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My husband thought the Rueben at the NY Pizza and Deli was very good. I loved the pizza and salads. It is out of the way so perhaps “undiscovered” on embarkation day.

On the Rotterdam in February there was one additional entree on the Club Orange menu. The rest of the menu was the same as the MDR. We enjoyed the ambience and service in the CO dining room. We asked to sit with the same waiter for every meal and I think it enhanced our experience.

Thank you to all who make the Daily a wonderful way to start my day! I will celebrate Babe Ruth who was born in Baltimore. There is a wonderful museum in his childhood home about 3 blocks from Orioles Park at Camden Yards. Speaking of baseball, how about them Os…16-8. Took Boston in the series yesterday. Looking forward to whale watching in Ponta Delgada with @kazu in October. We’ll be sure to post some pictures for you. Positive thoughts to those who are healing. Cheers to those who are celebrating and cruising.

Ocean Bar on deck 2 is a good meeting spot.

I have read a great deal about the Magdalena Island crossing from Punta Arenas. Did you book a ship's tour? If not, what private tour company are you planning to use? @ottahand7Unfortunately, we will not be in Peru to see the penguins of Balestas. We have "penguin tours" booked for Puerto Madryn and the Falklands. Would visit Magdalena Island while in Punta Arenas have not decided on a tour. Do you have any advice? We are on a 22 day sailing from Buenos Aires to Santiago. Appreciate any other advice the Dailyites could provide.

ANZAC Day, East Meets West Day, The Book Thief…what do they all have in common? World Wars, may we never have another one. If you haven’t read the Book Thief, I recommend you do. I taught it to my 10th graders. If you’re not a reader, watch the movie. (Of course it’s not as good as the book.). Liesel is a young girl during WWII, living with a foster family, who is hiding a Jew in their basement. Rudy is her best friend, his family are ***. Think about the quote now that you have context of Liesel and Rudy’s friendship, Death, the narrator says, The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you. Off with the teacher hat, on to PENGUINS!🐧🐧🐧 I love them. I booked a South America & Antarctic cruise next January; I am in the process of booking tours in every port where there is a possibility of seeing penguins. Volunteer Point in the Falklands is booked. If anyone has any other tour suggestions, I’d love your input. Positive thoughts to all who need them. Cheers to those celebrating.

@superoma @dfish @kochleffel @RMLincoln @Quartzsite CruiserHere is the recipe I use for Crispy Baked Tofu I think the key is to throughly press extra firm tofu; you could use a tofu press but I don’t like extra gadgets. I slice it, wrap it in a single layer in a kitchen towel, put a cookie sheet on top and then weight it down with some heavy containers. This is an excellent addition to a stir fry dish. @bennybear Thank you for the photos of the Northern Lights. Definitely on my bucket list but I hate cold weather. Anyone have a suggestion for a cruise where I “might” be able to see them. I am very happy it’s time for the garden club again too!🌹🌸💐🌺🌷🌻🥀🌼

Agreed. Please leave the crew appreciation in place and give extra tip money to those who provide extraordinary service for you. I put myself through college as a server. My hourly wage in the 70s was less than $1 an hour. I survived on my tips. IMO, if you can’t afford to leave the crew appreciation in place, you can’t afford the cruise. Here is a link to the recent tipping thread @kazu is correct and there is a letter from HAL contained in the thread confirming it.

Much cooler in MD today. I put some annuals in baskets this weekend. I think I’ll bring them in tonight in case of frost. All the talk of bird’s nests….I’m still watching theBald Eagle camera. Here’s a nice picture of the entire family. When the Zuiderdam docked in Puerto Quetzal during our Panama Canal transit in 2022, we took a HAL tour to Antigua, a 1.5 hour bus ride from the port. We were able to see the smoke from the volcano. Our first stop was Casa del Ron where we had a rum tasting at 10 am. After that, I forgot to take pictures. We went to the square, a very nice jade museum where they had some beautiful pieces available for purchase and then to a restaurant for a Guatemalan lunch. I was pleasantly surprised when they were able to provide me with a vegetarian plate; I was unfamiliar with most of the vegetables but they seemed to be several different kinds of squash and were tasty. Wishing everyone the best Monday possible.

I booked a private fare on the Oosterdam without HIA. I did not want to pay for it at the time of booking. My PCC said I could add it later. When I tried to add it, I got the same message, not available for this cruise. I called my PCC and she was able to add it. Don’t know if this would work for your $1 deposit sale but it is worth calling your PCC or TA.

Although I will certainly celebrate Lovers Day, it is also World Book Day. I am a reader and will recommend two excellent books for you. Elizabeth is a brilliant chemist who is forced to become a TV chef to support her child. It focuses on women’s struggle for equality in the early 60s. I am looking forward to my South America and Antarctica cruise in January so I have recently been reading about the Endurance. I loved all the photos in this book. I love mac & cheese and spinach & artichoke dip. What a combination; I can’t imagine how many calories are in this dish but would be happy to have a small serving. Thanks to all the Daily contributors. Positive thoughts to those who need them. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

My stateroom attendant on the Rotterdam in February said they no longer supply bar soap.

Happy Earth Day! I like Ravioli, snap peas and mushrooms it I never would have thought of combining them in one dish. Thanks for all your cooking inspiration Debbie. Thanks to all who regularly post pictures of the ports. Sandi- I frequently see banded seagulls in Ocean City, MD. There is one seagull that I can identify that migrates to near Quebec every season. They are banded for identification in order to study their movement and life history. Wishing everyone the best weekend possible.

Signature Suite in the Oosterdam. Closet was missing by the hallway door. Did not need a third closet for 2 people.

First HAL cruise was Alaska. Loved the the Veendam. Didn’t think we could top that until we sailed through the Panama Canal in February 2022 on the Zuiderdam with only only 1000 other passengers. Everyone, passengers and crew, were so happy to be cruising again.

Happy 150th Birthday HAL! Love Bonaire; snorkeling is extraordinary. Thanks to all who post pictures. Baked ziti is delicious; I usually put butternut squash in mine. Thanks for the recipes @dfish; different from the way I make it so once again you have expanded my recipe box. @kazu I hope you have productive visit with the beautiful senior dog. The edge of the woods have been cleared and wildflower seeds scattered and zinnia seeds planted along the edges. (I love to bring cut flowers into my house.). Now all I have to do is water and wait. Positive thoughts to all who need them. Cheers to those celebrating.

We always book deck 8 aft portion of ship. Have sailed the Oosterdam and Zuiderdam. Did not smell smoke from the Seaview Bar.

Thank you for the Monday Daily. I will celebrate bats for helping us control pests without using pesticides. Texas A & M explains benefits of bats Texas bats consume some mosquitoes, Hurley said, but their diets consist primarily of moths, including corn earworm and armyworm moths, and beetles. This diet plays a large role in controlling insect pests in agriculture. It is estimated Texas bats eat enough insects to save producers over $1.4 billion annually in pest control costs alone. I have visited the Bat Bridge in Austin, a truly awesome sight. The bombing at the Boston Marathon occurred 10 years ago. A survivor set up The Brittany Fund to provide financial support to survivors of trauma so they can focus on their physical and emotional recovery. This is a wonderful example of how helping others can help us all recover from trauma. Positive thoughts to the experience losses and suffering. Cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

I did not see a hand washing machine in the Lido on the Rotterdam in February; there was a sink with soap. I liked using the hand washing machines on the Veendam. I only use hand sanitizer if no soap and water is available.

Hi Jacqui- I think of you fondly like Carnac the Magnificent on the Johnny Carson show. You can psychically divine answers to unseen questions. So I bet you are thinking, where are Tina and Jonathan cruising to after our TA? 🐧🐧🐧 You are correct! South America and Antarctica. You already know that the one our favorite ships, the Oosterdam makes that journey. Now you are thinking, she said she always cruise for her birthday, what sailing is that? You are correct. The sailing is January 29 to February 20. Thank you for adding this for you us.😊

It is a beautiful sunny morning in MD. Yesterday, I got in a traffic jam by my local Home Depot; the cars were wrapped around the parking lot waiting for mulch to be loaded in their vehicles. I heard we are three weeks ahead of our usual growing season. I’m going to wait at least another week before I plant my annuals. I love the art on the Rotterdam. We spent a sea day walking around and photographing our favorites. In honor of elephant day Mushrooms are delicious and a very healthy food. I like falafel and frequently order it in Greek restaurants as a filling for my gyro. Thanks for the recipes Debbie. I’m going to try the first recipe to make my own. Wishing everyone the best day possible.

@northernphoenix Room service menus These are the general room service menus. I do not know if the spa cabins have additional choices. When we had Club Orange in February, there were a few additional options

You are close to the spa but do not get free spa access. The balcony is smaller than regular verandahs. Being on the 10th deck near the bow, you will feel some motion if the seas are high. Spa stateroom amenities include: complimentary use of organic cotton bathrobes & slippers, iPod docking station, soothing color palette in-room slate table-top water feature, Yoga mat, pedometer for use aboard, mini-bar stocked one time with specialty waters, cut-fruit tray at embarkation, invigorating shower head, wooden bathmat, aromatherapy bath salts, room service Spa breakfast, in-room Spa menu and Spa concierge to book treatments.

@dog Sorry for misunderstanding, I thought you were referring to the Lido buffet. I had a Signature Suite on the Oosterdam under the Lido buffet that was much louder than the aft cabin. It was the carts of food rolling across the tile floor as they prepared for breakfast, lunch and dinner; however, once I realized what it was it didn’t bother me. My DH snores, I guess I can sleep through anything🤣

I enjoyed both the ASIAN CONGEE rice porridge with ginger, tofu, chicken, scallions, boiled egg and the PAN ASIAN BREAKFAST hot miso soup, steamed white rice, tamagoyaki, broiled salmon breakfast while on the Rotterdam in February. The hardy breakfast fueled me for several strenuous excursions.