Silversea Water Cooler: Welcome! Part Five

[Lois R]

Hi coolers, not sure if any of you saw this:  BIG SHIP slams into a Uniworld Riverboat

https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/cruise-ship-plows-tourist-boat-venice-63431003

 

That UNIWORLD Riverboat? I am sailing her in October.  I guess I need to contact Uniworld to see if she will be able provide the cruise.  And I have a friend who is booked on her for next month too!

[jpalbny]

I saw. Yikes!

[Lois R]

Do you think by October she will be all fixed?

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[jpalbny]

21 hours ago, Lois R said:

Do you think by October she will be all fixed?

 

Hard to say. Certainly hope it will be repaired even sooner. But I think it's too early to tell, and the damage seems fairly significant. 

[jpalbny]

Last night's dinner. Veal cutlets with mushrooms, in a Marsala wine sauce over orecchiette pasta. Got to use a bit of fresh thyme and rosemary from the herb garden. All that rain has been good for something! 

 

 

We were both on call this past week and weekend. That was tough after the Ukraine trip and the 7 hour time change, but we recovered and the next two weeks are easier. 

 

We fly to Portland (Oregon) Friday night for a long weekend, returning Monday. A little hiking in the river gorge and some wine tasting in Willamette. Our anniversary is Monday, so we get airplane food for our Anniversary Dinner! It's 24 this year, so it's ok. Next year needs to be a bigger trip!

Edited June 3, 2019 by jpalbny

[Daveywavey70]

Hopefully she'll be all fixed up by then Lois, fingers crossed.

Well 14 days from today we'll be on the Muse in Alaska.

We were quite gutted at the time that we could only get a Vista, been checking regularly but we were listed as GTY, but the upgrade fairy has sprinkled her magic dust today and it landed on us and we got a verandah! Yippeeee. Getting super excited now. 

[mayaart]

We just finished our trip on whisper and also luckily got upgraded fairy dust. Nice treat. Had good weather for most of the days. Lovely excursion from Cadiz to Jerez de l a Frontera Sherry and tapas and classical guitar. Normandy Beaches very moving.

[Lois R]

Hi folks, I just read a post over on the River Cruise forum and someone's Travel Agent told them the riverboat will be out of service until July 21st.  If that is true, they will have the rest of June and basically 2.5 weeks of July (so about 6 weeks) to get it fixed.

 

  My final payment is due this month...…..I will call Uniworld to get answers directly from them.  I am guessing by October it will be all good. (Hopefully).

[Lois R]

10 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Last night's dinner. Veal cutlets with mushrooms, in a Marsala wine sauce over orecchiette pasta. Got to use a bit of fresh thyme and rosemary from the herb garden. All that rain has been good for something! 

 

 

We were both on call this past week and weekend. That was tough after the Ukraine trip and the 7 hour time change, but we recovered and the next two weeks are easier. 

 

We fly to Portland (Oregon) Friday night for a long weekend, returning Monday. A little hiking in the river gorge and some wine tasting in Willamette. Our anniversary is Monday, so we get airplane food for our Anniversary Dinner! It's 24 this year, so it's ok. Next year needs to be a bigger trip!

 

Oh....you better do something BIG for 25 YEARS!!!!!!!!

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

 

Oh....you better do something BIG for 25 YEARS!!!!!!!!

 

Don't I know it... We've been so lucky, and we have been able to do so much already that could be considered "big" so the bar is pretty high!

 

For our 10th we went back to Hawaii for 2 weeks and island hopped. For our 15th we were on the Black Sea for a Silversea Cruise. Our 20th was at a beautiful resort in Zanzibar with our cruise friends, after we'd spent 10 days on a great safari through Rwanda and Tanzania. On the actual night of our anniversary, they served the 6 of us dinner at a private table that they'd set up on the beach. 

 

I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro for our 25th but it wouldn't be a classic "anniversary" trip... The accomodations along the way are rustic, to say the least! Chris would really like to have climbed Kili, but camping out along the way doesn't really appeal to her. She promises to climb it as soon as they build Four Seasons Hotels along the route...LOL.

 

Considering a safari in Botswana,  combined with some time in Namibia. Or who knows what else will cross our minds in the next year? I guess we'd better get planning!

 

***

 

Dinner tonight was a celebration of not being on call. I grilled a flat-iron steak and made a chimichurri sauce with fresh herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil. We opened a nice bottle of Carmenère which we'd brought back from Chile on the January trip for Chris's birthday.

 

Fresh harvest

 

 

Ready for serving

 

Pretty, but not too pretty to eat!

 

Carmenère can age nicely. This was really delicious! 

Edited June 3, 2019 by jpalbny
l'accente grave...

[Daveywavey70]

30 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Don't I know it... We've been so lucky, and we have been able to do so much already that could be considered "big" so the bar is pretty high!

 

I've Just had the bombshell dropped tonight that I won't be able to top our upcoming Alaska cruise for my 50th next year!

I Thought he knew me better than that, My response.... look forward to seeing the pictures!

[TLCOhio]

44 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

I wanted to climb Kilimanjaro for our 25th but it wouldn't be a classic "anniversary" trip... The accomodations along the way are rustic, to say the least! Chris would really like to have climbed Kili, but camping out along the way doesn't really appeal to her. She promises to climb it as soon as they build Four Seasons Hotels along the route...LOL.

Considering a safari in Botswana,  combined with some time in Namibia. Or who knows what else will cross our minds in the next year? I guess we'd better get planning!

 

Yes, loving the wonderful wine, food, etc., pictures, details, etc.  Looking good and I am sure it was all very tasty and enjoyable. 

 

For you adventure options to celebrate your 25th, I wanted to put in a strong encouragement for Botswania.  It's an amazing country with such great sights, nature, people and animals.  As detailed on my live/blog from 2016, Botswana lived up to all of the "hype" because it is that totally awesome.  Happy to share more as you consider the options.  While we have not yet been to Namibia, friends have and they said very good things about that country.  Their analysis, Botswana is more about the animals.  Namibia is focused more on the unique landscapes and settings.  Both together would be very, very excellent.  Need more evidence or pushing?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

AFRICA?!!?: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 45,659 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

[Lois R]

Those places sound very exotic to me....there are many parts of Europe I have still never visited so I want to see many of them.....and after what is going on here at home? Sometimes I want to go...permanently

 

[jpalbny]

15 minutes ago, Lois R said:

Sometimes I want to go...permanently

 

We too!

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, TLCOhio said:

Botswana is more about the animals.  Namibia is focused more on the unique landscapes and settings.  Both together would be very, very excellent.  Need more evidence or pushing?

 

Sounds like a winning combination to me! Thanks for the push, Terry!

[mysty]

Greetings Coolers!

 

Today's funny.....

 

 

Have a great day all!

[Lois R]

Good morning folks...…...

 

Here is a statement from UNIWORLD about the Riverboat, timing, etc...…...

http://www.seatrade-cruise.com/news/news-headlines/uniworld-cancels-six-cruises-of-riverboat-rammed-by-msc-ship.html?utm_content=Uniworld cancels six cruises of riverboat rammed by MSC ship&utm_source=Email&utm_medium=Seatrade Cruise News&utm_contact=19283329&utm_term=Newsletter_Seatrade Cruise Weekly News&utm_campaign=146628

 

[TLCOhio]

10 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Sounds like a winning combination to me! Thanks for the push, Terry!

 

Great to hear that my "pushing" is helping.  Yes, that 25th is a BIGGIE and you want to do it well!!  Below are just a few top visuals as examples for what is possible to see and do in amazing Botswana.  The lodges there are very small and super nice.  The better places have excellent guides who really know the territory, etc.  Each day of exploring is different and you never know what you will see or experience.  One of the highlights was taking a 20-minute helicopter ride over this unique terrain of Botswana.  

 

JP QUESTIONS?:  In preparing for our July, first-time visiting to be seeing Jasper/Banff, doing the Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, having three days in Vancouver, then sailing up to Alaska, doing a post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc., I saw your very nice pictures from Banff and Lake Louise from June 2018.  Looking very, very good!!  Did you have some pictures posted on your excellent SmugMug location from doing either Vancouver and/or Alaska?  Noticed that you are using a Nikon camera while in these western Canada areas.  Which Nikon camera?  SLR?  Lenses used?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

For latest live/blog, see “Holy Lands, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Dubai, Greece, etc.”, with many visuals, details and ideas for the historic and scenic Middle East.  Connect at:

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2607054-livenautica-greece-holy-lands-egypt-dubai-terrypix’s/

 

In Botswana, you never know what you will discover and see out in the wild.  It is always fascinating there with the variety and how they operate in "takin' care of business".  As with the elephants, the baby ones are so super cute!!:

(Open your screen/viewer wider to see these pictures larger/better!)

 

 

 

Seeing the wild creatures up close is amazing, especially when you can look into their eyes, see to inside their soul, etc.  Plus, as with this male lion, there are some battle scars from living in the wild and dealing with the challenges of nature.  This lion had been sleeping, but then he rose his head up, opened his eyes and I captured this fascinating pose to camera.:

[jpalbny]

Hi Terry,

 

Our last trip to Alaska was in 2008, so long before my SmugMug site. In fact it's even before Google photos. I think they were posted on the now-defunct PicasaWeb server. I will have to look for them later. I thought all were supposed to move to Google photos automatically but I don't see them there now.

 

I am currently using a Nikon D7100 with a Sigma 18-250 lens (27-375 equivalent after correction for the APS-sized sensor). I've had some variant of that setup for almost 15 years.

 

But I don't carry it everywhere these days. For some trips we just use our phones, and/or our pocket cameras. Getting lazy, I guess...

[TLCOhio]

29 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

Hi Terry,  Our last trip to Alaska was in 2008, so long before my SmugMug site. In fact it's even before Google photos. I think they were posted on the now-defunct PicasaWeb server. I will have to look for them later. I thought all were supposed to move to Google photos automatically but I don't see them there now.  I am currently using a Nikon D7100 with a Sigma 18-250 lens (27-375 equivalent after correction for the APS-sized sensor). I've had some variant of that setup for almost 15 years.  But I don't carry it everywhere these days. For some trips we just use our phones, and/or our pocket cameras. Getting lazy, I guess...

 

Appreciate, J.P.,  this super great follow-up and these very helpful details.  Yes, lots has changed who Internet web photography technology/posting in a short period of time.  Hard to believe that Google photos, SmugMug, etc., did not exist ten or eleven years ago.  Technology changes and evolves quickly.  Mostly for the good, but not always that way.  The new photo uploading with Cruise Critic is overall better, but has a few mixed aspects.  At some future point in time, I should do a photography set-up as you have with SmugMug.  Looks and works very well.      

 

On your camera, YES, you have a great tool with that Nikon D7100!!  I have been using a Nikon D7200 with a main Nikkor 18-140mm VR lens.  Works well.  Also have a Sigma 10-20mm wide angle and a longer Nikkor 55-300mm VR for certain additional lens purposes/needs.  That equipment does get a little heavy at times.  Using the iPhone can perform well at times, especially for certain food shots in the evenings, etc.  

 

For Alaska in July, our four ports are Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Sitka.  Any special tips and/or memories from being there?  Assume you had some time in Vancouver and loved it there, right?

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

SE Asia/Mekong River, Etc.!  Live/blog from early 2018, first adventure through SE Asia, stops in Hong Kong and Bangkok, before exploring all over Vietnam and Cambodia, seven days sailing on the Mekong River. Now at 46,986 views.

www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2591474

[Lois R]

Terry, I have been to all  the places you are visiting in Alaska....even with the terrible accident,  I highly recommend ISLAND WINGS in Ketchikan for a floatplane tour.  Michelle (owner and pilot) is awesome!

Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier is a "must see" (In my opinion)……..Sitka is very walkable...…..Skagway, do a train tour!

[frantic36]

1 hour ago, Lois R said:

Terry, I have been to all  the places you are visiting in Alaska....even with the terrible accident,  I highly recommend ISLAND WINGS in Ketchikan for a floatplane tour.  Michelle (owner and pilot) is awesome!

Juneau, Mendenhall Glacier is a "must see" (In my opinion)……..Sitka is very walkable...…..Skagway, do a train tour!

 

Lois, I agree that Michelle and Island Wings are an excellent organisation. As we were there in July, 2017 we did an Anan Creek tour from Ketchikan with Michelle. She had organised the permits and we flew in landing by the shore. We were then met with a guide with rifle to walk us along the boardwalk to the river where the bear hide was. We had a couple of hours there and saw many bears, including cubs. 

 

We had to book this many months in advance and wait to see if Michelle could get permits. It was well worth the wait.

Edited June 4, 2019 by frantic36

[JohnGinPBG]

12 hours ago, TLCOhio said:

Seeing the wild creatures up close is amazing, especially when you can look into their eyes, see to inside their soul, etc.  Plus, as with this male lion, there are some battle scars from living in the wild and dealing with the challenges of nature.  This lion had been sleeping, but then he rose his head up, opened his eyes and I captured this fascinating pose to camera.:

 

Gosh, Terry, amazing photos from Botswana! The lion shot is epic. What lens were you using? 

 

Mrs. and I are looking into Africa for 2021. Did you do a cruise or a regular safari?

[jpalbny]

Mysty is late today so I'll post this. I wish they'd have left the last line out...not needed!