The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday, December 28th, 2023

[kazu]

 

Today is Holy Innocents Day, National Download Day, and National Call A Friend Day
 

If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.--Carter Crocker

Meal Suggestion for today - Minestrone Soup
Drink of the Day - Kentucky Buck
Wine of the Day - Natale Verga Nero d’Avola
Destination of the Day - Dubrovnik, Croatia Port Cruz

Today in History:
1065 New church devoted to St Peter the Apostle built by Edward the Confessor - later called the 'west minister' consecrated in London (rebuilt mid 13th century
1836 Spain recognizes the independence of Mexico

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam

Half Moon Cay, Bahamas 10:00 - 18:00 

 

 

Koningsdam

Kahului, Maui Island Hawaii 08:00 - 20:00 
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Key West, Florida eta 12-29
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Philipsburg St Maarten, Netherlands Antilles eta 12-30
 

Oosterdam

At Sea Destination Ushuaia, Argentina eta 12-31
 

Rotterdam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 12-29
 

Volendam

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico Riviera 11:00 - 17:00 
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Willemstad Curacao, Netherlands Antilles eta 12-29
 

Zuiderdam

Cartagena Colombia 07:00 - 14:00 

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Dunedin, Port Chalmers, New Zealand 08:00 - 17:00 
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Saigon, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam eta 12-30

 

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning from the Zuiderdam in Cartagena Colombia. Three good days to honor. I do like minestrone and will be interested in the drink and wine. Never been to Croatia. Hurray for Mexico and what a wonderful cathedral Westminster is. 

 

Yesterday was filled with plans trying to stay out of the humidity. Oranje Party, Exec talk on the Panama Canal, watching the Tailor of the Panama Canal annd the comedian ( I just saw him on the Volendam) and different talks around the ship.

 

 

We had a medical response call at 0400 yesterday and we were told they couldn’t get a helicopter to us so we booked it to Cartagena arriving at about 0130 this morning so the passenger could be medically disembarked. humidity is not as bad here so I think I am good for going on my excursion to see the sights. We leave at 1400. It is a quick day!

 

 

Thoughts for all on the care list and cheers to those celebrating!!

 

Have a great day everyone!

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Jacqui, Vanessa, Ann, Dixie, and Debbie/Tina.  What's not to like about Innocents.  I'll try to call a friend and will almost certainly download something.

 

I think today's quote is a home run.  Thankful Rich wasn't significantly hurt yesterday.

 

I have not been to Croatia.  Great days for the church and for Mexico.

 

I'll take the Minestrone but not a favorite.  My alternative is Chilled Guanabana Soup and Penne with crisp Pancetta, my first dinner on MS Ryndam December 28, 2014.

 

Unseasonably warm today and I think I''ll get out with just a sweatshirt and light jacket.

 

Roy

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It is only 41 this morning and will warm up to about 53 with sunshine.  I got a fairly good night's sleep (after a very bad night Tuesday night), and got up early to get back to our exercise regime.  

 

Thank you Jacqui @kazu for posting today for Rich @richwmn.  I've got to get back on track with the Live From threads because the holiday interrupted my usual CC time.  I see we have Holy Innocents Day, National Download Day and National Call a Friend Day.  I know for sure I need to call my friend Brenda next door and see what's been going on while we were away.  No word on whether they've sold their house or even had a looker due to Christmas.  If they really want to move closer to their church, they may have to think about listing with a realtor instead of selling on their own.  I would describe the quote today as encouraging!  The minestrone soup sounds good but as usual I will pass on the cocktail and wine.  Ann @cat shepard will need her decoder ring again I see!  Interesting days in history.  Thanks to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for the F&B reports!

 

Prayers said as I walked the treadmill again as I find I have alone time to get those done then.  Special prayers for all our Dailyites especially Debbie @dfish getting ready for her surgical repair, Vanessa @JazzyV, Maureen and DH @RMLincoln, Melisa and DH @HAL Sailer, Terri @Cruzin Terri, and Terry @smitty34877 and Tana.  All our Dailyites are in my prayers each day as we go through our trials, tribulations, aches and pains.  Also my DB and friends Scott and Bob, my traumatized DGD Morgan, the people of Israel and Ukraine, the poor hostages held so long and in such danger, and the military members under attack on ships and on bases.  Something needs to be done there to stop this!  

 

I hope all the cruisers remain well, and are enjoying their time at sea 🚢  Good luck and safe travels to everyone during the holiday travel period.  I suggest avoiding I-75 in Georgia!  We need more highways for all the traffic headed into and out of Florida!  Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for continuing your work on the lists even through the pain every day.  We appreciate you, and all who do something to contribute on the Dailly. 🙂

 

The port today is Dubrovnik, Croatia, a beautiful spot.  We had that port on Aug. 23, 2021 and May 16, 2022.  We've visited only twice but loved it!  Here are the links to those dates so you can retrieve your photos.

 

 

 

 

I hope all continue safe and well, or improve if not well.  On to the photos of Dubrovnik.

[StLouisCruisers]

Dubrovnik, Croatia is a beautiful port and a great one on any cruise of the Adriatic Sea.  We were there in 2012 on Crown Princess and in 2017 on the Westerdam.  The first time we met a young couple who were both dentists in the Army.  They went on a tour I set up in Naples and we hung out a lot in the ports of call on that cruise.  In Dubrovnik we took a cab from the ship to the Old City and walked the city walls together.  

 

 

 

You get quite the views up there.

 

 

 

 

And don't we all enjoy places like this?

 

From 2017 on the Westerdam the Franjo Tudman Bridge

 

Our view from the ship

 

On the 2017 visit we took a taxi with friends again to the Old City, but we walked back to the ship after our time spent there.  It was a nice hot August day, too, so we were pretty tired when we got back to the ship.  Going to dinner at 8 pm we stuck our head outside and took some nice sunset photos.

 

I pulled out a photo of us with our young Army dentists Abby and Jesse taken the same evening after visiting Dubrovnik.  We are both about 5 1/2 feet tall and obviously they are both about 6 feet tall.  Either that or wearing very high heels. (Note:  we've measured recently and have shrunk a couple inches).

 

[RedneckBob]

How did I do that; #2. Same number as the Misses sometimes calls me! 😳

 

Let’s review my cruise review to date from 12/3-/12/17 on the Reflection. Just kidding; let’s start Chapter V, Part 3, What did I just see? 
 

I wish I could tell y’all this is something funny or interesting but it’s not. It’s things that we have all seen on cruise ships, unfortunately, and the Celebrity Reflection was no exception. If you have a weak stomach, Don’t Read! 
This occurred around December 12, a sea day, at the Oceanview Cafe. I decided after nine days on the cruise I should have a salad for lunch so I headed to the salad bar at approximately 12:10 PM. Picked up a bowl,,placed lettuce in the bowl and continued to the toppings. There were three people ahead of me and the line had stopped. Why? There was a passenger at the front of the line checking out all the toppings. By sampling each topping before placing it on her or his salad. The sampling process was very simple. Take the tongs, place an item in the tong, place the item on the fingers, place the fingers in the mouth with the item, and repeat I counted eight times! After this exercise was completed I found the Manager of the area and requested he replace all the tongs that person touched! I guess these people think they are eating at home and forgot about Noro virus or Covid!

 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by RedneckBob

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Report.

Another cloudy day in store for us, still warmer than normal for one more day.  We'll enjoy it, the skiers won't.

A good collection of days, but I don't think I'll be downloading anything.

Inspiring quote from Christopher Robin to Winnie the Pooh.

I'll pass on the soup, not sure about the drink and hope the wine isn't expensive.

We were in Dubrovnik several years ago on the Eurodam, I'll try and find a few photos.

Prayers for everyone.

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe.

[0106]

Good morning!  I will Phone a Friend today and take the time to catch up after the busy holiday.  Today’s quote is from the Disney movie Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin.  I prefer the original A. A. Milne writing style.  I’m sure we are all sending out positive thoughts to @dfish as she has her procedure this morning..

 

The last time I covered for Debbie, we had a copycat version of minestrone soup.  Today I present you with some recipes from some of my favorite cookbooks.

 

Minestrone comes from the word minestra, which is Italian for “soup”, more specifically a soup that’s filled with a mix of vegetables, beans, and sometimes pasta, which was traditionally part of la cucina povera, the frugal country cooking of Italian peasants. Iterations of minestrone abound in both Italy and beyond, with most involving carrots, tomatoes, sometimes zucchini or green beans, as well as white or kidney beans and occasionally small pasta.

 

Giada de Laurentiis’ Winter Minestrone Soup adds pancetta to the pot for added flavor and includes lots of Swiss chard. She calls for potatoes instead of pasta and blends some of the cannellini beans to thicken the soup.

 

Ellie Krieger’s Minestrone Soup is fast and streamlined. It features all the usual suspects but is heavier on tomatoes than the others and calls for green beans and kidney beans. Ellie opts for pasta rather than potatoes.

 

Marcella Hazan’s Minestrone alla Romagnola skips pasta and calls for potatoes, as well as lots of cabbage, diced green beans, zucchini, and cannellini beans. The starkest difference, though, is that she simmers her soup for a full three hours.

 

I’ll finish with a copycat recipe that is similar to the one I posted in August. Dinner at the Zoo’s Olive Garden Minestrone Soup claims to be a copycat recipe of the version at Olive Garden. It includes pasta, two types of beans — kidney and cannellini — and in addition to the usual vegetables, it also features sliced zucchini and baby spinach.

 

Sending you peace, healing and all good wishes.

Edited December 28, 2023 by 0106

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care List:

Cruising sister’s great niece Murphy post-surgery, on CPAP, gtube

Cruzin Terri not feeling well

Nickelpenny having pain with walking

JazzyV with right leg pain, tingling and numbness; trouble walking

 

Citizens of Ukraine, Israel and Gaza

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

 

From the Rotation:

Rafinmd (Roy) to start radiation for elevated PSA/prostate cancer

StLouisCruiser’s DB with pulmonary fibrosis

RMLincoln’s DH with glaucoma issues, medication allergy

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Kazu stepping up to keep the FR/Daily going while Rich is cruising

Cruising sister’s g-niece Murphy extubated, on CPAP 

RMLincoln signing closing documents on MD condo

Ger_77 visiting family in Calgary

 

The Daily Gardening Club posting wonderful flower pictures

All the contributors to the Fleet Report/Daily

 

Upcoming Cruises or At Sea:

 

6 days for Cat in my lap (Zuiderdam Jan 3 to May 11) 128d Grand World Voyage

6 days for Ottahand7 (Eurodam Jan 3 to Feb 24) B2B2B2B2B Caribbean

6 days for Cruising-along (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

6 days for Durangoscots (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

6 days for cruising sister (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

6 days for Cruisercl (Volendam Jan 3 to April 6) 94d Grand AUS & NZ voyage

 

Nickelpenny (Zuiderdam to Jan 3, Panama Canal Sunfarer Holiday), St Pete Cruiser(Zaandam to Jan 4, Southern Caribbean Holiday), Ichiban Nekko (Rotterdam to Jan 5, B2B, Western/Tropical Caribbean), Av8rix (Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), Haljo1935(Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), GTVCRUISER (Koningsdam to Jan 6, Circle Hawaii Holiday), Seasick Sailor (Rotterdam to Jan 14, 51d B2B2B Eastern/Western Caribbean (14n) + Tropical/Southern Caribbean Seafarer (16n)) and Richwmn (Volendam to May 4, 12d Mexico & Sea of Cortez Holiday + Jan 6 94d Grand Australia & NZ Voyage + Apr 6 15d PC Cruise + Apr 21 The Atlantic Cruise)

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning, thanks for the daily fleet report.  It’s a rainy day here and would be a good day for today’s meal suggestion.  I should finally catch up on my work emails.   Wishing everyone a good day today.

[summer slope]

Kentucky Buck cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
½ part Fresh Lemon Juice
2-3 Strawberries
1 dash of ngostura® Bitters
Ginger Beer (to top)
Garnish: Strawberry

Instructions
Muddle strawberries in shaker. Add Maker’s Mark®, lemon, bitters and ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a glass over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a strawberry.

 

[StLouisCruisers]

 

My travelogue of Antarctica

Dec. 28, 2016 - Yankee Harbor  

 

On this date in 2016 I had to awaken early because we were finally in Antarctica and DH and I were in the first group to go ashore at Yankee Harbor (6 a.m.!!).  The passengers were divided into 5 groups (white, red, blue, yellow? and green?) and each day we would shift our positions for heading ashore.  We wore a white leather arm band with a small pocket for our cruise card which we would Velcro on over our parkas.  We went down to the boot storage area to put on the boots and leave our shoes, and then went down to the Zodiacs.  It was a nice morning and everyone was excited to get over there to see the penguins and seals.  We had already been instructed to stay behind the rope lines and not to leave a smidgen of trash (like tissues).

 

Here is a drone shot of the area called Yankee Harbor.  We had a videographer (with a drone) and photographer on board to document the cruise, and at the end they gave us thumb drives with an exquisite video of our Antarctica adventure.  Priceless!

 

Here’s a view from shore with the Gentoo penguins and Seabourn Quest as well as a loaded Zodiac.

 

 

Penguins were playing in the water

 

 

A seal on what looks to be an uncomfortable spot on the rocks

 

 

A couple of seals who appear to be serenading each other but were probably trying to assert dominance!

 

 

 

Let’s shake!

 

 

Excuse us – just passing through.

 

 

Class!  Please stop talking and pay attention!

 

 

A group of Gentoos on their nests

 

 

An adult with their chicks

 

 

A penguin helping to build the nest by tossing rocks onto it.  From Seabourn video

 

 

At my feet was this pattern of penguin footprints in the snow.

 

 

Watch your step on that snowy slope

 

 

Just some great penguin photos for your enjoyment

 

 

 

I'll move on to another post for the remainder of our Yankee Harbor exploration.

[StLouisCruisers]

Continuing Dec. 28, 2016 - Yankee Harbor, Antarctica

 

That dark line in the snow is a penguin “highway”, the path they all seem to follow in or out of the water.

 

 

When our time was up we went back to the ship and all the other groups had their turn.  Everyone on the ship was excited to finally be here experiencing Antarctica.  I was watching one of the later groups come back and spotted a whale or two near the ship.  A returning Zodiac was treated with a close up look.

 

 

 

 

The afternoon was sunny so we enjoyed gazing at the scenery. 

 

 

 

 

In late afternoon DH decided to try the caviar and champagne experience he had heard about.  I'm not a fan of caviar but I am of champagne!  We ordered it for 4:30 and at the appointed time room service arrived with our tray and cold bottle of champagne.  Now this is the life!

 

 

I'm not totally sure what the accompaniments were but I think he had toasted bread, chopped red onion, chopped boiled egg yolk, and sour cream.  I just enjoyed an extra glass of champagne.

 

Later on our Captain, the wonderful D.D., was able to sail inside the volcanic cauldron called Deception Island.  The weather was calm which is a necessity due to the narrow opening to the cauldron.

 

 

And inside there you can see one of the abandoned whaling stations.  I believe this one is called Hektor, a Norwegian whaling station.

 

 

And here are some penguins on Deception Island – photo from video

 

 

Coming back out again – dramatic scenery

 

 

After dinner that evening we saw quite a few tabular icebergs.

 

 

 

Tomorrow we will set foot on the actual continent of Antarctica when we visit Neko Harbor.  Yankee Harbor is on one of Antarctica's islands so technically not on the mainland portion.

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s FR & D, Jacqui! A light rain falling this morning and cooler temps are heading my way. But nothing like up North!

 

Vanessa praying that you find a path to relieve you from pain - soon! Thank you for keeping up with our happenings. 

 

Gym, Bindi walks, an airport run to pick up a friend returning from visiting her family for the Holiday, and the wrapping up the day celebrating the 2nd anniversary of my local wine bar opening. Hope the weather cooperates. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Especially those suffering from debilitating pain and conditions. And those grieving the loss of a loved one. Terry, thinking of you & Tana. 

 

@dfish Debbie, praying that all goes smoothly tomorrow.

 

Cheers to all who are celebrating!

 

May we each find a reason to smile today!

 

 

*******

Natale Verga Nero d’Avola

I used my secret decoder ring again. It is important to always keep it charged. Info on this red is a bit sparse, but consumers give it a good - very good review. It is certainly easy to find and priced to try. Online prices start at $7.99.

Wine Enthusiast 88

Made entirely with organically farmed Nero d'Avola, this offers aromas of dark-skinned fruit and scorched earth. The easygoing palate offers fleshy black plum, clove and black pepper alongside pliant tannins. Drink soon.

Note: This rating is for the 2017 vintage. 

[kazu]

good morning everyone.  A good collection of days - I think I will celebrate call a friend day.  I really like today’s quote.  Dubrovnik is a lovely spot to visit.  The walls are great to walk and the city within is very unique and nice.  The people are great!

 

Two wonderful days in history - Westminster and Mexico’s Independence.  I am sure my angel is celebrating the latter.  I decided to do all my possible errands yesterday while I was out and was grateful when the changed forecast came on the radio.

 

 

 

Forecast has now gotten worse with hours of freezing rain.  So, I’m heading back out to buy some ice prevention to put on ahead of time.  Will it work?  Some say yes and some no, but it’s worth a shot on my very sloped driveway.  (I have lots of ice melt - at least until tomorrow 😉).  

 

 

 

Thanks to Vanessa, Tina, Ann & Dixie for their contributions and all those that contribute.  Prayers for those on the Care list, those suffering losses, health problems, pain, grieving, worries & those that need them.  🙏   Cheers to those celebrating and cruising 🥂 

 

 

 

Have a good Thursday everyone.

[cruising sister]

Good earlier morning,

I was up before 6 today. It is reminding me of when I worked and was up at 5:30 everyday. There will be a nap for sure today. 
 

Today’s quote was sad for me. It was a tough holiday and it hit me this morning when reading it. I  guess I am a little melancholy over doing this long cruise by myself. 
 

DS is coming over to do a few things to help me get the house ready. I have been sending things home with him for Molly so that Saturday the only thing to bring over is her. She has been glued to me and even laid in my feet when I was working at the counter yesterday. She knows!

 

My DGS has been attending Kids Strong this week. It is full of both physical and mental challenges and he loves it. He got the coaches award yesterday and was thrilled. 

 

Prayers for our care list and have a great day. 

[RedneckBob]

30 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Kentucky Buck cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
½ part Fresh Lemon Juice
2-3 Strawberries
1 dash of ngostura® Bitters
Ginger Beer (to top)
Garnish: Strawberry

Instructions
Muddle strawberries in shaker. Add Maker’s Mark®, lemon, bitters and ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into a glass over fresh ice. Top with ginger beer and garnish with a strawberry.

 

BOGO. Kentucky Buck and a Kentucky Buck

 

[Denise T]

Happy Thursday. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet reports. 

Still enjoying my relaxing staycation. I have a massage scheduled for the day. I am also reading an actual book!

Cloudy and somewhat dreary day. Scattered showers possibly. Yesterday was a wash out. Fancy was not happy, so she stole a chicken hotdog and half the roll from my sister. She did it so stealthily that neither of us noticed until my sister picked up her plate and saw the other half of the hotdog roll. Fancy also refused to do her business when I took her out before I went to bed last night because it was pouring rain. She is such the diva. 

Thinking of all on the care list. 

Celebrating with all who are celebrating. 

Have a safe and healthy day. 

[grapau27]

48 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Continuing Dec. 28, 2016 - Yankee Harbor, Antarctica

 

That dark line in the snow is a penguin “highway”, the path they all seem to follow in or out of the water.

 

 

When our time was up we went back to the ship and all the other groups had their turn.  Everyone on the ship was excited to finally be here experiencing Antarctica.  I was watching one of the later groups come back and spotted a whale or two near the ship.  A returning Zodiac was treated with a close up look.

 

 

 

 

The afternoon was sunny so we enjoyed gazing at the scenery. 

 

 

 

 

In late afternoon DH decided to try the caviar and champagne experience he had heard about.  I'm not a fan of caviar but I am of champagne!  We ordered it for 4:30 and at the appointed time room service arrived with our tray and cold bottle of champagne.  Now this is the life!

 

 

I'm not totally sure what the accompaniments were but I think he had toasted bread, chopped red onion, chopped boiled egg yolk, and sour cream.  I just enjoyed an extra glass of champagne.

 

Later on our Captain, the wonderful D.D., was able to sail inside the volcanic cauldron called Deception Island.  The weather was calm which is a necessity due to the narrow opening to the cauldron.

 

 

And inside there you can see one of the abandoned whaling stations.  I believe this one is called Hektor, a Norwegian whaling station.

 

 

And here are some penguins on Deception Island – photo from video

 

 

Coming back out again – dramatic scenery

 

 

After dinner that evening we saw quite a few tabular icebergs.

 

 

 

Tomorrow we will set foot on the actual continent of Antarctica when we visit Neko Harbor.  Yankee Harbor is on one of Antarctica's islands so technically not on the mainland portion.

 

Stunning photos and commentary Sandi.

[grapau27]

1 hour ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Dubrovnik, Croatia is a beautiful port and a great one on any cruise of the Adriatic Sea.  We were there in 2012 on Crown Princess and in 2017 on the Westerdam.  The first time we met a young couple who were both dentists in the Army.  They went on a tour I set up in Naples and we hung out a lot in the ports of call on that cruise.  In Dubrovnik we took a cab from the ship to the Old City and walked the city walls together.  

 

 

 

You get quite the views up there.

 

 

 

 

And don't we all enjoy places like this?

 

From 2017 on the Westerdam the Franjo Tudman Bridge

 

Our view from the ship

 

On the 2017 visit we took a taxi with friends again to the Old City, but we walked back to the ship after our time spent there.  It was a nice hot August day, too, so we were pretty tired when we got back to the ship.  Going to dinner at 8 pm we stuck our head outside and took some nice sunset photos.

 

I pulled out a photo of us with our young Army dentists Abby and Jesse taken the same evening after visiting Dubrovnik.  We are both about 5 1/2 feet tall and obviously they are both about 6 feet tall.  Either that or wearing very high heels. (Note:  we've measured recently and have shrunk a couple inches).

 

Lovely photos Sandi.

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It continues to rain on and off here with temps in the forties now. I soaked beans last night for my pasta and bean soup which can be similar to today’s recipe but more chunky. I will celebrate the days and have not been to the port.

@StLouisCruisers, Sandi, I am really enjoying pictures and commentary from your Antarctic cruise. Thanks for doing this.

@rafinmd Roy, when do the treatments begin? I am sorry you have to go through this but hope it will help the situation.

Not much planned for today except soup making followed by making something for dinner. I have been looking for something different to make as Intend to repeat the old standbys.

@cruising sister, I had the same reaction to the quote this morning.  It is a tough time of year for sure. 
 

[kazu]

33 minutes ago, cruising sister said:

Today’s quote was sad for me. It was a tough holiday and it hit me this morning when reading it. I  guess I am a little melancholy over doing this long cruise by myself. 

 

I’m sorry to hear this.  I completely understand your difficulty of the holidays - especially this one 😢  Try to take some solace from the last line in the quote and know that your loved one would want you to cruise and will be with you ♥️ 

 

My friend posted this and I think it is very applicable for a number of us:

 

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is 47°F and raining here.

I have enough Apps on my phone so won't be downloading anymore today.

Today's quote is interesting especially for those of us who believe in the afterlife and our departed Loved one's will always be near us when we are feeling down.

I like most soups on cruises and Minestrone is nice.

We sailed into the beautiful Dubrovnik on Royal Caribbean Splendour of the seas in October 2014.

We sailed from Venice and also visited

Kusadasi.

Santorini.

Katakolon.

My thoughts are with everyone who is in pain today.

I hope everyone has a happy day.

 

[ottahand7]

Good morning everyone. Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Reports @kazu.    Prayers for the Holy innocents, yesterday a Greek Orthodox Church was hit in Gaza with two fatalities.  I will call some friends when we are sitting in Fort Lauderdale a few times next month, too much to do today.   I probably will download something today on my phone and delete it after viewing.   A great quote today.   I like Minestrone, I think we will have leftover Christmas turkey sandwiches.    Pass on the bitter cocktail and the wine sounds like a migraine.   Thanks in advance for the photos of Dubrovnik in addition to the ones Sandi posted.   Thanks for your photos of Antarctica Sandi.  We will have to go back and try to see it with some sunlight.   

@JazzyV I hope that you got some sleep last night and there is a plan coming together for treatment of your leg pain.   Prayers for everyone in our care list and those in war zones through no fault of their own, Ukraine, the innocents in Gaza and Israel.  Prayers for the safe return of the hostages.  @grapau27 I read the bad storm you had will be followed by a bomb cyclone so prayers everyone in GB and Ireland will avoid trouble.   

We are having our final full day at home and will begin our drive south to Fort Lauderdale tomorrow morning.  Our first stop will be Bowling Green, KY then the next night will be in Dothan, Alabama and our third night will be in Lake Nona, FL before getting to FL on New Year's Day.    We follow Sandi's advice and do not drive through Georgia on I-75.   It is a slower route but more relaxing.  Our only real traffic problem is Nashville and it will be a holiday weekend and early so it should be OK.   Last minute organizing of my bags and we will be ready to relax and watch some football today.   We will be doing a lot of listening on ESPN on satellite radio to get updates on the games.    Have a lovely day!   Nancy 

Edited December 28, 2023 by ottahand7