The Fleet Report and Daily for Tuesday April 18th, 2023

[aliaschief]

Last night Canaletto Chef’s dinner. We thought we would have a choice between fish and fillet. The fillet was perfect but I was too stuffed to even come close to finishing it. Very nice meal just too many courses.

 

[aliaschief]

Joyan de Ceren Mayan ruins in El Salvador. Occupied around Year 1,000 and discovered in1990’s. Volcanoes in area buried the settlement and it was discovered when a farmer was plowing. The Pompeii of Mayan culture. Even though there were many artifacts intact it appears The Mayans escaped.

The orange fruit pod is cashew and yields only two nuts. The fruit itself is juicy. I didn’t realize cashews came from a tree.

upon our return to ship the El Salvador’s Naval Band performed.

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by aliaschief

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning and Happy Tuesday from the beautiful Volendam!  
 

Happy Birthday Holland America Line! 🎈 🍾 🥂 ⛴   Tonight is the Orange Party in honor of the anniversary. The menu hasn’t been posted yet so I don’t know if they are planning anything special in the MDR. 
 

Today is also my DD’s 42nd birthday. I can’t text her today (she doesn’t have an iPhone) so will email her instead. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

Happy 42nd birthday to your dear daughter Sharon.

Graham.

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning everyone,

Thank you to Sandi @StLouisCruisers for the Daily and Fleet report.  

Interesting collection of days.  Thankfully the taxes are done and filed, i don’t juggle, except for finances to make sure all the bills are paid, which sometimes leads to being stressed out.,

 

We will pass on the meal and libations since we are going out for Jim’s birthday today.

Like the quote.

We were in Bonaire many years ago on the Noordam.

 

Jim thanks all of you for the Birthday wishes.  We are going to the Crazy Crab on Hilton Head for dinner tonight.  Then we will come home and have a Carvel Ice Cream Cake.  Actually we will have it for a few days because it is too much to finish in one sitting or should I say eating.

 

@dobiemomprayers for you as you have eye surgery.  That is not any fun.  Having had retina problems, I know you have to be diligent in following those directions in order for a successful outcome.  Prayers for a good recovery.  Keep us posted when you can.

 

@sailingdutchy Happy birthday to Martha. 

 

@kazu, Ivan looks adorable.  Hope he works out and is a good fit for both of you.

 

Thank you to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists. Prayers for those who are ill and suffering and cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

 

My big toe is not hurting as much this morning.  Have to soak it in Epsom salts and change the bandage.  

 

Have a great day everyone and

God Bless,

Terri

Edited April 18, 2023 by Cruzin Terri

[smitty34877]

@marshhawk Annie, I am thinking of you today and send along a hug.

@kazuJacqui, I hope the dog visit goes well.He is really cute.

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, superoma said:

It is also customary in the USA and Canada to have income tax deducted from your pay. Possible too to have it deducted from your pension income and in Canada actually mandatory on certain types of pension income (rif, similar to 401k). What tax filing day does is allow you to claim eligible deductions from income tax taken and in Canada at least to apply for certain benefits that are available like gst rebate and climate action initiative rebate. You may of course end up paying more if you have a lot of investments but we tend to get a small refund. The sweet spot of course is either not owing or owing very little or getting a small refund. 

Thank you for the clarification.

For employed people in the UK you are given a tax code relating to your tax free allowance then your employer deducts tax from your salary over this amount.

Self employed people's tax returns for April 2022-April 2023 can be sent from now until January 2024 to inland revenue and you are informed if you owe any tax.

Tax is paid once a year but there are lots of things you can claim from your profits to reduce your tax bill.

Graham.

Edited April 18, 2023 by grapau27

[lindaler]

Good morning. Thanks Sandi and all who provide the information for our poor old tired brains. The care list the food, drink and other information. Happy Birthday HAL. I called my PCC this morning and the cruise I wanted to add to my already booked cruise was not the $1.00 but was only $25 to book. Even my PCC was not sure why some are and others aren't. Last nights kayaking was wonderful but because the weather was so great our normal 5-8 kayaks was up to 17 and then another nine joined us from the other direction. Today I have been invited for dinner with a friend so that will be nice to look forward to. I plan to do some running around as I have quite a list of small items I need such as light bulbs and the squirter thing for the end of the hose (technical term). Hoping everyone has a great day. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a grey and windy central Texas.  It is currently 63F and will reach 71F later this afternoon.  As usual, the ten day forecast is a guesstimate because now they are teasing us with chances of rain the next three days, with Thursday predicted to be the rainiest.  We will also have a couple of days of a high of 69F later this week.  Then, spring returns with 70s and 80s.  Since this is Texas, things could change many times over the next ten days.

 

HAPPY 150TH ANNIVERSARY HOLLAND AMERICA!

 

Our first HAL cruise on the Ryndam was in 1998, HAL's 125th anniversary year.

 

We filed our taxes last week, and they have already gotten their money.  I have never really enjoyed watching jugglers, though I'm amazed at what they can do.  For the past year, I have been all too aware of stress, which is slowly lessening.

 

The Albert Einstein quote is very true.

 

The meal sounds good, and I make a vegetarian version using spinach and penne.  The drink sounds interesting, and I'd like to try the wine.

 

We have been to Bonaire once in 2000 on P&O world cruise on Oriana.  I'll repost my pictures in a few minutes.

 

@StLouisCruisers Sandi, thank you for your pictures.

@Crazy For Cats  Jake, I'm glad they groundhog is in the trap.

@kazu  Jacqui, Ivan looks like a very sweet, calm, handsome dog.  I hope things work out with the meeting today.

@rothbury  Thank you for the pictures of the Rotterdam VII and Zuiderdam.  Welcome to the Fleet/Daily.

@richwmn  Rich, thank you for the information about St. Peter's Basilica.  We been in the church a couple of times, but never saw the cornerstone.

@dobiemom  Sending very positive thoughts for a successful surgery tomorrow.  I hope holding your head down will not be too difficult.

@cruising sister  Lorraine, I'm sorry your friend is not coping well.  I hope you can aid her in getting help for the hoarding.

@marshhawk  Annie, I hope yesterday's call was not about something very serious, and hoping the doctor's visit goes well.

@ger_77  Gerry, I hope the weather does not interfere with the needed errands today and your friends' appointments this week.

@kochleffel  Both here in central Texas and in Quartzsite, we have private trash companies and they do not include recycling.  We did have recycling in Quartzsite for many years, until the company raised the price to the city for the dumpsters.

@aliaschief  Thank you for the pictures of the Joyan de Cerein ruins.  I like that the site is now under cover.  Hope you feel better soon and your cold is history soon.

@Cruzin Terri  Terri, I hope you both enjoy Jim's birthday dinner.  Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JIM!

@sailingdutchy  Please wish Martha a HAPPY BIRTHDAY from us.

@Sharon in AZ  Sharon, please pass our HAPPY 42ND BIRTHDAY wishes on to your DD.

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to Bonaire once in 2000 on the P&O Oriana world cruise.  At that time, only DH had a digital camera, and took a few pictures.  We rented a car and drove around the island, then walked around town.  All the pictures are from our drive.

 

These were some of the former slave cottages in 2000 before any were restored.

 

Other pictures from our drive.

 

Finally, in 2000 on the Rotterdam Panama Canal cruise, we completed seeing the ABC Islands with two visits to Curacao.

 

Lenda

 

[dfish]

@Sharon in AZ Happy Birthday to your daughter!   

@dobiemom Welcome back to the Daily and wishing you total success for tomorrow's eye surgery.

 

I think I'm kind of fortunate on the trash/recycle issue.  Back in Ohio we had to contract with an independent trash hauler.  Recycling was done through the city and you paid for it whether you recycled or not. There was a place where  you could take your yard waste and it would be composted.  You could later pick up mulch from them, but it wasn't treated for ants and termites.  

 

Here in Midland the city picks up the trash weekly.  Recycling is done once a month, but there is a recycling center just outside of town where you can take your excess loads.  I took a bunch of boxes out there after I moved.  You can also drop off your grocery bags there.   Yard waste is picked up weekly by the city and taken to be composted.  You have to use a city yard waste bin or bags that you can buy at most places around town.  For April they will pick up the bags for free.  Starting in May they have to have a sticker on them and the waste bin does as well.  They will continue to pick up yard waste weekly until December.  Once a month they have heavy item pickup.  You can put out furniture, some appliances, etc.  Pickup this month was today.  You can put out the heavier yard waste and I lugged some old tree trunks and big branches out there.  I also put out the lumber scraps that Previous Owner had dumped in the wooded area of the yard.  I'm sure I'll find more for next month!  

[grapau27]

4 hours ago, rothbury said:

Rotterdam in Rotterdam just now.

 

 

Nice photo.

Welcome to the daily fleet reports.

Graham.

[puppycanducruise]

@Sharon in AZ  Happy Birthday to your DD 🎂

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, dobiemom said:

Happy anniversary HAL!

 

Good morning. Sorry I haven’t been here for a few months (or even Cruise Critic) since my cruise in Feb (great time). After the cruise I was home for 3 days then went on our annual camping trip to see (4 nights of) fireworks. Work (and life!) got crazy busy and I haven’t had time to even read the Daily/Fleet Report. 

 

Well, I’ll now have some time. I’m having eye surgery tomorrow and will need to keep my head face down (maybe at a certain angle?) for a week or 2 to keep the gas bubble in the correct place. I’ve rented some equipment (to help with this. 

 

Hopefully this will get me back in the habit to at least read the best thread on CC with the best folks around. 

Good luck with your eye surgery tomorrow @dobiemom

When I had my epiretinal membrane removed in February 2021 I expected to get a gas bubble but didn't and they also removed a cataract and put in an intraocular lens (IOL).

I had a few different eye drops to put in for a couple of weeks.

Graham.

Edited April 18, 2023 by grapau27

[StLouisCruisers]

6 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Great family photos Sandi.

You and your daughter look beautiful and your husband is handsome.

Graham.

 

 

@grapau27 Graham, thank you for the nice compliments.  DD's youngest daughter looks like us too.  ☺️  I'm sorry to hear that stress caused your heart attack.  Hoping your heart problems are over for good!

 

 

5 hours ago, JazzyV said:

 

Today’s Care list:

Roy recovering from pneumonia and working on getting stronger

Mr. Boston’s brother’s death 4/16

Cruising sister’s best friend’s son’s death 4/13

RMLincoln’s cousin’s DH’s death

Marshhawk with visit to the Pulmonologist today

KY and AL shooting victims

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Tana’s pulmonary issues

Marshhawk’s DH with confusion episode and trouble swallowing

Summer slope’s friend with a brain injury

Luvteaching’s DH in rehab

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Holland America Line’s 150^th Anniversary!

Happy Birthday to Cruzin Terri’s DH Jim!

Rafinmd’s good report from the Oncologist

Cruising sister’s generosity to a friend

Luvteaching’s DH showing improvement

Many Dailyites cruising or with upcoming cruises

 

3 Days for Oceansaway17 (Vision of the Seas 4/21 to 5/1)

4 Days for JazzyV (Celebrity Apex 4/22 to 5/7)

5 Days for Lady Hudson (Anthem of the Seas 4/23 to 5/1)

 

Cruzn Single (Rotterdam to 4/19), Vict0riann (Rotterdam to 4/19), GTVCRUISER (NCL Jewel to 4/23), aliaschief & DWAliaschief (Eurodam to 4/28) Kplady (Grand Princess to 4/28), Sailingdutchy (Rotterdam to 4/29), St Pete Cruiser (Noordam to 5/2), TiogaCruiser (Volendam to 5/2), Overhead Fred’s Anniversary cruise (Rotterdam to 5/6), AV8rix (Volendam to 5/6), Dismomx5 (Volendam to 5/6), USN59-79 (Westerdam to 5/7), Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12), and Sharon in AZ (Volendam to 5/17) at sea

 

 

Vanessa @JazzyV thanks for your work on the lists today.  We will miss you when you're away but you sure deserve a nice vacation!

 

 

5 hours ago, kazu said:

Thanks for our Tuesday Daily, Sandi.

 

Happy Anniversary to Holland America.  What fun it would be to be on the Rotterdam with @Vict0riann @sailingdutchy @Overhead Fred for the celebrations.

 

Oh my on the combination of days today 😬 For those in the United States, I can envision some people very stressed as they try to complete their taxes and juggle their money to pay them!

 

 

Not sure if I agree with the first part of Einstein’s quote completely although the 2nd part is accurate IMO.

 

Big day today and I will be busy.  Ivan is coming over for a meeting.

 

 

 He’s a senior - nearly 9 - whose owner can’t keep him.  No decision has been made.  We’re just taking it one step at a time.  I just hope the rain stops so we can have the outdoor space 🤞 

 

 

@Cruzin Terri a very happy birthday to your DH.

 @sailingdutchy please extend my happy birthday wishes to Martha.

 

 

My heart and prayers are with you and your family @Mr. Boston 🙏🏻

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care list & for those that need them and a toast 🥂 to those on the Celebratory / Shout Out list.

 

 

Have a good Tuesday everyone !!!!!!

 

 

Jacqui, Thanks for the memes today!  Your new friend Ivan looks like a wise and sweet dog.  I hope you two hit it off!🐕

 

 

 

5 hours ago, richwmn said:

 

 

To repeat a note I have mentioned several times. The days to acknowledge (celebrate) come from two website that I don't have available to me right now. I don't know where they got the lists. It is also possible that things are country specific.

 

edited

 

a quick internet search finds these three headlines as the fist entries.

 

April is Stress Awareness Month
National Stress Awareness Day – November 1, 2023
April is recognized as National Stress Awareness Month

 

Thanks for going to all that trouble.  We've got it now.  Hope you're enjoying the remainder of the day.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, rothbury said:

Rotterdam in Rotterdam just now.

 

 

 

Great photo of Rotterdam!  

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning and Happy Tuesday from the beautiful Volendam!  
 

Happy Birthday Holland America Line! 🎈 🍾 🥂 ⛴   Tonight is the Orange Party in honor of the anniversary. The menu hasn’t been posted yet so I don’t know if they are planning anything special in the MDR. 
 

Today is also my DD’s 42nd birthday. I can’t text her today (she doesn’t have an iPhone) so will email her instead. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Happy birthday wishes to your DD today, Sharon.  You can celebrate this special day at the Orange Party tonight.🎂

 

 

 

3 hours ago, dobiemom said:

Happy anniversary HAL!

 

Good morning. Sorry I haven’t been here for a few months (or even Cruise Critic) since my cruise in Feb (great time). After the cruise I was home for 3 days then went on our annual camping trip to see (4 nights of) fireworks. Work (and life!) got crazy busy and I haven’t had time to even read the Daily/Fleet Report. 

 

Well, I’ll now have some time. I’m having eye surgery tomorrow and will need to keep my head face down (maybe at a certain angle?) for a week or 2 to keep the gas bubble in the correct place. I’ve rented some equipment (to help with this. 

 

Hopefully this will get me back in the habit to at least read the best thread on CC with the best folks around. 

 

Nice to see you back here Marcia.  That's an interesting looking piece of equipment you're going to need after the surgery.  It should help with keeping your head in the proper position.  Best of luck with the surgery and recovery.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, summer slope said:

Hot Spiced Cocoa cocktail:

 

Ingredients

 
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed cocoa powder
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 pinch salt
2 cups whole milk, or your preferred milk, cold
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or freshly grated
Instructions

 
Add cocoa powder, sugar and salt to a small saucepan, and stir to combine.
Add 2 tbsp of cold milk, and whisk until the cocoa powder is dissolved.
Add the remaining milk to the pot. Turn the heat on to medium, and whisk to combine the ingredients.
Add the remaining ingredients, and simmer gently over medium heat, stirring often, for about 10 minutes.
For a mild flavour, remove from heat and serve immediately. For a stronger flavour, remove from heat and  allow to cool before placing in the fridge or 1-2 hours.
Garnish as desired and refrigerate unused portions promptly.

 

 

I learned today our drinks don't always have alcohol in them.  Sounds interesting.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, rothbury said:

Kind of hard to see but the Zuiderdam is tied up by the hotel in the background.

 

 

Thanks again for the great photo, this time of the Zuiderdam.  Hope everyone onboard is enjoying this anniversary day with all the festivities.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, dfish said:

Good morning, everyone!

 

It is cold here in mid-Michigan.  I suppose that is a relative description, but after the beautiful week last week, it is cold.  It is 32F right now with a high of 44F expected.  Add a little wind in and the gray skies, and you have a cold, gloomy, dismal day.  But, I'm on the right side of the ground, so It will be a great day.  

 

I did check and my tax payment was withdrawn this morning, so I'm all set on taxes.  I set it up for a direct withdrawal for today.  If you owe money, why pay early?   

 

Today's meal would fit in the category of comfort food and for those of us re-experiencing winter, it is a perfect choice.  This first recipe replaced half the ziti with roasted vegetables, so the carb count is close to okay for me.   https://cookieandkate.com/baked-ziti-recipe-with-roasted-vegetables/

 

 

I could dig into that!  This next one is a little higher in carbs, but still not bad if you limit yourself to one serving.  But, who does that?   https://www.themediterraneandish.com/baked-ziti-vegetarian/

 

 

No carb count available for this next recipe, but I would put it in the same range as the previous one.  This one uses spinach in the dish.  You really can use the vegetables you like and leave out the ones you don't.  I didn't find any with carrots in it, but carrot lovers can feel free to add them.  In the first recipe you could roast the carrots.  The roasted carrots in the falafel sandwich recipe actually looked pretty good.  https://www.loveandlemons.com/baked-ziti/

 

 

Happy Birthday to Jim @Cruzin Terri  and Martha @sailingdutchy.

 

A big Happy Anniversary to Holland America Line!

 

Wishng you all a wonderful day!

 

 

Debbie, those ziti dishes look delicious!  I love pasta!

 

 

 

3 hours ago, ocean sounds said:

Happy Anniversary, HAL !!

 

@kazu, Ivan looks adorable.  Good luck with your meeting. You are so kind to consider an aging dog in need of a family 
 

@StLouisCruisers, thanks for getting us started with the Daily!  Your DD looks just like you!

 

I was lucky enough to visit Kralendijk, Bonaire on my very first cruise - Adventure OTS southern Caribbean from San Juan.   I found out my sisters were trying to plan a 50th birthday party for me, and I am a shy person who doesn’t like attention to myself.  
 

So I did what any shy person who always wanted to cruise would do - booked a cruise from San Juan with my 2 DDs and DSIL. Wow!  So much better than a party!! I’ve loved cruising ever since.  
 

Prayers for those in need.  Hope Mr.Boston’s family has safe travels to Michigan. 🙏🏻
 

Cheers, smiles and 🥂 for those celebrating. 

 

 

 

Thank you for your nice comments!  Your first cruise sounded like a fun family event and I bet you're glad you tried it.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning from Guatemala. Not going on the excursion today as I have a head cold.😩 Tested negative for Covid so I will isolate for the day and not spread my germs! We did attend the Canelleto Chefs dinner last night and it was very good but way too much food. We chose a table for two when I felt cold symptoms coming on. I’ll be posting some food porn later as I’m on my I-Pad and photos from phone have not transferred over. We’ll also post some pics from yesterday’s visit to Mayan ruins in El Salvador. 
The poverty in these Central American Countries is troubling and sad to see. El Salvador is now one of the safest countries after they declared the gangs terrorist and built a 40,000 capacity prison. Pretty easy to identify as most of the gang members were tattooed from head to toe. The government gathered them  up incarcerated them and threw away the key.

Thanks for the reports and post. Sniffles!

Bruce

 

 

 

 

Bruce, sorry to hear you're under the weather.  We appreciate you sending us the latest memes though.  Feel better soon.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, marshhawk said:

Good Tuesday Morning Dailyites!  It's 42 degrees right now, and I hope @StLouisCruisers is right about the temperature going up.  You know they say when you pack for Alaska, to remember to dress in layers, these days, no matter where you are, you just need to dress in layers, and put summer clothes out for some time later in the day.

 

Feral Fawn is so funny, she had been staying snuggled up with Bubbles at night outside the porch, and the minute I go out in the morning to feed them, she gets up and sits in front of the heater that is on the porch.  Last night she got on the porch and snuggled up in her bed, and slept there because Bubbles had gone a wandering.

 

Years ago a friend told me that the armadillos were traveling north at about 5 miles per year.  He was right, as about 8 years ago, they appeared in our cruise friends yard just 5 miles north  of Highway 20 and tried to burrow under their house.  They had them trapped and taken away, not sure if they were re assigned new turf further south. The friends live about 20 miles south of us.  Yesterday on the way home I saw a deceased armadillo by the side of the road, a mile north of us, so the armadillos are here. Great......

 

The dr's office called yesterday, I took the message off the machine after i got off from work.  The message said, this is blah blah from Dr. Wu's office, I don't mean to scare you, but could you please call me at ,,,,, and of course it was too late to call back, and their office doesn't open until 9, my appointment is at 10:15.  So I am waiting for 9 to call back and find out why I shouldn't be scared.

 

@Cruzin Terri I had an ingrown toenail, they removed the nail, and said it would not grow back, and it did, of course it did, and within 5 years, I had another ingrown toe nail, but they did not take out the nail. They did a cut down the middle of the nail.  I feel for you, as @dfish said, elevate the foot, it takes the pressure off the toe, and take it easy for a couple of days. 

 

My new glasses should be ready by May 1st.  We leave on the 3rd, so I hope they are ready.  I added glare proof to the glasses, because I have such a hard time driving at night.  The doctor had written the prescription for bifocals, and I told him I just wanted the distance part done.  I can see the computer without glasses, I just cant read things like the number on my credit card....

 

 

 

Yep, it's warming up nicely, except it's still chilly inside the house.  We're up to 70 already.  

 

We definitely have armadillos down this way.  Strange creatures!

 

I hope to hear there's nothing to worry about when you talk to the doctor's office.  🤞

 

 

 

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  Happy big 150 to Holland America Line!  A great milestone to celebrate!  Our taxes are done (all but the paying part), I try not to stress too much on any day, and I appreciate the coordination of jugglers.  
 

Its cloudy right now and the rain is supposed to begin within the hour, turning to snow later on in the day.  Our friends arrived late yesterday afternoon and we’re so glad they decided to come a day early, rather than risk driving in stormy conditions.  For a while it looked like we might escape Nature’s wrath, as the forecast showed the system moving south of us, but overnight the winds came up and we’re back in the storm zone again.

 

Happy Birthday @Cruzin Terri’s DH, and to @sailingdutchy’s DW.
@marshhawk sending good vibes to you today.

@Mr. Boston will think of you and your family today as you travel.

 

Plans  for today include taking our friends shopping while they can still navigate safely on the streets, having lunch out and then just enjoying a good visit.  I’ve decided tonight will be an easy dinner, as I’m putting a stew together in the crock pot - a gluten free, dairy free meal.  We’ll enjoy that with our friends in the dining room tonight. And wine.  Likely followed by a game or two of Sequence.

 

Prayers for everyone who is in need, cheers to all celebrants.

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

Enjoy your guests Gerry.  I'm sure you are an excellent host!

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good morning everyone,

Thank you to Sandi @StLouisCruisers for the Daily and Fleet report.  

Interesting collection of days.  Thankfully the taxes are done and filed, i don’t juggle, except for finances to make sure all the bills are paid, which sometimes leads to being stressed out.,

 

We will pass on the meal and libations since we are going out for Jim’s birthday today.

Like the quote.

We were in Bonaire many years ago on the Noordam.

 

Jim thanks all of you for the Birthday wishes.  We are going to the Crazy Crab on Hilton Head for dinner tonight.  Then we will come home and have a Carvel Ice Cream Cake.  Actually we will have it for a few days because it is too much to finish in one sitting or should I say eating.

 

@dobiemomprayers for you as you have eye surgery.  That is not any fun.  Having had retina problems, I know you have to be diligent in following those directions in order for a successful outcome.  Prayers for a good recovery.  Keep us posted when you can.

 

@sailingdutchy Happy birthday to Martha. 

 

@kazu, Ivan looks adorable.  Hope he works out and is a good fit for both of you.

 

Thank you to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists. Prayers for those who are ill and suffering and cheers to those celebrating and cruising.

 

My big toe is not hurting as much this morning.  Have to soak it in Epsom salts and change the bandage.  

 

Have a great day everyone and

God Bless,

Terri

 

@Cruzin Terri Terry I hope the toe continues to feel better, especially after the Epsom salts soak.  I remember soaking my toes in the Epsom salts when I was a child because I would get ingrown toenails occasionally for some reason.  It really draws out that infection.  Have a great dinner tonight with the birthday boy.

 

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser thanks for your photos taken from your drive around Bonaire.  Quite a different view of that island.

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by StLouisCruisers

[durangoscots]

5 hours ago, kazu said:

Thanks for our Tuesday Daily, Sandi.

 

Happy Anniversary to Holland America.  What fun it would be to be on the Rotterdam with @Vict0riann @sailingdutchy @Overhead Fred for the celebrations.

 

Oh my on the combination of days today 😬 For those in the United States, I can envision some people very stressed as they try to complete their taxes and juggle their money to pay them!

 

 

Not sure if I agree with the first part of Einstein’s quote completely although the 2nd part is accurate IMO.

 

Big day today and I will be busy.  Ivan is coming over for a meeting.

 

 

 He’s a senior - nearly 9 - whose owner can’t keep him.  No decision has been made.  We’re just taking it one step at a time.  I just hope the rain stops so we can have the outdoor space 🤞 

 

 

@Cruzin Terri a very happy birthday to your DH.

 @sailingdutchy please extend my happy birthday wishes to Martha.

 

 

My heart and prayers are with you and your family @Mr. Boston 🙏🏻

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care list & for those that need them and a toast 🥂 to those on the Celebratory / Shout Out list.

 

 

Have a good Tuesday everyone !!!!!!

 

Ivan is handsome and those eyes are so appealing.

 

Susan

[Crazy For Cats]

4 hours ago, smitty34877 said:

Good morning. It is 51 and sunny heading to the low sixties later.I am acutely aware of stress and try to manage it better.We filed our taxes back in February. I have always been annoyingly early for both appointments  and obligations. Jugglers are fun to watch.We have not been to Bonaire.

@JazzyV Vanessa, I hope the eyes are better today.How is the knee pain?

 

Happy Birthday  to  both Martha and Jim today!

Happy Birthday to two beautiful cats.

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily. Happy 150th Anniversary to HAL!

Taxes are done, thankfully. Jugglers can be entertaining. Stress can be detrimental; some people with the eye issue I have say they get flares when stressed. Interesting quote. The meal sounds good, maybe on the drink and yes to the wine.

I haven't been to Kralendijk. 

 

It was below freezing earlier, with snow flurries, and it's cloudy and windy, so there's a wind chill and frost advisory. The eye seems ok this morning. I think the knee drainage has stopped, but I will finish out the antibiotics. The knees hurt, but that's because of the bone on bone situation. No specific plans today other than continuing to get packed. I really need to weigh my checked bag as I worry it's too heavy. 

 

@StLouisCruisers Thank you for our startup today. Lovely photos you shared, and nice to see DH and DD. 

@Mr. Boston Thinking of you and your family.

@sailingdutchy Happy Birthday to Martha! Sorry I missed it on the shoutout list.

@kazu Aww, I hope you have a good visit with Ivan. 

@rothbury Thanks for the photos, and Welcome to the Daily.

@Sharon in AZ Happy Birthday to your DD!

@smitty34877 Happy Birthday to Martha and Jim!

@dobiemom Good to see you here. Prayers for a successful eye surgery. A friend of mine had to do that head down thing, and it's good there's some equipment to help.

@cruising sister I hope your friend will let you help her organize and get rid of some things.

@aliaschief I hope you feel better quickly. Good memes, food porn and El Salvador photos.

@marshhawk Hopefully your appointment goes well.

@ger_77 I'm glad your friends got there safely and it's nice all you do for them.

@Cruzin Terri Good to hear you're having less pain today.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Nice photos.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a Toast to the Celebration List.

Be well everyone.

 

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Dailyites. Wow, lots of excitement today.

 

Happy Anniversary to Holland America!! I have a request waiting for our PC to book on dollar day. 

 

 

 

Prayers out to all on our care list. Sending out Birthday wishes. And hurray for those celebrations!!

 

 

We have our couples pedicures and lunch today. It's a cool 70 with misty rain.

 

Take care and hope you have a great day!

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

 

@grapau27 Graham, thank you for the nice compliments.  DD's youngest daughter looks like us too.  ☺️  I'm sorry to hear that stress caused your heart attack.  Hoping your heart problems are over for good!

 

 

 

Vanessa @JazzyV thanks for your work on the lists today.  We will miss you when you're away but you sure deserve a nice vacation!

 

 

 

Jacqui, Thanks for the memes today!  Your new friend Ivan looks like a wise and sweet dog.  I hope you two hit it off!🐕

 

 

 

 

Thanks for going to all that trouble.  We've got it now.  Hope you're enjoying the remainder of the day.

 

 

 

 

Great photo of Rotterdam!  

 

 

 

 

Happy birthday wishes to your DD today, Sharon.  You can celebrate this special day at the Orange Party tonight.🎂

 

 

 

 

Nice to see you back here Marcia.  That's an interesting looking piece of equipment you're going to need after the surgery.  It should help with keeping your head in the proper position.  Best of luck with the surgery and recovery.

 

 

 

 

I learned today our drinks don't always have alcohol in them.  Sounds interesting.

 

 

 

 

Thanks again for the great photo, this time of the Zuiderdam.  Hope everyone onboard is enjoying this anniversary day with all the festivities.

 

 

 

 

Debbie, those ziti dishes look delicious!  I love pasta!

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your nice comments!  Your first cruise sounded like a fun family event and I bet you're glad you tried it.

 

 

 

 

Bruce, sorry to hear you're under the weather.  We appreciate you sending us the latest memes though.  Feel better soon.

 

 

 

 

Yep, it's warming up nicely, except it's still chilly inside the house.  We're up to 70 already.  

 

We definitely have armadillos down this way.  Strange creatures!

 

I hope to hear there's nothing to worry about when you talk to the doctor's office.  🤞

 

 

 

 

Enjoy your guests Gerry.  I'm sure you are an excellent host!

 

 

 

 

@Cruzin Terri Terry I hope the toe continues to feel better, especially after the Epsom salts soak.  I remember soaking my toes in the Epsom salts when I was a child because I would get ingrown toenails occasionally for some reason.  It really draws out that infection.  Have a great dinner tonight with the birthday boy.

 

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser thanks for your photos taken from your drive around Bonaire.  Quite a different view of that island.

 

 

Thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisers.

You are a very good looking family.

The problems with our Sarah's mam and dad 6 year's before my heart attack had a massive influence on me having a heart attack.

I now take 2.5mg Bisoprolol a Beta blocker and my heart rate is consistently under 60 beats per minute and this medication massively reduces the stress I feel even though we still have issues with them.

Graham.

Edited April 18, 2023 by grapau27

[AncientWanderer]

National Stress Awareness Day?  Stress?  Did somebody say stress?

 

[durangoscots]

Good morning. Supposedly the sun is shinning but it sure doesn't look like it to me. Temps are supposed to be a bit below average for the next week or so. Highs in the 50's and lows in the 20's. Dogs and I can live with that. I am wearing an orange T-shirt today in celebration of HAL's celebration. Taxes are done. The meal looks great but I am trying to avoid pasta which I dearly love. And @kazuIvan looks sooooo sweet and gentle and wise.

 

My most positive and healing thoughts to all who need them. And celebratory thoughts to those celebrating birthdays. I am waiting to hear from one of my nephew's whose wife is expecting their second child - a second daughter. We tend to run to very small families so new additions are rare and very welcome.

 

 

[smitty34877]

45 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Happy Birthday to two beautiful cats.

Sorry.I did not do this right.The birthday wishes are meant for the spouses of @sailingdutchyand @Cruzin Terri

[smitty34877]

The cats were so cute that I had to add them.

[TiogaCruiser]

Good afternoon all from Volendam,

(I’m posting and running again- will try to catch up when we get home.)

 

A few things:

Volendam is celebrating the 150 tonight with an orange party and casual orange dinner. Serving marzipan cake. Not sure if this is it:

 

We ‘re having classical and contemporary style music from 2 fabulous musicians (piano & cello) in Explorer’s Lounge. The configuration immediately near the ladies remains “concert style “ near the ladies, but is “living room style” behind. They are doing something like 4-5 performances per day, starting in the afternoon, with 2-3 in the evening. Last night’s were the same for the last two, and I’m GUESSING all for the day are the same. Last night was Tango. The duo is fabulous. 
 

Later in the week the schedule shows a piano bar . Not sure what that means. The set up is still there. @RuthC I’ll try to remember to investigate and report back.

 

HAL is now offering crafts. Loving it. They have had origami a couple of times so far. knitting is coming up!

 

Lido is now self service in several areas. Does not include salad, the usual hot stations, Asian station and the other semi-circular stand alone ( former sandwich station from years ago). Desserts self serve, yogurt no longer in unit dose containers- it’s self serve from common bowl. (they didn’t have Greek yogurt today).

 

We got chocolates and a towel frog on gala night. We hardly see the stewards in the hallways- at all. Anywhere (and we are adjacent to the Neptunes. (DH took a peak into one. I told him no to, as this is our first AA and he likes it so much that I’m a bit concerned about future cruises as it is. We normally do insides or OV.) We both very much appreciate the upgrade.

The air on deck 5 this morning was “fresh” - a bit cool. 
 

Thats it for now. 

 

Noon position 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by TiogaCruiser

[HAL4NOW]

The Koningsdam will be featured again on the Smithsonian Channel tonight at 6PM. It is part of the Mighty Cruise Ships series. It is from Season 3, so a little dated. Mighty Cruise Ships has already featured the Nieuw Stantendam in Season 4.

 

Here is the description of tonight's episode:

 

"The crew of the Koningsdam, Holland America's latest, largest and most technologically-advanced ship, face sailing through the narrow Norwegian fjords."