StLouisCruisers

Annie and Chuck, that was a very hard decision to make but it sounds like it is time for Irving to go since he is not enjoying life anymore. You are very brave and I send hugs to you both! Sorry to hear about the hours cut too on top of everything. You guys really need this upcoming cruise to relax and enjoy life a bit. Take care of yourself!

Good morning friends! It is 48F here with partly cloudy skies and a high of 72 expected later. Gosh, I almost overslept this morning and my back up alarm wake me up 10 minutes late - an alarm on my phone in the kitchen. I usually don't get up with an alarm, just wake up naturally. So I jumped up and sprang into action. Lots to do before I get on the treadmill at my usual time, however I feel like chucking that today and getting back into my bed. But let's finish here first. First thanks to Rich @richwmn for setting up the Daily and Fleet Report for everyone. Today as you can see is ANZAC Day for our Australia and New Zealand friends. A solemn day for them. I just finished watching a series I recorded on the Smithsonian Channel on WWII and it's a shocking look at what actually went on then. Talk about genocide, from yesterday's discussions. Everyone today should take a closer look and decided we never want another war. 😢 Today we can celebrate East Meets West Day which takes us back to WWII in Germany. I will let Graham @grapau27 tell you more about that. Then we have National DNA Day. So much progress has been made over the last couple of decades on that front. And a happy day to celebrate, World Penguin Day!🐧 They are certainly fun little creatures to watch waddle around. The quote today seems pessimistic to me. I can't for the life of me figure out what Seitan Lomo Saltado is without a search, but will let Debbie @dfish talk about it later. I can't imagine a man ordering a Tickled Pink in a bar so I guess it's for the ladies. 🍹 And the wine today is a malbec.🍷 Thanks in advance to Debbie, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for their reports today. 😘 Thanks to Eva @superoma for handling the Care and Celebration lists for us while Vanessa @JazzyV is enjoying her well deserved cruise/vacation and Roy @rafinmd is on leave. Prayers for all on the Care list and everyone in need of them. Hoping things improve for all of you very soon. Jacqui @kazu is having surgery tomorrow so let's keep her in our thoughts as she prepares for that. 🙏 On the other hand I want to say congrats to all on the Celebration list. Enjoy those cruises and your happy events. Special shout out to Gerry's @ger_77 DH on his birthday today. Hope you see many more!🎂🎈 The port today is Manta, Ecuador which we have had here on Dec. 7, 2021 and Aug. 31, 2022. Once again I am adding the links to those dates below, and also once again my photos after that. Yesterday I noticed on my ports spreadsheet that I had been to the last 10 ports in a row, now today makes 11. That's a record because before then I could only get up to 9 before one came along I hadn't seen. Rich is keeping me busy! Anyway, here is Manta, Ecuador for you. Here are some photos I took while in Manta on Star Princess in 2012. It seems we took a tour which first stopped at a museum and then went out into the countryside to see the home and work of a Panama hat maker. Yes, they are made in Ecuador not Panama! Funny thing is I don't remember the stop at the museum at all, but I have photos of it so I guess it really happened. 🙃 Driving through the city. The area near the ship was a boat building area. Then we stopped at a nearby fish market because who doesn't love the smell of a fish market? Oh, boy! We drove out to the countryside and arrived at the home of the hat maker. A bus was there ahead of us so we sort of dawdled a bit to wait for them to move along. Preparing the straw to make the hats. It looks like back breaking work. When we left they gave everyone a tiny hat similar to the ones on the table. I still have it. On our ride back we ran across some cattle and horses on the road, so had to dodge them all because they seemed to think the road was theirs. Next we stopped at a market area near this pretty church. Lots of people decided they had to have a Panama hat, so they did their haggling here in this village. Once back on the Star Princess, we watched the tuna boats unload their frozen catch into the containers on the trucks. Once in a while a huge frozen tuna would miss the opening on the top of the container and fall to the ground. Clunk!! Didn't seem to hurt them much, so they just picked them up and tossed them back up there. What an entertaining way to spend the afternoon. Hoping you have a super Tuesday everyone! Time to prepare for the treadmill, then breakfast and I should go to the gym since it's Tuesday but we are planning on getting groceries and other errands later so may decide not to. Stay busy and stay well!

ANZAC Day (Australia & New Zealand) Today is East Meets West Day, National DNA Day, and World Penguin Day The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.--Markus Zusak, The Book ThiefMeal Suggestion for today - Seitan Lomo SaltadoDrink of the Day - Tickled PinkWine of the Day - Altocedro Malbec La Consulta Old Vine Reserve 2020Destination of the Day - Manta, EcuadorToday in History:1507 German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller is the first to use the name America on his world map "Universalis Cosmographia"Ship Locations Eurodam At Sea Destination Victoria BC, Vancouver Island, BC Canada eta 4-27 Koningsdam At Sea Destination Victoria BC, Vancouver Island, BC Canada eta 4-30 Nieuw Amsterdam At Sea destination San Diego, California eta 4-26 Nieuw Statendam At Sea Destination Tunis, La Goulette, Tunisia eta 4-26 Noordam Nawiliwili, Lihue, Kauai Island, Hawaii 07:00 - 18:00 Oosterdam Naples, Italy 08:00 - 18:00 Rotterdam At Sea Destination Invergordon, Scotland eta 4-26 Volendam At Sea Destination Puerto Vallarta, Mexico eta 4-28 Zaandam Sydney NS, Nova Scotia Canada 09:30 - 17:30 Zuiderdam Eidfjord, Norway Hardangerfjord 08:00 - 17:00Eastern Hemisphere Westerdam At Sea Destination Kodiak, Alaska eta 5-02 Sandi for Rich

Enjoy your cruise!

Hank can you give us an idea of when the Captain intends to leave Yokohama for your crossing to Kodiak? It is early morning Tuesday the 25th as I type this. You last mentioned overnighting there the night of the 24-25th. I'm trying to keep updated for the next Fleet Report and Daily (subbing for Rich @richwmn). Thank you!

I'm sorry Jacqui @kazu I didn't realize you were having surgery again. I hope all goes as planned and it's not as bad as last time. Scream if you have to!

Bruno, glad you like the celebration tree. I love the margarita glasses! She buys things to decorate at Hobby Lobby and Target. Other things she actually makes with her Glowforge machine which uses a 3-D laser to cut thin materials into any shape she wants. Maybe think about a Cinco de Mayo theme for your seasonal decorating. It's coming up a week from Friday though. Good luck!

So I guess the nest is the dark area on the right side of the first photo? Good job of hiding it. But those roaming cats that @ktbraun mentioned could still be a problem, even with the thorns. Hope the babies make it!

There she goes!!

Thank you for posting these links. And to all who love the tree, thank you too for your comments. She really enjoys doing this or else she wouldn't use up her valuable time on it. I'll tell her you all liked it!

Thanks for posting your great pictures of Haugesund. I missed it last year due to Covid quarantine on Island Princess. 🙄

Thanks for your photos Rich. Haugesund is one of the Norway ports I missed seeing last summer during Covid quarantine on Island Princess. I would have enjoyed walking around the downtown area I bet.

Thank you Graham. Her husband replaced their white wooden traditional style spindles shortly after they moved in. They had seen the same spindles in a different pattern in our home and liked them. He also did the white wainscoting on the lower walls of their 3 formal rooms at the front of their home. Another feature they had seen here and liked. He's pretty handy as a carpenter and painter considering he works as an IT professional.🙂

It's a little gloomy outside right now so how about something to cheer us up? The Celebration Tree at DD's house is all ready for Cinco de Mayo! This year the holiday is on a Friday (next week!) so I'm sure the partying will start early for the weekend. Here is this year's version of her Cinco de Mayo tree. Pinatas! DD's favorite -- margaritas! All we need now is a mariachi band!

Lorraine, I am sorry to hear of how distressed attending your friend's DS's funeral made you feel. You certainly have had quite a lot of loss in your life recently. We will keep you in our thoughts and prayers. The Norway trip will do wonders for you. It's one of my favorite places to visit. Hope you have a better day today. Annie @marshhawk I hope you get some answers and options from the vet today for Irving. Good luck.

I heard about Len Goodman during breakfast. He was a funny, proper Englishman and I always enjoyed listening to him on Dancing with the Stars (US program). My sympathy to his family on their loss. 78 isn't that old. Your trip sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing your comments on it. And welcome home! Sorry you can't get more than 3 hours at a time. I wonder how poorly I'd do in the same circumstances. Hope you get many naptimes during the daytime while under these restrictions. That's cool you can keep an eye on the bird nest in your rose bush. Is it thorny? She'd better be careful! Good to hear from you today Joy! Love the memes today Jacqui! Especially being 11 feet too short! Hilarious! Hope you have a good week and not too painful therapy Wednesday. NIce to see you back home @Mr. Boston. I can't imagine how difficult it was, just as you said. Prayers continue for you and the family.🙏 Hi Dixie! What a view from that McDonald's! Hopefully the volcano wasn't TOO close! The most unique McDonald's we ever saw was in Batumi, Georgia - the country of Georgia, not the state I live in! It's on the Black Sea. The McDonald's was built in 2013 and we were there in October 2014 on Prinsendam. However there was no one in there when we went inside. They had a party room (think birthday party) on the second floor. Here's a story about it here. https://www.businessinsider.com/inside-modern-glass-mcdonalds-georgia-2020-6?op=1#it-was-built-in-2013-and-designed-by-harvard-educated-architect-giorgi-khmaladze-4 We should have Batumi, Georgia as port of the day sometime! I've got plenty of pictures to show you!📷

Good morning friends! There are some raindrops in the area just north of us but I don't see any on my sidewalk. ☔ Temp is 51F with a high of 67 later and a mix of clouds and sun expected. Thank you Rich @richwmn for compiling the Fleet Report and Daily for us. I did change Westerdam since there was a change in plans for them due to weather. The "live from" threads provide us with up to date information. Aren't we lucky we have them? Today, let's celebrate pigs in a blanket. Not in the mood? I will have to see how I feel later. 🤷‍♀️ We also want to honor Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day. This goes all the way back to WW1. And why not let it all out with Scream Day? Sometimes you must feel like doing that. Our quote today from Paula Poundstone is a funny one. Today Debbie @dfish will show us a Vegetarian Eggplant Lasagna. The drink of the day is a Cucumber Cooler. Sounds refreshing but no thank you. And the wine is a fine Cabernet Sauvignon from Washington State.🍷 Thanks to Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for enlightening us on those two. Thanks in advance to Eva @superoma who is standing in on the Care and Celebration lists. Prayers for all in need and we certainly have quite a few here who are ailing or in distress. Prayers continue for the acts going on in Ukraine.🙏 Cheers to all on the Celebration list. 🎉🥂 We're thrilled to have some good news once in a while. Congrats to the Jaguars for a 3 and 0 spring season!⚽ May all of you on cruises enjoy your day wherever you are. 🚢 Our port today is Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. We had that port once before on October 30, 2022 and I will copy and paste the link here from that date. Then you shall see my photos once again. Hope all here who have any pics to share will do so. On Good Friday, 2016 the Westerdam arrived in Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala. Tours to Antigua for the Good Friday celebrations were completely sold out so we were forced to hang out at the port. I had some friends on board from Australia who went there though and they came back to report on it to me. They also gave me some beautiful photos to ooh and aah over. This is what it looked like from the ship. We made the best of our time there and walked around the nicely landscaped thatched roof "terminal" area. I guess these statues look like Mayan warriors. We wandered through a park-like area near the terminal. We saw a tree with thick thorns on it, the national tree! Inside the terminal. My friend Jenny from Australia gave me a few photos of Antigua and a volcano seen on the way there. The Easter week celebration in Guatemala is called Semana Santa, where they honor the crucifixion and subsequent resurrection of Jesus Christ. They use flowers to make these beautiful designs on the street. I'm so sorry I missed all this! If you can ever get to Antigua during Easter week, make sure you don't miss it! I hope all here have a fantastic Monday and stay safe.

Today is Pig in a Blanket Day, Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, and Scream Day I don't have a bank account because I don't know my mother's maiden name. - Paula PoundstoneMeal Suggestion for today - Vegetarian Eggplant LasagnaDrink of the Day - Cucumber CoolerWine of the Day - Borne of Fire Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley, Washington StateDestination of the Day - Puerto Quetzal, GuatemalaToday in History:1962 Massachusetts Institute of Technology sends TV signal by satellite for 1st time: California to MassachusettsShip Locations Eurodam San Diego, California 08:00 - 16:00 Koningsdam Hilo, Hawaii Island 18:00 Depart Nieuw Amsterdam Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 07:00 - 13:00 Nieuw Statendam Livorno, Florence-Pisa, Italy 07:00 - 23:00 Noordam Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaii 23:00 Depart Oosterdam Civitavecchia-Rome, Italy 07:00 - 16:00 Rotterdam Amsterdam, Holland 07:00 - 17:00 Volendam Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica 07:00 - 16:00 Zaandam Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada 09:00 - 18:00 Zuiderdam Haugesund, Norway 08:00 - 17:00Eastern Hemisphere Westerdam Remain in Yokohama, Japan due to weather Sandi for Rich

Bruce, sorry the Pinnacle wasn't the greatest last night. We had issues on Volendam at a PG dinner. They ruined our medium steaks for one thing. As long as they keep giving us "free" dinners with HIA I suppose we will still give them a try next time. Love the memes today! The lady standing in front of her china hutch is probably true for many of us. My hutch has about 20% of what hers has in it, but still you wonder if the kids or grandkids will want anything. My oldest DGD is getting married in 2024. I should see if she wants my china. Even though it's 54 years old it is a simple pattern and not fussy at all. Couldn't hurt to ask. If no one wants it places like Replacements, Ltd will buy it. I know because I've bought pieces from them in the past. 👰 Unfortunately, my pulse rate is closer to 70 than 60. Guess I'm too exciteable! Gorgeous flowers! And the photo with the boys is priceless! The PTZ camera didn't really focus on any one area too long. I'm surprised no one on that entire ship didn't ask for a wave yesterday. Wish we'd seen you but don't worry - we waved back at you!

I have to go back and catch up with the posting, but we've been busy watching a live stream of Ren's soccer game in Madison, WI. DS was in charge of the video and play by play. Sometimes there would be a bad connection and it would drop, but we saw most of it. There was a slow start. Ren didn't start and Colton had to sit out today because of 5 penalties this season. Ren was put in as a substitute for a player with a muscle pull around 33 minutes into the game. The Jags were ahead 1 to 0 at the half. We hurried to eat a sandwich then so we could give all our attention to the second half. Ren was assigned to left wing and was intercepting a lot of balls. One time he intercepted and scored a goal. Two other players scored goals too including a defender Aiden who rarely scores. He was psyched! Aiden scored one yesterday and today too! Whoo-who! The Jags won 4 to 0 and it was darn cold again today. Upper 30's and DS swore he saw snow flakes once! 🥶 Well, that's my sports report for today. Now DS and Ren drive home from Madison and it's back to work and school tomorrow.😏

Bon Voyage!!

It's interesting seeing these ships and submarine come into port today. Something a little different.

DH has been taking a new blood pressure medication and has been taking his blood pressure here at home for a couple weeks now. We were talking about his levels and decided to test out the machine on me. So patient #2 (me!) had 101/74 first try and 103/75 second try. Sounds about right for me. It's slightly higher at the doctor's office. I am not on blood pressure medication, just lucky on the BP issue.

Thanks for letting us know! I was away from the computer and came back to see them sailing by. Here's a photo:

Thank you for the C & C lists today Eva. You do them anyway you want to. We haven't heard from @Horizon chaser 1957 in so many months because they left home several months before the World Cruise even started. Hoping to see Laura here again once they are settled in at home. Ann, I wish I could see the fawns frolicking in your yard! They must be so adorable! That is a very cute kitty! Thanks for letting us know. Is it docked within sight of the webcams? Hopefully we can see some photos of it somewhere on the PTZ site. You should come visit us here at the Daily more often! That whole situation must have been like a nightmare for everyone especially Tana. I hope you can get that assistance today from DD and DSIL that you so desperately need. You need a break! Your dinner selections look great Roy.