The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday June 20th, 2024

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

It's another beautiful morning in the PNW.  The next 3 days will hit 80 (I know that sounds cool to many of you, but it's probably our high so far this year).  Then it will cool down again.  Typical June weather, it doesn't know what it wants. 😉 Our heat won't come until July, more likely August.

 

Interesting collection of days.  I like watching surfers but wouldn't dare try it, I'm too uncoordinated.  I love lamb!  Debbie @dfish do try it on a BHB.  On the GANZ I asked the chef what their secret was to the wonderful lamb dishes we were having.  He said marinate overnight.  I would try the drink but pass on the red wine.  Have not been to Oslo, but hopefully we'll get there on the '26 World.  Thank you all for the great photos! 

 

I lived in the Bay Area during the Newport Pop Festival and DH and I were engaged.  There were many more entertainers performing than just Jimi Hendrix.  I would have loved to go, but DH, being in the Army then, wasn't allowed to attend any of "those things" happening in the late 60's. How times have changed.

 

Elizabeth @Haljo1935 My heart aches for you.  My nephew committed suicide at age 16 and my sister and BIL never, ever got over it. It affects the whole family.  Sending gentle ((hugs)).

 

Terry @smitty34877 I'm sorry to hear that Tana has a fever and headache, and especially that she has no appetite.  

 

Nancy @ottahand7 Happy Birthday to John!! 

 

 

 

 

[kazu]

Nancy @ottahand7 a very happy birthday to John. 🙂 

 

 

2 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Kidney scan this morning to determine if all my "visitors" have vacated or if I'm still waiting on another round of fun. Urology appt is a week away, so I'm hoping to get the report when it's ready & not spend the week wondering. 

 

Best wishes for a clean scan. The wait for results is frustrating but it seems that is the way it is these cays 😢 And good luck with your PT.  🤞 

 

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

@kazuI'm glad you found people to help with your yard work - there's too much for you to do by yourself, let alone with your painful leg and foot.

 

Thanks - it’s going to be costly but it is what it is.  The man I had for 30 years retired like a couple of my other contractors and all their replacements are costing 5 times as much.

 

 

 

2 hours ago, ger_77 said:

 

Thanks for your wishes for DH yesterday - the echocardiogram was uneventful.  The cardiologist wasn't there, just the technicians, so he had the procedure and we left. 

 

Glad it was uneventful.  Hopefully the results are good 🙏. Yikes on your phone.  But nice to have a much newer version.  Good luck with learning it’s ins and outs.

 

[tupper10]

@0106 sorry about not remembering if it is you who asked the question. The issue is going from one part of the huge delta terminal to the other part.  JFK only has busses and the wait can be as long as 20 minutes for this bus to get you between terminals. Some domestic  flights on delta leave from the same terminal as where the international flights come in but no guarantee of this.  It is crazy how airlines give you connections that are barely doable.

 

I haven’t read the daily. Exhausted from a long travel day.  I hope everyone is okay.  

[StLouisCruisers]

51 minutes ago, Heartgrove said:

@StLouisCruisers Sandi, I might have missed the reason for cancelling all three Greenland ports. Was it fog? I have been looking at two Celebrity cruises (NB or SB) for next year Reyjkavik via Prince Christian Sound, Greenland but may reconsider. That is the draw for us as we have been to Iceland.

Jack, the ice pack was too dense and HAL ships are not allowed in waters with more than 10% ice in them. That’s what we were told. We’ve never been to Greenland in June before but they told us it was unusually thick this year. Other times we were in Greenland were later in the summer season. You should be okay if your trip is later. 

[sailingdutchy]

Like Fred @Overhead Fred  mentioned earlier we had a wonderful 6 hour walking tour while on the Rotterdam Anniversary Cruise in April of 2023  all through Oslo with a great guide Judith Kristine Hagen who showed us many very nice places in  the city .

 

And it just happened to be on my birthday , how nice is that , with great friends like Mitzi and Fred , and Temma and Lynn ! 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a great story behind this statue ,  of what happened during WWII .

 

 

 

This Park a piece of property that was owned by Gustav Vigeland a sculpturist contains over 200 sculptures by him in granite , bronze and wrought iron telling the story of birth, life and death of a whole generation

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole cycle of life around the fountain .

 

 

This monolith out of one stone block of over 55 foot high showing 121 human figures of all ages 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Opera House 

 

 

 

 

City Hall 

 

 

Time to depart and leave this very nice city , I was impressed by all the art .

 

 

Nice views going through the bay 

 

 

Nice celebration in the company of Fred and Mitzi  at night at Rudi’s 

 

 

 

Thank you all for the Daily and have a great day everybody !

Tony 😁😁

[Nickelpenny]

Good morning and thanks for the daily and fleet report.  Interesting about the "flitch of bacon"; I did do some research on it and the "day" is actually July 19th. But, hey, let's celebrate it twice!! I would test for nystagmus on students when admin suspected a student was under the influence but some times people have it because of a neurological problem.  Love surfers!!  I have to say, I asked myself Marley's question over ~15 years ago and made some major changes in my life so I heartedly agree.  When living in China, lamb was cheaper than beef so I am a fan and eat it a lot. The drink looks so pretty that I might have to try it and the wine sounds good.  Never been to Oslo (but been looking at some cruises that go there). I don't think my parents would have allowed me to go the the Hendrix concert (and in 1969 I didn't even listen to popular music; didn't even know who the Beatles were!!).

 

 

Have you ever planned to do something, started it, got sidetracked and never completed the plan?  That was me yesterday.  But I found some interesting things:  the program for my 2 conference talks (Bejing and Abu Dhabi), a bucket load of continuing education certificates, my college diploma, etc.  And I looked at 2 computers that are "dead" - A small Samsung that I can turn on and see what's on it but it needs to be always plugged in and a Macbook that turns on but has the white screen of death.  Both are ~10-12 years old but the little Samsung had some pictures on it that I don't think I have anywhere else so I transferred them over to a flash drive.  So now I want to see if someone can see whats on the Mac hard drive and get them off.  I may take the Mac apart and see what I can do with it.  It will be a fun project. And there is still one more "dead" computer to look at.  Can you tell I like technology????  LOL!!

 

Thanks @quilty964 and @JazzyV for the encouragement on my starter.  This morning the new one looked good and the original one 🤷‍♀️- I will just keep trucking on!!

@Haljo1935 I had a chuckle when you talked about your "visitors".  (and I am sorry about the day yesterday; the grief never goes away but you do learn to cope with it)

@kazu I am glad you have someone to do the "dirty work"!!

@ottahand7 Happy Birthday to John.  Is his birthday today or tomorrow?

@smitty34877 Sorry to hear about Tana and hope the hospice nurse can help.

 

Well, off to do something - who knows what it might be.  We do have dust and wind advisory along with our excessive heat warning (106-113F) for this afternoon as a storm front is moving in and there is a change of light rain.  I love the smell of the desert after it rains.

Have a great day everyone!

 

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @richwmn.

Happy First Full Day of Summer! Flitch of Bacon is an interesting tradition. Nystagmus, where the eyes move on their own sideways or up and down, is a neurologic disorder that is quite disturbing to patients. Surfing looks great, but not for me. A good quote regrading looking at one's life. I'll take the meal (lamb is good if not overcooked), yes to the first recipe for the drink and maybe to the wine (a little above my budget). I haven't been to Oslo. 

 

It's going to be even hotter today. 85F now, dew point in the 70's, and a heat index of 102. I was up late, woke up to post the Cares List, and the next thing I know it's 9AM! I want to do laundry, so I decided to strip the bed. I couldn't flip the mattress, but managed to swing it around so I'll be sleeping on a different side, and put clean sheets on. I have an overflowing laundry basket, and won't do it all today. Tomorrow will be busy with a visit to the dentist for a filling replacement, then lab work (they forgot to do the lipid panel when I went last week, grrr), then PT.

 

@StLouisCruisers Nice that there was some compensation for the missed ports, as it's not the cruise line's fault. I hope you're feeling better soon. Excellent Oslo photos.

@smitty34877 Good news that your DB is coming again to help out. I'm sorry to hear that Tana has a headache and fever. I hope it's not an infection. Hopefully she'll eat a little more too. Prayers for her and the family.

@marshhawk Sorry to hear that your sleep is so disjointed. 

@kazu I'm glad you got some help with the garden. Now hopefully you can give your leg a bit of a rest. 

@Haljo1935 I know yesterday was tough for you - hugs. I hope your scan looks good, although I'd think you'd have felt any other stones passing unless they were tiny. Good luck with PT - my place wasn't cool enough for me on Tuesday.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for the lovely Oslo photos.

@Mtn2Sea Great Oslo ship museum photos. 

@kochleffel Interesting photos, thanks.

@Overhead Fred That sculpture park is Wow!

@luvteaching Safe travels to see your DM. 

@sailingdutchy Wonderful photos from Oslo.

@ottahand7 I have DF John's birthday as the 22nd. Is that correct?

 

Prayers for the Cares List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

 

[marshhawk]

Thank you all for the pictures of Oslo, with all those museum, I know I need to go!  Well all the kittens are in, including momma Munchkin-Bob wouldnt stop growling and went to the back room, Furnando is taking it in stride, ignoring them all, and Tigger played with the babies, until he got worn out.

 

And now off to work!  Split shift today. Working  until 11 pm.

[sailingdutchy]

Just saw this today on FB , I am shocked , one of my fav’s 

 

 

Savor Special Moments On Board with Holland America + Lindt! We’re beyond excited to bring you the ultimate treat at sea!

Holland America Line and Lindt have joined forces to create a chocolate lover’s paradise. Indulge in our “Sweet Dreams” elevated turndown service featuring irresistibly smooth LINDOR truffles and enjoy exclusive desserts handcrafted with Lindt chocolate.

 

PastedGraphic-1.tiff

[Haljo1935]

RIP Donald Sutherland

[sailingdutchy]

2 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

RIP Donald Sutherland

 

One of my favourite actors I have seen so may great movies with him in it . May he rest in peace ! 

[Copper10-8]

8 hours ago, richwmn said:

 

Today is Flitch of Bacon Day,..................

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[puppycanducruise]

So sorry to read that Donald Sutherland has passed away at 88.  He was wonderful.  RIP

[Sharon in AZ]

5 hours ago, ger_77 said:

I've moved out of the stone age from an iPhone 7 to and iPhone 15, and now I have to figure out how to do things again.  Thank goodness for videos on you tube that answer many questions I had yesterday.

Gerry, I recently upgraded from an iPhone 6 to an iPhone 15!!  What an improvement. What I’ve discovered is every once in a while it will give you tips on what is new to you. I did have to research some things too. I’m still learning but so happy with it. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good afternoon.  It has been a more relaxing day after several hectic days.  I checked and we received just over 1/10 inch of rain.  The grass is still green, but the two flowerbeds are very dry, so I broke down and turned the front sprinkler on for six minutes which is about what the flower beds need.  With all our rain this spring my marigolds are growing very big.  At last, I've found something I can plant, ignore and it will still grow.

 

4 hours ago, tjcox9 said:

Several mentions of the Prinsendam reminded me that a couple of weeks ago someone mentioned Captain Roberts when he was with Windstar. And we and many others had cruised with him on the Prinsendam. We had dinner with him just the night before on the Seabourn Odyssey and I mentioned that. So, I thought perhaps those of you who have fond memories of him might like to see him today.

At the Captain's welcome

 

Honoring 20, 16 and two 15 years of service to crew members. Surprising to me was that the Doctor was the 20 year awardee.

 

I did ask Captain Roberts where he was going after the Odyssey leaves the fleet later this year, and at this time, he does not know. 

 

Thanks for the pictures and information about Captain Tim Roberts.  I was the one who mentioned s talking to him about the Wind Song.  Along with Halle Thon Gunderson, he was one of my two favorite captains when we were on Prinsendam.

 

4 hours ago, Mtn2Sea said:

 

On our last visit to Oslo, our port of the day, was on the Zuiderdam in 2023.  We visited three museums that were conveniently located next to each other.  The first was the Norwegian Maritime Museum, which has a dugout canoe that’s estimated to be 1200 years old.  Other smaller boats were also on display.  The next museum was the Fram Museum, which showcases the Norwegians polar explorers.  We were able to board the Fram, which is a three masted schooner.  This 128’ boat, which was used from 1893 to 1912 in the exploration of both the north and south poles, was most notably used by Roald Amundsen in his quest to be the first man to reach the South Pole.  The next museum was the Kon Tiki Museum that honors Thor Heyerdahl, who led the expedition in 1947 where they sailed the Kon Tiki, a balsa wood raft, 5000 miles from South America to French Polynesia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the pictures from the museums.  We also toured all three, and my favorite was the Flam.

 

3 hours ago, durangoscots said:

Good morning. They are promising rain this afternoon/evening and tomorrow.... we shall see. I have not turned off the sprinkler system as that would jinx the whole thing. Will wait until the first raindrops fall and then rush out. High today will be mid-70's which will be very nice. And it does seem to be clouding up a bit.

 

Talked to my neighbors in building 7 which is just along the hill (actually a glacial moraine)  where the mountain lions were seen. They say 2 nights ago there was a huge commotion on the hill in the wee hours of the morning.... lots of animals screaming and noise of thrashing about. No one has the nerve to go up the hill to see if there is some sort of body up there.... time will tell. The balconies on that building are close enough to the hill that an agile cat could make the leap.... glad I am further over. Oh yes, and we have had a bear sighting so the whole cast summer visitors seems to be here now. And meanwhile my not so nice next door neighbor in building 4 lets her chihuahua run loose. I have told my dogs no night time walks.

 

Have been to Oslo twice and friends took me on various tours including the ship museums. And I will eat lamb when offered. Ate a lot of it on the GANZ this year. It was very good.

 

Better take the dogs out again and pick my projects for today. Think I will skip the Thrift store run since the clouds are moving in rapidly.

 

Take care all.

 

Susan

 

 

 

Susan, I hope you get the predicted rain this afternoon.

 

3 hours ago, luvteaching said:

Good morning, 

Quick morning here as I am heading out at 9:00 AM to pick up a friend and then head to Canada to spend the day with my Mom. She's almost 98 and a going concern. You have to plan ahead to get on her social calendar. She wants us to take her to the bank, to get her lottery tickets, to the local bakery for scones, to the cemetery to clean up my Dad's headstone and then out to lunch at a local Italian place. We'll get up there about 11:00 and leave about 3:00 to come back down. It's about a 2 hour trip. 

Temps today are to hit 80F or higher so on the warm side. Yesterday was the pool and then a few errands. DS picked up the baseboards and got them painted but not sure on the schedule for installing. I may come home to some installed - he has a house key. 

Enjoy your Thursday! Just over 2 weeks to my next cruise and my friend going with me is sooooo excited. We'll be booking nail appointments today and going over a few things as I drive and she passengers. 

Karen

 

Karen, I hope you and your friend are having a good time seeing your DM, and planning your cruise on your drive.

 

2 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Same in our city. We don't need the big one and honestly the smaller one is probably still too big. But we kept the larger one because it's easier to roll out with little in it.

The challenge now is, as others said, the stuff that doesn't fit in that people set out next to the bins - it doesn't get picked up...

 

Our trash service comes once a week, and we generally have two or three bags.  We have the 96 gallon trash can, and there are times we fill it completely.  They will also take up to six 30 gallon bags left beside the trash can.  Everything has to be bagged, but they will make exceptions for boxes and bigger items.  What I like about this service is we get an email when they won't be able to do the pick up that day.

 

2 hours ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

It's another beautiful morning in the PNW.  The next 3 days will hit 80 (I know that sounds cool to many of you, but it's probably our high so far this year).  Then it will cool down again.  Typical June weather, it doesn't know what it wants. 😉 Our heat won't come until July, more likely August.

 

Interesting collection of days.  I like watching surfers but wouldn't dare try it, I'm too uncoordinated.  I love lamb!  Debbie @dfish do try it on a BHB.  On the GANZ I asked the chef what their secret was to the wonderful lamb dishes we were having.  He said marinate overnight.  I would try the drink but pass on the red wine.  Have not been to Oslo, but hopefully we'll get there on the '26 World.  Thank you all for the great photos! 

 

I lived in the Bay Area during the Newport Pop Festival and DH and I were engaged.  There were many more entertainers performing than just Jimi Hendrix.  I would have loved to go, but DH, being in the Army then, wasn't allowed to attend any of "those things" happening in the late 60's. How times have changed.

 

Elizabeth @Haljo1935 My heart aches for you.  My nephew committed suicide at age 16 and my sister and BIL never, ever got over it. It affects the whole family.  Sending gentle ((hugs)).

 

Terry @smitty34877 I'm sorry to hear that Tana has a fever and headache, and especially that she has no appetite.  

 

Nancy @ottahand7 Happy Birthday to John!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn, when DH was in the Army in 1969 in Dover, NJ, we thought about driving up to Woodstock just to see what was going on.  However, the 75 GIs at Picatinny Arsenal were banned from going to Woodstock.

 

1 hour ago, sailingdutchy said:

Like Fred @Overhead Fred  mentioned earlier we had a wonderful 6 hour walking tour while on the Rotterdam Anniversary Cruise in April of 2023  all through Oslo with a great guide Judith Kristine Hagen who showed us many very nice places in  the city .

 

And it just happened to be on my birthday , how nice is that , with great friends like Mitzi and Fred , and Temma and Lynn ! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a great story behind this statue ,  of what happened during WWII .

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Park a piece of property that was owned by Gustav Vigeland a sculpturist contains over 200 sculptures by him in granite , bronze and wrought iron telling the story of birth, life and death of a whole generation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The whole cycle of life around the fountain .

 

 

 

 

This monolith out of one stone block of over 55 foot high showing 121 human figures of all ages 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Opera House 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

City Hall 

 

 

 

Time to depart and leave this very nice city , I was impressed by all the art .

 

 

 

Nice views going through the bay 

 

 

 

Nice celebration in the company of Fred and Mitzi  at night at Rudi’s 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you all for the Daily and have a great day everybody !

Tony 😁😁

 

Thanks for the pictures, Tony.  Love the fish birthday cake.

 

43 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:

RIP Donald Sutherland

 

I was sorry to read that Donald Sutherland has died.  He was a very good actor, and we enjoyed him in many movies including M*A*S*H, The Dirty Dozen and Kelly's Heroes to name a few.

 

7 minutes ago, Copper10-8 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for the laughs and one groan today, John.

 

Lenda

 

[Copper10-8]

21 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

So sorry to read that Donald Sutherland has passed away at 88.  He was wonderful.  RIP

 

 

Carrying the Olympic flag (front right) at the Vancouver, BC 2010 Winter Olympics opening ceremony 

 

[Norseh2o]

We are spending another few weeks in the beautiful PNW watching our DD’s dog as she and family enjoy a vacation. Bacon is a favorite, I can never seem to have too much!
Oslo! We will spend a day in Oslo next month on our 50th anniversary trip onboard the Oceania Marina.
Practicing my Norwegian! 🇳🇴

 

Appreciate the great stories and updates. Prayers and thanks to the Daily-ites. 
 

[tjcox9]

10 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Thanks for the pictures and information about Captain Tim Roberts.  I was the one who mentioned s talking to him about the Wind Song.  Along with Halle Thon Gunderson, he was one of my two favorite captains when we were on Prinsendam.

 

Yes, Halle Thon Gunderson (Captain it's me again) was great. Tim Roberts is just - "it's Tim" at his noon update. We have many more days with Gunderson on the Prinsendam than Roberts but enjoyed them both. This was our second time with Tim on Seabourn. Previous one was on the Sojourn. Sojourn and Odyssey were the only two Seabourn ships he's been on. Fond memories of the Prinsendam for sure.

 

Did you happen to know CD Jan Stearman from Windstar?

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

I spent part of the morning looking at my pictures from our four visits to Oslo.  I don't think any of them are true duplicates.

 

The first three are Oslo from either the ship or looking across the bay from the three museums.

 

 

 

A few from our tour of the Flam, the open deck.  Some of the pictures are darker because of the lighting.

 

A lounge

 

The engine

 

The wheel

 

The rudder and propeller

 

The Fram Museum building

 

Some of the houses near the museums

 

The Stortinget which houses the Norwegian Parliament

 

Grand Hotel Oslo

 

The National Theater

 

Nobel Peace Center

 

Two interior pictures of the Opera House. We also walked on the roof.

 

 

Lenda

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

3 minutes ago, tjcox9 said:

Yes, Halle Thon Gunderson (Captain it's me again) was great. Tim Roberts is just - "it's Tim" at his noon update. We have many more days with Gunderson on the Prinsendam than Roberts but enjoyed them both. This was our second time with Tim on Seabourn. Previous one was on the Sojourn. Sojourn and Odyssey were the only two Seabourn ships he's been on. Fond memories of the Prinsendam for sure.

 

Did you happen to know CD Jan Stearman from Windstar?

 

 

 

We only did one Wind Star cruise on Wind Song for seven days in French Polynesia, and I don't remember the CD's name.  Jan Stearman does not sound familiar.

 

We also had more days with Captain Gunderson as he was the captain on our 2008 and 2011 Prinsendam cruises.  Tim Roberts was captain in 2016 from when we boarded until on July 20 until he left the ship in Ijmuiden on September 6, IIRC.  The word was he was going on vacation, but we later learned he was transferring to Seabourn.   I remember he stood on the pier with the port agent and watched the Prinsendam sail until she was out to sea.

 

Lenda

[Sharon in AZ]

Good afternoon. It’s been windy today and right now 106, it’ll probably get higher. Summer is working on studying for her drivers learners permit but won’t actually be driving any time soon. 
 

I like bacon and lamb chops. Costco has some great lamb chops, like mini T-bone chops, and very thick. We marinade them and grill them, yum. 
 

Graham @grapau27, I think I understand your internet problems. And your meals look delicious. 
 

Great pictures of Oslo!  
 

Sandi @StLouisCruisers, I’m hoping you feel better. What a generous compensation for the missed ports. 
 

Have a great day everyone!

[arzz]

We have cruised several times with Jan Stearman on Seabourn. Last time was 2019. Do not know where she is today. 

Edited June 20 by arzz

[tjcox9]

16 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

We only did one Wind Star cruise on Wind Song for seven days in French Polynesia, and I don't remember the CD's name.  Jan Stearman does not sound familiar.

 

Thanks. I asked because she has been with Windstar, then Seabourn for 30 years. She and Captain Roberts mentioned that ships keep getting sold when they are on them so she apparently worked with him on Windstar as well. I keep expecting her to retire but she keeps on going. Nice lady.

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

18 minutes ago, tjcox9 said:

Thanks. I asked because she has been with Windstar, then Seabourn for 30 years. She and Captain Roberts mentioned that ships keep getting sold when they are on them so she apparently worked with him on Windstar as well. I keep expecting her to retire but she keeps on going. Nice lady.

 

She could have been on Wind Song in 1996, but I don't even remember if the CD was a man or a woman.  I think I know how she and Tim Roberts feel since every time we say a HAL ship is our favorite, they sell it.

 

Lenda

[tjcox9]

29 minutes ago, arzz said:

We have cruised several times with Jan Stearman on Seabourn. Last time was 2019. Do not know where she is today. 

She was on our very recent Odyssey cruise and our 2019/20 and 2023 Quest Antarctica/South Georgia cruises. She says she is going back to the Quest after Odyssey is gone.