The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday December 21st, 2022

[richwmn]

 

Today is December Solstice, Blue Christmas, and Humbug Day
 

You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. A.A. Mine - Author/Poet

Meal Suggestion for today - Mushroom Chicken Skillet with Herbed Cream Sauce
Drink of the Day - Long Island Iced Tea
Wine of the Day - Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon, California
Destination of the Day - Puerto Madryn, Argentina

Eurodam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 07:00 - 16:00
 

Koningsdam

Ensenada, Baja California Mexico 12:00 - 23:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Half Moon Cay, Bahamas eta 12/22
 

Nieuw Statendam

Kralendijk Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles 08:00 - 23:00
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Montevideo, Uruguay eta 12/22
 

Rotterdam

Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida 07:00 - 16:00
 

Volendam

Oranjestad Aruba, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 19:00
 

Zaandam

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 08:00 - 17:00
 

Zuiderdam

Half Moon Cay 08:00 - 16:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Lyttelton-Christchurch, New Zealand 08:00 - 19:00
 

Westerdam

Napier, New Zealand 12:00 PM To 6:00 PM
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[GTVCRUISER]

🎅🎄🍷

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Thank you for today's daily reports Rich and wishing you a fantastic cruise.

Thank you for our food and beverage ladies who do a wonderful job.

Thank you Roy for your sterling work in keeping the various lists updated.

Nice days for the shortest daylight day of the year.

Good quote and nice food.

Prayers 🙏 for everyone on Roy's care list.

 

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.
 

 

Definition of Hamburg. A person who is not what he pretends to be. Let’s see if I can think of someone? 🥸

 

Hope I don’t turn blue on Christmas. Forecast freezing in Tampa Bay Area Christmas Day.

 

It’s shortest daylight day of year. No need for sunscreen today 😀

 

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a wonderful day! 

[Mr. Boston]

Happy first day of Winter everyone. Nice quote and meal suggestion, I’ll pass on the drink though. Been to today’s port many times, a nice Winter escape.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events today.

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Report!  It sounds blustery out there.  No snow here yet.  The temperature is still above 0 Celcius, but I'm sure the "feels like" temperature is well below that.  

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning everyone. 

Happy Winter Solstice.   It seems like everyone has feelings of sadness at this time of the year as we remember those that have passed and aren't with us anymore.  I think of my dad who passed away 16 years ago Saturday the 17th, I know it's a difficult time for my mom.  We've got a big bad storm in the forecast for Friday and Saturday so travel will be difficult.

Good quote.

The meal sounds great, looking forward to seeing the recipe.

Love the drink, I'm sure the wine is good too.

Prayers for everyone.

Stay safe.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info ..

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning to all on this first day of winter!  The weather seems in sync with the season in the US.  Hoping for less snow than expected this week between here and our destination of Cincinnati.  I think if it is only a few inches the road crews will have the roads cleared and salted well before Saturday.  A salute to Blue Christmas and Humbug Days.  A celebration for everyone!  Thanks Rich for getting out these last few Dailies before your cruise begins.  One question for you - how do you get the names of the ships on the little maps you post?  I think I understand how you get the HAL fleet on the map but the names have me stumped.  

 

A big thanks to all who contribute here each day.  First @richwmnRich, then @rafinmdRoy for the lists, @summer slopeDixie for the drink, @cat shepardAnn for the wine, @dfishDebbie for the menu suggestions, and all who add their comment and photos.  Prayers for those on the Care list and cheers for the happy people celebrating.  During prayers this morning I made sure to thank our Lord for the improvements some here have seen in their family members or themselves, such as @Quartzsite CruiserLenda's DH Steve.  Great news especially for the holidays!  And  @smitty34877 Terry who is on the mend after her surgery Monday.

 

Today's port destination is Puerto Madryn, Argentina which was first posted here almost a full year ago on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2021.  I have not been there before so have no photos to share however here is a link to that date's post so you can retrieve your photos.   @Mr. Bostonplease share your experiences in Puerto Madryn during your Winter escapes that you mentioned.  Sounds intriguing!

 

 

[summer slope]

Long Island Iced Tea cocktail:

 

A Long Island iced tea is a type of alcoholic mixed drink typically made with vodka, tequila, light rum, triple sec, gin, and a splash of cola, which gives the drink the same amber hue as iced tea. A popular version mixes equal parts vodka, tequila, gin, rum, triple sec, with 1+1⁄2 parts sour mix and a splash of cola. Wikipedia
Main alcohol: Vodka, Tequila, Triple sec, Gin, Rum
Ingredients: 1 oz Gomme Syrup, 1 oz Lemon juice, 1/2 oz Gin, 1/2 oz Tequila, 1/2 oz Triple sec, 1/2 oz Vodka, 1/2 oz White rum, splash of Cola
Preparation: Add all ingredients into highball glass filled with ice. Stir gently. Garnish with lemon spiral. Serve with straw.
Served: On the rocks; poured over ice
Standard garnish: Lemon spiral
Drinkware: Highball glass

 

[richwmn]

12 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

One question for you - how do you get the names of the ships on the little maps you post?  I think I understand how you get the HAL fleet on the map but the names have me stumped.  

The base map with ships comes from cruisemapper. Any graphics editing program can be used to add the ship names. I use a free one, GIMP - available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. It is a pretty easy task once you have done it a few times (and I have).

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. It’s 20 degrees and I wish I had a fireplace to snuggle up with. I love todays quote. I’m off to PT and an Opthomologist check up in this frigid temps.

We’re celebrating Hanukkah as a family on Saturday. We’re eating latkes and jelly donuts and doing some kind of painting . I’ve been told to wear clothes I don’t care if get ruined with paint. Hmmmm. Don’t have any like that.

Stay safe everyone and wear your masks,

Carol

.

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich! Especially since you are now on location.  A gloomy start to the day, but at least the temp is mild. Very breezy though. 
 

A busy day for me. Haircut, gym class, Bindi walks, packing and supper at a friend’s. Not looking forward to traveling tomorrow, but I will be fine once I am out of the Boston traffic. 
 

I may need to visit here at the end of the day….

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating!

 

Get well & stay well everyone! 

 

*********

Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon, California

This Cab is widely available, has very good consumer ratings and has a reasonable price which makes it easy to try. I found it available online for $10.94.

Distributor notes

This wine showcases lush texture and bold dark fruit flavors of blackberry, ripe purple plum and cassis with a hint of oak and spice. Cedar and tobacco aromas accent the full, round palate, and the wine finishes with soft, integrated tannins.

Edited December 21, 2022 by cat shepard

[rafinmd]

Well, definitely Bah Humbug day for me.  I had my physical yesterday and last Friday I did  PCR test at our Health Department just to check before the physical.  Something went wrong and the results got hung up at the lab but I did a self test Monday which was negative.  Well, the results arrived this morning and they were DETECTED.  I'll hold out hope something went wrong while the sample was missing but I still need to deal with this, plus I have some prescriptions at the pharmacy which I need to figure out.

 

Roy

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

I'm going to hit the grocery store this morning and hopefully get everything I need for Christmas Day.  Sue's last patient cancelled for tomorrow so she will get on the road by 3:30 and be here by 5:00.  That will keep her safe from the storm.  Now that we've made all our preparations, we'll barely get 2 inches.  Isn't that how it usually works?

 

Yesterday I spent the afternoon polishing Grandma's silver.  It wasn't too bad a job as I had kept the silver well wrapped since I last used it.  I was expecting it to be worse since it has been several years.  Definitely pre-pandemic.  

 

Today's meal sounds yummy good to me.  This first recipe is best made in a cast iron skillet so you can transfer it from stove top to oven.  https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/mushroom-chicken-skillet-with-herbed-cream-sauce/2041266

 

The next one is slightly different and uses chicken breasts and includes one of my favorites, garlic.  https://littlespicejar.com/one-skillet-chicken-with-garlicky-mushroom-cream-sauce/

 

 

This last one calls for some fresh parmesan in the cream sauce.  Yummy!https://therecipecritic.com/creamy-parmesan-herb-mushroom-chicken/

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[dfish]

5 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Well, definitely Bah Humbug day for me.  I had my physical yesterday and last Friday I did  PCR test at our Health Department just to check before the physical.  Something went wrong and the results got hung up at the lab but I did a self test Monday which was negative.  Well, the results arrived this morning and they were DETECTED.  I'll hold out hope something went wrong while the sample was missing but I still need to deal with this, plus I have some prescriptions at the pharmacy which I need to figure out.

 

Roy

Ok, that is a bit of a mess.   How does DETECTED differ from POSITIVE?  With PCR tests they can detect that you have had Covid.  Since the self test was later and negative, I would tend to go with that, but wear a mask when you go out for the next few days.  Can you pick up your prescriptions at the drive through?  Put your mask on and go that route as it involves less contact.  

[kochleffel]

18 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Any graphics editing program can be used to add the ship names. I use a free one, GIMP - available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

 

That's what I was figuring.

 

[kochleffel]

The news media are messing with my birthday celebration plans, through all their yammering about "bomb cyclone," "storm of the century," and "widespread blizzards" (https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/12/20/blizzard-bomb-cyclone-cold-storm/) It will be bad over a large part of the country, and the storm will eventually reach here, but the forecast for Friday is just an inch of snow, although it will be cold Friday night and Saturday morning. I don't think that the synagogue will pivot to Zoom-only, especially after doing that last week when it turned out not to be necessary, but the dire forecast and the actual low temperature will probably keep most people home.

 

Several of my Protestant clergy friends hold Blue Christmas events at their churches. We don't have anything parallel, but I'm prone to seasonal depression and so, even with no specific reason to grieve, I can sympathize.

 

I'm not sure whether Humbug Day refers to Ebenezer Scrooge--I once wrote an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol" for puppet theater--or to the old-fashioned boiled sweet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humbug_(sweet)

 

I would enjoy the meal suggestion in a restaurant or, preferably, on a BHB, but could never make it at home because of the combination of meat and dairy ingredients. I'm not strict away from home, but at home I use separate pans for meat and dairy, so a combination is impossible to make.

 

 

 

[smitty34877]

Good morning to all. It is cold here and I am glad I don’t have to go out.Yesterday was a humbug day for me. I certainly felt the full effects of major surgery and just tried to push through it. Roy @rafinmd, I am sorry about the results of your test and hope it is an error. Sandi. @StLouisCruisers, I hope the snow holds off for your drive and the same goes for @dfish Debbie’s sister Sue. @cat shepard , I hope the weather holds for your flight and Boston driving experience. I find driving in the Boston area much more scary than driving in NYC.

Have a great day everyone

 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  Today’s meal suggestion is one I might like but DH would complain.  I’m not sure what’s on the menu for tonight.  With the weather forecast for this weekend I’m glad we visited the families over Thanksgiving.  I hope everyone has a good Wednesday.

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the hump day report, Rich.  Today's weather seems appropriate for Winter Solstice.  I like the Milne quote and have been to Puerto Madryn on Crystal Symphony, Zaandam, and Prinsendam.  I'll pass on the meal.  My alternative is Wattleseed Roasted Duck with Apricots and Passion Fruit Pavlova as served on MS Prinsendam December 21,  2013.

 

Today’s care list:

 

My positive covid test
smitty34877 recovering from hip replacement
pauline’s friend losing daughter
USN59-79 with leg fracture
Marshhawk DH family illnesses
StLouisCruisers DD recovering from foot surgery
From the rotation:
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)
HAL Sailer Sister in Law with aggressive cancer therapy
Cruisin Terri leak damage

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

 

Eurodam and

Rotterdam in Everglades

Hannukah day4
Mamaofami successful bivalent boost
smitty34877 at home doing well
HorizonChaser1957 temporarily in Fort Lauderdale
Quartzite Cruiser DH home doing exceptionally well
Good post surgery report from StLouisCruisers DD
6 days for ottahand7 (Volendam 12/27 to 3/18/23)
1 day for Av8rix (Koningsdam 12/22 to 1/7/23)
1 day for richwmn {Zuiderdam 12/22 to 5/12/23)
SusieKIslandGirl (Island Princess to 12/22) and Cruisin Terri (Insignia  to 12/28) at sea
Cunnorl (Noordam to 1/2/23),  Kazu (Koningsdam  to 1/7/23 Damcruiser (Nieuw Statendam  to 1/14/23), Seasick Sailor (Rotterdam  to 1/25/23), indaler (Volendam  to 3/18/23) and  Horizon Chas4r1957 (Zaandam to 12/20; Zuiderdam 12/22 to 5/12/23) at sea

Roy

[aliaschief]

Good morning! It’s packing up day and I believe we are bringing most of  our house!🤔Fondue pots and accessories. Cooler with Prime Rib, pies, burritos,  breakfast casserole, presents for grandchildren and of course booze and warm clothing. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning and will be in Jacksonville around noon.

Sports legend Franco Harris died last night at 72! 
Friday the temperatures in our area will be in the twenties which is pretty cold for us Floridians and fauna!

Thanks for the Fleet Report and all who contribute. Stay warm!

 

[0106]

@rafinmd Sorry about your Bah Humbug Covid situation.  I agree with @dfish Here is some information I found when I researched a similar situation for my Dad that may be helpful to you. 
 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some people who contract COVID-19 can have detectable virus for up to three months, but that doesn't mean they are contagious. 

When it comes to testing, the PCR tests are more likely to continue picking up the virus following infection. "PCR test can stay positive for a long time," Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady said in March. "Those PCR tests are very sensitive," she added. "They keep picking up dead virus in your nose for sometimes for weeks, but you can't grow that virus in the lab. You can't spread it but it can be positive."

 

The CDC notes that tests "are best used early in the course of illness to diagnose COVID-19 and are not authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to evaluate duration of infectiousness."

For those isolating due to a COVID infection, there is no testing requirement to end isolation, however, the CDC recommends using a rapid antigen test for those who choose to take one. 

 

Arwady said that guidance is likely related to determining whether or not someone has an "active" virus.

"If you did want to get a test done, please don't get a PCR. Use a rapid antigen test," she said. "Why? Because the rapid antigen test is the one that will look to see...do you have a high enough COVID level that you are potentially infectious? Now, a PCR test, remember, can pick up up traces of the virus for a long time, even if it's not potentially transmitting."