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Happy Tuesday! I believe that my musical taste is somewhat different from many who post on the Daily. I spent the last three days at a music festival and had a fantastic time with 50,000 other people dancing in the sand for 12 hours a day. My favorite performance was Nathaniel Ratliff, the younger people in the crowd really enjoyed Noah Kahan, an up and coming artist. I arrived home last night, did some laundry. Just packed for DH; have my clothes laying on the bed ready to put in the carry on. We travel light, regardless of the length of the trip. We fly to Amsterdam tomorrow. Thanks for the shout out @ger_77 I feel extremely lucky to be sailing again with Jacqui, such a wealth of knowledge and an extraordinary keeper of the Roll Call. I’ll be chiming in on her “live” thread. Hopefully the internet is better than on our last TA. Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Very sorry about the missing signs. @RadbooksCould I bring you something to replace it? I’ll see you on board on the 7th! @VMax1700Thank you for the sports update. I am very interested in the baseball playoffs since the Baltimore Orioles are the AL East champions and will be in the playoffs for the first time in 7 years. Go Os! Thank you for all the wonderful information provided by this thread.

@VMax1700 @kazu Let me be the first to make a guess about the secret package…crackers? I am looking forward to contacting with old friends and meeting new ones on this TA.

No HAL ship has self service laundry. Their laundry service is excellent! Stuff a bag for $35, here’s what I fit in one bag.You can also buy unlimited. Price varies with the length of the cruise.

Currently, you can order as many appetizers as you like in the MDR and specialty restaurants.

Fabulous Orioles game last night! We are the AL East champions in addition to winning 100 games this season.The World Maritime Day 2023 took place yesterday, 28 September 2023. This year's World Maritime theme is "MARPOL at 50 – Our commitment goes on". The theme reflects the organization's long history of protecting the environment from the impact of shipping via a robust regulatory framework and emphasizes its ongoing commitment to this important work. The theme spotlights the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL), which covers prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. (from the International Maritime Organization website) Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

I enjoy the guest lecturers on the longer cruises (like yours). On my TA last Fall they also had cooking demonstrations that were fantastic.

I drink tea and have never been charged in a specialty restaurant. I just looked at the menus in the Navigator app and only specialty coffee has an additional charge.

@wurm914 What ship are you sailing? Where an re you sailing? Only Pinnacle class ships have the New York Pizza & Deli and the Grand Dutch Cafe. The pastry may be the Bossche bol from the GDC; many people rave about it. I sail HAL for the ports and the service.

I took a quick look on the Australia forum. I agree that the ETA is all that is needed. https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/electronic-travel-authority-601

Happy Thursday! This information about National Public Lands Day is copied from the National Park Service website. Established in 1994 and held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day is traditionally the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort. It celebrates the connection between people and green space in their community, inspires environmental stewardship, and encourages use of open space for education, recreation, and health benefits. Thank you for the wonderful pictures of Bergen. We will be there next summer. For those of you who have traveled to Norway, there are 2 ports that I can’t find much information, Fredrikstad and Farsund. Has anyone been there? Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Got my Covid booster and flu shot this morning. Had the nurse write my booster on the back of my full vaccination card which I keep in my passport. Have a picture on my phone and can access an official record through my insurance portal. Things change frequently; I’ll be in the EU in October and South America in February. Be prepared, my husband the Boy Scout says! I don’t think we visit Spain on our TA. The Azores are the closest we will get and they are part of Portugal.

Good morning! Today’s quote was posted on the Daily Motivator on Thanksgiving 1996 by Ralph Marston. I find the passage immediately following the quote important too. Look at the things that are right with your life. Be grateful for what you have. Nurture the good things in your life. Appreciate them, and they will grow. Your life will become more abundant, the more you focus on abundance. And spread it around. Express your gratitude with a “thank you” or an act of kindness toward another person. You’ll find that your life grows more abundant, the more you share it with others. Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

I am sorry about the loss of the peanut butter. 😢. Ever since I had a 5 ounce bottle of maple syrup taken from me, I carefully consider the size of the “liquids, aerosols and gels” in my carryon. Peanut butter is a gel. Since I only travel with a carry on, I have have familiarized myself with what is allowed using the TSA site https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/food?page=3 There is a similar site for Canada.https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/what-can-bring/liquids-non-solid-food-personal-items.

This thread should help you. Ask your questions there.

@ottahand7 Have to admit that I turned off the Ravens and watched the Orioles. 3 is now our magic number to win the AL East! Take October!⚾️🏟️ For those of you who have never had a MD crabcake, they can be order from Pappas. They are Oprah’s favorite.

Happy Monday! Interesting quote about quotes. Do you have a favorite quote? Here’s the one I always wrote in my student’s yearbook.I do think it says something about me.😉 I’ll celebrate all foodservice workers, from the ones who greet us at the door, bring our drinks and serve our food to those in the back of the house who prepare our food and clean up after we leave. I put myself through college tending bar and have an incredible amount of respect for their hard work. Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

Available in the MDR and the Club Orange dining room. @Bimmer09 Welcome! We prefer aft cabins too. Many people booked them during the $1 deposit sale. Many of these people will cancel their bookings. Call your PCC and tell them you would like an aft cabin. I have received notification on two different cruises when aft cabins became an available and immediately changed my cabin to an aft. IMO an aft cabin is better than a Vista Suite.

I travel with a carryon regardless of the length of the trip. My steward fills my ice bucket every morning and evening. If it need more ice, I just call. The cabin has a refrigerator. I have never needed a cooler.

The longer the itinerary, the more sea days, the more “interesting” activities. Last year on the Oosterdam TA there were cooking demonstrations and an interesting speaker. Keep your eye on the LIVE threads and look at any Dailies that are posted. I will be on the Rotterdam TA at the beginning of October and there will be a live thread.

I love Italian food and previously had good meals at Caneletto. Unfortunately. It is not a place for a “intimate Italian dinner” as stated in the promotional material. Italian dinners have several courses; we like to share each course of a traditional Italian meal: antipasti (cold starter), primi (1st warm course, for us usually pasta or risotto), secondi (meat for him/seafood for me), insalata (our salad replaces the typical vegetable course), formaggie frutta (cheese and fruit) dolce (dessert, usually gelato). It is disappointing that $10 will be charged for a shared pasta course.

On previous Rudi’s menus that have been posted, there was no upcharge for the Dover sole. As I said on another thread, I guess if you want the newly promoted “Fresh fish” you are going to have to pay for it. Thank you very much for all the information you provide on your Live threads.

I was looking at Rudi’s menu; ithe Dover sole now has an up charge of $15. I guess if you want “fresh” fish you are going to have to pay for it.

Many people use SO (significant other) because it is a committed partnership but they are not married. The acronym I hate is SWMBO (she who must be obeyed) I think husbands who use it think they are being funny but I find it very disrespectful.

This is “Endless Cruising Weekend” in OC, there will be thousands of what I call old timey cars. There will be a parade of cars down the boardwalk every morning. The cars will be on display in the inlet and at the convention center. My DH can’t remember what he had for breakfast but can tell you the make, model and year of every car as it passes. My family has a house in OC. Just ask if you need any info.