StLouisCruisers

Oh my Lord, DD would have a heart attack if that were happening. They wouldn't mind another puppy but have their hands full with Sadie and Milo right now. Nope not moving to Texas! I should have waited and not leaked news before it happens. Just too impatient! Prayers for you good friend, Dena. I hope they can figure out what is happening and help her back to health quickly. 🙏 As Debbie said it's quite walkable. If no sidewalk, the streets were perfectly safe with little traffic there. We enjoyed it a lot, and it was such a pretty place. Time to book another Iceland cruise! We like to go every year since Covid. We did in 2022, 2023 and have it on the schedule for 2024. It's getting to be really popular. Well, thank goodness they've finally read the scans. It's about time! I'm sorry! I don't mean to tease! Can't understand why good news is traveling so slow in this case. I should have waited! I'm happy to hear you got 5 hours sleep last night even though it was probably because you were so exhausted. Hoping the mitigation people can save those floors for you and the radiator repaired promptly. Finally time for that MRI thankfully. I know, right? Sometimes a photo will show up like that when you copy and paste the link. I'm not sure why. I noticed it was Craig, too.

Multi-quoting and quoting isn't working on here for me at the moment so plan B! Joy @Seasick Sailor I'm not able to say anything about my news until it's official. Could take all day and I'm not very patient sometimes. Bear with me! Debbie @dfish you can do it the way you just did or you can click on and highlight the text and photos you want to move to here. The old copy and paste method. Brings back fond memories of our day spent there seeing the photos again.

Oh gracious! I wish! It's not cruising. You'll see! Waiting for the go ahead.🥂🎉

After enjoying a nice visit to Seydisfjordur on Aug. 10, 2023 I posted the following photos. Debbie @dfish your photos are on post #45 on page 2 of this link. The Zaandam Work being done on mountain side behind houses The church, which wasn't open this morning at 10 am like the sign posted said it would. I may go back to see the inside after lunch. Here are a few more of the town and buildings along with the beautiful water here. My favorite photo of the day! Isn't it gorgeous?? a pedestrian street The indoor pool The roof of the Art Center and Bistro being painted by that guy on the roof. Metal roof and a long pole. The meager produce department at the supermarket. That's all for right now. Loved the sunshine!

Good morning friends! It's a nippy 32 degrees this A.M. but will rise to about 60 later with partly cloudy skies. We're looking at rain Fri-Sat-Sun. Thanks go to Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily for this last day of November, 2023. Check back later today because I may have some big news for everyone.🙂 Today we get to consider and celebrate National Computer Security Day (always important), National Mousse Day (referring to the fluffy dessert) and Barbados Independence Day (good for them!). Not the usual type of quote from Mark Twain. The lasagna dish sounds different than what we normally think of. I will pass on the cocktail and wine. 🍷 Good to know about the 1487 beer purity law in Germany. Hurray for the 1872 international soccer game where Scotland and England tied 0-0. ⚽ Thanks in advance Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your great reports every day!🎉 Prayers fervently said earlier for my DB and friends in need of them, the people of Israel and Ukraine after the deaths of so many and for release of the hostages, each and every one. Prayers for all our Daily members in need of them. Hoping for an easy cataract surgery for Sharon @Sharon in AZ, reduction of pain for Vanessa @JazzyV and improvement in the health of all including Roy @rafinmd. Thank you Vanessa for your list keeping and hoping to hear better news for you soon.❤️ The port this morning is Seydisfjordur, Iceland! The last two times we had that port, June 29, 2021 and November 6, 2022 I hadn't visited there yet. But on August 10, 2023 we stopped at that lovely location on our Zaandam Canada/Iceland/Greenland cruise (along with Debbie @dfish and Sue). I'll post my photos from then but first here are the links to the previous dates for Seydisfjordur. Hoping all of you experience a wonderful, pain free day!

That's great news. It's a good idea to let the ship know of your dietary restrictions ahead of time. I'm sure they'll very tasty meals for you even without all the sodium. Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiser I'm sorry to hear you need another new washer this year. It's such a pain to have to go to the laundromat in the meantime. Makes you appreciate the comforts of home when these types of things happen. My DD got a copy of her future son-in-law Chris's Grandma's obituary last night and immediately noticed a weird coincidence. The Grandma's birthday was the exact same day and year that my late DMIL was born. Same exact day! What are the odds? The obituary listed her as being married 77 years and being survived by her husband, her 13 children, 34 grandchildren, 55 great grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. 119 survivors! What an amazing woman (and family)!

I doubt they will add more tours at this late date, but always check because who knows what the hold up is. However my apologies, Nancy was talking about Raiatea and like I said the R islands confuse me! The actual island where there is nothing to do but see the pearl farm is Avatoru, Rangiroa! I can see it plainly in my photo book! So in Avatoru, Rangiroa we had no tours to the pearl farm available since HAL had bought up all the vans that could take you there. So we walked down the one straight road away from the dock and ended up at the Tiputa Pass waters where the twice daily tides create churning water and the bottlenose dolphins frolic. Unfortunately we weren't there at tide and didn't see any. So we just walked back. I was wrong when I said this was Rarotonga. In Avatiu, Rarotonga we took a local bus ride which goes around the island and got to see all the nice scenery. After that we walked around the area where the tents/canopies were with the vendors selling all their local goods. Then in Uturoa, Raiatea we saw buildings with shops, a marketplace for handcrafted goods, some small restaurants and vendor sales kiosks. We watched some dancers entertaining us, then went to cafe and ordered something to drink but didn't have any luck with Wi-Fi there. After doing some looking in the marketplace there was a welcome ceremony that the Captain of the Maasdam attended. You are a better person than I if you can keep those three island names straight! I'm sorry for any confusion!

Oh, good that you got the pearl farm in Raiatea then if you won't be going to Rarotonga. I'm glad you are keeping a step ahead and searching for the excursions you want to do before they sell out. And, you're very welcome.🙂 Vanessa, I'm really sorry to hear that life seems to be piling on right now. You certainly don't need this! Wishing you good luck getting someone the that knows what they're doing with radiators. Prayers for better days ahead for you!🙏

Thank you Graham! Very sweet of you. She's 24, engaged to be married, and the daughter of the late Buddy (Amy's husband).❤️ Thank you Joy. Yes Scott has had a tough row to hoe since late September. You'd think when he caught Covid they would have given him the meds he needed then instead of waiting for him to get worse. But Susan is optimistic and a believer in prayer. She's also a great caregiver so he will get the best of care. Sorry to hear you had to share an elevator with a possible Covid case. I can only hold my breath so long and that must have felt like an awfully long elevator ride! Blessings to you and Allen.❤️

Good morning friends! Brrr! I have a temp of 27F this morning, but we will rise to 53 with loads of sunshine. Thanks to Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday, Nov. 29. Does anyone here square dance? Last time I did that was in middle school gym class. I haven't had a lemon cream pie in many years. But National Chocolates Day is my favorite celebration. I agree with the Albert Schweitzer quote. It was an exciting day in history when Thomas Edison showed off his new phonograph in 1877. I'm sure the Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs will be popular and maybe even the Peach Whiskey Sour. I haven't a clue what type of wine that is, but we can rest assured our Food and Beverage ladies will educate us on these items. Thanks go to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for their work in bringing us reports each day. Prayers for all on our Daily Care list especially Roy @rafinmd, Vanessa @JazzyV, Annie @marshhawk, those with Covid, Baby Murphy and Tana. Hoping Roy is discharged today and will soon feel well enough to get on that car train for his journey home! Prayers also for my DB, friends Scott, Susan, Bob and Sandy. Scott went to the ER yesterday due to his worsening cough and came home exhausted but with Paxlovid and antibiotics - finally. Also prayers for peace for Israel and Ukraine and may all the hostages return home safely soon. While I'm at it, prayers for my own country which seems to be a chaotic mess anymore. How depressing... So let's start looking at the happy events in our lives, and for the happiness cruising brings to most here on CC. May all our friends here have wonderful cruises with fair winds and smooth seas! Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for working so diligently on our Care and Celebration lists. You are a super star! The port today is Mamoudzou (Grand-Terre Island), Mayotte. We had this same port on Sept. 4, 2022 and I will post the link below for your convenience in obtaining your photos. I have not been to Mayotte before so won't be posting any photos of it today. I look forward to seeing what you have to share. Trying to be optimistic, so I wish everyone a safe and well day!

Bon Voyage!

I was pretty busy today writing out my Christmas cards and am finishing up my letter to those I send one to. Also wrote some notes in a few cards. But I've caught up with the Daily and a few things caught my eye to comment on. Thanks for all the Naples photos today everyone. Nancy, I really appreciate your comments and shout out today. I'm glad seeing photos and telling our stories of our travels helps others and entertains everyone. But something was nagging me about Raiatea. I looked to be sure and the pearl farm island is Rarotonga. So please check to be sure your pearl farm tour is for that stop on your cruise. I figured with all your planning you just misspoke. I often get all those R islands mixed up in my head! Good luck! Good news that you got checked out today and they ordered you the oxygen. I hope the steroids and oxygen do the trick and things turn around for you. Good luck with sales. That $1200 one yesterday is fantastic. Thanks for posting this for Roy Jacqui. It's good news all around! It will be great if Roy is discharged tomorrow. Finally he can get some good rest. Keep up the good work with the walking Roy @rafinmd!!

Good points about the stereotyping of mature women. That voice! I don't care for Joe Namath's ad either. Thanks for posting Jacqui. Roy @rafinmd, I hope you can be hydrated soon, and the consultation results in a simple treatment to help you feel better. I'm very glad to hear they don't feel you have heart failure! I'm not sure if the new actress I saw was Ellen or Karen. I don't pay any attention to it so have forgotten her name. Have you really seen PIA Mean Martha's commercial lately? I haven't seen her all week, thankfully. Remember the Jimmie Walker ones from a couple years ago? Whyyyy would they want to use such annoying voices?

Does anyone else hate the Medicare commercial with Martha in it, whining about she already has Medicare, why do I need to call, I'm not going to call !!!! Wow, I hated that commercial. I haven't seen her lately so they must have gotten too many complaints about how awful it was to watch her commercial. Now we have a reasonable lady named Ellen, I think I will be so glad when Dec. 7 arrives and we don't have these interminably long commercials urging us to CALL!☎️

Nice picture of you and Allen, Joy! Glad to hear you're having fun, so keep it up! Thank you for your prayers for my family and friends. I'm grateful to be healthy while so many others are suffering so praying for good health for all (including you and Allen). ❤️

Today the port is Naples, Italy. That is a great stopping point to head to so many interesting places on the Italian coast. Below is my report on one of our stops in Naples when we headed via a ferry to nearby Capri. In October 2013 we took a maiden transatlantic cruise on the lovely Royal Princess. We flew to Venice and stayed a night in an old monastery before we boarded the recently launched ship. A few days later we arrived in Naples where we decided to take a tour of Capri. We were led out to the marina to board a hyrdrofoil. That was a very rough ride to the island of Capri! I’m so glad I took my meclizine well in advance just in case! One woman was so sick I offered her some meclizine for her ride back to Naples later on. It was already too late for the ride over. Here’s the vessel in question. A slightly blurry photo in Capri of the mountain top site we would visit later - Anacapri First we were led around the shopping area near the marina area. It’s called Capri Town. Then they took us by minibus up to Anacapri. There they showed us the shops including a place that sold very expensive inlaid marquetry tables. Not buying! Then we went to see the beautiful Villa San Michele. From up there you could see views of Naples, Capri Town, Sorrento and even Mt. Vesuvius. After wandering through the gardens and given some shopping time, we walked to our lunch restaurant. Finally! Lunch was at the Hotel Laresidenza The patio overlooking the beautiful scenery around Capri After our lunch inside, we were free to wander around the Gardens of Augustus for some amazing views of the cliffs, seas and gardens The famous viewpoint showing the rock formations named Faraglioni Time to head back to Naples In 2014 we did a Holy Land cruise on the Prinsendam. I had set up a private tour of the Amalfi coast so we set out with our driver and had a wonderful day there. Our driver actually took our picture for us and did a fine job. I keep a copy of this photo which is in a frame and sitting in our family room. I'm either standing in a hole or DH is standing on a rock - he is only 1 inch taller than me!😄

Good morning friends! Hope you are all well. This morning it is a shivery 34F, but will rise to about 52 today. We will have some morning clouds and afternoon sun. Tonight will be even colder so time to dress warmly. Thanks to Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily. Writing letters, a lost art! Actually we all write but rarely mail them to friends and loved ones. I happened to type and print out a letter to someone yesterday and actually mailed it to them!! I have no other way of contacting them. We can all join together to enjoy French toast today. In addition those in Mauritania can celebrate their independence. An interesting quote by Alanis Morissette. The menu suggestion sounds interesting so will be checking out the recipe from Debbie. Not sure I'd like a Blue Flurry or the wine. It's nice to remember events in the past like the Grand Old Opry beginnings, the right of women in New Zealand to vote way back in 1893 and explorer Magellan setting out on the ocean so many centuries ago. Thanks Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope, and Ann @cat shepard for your wonderful reports later on. We appreciate you! Prayers for all in Israel and Ukraine and I hope things turn the corner soon for you all. Praying all the hostages come home soon. Many prayers for our friends here on the Daily for less pain and successful outcomes to your health issues. Praying that Roy @rafinmd is coming around and will soon be discharged so he can head home. Thankful to hear Bruce's @aliaschief leg problem is not going to require surgery and is healing. Special prayers for DB, Scott and Bob and their wives. Bad news yesterday for Scott because he has tested positive for Covid! Susan has had conflicting test results all week (she has COPD), and now Scott who is still weak and recovering slowly from his heart attacks has it. His daughter is a nurse and demanded the doctor order Paxlovid after suggesting he take zinc and vitamin D-13 for it. Hope he gets his Paxlovid this morning.🙏 Cheering for our friends cruising and celebrating happy events in their lives. Have fun y'all! Thanks go to Vanessa @JazzyV for your list keeping every day! Great job! Fingers crossed you have some help soon with your leg issue and get some sleep soon. The port of the day is Naples, Florida which was our port only once before on February 23, 2022. This is a popular port in the Med and there's a lot for us to do there. Having done pretty much all of those things on our 7 visits, today I think I'll focus on our tour of the island of Capri mainly. Below is the link for Feb. 23, 2022. I'll gather my photos of Capri to show you next. One person celebrating a happy event is my dear twin sister. Today is my twin's 54th wedding anniversary so sending them my good wishes. I was married in September of 1969 and she was not engaged that day due to having a little tiff with her boyfriend. A few days later, they made up and became engaged! Twelve short weeks later they married, and I loaned my twin my wedding gown to wear. Same people attended both weddings and no one said a word about the same dress showing up! LOL! Hoping you have a great day my friends! Stay safe and well!

So this must be a new development since my Feb. 2023 Princess FCD's say Book by Feb. 2025. So I don't have to sail by that date, just be sure to use it on a booking by then. Honestly, we look at Holland America for our itineraries and Princess rarely has a comparable itinerary. I'll be hard pressed to find a good cruise to book by then.

Great news, Bruce @aliaschief!! Never mind on previous comment. I see Jacqui posted.

In happier news, DD set up her classroom Christmas tree over the weekend. Then she went to work making wooden ornaments for each student on her Glow Forge machine, and painting them. Each student can take their ornament home at Christmas break to put on their own tree at home. She was thinking ahead and picked up the Grinch tree last summer. Of course this tree is a Grinch Free Zone! She told me she was busy all weekend but I had no idea! Bet the kids (and parents) will love it.🎄

I'm not sure whether one Ft. Lauderdale resident on Cruise Critic has ever posted on the Daily but I wondered whether you know him, Roy. I know Rich @richwmn knows him personally. That person is @POA1. If you needed something taken care of desperately he might be able to handle it for you. I'm glad to hear the bags and car are nearby and that the train reservation was already cancelled. We are worried about you and hope things are being sorted through right now to get you back on the road to recovery.

Good morning friends! Happy Cyber Monday! I hope everyone has made it through the long holiday weekend unscathed. It is only 40F but we will see a sunny day with a high of 50. It will gradually warm up into the 60's this week but that will bring chances of rain. Thank you Rich @richwmn for the Fleet Report and Daily. Some strange days to celebrate - No Pie in the Face Day, Bavarian Cream Pie Day, and Turtle Adoption Day. I think I'll pass them all by. The Bronte quote about life being short is honest. Oh goody, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup on the menu today! Chances are nil we will have that for dinner. No thanks to the drink and wine. A big event in Portuguese history and hooray for the Nobel Peace prize establishment. Thank you to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for their reports each day. Prayers for our friend Roy @rafinmd who finds himself in the hospital in Florida. I'm sure any of our Floridians would be happy to help you out Roy with anything needing done. We hope for complete recovery and getting out of there soon. Prayers too for the Care list folks, Tana, Baby Murphy, those in pain and those with Covid. Special prayers for DB, friends Scott and Bob, and our future family member Chris's Grandma's passing. May all the hostages soon come home somehow, and the people of Israel and Ukraine find peace before long. 🙏 Three cheers to those cruising and everyone celebrating happy events!🥂 Fair winds and smooth seas to those on a BHB (or whichever cruise line you chose). Thanks Vanessa @JazzyV for the time spent updating the lists every single day! The port of the day is Maputo, Mozambique. It was listed here twice before on Aug. 4, 2021 and Feb. 4, 2022 so I'll post those links. We have had this port booked twice before but never got there and doubt I will now. Thanks in advance for your photos! Hope it's a great day for everyone! Stay safe and well!

Today I did some decorating for Christmas. I got out the small tree and placed it in the sunroom facing the golf course. We got rid of our 9 foot tree when we moved here. It was just too much work! Then I got out the electric candles to put in all the front windows. We started doing that when we moved to Williamsburg since that was the custom there. When in Rome do as the Romans do! I have a photo of what it looked like at the Williamsburg house. The small tree is in the triple window over the front door. I even put a candle in the attic in the half round window. It was a walk up attic with stairs so no problem getting up there. Photo was taken just as it was getting dark. Then I saw a photo of the Michigan/Ohio State flag I mentioned Saturday. When we bought it they said which team on top? We said Michigan! DS was a fan of the Michigan Wolverines since he was in pre-school so he has seniority. Hail to the Victors! Go Blue! Then I brought out my great big Santa to put in the foyer. I showed him to you three years ago during Covid when I put a face mask in his hand. He no longer carries his face mask. But here he is from back in Dec. 2020.

Roy @rafinmd, perhaps a asking for something to eat a few times will get some attention. At least some pudding or jello. Don't they always have that somewhere nearby in a refrigerator for emergencies? I'm so sorry to hear they've been moving you around. Not the best day you've ever had, that's for sure!

Katherine, what a shame to have these migraines ruin your holiday weekend! Thankful there are no brain bleeds or stroke involved. I hope your PCP can help you to avoid these headaches in the future so you can enjoy your holidays and family time.