The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday January 14th, 2023

[rafinmd]

Today is Dress Up Your Pet Day, International Kite Day, and Organize Your Home Day
 

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.--Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emerson in His Journals

Meal Suggestion for today - Shepherd's Pie
Drink of the Day - Gimlet
Wine of the Day - Realm Cellars The Bard, Napa Valley, California 2016
Destination of the Day - Cartagena Spain, Murcia
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 1-15
 

Koningsdam

San Diego, California 07:00 - 16:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 08:00 - 15:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

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

Oosterdam

Puerto Chacabuco, Chile 10:00 - 18:00
 

Rotterdam

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

Volendam

At Sea Destination Callao-Lima, Peru eta 1-15
 

Zaandam

Corinto, Nicaragua, Leon City 09:00 - 17:00
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea Destination Nuku Hiva Island, Taiohae, Marquesas French Poly eta 1-18

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Melbourne, Victoria Australia eta 1-16
 

Westerdam

Lembar, Lombok Indonesia 10:00 - 23:00
 

 

 

Roy for Rich

  

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

 

I celebrate International Kite Day several times a month. The Misses is always telling me to go fly a kite. 😀

[aliaschief]

Good morning! We will be arriving soon in Tortola, , British Virgin Islands which will be our last Caribbean visit followed by two sea days to Miami. It has been a wonderful cruise and the weather has been great. Seas have been calm and the crew has been outstanding. 
Off to coffee. Thanks for all who make the Daily a daily habit!

 

[RedneckBob]

11 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning! We will be arriving soon in Tortola, , British Virgin Islands which will be our last Caribbean visit followed by two sea days to Miami. It has been a wonderful cruise and the weather has been great. Seas have been calm and the crew has been outstanding. 
Off to coffee. Thanks for all who make the Daily a daily habit!

 

Sounds like a great cruise. Have a great day! Tortola is one of my favorite islands and I have a Tortola story. Many years ago when Wi-Fi was limited on ships and expensive, lots of passengers would find Wi-Fi ashore at a business. There is a bar just a five minute walk from the docks in Tortola that I went to for Wi-Fi. The password to hookup never changed. It was “You_need_a_drink”. Hope that helps! 😀

Edited January 14, 2023 by RedneckBob

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  It was nice watching our BHB come into port this morning, Mona made sure I was awake.  Today’s meal suggestion is something I like a lot but don’t get very often.  The best I’ve had was in an Irish pub in Batavia, NY, I’m sure the beer helped.  The installation of more insulation in the attic was moved from Monday to today.  This works better for us since I can pay attention and make sure the cats stay inside.

I will not attempt to dress any of the cats.  It would not go well.

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Daily-ites. Looks like our beautiful Rotterdam has docked in FLL. We had quite a windy rocky night. Our balcony chairs rearranged themselves and the empty hangars in the closet sounded like windchimes tinkling away. A chilly welcome!

 

Thank you Roy and F and B ladies, and Sandi and Lend a with your great travel photos.

 

Last night the husband of the couple who we've sat next to the past 10 days showed up in a cast. The day before he tried to help someone in a scooter open the heavy outside door. The door blew back and it broke his wrist. When he filed the report HAL took full responsibility. The doors should have had the yellow warning tape. So medical, xrays, casting etc are taken care of. They told us the medical Center is state of the art. 4 xrays were completed in seconds and the cast quickly done. They are staying on board til the 25th with a bit of scenic changes to their itinerary. (BTW, there were 2 heart patients waiting til this morning for ambulance, and a lady that was "dropped off" by her daughter saying her mother's Alzheimer's was too difficult for her to handle. The poor lady was totally in distress) Some daughter..

 

Today we will go through the World Stage turn around and pick up our new room keys. Moving from deck 5 to 8 for our final 10 days. This next itinerary is my favorite!

 

Prayers..lifted for Jacqui, Sarah and Kathi as well as our fellow Daily-ites needing a hug.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is 46°F and sunny here.

Thank you for today's daily reports Roy.

International kite day is amazing.

We currently don't have any living pets but all of Pauline's soft toy animals are dressed.

Interesting quote.

Food sounds nice.

Cartagena is a nice city.

Prayers 🙏 for everyone who need them.

I hope everyone has a nice day and weekend.

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Fleet and Daily Report.

 

A very cold day in store for us today, it's -10°C (15°F) this morning.  I do not dress Bertie Woofster, he doesn't mind the cold.

Love the quote.

The meal sounds good, so does the drink.  Hope the wine is a winner too.

We've never been to today's port.

 

Prayers for everyone.  Hope there are lots of celebrations.

Have a wonderful day.

Stay safe.

 

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

Good morning Daily-ites. Looks like our beautiful Rotterdam has docked in FLL. We had quite a windy rocky night. Our balcony chairs rearranged themselves and the empty hangars in the closet sounded like windchimes tinkling away. A chilly welcome!

 

Thank you Roy and F and B ladies, and Sandi and Lend a with your great travel photos.

 

Last night the husband of the couple who we've sat next to the past 10 days showed up in a cast. The day before he tried to help someone in a scooter open the heavy outside door. The door blew back and it broke his wrist. When he filed the report HAL took full responsibility. The doors should have had the yellow warning tape. So medical, xrays, casting etc are taken care of. They told us the medical Center is state of the art. 4 xrays were completed in seconds and the cast quickly done. They are staying on board til the 25th with a bit of scenic changes to their itinerary. (BTW, there were 2 heart patients waiting til this morning for ambulance, and a lady that was "dropped off" by her daughter saying her mother's Alzheimer's was too difficult for her to handle. The poor lady was totally in distress) Some daughter..

 

Today we will go through the World Stage turn around and pick up our new room keys. Moving from deck 5 to 8 for our final 10 days. This next itinerary is my favorite!

 

Prayers..lifted for Jacqui, Sarah and Kathi as well as our fellow Daily-ites needing a hug.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you for your Prayers for Sarah.

Prayers 🙏 for your friend who broke his wrist while helping someone else.

I hope you love your new cabin and your final 10 days are amazing Joy and Allen.

Graham.

 

 

[rafinmd]

I don't have a pet or a kite and probably should organize my home but it's unlikely to happen.  I love the Emerson quote and have been to Cartagena just once, on MS Prinsendam in 2017.  I'll pass on the shepards pie.  My alternative is Fiesta Chicken Soup, Strip Loin Steak, and Peach Crisp as served on MS Prinsendam January 14, 2019:

 

Today’s care list:

Grahaam’s Sarah in pain and waiting on needed injection
Marshhawk DH eye issues.
HAL Sailer DBIL in final days and family squabbles
Scrapnana starting over on treatment
From the rotation:
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)
Ominous scan for Marshhawk
Kazu with elbow fracture

 

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Nieuw Statendam

and Rotterdam in Everglades

Bon Voyage highland cruiser (Koningsdam 1/14 to 1/31)
Welcome home GTVCRUISER, Vict0riann, Damcruiser, and Crystalspin
cruszn single in Hawaii until 1/31
Cruisin Terri furniture delivered
DeeniEncinetas, and sailingdutchty   (Koningsdam  to 1/31), Aliaschief (Onward  to 1/17) Seasick Sailor and ger_77 (Rotterdam  to 1/25), lindaler and ottahand7(Volendam  to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty,richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam  to 5/12) at sea

Roy

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning.

I am up early and for a change, not worried about trying to get to our house before the workers.  No one showing up today.

Our goal today is to get some of the things from the apartment back to our house.  Namely from the kitchen.

Next we expect to get our clothes back there.  There are plenty of clothes at the house but we have stuff here as well.

We plan to do this stuff piecemeal since we have the apartment until the end of the month.

 

in the meantime, before I get busy, thank you to Roy @rafinmd for the Daily and Fleet Report, and for the List and all the other things you have offered to do.

Prayers for @kazu.  Hope that arm is healing and you will soon be able to twirl batons!  LOL.

Prayers also for @Scrapnana.  Kathi, hope all is going well for her

And of course, prayers for Sarah.  I hope that the injections are done soon to relieve her pain.  That will also give some comfort to @grapau27 Graham and Pauline.

@Seasick Sailor Hope you and Allen are enjoying your cruise.  

How sad to see someone drop off a parent with Alzheimer’s.  However, it is hard to judge until one has walked in the daughter’s shoes.  i agree that it is a bit much.  I wish only the best for the mother on her cruise and for the daughter who may desperately need some respite.  

@aliaschief Looks like Azamara is a good fit for you.  Your cruise appears to be amazing.

Enjoy!

Hope everyone has a great Saturday.

God Bless,

Terri

[grapau27]

24 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I don't have a pet or a kite and probably should organize my home but it's unlikely to happen.  I love the Emerson quote and have been to Cartagena just once, on MS Prinsendam in 2017.  I'll pass on the shepards pie.  My alternative is Fiesta Chicken Soup, Strip Loin Steak, and Peach Crisp as served on MS Prinsendam January 14, 2019:

 

Today’s care list:

Grahaam’s Sarah in pain and waiting on needed injection
Marshhawk DH eye issues.
HAL Sailer DBIL in final days and family squabbles
Scrapnana starting over on treatment
From the rotation:
Cruising-along niece awaiting a kidney
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)
Ominous scan for Marshhawk
Kazu with elbow fracture

 

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Nieuw Statendam

and Rotterdam in Everglades

Bon Voyage highland cruiser (Koningsdam 1/14 to 1/31)
Welcome home GTVCRUISER, Vict0riann, Damcruiser, and Crystalspin
cruszn single in Hawaii until 1/31
Cruisin Terri furniture delivered
DeeniEncinetas, and sailingdutchty   (Koningsdam  to 1/31), Aliaschief (Onward  to 1/17) Seasick Sailor and ger_77 (Rotterdam  to 1/25), lindaler and ottahand7(Volendam  to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty,richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam  to 5/12) at sea

Roy

Thank you for today's lists Roy and for your kind mention for Sarah.

Graham 

[smitty34877]

Good morning. Snow  fell a little bit this morning, only on the cars and grass. I took the dogs out for the first time since my surgery in the dark and made it back after a successful  mission.I think the only way to get over my apprehension  is just to go ahead and do it.Neither dog would take kindly to being dressed in a coat or other article of clothing. They never seem to mind the cold or even getting  wet.

We were in Cartegena on the Prinsendam  and enjoyed the port.I will find my pictures later.

Shepherd's Pie is popular with the carnivores and I recently made a veggie alternative  for the other half of the family. 

Have a great day today everyone. 

[aliaschief]

37 minutes ago, RedneckBob said:

Sounds like a great cruise. Have a great day! Tortola is one of my favorite islands and I have a Tortola story. Many years ago when Wi-Fi was limited on ships and expensive, lots of passengers would find Wi-Fi ashore at a business. There is a bar just a five minute walk from the docks in Tortola that I went to for Wi-Fi. The password to hookup never changed. It was “You_need_a_drink”. Hope that helps! 😀

Funny! T-Mobile now so I don’t have to run around searching for WiFi. I sure wish Hal will get Starlink. It was installed on this ship a few weeks ago. Very fast and we were able to watch a 30 minute You Tube video stream without delaying reloads.

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  Finally after 36 hours our internet, cable TV and home phone are working!!  Yesterday I was so bored.  I did Sudoku puzzles and read books all day long.  Not being able to join in here whenever I wanted was no fun at all.  Anyway I can now tell you that it's 31F and very windy.  I have a lot to catch up with on this board so will get to that shortly.

 

Thanks to Rich and Roy for our Daily and Fleet Report.  Nice to see the photos of Nieuw Statendam and Rotterdam gliding into Port Everglades earlier today.  Joy @Seasick SailorI'm sorry to hear about your friend breaking his wrist on those heavy doors.  They are quite dangerous in high winds.  Graham @grapau27I hope Sarah is not in too much pain as she waits for her injection. Sorry if I'm behind on the Daily news but want to reassure everyone they are in my prayers, including Jacqui and Kathi in addition to Sarah.🙏  Cheers for all on the Celebration list!  🥂

 

A salute to kites, and dressing up pets (if they allow that sort of thing), and organizing your home.  I bet a lot of us need to do that job, including me naturally.  The shepherd's pie sounds interesting so will wait for Debbie's @dfish recipes.  Thanks for the drink and wine descriptions ladies!

 

Our port today is Cartagena, Spain and those who have been there know what a lovely city is is.  Rich last posted that city on Aug. 22, 2022 (Graham @grapau27 and Pauline's  anniversary I noticed).  Here is the link to that date to retrieve your photos.  I have been to Cartagena and will post my photos next.

 

 We enjoyed Cartagena, Spain twice, in 2014 on Celebrity Constellation and Sept. 2018 on Prinsendam.   Most of my favorite photos were take our first time there in 2014 on Celebrity Constellation.  

 

In 2018 as the Prinsendam docked we saw a submarine come into the harbor.

 

Something I didn't see our first time here

 

My favorite photo of the peacocks.

 

The Elegant Explorer, Prinsendam 2018

 

Mom, Dad and the kiddies all dressed up for the festival that weekend.

 

In November, 2014 we tried Celebrity Constellation out for a transatlantic back to the states. There were many things we enjoyed about the ship, but we didn't care for the food or price of a bottle of wine.  This photo was the cover of my cruise photo book.  It's the monument to the Heroes of Cavite and Santiago de Cuba.

 

The date was November 8 so fewer tourists were in town crowding the streets.

 

The historic Town Hall.

 

You almost walk right by this church but it's beautiful inside.  The Church of Santo Domingo.

 

 

 

 

 

Ruins just below street level

 

 

On the elevator bridge looking below while starting our visit to Conception Castle.

 

 

 

The restaurant we visited for a drink and their very fast Wi-Fi.

 

 

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for the daily report.  No pets to dress up.  It’s not really kite flying time of year here but it will be a good day to organize the house. I like today’s quote and the meal suggestion.  The drink sounds tasty, I like mine made with Rose’s lime juice.  I haven’t been to today’s port.  Prayers for everyone on our prayer list including @grapau27’s Sarah, @kazuand @Scrapnana.  Cheers to everyone celebrating happy events today!

[summer slope]

Gimlet cocktail:

 

The gimlet is a cocktail made of gin and lime juice. A 1928 description of the drink was: gin, and a spot of lime. The description in the 1953 Raymond Chandler novel The Long Goodbye stated that "a real gimlet is half gin and half Rose's lime juice cordial and nothing else." Wikipedia
Main alcohol: Gin
Ingredients: Four parts Gin, One part sweetened Lime Juice
Preparation: Mix and serve. Garnish with a slice of lime.
Served: Straight or on the rocks
Standard garnish: Lime
Drinkware: Cocktail glass

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich & Roy. It is a blustery morning here in Florida. 37/feels like 32. And the wind is whipping. Bindi walked out the door and turned around to go back in the house. The sun will help a little, but I need to cover my Meyer lemon tree tonight. We are looking at somewhere in the 20s. Brrr. It would be the perfect day to dress up Bindi in a warm sweater or coat, but she will not budge, when I put anything on her. 
 

Roy thank you for our lists & maps. I am sure the Dailyites know how lucky they are that you beat me to posting the Report/Daily every day.  They would not get maps, if I posted it. 

Tonight I am taking dinner to a friend, who just returned from spending 3 weeks with her youngest daughter. Her daughter’s fiancé was tragically killed in a logging accident, when a tree fell on him. It will be good to see her. We will share some wine, food and perhaps a few tears.  Dinner will be salmon, sweet potatoes roasted with a maple/butter glaze and salad. 

This looks familiar to me, so I apologize if it is a repeat.

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Especially Sarah, Kathi and Jacqui! Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone!

 

********

Realm Cellars The Bard, Napa Valley, California 2016

Cab lovers take note - this Napa Cab has a great many consumer and critic fans.  It’s excellent - superb ratings are shared by all released vintages, so you might find a more recent vintage for a bit less. The 2016 is available through online auctions and online distributors. But neither is within my budget. Auction $130.00/online distributor prices start at $175.00.

 

Winemaker Notes

We consider The Bard to be the quintessential wine of Realm: a dense, weighty and concentrated wine that year in and year out showcases the very best Cabernet Sauvignon of Napa Valley. Beckstoffer To Kalon and Dr. Crane, Blair Vineyard, Weitz Vineyard, Fortuna Vineyard, and Beckstoffer Orchard have all found a place in The Bard. While the composition of the wine varies from year to year, Cabernet Sauvignon typically comprises over 70% of the blend, joined by lesser percentages of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and/or Petit Verdot.

RP98 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot from 21 different lots from 11 different vineyards, the 2016 The Bard is very deep purple-black in color and sashays out of the glass with strikingly beautiful violets, warm cassis, star anise and chocolate mint notes with hints of wood smoke, tobacco and kirsch, with blackberry compote at the core. Full, muscular and built like a brick house with layer upon layer of black, blue and red fruits, it finishes very long and savory.

JD97 Jeb Dunnuck

The Left Bank Bordeaux-themed release, the 2016 The Bard checks in as roughly 70% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot. This cuvée is sourced from sites such as To Kolan, Dr. Crane, Weitz, and Fortuna as well as a few others, and is brought up in plenty of new oak. It has a mammoth bouquet of crème de cassis and blueberry fruits intermixed with ground herbs, graphite, chocolate, and crushed rocks. Full-bodied, opulent and layered on the palate, with a powerful yet balanced, incredibly classic style, it has a certain approachability today but is going to cruise for two decades. It’s a brilliant wine.

WW96 Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The Bard Red Wine by Realm Cellars belongs to a select group of ultra, high-end Napa wines. The 2016 vintage is firm and long. Enjoy its intoxicating aromas and flavors of black fruit with aged cheeses and semi-serious conversations. 

WE94 Wine Enthusiast

The Bard is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon this vintage, and the producer’s largest production wine, which still is small and devoted to detail. Sweet redcherry-liqueur flavor meets a grippy herbal undertone of forceful weight and power, the structure balanced and complex, yet immediately enjoyable

Edited January 14, 2023 by cat shepard

[0106]

I love to see an animal who enjoys wearing a costume.  One of my favorite events is the Halloween Dog parade which benefits the Humane Society.  

 

 

 

 

Wishing everyone the best weekend possible.

[cunnorl]

Good Morning from a very cool and windy day at the beach

     I enjoy kites. There is going to be a big kite festival here on the 21st. Should be fun. 
        Have not been to todays port. 
Going to a cooking class this afternoon. Should be interesting. One of my friends wanted me to go with her. 
     Prayers for all that are struggling right now, especially those in the path of those tornadoes. Terrible! 
       Stay safe and enjoy today

 

Charlene

    

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Rich, double-thank you Roy, thank you Debbie, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for your daily contribution! And thank you all for being here!

 

I have fond memories of my father and flying a kite with him when I was young. 

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

[Lady Hudson]

Good morning all.  Prayers for Sarah, Jacqui, Kathi and all in need of our prayers.  I do not post often but read the Daily just about every day.  My heart breaks for those in need.

 

Here in SE PA it has turned cold again making walking outside a bit more difficult.  My low carb diet is working somewhat (down 7 lbs) but a change in medication is playing havoc with me.  I think I should have lost more by now!  But I will persevere.

 

On the cruise front I have booked February 23 for an 8 day on Enchantment of the Seas.  DH Bill, sister Karen and friend Karen going.  This will be sister Karen’s first trip post Covid.  Then sister Karen and I have booked Anthem on March 12 for 7 days.  First time Karen and I have been on a cruise (without spouses) in a long time.  Lots of laughs to follow, I am sure.

 

Thanks to Rich, Roy and all who post.  I am especially enjoying all the world cruiser blogs.  So much fun to read.  Hope everyone has a great weekend.  Katherine 

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!   

 

The sky is a beautiful color of blue this morning.  It has been so long since we've seen blue sky.  I'm going to have to go out later for a nice walk even though it is quite cold out. 

 

Last night's Farkle Friday was well attended and we all had a wonderful time.  I still have the record of the only family member with a shut out and last night I made it two shut outs.  I guard that record carefully!  

 

Shepherd's pie, cottage pie, or in its French version hachis Parmentier is a savoury dish of cooked minced meat topped with mashed potato and baked. The meat used may be either previously cooked or freshly minced. The usual meats are beef or lamb. The two English terms have been used interchangeably since they came into use in the late 18th and the 19th century, although some writers insist that a shepherd's pie should contain lamb or mutton, and a cottage pie, beef.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepherd's_pie

 

This first one makes that distinction.   https://www.thewholesomedish.com/the-best-classic-shepherds-pie/

 

 

This is Alton Brown's take on things.  I have to say I would leave out the carrots and probably use beef as I am not a lamb fan.  And, I'm sure that in the original version lamb was not used, but rather mutton.   https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/shepherds-pie-recipe2-1942900

 

 

This one uses a bit of bacon and some wine for flavoring.  Mmmm  https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/shepherds-pie.html

 

 

A difference in seasonings can make a huge difference in flavor.  This recipe calls for Italian seasonings and Worcestershire sauce.  https://www.saltandlavender.com/shepherds-pie/

 

 

And this one has a flavorful tomato sauce for the meat layer.  https://www.spendwithpennies.com/shepherds-pie-recipe/

 

 

I would be interested in @smitty34877 Terry's vegetarian version.  I suppose  you could make this with Beyond Meat.  

 

Prayers for @kazu Jacqui, @Scrapnana Kathi, and @grapau27 Graham's Sarah.  Wishing you all a wonderful day!

 

[travelingbums]

Thank you everyone for sharing.

 

Prayers for many.