The Fleet Report and Daily for Tuesday January 24th, 2023

[rafinmd]

Today is Beer Can Appreciation Day, Compliment Day, and Global Belly Laugh Day
 

To affect the quality of the day, that is the highest of arts. - Henry David Thoreau

Meal Suggestion for today - One-Pot Vegetarian Chili Mac
Drink of the Day - Midnights Kiss
Wine of the Day - Plaisir de Merle Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa
Destination of the Day - Norfolk Island, Australia
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 1-25
 

Koningsdam

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island 08:00 - 18:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles eta 1-25
 

Nieuw Statendam

Grand Cayman Island, George Town Harbour 09:00 - 18:00
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Port Stanley, East Falkland Island eta 1-26
 

Rotterdam

At Sea Destination Port Evergaldes eta 1/25
 

Volendam

Puerto Montt, Chile 08:00 - 17:00
 

Zaandam

Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico Riviera 07:00 - 15:00
 

Zuiderdam

Raiatea Island, Uturoa, French Polynesia - 16:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Napier, New Zealand 08:00 - 14:00
 

Westerdam

Drydock Malaysa until 2/2

 

 

 

Roy

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[kazu]

thanks for the Tuesday Daily, Roy.

 

Good collection of days - I’ll celebrate compliment day and would love something that makes me or someone else have a good belly laugh.

 

Love the Thoreau quote.  While we have been to Australia, Norfolk Island was not included.  Intrigued to hear about it.

 

You often hear me complaining about the deer, snapped a couple of pics as best I could with one hand of this doe pre-storm.  She was right at my front yard fencing - and yes, I was on the porch entrance.

 

 

They are pretty fearless here although she did have her eye on me (and never moved),

 

 

Storm is over at long last and final clean up has to be done.  Then I will be ready for the next one and sadly, there will not be a long wait.

 

 

My only excitement today is a grocery delivery from Costco ( it was scheduled for yesterday but I postponed it with the weather - no one should have to drive in what we got ).

 

 

Prayers for all who need them and cheers to those with celebrations.

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

 

It’s National Beer Appreciation Day and Global Belly Laugh Day. Lets see, how can I celebrate both occasions at the same time.

 

[ocean sounds]

@rafinmd, Thank you for the Daily and Fleet report. 

 @kazu, what a wonderful way to start the day, with your doe pictures, and your fun cartoons.    Thanks for the smiles. 

@RedneckBob, thanks for your daily humor.

 

I’d like to observe Complement Day, by saying all of you who contribute and add pictures, information  and stories to this thread, are true gems.  
 

wishing you all a wonderful day.  Prayers to all in need.  
 

cheers to all with celebrations and good news.

Edited January 24, 2023 by ocean sounds

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Thank you for posting today's fleet reports and Daily Roy.

Compliments are always welcome.

I always compliment people who post on here and I really appreciate everyone who responds to my posts.

A belly laugh is always good.

I prefer beer out of bottles rather than cans.

Excellent quote.

Nice food today.

Prayers 🙏 for everyone who is unwell.

Graham.

 

[lcand1923]

My Grandfather and Uncle worked at different breweries in Baltimore, MD.  I grew up looking at, and drinking from, beer cans.  They have really changed through the years.  Craft brewers are producing delicious brews and canning them in beautiful cans.

 

I appreciate Beer Cans.  

I want to Compliment all of the contributors to the Daily.  

I hope I can give at least One Belly Laugh to someone today.

[seagarsmoker]

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

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone from a chilly Boston, finally got a little snow last evening. Not sure what there is to appreciate about beer cans except that they contain beer!  Compliments are nice as are belly laughs. I like the quote.  I think I’ll pass on the meal suggestion.  Haven’t been to today’s port. Prayers for everyone who is in need. Cheers to those of you celebrating happy events!

[RedneckBob]

18 minutes ago, ocean sounds said:

@rafinmd, Thank you for the Daily and Fleet report. 

 @kazu, what a wonderful way to start the day, with your doe pictures, and your fun cartoons.    Thanks for the smiles. 

@RedneckBob, thanks for your daily humor.

 

I’d like to observe Complement Day, by saying all of you who contribute and add pictures, information  and stories to this thread, are true gems.  
 

wishing you all a wonderful day.  Prayers to all in need.  
 

cheers to all with celebrations and good news.

You welcome Ocean Sounds. I try to present the lighter side of life.

 

Have I sailed with you before? It seems I hear you every time I cruise. 😀

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning from a snowy Southern Ontario.

Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

I heard the snow plows at 4 this morning.  We'll have to do a some shovelling later, I'm not sure whether we'll need to get the snowblower out.

 

Love the collection of days.  I'm not much of a beer drinker.  I love a good laugh.  Compliments to all of you who contribute to the Daily.

Good quote.

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

I hope the drink and wine are tasty.

I haven't been to today's port, but I used to have a Norfolk Island Pine as a house plant.

 

Prayers for everyone.  Cheers for all the celebrations, no matter how small.

Have a wonderful day.

Stay safe.

[ottahand7]

Good morning from Puerto Montt Chile. We are waiting for our turn to tender ashore for our shore excursion which is Food and Wine Taste of Chile.   We are in port with a Viking ship so we were warned tendering may be delayed.   Thanks for the Daily Reports each day!    Our Gala dinner from last evening. Seafood fettuccine, filet and lobster, ceviche and seafood gratin along with a Carmenere we bought on our last shore excursion.  Have a wonderful day.  Nancy 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It's a very chilly 29F this morning and the sun is just rising I see.  The sky is showing pink, peach and lavender colors right now.  We will be sunny and 53 later.

 

Thanks Roy @rafinmdfor posting Rich's Daily information each morning while he enjoys his World Cruise!  @RedneckBob thanks for the beer can meme, but that should be AB cans.  DH worked for Anheuser-Busch 29 plus years until he retired in 2008.  They are now called Anheuser-Busch In-Bev.  Booooo to that!  I like to compliment others and appreciate any compliments that come my way.  Wouldn't a good belly laugh feel good today?  I'm hoping to hear something hysterically funny.🤣

 

The chili mac sounds great, no to the drink and another red wine to turn down.  Thanks to everyone ( @dfish, @summer slopeand @cat shepard)  for your food, drink and wine discussions every day.❤️

 

Prayers for our entire group and anyone else that needs them who may not be on the Care list presently. 🙏 Carolyn @Cruising-alongmy condolences to you and Patricia's other family members and friends on her loss.  Her passing will leave a very big hole in the family.  Hoping Sarah, Tana, Kathi and Jacqui are doing better.  Anyone hear from Kathi @Scrapnana?  Meanwhile cheers to those on the Celebration list.  Enjoy your voyages, cruisers!🚢

 

Norfolk Island, Australia is one port there we haven't been to.  It was posted September 10, 2021 as Cascade, Norfolk Island, Australia and here is the link to that date.  However when I scrolled through I didn't see any photos posted then.  If anyone new here has some photos to share, please do!

 

 

Not a lot to chat about right now, but if anything EXCITING happens I will be sure to share.  Not expecting anything but you never know!  Have a great day!

[ocean sounds]

4 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  It's a very chilly 29F this morning and the sun is just rising I see.  The sky is showing pink, peach and lavender colors right now.  We will be sunny and 53 later.

 

 

@StLouisCruisers , love your description of your sunrise!

[summer slope]

Midnights Kiss cocktail:

 

MIDNIGHT KISS
3/4 oz. (22ml) Vodka
5 oz. (180ml) Champagne
1/4 oz. (7ml) Blue Curaçao
Rim: Sugar Rim
Garnish: Orange Slice

PREPARATION
1. Rim the edge of your glass using an orange wedge and sugar.
2. Pour in vodka and champagne.
3. Add blue curaçao and garnish with an orange slice.

[cat shepard]

Thank you Rich & Roy for giving us today’s Report & Daily!  A bit nippier this morning, but the sun is just about to crest the trees, so it will warm up a bit. 
 

Roy thank you for keeping our lists! I have an early bone density test rescheduled from two weeks ago when the machine was down. I was so lucky that they called me 10 minutes before I left the house - saving me the wasted trip. Then off to the gym. This evening some friends and I are meeting at the local wine bar. One of their featured wines this week is a blanc Côtes du Rhône.  Looking forward to trying it, since I am always on the lookout for a nice white blend. 
 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating. Get well & stay well everyone!

 

 

*********

Plaisir de Merle Cabernet Sauvignon, South Africa

My “go to” sites did not provide any info on this wine, but consumers seem to really enjoy it. The most recently released vintage - 2018, will be the easiest to find. Several online distributors with prices starting at $16.35.

Distributor notes 

 

The grapes were hand-harvested from two Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards at between 24.9° and 25.4° Balling. The grapes were destemmed, then sorted and pumped into stainless steel tanks. The grapes were fermented at 24 °C. The juice was pumped over the skins daily to extract colour, tannins and flavour. On several occasions the juice was emptied from the tanks and then pumped back over the skins of the same tank (rack and return). Once fermentation was completed, the wine was left on the skins for a further 6 -8 days to macerate. The wine was racked off the skins and malolactic fermentation was completed, partially in barrels and in tanks.

 

The diversity of the soils, slopes and elevations is closely linked with the quality of Plaisir de Merle wines. Situated on the east and northeast facing slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, Plaisir de Merle is bordered by the towns of Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Paarl. The vineyards for this wine, between 12 and 15 years of age, are all located on the Plaisir de Merle farm on south-eastern slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain planted in weathered, decomposed granite soils where high mountain peaks shade the vineyards from the hot, late afternoon sun. This slows down ripening, resulting in wines   rich complexity and well-ripened tannins. 

 

The wine was then racked and transferred to 300 liter French oak barrels (58% new, 22% 2nd fill and 20% 3rd fill) to mature for 12 to 16 months.

Plaisir de Merle

Established by the French Huguenots in 1693 on the slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains between Paarl and Franschhoek, Plaisir Wine Estate is a rare gem. This 974-hectare estate in Simonsberg, Paarl has earned international acclaim for its white and red wines. About 250 hectares are planted with a variety of noble grape cultivars such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz and Malbec. Winemaker Tim Whitfield attributes producing award-winning wines to being able to work with great fruit coming from a very unique terrain and the invaluable input from his viticulture team.

Description 

Colour: Garnet colour with a glowing edge. Bouquet: Hints of dark blueberry, red currant and a graphitic nuances. Classic expression of Simonsberg Cabernet. Taste: The palate, all be it a full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is well poised and stages an effortless balance between fruit clarity and tannin weight. Flavours mirror the primary aromas and all lead to a layered wine with length and persistent palate presence.

[RedneckBob]

36 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  It's a very chilly 29F this morning and the sun is just rising I see.  The sky is showing pink, peach and lavender colors right now.  We will be sunny and 53 later.

 

Thanks Roy @rafinmdfor posting Rich's Daily information each morning while he enjoys his World Cruise!  @RedneckBob thanks for the beer can meme, but that should be AB cans.  DH worked for Anheuser-Busch 29 plus years until he retired in 2008.  They are now called Anheuser-Busch In-Bev.  Booooo to that!  I like to compliment others and appreciate any compliments that come my way.  Wouldn't a good belly laugh feel good today?  I'm hoping to hear something hysterically funny.🤣

 

The chili mac sounds great, no to the drink and another red wine to turn down.  Thanks to everyone ( @dfish, @summer slopeand @cat shepard)  for your food, drink and wine discussions every day.❤️

 

Prayers for our entire group and anyone else that needs them who may not be on the Care list presently. 🙏 Carolyn @Cruising-alongmy condolences to you and Patricia's other family members and friends on her loss.  Her passing will leave a very big hole in the family.  Hoping Sarah, Tana, Kathi and Jacqui are doing better.  Anyone hear from Kathi @Scrapnana?  Meanwhile cheers to those on the Celebration list.  Enjoy your voyages, cruisers!🚢

 

Norfolk Island, Australia is one port there we haven't been to.  It was posted September 10, 2021 as Cascade, Norfolk Island, Australia and here is the link to that date.  However when I scrolled through I didn't see any photos posted then.  If anyone new here has some photos to share, please do!

 

 

Not a lot to chat about right now, but if anything EXCITING happens I will be sure to share.  Not expecting anything but you never know!  Have a great day!

You want more funnies? You want more funnies? Hear goes.

 

A couple just boarded the ship and proceeded to their inside cabin. Once inside the man called Guest Services. GS answered his call and asked him, “Mr. RedneckBob, can I help you. Yes, we are stuck in our cabin and can’t get out. There are only two doors in our inside cabin, one to the bathroom and the other says “Do Not Disturb”.

 

Our bathroom shower is so small, “How small is it RedneckBob? It is so small that all I have to do is put soap on the walls and curtain and spin around to get cleaned.

 

Last night I played a slot machine in the casino. I hit the super jackpot when three prunes appeared on the center line. Thanks goodness it was not the video poker machine and hit the royal flush.

Edited January 24, 2023 by RedneckBob

[AncientWanderer]

Good morning from chillier than usual San Diego.  Interesting collection of days — going from beer cans and belly laughs to Thoreau.  But that’s the beauty of the Daily, something for everyone.  (Compliment! 😊)

 

DH is out of town, getting DMIL’s house ready to sell.  So I’m doing chores — finally have laundry almost caught up.

 

 

 

 

Thinking of all of you today.  It sure looks cold there at @kazuJacqui’s.  
 

 

Always here to help. 🥸

 

Have a great day, everyone!

[cruising sister]

Good morning to all,

Thanks for all the work everyone does to make this thread both informative and fun. We are expecting a little snow here in Kansas City but nothing like our Northern friends are getting. 
 

@Cruising-alongmy prayers for your family. 
 

Thanks for the jokes and keep them coming. I need a good belly laugh today!

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It is a sunny day here and we will celebrate that and all of the days. Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday  yesterday .It made the day very festive  and I do appreciate  it.

Heavy snow arrived yesterday  in DS's area of New Hampshire.They had no school and no power but fortunately  have a  generator  for the essentials. We had "mixed precipitation " that didn't  stick to anything this time.

I look forward to a good laugh and some dinner ideas.

 

[kochleffel]

I appreciate a beer can best when it's being used to roast a chicken. Compliments make me uncomfortable. A friend of mine teaches belly laughing professionally--that is, she's a laughter therapist.

 

Would like the drink. Not making any chili mac. Have not been to Norfolk Island but we used to have a Norfolk Island pine.

 

36 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

 

 

In 2001 the Senior Cat in Charge (he was then the Junior Cat) learned about police dogs. He was patriotic and wanted to become a police cat, but was rejected because of species discrimination. I thought that cats would really good at surveillance, because most of the time you can't even tell whether they're asleep or awake. However, I discouraged him from filing a class-action lawsuit, because he was probably too old to begin the training anyway.

 

[rafinmd]

7 minutes ago, cruising sister said:

Good morning to all,

Thanks for all the work everyone does to make this thread both informative and fun. We are expecting a little snow here in Kansas City but nothing like our Northern friends are getting. 
 

@Cruising-alongmy prayers for your family. 
 

Thanks for the jokes and keep them coming. I need a good belly laugh today!

Are you willing to share the dates of your cruise?  I'm thinking January 26-30 but if you don't want to share until you get back that's fine as well.

 

Roy

[Seasick Sailor]

53 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Midnights Kiss cocktail:

 

MIDNIGHT KISS
3/4 oz. (22ml) Vodka
5 oz. (180ml) Champagne
1/4 oz. (7ml) Blue Curaçao
Rim: Sugar Rim
Garnish: Orange Slice

PREPARATION
1. Rim the edge of your glass using an orange wedge and sugar.
2. Pour in vodka and champagne.
3. Add blue curaçao and garnish with an orange slice.

 

Ok Dixie, I think I would love this!

[rafinmd]

Happy Tuesday.  I'll pass on the beer cans as I don't care for beer.  We seem to celebrate Compliment Day every day and enjoy good belly laughs.  I love the Thoreau quote.  I was scheduled for Norfolk Island on Crystal Serenity in 2018 but were unable to tender.  I think the Captain warned us well in advance that it was a difficult place for tendering.  I'd like the Mac but would pass on the chili.  My alternative is Grilled Turkey Breast with Honey-Onion Compote, and Peach Crisp as served on MS Prinsendam January 24, 2019:

 

Today’s care list:

RIP Patricia 1/23/23
California shooting victims
Kazu in cast until about 2/8
Grahaam’s Sarah waiting on needed injection but doing better
From the rotation:
Ominous scan for Marshhawk
HAL Sailer DBIL in final days and family squabbles
Rowsby in need of shoulder replacement
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Welcome RMLincoln
cruszn single in Hawaii until 1/31
Last treatment for Cruising-Along DH
Seasick Sailor and ger_77 (Rotterdam  to 1/25), Heartgrove (Carnival Legend to 1/29), DeniEncinetas, and sailingdutchty   (Koningsdam  to 1/31),  lindaler and ottahand7(Volendam  to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty,richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam  to 5/12) at sea

Roy

[4966and556]

Thanks to absolutely everyone who posts on the Daily Report!!  

 

That drink looks interesting.  I just need to buy Champagne.  

 

Today is an errand day because we are expecting some nasty weather starting later today.