The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday December 29th, 2023

[kazu]

Today is Mongolia Independence Day, National Pepper Pot Day, and Tick Tock Day
 

You are, and always have been, my dream.--Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

Meal Suggestion for today - Salmon and Broccolini with Citrus-Chile Sauce
Drink of the Day - Slowpoke Shandy
Wine of the Day - Meleto Borgaio Rosso di Toscana
Destination of the Day - Malacca, Malaysia

Today in History:
1845 Texas admitted as 28th state of the Union
1902 Scot Joplin copyrights "The Entertainer" and several other piano rag compositions through the US Copyright Office

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Ocho Rios, Jamaica eta 12-30
 

Koningsdam

Hilo, Hawaii Island 08:00 - 18:00 
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Key West, Florida 08:00 - 16:00 
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles eta 12-30
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Ushuaia, Argentina eta 12-31
 

Rotterdam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 7:00-15:00 
 

Volendam

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Riviera 07:00 - 15:00 
 

Zaandam

Willemstad Curacao, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 23:00 
 

Zuiderdam

Panama Canal, Colon, Panama 06:00 - 07:00 ,17:00 - 21:00 

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand 
 

Westerdam

Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 06:00 - 18:00

 

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care List:

Cruising sister’s great niece Murphy post-surgery, on CPAP, gtube

Dfish (Debbie) having hernia repair surgery today

Nickelpenny having pain with walking

JazzyV with right leg pain, tingling and numbness; trouble walking

 

Citizens of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

 

From the Rotation:

Rafinmd (Roy) to start radiation for elevated PSA/prostate cancer

RMLincoln’s DH with glaucoma issues, medication allergy

Catmando with cancer recurrence, on immunotherapy

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Kazu stepping up to keep the FR/Daily going while Rich is cruising

Cruising sister’s g-niece Murphy extubated, on CPAP 

RMLincoln signing closing documents on MD condo

Ottahand7 starting the drive toward FLL

Durangoscots flying to SD

 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

5 days for Cat in my lap (Zuiderdam Jan 3 to May 11) 128d Grand World Voyage

5 days for Ottahand7 (Eurodam Jan 3 to Feb 24) B2B2B2B2B Caribbean

5 days for Cruising-along (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

5 days for Durangoscots (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

5 days for cruising sister (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

5 days for Cruisercl (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

7 days for Aliaschief (Azamara Onward WC Jan 5 to June 9) 156d World Voyage

 

Nickelpenny (Zuiderdam to Jan 3, Panama Canal Sunfarer Holiday), St Pete Cruiser(Zaandam to Jan 4, Southern Caribbean Holiday), Ichiban Nekko (Rotterdam to Jan 5, B2B, Western/Tropical Caribbean), Av8rix (Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), Haljo1935(Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), GTVCRUISER (Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), Seasick Sailor (Rotterdam to Jan 14, Tropical/Southern Caribbean Seafarer))and Richwmn (Volendam to May 4, 12d Mexico & Sea of Cortez Holiday + Jan 3 94d Grand Australia & NZ Voyage + Apr 6 15d PC Cruise + Apr 21 The Atlantic Cruise)

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[StLouisCruisers]

 

Good morning friends!  Really cold this morning at 32F.  Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 45.  Thank you Jacqui @kazu for posting the Fleet Report and Daily the last Friday of 2023.

 

Cheers for the Mongolians on their Independence Day, pepper pot (soup), and Tick Tock Day. Better get everything done before time ticks away!  I like the quote by Nicolas Sparks, and I'm sure the salmon and broccolini dish is a tasty and popular meal which could be enjoyed by many here.  No thanks to the cocktail and wine this morning.  Congrats to Texas on the anniversary of becoming the 28th state!  Thank you Tina @0106, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for reporting on the food and beverages for us!

 

Prayers to everyone here on the Care list, especially our friend Debbie @dfish who is going in for the long awaited surgery.  Hope things go perfectly and you are home recovering shortly afterwards.  Prayers too for Maureen @RMLincoln and DH, Melisa @HAL Sailer and DH, Terri @Cruzin Terri, Tana and Terry @smitty34877, Baby Murphy, Pennie @Nickelpenny, and Vanessa @JazzyV.  Prayers also for the people of Israel and Ukraine, the hostages held, and the U.S. military members under attack at bases and on ships.  Hoping for a good day for DB and friends with health issues.  A salute to everyone celebrating birthdays and anniversaries, and those cruising!  If you're on you're way to a cruise, or traveling back from holiday visits, safe travels to all of you.  Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for the list keeping and getting up early to post it here.  

 

The port of the day is Malacca, Malaysia, the first time here!  So, no links to post, and for the record I haven't been to Malacca before.  Thanks in advance for anyone with pictures to share with us.

 

Have a great day y'all!  

[0106]

Salmon and Broccolini with Citrus-Chile Sauce is a Bon Appetit recipe and you know what that means…it’s behind a paywall.  Let’s start by talking about one of the key ingredients.  I think that we are all familiar with salmon but what about broccolini? Broccolini is also called “baby broccoli,” but the name is a slight misnomer. According to The Vegetarian Flavor Bible by Karen Page, broccolini isn’t just miniature broccoli. Instead, it’s a cross between broccoli and gai-lan, a variety of Chinese broccoli. Though it tastes similar to broccoli, its flavor is milder and sweeter.  It has bright green florets and long, slender stems. It’s also easy to prepare and incredibly versatile.  And when you cook it well, the florets and stems have a fantastic crisp-tender texture.

 

I managed to find the Bon Appetit recipe on another site.  Salmon and Broccolini with Citrus-Chile Sauce I like that the citrus is grapefruit, not the usual choice.  It will be a bit spicy with the jalapenos.

 

Baked Salmon with Spicy Citrus Dressing  Roasted salmon with a delicious, slightly spicy, citrusy dressing, served over fresh spinach and arugula.  No reason you couldn’t serve it over  broccolini  instead of a salad.

Sending you peace, healing and all good wishes.

Edited December 29, 2023 by 0106

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

Another rainy day here, I wonder when we'll get snow. 

Cheers for Mongolians and pepper pot.  Tick tock - where does the time go? 

I like the quote.

The meal sounds good, looking forward to seeing recipes.  I'll pass on the drink, not sure about the wine.

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

Congrats to Texas.

Prayers for everyone.

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe.

[puppycanducruise]

@dfish  Good luck, hope everything goes well for you today.

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

I am up and ready to roll.  I'm leaving in a bit to pick up DS Mary Jo and head to the hospital.  I hope to be home mid afternoon for a nice cup of coffee and a bowl of the turkey soup I made on Wednesday.

 

1 minute ago, puppycanducruise said:

@dfish  Good luck, hope everything goes well for you today.

 

Thank you and thank @StLouisCruisers Sandi for the well wishes this morning.  

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[marshhawk]

@dfish Prayers to you and your doctor, and nurses, that the surgery goes well, and that you will enjoy that cup of coffee when you get home.  And take care of yourself!  Hugs.

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info from all contributors!

 

Another day, another cruise review from my Reflection cruise 12/3-/12/17.

 

Chapter VI: When will this cruise review END?

 

Answer is Right Now! Well, I could continue to tell y’all everything that happened on this cruise like, while sitting in this wicker chair at the pool deck, I tried to get up and rolled over onto the deck and did not stop rolling until I ran into the pool bar! 😀 At which time it was time for a drink. Or having the Misses lose her credit card in Aruba, calling the card company to cancel, being told it was stolen and then told how much had been spent. Which I replied don’t cancel the card, whoever stole the credit card is spending less than the Misses! 😳. Or having an accident in the hot tub when after taking my daily medicine the pill got stuck in my neck and discovered it was a blue pill, and left the tub with a stiff neck! 😀

 

Bottomline is I am out of material but don’t worry, yours truly just booked another cruise on the Celebrity Reflection for March 2024 and not to upset HAL will be jumping to Nieux Statendam after the Reflection cruise so I should have lots of material to write here. I bet y’all all exited about that.

[seagarsmoker]

Good morning dailyites. Sorry for no posts since the cruise, however, I got the flu on one of the last couple of days of the cruise and have basically been in bed since we got home Wednesday night.  Hopefully, I will feel better soon. I hope everyone has a great day!

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s FR & D, Jacqui! It is starting to cool down here again! Last night’s anniversary party was fun. It was still warm enough that the band hired for the occasion could set up outside. And the morning’s rain cleared out and left us with a beautiful sunset & evening. 

 

Vanessa thank you for keeping up with our happenings. Praying that you start down your path of permanent pain relief soon. 

 

Gym, Bindi walks, getting ready for having my friends over for dinner tomorrow. I suspect it will be too nippy to sit out on the deck and eat. It is supposed to get down to 39 tomorrow. 😎

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those of you driving to Florida…

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support! @dfish Debbie hoping today’s surgery goes smoothly & your recovery is swift.
 

Extra prayers for those suffering from debilitating pain and conditions. And those grieving the loss of a loved one. Thinking of you Terry & Tana. 

 

Cheers to all who are celebrating!

 

May we each find a reason to smile today!
 

 

*********

Meleto Borgaio Rosso di Toscana

This Italian red sounds interesting. I would love a taste. Easy to find and priced to try. Online prices start at $13.99.

Wine Enthusiast 88

This friendly red has aromas and flavors of ripe raspberry, juicy blueberry and spice. Pliant tannins offer gentle support. Drink now.

Edited December 29, 2023 by cat shepard

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is currently raining and 45°F here at 13.00pm.

I hope everyone is safe and well.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

 

Travel report on Antarctica Dec. 29, 2016  Neko Harbor

 

On Dec. 29, 2016 the Seabourn Quest settled itself near a place on the continent called Neko Harbor (or if you prefer, Harbour).  Today the white group was last which meant we wouldn't go over to land until midafternoon.  So we did a lot of watching what was going on from the ship.  But look at the scenery!  Not bad!  Taken from drone shots.

 

 

 

The drone went up and got some fantastic shots, which they kindly shared with us when they gave us the video they made as a gift.  Here's what we looked like from above.

 

 

 

And then it flew past this iceberg so we could get a good look at it.  Amazing!

 

 

I took this photo from the ship of passengers walking up the ice hill near where the Zodiacs landed.  There was a good sized group of Gentoo penguins over there to look forward to.

 

 

And these photos of the area taken from the drone.

 

 

 

We saw some whales near the ship and watched them for a long time.  We also saw a nearby glacier calving causing a small tsunami. 

 

 

 

 

 

To continue, finally it was our turn to ride the Zodiac over.  We took our usual 30 minutes to prepare and add all our layers, etc.  Then into our special boots and over in the Zodiac.  There was a rocky portion near the shore with penguins, then the snow pack and a steep hillside.

 

 

A seal lazing away on a bit of ice and snow.

 

 

 

Isn't this penguin couple adorable?  They loved the spotlight and posed for us all.

 

 

We had to get a picture with them and they were happy to oblige. You can see the white band Velcroed around my arm, with my cruise card in it to be scanned when getting on and off the ship.

 

 

DH wanted to go to the top of the hill (which was marked so you wouldn't venture too far).  So he took a camera up and I stayed below with the penguins taking photos.  Two photos he took.

 

 

 

A close up of some penguin nests.  Here they were still sitting on eggs.  Yesterday at Yankee Harbor chicks had hatched three weeks or so earlier.

 

They were diligent in their duty to those eggs, trying to keep them warm and protected from skuas (predatory sea bird) who would try to snatch the eggs from the nest if the parent didn't do a good job of covering them.

 

Impossible to see this type of penguin activity from a ship sailing by. 

 

These three penguins were probably headed for a swim.

 

 

And finally, a shot from the drone of the top of the ice hill.  The guy on the left is Luciano, one of the Expedition Team members. 

 

An amazing day at Neko Harbor, Antarctica!

[cat shepard]

10 minutes ago, seagarsmoker said:

Good morning dailyites. Sorry for no posts since the cruise, however, I got the flu on one of the last couple of days of the cruise and have basically been in bed since we got home Wednesday night.  Hopefully, I will feel better soon. I hope everyone has a great day!

Sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. Let’s hope you get back to normal soon. 

[kazu]

Good final TGIF morning of 2023.  

 

Good collection of days.  For me, Tick Tock day will be celebrated to check my charity listings and make sure I gave to my key ones in 2023.  The quote is a bitter sweet one for me.  I love broccolini - thanks so much @0106 for describing it.  Passing on the meal today only because I don’t have the ingredients and not going anywhere today.  Besides I have left over prime rib from last night to enjoy.  Yes, I made prime rib last night (a small one).  The first one since DD DH went into the hospital.  I am amazed I remembered how to cook it 😂 

 

 

 

It’s raining/freezing rain here and has been since last night.  It seems to have started as more rain than freezing rain so I’m afraid my stuff has been washed off the driveway and I will be de-icing the entire driveway.  Guess I will know when / if it stops.  Hopefully it can be cleaned before the snow comes. 🤞 

 

 

 

Ivan sure knows how to give a compliment.  yesterday my friend came to return the unopened wine I took to their Christmas dinner (sigh).  Ivan always greets people at the door with a toy in his mouth and he had the toy she gave him for Christmas in his mouth.  LOL.

 

 

 

Lots on my list from yesterday not done so the remainder will be tackled today.  I was exhausted so I guess the list was overly ambitious 😉 

 

 

 

Debbie @dfish wishing you all the best for your surgery today and a quick recovery.

 

@seagarsmoker so sorry to hear of your flu.  I hope you are feeling better very soon.

 

thanks to Vanessa, Tina, Dixie & Ann for their F & B dedication and to everyone for their contributions.  Prayers to those on the Care list, those suffering losses, grieving, health issues, pain, worries & those who need them. 🙏. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising 🥂 

 

 

Have a Good Friday everyone.

[cruising sister]

29 minutes ago, seagarsmoker said:

Good morning dailyites. Sorry for no posts since the cruise, however, I got the flu on one of the last couple of days of the cruise and have basically been in bed since we got home Wednesday night.  Hopefully, I will feel better soon. I hope everyone has a great day!

Sorry you got sick and get well soon!

[Sir PMP]

Don't forget to change your calendar soon:

 

 

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning to all.

Thank you Jacqui @kazu for the Fleet Report and Daily.  And thank you to Vanessa @JazzyV for the Cares and Celebration list.

Thank you to Tina @0106 for filling in for Debbie and thanks to Ann @cat shepard and Dixie @summer slope in the beverage department.

Thanks also to Graham @grapau27 for his explanation of todays days to celebrate.

 

Vanessa, I hope you are feeling a tad better today.  

Debbie @dfish prayers for you and your medical team, that all goes well today and that you are home and recuperating in jig time.  

Prayers also for Roy @rafinmd you begin your.radiation treatments.

@seagarsmoker — hope you get over the flu soon and are up and at em real soon.

@smitty34877 Terry and Tana, you are always in my prayers and you deal with day to day challenges.

And always prayers for Baby Murphy and her family.

 

Cheers for those preparing for a cruise and those cruising.  

How exciting to be going on the Grand Australia.  I would love to do that one.  DH has no interest in going there.  Oh well!

 

Thank you to Sandi @StLouisCruisers for your commentaries on Antarctica.  They are so interesting and so well done.   Another place we had to miss.

 

We don’t have much planned for today.  It will be “Tick Tock” Day.  Do everything that we need to do to finish up the year.

 

I hope everyone has a great day and as always,

God Bless,

Terri

Edited December 29, 2023 by Cruzin Terri

[grapau27]

30 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

Travel report on Antarctica Dec. 29, 2016  Neko Harbor

 

On Dec. 29, 2016 the Seabourn Quest settled itself near a place on the continent called Neko Harbor (or if you prefer, Harbour).  Today the white group was last which meant we wouldn't go over to land until midafternoon.  So we did a lot of watching what was going on from the ship.  But look at the scenery!  Not bad!  Taken from drone shots.

 

 

 

The drone went up and got some fantastic shots, which they kindly shared with us when they gave us the video they made as a gift.  Here's what we looked like from above.

 

 

 

And then it flew past this iceberg so we could get a good look at it.  Amazing!

 

 

I took this photo from the ship of passengers walking up the ice hill near where the Zodiacs landed.  There was a good sized group of Gentoo penguins over there to look forward to.

 

 

And these photos of the area taken from the drone.

 

 

 

We saw some whales near the ship and watched them for a long time.  We also saw a nearby glacier calving causing a small tsunami. 

 

 

 

 

 

To continue, finally it was our turn to ride the Zodiac over.  We took our usual 30 minutes to prepare and add all our layers, etc.  Then into our special boots and over in the Zodiac.  There was a rocky portion near the shore with penguins, then the snow pack and a steep hillside.

 

 

A seal lazing away on a bit of ice and snow.

 

 

 

Isn't this penguin couple adorable?  They loved the spotlight and posed for us all.

 

 

We had to get a picture with them and they were happy to oblige. You can see the white band Velcroed around my arm, with my cruise card in it to be scanned when getting on and off the ship.

 

 

DH wanted to go to the top of the hill (which was marked so you wouldn't venture too far).  So he took a camera up and I stayed below with the penguins taking photos.  Two photos he took.

 

 

 

A close up of some penguin nests.  Here they were still sitting on eggs.  Yesterday at Yankee Harbor chicks had hatched three weeks or so earlier.

 

They were diligent in their duty to those eggs, trying to keep them warm and protected from skuas (predatory sea bird) who would try to snatch the eggs from the nest if the parent didn't do a good job of covering them.

 

Impossible to see this type of penguin activity from a ship sailing by. 

 

These three penguins were probably headed for a swim.

 

 

And finally, a shot from the drone of the top of the ice hill.  The guy on the left is Luciano, one of the Expedition Team members. 

 

An amazing day at Neko Harbor, Antarctica!

Absolutely amazing scenery Sandi.

You have lots of awesome cruise memories.

[smitty34877]

Good morning to all. It continues to be cloudy and rainy at times. The weather person said it may stop by the afternoon. It will go up to 57!
Sometimes I feel as if every day is a Tick Tok day. Someone can have my soup and I have not been to the port. My DS lived in Texas for a few years as a teacher and  learned a lot about the history. It is where he met his DW and we are always grateful for Teach For America for that good fortune.

@dfish, Debbie, I hope all goes well and that you can enjoy your soup this afternoon. No lifting please!

@seagarsmoker, sorry to hear of your illness and hope you are better soon.

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, the pictures are great and it must have been so much fun!

I am making a smaller version of the Swedish Christmas Eve menu for the family here and started the traditional rice pudding dessert in the crack pot. We will have meatballs in gravy with scalloped potatoes and pickled cucumbers. DS sent me home with cookies for the group and we will have appetizers of shrimp and herring. The teenager invited his girlfriend and she accepted the invitation but told me she does not eat herring! It should be fun.

 

[grapau27]

56 minutes ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

I am up and ready to roll.  I'm leaving in a bit to pick up DS Mary Jo and head to the hospital.  I hope to be home mid afternoon for a nice cup of coffee and a bowl of the turkey soup I made on Wednesday.

 

 

Thank you and thank @StLouisCruisers Sandi for the well wishes this morning.  

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

Debbie @dfish.

Good luck and best wishes today.

[cruising sister]

Good morning,

It has been cold here and I have to stop myself from packing warm clothes. I keep telling myself I will be sweating and complaining about the heat in a few weeks. 
 

Jacqui, I had a dog who always had to have something in her mouth when greeting people. She would panic and pick up anything. It was comical what she came up with. 
 

I have a Christmas picture of Murphy. She is making slow strides. She is one lucky baby to have such dedicated parents.  Prayers for Debbie and her surgery. Have a great day!

[StLouisCruisers]

3 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good morning to all.

Thank you Jacqui @kazu for the Fleet Report and Daily.  And thank you to Vanessa @JazzyV for the Cares and Celebration list.

Thank you to Tina @0106 for filling in for Debbie and thanks to Ann @cat shepard and Dixie @summer slope in the beverage department.

Thanks also to Graham @grapau27 for his explanation of todays days to celebrate.

 

Vanessa, I hope you are feeling a tad better today.  

Debbie @dfish prayers for you and your medical team, that all goes well today and that you are home and recuperating in jig time.  

Prayers also for Roy @rafinmd you begin your.radiation treatments.

@seagarsmoker — hope you get over the flu soon and are up and at em real soon.

@smitty34877 Terry and Tana, you are always in my prayers and you deal with day to day challenges.

And always prayers for Baby Murphy and her family.

 

Cheers for those preparing for a cruise and those cruising.  

How exciting to be going on the Grand Australia.  I would love to do that one.  DH has no interest in going there.  Oh well!

 

Thank you to Sandi @StLouisCruisers for your commentaries on Antarctica.  They are so interesting and so well done.   Another place we had to miss.

 

We don’t have much planned for today.  It will be “TikTok” Day.  Do everything that we need to do to finish up the year.

 

I hope everyone has a great day and as always,

God Bless,

Terri

 

Thank you Terri.  I am so thankful to our cruise friend C.B. who sparked our interest in the Antarctica cruise on Seabourn.  It was one of the best decisions we ever made.  And I'm sorry to hear Jim has no interest in Australia because that is one of my favorite areas to visit.  So much to see there!  Never say never - you could get there one day!

 

@seagarsmoker what a shame you came home sick with the flu.  I hope you start feeling better soon!

 

3 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Absolutely amazing scenery Sandi.

You have lots of awesome cruise memories.

 

Thanks Graham!  It was as you say, awesome!

 

Lorraine @cruising sister thank you for the precious photo of Miracle Baby Murphy!  What a blessing for that family.

[smitty34877]

3 minutes ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning,

It has been cold here and I have to stop myself from packing warm clothes. I keep telling myself I will be sweating and complaining about the heat in a few weeks. 
 

Jacqui, I had a dog who always had to have something in her mouth when greeting people. She would panic and pick up anything. It was comical what she came up with. 
 

I have a Christmas picture of Murphy. She is making slow strides. She is one lucky baby to have such dedicated parents.  Prayers for Debbie and her surgery. Have a great day!

Thank you so much for the beautiful picture of Murphy. She is a wonder!