Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[UKCruiseJeff]

7 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Greetings to you Jeff and thanks for starting this Cooler enterprise!

 

I did a little sleuthing for you and was able to determine the following statistics about the five segments of the Silversea Water Cooler:

#1     5,264 posts     2013-2015

#2     5,035 posts     2015-2016

#3     5,118 posts     2016-2017

#4     5,188 posts     2017-2018

#5     20,319 posts   2018-present

 

When Cruise Critic was running under the old software (probably using vacuum tubes and hamsters spinner mini-generators!), threads got very unwieldy above 5,000 posts so it was necessary to cut them off and start another segment.  The new software, for all its own limitations, doesn't seem to have such upper limits so this segment will presumably go on forever.  

 

I added the dates to show that once the cooler caught on activity has been pretty consistent at around 5,000 posts per year, even in the latest segment and despite economic booms and busts and plagues and other disasters.  I thought that was pretty amazing!

 

Keep up the good work everyone!  And, as Jeff says, let's all work to keep the Cooler a welcoming happy place.

 

Thanks so much for taking that trouble as I thought it might be impossible to do.  Good Grief Host J!  60,000 posts'ish.  And thanks for the kind words, which are very much appreciated.  I'll pluck up courage and ask whether it is possible to ascertain the total views? 200k?  And when was the first post?  I can't seem to find it and the 60k posts sparked interest. 

 

I feel so much older.  Silverseas has of course changed since the  Cooler started and isn't where many of us have affectionately left it - and of course so have all of us got older and for some lucky people even wiser.  So much has happened and changed our horizons including Covid and now even Burgergate. 🙂

 

I must admit I thought The Cooler might last for a drink or two around the bar and might fizzle out or be shut down after a month or two.  My motivation was purely experimental to see whether an online small community to simply be congenial and now it seems to fulfill the needs of evolving and slightly changing memberships  and it is what the current inmates want of it. 

 

My only slight disappointment is that more haven't joined who might really want to and it worries me that there must be some who visit and who vicariously  sit in a dark corner by themselves and it would be wonderful if they felt comfortable and posted. They don't have to say anything profound really - it can be about whatever is their interest.  Although I asked before that people only focused on the post rather than the poster (I think not doing say has damaged so many communities avoidably which form cliques and simply swap likes with friends)  - it would be nice if first posters received a really effusive welcome from everyone who happens to be around to encourage the nurture and friendship and say thanks for the first post in order to nurture.  Even more so in a way, I'm acutely aware as we all get older of my own good fortune to have long-suffering company but we all know that some do not and it would be great real role for the Cooler if it helped with some peoples' isolation who we may not yet know.  If some who are solo didn't feel intimidated and joined.  That isn't to decry those like me who have a partner and in my case when I do post these days all I ever talk about is my going on about bread and lunch and avoid those topics that are sort of out of bounds like the deteriorating nature of stuff around us.  I hope we can collectively do that because it would be a real achievement.

 

Anyway thanks again for your effort.  I'm off to bake this evenings ficelle

 

Bestest

 

Jeff x

 

 

[Lirio]

starting the long joyrney from Rio to Auckland!

[Lois R]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Thanks so much for taking that trouble as I thought it might be impossible to do.  Good Grief Host J!  60,000 posts'ish.  And thanks for the kind words, which are very much appreciated.  I'll pluck up courage and ask whether it is possible to ascertain the total views? 200k?  And when was the first post?  I can't seem to find it and the 60k posts sparked interest. 

 

I feel so much older.  Silverseas has of course changed since the  Cooler started and isn't where many of us have affectionately left it - and of course so have all of us got older and for some lucky people even wiser.  So much has happened and changed our horizons including Covid and now even Burgergate. 🙂

 

I must admit I thought The Cooler might last for a drink or two around the bar and might fizzle out or be shut down after a month or two.  My motivation was purely experimental to see whether an online small community to simply be congenial and now it seems to fulfill the needs of evolving and slightly changing memberships  and it is what the current inmates want of it. 

 

My only slight disappointment is that more haven't joined who might really want to and it worries me that there must be some who visit and who vicariously  sit in a dark corner by themselves and it would be wonderful if they felt comfortable and posted. They don't have to say anything profound really - it can be about whatever is their interest.  Although I asked before that people only focused on the post rather than the poster (I think not doing say has damaged so many communities avoidably which form cliques and simply swap likes with friends)  - it would be nice if first posters received a really effusive welcome from everyone who happens to be around to encourage the nurture and friendship and say thanks for the first post in order to nurture.  Even more so in a way, I'm acutely aware as we all get older of my own good fortune to have long-suffering company but we all know that some do not and it would be great real role for the Cooler if it helped with some peoples' isolation who we may not yet know.  If some who are solo didn't feel intimidated and joined.  That isn't to decry those like me who have a partner and in my case when I do post these days all I ever talk about is my going on about bread and lunch and avoid those topics that are sort of out of bounds like the deteriorating nature of stuff around us.  I hope we can collectively do that because it would be a real achievement.

 

Anyway thanks again for your effort.  I'm off to bake this evenings ficelle

 

Bestest

 

Jeff x

 

 

Hi Jeff, you are not alone........I feel older😧 too.

[Host Jazzbeau]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

Thanks so much for taking that trouble as I thought it might be impossible to do.  Good Grief Host J!  60,000 posts'ish.  And thanks for the kind words, which are very much appreciated.  I'll pluck up courage and ask whether it is possible to ascertain the total views? 200k?  And when was the first post?  I can't seem to find it and the 60k posts sparked interest. 

 

I feel so much older.

Maybe you're not quite as old as you think:  it's only around 40,000 posts...

 

The way the earlier segments were archived, I can't get to a screen that would show total views, sorry.  I could find that post #1 in segment 1 was on August 9, 2013.

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 minute ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Maybe you're not quite as old as you think:  it's only around 40,000 posts...

 

The way the earlier segments were archived, I can't get to a screen that would show total views, sorry.  I could find that post #1 in segment 1 was on August 9, 2013.

 

I could never add up. 🙂

[Host Jazzbeau]

BTW I owe you a credit Jeff for this thread title.  During Covid I wanted to start something similar on my River Cruising forum, so I called it the River Cruising Water Cooler.  Oddly that confused the European posters who weren't familiar with the concept of standing around the water cooler at work shooting the breeze.  But it has caught on and works just like this one, helping to bring the community together without fear of the dreaded "off topic" complaints...

[UKCruiseJeff]

All due to my time working for a large US Corporation when much of my time was better spent around the Cooler than having formal meetings!

 

🙂 

[Host Jazzbeau]

•  Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder.

 

• The older I get, the more I understand why roosters just scream to start their day.

 

• Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the ‘cool table’ in the cafeteria of a mental hospital.

 

• How did doctors come to the conclusion that exercise prolongs life, when…the rabbit is always jumping but only lives for around two years, and the turtle that doesn’t exercise at all, lives over 200 years.

 

• I too was once a male trapped in a female body…but then my mother gave birth.

 

• If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon.

 

•  Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall down at once from a vending machine.

 

•  We live in a time where intelligent people are silenced so that stupid people won’t be offended.

 

• The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.

 

•  When a kid says “Daddy, I want mommy” that’s the kid version of “I’d like to speak to your supervisor”.

 

•  It’s weird being the same age as old people.

 

•  Just once, I want a username and password prompt to say CLOSE ENOUGH.

 

• Last night the internet stopped working so I spent a few hours with my family. They seem like good people.

 

• If Adam and Eve were Cajuns they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple and saved us all a lot of trouble.

 

•  We celebrated last night with a couple of adult beverages...Metamucil and Ensure.

 

• You know you are getting old when friends with benefits means having someone who can drive at night.

 

• Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.

 

•  Some of my friends exercise every day. Meanwhile I am watching a show I don’t like because the remote fell on the floor.

 

•  For those of you that don’t want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversation, they are making a male version…it doesn’t listen to anything.

 

•  I just got a present labeled, ‘From Mom and Dad’, and I know darn well Dad has no idea what’s inside.

 

•  The pessimist complains about the wind.  The optimist expects it to change.  The realist adjusts his sails.

 

•  There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator.  Only a fraction of people will find this funny.

 

•  Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are.

 

•  I have many hidden talents.  I just wish I could remember where I hid them.

 

•  My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that cleans itself.

 

•  Apparently exercise helps you with decision-making.  It’s true.  I went for a run this morning and decided I’m never going again.

 

[mauimary]

Hello to all the coolers. I’ll come forward as being one of those lurkers   for probably close to ten years! Yes in the wings!   It all started years ago on a cold winter day I was browsing the boards and came across the cooler.  I found the cooler to be interesting, informative and entertaining and just a really nice group of posters.    I loved reading about everyone’s interesting travels to many different areas of the world.  Loved reading about Jeff’s breads.   Very impressive how Jeff started the water cooler and it has lasted all these years.  All do to a great group of contributors.  
We have not cruised on Silver Sea  yet but have been looking at a few itineraries closely.  We have been predominantly Celebrity Cruisers  but are looking to branch out to a different line of smaller ships. 

Edited April 27 by mauimary

[silkismom]

47 minutes ago, mauimary said:

Hello to all the coolers. I’ll come forward as being one of those lurkers   for probably close to ten years! Yes in the wings!   It all started years ago on a cold winter day I was browsing the boards and came across the cooler.  I found the cooler to be interesting, informative and entertaining and just a really nice group of posters.    I loved reading about everyone’s interesting travels to many different areas of the world.  Loved reading about Jeff’s breads.   Very impressive how Jeff started the water cooler and it has lasted all these years.  All do to a great group of contributors.  
We have not cruised on Silver Sea  yet but have been looking at a few itineraries closely.  We have been predominantly Celebrity Cruisers  but are looking to branch out to a different line of smaller ships. 

Welcome, from another mainly lurker!!

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 hour ago, mauimary said:

Hello to all the coolers. I’ll come forward as being one of those lurkers   for probably close to ten years! Yes in the wings!   It all started years ago on a cold winter day I was browsing the boards and came across the cooler.  I found the cooler to be interesting, informative and entertaining and just a really nice group of posters.    I loved reading about everyone’s interesting travels to many different areas of the world.  Loved reading about Jeff’s breads.   Very impressive how Jeff started the water cooler and it has lasted all these years.  All do to a great group of contributors.  
We have not cruised on Silver Sea  yet but have been looking at a few itineraries closely.  We have been predominantly Celebrity Cruisers  but are looking to branch out to a different line of smaller ships. 

 

Welcome …. and thanks for responding to the call!  

 

Where do you normally take your vacations?

 

I’m so pleased you mentioned me and my bread! I hardly need an excuse to post my daily bread. 

 

Tonight was a couple of 5 day onion and nigella ficelles which were made with some Aberdeen Angus Beef with horseradish. They were good.  I hope you can taste it.

 

Jeff

 

 

[DavyWavey70]

2 hours ago, mauimary said:

Hello to all the coolers. I’ll come forward as being one of those lurkers   for probably close to ten years! Yes in the wings!   It all started years ago on a cold winter day I was browsing the boards and came across the cooler.  I found the cooler to be interesting, informative and entertaining and just a really nice group of posters.    I loved reading about everyone’s interesting travels to many different areas of the world.  Loved reading about Jeff’s breads.   Very impressive how Jeff started the water cooler and it has lasted all these years.  All do to a great group of contributors.  
We have not cruised on Silver Sea  yet but have been looking at a few itineraries closely.  We have been predominantly Celebrity Cruisers  but are looking to branch out to a different line of smaller ships. 

10 years is a very long time to be in the wings mauimary but you’re very welcome here and thank you for posting. 

[DavyWavey70]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Welcome …. and thanks for responding to the call!  

 

Where do you normally take your vacations?

 

I’m so pleased you mentioned me and my bread! I hardly need an excuse to post my daily bread. 

 

Tonight was a couple of 5 day onion and nigella ficelles which were made with some Aberdeen Angus Beef with horseradish. They were good.  I hope you can taste it.

 

Jeff

 

 

Forgive us our trespasses and ……..

[mauimary]

1 hour ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

Welcome …. and thanks for responding to the call!  

 

Where do you normally take your vacations?

 

I’m so pleased you mentioned me and my bread! I hardly need an excuse to post my daily bread. 

 

Tonight was a couple of 5 day onion and nigella ficelles which were made with some Aberdeen Angus Beef with horseradish. They were good.  I hope you can taste it.

 

Jeff

 

 

 

We live in the  NW West part of the  USA where it is quite rainy and cloudy in the winter so we tend to search out sunny places.  We are about an hr from the coast and 30 min or so from being in the wine country.  We spend part of the Winter visiting Hawaii which is a fav of ours. It also helps that it’s only a five hr flight.   We have cruised to many places.   Now that we are retired we like longer cruises and B2B.  Australia and New Zealand are on the agenda for Oct and Nov. 

 

Thank you for the nice welcome. 

 

[DavyWavey70]

7 minutes ago, mauimary said:

We live in the  NW West part of the  USA where it is quite rainy and cloudy in the winter so we tend to search out sunny places.  We are about an hr from the coast and 30 min or so from being in the wine country.  We spend part of the Winter visiting Hawaii which is a fav of ours. It also helps that it’s only a five hr flight.   We have cruised to many places.   Now that we are retired we like longer cruises and B2B.  Australia and New Zealand are on the agenda for Oct and Nov. 

 

Thank you for the nice welcome. 

 

I’m just back from an incredible 4 week tour of Aus and NZ with a twelve night cruise on the Celebrity Edge that I’m not allowed to mention on here, oops. You’ll have the most amazing time. If you get the chance then look into the Indian Pacific rail journey. What an experience! 

[drron29]

3 hours ago, mauimary said:

Hello to all the coolers. I’ll come forward as being one of those lurkers   for probably close to ten years! Yes in the wings!   It all started years ago on a cold winter day I was browsing the boards and came across the cooler.  I found the cooler to be interesting, informative and entertaining and just a really nice group of posters.    I loved reading about everyone’s interesting travels to many different areas of the world.  Loved reading about Jeff’s breads.   Very impressive how Jeff started the water cooler and it has lasted all these years.  All do to a great group of contributors.  
We have not cruised on Silver Sea  yet but have been looking at a few itineraries closely.  We have been predominantly Celebrity Cruisers  but are looking to branch out to a different line of smaller ships. 

Another warm welcome to the Cooler.

November is a good time to visit Australia except for the far north as it is very hot and humid as well as being cyclone season.

 

Don’t forget Tasmania. A lot less rush and bustle which means more relaxing.

[QueSeraSera]

3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot.

This one was a LOL

 

welcome @mauimary

[UKCruiseJeff]

1 hour ago, mauimary said:

 

Thank you for the nice welcome. 

 

 

 

It turns out that you’ve found some new drinking chums and received a really great and wonderful welcome from the wonderful  Cooler Clux Clan!  See what you’ve missed!

 

I don’t wish to alarm you and sound like a vampire but some new fresh blood is particularly welcome and I don’t mean to push you but do you by any chance make loaf cakes of any description?  Or cook in any way.  Even if just beans and toast.  That will do to start.  Post a piccy. 

 

Loaf cakes is the way to go.  Round cakes are a completely daft idea and totally impractical.  Pie v Pi. 

 

Today’s fruit loaf cake to join afternoon Twinnings. It is a monster and I think might have a week’s width. 

 

Jeff

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28 by UKCruiseJeff

[mauimary]

1 hour ago, drron29 said:

Another warm welcome to the Cooler.

November is a good time to visit Australia except for the far north as it is very hot and humid as well as being cyclone season.

 

Don’t forget Tasmania. A lot less rush and bustle which means more relaxing.

Thank you. We will be visiting Tasmania. So very excited about that. 

[TakingFlight]

1 hour ago, DavyWavey70 said:

I’m just back from an incredible 4 week tour of Aus and NZ with a twelve night cruise on the Celebrity Edge that I’m not allowed to mention on here, oops. You’ll have the most amazing time. If you get the chance then look into the Indian Pacific rail journey. What an experience! 

We will be doing a Kimberley cruise (on another line) next year in June. Prior to the cruise we are doing the Ghan train from Adelaide to Darwin. I really appreciated the pics you posted of your train adventure, DW. And I’m really looking forward to it!

[mauimary]

22 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

 

It turns out that you’ve found some new drinking chums and received a really great and wonderful welcome from the wonderful  Cooler Clux Clan!  See what you’ve missed!

 

I don’t wish to alarm you and sound like a vampire but some new fresh blood is particularly welcome and I don’t mean to push you but do you by any chance make loaf cakes of any description?  Or cook in any way.  Even if just beans and toast.  That will do to start.  Post a piccy. 

 

Loaf cakes is the way to go.  Round cakes are a completely daft idea and totally impractical.  Pie v Pi. 

 

Today’s fruit loaf cake to join afternoon Twinnings. It is a monster and I think might have a week’s width. 

 

Jeff

 

I am enjoying meeting my new drinking friends.  It’s been a fun afternoon.  Thank you for inviting us lurkers in.  
 

To answer Jeff’s question I do like to cook. Not a gourmet cook by any stretch of the imagination.   I also like to bake.  Cakes and cookies (for the grandkids).  I have this old recipe book that my mother gave me of a collection of favorite treasured recipes that contains many breads.  They are easy recipes that makes my efforts look good!!

Mauimary 

 

22 minutes ago, UKCruiseJeff said:

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

OK Jeff:  I'm not a baker but my mother was a baker in the WACs in WWII so I always check the dessert section of the menu before ordering!  And full disclosure – I haven't tried this.  But this recipe in today's Wall Street Journal looks really good and not too hard so I'm planning to give it a go after we get back from Italy:

 

The Best Lemon Bar Recipe Is Also the Simplest - WSJ.pdf

[Lois R]

15 hours ago, DavyWavey70 said:

I’m just back from an incredible 4 week tour of Aus and NZ with a twelve night cruise on the Celebrity Edge that I’m not allowed to mention on here, oops. You’ll have the most amazing time. If you get the chance then look into the Indian Pacific rail journey. What an experience! 

Hi Davey, you are allowed to mention other lines😀I am guessing you were just kidding. I am going on one of Celebrity's S class ships (older) Eclipse. Not sure if I mentioned it but I got a good price on one of the Sky Suites. It is all the way AFT with a bigger balcony so that should be nice. I will try not to do too many comparisons but I have a feeling human nature will play a roll. 

I leave in 4 weeks and I am sure I will have a good time.🙂

[DavyWavey70]

11 hours ago, Lois R said:

Hi Davey, you are allowed to mention other lines😀I am guessing you were just kidding. I am going on one of Celebrity's S class ships (older) Eclipse. Not sure if I mentioned it but I got a good price on one of the Sky Suites. It is all the way AFT with a bigger balcony so that should be nice. I will try not to do too many comparisons but I have a feeling human nature will play a roll. 

I leave in 4 weeks and I am sure I will have a good time.🙂

Hi Lois, I wasn’t referring to CC rules, I was referring to the person that joined recently, posted incessantly, criticised anything positive I had to say about Celebrity, avoided answering many questions, reported anyone that questioned them for harassment and then disappeared just as quickly as they arrived. I’m still scratching my head about that one. 

[rojaan19]

17 minutes ago, DavyWavey70 said:

Hi Lois, I wasn’t referring to CC rules, I was referring to the person that joined recently, posted incessantly, criticised anything positive I had to say about Celebrity, avoided answering many questions, reported anyone that questioned them for harassment and then disappeared just as quickly as they arrived. I’m still scratching my head about that one. 

HOLEY Carp  !!   I go away for a few weeks and miss out on all the fun  !!  😮😮