The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday January 20th, 2024

[rafinmd]

55 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

I confess I changed the signature setting just to read Roy's signature. Then changed it back. Roy, you have so many great lifetime memories. I have enjoyed your blogs and pictures of ports and foods and sunrises and sunsets. Just please don't leave the Daily..

 

Joy

For a long time I suppressed signatures for certain people because they were so long they practically obscured what they were trying to say (like an inch of useful information followed by a foot of signature), but with the latest change of Cruise Critic software they only show the first few lines of signatures and I leave them on.

 

Roy

Edited January 20 by rafinmd

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 cruise on Grandeur of the Seas out of Baltimore.  On January 20 we visited Coco Cay on the way back home.

 

 

Roy

[summer slope]

Thanks to @aliaschief post about wristbands DH hit CVS to but some for the cruise. 

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

3 good days. Acceptance day is important. I like buttercrunch candy and most cheeses. Interesting quote. I like the meal, pass on the drink and wine. I've never been to Bari. 

 

It's a chilly 14F. Earlier the wind chill was -2F. We got about 3 inches of snow by yesterday morning, then another inch during the day. Looking at the news, the roads looked pretty good, since many stayed off the road and the plows could do their job. I probably could have gone to my appointment, but you don't know how bad it will be. It's going to get very cold through the weekend, then 40's next week. I didn't sleep well last night; I meant to take a Benadryl but forgot. I may try to get a nap in if I can. My left knee is hurting, so I took ibuprofen this morning. 2 bad legs are worse than one. No plans today, as usual for me these days.

 

@grapau27 Thank you for the information on Acceptance Day.

@ottahand7 I'm glad you are feeling somewhat better and up for a shore excursion.

@StLouisCruisers I certainly love seeing Penguins! Thanks.

@kazu Thanks for starting the Daily today.

@smitty34877 I hope you do get out of the house for a bit today, to have some time to yourself.

@rafinmd Thank you for our maps. Your dinner is one I'd like. I understand your reasons about not cruising; if not for BFF going with me, I might have the same concerns.

@Denise T Sorry to hear about your office lease not being renewed; and I'm sure you're right, the landlord wants someone new in there who he can charge more rent. Good luck with your decision on how to move forward.

@Haljo1935 Lovely Bari photos.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a very overcast Quartzsite.  It is 53F and our high today will be 70F if we're lucky.  The rain is predicted to begin about 9 pm and last until about 1pm tomorrow, and we'll be in the low 60s then.  The main thing on the agenda today is to put new elastic in the waistbands of two skirts.  Evidently, the summer heat (they were stored in the motorhome) and age caused the elastic to lose it's elasticity.  One skirt is so bad it nearly fell off when I tried it one.

 

Acceptance is very important to everyone.  I'll skip buttercrunch day, but DH probably would like some.  I like a few types of cheese, but not most very hard cheese.  I'll also celebrate Penguin Day.

 

The Mercedes McCambridge quote is rather sad.

 

We'll pass on the meal and the drink.  We were introduced to Moscato by a wine stewardess on P&O, but haven't had any in a long time.  Maybe I'll try it on Koningsdam next week if they have it.

 

We were in Bari in 2016 on Prinsendam.  It was a substitute port when the Black Sea cruise was canceled.

 

Two more interesting days in history.  The British rule of Hong Kong made it an interesting city.  I'll celebrate the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1921.

 

@ottahand7  Nancy, I'm glad your cough is slowly going away and that you feel well enough to go on your tour.

@aliaschief  Bruce, I'm happy you and your DW are settling in and are enjoyed life at sea.

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, thanks for the heads up about National Penguin Day and for the pictures.

@dfish  Debbie, I'm glad last night went well, and your DB was elated about the birthday/retirement celebration.  Glad you won a game of Farkle.

@smitty34877  Terry, I hope you are able to escape the house for a few hours.  Most days, I'm content to stay at home, but other days, especially when it's not possible to get out, I want to escape.

@ger_77  Gerry, I'm glad your temperatures are warming a bit.

@Denise T  Denise, I'm sorry about your office lease.  It would have been nice if the landlord had given a reason.

@Haljo1935  Thank you for your pictures of Bari.

@RMLincoln  Maureen, I'm glad you have your check-in time for Tuesday and that it's not at a very early hour.

@marshhawk  Annie, DH has started trying Fre wines as an alternative, but all we can find are Rose, White Zinfandel and Chardonnay.  What other types do they produce?

 

Well, the weather forecast was partially wrong.  The sun just came out and the sky is partly clear now.  I wonder how long that will last.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Lady Hudson]

23 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

For a long time I suppressed signatures for certain people because they were so long they practically obscured what they were trying to say (like an inch of useful information followed by a foot of signature), but with the latest change of Cruise Critic software they only show the first few lines of signatures and I leave them on.

 

Roy

I am seeing your note about being retired from cruising so I guess signatures is on for me.   I have admit that I have the same concerns as you but mostly that my DH will have an issue when we are on a ship.  Being retired from cruising will happen to all of us eventually.

 

I agree with Kazu that a trip or two out of Baltimore might be ok for you if you are feeling well enough.  Uber to port, no out of western hemisphere ports, Uber home.  We have been sticking to northeast ports because of our ages.

 

Have a great day.  Katherine 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

The Prinsendam stopped in Bari on October 13, 2016.  It is a small town on the east coast of Italy down near the top of the heel.  It is know for the local ladies who sit outside their homes and make pasta each morning.  By the time we got our act together and got off the ship, the pasta making was finished for the day.  We walked around town and enjoyed our day in port.

 

This memorial honors the victims of an air raid on Bari on December 2, 1943.

 

Some of the streets, houses and piazzas in Bari.

 

 

 

The narrowest street in Bari

 

Basilica San Nicola with a crowd of locals and tourists waiting outside for the bridal couple to emerge after their wedding.  We never did get to see the inside of the church.

 

 

Statue of San Nicola, Patron Saint of Bari

 

Piazza Mercantile

 

The water fountain in the piazza

 

Colonna  Infama (Infamous Column)  where debtors were placed to face humiliation.  It was erected in 1546.

 

Cathedral of San Sabino

 

 

Isabella d'Este, a professional school.

 

Swabian Castle built in 1131 by Ruggero II the Norman.

 

Lenda

[dfish]

3 hours ago, Crazy For Cats said:

@dfish I make chicken liver like my mom taught me.  Dip the liver in flour that has salt and pepper. Then fry them in a cast iron skillet that has butter and some oil.  I make mashed potatoes and when they are ready pour some of that water into the skillet to make a nice gravy with the remaining liver bits.  

 

That sounds similar to what Frankenmuth does to them.  They have some onion in it, too.  But no gravy.

 

3 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. It is all of 15 degrees  now and apparently will feel colder with the wind chill.Cheese is always welcome here and disappears quickly. I will celebrate the days and would love to go to Bari, Italy.

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, I love the penguin pictures, thanks. I am sorry that your twin, niece and DBIL are ill and hope they start feeling better soon. 
Today I would like to escape the confines of the house. I don’t care what I do or where I go, I need to do something different! 
Have a great day everyone and stay safe

 

I understand the need to see different walls now and then.  When I broke my hip and was at my dad's house I used to make him take me out for coffee every so often.  He didn't understand why I needed to go out as he could make coffee at home.  But I needed to see a different landscape.  Perhaps a coffee house with a good book?

 

3 hours ago, Denise T said:

Good Saturday morning. Thanks for the daily and fleet reports. 

Meal of the day sounds yummy. @StLouisCruisers, thanks for the reminder about the penguins. I love penguins!

I was handed some bad news yesterday that impacts by therapy practice. My landlord has decided not to renew my lease for my office with no explanation given. I suspect that because the building is at full capacity and I have been there for six years, he wants to significantly raise the rent. To say I am a bit ticked off would be an understatement. I am now considering my options of whether to go 100% virtual and maybe pursue part time office space. Reviewing all my options. Disappointed, nonetheless. 

The sun is out this morning. Got several inches of snow yesterday. I think I am over winter now. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Celebrating with all who are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

 

 

I am sorry to hear of the office situation.  I'm sure you will find a good solution and in the end it may be a better arrangement.  Fingers crossed for you.

[aliaschief]

49 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Thanks to @aliaschief post about wristbands DH hit CVS to but some for the cruise. 

The Eme Term wristband is more advanced than standard acupressure bands. We are swaying pretty good right now but the electrical pulsations I’m feeling on wrist is sending messages to brain which in turn sends messages to stomach not to get sick.

Not sure CVS has them but Google Eme Term motion sickness bands should pop up. I have two so I always have one while one is charging.

People with pacemakers should not use.B.

[Nickelpenny]

I just looked at the status of my Brazilian visa - that I don't need anymore!!! 🥴 - and it states "Approved"!!!  I not sure exactly what that means and I haven't received an email with the actual visa yet but.........

 

[luvteaching]

Good morning, 

I'm all for cheese  and like the harder ones. I do love havarti as well. It's a foggy morning and the temp didn't make it above 32F yesterday and is at 30F this morning. The weather forecast has temps close to 50 but it hasn't happened yet. I'm looking at icy snow. My road hasn't been plowed since earlier this week and yesterday was a sheet of icy slush. 

 

So far the mailman has made it down the road (it's a flat area but a bit off the beaten track) but not the Amazon driver. I did see a Fed-Ex van yesterday and one school bus go by. So, I'll be home today and probably tomorrow. I'm hoping things thaw out enough to go to the pool on Monday. 

My day - cleaning, organizing for DD DH's family Christmas on the 28th, working on my counted cross-stitch project (baby one but the recipient will be 4 in March) and I need to organize what kits I have and get rid of some as I'll never do them. Nothing too exciting. Dinner will be a cheeseburger tonight. 

Have a good day, stay safe, and I'll see some of you on the sail away thread this afternoon. 

Karen

[VMax1700]

Good afternoon from a wet, windy and miserable Cork! 🙄

The frost and ice has gone and we now have a lot of wet days to come.  It is currently 8°C/46°F but, to me, it feels colder than it has all week, even though it is 10 degrees C warmer than last week.  The forecast is for continuing rain and wind with day time temps up to 13°C/55°F and night time temps not dropping below 7°C/44°F.  Crazy world!

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for DW's recovery.  She is much better today and we are feeling more positive than we were feeling last week.  It sometimes feels that her daily 'anti hormone' tablet causes as many problems as it treats. I think her metabolism is still 'screwed' from the other drugs she had to take over the last few years.  Again, thank to all for the good wishes and strong thoughts.

 

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

[cruising sister]

Good morning from the Volendam. A beautiful sunrise.

 

We had a bit of a scare last night with a fire. The captain said it was either in the stack or a boiler. I guess we will find out today. 

 

We have a sea day today and arrive in Suva tomorrow. It has been a fun time. 

[Cat in my lap]

The zuiderdam is in Grenada today - we walked to market, chocolate museum and fort George - I am exhausted.  A P& O ship is docked next to us.
 

I love chicken livers so was happy to read recipes - I have one at home to make pate - it has sherry and is super good!  And can be frozen if you make a huge batch!

 

Best wishes to all!  

[kazu]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for DW's recovery.  She is much better today and we are feeling more positive than we were feeling last week.  It sometimes feels that her daily 'anti hormone' tablet causes as many problems as it treats. I think her metabolism is still 'screwed' from the other drugs she had to take over the last few years.

 

So glad to hear that she is feeling better 👍 I hope her recovery can continue 🙏 

 

 

1 hour ago, cruising sister said:

We had a bit of a scare last night with a fire. The captain said it was either in the stack or a boiler. I guess we will find out today. 

 

Beautiful pic but YIKES on your fire 😱  I am glad to hear you are enjoying your cruise 👍 

 

[bennybear]

Good morning and thanks all!   Acceptance for all is important!  

@StLouisCruisers sorry to hear about your family having Covid, hope they improve soon. Glad they are getting Paxlovid.   
 

 Last year after flying our friends were ill for three weeks on arrival in Hawaii, so we do everything we possibly can to avoid it.  We used n95 masks and wore them the entire time, from home, in airport, on plane and to car rentals.  Even with a four hour delay and were lucky thankfully.  There is also a nasal spray called Betadine you can use and Colgate/crest mouthwash with CPC in it that are both supposed to help.   
 

@VMax1700sorry to hear your wife is struggling with side effects, those drugs can be very difficult.  I had to stop them as for me they were causing more issues and not worth the risks.  Hope she can find the best solution for her.  

We have very much enjoyed the Puglia region of Italy,   The Trulli houses near Alberobello are wonderful.  

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning from the lovely Volendam!

As Lorraine @cruising sistersaid, we had a bit of excitement last night but all is well. 
 

Here are a couple photos for the Garden Club, the grounds of the Robert Louis Stevenson Museum in Apia, Samoa. 
 

 

[Overhead Fred]

7 hours ago, summer slope said:

Jack Rose cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 ounces applejack or apple brandy
3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 ounce grenadine
Garnish: lemon twist

Steps
Add the applejack, lemon juice and grenadine into a shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled.
Fine-strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

 

 

The Jack Rose is one of Mitzi's favorites!

But I make them with lime juice and a lime wedge garnish instead of lemon.

[dfish]

4 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Good afternoon from a wet, windy and miserable Cork! 🙄

The frost and ice has gone and we now have a lot of wet days to come.  It is currently 8°C/46°F but, to me, it feels colder than it has all week, even though it is 10 degrees C warmer than last week.  The forecast is for continuing rain and wind with day time temps up to 13°C/55°F and night time temps not dropping below 7°C/44°F.  Crazy world!

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for DW's recovery.  She is much better today and we are feeling more positive than we were feeling last week.  It sometimes feels that her daily 'anti hormone' tablet causes as many problems as it treats. I think her metabolism is still 'screwed' from the other drugs she had to take over the last few years.  Again, thank to all for the good wishes and strong thoughts.

 

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

I'm glad DW is feeling better today.  I hope that is a continuing trend.

[1ANGELCAT]

Good cold evening. It’s 21 but the wind chill is 16. This afternoon was sunny but windy. It was the first time I was out of the house since last Sunday. One of the homemade ice cream shops was celebrating their birthday, it was packed, no seats so we left. They have unusual flavors, oatmeal ice cream pie and red velvet cake are 2 of them.

Having spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread tonight.

[Crazy For Cats]

Today I needed to go to Kohl’s and return an item from Amazon that came broken.  While at the center I stopped in at Aldi and picked up two spiral hams that were marked down to .89 lb.

Tonight while watching HGTV I saw an ad from HAL promoting Alaska.  I thought it a nice ad.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon from a cloudy and cool Quartzsite even though it is 70F.  With our breeze and overcast skies, it feels cooler.  I got the elastic changed in one skirt and tightened in another, so I think the danger of a wardrobe failure while we are on the cruise has been eliminated.  But there are no guarantees.  😉

 

This year, it seems like there are more venders and visitors than there have been for the past several years, even before 2020.  Today is the first day that all three of the big shows are open.  The Pow Wow, the rock and gem show, is what started people flocking to Quartzsite many years ago.  Runs from Wednesday through Sunday, so tomorrow is the last day.   If you want to rocks, and more rocks, that is the place to go.

 

The two other biggies are close together and people park between them if the want to see both.  One is the biggest swap meet, and I posted pictures of that in 2021. 

 

The other is the Big Tent, which is officially know as the Sports, Vacation and RV Show, and it opened today.  Normally, on the first day, especially in the morning, you can hardly walk around there are so many people.  We were pleasantly surprised to have a handicap parking spot near the entrance.  DH  walked up to the fence, but decided to wait in the car while I checked it out.  If the weather is decent, we will probably go back on afternoon and take his walker.  The ground is uneven and rocky, so even in the tent with a carpet over the ground, it is not the best walking surface.  We don't want to take a chance of a mishap.

 

I didn't go through the entire tent, but checked out about half of each row plus some of the outside areas.  Here are a few pictures to give you the idea of the traffic, the show and the number of people camping in the desert near the shows.

 

This was the traffic as we neared the swap meet and the big tent.  People also park in the wash, which if it really rains will flood.  With the wash flooding, the road across it will be closed, and that could really mess things up for the shows.  We are supposed to get rain tonight and Monday.

 

 

Pictures from my walk through and around the tent.

 

No matter what the weather is or the temperature, there is always a line for ice cream.

 

Inside the tent

 

 

There are many places to dry camp in the desert in addition to the many rv parks in town, most of which are full.  Many who camp in the desert gather in the BLM fee area closet to the big tent where they can walk to the shows.  They have access to trash dumpsters, water and sewer dumps.  You will see everything from tents, vans, converted school buses to pull trailers, 5th wheel trailers and motorhomes of all sizes.

 

 

 

Lenda

[cruising Katie]

7 hours ago, rafinmd said:

For a long time I suppressed signatures for certain people because they were so long they practically obscured what they were trying to say (like an inch of useful information followed by a foot of signature), but with the latest change of Cruise Critic software they only show the first few lines of signatures and I leave them on.

 

Roy

Roy, I am lerker and sometimes poster.  I have enjoyed for many years your posts.  Your wealth of world information, photo's and of course your menu selections have been one of the many reasons I continue to read CC every day.  Part of my morning routine, coffee, toast and CC. 

Your latest illness on cruise was quite a concern to many of us, and your recent prostate treatments.  Please continue if you can, to post, we all love your sunrises and sunsets.too.  

Kate      

 

 

 

[kochleffel]

Curried chicken stew would be OK with me, but I'm actually having black beans with rice. The cocktail would also be OK. For a Moscato, there's one from Fulkerson. I haven't been to Bari.

 

I'm feeling somewhat worse, I suspect because of waking up at 4:00 a.m. and not getting back to sleep. It's started to improve this evening.

 

I need almost desperately to buy groceries. I'll probably order for curbside pickup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

6 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Good afternoon from a wet, windy and miserable Cork! 🙄

The frost and ice has gone and we now have a lot of wet days to come.  It is currently 8°C/46°F but, to me, it feels colder than it has all week, even though it is 10 degrees C warmer than last week.  The forecast is for continuing rain and wind with day time temps up to 13°C/55°F and night time temps not dropping below 7°C/44°F.  Crazy world!

Thanks to all who sent good wishes for DW's recovery.  She is much better today and we are feeling more positive than we were feeling last week.  It sometimes feels that her daily 'anti hormone' tablet causes as many problems as it treats. I think her metabolism is still 'screwed' from the other drugs she had to take over the last few years.  Again, thank to all for the good wishes and strong thoughts.

 

Hope everyone has a great day!

 

 

That is good news your DW is feeling better today.  Sadly, sometimes the cure can cause problems too.  I hope she continues to improve.

 

5 hours ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning from the Volendam. A beautiful sunrise.

 

We had a bit of a scare last night with a fire. The captain said it was either in the stack or a boiler. I guess we will find out today. 

 

We have a sea day today and arrive in Suva tomorrow. It has been a fun time. 

 

Wow, Lorraine, that is a lot of black smoke, I know how scary it could be.  There was a fire in the incinerator room on our P&O world cruise in 2000 at 12:15 am.  Thankfully, it was extinguished quickly, but the crew all had to report to their emergency stations.  The passengers well told to just stay where they were, which for most was in bed.  I hope everything is all right today.

 

4 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

Curried chicken stew would be OK with me, but I'm actually having black beans with rice. The cocktail would also be OK. For a Moscato, there's one from Fulkerson. I haven't been to Bari.

 

I'm feeling somewhat worse, I suspect because of waking up at 4:00 a.m. and not getting back to sleep. It's started to improve this evening.

 

I need almost desperately to buy groceries. I'll probably order for curbside pickup.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paul, I hope you start feeling better, and are over whatever it is soon.

 

Lenda