The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday September 7th, 2023

[richwmn]

 

Today is National Salami Day, Neither Rain nor Snow Day, and Grandma Moses Day
 

So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them.--Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Meal Suggestion for today - Chickpea Greek Salad
Drink of the Day - Game Day Peach Sour
Wine of the Day - 2017 The Stump Jump GSM
Destination of the Day - Philipsburg, St Maarten Island, Dutch Antilles

Today in History:
1822 Pedro I, son of King Joao VI declares Brazil's independence from Portugal (National Day)

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Ketchikan, Alaska 0700-1300
 

Koningsdam

Ketchikan, Alaska 1100-1900
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Juneau, Alaska 0700-1630
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Dover, England eta 09-08
 

Noordam

Skagway, Alaska 0700-2000
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Naples, Italy eta 09-08
 

Rotterdam

Firth of Forth Anchorage, Scotland Overnight
 

Volendam

At Sea Destination Juneau, Alaska eta 09-08
 

Westerdam

Sitka, Alaska 0800-1600
 

Zaandam

Havre-Saint-Pierre, Newfoundland 1000-1700
 

Zuiderdam

Halifax, Nova Scotia 0800-1600
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[seagarsmoker]

Good morning Dailyites and thank you for the Daily Report.

We finally had dinner with our friends this past weekend who took their first cruise a couple of weeks ago. This was a celebration gift to themselves for retiring earlier this year. They went on the Eurodam to Alaska and had a wonderful cruise experience. They stayed in the same cabin (7137) we are in next month on the Eurodam and of course, they are now spoiled for life staying in a Hollands suite. 😊

The Good, Bad & Ugly…

They flew to Seattle two days before the cruise and stayed in a downtown high-end hotel which is the “Bad & Ugly”. They both mentioned how they would never take another cruise out of Seattle and the best words I can say here is they would call it garbage dump, but that would give garbage dumps a bad name... Despite the rough start, they didn’t let that ruin their cruise.

Overall, they enjoyed the food, excellent service, specialty restaurants, and all the tours they took.  I think the only thing they didn’t like was the dining room. They went the first night and said the food service was very slow and portions were very small. Thankfully, they remembered that we ate in the lido (except for specialty dining nights) and they switched to that and enjoyed it significantly better.

They are looking at doing a HAL fall cruise to New England/Canada next year, so now we have more friends hooked to cruising. 😊

I hope everyone has a great day!      

[grapau27]

Thank you for today's daily reports.

It is sunny and 70°F here.

Interesting days and quote.

Today's port is one of the nicest in the Caribbean and we have been there on Crown Princess and Liberty of the sea's.

I hope everyone is safe and well and you all have a fantastic day.

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care list:

Cruising sister’s great niece Baby Murphy post-surgery, on vent, unstable

Smitty34877’s DH Lou hospitalized

RMLincoln’s passing of a dear friend on 9/3

Catmando’s brother Scott suffering from a stroke 9/4

Crazy For Cats’ DM with a fall, hospitalization, pacemaker inserted

All Dailyites going through worries and stress, whether mentioned or not

 

Wildfires in Maui/Lahaina

Canadian/US wildfires; those in the path of Franklin or Idalia 

Shooting victim(s) 

Citizens of Ukraine

 

From the rotation:

StLouisCruiser’s friend’s DB Mark with bile duct cancer

Kazu’s dear friend’s DH with leukemia

Tana’s pulmonary issues

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Lady Hudson celebrating the birth of a great-grandson, Jalen Alexander!

Cat shepard’s road trip with 3 friends

Mr. Boston in Europe prior to cruising

Live4Cruises’ DH Nicholas doing well after his fall

DeeniEncinitas safe on Maui

 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

7 days for Heartgrove (MSC Preziosa Sept 14 to Sept 24) British Isles

7 days for Lady Hudson (Jewel of the Seas Sept 14 to Sept 28) Canada and Greenland

7 days for Mr. Boston (Oosterdam Sept 14 to Oct 😎 24d Med Tapestry, Greece & Adriatic Antiquities

 

Oceansaway17 (Grand Princess to Sept 8 ), Luvteaching (Westerdam to Sept 10), LAFFNVEGAS (Westerdam to Sept 10), HAL4NOW (Zaandam to Sept 13, B2B), Crazy for Cats (Zaandam to Sept 13) and RMLincoln (Norwegian Joy to Sept 20, B2B)

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning, thanks for today's daily fleet report.   Clocks moved 90 minutes forward overnight.  It's a beautiful morning but rain is in the forecast.  Hopefully our highlights tour will end before it starts. 

I hope everyone has a good day today. 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  This morning in north central Georgia it is 70F with a high later today of 88 and mostly sunny.  Summer is still hanging on.☀️  Thank you Rich @richwmn for our Daily and Fleet Report.  Today we may want to pay homage to salami (?), our mail carriers and Grandma Moses.  Hmmm.  There really is a day for everything!  Thumbs up to the quote.  I like Greek salads but chickpeas aren't my favorite.  Not sure yet about the Game Day Peach Sour or the wine.  I'm not even sure what type it is.  An interesting day in history for Brazil as they gained independence from Portugal.  I want to thank Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for food and beverage reporting.🍹

 

Today prayers were said as I dutifully walked the treadmill for 2.5 miles.  Lots of time to remember everyone on our Care list, my DB and friend's DB Mark, and those suffering in war and natural disasters.  Big prayers for Baby Murphy hoping for that miracle.  Also Lou and Terry @smitty34877 as well as Tana and the entire family.  I hope Terry got some rest and Lou is comfortable as he can be.  Prayers also for those mourning the loss of family and friends.  🙏   I hope we can get lots of good news today to help tip the scales.  For our cruisers, we wish you smooth seas and lots of adventure and relaxation.  🚢  Thanks to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists this morning.

 

Port of the day is Philipsburg, St. Maarten in the Dutch Antilles.  This is a popular stop on the eastern Caribbean routes.  We saw it here before on Nov. 23, 2021 and May 14, 2022.  Here are the links to retrieve photos in case you'd like to share again.

 

 

 

We've been to Sint Maarten/Saint Martin 5 times including on Volendam last winter.  One visit we were driven to a beach, and the driver pointed out which direction was the family beach and the direction where the nude beach was.  We chose the family beach, but I noticed a few topless individuals would walk over to the family beach and stroll by.  I guess they weren't getting enough attention over there!  On another visit while cruising there with our daughter and her family we went to Baby Beach.  The water was shallow enough for toddlers to wade knee deep.  The little ones loved it!  One visit to Sint Maarten was with our late friend John and his wife Jean.  John and DH went on a sailing excursion, America's Cup yacht racing.  They LOVED it!  Happy memories...

 

Photos from Sint Maarten/Saint Martin

 

Maho beach with the Princess Juliana International Airport next to it.  This cruise was on Emerald Princess August 2010.

 

 

 

 

Next photos are from December 2004 on Dawn Princess with John and Jean.  Jean and I took a water taxi from our dock to the downtown area to shop and look around, while the guys were on the America's Cup yacht.  They were too busy to take photos!

 

 

Students doing exercises outdoors in the fresh air 

 

 

 

In 2003 on Golden Princess we went jewelry shopping in downtown Philipsburg.  I'm not sure if we made a purchase that visit or not.

 

It must have been a hot day!  DH rarely wears shorts!

 

And we made a stop at the Guavaberry Emporium for a tasting.

 

In December 2015 on Regal Princess we stopped in Sint Maarten again.  Here's some beach photos.  I scanned the photos looking for topless individuals and didn't see any.  We want to keep the Daily G-rated!

 

 

 

 

Stopping to feed the iguanas.

 

 

Back at Maho beach and the airport.

 

A view of the crowds

 

But look at the beach next to the Sunset Bar.  Yikes!

 

In 2022 we took the America's Cup yacht racing tour together and this is what it looked like from our yacht.

 

Loading a vessel.

 

Enjoy the warmth of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin!

 

Hoping everyone stays safe and well.  Have a great day!

 

 

Edited September 7, 2023 by StLouisCruisers

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

A rainy day here, I should get out soon and get Bertie for a walk between showers.

An interesting collection of days.  Grandma Moses is an inspiration, she didn't start painting in earnest until she was in her late 70s.

Interesting quote.

I'll pass on the meal, not sure about the drink and the wine.

Prayers for everyone on the Care List.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

Have a wonderful day.

[summer slope]

Good morning.  Received official notice of port change for our Hawaii cruise in January.  Lahania is being replaced by Kahului on Feb 8.

 

Game Day Peach Sour cocktail:

 

Ingredients
3 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
1 part DeKuyper® Peachtree® Schnapps Liqueur
Splash Sour Mix

Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake without ice. Pour over ice in glass.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

8 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Good Morning, thanks for today's daily fleet report.   Clocks moved 90 minutes forward overnight.  It's a beautiful morning but rain is in the forecast.  Hopefully our highlights tour will end before it starts. 

I hope everyone has a good day today. 

 

 

 

90 minutes is a lot of time to lose in one night!  I don't envy you that experience!  Thanks for taking the time to post your photos Jake.

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann for the Thursday report.  I'll pass on the salami and the Greek Salad.  My alternative is Roast Chicken with Gnocchi, and Raspberry Ricotta Tart. as served last night on MS Westerdam.

 

I expect celebrations in Brazil today.

 

I like the quote and Grandma Moses was very talented.

 

I have not been doing well with mail lately.  While rain, sleet, and snow will not delay the mail carriers, vandalism of a group cluster mailbox will.  The lock the carrier uses to access our individual mail slots was broken off a week ago with all the boxes wide open and I haven't gotten USPS mail for a week.  It was finally repaired yesterday but apparently by a service crew and there was not yet mail in the box when I checked.

 

I've been to St. Maarten many times but I don't think I've been there on a BHB.

 

Another brutally hot day today.

 

Roy

 

 

[summer slope]

Grandma Moses.  The Bennington Museum is an accredited museum with notable collections of art and regional history. It is located at 75 Main Street, Bennington, Vermont, USA. The museum's history dates to 1852 when the Bennington Historical Association was first incorporated. Wikipedia

 

We have stopped here several times traveling from Ohio to New Hampshire to visit DD.

Edited September 7, 2023 by summer slope

[grapau27]

11 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  This morning in north central Georgia it is 70F with a high later today of 88 and mostly sunny.  Summer is still hanging on.☀️  Thank you Rich @richwmn for our Daily and Fleet Report.  Today we may want to pay homage to salami (?), our mail carriers and Grandma Moses.  Hmmm.  There really is a day for everything!  Thumbs up to the quote.  I like Greek salads but chickpeas aren't my favorite.  Not sure yet about the Game Day Peach Sour or the wine.  I'm not even sure what type it is.  An interesting day in history for Brazil as they gained independence from Portugal.  I want to thank Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for food and beverage reporting.🍹

 

Today prayers were said as I dutifully walked the treadmill for 2.5 miles.  Lots of time to remember everyone on our Care list, my DB and friend's DB Mark, and those suffering in war and natural disasters.  Big prayers for Baby Murphy hoping for that miracle.  Also Lou and Terry @smitty34877 as well as Tana and the entire family.  I hope Terry got some rest and Lou is comfortable as he can be.  Prayers also for those mourning the loss of family and friends.  🙏   I hope we can get lots of good news today to help tip the scales.  For our cruisers, we wish you smooth seas and lots of adventure and relaxation.  🚢  Thanks to Vanessa @JazzyV for the lists this morning.

 

Port of the day is Philipsburg, St. Maarten in the Dutch Antilles.  This is a popular stop on the eastern Caribbean routes.  We saw it here before on Nov. 23, 2021 and May 14, 2022.  Here are the links to retrieve photos in case you'd like to share again.

 

 

 

We've been to Sint Maarten/Saint Martin 5 times including on Volendam last winter.  One visit we were driven to a beach, and the driver pointed out which direction was the family beach and the direction where the nude beach was.  We chose the family beach, but I noticed a few topless individuals would walk over to the family beach and stroll by.  I guess they weren't getting enough attention over there!  On another visit while cruising there with our daughter and her family we went to Baby Beach.  The water was shallow enough for toddlers to wade knee deep.  The little ones loved it!  One visit to Sint Maarten was with our late friend John and his wife Jean.  John and DH went on a sailing excursion, America's Cup yacht racing.  They LOVED it!  Happy memories...

 

Photos from Sint Maarten/Saint Martin

 

Maho beach with the Princess Juliana International Airport next to it.  This cruise was on Emerald Princess August 2010.

 

 

 

 

Next photos are from December 2004 on Dawn Princess with John and Jean.  Jean and I took a water taxi from our dock to the downtown area to shop and look around, while the guys were on the America's Cup yacht.  They were too busy to take photos!

 

 

Students doing exercises outdoors in the fresh air 

 

 

 

In 2003 on Golden Princess we went jewelry shopping in downtown Philipsburg.  I'm not sure if we made a purchase that visit or not.

 

It must have been a hot day!  DH rarely wears shorts!

 

And we made a stop at the Guavaberry Emporium for a tasting.

 

In December 2015 on Regal Princess we stopped in Sint Maarten again.  Here's some beach photos.  I scanned the photos looking for topless individuals and didn't see any.  We want to keep the Daily G-rated!

 

 

 

 

Stopping to feed the iguanas.

 

 

Back at Maho beach and the airport.

 

A view of the crowds

 

But look at the beach next to the Sunset Bar.  Yikes!

 

In 2022 we took the America's Cup yacht racing tour together and this is what it looked like from our yacht.

 

Loading a vessel.

 

Enjoy the warmth of Sint Maarten/Saint Martin!

 

Hoping everyone stays safe and well.  Have a great day!

 

 

Superb photos Sandi.

[Denise T]

Good morning and happy Thursday! Thanks for the Daily and Fleet reports. 

The meal and the drink of the day sound yummy. 

Hot again today. I am working from home today. 

Well, I did it. I booked a 10-day Canada/New England cruise from Quebec to Baltimore on the NCL Sky for October 2024. So excited. I am addicted to cruising, I think. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Celebrating with all who are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

I forgot to mention something fun we saw last night.  After dinner we were looking out our sunroom windows watching for the deer to show up.  Well, show up they did!  For the first time ever we saw a dozen deer amble over from the woods a few at a time.  There were at least 4 fawns out there.  Several of the males who have been growing antlers right in front of our eyes this summer were out there, too.  All were grazing and enjoying the nice evening.  We only saw one lie down this time.  I'm sure picking up those prickly pine cones makes it nicer for the ones who rest down there in the evening.  We consider their visit last night our anniversary gift.  It was awesome!🦌

[Haljo1935]

Oh certainly no rain or snow today - 81 at 6am, high of 108 today and tomorrow, cold front Sat dropping to 99...

The quote is interesting, drink sounds good, I'll pass on the food, never been to the port but would like to go.

Therapist really working my shoulder, adds another exercise each visit. Next week, she's going to put together a plan for me to follow while I'm on the ship for 2 weeks. I think having the hydro pool and saunas to use will help. Then I see the surgeon when I return; hoping he finds my progress acceptable.

Prayers and hugs to all... Extra of both for Baby Murphy and her family.

 

Geez, the weatherman just said 109 today and tomorrow - I know it's only 1 more degree than what my phone showed, but it's1 degree in the wrong direction. And the air quality is horrendous.

Edited September 7, 2023 by Haljo1935
Add words

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s R & D, Rich! The humidity is creeping back into our area, but we all knew the dry heat would not last. Hoping the heat advisory weather doesn’t return. 
 

Vanessa, thank you for sharing our happenings. I know I miss so much, but catch up - thanks to you! @StLouisCruisers Sandi & Dennis a belated Happy Anniversary! Here’s to many more!
Zumba, Bindi walks, chores and more car shopping. Pool time - if I am lucky. 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. @smitty34877, Terry, praying that Lou’s medical team finds the right path to a quick and permanent recovery. @Crazy For Cats Jake, happy to read that your Mom is doing well & her medical team identified the cause of her fall. Praying the pacemaker solves the problem.  
 

Get well & stay well everyone!

 

********

2017 The Stump Jump GSM

I have enjoyed this Australian GSM (red blend) at my local wine bar. Consumers love it and critics give it a very good - excellent review. It is fruity, but not sweet, with a medium body and a bit of spice in the finish. I am don’t remember identifying the cinnamon taste that the critic did, but I know it was pleasant.  Available from a decent number of distributors with online prices starting at $10.99.

Winemaker Notes

This wine screams value. A rich ruby red appearance with a fragrant nose of raspberry, a hint of dark cherry and spice. Silky texture on the palate, but with a juicy fruit core that shows plum, red berries, and a savory finish. There are lovely soft tannins and some slight acidity. The fruit weight and silkyness means this wine can be enjoyed now, but it will keep developing over time.
Blend: 46% Grenache, 42% Shiraz, 12% Mourvedre

WE91 Wine Enthusiast

Ripe, fleshy blueberries and raspberries drive this red blend without too much oak getting in the way. There's an underbelly of flowers, cinnamon and peppery spice. The tannins are typically muscular, while the fruit is juicy, silky and fresh. Best Buys

Edited September 7, 2023 by cat shepard

[ottahand7]

Good morning everyone.  An interesting group of days again.   I am afraid we will have more rain today.    I like Grandma Moses' paintings , we usually have a lot of salami but we are out because we are leaving soon.  A good quote and happy independence day to Brazil.  We have been to St. Maarten one  time on the Nieuw Statendam in February 2022.   We didn't do a tour because of laying low due to just coming out of the COVID catastrophe.   I think we return in the winter on the Eurodam.   

Pass on the salad, the cocktail looks really tasty and I like the Stump Jump a lot, a good value wine. 

Prayers for all on our Care list especially Baby Murphy and her family and @smitty34877 and her DH Lou.  Prayers for Maui and Ukraine.  

I had planned for a day of raking but it is cool, wet and windy.   I guess it will be more inside work.  At least stuff is cut back so it will be easier to just rake it rather than cutting back and raking in the spring. Right now it is 49. I am cooking a medium sized rib roast on the Big Green Egg today.  At least with the weather I will have time to pull a nice dinner tonight.  My sister is coming over.  Have a nice Thursday. We are excited because the NFL season kicks off tonight.   Have a lovely day.  Nancy

[Haljo1935]

59 minutes ago, seagarsmoker said:

...

😊so now we have more friends hooked to cruising. 

😊

I hope everyone has a great day!      

Good job on creating another addict!! Beautiful picture!

[Cruzin Terri]

Good morning to all.  Thank you to Rich, Vanessa, Dixie, Ann and Debbie.  What would we do without you.

Sorry I never got to post yesterday. Everything went wrong yesterday and before I knew it, it was time to go to bed.  Crazy day.

I just read all the posts from yesterday and need to belatedly wish Sandi @StLouisCruisers a Happy Anniversary.

@smitty34877 I am sorry to hear of Lou’s setback.  Prayers for him and you and Tana and your whole family and you handle this next crisis.

As always Baby Murphy and her parents are in my prayers.

 

As for the days.  I like Salami.   Neither Rain nor Snow.  That makes no difference.  The USPS is in a sorry state these days.  It’s anybody’s guess when and if you get your mail.  Grandma Moses is an inspiration to all of us.  You are never too old to start something new.

 

Interesting quote.

I have been to St Maarten many times,  Usually spend time walking on the boardwalk or shopping on Front Street.

 

Have a Mani-Pedi Appointment today.  

 

Still trying to get our lives back together again.  It is all on my shoulders and I am doing the best I can.  

Hope everyone has a good day.

God Bless,

Terri

[StLouisCruisers]

Thanks to @seagarsmoker, Ann @cat shepard and Terri @Cruzin Terri for your anniversary wishes this morning.  I appreciate you all!  We had a lovely day and hope for many more together.

 

Terri may this be a far nicer and less busy day than yesterday.  Taking it one day at a time is all you can do. 🤞

[Crazy For Cats]

We are docking in Corner Brook. We are being greeted by a man playing the guitar and singing.  So nice.

 

For all football fans.  The NFL channel has been added to the menu.

 

[1ANGELCAT]

Good sunny and humid morning. It’s the last day for the heat wave, only 87 tomorrow. Thunderstorms are expected for later today and tomorrow. 
I’ve been to St Martin several times , including back when it was a tender port. I think I still have a bottle of Guavaberry in the cellar.

There is now video online of the prison escape. He crabwalked up a wall and over a fence. He had to be apprehended soon.

Blessings and prayers to all on our lists 

[richwmn]

18 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

We are docking in Corner Brook. We are being greeted by a man playing the guitar and singing.  So nice.

Zaandam's original itinerary shows stopping at Corner Brook, but Marine Traffic listed Havre-Saint-Pierre this morning and still does. However, the MT map shows that the ship is in Corner Brook. Seems someone on the bridge entered the wrong location information.

The two destinations are fairly distant from each other by water and more so by land.

Edited September 7, 2023 by richwmn

[cruising sister]

Good morning,

It has really cooled down here in Kansas by 20 degrees!  My niece is back home in North Carolina and I am recovering from all the activity. She brings a level of energy that rivals a 5 year old. Put the two together and they are unstoppable. 
 

Unfortunately,There is more bad news for Murphy. She has another infection and vent settings went up. They are getting conflicting information from the specialists and especially the surgeon. He wanted to meet my niece alone and was almost shaming her on her negative thoughts. The palliative care team were livid that he did that. It put undo pressure on her. I told her surgeons have egos that need to be fed at times. 
 

I am really beginning to panic about my GA trip. The roll call is so active I can hardly keep up. I have decided to put a deposit on the Voyage of the Vikings for 2025. I have FCD I purchased in May so deposit is covered. 
 

It’s nice to see dailyites enjoying vacations with several more in the next few weeks. Prayers for those on our list and others in need. Have a great day everyone!