The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday March 31st, 2023

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is from my 2017 Zaandam cruise from Buenos Aires to San Diego.  March 31 was a sea day from Ushuaia to Puerto Montt.

 

 

Roy

[grapau27]

Dinner tonight 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

I've never used a bunsen burner, don't care for clams, but have lots of crayons here for the grandsons.  Although the older they get (7 and 9) the less they're interested in art projects and would rather do something else.  Will pass on the meal (coconut and clam sauce), the quote is good, and will pass on the drink and red wine.  Have never been to the port.

 

Today will be another day of getting housework done and cruise planning -- like most of my days. 😉  Not a good night's sleep last night.  For some strange reason my left eye was itching and it still is.  It looks fine, so I have no idea what's going on, and don't have allergies.  Drops aren't helping.  Hope it stops soon.

 

@seagarsmokerOh my gosh your story about the milk and cookies had me laughing out loud!  I know it had to be frustrating though -- surprising that the concierge couldn't get it straightened out for you!

 

Joy @Seasick SailorI'm sorry you came home sick and also that your luggage was damaged.  I hope you feel better soon.

 

Charlene @cunnorlHappy Birthday to your son today!  Our son's due date was April 1 and I remember thinking I hope he wouldn't be born on April Fool's Day.  He wasn't, he came 11 days later!

 

Annie @marshhawkYour story about the medical forms brought back a recent memory.  I had a thick pile of forms to fill out before seeing the Nephrologist.  It took me days to fill it out, all the while thinking why don't they just look at my record to get this information???  And then when I went to my appointment, they told me "oh, you don't have to fill them out unless there's been a change".  ???  

 

Debbie @dfishI'm sorry Sue has a migraine.  What did you do to entertain River?

 

@senorjimWelcome to the Daily!

 

@cruzn single Enjoy Key West!

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

The roofers are here right now removing and replacing some gutter and downspout.  They showed up about 25 minutes late (Southern time).  One man named Diego told DH he had been in this country about a year and was in Mexico before that.  DH said he spoke English well but DH didn't want to go any further inquiring about him.  Seemed safest in this day and age.  I have to agree with Terri @Cruzin Terri on how stressful it is having work done on your home. I know they aren't remodeling my bathroom but even something as simple as gutter work causes stress because you never know if things will end up as it should be or just bring more problems!😬

 

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

Happy Friday.  Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Ann, and Dixie,  I think I posted all my Crusoe photos last time.  I haven't seen a Bunsen Burner or used a crayon in decades.  I love the Osler quote but will pass on both the snapper and the clam broth.  My alternative is Pineapple, Kiwi, Strawberry Passion Fruit Cup, Prime Rib of Beef, and Peach Crisp as served on MS Zaandam March 31, 2017.

 

 

A chilly day with rain overnight but at least holding off until I am back from Wegmans this morning.

 

Roy

 

 Roy, good to see you back to posting as normal.  I would prefer your alternate menu today, too.  Besides Nancy @ottahand7's photos of Robinson Crusoe Island from offshore, we may not see any.  I scanned last year's postings and yours were the only ones we saw.  Do you feel up to posting them again today?  You had two posts on page 4, #77 and #84.  They were very interesting.  

 

 

 

4 hours ago, cunnorl said:

Good Morning from a cool day at the beach

     Suppose to warm up later. Probably not even cool for most of you.

Love brand new crayons. Always keep some fresh ones for  my little visitors.  Todays port is on our scheduled trip in the fall. Hope someone has pictures. 

     Today is my sons birthday.  I had a birthday dinner for him last weekend. Today the plan was for me to meet a few of his friends for golf after work. Well now it is  quite a group  then we will all go to the clubhouse for dinner. It will be fun. DH and DD will meet us there. 

      Hope everyone is doing ok. I keep all of you in my prayers. 

 Stay safe and enjoy today

     Charlene

 

 

Happy birthday wishes to your DS!  I hope the golf and dinner go nicely and you will have DH and DD there tonight as well.  

 

 

 

 

3 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good morning to all.

If I don’t post now, I will ge busy again and it might be after midnight again before I get back here.

Still working on our taxes and other stuff around the house.  

I just feel very tired these days and I think I need a cruise.  Our next cruise is a very port intensive one and i think I will come home more tired than before we start.  However, it is on our bucket list and we’ll do it.  We were notified yesterday that Gdańsk will be dropped and Ronnie (Bornholme) willl be substituted.  Since we are doing a back to back, we will now visit that port twice along with a few others.  I guess we will find something different to do the second visit.

Thank you to all who keep this thread going.   

I am not doing too well in the posting category.  Just trying to keep up with all I have to do.

Have a good day and God Bless,

Terri

 

 

Sorry to hear about Gdansk being removed from your upcoming cruise.  I understand your feeling very tired these days.  I am feeling sort of exhausted some days lately.  My shoulder, upper arm and back pain have been wearing me down I think.  It's been a week.  I hope it eases slowly since I've been babying it.  Right at the moment I am comfortable so maybe I'm on my way back to normal.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

Good Friday Morning Dailyites!  DH informed me that he has to pick up some meds this morning. I asked him which ones, and he said the ones that don't work. ??  It is an F1 weekend, and usually we are up early heading to the Sarah Donut shop to load up on sausage rolls for breakfasts through out the weekend, so I can watch the races and not have to cook.  I was asleep by 11:20, and didnt get up until after 8, (well two trips to the restroom)  but gosh I'm tired from all that sleep.  DH is not even making noises,  he too is sleeping soundly.

 

@StLouisCruisersI ended up with Cornell bird feeder on the computer and Bobagingee sitting in the computer chair watching the flying squirrels.  He really enjoyed his evening.

 

@Cruzin TerriI hope that today is less stressful than last night for you.  I hope everything is OK.

 

I got one of those online medical forms to fill out for my PET scan on Thursday, and I could not for the life of me fill it out.  It had a box for medications, but only had space for 20 letters.   ?  My first medication is more than 20 letters, so I passed, got to the pharmacy section.  Choose your pharmacy.

The pharmacy I use, is one block form the hospital, but it wasn't on the list.  Pass....Please sign all paperwork, tired to sign, and it said, you have not completed the information, and therefore cannot sign.  At the beginning of the forms, it states that this completion saves time when you arrive.  No, not really, I wasted an hour trying to fill it out.  If it worked, then I guess I would have saved time.  Their time, not mine.

 

 

 

 

To all of you in the south, and central part of the country, the storm coming your way, is massive, take care!

 

Annie, I've got a tab open with the bird feeder and have enjoyed taking a peek every once in a while.  I hope the cats are enjoying it too.  I would have loved to see the flying squirrel you mentioned attacking it last night.  And filling in patient information paperwork at the doctor's office is sure a chore!  They sure don't make it easy!

 

 

 

3 hours ago, ottahand7 said:

Good morning from stormy SW Michigan.   We began with such hard rain the Direct TV pixelated and went out for a while.  Off an on sever weather all day today and then we return to snow flurries tomorrow.   Sandi thanks for starting us off again with our Daily and Fleet Reports!    Vanessa thank your for our Care and Celebration list.   Today's wine is another obscure one, the drink too sweet but the clams will probably be great.  

@Seasick Sailor I am sorry that you are not feeling well and sorry that your luggage was damaged.  Ours made it back fine and the only thing that came out of that is the UPS guy asking me when he delivered wine a few days later "where did you go" after delivering all of our 6 bags.   

@seagarsmoker Thanks for sharing the views of your PS on the NS.   Very nice but I would have been driven to distraction by room service delivering so many cookies and milk the way you didn't want it.  We feel really fortunate that we had good food throughout our time on the Volendam.   The only thing that we were missing for a few weeks were the cookies made from pre-made dough, somehow a pallet got stolen.  

@StLouisCruisers I read your comments about the food on the Zuiderdam being off too.   Yesterday on CC a man was asking for help to repatriate his dear GF from Angola.   I took a look at Bill & Mary Ann's blog on their WC and they also brought up some of the food problems they are having.  One major port like South Africa that fails there is little to catch up with in West Africa.   

Today's Day is Crayons, I will try to send a crayon picture from my phone from our last cruise.  

Today's port is Robinson Crusoe and we made it to the dock but did not go ashore.  There was a glitch in the scheduling of the tenders and they allowed everyone to go ashore at once at 10am.   There was a 40 minute wait in the hall to get on our tender.  Then we had to wait 20 minutes for our tender to go to the dock.    It had started raining and we saw the line to reboard the tender and many of us decided to keep our seats in the tender and head back to the Volendam.    There were so many experiences we didn't or couldn't do on GSA we would repeat that itinerary again anytime they offer it in January to give us a winter getaway.   

 

Thanks for your photos today Nancy.  It looks really interesting.  Yes, I read the thread about the grandfather passing away in Luanda and trying to repatriate him to the United States.  So sad the insurance companies are arguing about it.  Who is primary?  That poor family.  Did you read anything on the threads about people getting sick from fruits and vegetables from South Africa?  I think they had to throw out a lot.  Hope they can replenish soon.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

We have a hard rain this morning, but it is supposed to lighten up by noon.  Sue went back to bed with a migraine and I am wondering what I need to do to entertain a 6 year old.  She is really pretty good, but she is 6.   

 

@Seasick Sailor I hope you are feeling well shortly.  Rest and hydrate.

 

@RedneckBob  I liked Butter Brickle as well.

 

Today's meal sounds really interesting and I would like to try it, but it also looks like a lot of work.  The picture of this first one looks like something I would like.  https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/red-snapper-with-coconut-clam-broth

 

 

Here is an adaptation of the above recipe with details on making the broth.   https://blog.foodieinnewyork.com/home-main/2016/01/red-snapper-in-coconut-clam-broth

 

 

This next one is a bit different with a pineapple salsa and the addition of turmeric to the broth.  And, what is jaggery?  Oh, jaggery makes this sound even better.  It is a type of cane sugar where the molasses is not removed.  https://scroll.in/food/962667/red-snapper-clams-bok-choy-and-coconut-turmeric-broth

 

 

I think I would like this dish if it were prepared for me.  So, if I see it on a menu, I will try it!

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

 

I bet you're doing a fine job of entertaining River.  How was your DB's birthday celebration?  I hope he's doing well with his knee replacement.  Also hope Sue's migraine has eased.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, senorjim said:

Good Morning!

It's interesting to see according to Cruise Timetables that the Zaandam is spending the night here in Puerto Vallarta. Departing tomorrow 17:00 local time.We've been here for the last 3 months with a view of the entrance to the harbour and have not seen many overnight calls. Most mornings we walk over to Puerto Magico to see the ships and all the action around them.

 

Yes, that is an unusual overnight stop.  Wonder why?

 

 

 

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

@Seasick Sailor I hope you feel better soon. 

 

For myself improvement has been too slow to see a change from day to day but I have recently noticed some changes.  Last Sunday I went to church in person for the first time since around Halloween   I found it very difficult to breathe with a mask on after leaving the hospital and even a few weeks ago found it difficult just while sitting in a doctor's waiting room.  While in church it was actually fine and although I've been slow to go back I wore it today in Wegmans and it was fine there.  Now I need to break my recent bad habits, but there is improvement however slow.

 

Luggage Forward's active role with the bags is getting it to and from the ship, a regular shipper (usually Fedex or UPS does the actual shipping.  Was yours Fedex, UPS, or someone else?  They are probably responsible but I think you need to report it to Luggage Forward as they are the shipper's customer of record.  There sure has been a rash of damaged luggage lately.

 

Roy

 

Good to hear you have improvement however slow.  I hope we don't hear any more reports of damaged luggage from these services or people will be reluctant to use them.  And some folks cannot handle their luggage on their own.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning, 

 

It's an overcast day with wind and rain in the forecast in my neck of the woods. 

 

DH had a fairly good day yesterday. He was more alert and tracking when people came in and out. He was waving as they left, clenched my hand, and gave me the "ok" sign. He tried to talk but only got the "f" sound out of his first name but it's progress. Last night his glucose spiked so I'll find out about that today. No MRI or feeding tube yet but he does have a PIK line in now for the antibiotic and for nutrition. 

 

I'm off to do the banking and a few errands then heading to the hospital. 

 

Karen

 

 

 

We all enjoy hearing there is progress with your DH no matter how small.  Hoping that continues!

 

 

 

1 hour ago, durangoscots said:

Good morning. Sunny this morning, but winter slipped in an inch or two of snow last night. It should melt away quickly. High today forecast to 44F. Before this snow fell, I had noticed that the Iris are trying to poke through. I will take this weather over the fires on the eastern slope.

 

I am continuing to try to bring my house under control.... laundry, dishes, and I need to go to the store but will wait another day or so on that. Yesterday I did get some past due errands taken care of. Still not much energy, but the dogs and I are managing.

 

Otherwise, little news from here. My most positive thoughts to all who are having health or other issues. I am following the WC with interest. I think Africa is off my "sail to" list right now. I am signed up for the Grand Australia next January but am waffling a bit on that.... will have to make a decision some time but just not right now when I am still not feeling too good. If Spring would just come.... but then I will be complaining about the heat.

 

Susan

 

Sorry to hear winter showed up again but glad to know you and the dogs are doing okay.  Once we get behind it's hard to catch up on all the chores and planned activities.  Going around Africa has been on my radar for years and things got stalled due to Covid.  However, I think I've gotten to the point it's not so important anymore.  Maybe Senegal, The Gambia, Morocco and Egypt are enough for us.  

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Crazy For Cats said:

It’s been a busy work morning but I still found time to book another cruise.  I took advantage of the $25 deposit promotion and booked the Eurodam for March 2024.  We have often cruised in March and this year we didn’t so we could go in May.  We missed it very much.  We now have six cruises on the books, I think that’s a record for us.

 

I remember those days...having 6 or 8 cruises on the books.  That's when we realized how important a spreadsheet with all the cruises, booking numbers, costs, dates for final payment, etc. was necessary.  Now we have one cruise booked the remainder of the year.  And I'm not feeling any urgency to book more at the moment.  However, I do need to stop spending my days monitoring Cruise Critic and get the last three cruises' photo books made.  I've procrastinated enough!   I can still check CC but no need to have it open and in front of me most of the time.  Oh, and congratulations on your new booking with only a $25 deposit.  Glad you were ready to pull the trigger.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, JazzyV said:

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

Haven't touched a bunsen burner since a college chemistry class. No clams for me. Crayons are fun; I liked having the big box growing up. I like the quote. I'll pass on the meal (fish), drink and wine ($$$).

I haven't been to Robinson Crusoe Island. Hoping to see some pictures.

 

It's raining here and there are high wind watches for today and tomorrow. Hopefully no power outages. I slept a total of 9 hours, but I'm sure all the antihistamines in my system (for my injection) contributed. No plans today other than tidying up the house and starting to lay out things to take on my trip.

 

@StLouisCruisers Appreciate you starting us up today. I hope the roofer can fix things so there's no more leaks. 

@seagarsmoker Wow on the milk and cookies experiences! Thanks for the photos.

@rafinmd I'll take your meal today. I'm pleased to hear of your improvement, even if slower than you'd like.

@Seasick Sailor I hope you're feeling better today. Sorry one of your bags got smashed.

@cat shepard Thanks for today's wine info. Enjoy your dinner with friends tonight.

@Vict0riann Thanks for popping in and the photo. I'm following your live thread.

@cruising sister Safe travels to Tucson, and have fun!

@smitty34877 Thanks for thinking of me. My hand (only one joint) still hurts, but it's intermittent; sometimes I press it and nothing, other times I can barely touch or move it without pain. The knees and hips aren't too bad. Good that DD can watch Tana, so your cousin can rest (and hopefully not called out). I hope DH's appointment goes well.

@cunnorl Happy Birthday to DS! Enjoy the golfing and dinner.

@Cruzin Terri Sorry you're so tired; try to get some rest. Just post when you can; it's ok.

@marshhawk That form sounds frustrating. 

@ottahand7 Thanks for the photos. Too bad you didn't get to go ashore. Nice photo of you in Boca da Valaria.

@dfish Sorry Sue has a migraine. I'm sure you'll do fine entertaining River.

@ger_77 Nice of you to take coffee and treats to your friend, and a nice surprise that someone dropped off afghans!

@senorjim Welcome to the Fleet Report/Daily! 3 months in Puerto Vallarta sounds divine.

@luvteaching Good news that DH is improving. He's fortunate to have you in his corner.

@durangoscots Good to hear that you're able to do more, but don't overdo it. 

@Crazy For Cats Wow, congrats on having all those cruises booked!

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to the Celebration List.

Be well everyone.

 

If this roof fix doesn't do the job, I don't know what to do.  Let's hope no new wetness shows up with the upcoming rain.  Sorry to hear about your hand pain now.  I get it.  If only there wasn't a new pain or ache every single day!

 

 

 

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning! It was a wonderful sleep in till 10:00 this morning. Haven’t done that in a long time. Yesterday, at the dermatologist I had about 10 spots that got zapped and froze. Scheduled to have a biopsy on a spot on my lower leg in July. Glad I went and was pleased with the professional care.

Roy I was happy to hear your update on your health. I was going to ask how you were doing.

Bunson burner’s? Who makes this stuff up?

Well, I’m way behind after the late sleep in so will will say thanks for the report and wish all you a good and upcoming weekend.

Bruce

 

 

 

Bruce, love the memes!  The picture of the old time stove and granny cooking on it reminds me totally of my grandma who lived on a farm and had a stove nearly identical to that but not that color.  You burned wood in it to provide the heat to cook.  Can you imagine trying to figure out how hot the oven or stove top was to prepare dinner, baking bread or rolls, etc?  Amazing!  Boy you are quite the sleeper!  Sorry to hear you had to go through so much at the dermatologist's office though.  I hope everything works out well on your leg when you have the biopsy in July.

[Overhead Fred]

Near and dear to the hearts of chemists everywhere -

 

          The Bunsen Burner

 

[rafinmd]

I've been to Robinson Crusoe Island twice, both times within a year.  Otherwise, it isn't an easy place to get to.  My first visit was on the Crystal Symphony in 2018:

 

https://www.leeabbamonte.com/south-america/getting-to-robinson-crusoe-island.html

 

There is also a supply ship that comes twice a month and carries 12 passengers, with priority given to citizens of Chile:

 

 

Even on a cruise ship, the tender landing is not the easiest  The first step off the tender was to grab a rope hanging from the rusty framework of the dock:

 

 

This is from the town as seen from the harbor:

 

The town was hit by a tsunami in 2017.  Recovery was apparently quite slow.  I hope to post photos similar to this from my 2019 visit on the Prinsendam in my next post:

The main street runs uphill from the dock:

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

 

My second visit to Crusoe was on the Prinsendam Grand South America in January, 2019.  I actually took fewer photos the second time around even though the weather was nicer.  First, here's the tsunami damage almost a year later.  The building in the container is the post office:

 

One of the obvious sites in town is the "Patriot Caves".  The first 2 photos (caves and trail to them) were from my first visit.

 

The weather was nicer in 2019 and I went into one of the caves:

There are almost no cars on the island and this is a typical "street":

 

The town clinic is one of the nicer buildings:

 

Finally, if you take a right turn leaving the tender pier there's a nice little park type area with benches and play fields.  There are a couple of pretty strenuous hikes on the island and this would be a great place to relax afterwards:

 

 

Roy

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, cruzn single said:

Many thanks to all for birthday wishes yesterday. Got a birthday cake in MDR last night and 2 free drinks (why I’ll never know as I have HIA)

 

will read later, as I am out to see Key West since I have never been here.  We all

had to go thru Immigration today since were in Nassau yesterday!

 

Mary Kay, I hope you have a great day in Key West.  It is a very interesting town.

 

1 hour ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning, 

 

It's an overcast day with wind and rain in the forecast in my neck of the woods. 

 

DH had a fairly good day yesterday. He was more alert and tracking when people came in and out. He was waving as they left, clenched my hand, and gave me the "ok" sign. He tried to talk but only got the "f" sound out of his first name but it's progress. Last night his glucose spiked so I'll find out about that today. No MRI or feeding tube yet but he does have a PIK line in now for the antibiotic and for nutrition. 

 

I'm off to do the banking and a few errands then heading to the hospital. 

 

Karen

 

 

 

Karen, it's good to read about your DH making more progress.

 

1 hour ago, durangoscots said:

Good morning. Sunny this morning, but winter slipped in an inch or two of snow last night. It should melt away quickly. High today forecast to 44F. Before this snow fell, I had noticed that the Iris are trying to poke through. I will take this weather over the fires on the eastern slope.

 

I am continuing to try to bring my house under control.... laundry, dishes, and I need to go to the store but will wait another day or so on that. Yesterday I did get some past due errands taken care of. Still not much energy, but the dogs and I are managing.

 

Otherwise, little news from here. My most positive thoughts to all who are having health or other issues. I am following the WC with interest. I think Africa is off my "sail to" list right now. I am signed up for the Grand Australia next January but am waffling a bit on that.... will have to make a decision some time but just not right now when I am still not feeling too good. If Spring would just come.... but then I will be complaining about the heat.

 

Susan

 

Susan, I'm glad you are doing better, and hope your energy levels improve soon.

 

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

@Seasick Sailor I hope you feel better soon. 

 

For myself improvement has been too slow to see a change from day to day but I have recently noticed some changes.  Last Sunday I went to church in person for the first time since around Halloween   I found it very difficult to breathe with a mask on after leaving the hospital and even a few weeks ago found it difficult just while sitting in a doctor's waiting room.  While in church it was actually fine and although I've been slow to go back I wore it today in Wegmans and it was fine there.  Now I need to break my recent bad habits, but there is improvement however slow.

 

Luggage Forward's active role with the bags is getting it to and from the ship, a regular shipper (usually Fedex or UPS does the actual shipping.  Was yours Fedex, UPS, or someone else?  They are probably responsible but I think you need to report it to Luggage Forward as they are the shipper's customer of record.  There sure has been a rash of damaged luggage lately.

 

Roy

 

Roy, it was good to read that you are notching some improvement now.  All the stories about the delayed and damaged luggage made me wonder if the gorilla from those old luggage commercials is now working for the luggage forwarding shippers. 🤣 Thanks for sharing your pictures of Robinson Crusoe Island.

 

1 hour ago, Crazy For Cats said:

It’s been a busy work morning but I still found time to book another cruise.  I took advantage of the $25 deposit promotion and booked the Eurodam for March 2024.  We have often cruised in March and this year we didn’t so we could go in May.  We missed it very much.  We now have six cruises on the books, I think that’s a record for us.

 

Jake, glad you could take advantage of the $25 deposit and book another cruise.  I think the most we've had booked at once is two.  Usually, we book closer to when we want to cruise.

 

23 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

I've never used a bunsen burner, don't care for clams, but have lots of crayons here for the grandsons.  Although the older they get (7 and 9) the less they're interested in art projects and would rather do something else.  Will pass on the meal (coconut and clam sauce), the quote is good, and will pass on the drink and red wine.  Have never been to the port.

 

Today will be another day of getting housework done and cruise planning -- like most of my days. 😉  Not a good night's sleep last night.  For some strange reason my left eye was itching and it still is.  It looks fine, so I have no idea what's going on, and don't have allergies.  Drops aren't helping.  Hope it stops soon.

 

@seagarsmokerOh my gosh your story about the milk and cookies had me laughing out loud!  I know it had to be frustrating though -- surprising that the concierge couldn't get it straightened out for you!

 

Joy @Seasick SailorI'm sorry you came home sick and also that your luggage was damaged.  I hope you feel better soon.

 

Charlene @cunnorlHappy Birthday to your son today!  Our son's due date was April 1 and I remember thinking I hope he wouldn't be born on April Fool's Day.  He wasn't, he came 11 days later!

 

Annie @marshhawkYour story about the medical forms brought back a recent memory.  I had a thick pile of forms to fill out before seeing the Nephrologist.  It took me days to fill it out, all the while thinking why don't they just look at my record to get this information???  And then when I went to my appointment, they told me "oh, you don't have to fill them out unless there's been a change".  ???  

 

Debbie @dfishI'm sorry Sue has a migraine.  What did you do to entertain River?

 

@senorjimWelcome to the Daily!

 

@cruzn single Enjoy Key West!

 

 

 

Carolyn, I hope your eye feels better soon.

 

17 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

If this roof fix doesn't do the job, I don't know what to do.  Let's hope no new wetness shows up with the upcoming rain.  Sorry to hear about your hand pain now.  I get it.  If only there wasn't a new pain or ache every single day!

 

Sandi, I also hope the roofers fix the leak.  While ours is better, there is still a leak, and we are not ready to have the ceiling torn down to have the leak.

 

17 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 Going around Africa has been on my radar for years and things got stalled due to Covid.  However, I think I've gotten to the point it's not so important anymore.  Maybe Senegal, The Gambia, Morocco and Egypt are enough for us.  

 

We've been to several countries in Africa, and I would also recommend stops in Namibia and South Africa.  I think I'd be interested in doing the Grand Africa some day.

 

Lenda

 

 

[dfish]

Good afternoon!

 

Imitrex came to the rescue and Sue was up headache free rather quickly.  So, we bundled up and went out to pick up DB Jeff, the birthday boy, for a trip to Meijer, Gordon's Food Service, and Target.  A fun time was had by all.  

 

Last night's birthday celebration turned out well.  All the siblings were there to celebrate.  We couldn't let it pass since Jeff had delighted in reminding us for the last year that he was the only sibling that wasn't over 60 .  Well, he is now!  And we made sure he knew it.  More of that today as well.  He knows he's in for a  year of that.  His knee is coming along quite well now.  He's graduated to the cane full time now that the PT convinced him it was a good move to make.  We all had a good laugh over his text asking for the cane after the hard time he gave me about it.

 

We came home for a coffee infusion and lunch and then we're back out running errands.  

[StLouisCruisers]

Lenda said:

 

We've been to several countries in Africa, and I would also recommend stops in Namibia and South Africa.  I think I'd be interested in doing the Grand Africa some day.

 

 

Nah, I'm good!!

[lazey1]

I have never been to Africa and at my age it is no longer on my bucket list to go. Enjoying seeing the photos. I haven't seen a bunsen burner since I was in high school. The red snapper sounds good but I will take my clams in a bowl of chowder please; either Manhatten or New England, I am not prejudiced.

Met with my new cardiologist on Tuesday. He told me that the hole in my mitral valve was very small and something I was born with. The CHF is well controlled by the new medications. I do have moderate stenosis in both the mitral valve and the aortic valve, and news to me, I have a significant blockage in the rt. femoral artery. If I ever hurt my leg he will have to do surgery before the leg can heal properly. I guess that means I need to be more careful that usual when I go on shore excursions.

I am feeling pretty good but like a lot of you dailyites I have very little energy; this is caused partly by my COPD and partly by my CHF. My mind thinks I should be able to do the things I did in my 30's and 40's, my body thinks my mind is an idiot.

Jane

 

 

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, senorjim said:

Good Morning!

It's interesting to see according to Cruise Timetables that the Zaandam is spending the night here in Puerto Vallarta. Departing tomorrow 17:00 local time.We've been here for the last 3 months with a view of the entrance to the harbour and have not seen many overnight calls. Most mornings we walk over to Puerto Magico to see the ships and all the action around them.

Welcome @senorjim.

Graham.

[Crazy For Cats]

This just came up as a memory from a year ago.  Wish we were there.

[StLouisCruisers]

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

I've been to Robinson Crusoe Island twice, both times within a year.  Otherwise, it isn't an easy place to get to.  My first visit was on the Crystal Symphony in 2018:

 

https://www.leeabbamonte.com/south-america/getting-to-robinson-crusoe-island.html

 

There is also a supply ship that comes twice a month and carries 12 passengers, with priority given to citizens of Chile:

 

 

Even on a cruise ship, the tender landing is not the easiest  The first step off the tender was to grab a rope hanging from the rusty framework of the dock:

 

 

This is from the town as seen from the harbor:

 

The town was hit by a tsunami in 2017.  Recovery was apparently quite slow.  I hope to post photos similar to this from my 2019 visit on the Prinsendam in my next post:

The main street runs uphill from the dock:

 

Roy

 

2 hours ago, rafinmd said:

 

My second visit to Crusoe was on the Prinsendam Grand South America in January, 2019.  I actually took fewer photos the second time around even though the weather was nicer.  First, here's the tsunami damage almost a year later.  The building in the container is the post office:

 

One of the obvious sites in town is the "Patriot Caves".  The first 2 photos (caves and trail to them) were from my first visit.

 

The weather was nicer in 2019 and I went into one of the caves:

There are almost no cars on the island and this is a typical "street":

 

The town clinic is one of the nicer buildings:

 

Finally, if you take a right turn leaving the tender pier there's a nice little park type area with benches and play fields.  There are a couple of pretty strenuous hikes on the island and this would be a great place to relax afterwards:

 

 

Roy

 

 

Thank you so much, Roy!  This must be one of the rarer stops on cruises.

[Cruzin Terri]

3 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

  I have to agree with Terri @Cruzin Terri on how stressful it is having work done on your home. I know they aren't remodeling my bathroom but even something as simple as gutter work causes stress because you never know if things will end up as it should be or just bring more problems!😬

Sandi, I understand the stress. Every time people come into the house the stress level goes up.  So today i just got a call from the appliance store to add to the stress.  They informed me that the dryer came in today damaged so they wanted to wait to deliver both W/D until they had both.  Then he thought better of it.  He said to me that he remembered that my washer was dying and asked if I wanted just the washer delivered on Tuesday and they will deliver the dryer when another comes in.

I agreed to that as a better option.  However, that means people in my house twice. 

I am ready to put a sign on my door saying “NO ADMISSION!”.

Stay cool, Sandi.

Terri

[rafinmd]

It was a very easy copy and paste the Crusoe pictures.  I had actually thought about going off script and posting about a port that will never be Port of the Day.  In 2018-19 I was fortunate to visit three places far from the beaten path.  In 2018 on the Crystal Symphony I visited in order Pitcairn, Easter Island and Robinson Crusoe Island.  On the 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America I returned to Crusoe and one even more isolated place, so isolated that we didn't actually get permission to visit on such a large ship until a few days before arrival.  Before we were allowed to go ashore we were required to take training, have all our gear inspected, and given tender tickets to make visits limited to 2 hours per person.  The place is Grytviken, South Georgia Island. 

 

 

Crew  had been sent ashore in advance to be sure we didn't stray past our allowed paths.  Some of the buildings we saw but were not allowed to enter. 

My first destination was the cemetery but there was a lot of wildlife to pass carefully on the trail including these molting penguins and an elephant seal.

 

 

Some graves that interested me.  Shackleton's grave is top left:

 

The waiting Elegant Explorer and the grave of Shackleton's right hand man:

:

 

The dorm where whalers stayed.  It was not open but looked great:

 

 

The church.  It was originally Lutheran but now more associated with the Anglican Church.  It is occasionally used for weddings, funerals, and cultural events. It is in excellent condition and the balcony is open with ropes for the bell at the back of the balcony. Many of us rung the church bell. There was a pump organ near the pulpit:

 

 

The museum with a lot of equipment out front:

 

 

 

Biosecurity was critical and we were required to have our boots cleaned before returning to the ship.

 

 

This is pretty much the most isolated place I have ever been,  One can visit Pitcairn for a stay via the mail boat, it is possible but difficult to get to Robinson Crusoe by air, modern air service to Easter Island but except for very opportunities like mine South Georgia is only accessible by Expedition Ship or private boat.

 

Roy

[rafinmd]

I'm thinking the Zuiderdam must be in a wifi dead zone.  I saw yesterday that one of the bloggers (either @tennisbeforewine or @The Inside Cabin had indicated that some people were supposed to go ashore in Dakar for medical treatment, some to stay and others for tests and to return to the ship.  The only one I've heard from today is @WCB that they had made it ashore but don't know if any were able to get their tests done and return to the ship.  I also hope the fuel level is ok and they aren't short on too many fresh supplies.

 

Roy

[cruising sister]

Oh boy, all I had to do was click my heels and fly home today. The wind here in Kansas is crazy. I am in for the rest of the day. The mail can wait. The Grandkids are coming over and I will have to convince them to stay in. 

[kochleffel]

21 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

 So today i just got a call from the appliance store to add to the stress.  They informed me that the dryer came in today damaged so they wanted to wait to deliver both W/D until they had both.  Then he thought better of it.  He said to me that he remembered that my washer was dying and asked if I wanted just the washer delivered on Tuesday and they will deliver the dryer when another comes in.

 

Oy. When my washer stopped working, I purchased both washer and dryer. On the delivery date they showed up with only the dryer, which I didn't need right away. The washer had apparently been "misplaced" in the warehouse.

[Love the beach]

16 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I'm thinking the Zuiderdam must be in a wifi dead zone.  I saw yesterday that one of the bloggers (either @tennisbeforewine or @The Inside Cabin had indicated that some people were supposed to go ashore in Dakar for medical treatment, some to stay and others for tests and to return to the ship.  The only one I've heard from today is @WCB that they had made it ashore but don't know if any were able to get their tests done and return to the ship.  I also hope the fuel level is ok and they aren't short on too many fresh supplies.

 

Roy

Hello everyone and thanks for the daily

 Roy (sorry can't get blue bubble) I read on WCB blog that the port stop was cancelled due to political unrest....medical debarks were done but provisions did not make it due to the protests.

Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Edited March 31, 2023 by Love the beach

[StLouisCruisers]

40 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Sandi, I understand the stress. Every time people come into the house the stress level goes up.  So today i just got a call from the appliance store to add to the stress.  They informed me that the dryer came in today damaged so they wanted to wait to deliver both W/D until they had both.  Then he thought better of it.  He said to me that he remembered that my washer was dying and asked if I wanted just the washer delivered on Tuesday and they will deliver the dryer when another comes in.

I agreed to that as a better option.  However, that means people in my house twice. 

I am ready to put a sign on my door saying “NO ADMISSION!”.

Stay cool, Sandi.

Terri

 

It's always something, isn't it?  Hope the washer arrives safely and the dryer ASAP.  Once they're delivered put that no admission sign up!

 

 

 

33 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

It was a very easy copy and paste the Crusoe pictures.  I had actually thought about going off script and posting about a port that will never be Port of the Day.  In 2018-19 I was fortunate to visit three places far from the beaten path.  In 2018 on the Crystal Symphony I visited in order Pitcairn, Easter Island and Robinson Crusoe Island.  On the 2019 Prinsendam Grand South America I returned to Crusoe and one even more isolated place, so isolated that we didn't actually get permission to visit on such a large ship until a few days before arrival.  Before we were allowed to go ashore we were required to take training, have all our gear inspected, and given tender tickets to make visits limited to 2 hours per person.  The place is Grytviken, South Georgia Island. 

 

 

Crew  had been sent ashore in advance to be sure we didn't stray past our allowed paths.  Some of the buildings we saw but were not allowed to enter. 

My first destination was the cemetery but there was a lot of wildlife to pass carefully on the trail including these molting penguins and an elephant seal.

 

 

Some graves that interested me.  Shackleton's grave is top left:

 

The waiting Elegant Explorer and the grave of Shackleton's right hand man:

:

 

The dorm where whalers stayed.  It was not open but looked great:

 

 

The church.  It was originally Lutheran but now more associated with the Anglican Church.  It is occasionally used for weddings, funerals, and cultural events. It is in excellent condition and the balcony is open with ropes for the bell at the back of the balcony. Many of us rung the church bell. There was a pump organ near the pulpit:

 

 

The museum with a lot of equipment out front:

 

 

 

Biosecurity was critical and we were required to have our boots cleaned before returning to the ship.

 

 

This is pretty much the most isolated place I have ever been,  One can visit Pitcairn for a stay via the mail boat, it is possible but difficult to get to Robinson Crusoe by air, modern air service to Easter Island but except for very opportunities like mine South Georgia is only accessible by Expedition Ship or private boat.

 

Roy

 

I agree Grytviken is pretty remote!  But it's so interesting and cool to go there and worth any chance you have to make the voyage.  I see you got chairs to sit in to what, remove the boots or have someone help clean them?  We had a device with brushes attached, and handrails to hold on to placed on the shallow area at the shoreline.  We could stand and rub our boots against the brushes while dunked in sea water.  Once on the ship you removed them and put them in your "cage" on a covered deck and the crew cleaned them again for you.

 

 

 

21 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

I'm thinking the Zuiderdam must be in a wifi dead zone.  I saw yesterday that one of the bloggers (either @tennisbeforewine or @The Inside Cabin had indicated that some people were supposed to go ashore in Dakar for medical treatment, some to stay and others for tests and to return to the ship.  The only one I've heard from today is @WCB that they had made it ashore but don't know if any were able to get their tests done and return to the ship.  I also hope the fuel level is ok and they aren't short on too many fresh supplies.

 

Roy

 

I heard about the medical debarks and hope everyone is okay.  

 

 

I'm hearing from my family in St. Louis they are under a tornado watch.  I told them to be ready in case it quickly turns to a warning.  Think about what is going with you to the basement and to stay away from windows.  Dogs, of course, and wallet, purse, wedding rings, etc.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, lazey1 said:

I have never been to Africa and at my age it is no longer on my bucket list to go. Enjoying seeing the photos. I haven't seen a bunsen burner since I was in high school. The red snapper sounds good but I will take my clams in a bowl of chowder please; either Manhatten or New England, I am not prejudiced.

Met with my new cardiologist on Tuesday. He told me that the hole in my mitral valve was very small and something I was born with. The CHF is well controlled by the new medications. I do have moderate stenosis in both the mitral valve and the aortic valve, and news to me, I have a significant blockage in the rt. femoral artery. If I ever hurt my leg he will have to do surgery before the leg can heal properly. I guess that means I need to be more careful that usual when I go on shore excursions.

I am feeling pretty good but like a lot of you dailyites I have very little energy; this is caused partly by my COPD and partly by my CHF. My mind thinks I should be able to do the things I did in my 30's and 40's, my body thinks my mind is an idiot.

Jane

 

 

 

Jane, it seems you got a good report over all today.  That is good news.

 

57 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Sandi, I understand the stress. Every time people come into the house the stress level goes up.  So today i just got a call from the appliance store to add to the stress.  They informed me that the dryer came in today damaged so they wanted to wait to deliver both W/D until they had both.  Then he thought better of it.  He said to me that he remembered that my washer was dying and asked if I wanted just the washer delivered on Tuesday and they will deliver the dryer when another comes in.

I agreed to that as a better option.  However, that means people in my house twice. 

I am ready to put a sign on my door saying “NO ADMISSION!”.

Stay cool, Sandi.

Terri

 

Terri, I hope the installation of the washer goes as smoothly as ours did last week.  They were in and out in almost no time, so it really wasn't stressful.

 

Lenda

[Sharon in AZ]

8 hours ago, dfish said:

am wondering what I need to do to entertain a 6 year old.  She is really pretty good, but she is 6.   

Debbie, not sure if she likes to cook but DGD loved to make food videos like she was hosting a cooking show when she was that age. The videos were long sometimes, she could go on and on. I would get out a few ingredients that she could manage and she’d just make something up, like strawberries and RediWhip and sprinkles. Sometimes I’d splurge on other ingredients like fondant and gel food coloring and lady fingers. One time I let her decorate a cake with m&ms. It sure kept her occupied. 

 

 

 

 

[Seasick Sailor]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

@Seasick Sailor I hope you feel better soon. 

 

For myself improvement has been too slow to see a change from day to day but I have recently noticed some changes.  Last Sunday I went to church in person for the first time since around Halloween   I found it very difficult to breathe with a mask on after leaving the hospital and even a few weeks ago found it difficult just while sitting in a doctor's waiting room.  While in church it was actually fine and although I've been slow to go back I wore it today in Wegmans and it was fine there.  Now I need to break my recent bad habits, but there is improvement however slow.

 

Luggage Forward's active role with the bags is getting it to and from the ship, a regular shipper (usually Fedex or UPS does the actual shipping.  Was yours Fedex, UPS, or someone else?  They are probably responsible but I think you need to report it to Luggage Forward as they are the shipper's customer of record.  There sure has been a rash of damaged luggage lately.

 

Roy

 

Roy, I did get an email from Luggage Forward asking how our bags arrived. I do know the L.F. guys picked up our bags and took them to UPS. There was a large pickup filled with luggage and he put our luggage on it and off he went. I'm sure it was UPS. 

[JazzyV]

My goodness. The news here is going on and on about the rain and high winds expected tonight and tomorrow. Talking about possible power outages, not to go near downed lines, etc. Also that the light company people can't go up in bucket trucks to work if the winds are too high. Let's hope it's not too bad. I'll try to make sure everything is charged up, plus I have the backup solar generators.

 

@lazey1 Good to hear things seemed pretty stable after your Cardiology visit.

@rafinmd Thank you for the photos from Robinson Crusoe Island, and especially Grytviken, South Georgia Island. Being a big fan of Shackleton and his expedition, I would love to visit Grytviken.

@StLouisCruisers That's an interesting way to clean shoes. I hope your family in St. Louis is safe!

 

Edited March 31, 2023 by JazzyV