The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday February 1st, 2024

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning from the lovely Oceania Vista.

We had to turn the clocks ahead last night and lost an hour’s sleep.  Not fun getting up this morning.  Less fun trying to get DH out of bed.  Finally it all happened and we had a nice breakfast in the Terrace Cafe.

 

Thank you to Jacqui, Vanessa, Roy, Eva, Dixie and Ann for your contributions.  Hope I got all the names right.

 

We have a considerable amount of Shipboard credit.  So last night we went to the Ship’s Boutique to look for shorts for Jim. NOTHING!  The shop has the most pitiful clothes I have ever seen.  I noticed this in November when we were on this ship.  I thought that maybe things would have changed since then.  It is worse.  I could do better at Good Will.  We will wait until we get to Antigua on Saturday.  There is a nice store there that sells decent clothing.  We will go shopping there.

 

I plan on spending a quiet day.  I brought a few books to read.  It is a beautiful sunny day and plan to spend it on our verandah.  

 

Prayers for everyone.

God Bless,

Terri

[RedneckBob]

21 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good morning from the lovely Oceania Vista.

We had to turn the clocks ahead last night and lost an hour’s sleep.  Not fun getting up this morning.  Less fun trying to get DH out of bed.  Finally it all happened and we had a nice breakfast in the Terrace Cafe.

 

Thank you to Jacqui, Vanessa, Roy, Eva, Dixie and Ann for your contributions.  Hope I got all the names right.

 

We have a considerable amount of Shipboard credit.  So last night we went to the Ship’s Boutique to look for shorts for Jim. NOTHING!  The shop has the most pitiful clothes I have ever seen.  I noticed this in November when we were on this ship.  I thought that maybe things would have changed since then.  It is worse.  I could do better at Good Will.  We will wait until we get to Antigua on Saturday.  There is a nice store there that sells decent clothing.  We will go shopping there.

 

I plan on spending a quiet day.  I brought a few books to read.  It is a beautiful sunny day and plan to spend it on our verandah.  

 

Prayers for everyone.

God Bless,

Terri

I think what you saw at the shop is normal. Never found anything to buy on Oceania except a t shirt and hat. I just read Oceania eliminated Jacques. That was a big mistake!

[puppycanducruise]

@NextOne Hugs to you as you remember your DH.

[puppycanducruise]

@marshhawk So sorry about Bubbles, but glad (that can't be the right word) you do not let the little fellow suffer any longer.  Hugs to you.

[aliaschief]

Good morning. This morning we visit Moorea and an overnight stay. We are touring the island, having a festive lunch and snorkel.

Our day in Favaraka was fairly short so we let the locals entertain us with music, dance, and some arts an crafts. They gave us coconuts to drink and I swear the coconut must have weighed 15 pounds. It was hot so we went over to the lagoon and went swimming. I got a small scrape on my leg from coral which attracted a shark who wanted to know what was bleeding in its lagoon. That ended swimming. Returned to ship via tender and had lunch. Dinner last night in dining room and then enjoyed a high energy show put on by the ships singers and dancers. So much energy and talent.

I’ll post some pics from yesterday in a bit as they have not transferred from phone to I Pad yet. Have a great day. Coffee awaits, Bruce

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

RABBIT 🐰 RABBIT 🐰 WHITE RABBIT 🐇

 

Good cloudy morning from the Koningsdam somewhere in the Pacific.  It's been a bumpy ride since we left San Diego, and last night was especially bumpy.  I'm glad it was after we were in bed that it got bumpier.  It's 64F outside and whipe it is still bumpy, but maybe not quite as bumpy.

 

Today we have the Mariners Reception followed by the Mariners luncheon.  This afternoon is our free wine tasting which will be held in Club Orange.

 

Three interesting daays today, but we'll think about them some other day.

 

I'm not sure how I feel about the quote.

 

We'll pass on the meal, the drink and the wine.

 

As you've seen, we've been to today’s port many times.  Sandi @StLouisCruisers, thank you for posting my pictures.  With the string of ports we had not visited last month, I hoped you'd have an easy time with the reposting.

 

Some interesting days in history, and one very sad day in recent history.

 

4 hours ago, kazu said:

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit.  Welcome February 1st - glad to see the last of January 75th  (at least that’s how it felt) 😉 

 

hmmm on the days.  Car insurance is a must but I have a hard time celebrating it with how much it costs.  There aren’t enough hours in the day to change all my passwords 😂  There’s some truth to the Peters quote.  Gatun Lake is a great destination.  A nice taste of the Panama Canal in a shorter time span.  When we did the Sunfarer cruise we were up at the ridiculous hour to see it all as we went through the first lock & then off to the Embera Village and really enjoyed it - even the trip in the canoes to get there.  

 

 

Finally, I have gotten the furniture delivered to the young man I was helping.  I hate when people volunteer and then fail to do keep their commitment.  I got fed up and coughed up the $$$ to have it moved to his place. He really needed it.  Glad we got it done before the snow starts again later today, tonight and tomorrow.

 

 

I’m sure a number of you are waiting with bated breath for the ground hog’s predictions tomorrow.   Don’t hold your breath -  I can just about guarantee it won’t be good news & if it is, they are probably lying 😂 

 

 

Thanks to Rich, Roy, Vanessa, Paul, Eva & Ann for their dedication. Prayers to those on the Care list, those suffering losses, grief, health problems, pain, worries and those that need them 🙏. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising 🥂 

 

 

 

Jacqui, I'm glad you got the furniture delivered, but sorry your volunteers let you down.

 

3 hours ago, NextOne said:

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit! I've been through the canal, but the first trip was a partial transit, where we took the ship's excursion on a small boat to the Pacific entrance and took the bus back to meet the ship. We were so glad we had been warned that this was one of the times it was a good idea to take the ship's tour -- we got back to the ship 2 hours late!

Today would have been my late DH's birthday. I so miss having him as my travel partner!

 

Thanks to everyone who make the Daily such a warm, caring & safe spot. Prayers raised for all who need them, and cheers for all who are celebrating!

 

Edi, I hope the good memories of your travels with your DH give you comfort on this difficult day.

 

3 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Rabbit, Rabbit, White Rabbit.

 

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  While I won't be making candy, I do plan on making a pan of corn flake squares (like rice krispie cake) later today.  Ah, car insurance - it gets more expensive every year, even though we haven't had any accidents.  Oh my on changing passwords - I have so darn many accounts and sites, as most of you do, that it would take a long time to get that done.

 

I'm a little wistful this morning (more like having a pity party) because I just heard our friend's plane taking off without us as they head to FLL for "our" cruise departing  Sunday on the Nieuw Statendam.  Maybe I'll add a glug of Bailey's to my coffee this morning.  

 

@NextOnethinking of you today as you remember your DH's birthday and the good times you shared over the years.

@kazu you mentioned the groundhog for tomorrow - it's looking like we'll be having a full day of sunshine, meaning 6 more weeks of winter.  I do hope those 6 weeks bring a lot of snow because with the temperatures we've been having the past few days, the snow is rapidly disappearing.  

 

Not a lot going on today, I'm going to place a call to the cardiologist's office to get an update on what's happening or scheduled for DH.  It's been a week since we saw him, and it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease, or at least I hope so.

 

Had a text from our DS who said they'll be coming for a visit at the end of March; I'm a bit slow on the uptake, but decided to check the calendar this morning, and realized they'll be here for Easter - yay, I get to hide Easter Eggs again!!!!

 

We were at the port of the day in 2008 on the Coral Princess; we took the "Behind the locks" shore excursion which was interesting and were glad we did.  I've had the drink of the day and will let others enjoy it, hopefully more than I did.  I'd like to try the wine, but it's a bit pricey, and will pass on the menu suggestion.  As I thought yesterday, when our friends came over, we ended up ordering Chinese food, so after sending some home with them, there's still more than enough for the 2 of us to enjoy at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, in pain, in grief, and in wars.  Cheers to all who have celebrations happening today.

 

Smooth Sailing!   ☺️☺️☺️

Gerry

 

Gerry, I don't blame you for being a little sad today.  I hope your squeaky wheel will get things moving for your DH.  Yeah, on the family visit at Easter.

 

2 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. It may get up to fifty degrees later today. The weather person also said the sun may come out. I avoid candy so someone can have my portion. I have not been to the Panama Canal but I am enjoying all of the pictures. Thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisers for posting yours as well as those Lenda posted previously. Thanks to @superoma for the black bean soup recipes. I make this frequently . 
@NextOne, Edi, I will be thinking of you today on what would have been your DH’s birthday. 
Well, so far I am the only one in the entire house who is not presently sick. DD and DSIL went to their docs yesterday and both have sinus infections as well as whatever precipitated the illness. The teenager told me this morning that he “might die “ from the cough. He has developed a very dark sense of humor! Tana is very congested and already had a bad cough. The nurse is coming back today. 
I will take the teenager to his doctor later this morning.The aide joked that she felt she needed hazmat gear to enter the house. 
Take care out there everyone.
 

 

Terry, I'm sorry everyone else, but especially Tana, are sick.  I hope you and the aide stay well.

 

2 hours ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Good morning Dailyites. Rabbit White Rabbit!

 

47 in Georgetown warming to 73. I'll take it.

 

Edi, Happy Heavenly Birthday to your DD DH.

 

Prayers for Tana and household. Can you ever catch a break! Prayers for all on our care list and thankful we have Vanessa to keep us up to date.

 

Today is a Urology appt for my sweet husband. Then lunch, and girls game night.

 

I got behind on chores yesterday. I was able to construct an outdoor plants stand with ridiculous parts and worse directions. I got the shelving units for the garage, but need to get going on putting those together. I dislike being disorganized!

 

There are so many beautiful Panama pictures already posted. We went through the locks with @Nickelpenny . The new locks aren't as exciting as the old.

 

Sandi, I loved the Panama rolls and we had them on the ship quite often during our 51 days. One of our crew members brought one to me with a pat of butter. The rest is history! I can share the recipe if there's an interest.

 

Wishing everyone a blessed day! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Joy, I hope Allen's appointment goes well.  Good luck with all your projects.

 

2 hours ago, dobiemom said:

Rabbit 🐰 rabbit 🐰 white rabbit🐇 

Raining here, I think they call it the “Pineapple Exoress.”  Working from home but have an appointment (yearly) with my PCP this afternoon. 

 

I think we've been sailing through the pineapple express.

 

1 hour ago, marshhawk said:

Good Thursday Morning Dailyites!  rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit. temp is 36, its sunny, and I'm sick as a dog, as the phrase goes. I started coughing yesterday afternoon, and it got worse and worse until I got off work, and by 11 thirty  I could not catch my breath...it sounds like whooping cough...that's not a diagnosis, that just what the cough sounds like. I coughed all night, but did get some sleep, cant say that about DH.

 

We decided yesterday that since Bubbles is getting worse, not better, that it would be in his best interest to be euthanized.  I called the vet, and they told me that unless the vet treats the animal, they will make the decision whether or not to put the cat down.  This way they can make a large charge for treatment, first, and then charge us again.  I lost it.  Said something to the effect of changing vets office after 43 years, and hung up.  DH tried to rethink the request, called them back and was told that they no longer euthanize animals there.  I called St. Francis, a 24 hour veterinary hospital, and was told to bring him in as soon as I can, that no animal should suffer.  I agreed, but said I was at work, but now that I know I can just show up, with the cat, I feel better.  But today may not be the day, I have the neighbors dog to walk, I have on line training for my new job, so it may be this evening before I can get there.

He ate this morning, and climbed back into the cat carrier, so he should be easy to move.

 

On a better note, I got a sale yesterday.  First one in two weeks.  My boss jinxed me when he said I was becoming one of the highest sales people, and it went downhill from there.

 

I hope that all of you who are low today, emotionally or health wise find a moment of sunshine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annie, I'm sorry you both had to make the difficult decision about Bubbles, and I hope when you take him in you are comforted knowing he is no longer suffering, and that you did everything you could to help him.

 

@bennybear  Brenda, our condolences on the passing of your friend.

@Cruzin Terri  Terri, I'm glad you are feeling better.  I hope the cruise is a very relaxing one for you.

 

 

Lenda

[Cruzin Terri]

36 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

I think what you saw at the shop is normal. Never found anything to buy on Oceania except a t shirt and hat. I just read Oceania eliminated Jacques. That was a big mistake!

They only eliminated Jacques in the new ship “Vista”.  Riviera and Marina still have Jacques.  I agree that it is a bit mistake.  The shops on the other ships are not as bad as this one.  I can’t imagine where they found the clothes they have on display.  Not to mention the price tags on them.

Terri

[Overhead Fred]

[aliaschief]

A few pics of our visit to Favaraka yesterday including the curious shark.

 

[travelnap]

2 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Ok, Bunny, Bunny, Playboy Bunny! 😳

 

Lake Gatun fact. When Panama built the new larger locks, they had to deepen Lake Gatun by exploding dynamite below the bottom and excavate the rocks. Do you know why?

The answer seems obvious to me.  They certainly didn't want to rock the boat.  

[kochleffel]

Rabbit, rabbit.

 

I'd like the soup but would reduce or omit the red pepper. A mint julep is not in my foreseeable future. No Nebbiolo in the Finger Lakes, so I'll treat this as a wild card and nominate Fulkerson Dornfelder. Gatun Lake is in the itinerary for my PC cruise in December.

 

DaVinci hopped onto my bed last night, after I had gotten into it, I think for the purpose of sniffing my bandage, which seemed very interesting to him. Does that count as a cat scan? He stayed about 15 minutes.

 

This is not a quiet day. I should change my bandage at 1:30, but I have an acupuncture appointment then. I don't think I can leave the house the way the bandage is now: they bandaged it with a small gauze pad and a lot clear, waterproof tape, which blood has seeped under so that it looks like a train wreck. Thus, I'll need to change it at 12:30, a little before the 48-hour mark. I haven't yet gotten any Nexcare bandages, and I don't think that ordinary ones will stick well. Then I have class at 4:00.

 

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the FR/Daily. Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit.

I've made candy, but not today. Car insurance is a must. I should change some passwords. I disagree with the quote; that's plagerism. I like the meal, pass on the drink and wine (only due to cost). I have been through Gatun Lake, but we didn't stop there as we were going straight through. Sadly I've never had Panama rolls. 3 good days in history.

 

It's cloudy and the high will be 47F. I had a nice dinner out with BFF yesterday. The contractor stopped by and they got insurance approval for the POD storage and labor to move 3 rooms of furniture (the foyer doesn't have much). So lots of work for me to get the breakables out of the way. BFF will come over one day this weekend, although he's still working on cleaning out his late DF's house. I got 4.5 hours of sleep last night, aided by Benadry taken as premedication for my RA shot last night.

 

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for the photos from you and posting Lenda's too.

@Nickelpenny I hope the visit to the pain doctor is helpful.

@kazu I'm glad the furniture got delivered, but it's sad the volunteers didn't do it. More snow? 

@GTVCRUISER Thanks for the photos.

@NextOne Hugs on this Heavenly Birthday of your DH.

@superoma Those recipes look good.

@ger_77 Sorry you had to miss the cruise, but once DH is all better you'll have many more occasions to cruise. 

@smitty34877 Sorry to hear of all the sickness in your house. I hope you remain well. Prayers for Tana as this is the last thing she needs.

@1ANGELCAT Thanks for the reminder about the Columbia and the sad loss of life.

@marshhawk I'm sorry to hear you're sick. And it's sad that Bubbles is getting worse; I know you won't let him suffer. Congrats on the sale yesterday.

@Cruzin Terri Your stateroom is beautiful. Enjoy a relaxing day.

@aliaschief Yikes on the shark, and nice photos.

@kochleffel It sounds like DaVinci has really warmed up to you. I hope you get the dressing changed; and it sounds like a pharmacy trip for supplies is in order.

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers for those Celebrating.

 

The NCL Bliss going through the new locks. It was the biggest ship to transit the new Canal when it first did a canal trip in 2018. I was on in 2019.

 

 

Going through Cocoli locks.

 

Entering Gatun Lake 

 

In the Agua Clara locks

 

[RedneckBob]

27 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning. This morning we visit Moorea and an overnight stay. We are touring the island, having a festive lunch and snorkel.

Our day in Favaraka was fairly short so we let the locals entertain us with music, dance, and some arts an crafts. They gave us coconuts to drink and I swear the coconut must have weighed 15 pounds. It was hot so we went over to the lagoon and went swimming. I got a small scrape on my leg from coral which attracted a shark who wanted to know what was bleeding in its lagoon. That ended swimming. Returned to ship via tender and had lunch. Dinner last night in dining room and then enjoyed a high energy show put on by the ships singers and dancers. So much energy and talent.

I’ll post some pics from yesterday in a bit as they have not transferred from phone to I Pad yet. Have a great day. Coffee awaits, Bruce

I guess the shark didn’t know who he was dealing with! 😀

 

Have a great time in Moorea. Second most favorite place to snorkel in South Pacific. So many sharks !

Edited February 1 by RedneckBob

[dfish]

Rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit.

 

Greetings from the Koningsdam.  As Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser said, we had a bit of a wild ride last night.  I rather enjoyed it.  We now have some blue sky and sunshine!!  We’re settling in to shipboard life quite nicely.  We enjoyed the comedian last night and have pleasant table mates for dinner.

[RedneckBob]

30 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

They only eliminated Jacques in the new ship “Vista”.  Riviera and Marina still have Jacques.  I agree that it is a bit mistake.  The shops on the other ships are not as bad as this one.  I can’t imagine where they found the clothes they have on display.  Not to mention the price tags on them.

Terri

My problem with the shops are that the clothes were too small for me. If Oceania expects me to sail with them all the time, sell larger size shorts! I had no problem on HAL. One time on a cruise I forgot my belt. So when we arrived in St Lucia I went to a local store to buy a belt but the largest belt they had was a 32” waist. I told the clerk my waist size and she suggested I buy two belts and tie them together! 😳

[RedneckBob]

24 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

Rabbit, rabbit.

 

I'd like the soup but would reduce or omit the red pepper. A mint julep is not in my foreseeable future. No Nebbiolo in the Finger Lakes, so I'll treat this as a wild card and nominate Fulkerson Dornfelder. Gatun Lake is in the itinerary for my PC cruise in December.

 

DaVinci hopped onto my bed last night, after I had gotten into it, I think for the purpose of sniffing my bandage, which seemed very interesting to him. Does that count as a cat scan? He stayed about 15 minutes.

 

This is not a quiet day. I should change my bandage at 1:30, but I have an acupuncture appointment then. I don't think I can leave the house the way the bandage is now: they bandaged it with a small gauze pad and a lot clear, waterproof tape, which blood has seeped under so that it looks like a train wreck. Thus, I'll need to change it at 12:30, a little before the 48-hour mark. I haven't yet gotten any Nexcare bandages, and I don't think that ordinary ones will stick well. Then I have class at 4:00.

 

OK, how did you find the street I live on?

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

Off to play Scrabble with Craig. 
 

 

[grapau27]

28 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

Off to play Scrabble with Craig. 
 

 

Nice photos.

[kochleffel]

<tmi> When I removed the dressing and cleaned off the dried blood there was a little seepage, so now I'm pressing a gauze pad to my nose for 15 minutes and trying to follow the NO PEEKING instruction. This is not fun.

</tmi>

Edited February 1 by kochleffel

[Niagarawine]

32 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

Off to play Scrabble with Craig. 
 

 

Good morning.the flowers are beautiful, hope you are having a great t8me. We can’t wait to board in May

[cat shepard]

33 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

Off to play Scrabble with Craig. 
 

 

 

Thank you Sharon!  Love this!

[Niagarawine]

Rabbit, rabbit white rabbit. Windows are open in Hamilton, weird weather but I am not complaining, plus five today. Thanks for all the maps and pictures of the Panama. Love,love, love black bean soup. Now I want to got on the Panama cruise. Prayers to all who are ill hope everybody is having a great day. Now to find some bunnies

[aliaschief]

Our first views of beautiful Moorea,

 

[NextOne]

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

Off to play Scrabble with Craig. 
 

 

Nice to see some familiar faces!!

[kazu]

6 hours ago, ger_77 said:

I'm a little wistful this morning (more like having a pity party) because I just heard our friend's plane taking off without us as they head to FLL for "our" cruise departing  Sunday on the Nieuw Statendam.  Maybe I'll add a glug of Bailey's to my coffee this morning.  

 

I’d be wistful/sad too.  I hope you added that Baileys.

 

6 hours ago, ger_77 said:

@kazu you mentioned the groundhog for tomorrow - it's looking like we'll be having a full day of sunshine, meaning 6 more weeks of winter.  I do hope those 6 weeks bring a lot of snow because with the temperatures we've been having the past few days, the snow is rapidly disappearing.  

 

I’ll see if I can send you our snow we’re getting - you can have tonight’s and tomorrow’s.  Deal?

 

 

4 hours ago, marshhawk said:

We decided yesterday that since Bubbles is getting worse, not better, that it would be in his best interest to be euthanized.  I called the vet, and they told me that unless the vet treats the animal, they will make the decision whether or not to put the cat down.  This way they can make a large charge for treatment, first, and then charge us again.  I lost it.  Said something to the effect of changing vets office after 43 years, and hung up.  DH tried to rethink the request, called them back and was told that they no longer euthanize animals there.  I called St. Francis, a 24 hour veterinary hospital, and was told to bring him in as soon as I can, that no animal should suffer.  I agreed, but said I was at work, but now that I know I can just show up, with the cat, I feel better. 

 

Really disappointing your vet let you down.  I understand where they are coming from but…..

 

I’m glad you found a solution for Bubbles.  it’s a tough enough decision to make without being given a hard time.

 

 

3 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

They only eliminated Jacques in the new ship “Vista”.  Riviera and Marina still have Jacques.

 

Jacques was the ONLY specialty restaurant we truly enjoyed where everything was perfection on the Riviera.  I’m glad it is being kept.  It was a saving grace.

 

 

2 hours ago, kochleffel said:

DaVinci hopped onto my bed last night, after I had gotten into it, I think for the purpose of sniffing my bandage, which seemed very interesting to him. Does that count as a cat scan? He stayed about 15 minutes.

 

It’s more than a cat scan - it’s BIG progress for both of you.  ♥️. 15 minutes is more than just plain curiosity.  I do believe you are winning DaVinci over 🤞 

 

 

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning from the Koningsdam!

 

Our Daily group:

 

 

Thanks for the great pic!

 

 

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

 

I ordered flowers for the room and asked for something tropical and about $50. I think these are perfect. 

 

 

They look lovely! 🙂