFF and I will drive his cousin and friend to Maryland, where we'll have dinner with another cousin. Then on Saturday take them to IAD for their flight back to Germany, and come home.

 

@rafinmd I'm glad you're feeling better, and yay on the negative test today. 

@Haljo1935 I hope all of your DH's tests come back with good results.

@kazu I hope you are spared the worst of Hurricane Lee. So much preparation involved too. 

@cruising sister Thank you for the update on Baby Murphy. Prayers for her family who are dealing with this difficult time.

@Heartgrove  Bon Voyage! Great photo of you two.

@Lady Hudson @Mr. Boston Bon Voyage!

@ger_77 Prayers for DH tomorrow with his pacemaker implant.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Excellent photos of Road Town and Virgin Gorda. 

@luvteaching I'm glad you enjoyed your cruise. 

@1ANGELCAT I hope the vet can fix Tux right up.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a Toast to those with something to Celebrate.

[AV8rix]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 Texas, unlike the PNW, gets its rain in big bursts of rain.  In other words, it's kind of like Morton's Salt, "When it rains, it pours".

 

 

 

Lenda, that's why I miss Texas so much.  Up here it just "mizzles" (mists and drizzles) all the time.  And we NEVER get thunderstorms -- at least we don't here west of the Cascades.  I think that eastern Washington does have them.  Back home in Dallas I could sit for hours watching the spectacular lightning.  Umm, well I'm not too fond of the oddly-colored lightning that precedes a tornado ☹️.

[durangoscots]

Good morning. Cool weather has moved in here. It was 42F when we walked this morning and high is predicted at 67 although I think it may sneak up a bit more. Rain is a possible but more likely tomorrow. Fall is in the air. If I were back in Maryland I would happily take crab anything. I love donuts of any type but someone should slap my hand if I reach for one. We have a wonderful local shop with loads of tasty donuts which I avoid.

 

Off to change clothes and head out for the dermatologist shortly with a few stops on my way.

 

Take care all.

 

Susan

 

 

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning. Running late this morning. Unlike yesterday we awoke to beautiful clear skies and a calmer Pacific Ocean. Not sure what’s on todays agenda as it’s always flexible. Though tomorrow we are going on an old steam locomotive train ride. 
Thank goodness we have WiFi at beach house as there is no service in many areas.

The bacon is sizzling and calling me to breakfast. Thanks for the report and post. Bruce

 

Sounds like pure Redneck double talk! 😀

[grapau27]

Good evening.

We took our Sarah out for dinner at our favourite Italian restaurant.

This is our mains.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon from central Texas where the rain continues.  Right now, it is just a light rain, but since 11:30 the amount of rain has gone from 1.64 inches to 2.58 inches.  The only problem with getting so much rain so quickly is, it stands in the yard, and we often have small "ponds" in places.  Our soil is fairly firm with limestone just inches under it, so the water takes a long time to soak into the ground.  I predict there will be a lot of yard work next week and more grass to mow for the next few weeks.

 

The temperature has cooled off enough that I was able to get into the attic to change the a/c filter.  Since DH is a mechanical engineer with a sub-specialty in hvac, we have a pretty sophisticated a/c and heating unit.  Besides the traditional filter, we have two electrostatic filters and two metal mesh pre-filters.  In April, I just changed the regular filter, but today, I also pulled the two electrostatic filters and cleaned them.  The mesh filters needed to have the dust and dirt blown out of them, which meant another down the ladder and back up.  But the air pump for the tires, took care of those filters.  While I was in the attic, I could hear the rain hitting the metal roof.  Now, the attic unit is back together and ready to run when it get a bit warmer.

 

Besides learning to do "man" chores around the house, I've also picked up another thing from DH.  It seems I can't do a lot of the work without a couple of bruises or cuts and scrapes.

 

3 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

Great days -- I love crab (more than lobster) and cream-filled donuts.  Also love quiet!  "Silence is golden". People who just can't be quiet and monopolize conversations make me nervous. 😉 My first thought about the quote was that it's sad.  I'm sure I'd like the wine but will pass on the drink and meal.  Tonight will be take-out, since I've cleaned out the fridge and don't want to be doing kitchen clean-up tonight.  We'll leave early tomorrow morning for Seattle.  

 

The weather is playing a trick on us, but it will make for a beautiful sail-away.  Instead of the high 60's we've had all week, tomorrow will be 80 here and in Seattle.  Lots of sunshine.  So I'll be wearing summer clothes tomorrow but packed a lot of cold-weather/rain clothes for Alaska where it will be quite cool and raining every day!  😂

 

Bon Voyage @Heartgrove, @Lady Hudson and @Mr. Boston!

 

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

 

 

 

Carolyn, at times, I'm afraid I turn into one of those who keep talking.  Being in a small group, I get nervous when the conversation lags, and seem to need to fill the gap.  At other, times, I seem to not be able to think of anything to say.  I know that no matter what the weather is, you'll have a good time in Alaska.  Just the scenery is worth going there.

 

2 hours ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning everyone!

 

I got back on Sunday and the cruise went well. I had my teary moments but they lessened as the week went on and I was fine. I'm a "tough old broad" if the truth be known. I do tell people I was born with my bladder behind my eyes which is why they leak! hee... 

Juneau was a gorgeous day and Sitka and Ketchikan were overcast but no rain. Hubbard Glacier was foggy and wet but the small boat excursion was definitely worth the time and money. We got to within 1/2 mile of the glacier which was more than a mile closer than the ship did. 

 

Since getting home I've been busy with water aerobics, unpacking, PT for my leg, my DH's 65th High School Reunion yesterday (there were 22 of his classmates there ) and getting ready for his Celebration of Life/Family Picnic on Saturday. I got reminded, gently, by my brother-in-law on Tuesday about making Nanaimo Bars so that's on the schedule today along with Dh's fave Oreo Cookie fudge. I also got a call last night that my cousin, who was under the evacuation alert in Chase, BC, is coming down for the weekend and will be at the event. They are bringing their motorhome and staying not too far from me. I'm so grateful they're making the trip (it's about a 5 hour drive and an international border crossing) and we'll get to visit as it's about 4-5 years since we've seen each other. 

Today is sunny weather, PT, and baking and cleaning - so exciting!
 

Karen

 

Karen, I'm happy the cruise went well and the tears lessoned as the cruise progressed.  I'm glad your cousin will be able to come down for the weekend.

 

1 hour ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good sunny afternoon, change of plans for today. Tux has developed some type of left eye infection. The vet can see him at 3:00. It doesn’t seem to bother him, but there is some discharge. Back later.

 

I hope that Tux's eye problem is not serious and that the vet can help.

 

1 hour ago, AV8rix said:

Lenda, that's why I miss Texas so much.  Up here it just "mizzles" (mists and drizzles) all the time.  And we NEVER get thunderstorms -- at least we don't here west of the Cascades.  I think that eastern Washington does have them.  Back home in Dallas I could sit for hours watching the spectacular lightning.  Umm, well I'm not too fond of the oddly-colored lightning that precedes a tornado ☹️.

 

Susan, growing up in Abilene, we had some spectacular thunderstorms.  One of my earliest childhood memories is standing with my grandmother in the front door watching all the rain, wind and lightning going on.  My parents were out-of-town, and she and my regular babysitter were staying with me. The baby sitter was scared of the thunderstorm and spent most of the time hiding in the bathroom, but she would stick her head out every so often to urge us to get out of the door.  I think that time with my grandmother taught me to respect but not fear thunder storms.  In the it's a small world category, I noticed you added your last name on another thread.  It caught my eye because it's my maiden name.  My grandfather's family was from Alvarado.  I never met him or his family since he and my grandmother divorced when my father was three years old.

 

6 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Good evening.

We took our Sarah out for dinner at our favourite Italian restaurant.

This is our mains.

 

Graham, I love Italian food, and your pictures of your food from your favorite Italian restaurant always make me hungry.

 

It looks like the last wave of rain has stopped.

 

Lenda

[Cruising-along]

37 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Carolyn, at times, I'm afraid I turn into one of those who keep talking.  Being in a small group, I get nervous when the conversation lags, and seem to need to fill the gap.  At other, times, I seem to not be able to think of anything to say.  I know that no matter what the weather is, you'll have a good time in Alaska.  Just the scenery is worth going there.

Lenda I have a strong feeling that you and I would have some interesting and fun talks. 🙂  And really, those who keep the conversation going when it lags are appreciated!  I guess I was thinking more of some family members and others who aren't nearly as interesting but think they are, and go on and on.  😉 

 

Thank you and yes, we'll have a good time no matter what the weather will be!  It will be interesting to see if this is our last Celebrity cruise.  We haven't sailed with them for 6 years (!) and from reading the boards, there have been some changes that I won't like.  Charges for all room service other than continental breakfast is one change.  I'll probably come back appreciating HAL even more.  

 

I'm sorry about your bruises and scrapes, I hope they were minor.  Kudos for doing that, I doubt I could. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

6 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Lenda I have a strong feeling that you and I would have some interesting and fun talks. 🙂  And really, those who keep the conversation going when it lags are appreciated!  I guess I was thinking more of some family members and others who aren't nearly as interesting but think they are, and go on and on.  😉 

 

Thank you and yes, we'll have a good time no matter what the weather will be!  It will be interesting to see if this is our last Celebrity cruise.  We haven't sailed with them for 6 years (!) and from reading the boards, there have been some changes that I won't like.  Charges for all room service other than continental breakfast is one change.  I'll probably come back appreciating HAL even more.  

 

I'm sorry about your bruises and scrapes, I hope they were minor.  Kudos for doing that, I doubt I could. 

 

Thanks, Carolyn.  I hope we get a chance to meet someday.  As far as the bruises and scrapes, today was an easy day with only one very minor cut.  It was so minor, I didn't notice it until well after I finished in the attic, and it didn't even bleed..

 

I'll be interested in what you have to say about Celebrity.  We sailed them four times in the late 1990s.  DH liked them better than I did, since I found the daytime activities mostly lacking and boring.  Our last two cruises were interesting since one was when RCCL was in the process of acquiring Celebrity.  The crew was very unhappy and uncertain about the future.  The last time was in 1998 after RCCL owned them.  I noticed a lot of changes, many small, but they still seemed to cheapen Celebrity, and this was before all the cruise lines started cutbacks and added costs.

 

Lenda

[Norseh2o]

I am home from a nice week with DM in AZ. We visited Sam’s for a cleaning of her hearing aids, I took care of a bit of her laundry,  exchanged some books with her and we took a scenic Saturday drive north and west of Phoenix. I joined her table group for dinner one evening, how nice that she has found such compatible people later in life, Mary from Louisiana, Carol from Michigan, and Vivian (not sure where she hails from). We met older sister for lunch at Olive Garden, (seems as if everyone on CC has enjoyed Olive Garden recently!), and found a thrift store piece of luggage to carry the new books home. ❤️

Wonderful week in The Valley of the Sun except it was:

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is another from my 2012 Crystal Symphony Transatlantic.  It was a sea day from Reykjavik to New York, much delayed by storms.  Most of the outdoor space was closed but I did get out on the back deck briefly:

 

 

Roy

[cruising sister]

4 hours ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning everyone!

 

I got back on Sunday and the cruise went well. I had my teary moments but they lessened as the week went on and I was fine. I'm a "tough old broad" if the truth be known. I do tell people I was born with my bladder behind my eyes which is why they leak! hee... 

Juneau was a gorgeous day and Sitka and Ketchikan were overcast but no rain. Hubbard Glacier was foggy and wet but the small boat excursion was definitely worth the time and money. We got to within 1/2 mile of the glacier which was more than a mile closer than the ship did. 

 

Since getting home I've been busy with water aerobics, unpacking, PT for my leg, my DH's 65th High School Reunion yesterday (there were 22 of his classmates there ) and getting ready for his Celebration of Life/Family Picnic on Saturday. I got reminded, gently, by my brother-in-law on Tuesday about making Nanaimo Bars so that's on the schedule today along with Dh's fave Oreo Cookie fudge. I also got a call last night that my cousin, who was under the evacuation alert in Chase, BC, is coming down for the weekend and will be at the event. They are bringing their motorhome and staying not too far from me. I'm so grateful they're making the trip (it's about a 5 hour drive and an international border crossing) and we'll get to visit as it's about 4-5 years since we've seen each other. 

Today is sunny weather, PT, and baking and cleaning - so exciting!
 

Karen

I am glad you had a good time. I like the saying about the bladder behind your eyes. I cry so easily too. I hope the celebration goes well there will be some more tears to come but it will be nice to see people. 

[1ANGELCAT]

Back from the vet. It’s an eye infection but no scratches on the eyeball. He is on an antibiotic eye drop 3x a day and rechecked in a week. 
It probably happened from wrestling with TT. 
He also had a nail trim.

Thanks for all the good thoughts.

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Afternoon, thanks for today’s daily report.  As expected it was a very busy work day and I’m not completely caught up on those pesky emails.  Mona kept waking me up during the night demanding pets.

 @1ANGELCAT I’m glad the visit was quick and Tux should make a full recovery.  Keeping those nails trimmed is important.

Bon Voyage to @Mr. Boston @Heartgrove and @Lady Hudson

I hope everyone has a good rest of the day.

[grapau27]

For tomorrow for our Jewish friends.

Happy new year.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

46 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Back from the vet. It’s an eye infection but no scratches on the eyeball. He is on an antibiotic eye drop 3x a day and rechecked in a week. 
It probably happened from wrestling with TT. 
He also had a nail trim.

Thanks for all the good thoughts.

 

I'm glad the vet was able to give Tux some antibiotic and a nail trim.  I'm glad the eye wasn't scratched.

 

I just checked the rain gauge and the old fashioned one outside.  So far, we've gotten 2.75 inches today.  The rain stopped about 45 minutes ago,  for now.

 

Lenda

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

Good afternoon from central Texas where the rain continues.  Right now, it is just a light rain, but since 11:30 the amount of rain has gone from 1.64 inches to 2.58 inches.  The only problem with getting so much rain so quickly is, it stands in the yard, and we often have small "ponds" in places.  Our soil is fairly firm with limestone just inches under it, so the water takes a long time to soak into the ground.  I predict there will be a lot of yard work next week and more grass to mow for the next few weeks.

 

The temperature has cooled off enough that I was able to get into the attic to change the a/c filter.  Since DH is a mechanical engineer with a sub-specialty in hvac, we have a pretty sophisticated a/c and heating unit.  Besides the traditional filter, we have two electrostatic filters and two metal mesh pre-filters.  In April, I just changed the regular filter, but today, I also pulled the two electrostatic filters and cleaned them.  The mesh filters needed to have the dust and dirt blown out of them, which meant another down the ladder and back up.  But the air pump for the tires, took care of those filters.  While I was in the attic, I could hear the rain hitting the metal roof.  Now, the attic unit is back together and ready to run when it get a bit warmer.

 

Besides learning to do "man" chores around the house, I've also picked up another thing from DH.  It seems I can't do a lot of the work without a couple of bruises or cuts and scrapes.

 

 

Carolyn, at times, I'm afraid I turn into one of those who keep talking.  Being in a small group, I get nervous when the conversation lags, and seem to need to fill the gap.  At other, times, I seem to not be able to think of anything to say.  I know that no matter what the weather is, you'll have a good time in Alaska.  Just the scenery is worth going there.

 

 

Karen, I'm happy the cruise went well and the tears lessoned as the cruise progressed.  I'm glad your cousin will be able to come down for the weekend.

 

 

I hope that Tux's eye problem is not serious and that the vet can help.

 

 

Susan, growing up in Abilene, we had some spectacular thunderstorms.  One of my earliest childhood memories is standing with my grandmother in the front door watching all the rain, wind and lightning going on.  My parents were out-of-town, and she and my regular babysitter were staying with me. The baby sitter was scared of the thunderstorm and spent most of the time hiding in the bathroom, but she would stick her head out every so often to urge us to get out of the door.  I think that time with my grandmother taught me to respect but not fear thunder storms.  In the it's a small world category, I noticed you added your last name on another thread.  It caught my eye because it's my maiden name.  My grandfather's family was from Alvarado.  I never met him or his family since he and my grandmother divorced when my father was three years old.

 

 

Graham, I love Italian food, and your pictures of your food from your favorite Italian restaurant always make me hungry.

 

It looks like the last wave of rain has stopped.

 

Lenda

Thank you Lenda.

The food is always delicious here.

We dined at 6pm and when we left the restaurant it was full.

[Cruzin Terri]

Good afternoon,

It was a strange day.

Yesterday I thought I was on the way to feeling better with the pain being not as severe.  

Well, this morning, despite taking 15 mg of Prednisone I woke up with neck, shoulder and upper arm pain.  Tomorrow I am supposed to lower the dose to 10mg.   Not sure what to do.  I messaged the Doc but have not heard back.

The meds really make sleeping difficult.  I go to bed early and then I am awake at 2 am.  Then i go back to bed at 5 am.  I can’t keep this up.

Today I mixed up two reservations I was trying to make for our February cruise.  I was trying to make  two independent reservations at beach clubs in Cozumel and Costa Maya respectively.  Unfortunately, I booked the Cozumel Beach Club on the Costa Maya Day and vice versa.  What a mess!   One is corrected, but have not heard from the second one.  I just can’t believe I did that.

That shows you how tired I am.

 

I hope everyone is having a good day and staying safe and well.  Prayers for everyone.

 

God Bless,

Terri