The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday August 28th, 2024

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone.  Thanks for all of the daily updates and thanks everyone for dropping by to say hello.  It’s a nice morning here with blue skies and a nice summer breeze rustling through the trees.  Not sure about power rangers but it’s a good day to do something thoughtful and to weed out hate.

 

I’m not so sure about the quote, I don’t think artists have any more ability to divine the meaning of life than you or I do.  Maybe certain facets of it.

 

The meal suggestion sounds delicious but I’ll pass on the drink.  I’ve had the drink before and it doesn’t grab me.

I’ve been to today’s port a couple of times but have never walked around the town.

 

Prayers for those on our prayer list.  Cheers to those who celebrating special occasions today!

 

[RedneckBob]

14 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Another local but not well known beach and our first visit here.

Is that raison bread? 

[grapau27]

1 minute ago, RedneckBob said:

Is that raison bread? 

Yes.

It is toasted and I put butter and strawberry jam on.

Very tasty 😋 

[Sir PMP]

Castries, St Lucia:

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet Update and General Info from all contributors!

 

Been to St Lucia many times. On one of our first visits some 35 years ago, another cruise ship came within two feet of backing into our HAL ship while docked in port. If we were hit I probably would still be in St Lucia! 😀

Also one time I went shopping for a belt in port; had forgot to pack one. In those days I was rather large around the waist. The largest size I could find was 34 inches; I guess since most locals were quite fit! A sales lady stated I could buy two belts and tie them together! 😀

And finally could someone tell me where I can find Dolly Parton’s twin peaks? 😀

[RedneckBob]

5 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Yes.

It is toasted and I put butter and strawberry jam on.

Very tasty 😋 

Please, your killing me!

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

We are docked in Charlottetown and planning to go pier shopping and eat mussels, a rather lazy day.  
 

@richwmn Safe travels, Rich, and I hope your cruise is super fantastic.  If anyone deserves a break and relaxation, it is you!  
 

I guess they had some wild weather back home yesterday that included a tornado.  DS Mary Jo reports a lot of downed trees and power outages.  She is going to do a walk through today of our house to inspect for damage.  Our house did not lose power, just internet.  I’m sure everything is ok.

[aliaschief]

Good morning. @richwmn Safe travels and Bon Voyage! @TiogaCruiser Laura enjoying your post on very familiar ports of call. Thanks.

Managed to unpack, wash and will start repacking today. One bag is already packed and it’s the kitchen bag. With three weeks at our time share on Poipu Beach, Kauai we bring spices, sharp knives and other supplies so we don’t have to buy over there. Our two bedroom Villa has a full kitchen and we have access to beautifully maintained gas grills throughout the complex. So we do most of our dining at Villa with a few nights at local eateries.

Friday we fly to Oakland and will spend five days with son and family. We then will all fly with son and family to Honolulu for a couple of days stay at the military hotel Hale Koa. We have arranged a private tour of Pearl Harbor on Admiral’s barge which son and wife have not seen. I will stay at hotel and entertain my three year old granddaughter. We have done this tour before and it is quite impressive and somber. Then a short hop over to Kauai where son and family will spend a few days before they visit Big Island. Sue’s twin sister will visit our last two weeks.

Enough rambling. @StLouisCruisers Sandi. Thanks for taking over Rich’s job as Editor and Chief. Have a great day. Bruce

 

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from a sunny central Texas where it is 72F and calm.  We have 94% humidity with a dew point of 70F.  As it warms up to our predicted high of 94F, the humidity should drop along with our usual afternoon build up of clouds and a very slight chance of showers.  The good weather news is it looks like we're out of the triple digit highs.  In fact, Monday and Tuesday highs are 84F and 83F before heading back to the low 90s.  I can definitely live with those temperatures.  There's not much on the agenda today.

 

I don't know enough about the Power Rangers to celebrate their day.  It is always good to be thoughtful, and I wish we could weed out hate.

 

Today's quote from Novalis is one I do not agree with.

 

A crab roll might be good, but it's hard to get good crab this far inland.  We'll pass on the drink, but I would like to try the wine if offered a glass.

 

We have been to Castries more times than I can remember, but only twice in the digital camera age.

 

In 1609, Henry Hudson discovered a very beautiful bay in the New World.

 

Martin Luther King's 1963 speech was on for the ages, and still resonates today.

 

@StLouisCruisers  Sandi, thank you for filling in for our fearless leader while he is traveling.

@richwmn  Rich, safe travels today to Seattle.

@TiogaCruiser  Laura, thank you for the pictures from Charlottetown and the very pretty PEI island.  

@cat shepard  Ann, I'm glad you decided on your next home, but hope it is not needed for many, many years.

@smitty34877  Terry, I'm glad Tana is feeling well enough to want certain foods.  Knowing you are cooking something she really wants can make cooking even more fun.  You have such a good memory of how happy your DM was on the cruise that stopped in St. Lucia.

@Seasick Sailor  Joy, I'm glad you will be able to get the new Covid vaccine.  No one in our little town has any idea when they will get the new version in, and one pharmacist didn't seem to know it had been approved.

@marshhawk  Annie, I hope the appointments with the pulmonologist go well, and there are no surprises.

@dfish  Debbie, I hope your house and property do not have any damage.

@Haljo1935  Elizabeth, I hope you are feeling better this morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lenda

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

We have been to St. Lucia many times, but only twice when we had a digital camera.  We stopped there in 2000 on the Oriana and in 2015 on the Ruby Princess.  We've also been there on the Noordam III and the Ryndam.

 

We have always rented a car or hired a taxi and driven to Soufriere.  Twice when the ship was in port longer, we have continued on around the southern tip of the island and then across the island back to Castries.  In 2015, that part of the plan was derailed because of a flat tire.  It took a while to find a place to repair the tire, but we still made it to Soufriere and on to our favorite stop, the Ladera Resort and Dasheen Restaurant.

 

Thompson Celebration (AKA Noordam III) greeted us when we arrived in Castries in 2015.

 

Castries from our balcony

 

Ladera Resort and Dasheen Restaurant are just off the road south of Soufriere.  The resort is situated so you look out between the Pitons and down on Sugar Beach.  We've toured the resort and all the rooms face the water, and are open on the water side, even the bathrooms.  However, the tubs/showers have shower curtains on both sides.  These were all taken from Dasheen.

 

 

The hotel

 

Their gardens and a memorial to 9/11 in the gardens

 

Soufriere

 

Coast lines

 

Lenda

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, smitty34877 said:

 

@cat shepard, Ann, we are happy to report increased feistiness here in the form of food demands! I am always happy to make whatever Tana wants and today it is shrimp salad. Fortunately I had nice shrimp in the freezer and the other needed items to make it. The other craving today was for potato leek soup which I will need to go to the store for. I am hungry already!

 

Have a great day today.

 

Terri & Tana, this is music to my ears. 

[kochleffel]

I'm not even sure what a power ranger is but I approve of the other two days.

 

No crab rolls for me, please, but I'll take a Sazerac whenever it's ready. For a Cabernet Franc blend, I'll suggest Element Winery's Cuvee #2, $33. "This wine was a barrel selection of wines that showed off the bright, fresh juicy qualities we look for in early consumption. It was blended and allowed to rest in tank for a few months to integrate before bottling without filtering or fining. These wines are meant to be drunk young (by our standards) and fresh. A blend of Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, and a touch of Blaufränkisch, that is bright, fresh, and fruit forward for youthful consumption."

 

St. Lucia was on the itinerary for a cruise I booked, but was changed to Antigua. That was one of the ports where I was too ill to go ashore.

 

 

 

[Cruising-along]

Good morning all!

Three good days, although I don't know a lot about Power Rangers -- the DGSs may have had some of the action figures.  I'll salute being thoughtful and weeding out hate.  I disagree with the quote, will pass on the red wine and the drink.  The meal sounds great -- I prefer crab over lobster anyway.  I'm not sure if we've been to Castries, so no photos.

 

The weather looks great for as far as the forecast goes, lots of sunshine and will heat up again in a few days.  A typical late summer/early fall forecast for the area.  

 

DH has several appointments today and we'll also check with our local Haggen pharmacy to see if they have the Covid vaccine.  Their website only mentions flu shots, so I'm not too hopeful.  Will check with Costco too.  

 

Welcome home Maureen @RMLincoln!

Debbie @dfish I hope your house is ok, good that your sister can check on it.

Elizabeth @Haljo1935 I hope the stone passed without too much pain.

 

 

[Overhead Fred]

The harbor at Castries viewed from a tour to Howelton Estate (March 2022) - 

 

[richwmn]

using the in flight wifi, it looks like we are somewhere over western Tennessee, on the way to an on time arrival at SeaTac. 

This morning was an easy ride from the hotel to the airport. The only (small) problem was that the driver kept reminding the two passengers to tip, and there was a big sign reminder as well.

I had a small surprise when I checked in my bags. It seems that Delta, and maybe others, has changed the rules (again). In the past I have put my laptop without the battery in my checked bag. I had to remove it and carry it thru TSA today.

TSA today wasn't too bad. I may have missed it before, but there was a separate line for Delta Sky Priority that was pretty short. I got thru quickly and was at the gate by a little after 8am for the 10am flight. We were ready for leaving a bit early except someone was in the bathroom and held us up.

The wifi on the plane is pretty good, so I am catching up on a few things.

Hope everyone has a good day!

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Sandi, thank you Eva, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work.  And thank you everyone for being here!

 

Today we have the physical therapist doing a home visit. Sue is bringing DSIL home temporarily to see what equipment she will need. She will probably be released sometime between tomorrow and Saturday according to the rehab center director.

 

Stay Safe, and prayers for those in need.

 

- Jack

[Mtn2Sea]

 

On our last visit to St. Lucia, which was this past February, we got off the Zaandam and caught a taxi to the Coal Pot Restaurant for lunch.  As the crow flies, the distance to the restaurant, which has been in business for 50 years, was short, but by land it took us about twenty minutes to get there.  Our meal was the best lunch we had during our 28 day cruise.  I used my phone to take photos and unfortunately the battery died before our food arrived.

 

 

 

The view from our table included the Zaandam in the distance.

 

A photo as we were leaving St. Lucia on our way to our next port.

[JazzyV]

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @StLouisCruisers in Rich's absence.

I've heard of Power Rangers, but don't know much about them. We should all try to be thoughtful and hate should be weeded out. Not sure about the quote. I'll pass on the meal and drink. Maybe for the wine, if someone else is buying. I was in Saint Lucia on my very first cruise, on Golden Princess, for my 50th birthday. 2 good days in history.

 

It's another hot day, high of 94F with feel like of 100F due to humidity. Schools without AC are letting out at noon. Cooling centers are open. I'm staying inside. I've been feeling really tired lately; maybe I can sneak in a nap later.

 

@RMLincoln Welcome home!

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for starting us up today. Ouch on the toe. Lovely photos from Saint Lucia.

@richwmn Safe travels, and enjoy Seattle before your cruise.

@TiogaCruiser Thanks for the PEI photos. I'll be there later this year.

@cat shepard I'm glad you found a retirement community you like, for a possible future move.

@smitty34877 I'm glad to hear that Tana has food requests! 

@Seasick Sailor I hope you don't have any bad reaction to the vaccines. Continued prayers for Bonnie.

@marshhawk Good luck with the appointments today.

@dfish I hope your house is ok.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great photos. 

@Heartgrove I'm sure DSIL will be glad when she's discharged, and having the right equipment will make things easier.

@Mtn2Sea Thanks for the photos.

@Haljo1935 I hope you're not having much pain is the stone passed.

@kazu Thinking of you.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a Toast to those Celebrating.

 

A few photos from Saint Lucia

Approaching

 

 

Environs

 

Golden Princess

 

Pitons

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Vanessa @JazzyV I think it's a sprained toe.  Pretty bruised up today.  I had to slow way down on the treadmill.  I'm just thankful it isn't broken.  I have some pretty designer shoes to wear to the wedding on Sept. 14 and if it was broken that wouldn't happen.  Lol!

[grapau27]

3 hours ago, RedneckBob said:

Please, your killing me!

Okay Bob.

I will stop the car food photos .😀👍

[GTVCRUISER]

[grapau27]

7 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Vanessa @JazzyV I think it's a sprained toe.  Pretty bruised up today.  I had to slow way down on the treadmill.  I'm just thankful it isn't broken.  I have some pretty designer shoes to wear to the wedding on Sept. 14 and if it was broken that wouldn't happen.  Lol!

Sorry to hear about your accident with your toe Sandi.

Hopefully you will be fine quickly.

[quilty964]

Good morning all.  It's a bit cooler today but still feels humid.  It's kind of dreary and dark out, but no rain is in the forecast for now.  We got our new Bosch dishwasher yesterday.  Seems you have to watch you tube to figure out how things work.  We've always rinsed well, this one says to scrape, not rinse.  It has sensors to sense how dirty the dishes are?  How does it do that??  It also connects to WI FI, and it seems the rinse cycle is only available on the connect app!  Can't figure out how to get the WI FI connected! 🤔🤪

Thanks for the reports and recipes today.  Haven't been to the port.  The meal sounds good.  I try to be thoughtful, and we should all weed out hate.  

@Haljo1935Hoping you are feeling ok today.  

@smitty34877Good to hear that Tana is requesting food! 

@RMLincolnWelcome home, hoping your cruise was great fun! 

@richwmnSafe travels and enjoy your adventure! 

@grapau27Thanks for sharing your beach and food photos!  We're close to a lake, but it doesn't look like your sea! 

@marshhawkThinking of you as you as you have MD appointments today.

Prayers that all have a good day today.    

 

[atexsix]

6 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Today is National Power Rangers Day, National Thoughtful Day, and National Weed Out Hate Day
 

Only an artist can interpret the meaning of life. - Novalis

Meal Suggestion for today - Crab Roll
Drink of the Day - Sazerac
Wine of the Day - Trapiche 2020 Iscay Malbec-Cabernet Franc (Mendoza)
Destination of the Day - Castries, Saint Lucia

Today in History:
1609 English explorer Henry Hudson, discovers and explores Delaware Bay
1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I have a dream" speech addressing the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom civil rights march at Lincoln Memorial, Washington, D.C.

Ship Locations
 

Eurodam --- 7 days, round-trip Alaska Explorer
Sitka, Alaska		0800-1600
Koningsdam --- 7 days, round-trip Alaska Inside Passage
Glacier Bay, Alaska		0700-1600
Nieuw Amsterdam --- 7 days, one-way from Vancouver to Whittier
Juneau, Alaska		1000-2130
Nieuw Statendam --- 14 days, round-trip North Cape The Midnight Sun
At Sea Destination Honningsvag, Norway		eta 08-29
Noordam --- 7 days, one-way from Whittier to Vancouver
Skagway, Alaska		0700-2100
Oosterdam --- 7 days, one-way from Piraeus-Athens to Civitavecchia-Rome
Kotor, Montenegro		0800-1600
Rotterdam --- 7 days, round-trip Viking Sagas
Goteborg, Sweden		0800-1700
Volendam --- 11 days, one-way from Boston to Montreal
At Sea Destination Saguenay, Quebec		eta 08-29
Westerdam --- 7 days, round-trip Alaska Explorer
Tracy Arm/Endicott Arm, Alaska Juneau, Alaska		0800-0830 1230-2130
Zaandam --- 7 days, round-trip Alaska Inside Passage
Vancouver, Canada		0700-1600
Zuiderdam --- 7 days, one-way from Boston to Quebec City Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island                                                                       0900-1800

Of course I have to pop in here now that you are on daily duty again, I had wondered who was going to be doing it, 60 days or so is quite a commitment.

[RedneckBob]

1 hour ago, JazzyV said:

Good morning. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily @StLouisCruisers in Rich's absence.

I've heard of Power Rangers, but don't know much about them. We should all try to be thoughtful and hate should be weeded out. Not sure about the quote. I'll pass on the meal and drink. Maybe for the wine, if someone else is buying. I was in Saint Lucia on my very first cruise, on Golden Princess, for my 50th birthday. 2 good days in history.

 

It's another hot day, high of 94F with feel like of 100F due to humidity. Schools without AC are letting out at noon. Cooling centers are open. I'm staying inside. I've been feeling really tired lately; maybe I can sneak in a nap later.

 

@RMLincoln Welcome home!

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for starting us up today. Ouch on the toe. Lovely photos from Saint Lucia.

@richwmn Safe travels, and enjoy Seattle before your cruise.

@TiogaCruiser Thanks for the PEI photos. I'll be there later this year.

@cat shepard I'm glad you found a retirement community you like, for a possible future move.

@smitty34877 I'm glad to hear that Tana has food requests! 

@Seasick Sailor I hope you don't have any bad reaction to the vaccines. Continued prayers for Bonnie.

@marshhawk Good luck with the appointments today.

@dfish I hope your house is ok.

@Quartzsite Cruiser Great photos. 

@Heartgrove I'm sure DSIL will be glad when she's discharged, and having the right equipment will make things easier.

@Mtn2Sea Thanks for the photos.

@Haljo1935 I hope you're not having much pain is the stone passed.

@kazu Thinking of you.

 

Prayers for the Care List and a Toast to those Celebrating.

 

A few photos from Saint Lucia

Approaching

 

 

Environs

 

Golden Princess

 

Pitons

 

Hello Dolly!!!