The Fleet Report and Daily for Saturday August 31st, 2024

[Cruising-along]

14 minutes ago, atexsix said:

You forgot about "Pax West", the gaming convention, they completely took over both convention centers in downtown Seattle.  This was going on when we did the restart cruise a few years back and it was long lines everywhere, so it was smart to avoid downtown.  I highly suggest anybody heading to port to allow plenty of extra time, it's not the weekend to be racing against the clock. 

Thanks Bruno -- I knew there would be a lot more, but I was too lazy to look things up 😉  Always something going on, but this weekend will be more.  We're glad we changed our plans from meeting Rich at the Seattle Center to his hotel now.  Staying far, far away from Seattle.

[AV8rix]

13 minutes ago, Cruising-along said:

Thanks Bruno -- I knew there would be a lot more, but I was too lazy to look things up 😉  Always something going on, but this weekend will be more.  We're glad we changed our plans from meeting Rich at the Seattle Center to his hotel now.  Staying far, far away from Seattle.

Not keeping up with the daily for a few months was not a good idea for me.  Haven't seen Rich in a couple of years so would really have liked to join y'all for lunch.  Don't really mind going down to King County once every few years 😉.  Anyway, regards to Rich.  I'm following his thread.

[Sharon in AZ]

Good morning and Happy Saturday from the beautiful Zuiderdam. We are in Quebec City and it’s embarkation day. Turn around was the easiest ever. No zero count so we could stay onboard or go into town. We chose to stay onboard. It’s raining and quite wet and cold (for me!).  So glad it wasn’t like this yesterday. We had such a lovely day. 
 

Last night was wonderful in the Pinnacle Grill. My lobster was delicious.  Thank you to Debbie @dfish for posting the pictures. We are going again this segment and if I have OBC I might get it again. 
 

It’s now 12:00 noon and it was just announced that the cabins are ready. Passengers have been embarking for about an hour. 
 

Have a good day!

[kochleffel]

I think that overdoses need more than just awareness, but that's a necessary start. In a neighboring county, a nonprofit medical organization is giving away Narcan kits at street fairs. The giveaway requires about 10 minutes of on-the-spot training.

 

No shrimp for me, please. The drink sounds like the result of an incestuous relationship between a mint julep and a whiskey sour, but is probably pretty good. A lot of Cabernet Sauvignon is grown in the FLX, but there are no bargains. I'd consider the 2021 from Dr. Frank's, $26.99. "Seductive complexity in black fruit scents, a hint of foresty dried herbs, and a touch of leather, green peppercorns and cedar spice. Polished tannins are grippy and round the fruitness, giving breath of texture, and providing a strong foundation for the fresh, mouthwatering black fruit."

 

Because of receiving the syllabus for my fall Hartford course, I've spent some time reworking the arrangements for the Panama Canal cruise. I was using NCL's air booking service for the flights, but it was past the cutoff for changing the return date, and I would have been in the air during a class session that can't be made up. My PCC advised canceling the return flight for a refund, and making my own booking for the following day. I booked the only routing that doesn't require either a redeye flight or an overnight stop somewhere en route, but it results in arriving at Frederick Douglass International Airport (Rochester) at midnight, so I'm adding an overnight stay there, as I'm not confident about a two-hour drive at that hour.

 

[atexsix]

7 minutes ago, AV8rix said:

Not keeping up with the daily for a few months was not a good idea for me.  Haven't seen Rich in a couple of years so would really have liked to join y'all for lunch.  Don't really mind going down to King County once every few years 😉.  Anyway, regards to Rich.  I'm following his thread.

I know right.  I  think we need to do a cruise critic member rendezvous sometime, we talked about it a few years ago but then the pandemic hit and everybody interested sort of scattered.

[richwmn]

2 minutes ago, atexsix said:

I know right.  I  think we need to do a cruise critic member rendezvous sometime, we talked about it a few years ago but then the pandemic hit and everybody interested sort of scattered.

Bruno, I haven't met you, but I think I would enjoy your company

[atexsix]

2 minutes ago, richwmn said:

Bruno, I haven't met you, but I think I would enjoy your company

We almost cruised with you on that restart sailing to Alaska I mentioned above but something came up for you and you needed to cancel.

 

We'll make it work eventually, I'm always booked on long Alaska runs, I just got my 2026 booked, HAL is doing one 14 day out of Seattle, the rest of the season will be Vancouver.  For 2025 I'm on the 28 day Solstice but I'm not yet sure I will be doing it because I have that Cunard cruise in September, so decisions decisions!  

[puppycanducruise]

@RMLincoln Prayers for Andrea and the baby.

 

@NextOne  Prayers for Sandy.

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

Overdose awareness is important, as there seem to be so many cases. Narcan is given out freely here, to help prevent death. Litigating lawyers are necessary. I know of diatomaceous earth, but have never used it. Good quote. Maybe on the meal, only because of the rosemary. I'll pass on the drink and take the wine. I haven't been to Raiatea. One good day and one tragic day in history. 

 

We had storms come through last night, which cooled it down a bit, but didn't help the humidity. It will be in the mid-80's today instead of 90's. More storms possible today; there's a big rib fest outside the stadium, but they say they have contingency plans if need be. I forgot to feed my starter before I went to bed, so I did that this morning. It's warm in my house, so it should double in about 4 hours and I'll mix the dough. Otherwise, just tidying up, which really means moving things around, lol. I have no plans for the holiday weekend.

 

@Tbay Bon Voyage!

@Seasick Sailor I hope your trip to Seattle is smooth. I was worried when I saw there were delays and cancellations due to weather.

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for our start today. Very nice photos from Raiatea. 

@ottahand7 Enjoy the dinner with friends.

@cat shepard Your meal last night sounds great, and the sundae looks good too.

@dfish The meals look good. I'll keep that place in mind for when we're in Quebec in October.

@grapau27 Thanks for the explanation.

@RedneckBob The spinning dolphin is cool.

@marshhawk You did have a wild night last night. I'm glad you have some time off. How is Chuck's DB Scottie doing?

@RMLincoln Prayers for DGD Andrea, the unborn baby and Andrea's DH that she and the baby will both be fine. Nice photos, especially nice to see you two.

@ger_77 I'm glad DH's neck is feeling a bit better. 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Excellent photos from Raiatea.

@superoma We appreciate your posting the daily meals.

@Haljo1935 Great news that your kitty is doing well now.

@NextOne Sad news about DSIL Sandy. I hope she will get a treatment that helps her.

@durangoscots I live near a main street in town, and all summer motorcyclists are going up and down at all hours, very loudly. Sad about the Corgi. 

@kazu Thinking of you and I hope things are going as best they can.

 

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

[irishjim]

1 hour ago, NextOne said:

I got an update on DSIL (DD DH's younger sister) last night. They found a large mass on her right kidney and several spots on her lungs. I'm sad, but not surprised because she's been a heavy smoker all of her life.

She was released while the hospital made arrangements for her to meet with an oncologists and decide next steps. She still has the Sept. 10 CT scan scheduled to see if she also has an ulcer. Please keep her in your prayers -- her name is Sandy.

Thank you!

Sandy is in my prayers.

                                  Jim.

[durangoscots]

Got some things loaded into the car for the thrift store and then a whole group of motorcyclists roared by.... so I am going to wait until Tuesday. The thrift store is right near one of the cyclists venues.  This year seems to be much louder than the past couple of years.  And there have already been a couple of accidents in town. Many of them are camped at the Fairgrounds which is located not too far from me..... I notice our road workers have beefed up the security on the road construction sites ... there must have been some problems last night. 

 

Off to make a selection of which shelf or drawer to tackle for today's sorting and (hopefully) tossing.

 

Susan

 

 

 

 

[atexsix]

29 minutes ago, Sharon in AZ said:

Good morning and Happy Saturday from the beautiful Zuiderdam. We are in Quebec City and it’s embarkation day. Turn around was the easiest ever. No zero count so we could stay onboard or go into town. We chose to stay onboard. It’s raining and quite wet and cold (for me!).  So glad it wasn’t like this yesterday. We had such a lovely day. 
 

Last night was wonderful in the Pinnacle Grill. My lobster was delicious.  Thank you to Debbie @dfish for posting the pictures. We are going again this segment and if I have OBC I might get it again. 
 

It’s now 12:00 noon and it was just announced that the cabins are ready. Passengers have been embarking for about an hour. 
 

Have a good day!

Debbie said her lobster "was a bust" in the MDR, guess the Pinnacle is the way to go then. 

[richwmn]

@AV8rix, @atexsix We are meeting at the Silver Dollar Casino around 5:30 if you can come by it would be great.

[Cruising-along]

27 minutes ago, atexsix said:

For 2025 I'm on the 28 day Solstice but I'm not yet sure I will be doing it

Hope you do come, Bruno!  Several of the Dailyites will be on it. 🙂  

[atexsix]

1 minute ago, Cruising-along said:

Hope you do come, Bruno!  Several of the Dailyites will be on it. 🙂  

Yeah I saw that, I've been booked since last spring but didn't want to say anything because it's still uncertain.  You have a lively roll call already too I noticed.

[RedneckBob]

22 minutes ago, JazzyV said:

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

Overdose awareness is important, as there seem to be so many cases. Narcan is given out freely here, to help prevent death. Litigating lawyers are necessary. I know of diatomaceous earth, but have never used it. Good quote. Maybe on the meal, only because of the rosemary. I'll pass on the drink and take the wine. I haven't been to Raiatea. One good day and one tragic day in history. 

 

We had storms come through last night, which cooled it down a bit, but didn't help the humidity. It will be in the mid-80's today instead of 90's. More storms possible today; there's a big rib fest outside the stadium, but they say they have contingency plans if need be. I forgot to feed my starter before I went to bed, so I did that this morning. It's warm in my house, so it should double in about 4 hours and I'll mix the dough. Otherwise, just tidying up, which really means moving things around, lol. I have no plans for the holiday weekend.

 

@Tbay Bon Voyage!

@Seasick Sailor I hope your trip to Seattle is smooth. I was worried when I saw there were delays and cancellations due to weather.

@StLouisCruisers Thanks for our start today. Very nice photos from Raiatea. 

@ottahand7 Enjoy the dinner with friends.

@cat shepard Your meal last night sounds great, and the sundae looks good too.

@dfish The meals look good. I'll keep that place in mind for when we're in Quebec in October.

@grapau27 Thanks for the explanation.

@RedneckBob The spinning dolphin is cool.

@marshhawk You did have a wild night last night. I'm glad you have some time off. How is Chuck's DB Scottie doing?

@RMLincoln Prayers for DGD Andrea, the unborn baby and Andrea's DH that she and the baby will both be fine. Nice photos, especially nice to see you two.

@ger_77 I'm glad DH's neck is feeling a bit better. 

@Quartzsite Cruiser Excellent photos from Raiatea.

@superoma We appreciate your posting the daily meals.

@Haljo1935 Great news that your kitty is doing well now.

@NextOne Sad news about DSIL Sandy. I hope she will get a treatment that helps her.

@durangoscots I live near a main street in town, and all summer motorcyclists are going up and down at all hours, very loudly. Sad about the Corgi. 

@kazu Thinking of you and I hope things are going as best they can.

 

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

👍👍. We were able to snorkel with several spinner dolphins in Raiatea! There were ten of us who organized an independent snorkel trip ashore for $25 each and this was one of the fishes we saw!

[aliaschief]

Greeting from Castro Valley. Going to be a beautiful day. Our flights out here were all on time. The airports were busy with holiday travelers. .The day plan is  enjoy family and a tri tip slow cooking in the smoker. Tomorrow we are going to the Oakland Zoo.

Need to go and do Pop Pop duties. 
Have a great weekend and thanks for all your contributions. B.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

2 hours ago, NextOne said:

I got an update on DSIL (DD DH's younger sister) last night. They found a large mass on her right kidney and several spots on her lungs. I'm sad, but not surprised because she's been a heavy smoker all of her life.

She was released while the hospital made arrangements for her to meet with an oncologists and decide next steps. She still has the Sept. 10 CT scan scheduled to see if she also has an ulcer. Please keep her in your prayers -- her name is Sandy.

Thank you!

 

Edi, I'm sorry your DSIL has a mass on her kidney and several spots on her lungs.  Let's hope the CT scan doesn't show an ulcer.  Sending positive thoughts Sandy's way for a good outcome.

 

1 hour ago, durangoscots said:

Good morning. Cool this morning. Fall is in the air.

 

Also in the air is the sound of motorcycles.... it is the annual rally in Durango and frankly I hate it. Last night there were cycles roaring up and down the streets until the wee hours of the morning. I am prepared for it and will be staying off the roads this weekend except for a quick trip out to the shelter with stuff for the thrift store. I will be so glad when this weekend is over.

 

The meal looks interesting as does the destination.

 

The Corgi is still missing... I am afraid he was the victim of a mountain lion. This is why my dogs are always leashed and close to me. I feel so sorry for his owner.

 

Off to load up the car and the dogs need another walk. Prayers for Andrea and baby and for Sandy and for anyone else needing them. @kazuHope things are going more smoothly for you.

 

Susan

 

Susan, I'm afraid I agree with you about the missing corgi.  Such a sad, horrible outcome.  I feel bad for his human.  Either a mountain lion or a coyote are possible culprits.  There are stories in Quartzsite about coyotes jumping fences and taking small dogs away.  I don't envy you the motorcycle noise, as we get a lot of motorcycles on the highway behind our house. 

 

1 hour ago, Cruising-along said:

Good morning all!

We're having lovely late summer weather, up to the low 80's today and lots of sunshine.  Like I told Rich yesterday, he and the others here now for the Majestic Japan cruise picked the right week!  (except for the fact that it's Labor Day Weekend, Bumbershoot, and Metallica in Seattle 2 nights!)  DS was at their concert last night, he was a big Metallica fan in high school.  He met up with some of his old friends there.  

 

Overdose awareness is always so important.  I'll pass on loving litigating lawyers -- sorry, but after working for a large firm in Washington DC I just can't.  I have a bag of Diatomaceous earth, I just need to remember to use it.

 

Not sure about the quote, I like the meal -- especially the 2nd recipe, but will pass on the red wine and drink.  We were in French Polynesia on the GANZ and came close to this port, but I think I remember it was removed from the itinerary.  It's a gorgeous part of the planet.  Probably most of us remember where we were when it was announced that Princess Diana had died.  We were having dinner at a restaurant on our way home from a week in Yellowstone.  Shocking and sad.

 

Today DH has a little more pressure washing to do, otherwise we'll just take it easy until it's time to take the drive south to meet up with Rich and his friend for dinner.  Should be a nice evening!

 

Bon Voyage @Tbay!

Welcome home @Lady Hudson!

Nancy @ottahand7 I'll say it again, I love the colors of your Daylillies!

Maureen @RMLincoln Prayers for your DGD Andrea that she has a safe delivery and healthy baby.

Welcome to the Daily @FlorenceItaly!

Elizabeth @Haljo1935 I breathed a huge sigh of relief when I read your update about kitty.  Great news!  I wonder why he doesn't want to drink water, but wonderful that the vet says he's getting enough with the wet food.  🙂  

Edi @NextOne Prayers for your DSIL who has kidney and lung masses.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carolyn, enjoy your dinner with Rich and his friend.

 

1 hour ago, atexsix said:

Good Morning,

 

The cat let me sleep until 6:30 today and then it was a quick trip to the grocery store, not going to walk today, there's mugginess in the air, and I get short of breath on those days, I should have done it yesterday, oh well, plenty of housework to do to make up for it.  

 

Bon voyage to everybody leaving for cruises!

 

I had this problem years ago, we couldn't get the cat to drink so we did just that, added water to his food and I still do it.  Now he's drinking all the time because he's a geriatric kitty and it probably means diabetes.  

 

Just warm days here brings the sound of motorcycles.  Yesterday while sitting on the deck I was thinking how pleasant it would have been without all that engine noise, so I'm with you!  

 

@NextOne prayers for DSIL.

 

@Quartzsite Cruiser I remember the aluminum tree trend in the mid-70s, I thought they disappeared decades ago but apparently they are still going strong.  I hope the horns do well, I was a fan for a number of years, my brother went to school there. 

 

I have diatomaceous earth in my gardening cupboard at all times, lots of uses for it both inside and out.

 

27 years?!  I think that's always going to be one of those events you remember exactly what you were doing when you found out about it.  

 

Prayers for everybody/thing on the list.  Bon Voyage to all about to leave for a trip. Welcome home and happy laundering day to all those returning.  

 

Have a lovely Saturday everyone!

 

 

 

 

 

Bruno, the aluminum Christmas trees started in the 1950s, and my BFF's parents won one at a company Christmas party.  They used it for several years.  You couldn't put lights on those trees.  Instead, there was a spot light with a revolving wheel of different colored plastic inserts to light the tree.  Those trees never seemed like Christmas trees to me.  Your brother picked a good school to attend, says a biased Longhorn.  Texas is starting the season at No. 4, and I hope it doesn't go to their heads.  BTW, the game is on ESPN at 2:30 CDT, but I don't know if it's a regional or national feed.

 

20 minutes ago, atexsix said:

We almost cruised with you on that restart sailing to Alaska I mentioned above but something came up for you and you needed to cancel.

 

We'll make it work eventually, I'm always booked on long Alaska runs, I just got my 2026 booked, HAL is doing one 14 day out of Seattle, the rest of the season will be Vancouver.  For 2025 I'm on the 28 day Solstice but I'm not yet sure I will be doing it because I have that Cunard cruise in September, so decisions decisions!  

 

DH and I. along with several other Dailyites are on the 2025 Solstice cruise, if that helps with the decision.  There's nothing wrong with having two cruises close together, says someone with a December cruise and a January cruise.  They just added it to the 2026 Alaska season too.

 

2 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

Cat update: leaving Vet now w/a grumpy but otherwise healthy cat. His urinalysis was good and no fever. Vet says continue trying to get him to drink, but he's likely getting enough water by way of the canned food. She says add some water to it.

Thanks for ALL the prayers - they worked!!

 

Elizabeth, that is great news your cat is doing well.  When younger DD's cat would not drink water she flavored the water with tuna, and it worked.  I guess the cat also got the tuna since DD is a vegetarian.

 

Lenda

[Sharon in AZ]

17 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Debbie said her lobster "was a bust" in the MDR, guess the Pinnacle is the way to go then. 

If I have enough OBC I’m going to try the Morimoto Espice lobster in the MDR which is the lobster Debbie @dfish had. Maybe it was an off night. 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

1 minute ago, Sharon in AZ said:

If I have enough OBC I’m going to try the Morimoto Espice lobster in the MDR which is the lobster Debbie @dfish had. Maybe it was an off night. 

 

Sharon, DH had the Morimoto lobster at least on Koningsdam last winter, and is looking forward to having it again on our upcoming cruises.  He really enjoyed it.  I had a taste, and it was good, but it was hard for me to taste the lobster with all the other flavors used.  

 

Lenda

[atexsix]

19 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Edi, I'm sorry your DSIL has a mass on her kidney and several spots on her lungs.  Let's hope the CT scan doesn't show an ulcer.  Sending positive thoughts Sandy's way for a good outcome.

 

 

Susan, I'm afraid I agree with you about the missing corgi.  Such a sad, horrible outcome.  I feel bad for his human.  Either a mountain lion or a coyote are possible culprits.  There are stories in Quartzsite about coyotes jumping fences and taking small dogs away.  I don't envy you the motorcycle noise, as we get a lot of motorcycles on the highway behind our house. 

 

 

Carolyn, enjoy your dinner with Rich and his friend.

 

 

Bruno, the aluminum Christmas trees started in the 1950s, and my BFF's parents won one at a company Christmas party.  They used it for several years.  You couldn't put lights on those trees.  Instead, there was a spot light with a revolving wheel of different colored plastic inserts to light the tree.  Those trees never seemed like Christmas trees to me.  Your brother picked a good school to attend, says a biased Longhorn.  Texas is starting the season at No. 4, and I hope it doesn't go to their heads.  BTW, the game is on ESPN at 2:30 CDT, but I don't know if it's a regional or national feed.

 

 

DH and I. along with several other Dailyites are on the 2025 Solstice cruise, if that helps with the decision.  There's nothing wrong with having two cruises close together, says someone with a December cruise and a January cruise.  They just added it to the 2026 Alaska season too.

 

 

Elizabeth, that is great news your cat is doing well.  When younger DD's cat would not drink water she flavored the water with tuna, and it worked.  I guess the cat also got the tuna since DD is a vegetarian.

 

Lenda

I remember the revolving lights on the aluminum trees, in fact you could always tell if someone had one if the drapes were open to show off the tree because it seemed to illuminate the entire room.  

 

Streaming services have ruined live sports.  First they screwed up our Sounders viewing when they went to almost 100% internet; now this year our Kraken are doing it but it's with Amazon Prime, but it's gotten so hard to track which sports can be viewed in which way, it was especially difficult for Dear Dad because he couldn't get to anything in person, but he didn't want to pay for umpteen subscriptions.  

 

The 2026 solstice was a slightly different itinerary, I looked because I thought about changing to it, but then I saw the Noordam 14 day out of Seattle, the interinary is really kewl and unique for Alaska because the ship leaves Seattle then darts all the way to Kodiak, then works it's way back down, like a mini crossing. 

Edited August 31 by atexsix

[atexsix]

38 minutes ago, richwmn said:

@AV8rix, @atexsix We are meeting at the Silver Dollar Casino around 5:30 if you can come by it would be great.

Thanks for the invite, I will certainly try.  Which Silver Dollar Casino is it? I think there's like 3 or 4.

[richwmn]

3 minutes ago, atexsix said:

Thanks for the invite, I will certainly try.  Which Silver Dollar Casino is it? I think there's like 3 or 4.

19222 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188, in the middle of all the airport hotels

 

[atexsix]

5 minutes ago, richwmn said:

19222 International Blvd, SeaTac, WA 98188, in the middle of all the airport hotels

 

10-4

[sailingdutchy]

Thank you for the Fleet Report and all the Daily news !