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Hello everyone.  Sorry to hear that some are still not feeling well. I hope upcoming doctor appointments resolve the issues.  

@JazzyV  sorry the epidural didn't work for you.  I hope the neurosurgeon has some solutions for you.

@57redbird  I hope you are feeling a bit better. Post op I also had pain - it was from the nerve being manipulated and the PT and doctor, swore to me it would get better as long as I did the PT.  I used ice packs to address the pain, especially at night and that helped.  The PT was correct, it did get better over time but it took awhile for  me to be totally  pain free.  I was not expecting that reaction at all to the surgery as my DH had it a couple of years before and had no pain the day after the surgery.  The one thing I can tell you is you must walk and do the stretches that you get from the PT - even though you may not want to, in the long run it does work.  

Yesterday was not so bad for rain but very windy. I managed to get a walk in before it started drizzling on and off for the rest of the day. Today has been rain squalls with wind on and off again - with a heavier rain. For some reason where we live we don't get as much rain as other areas of Florida,  it goes south of us and north of us. It looks like Fort Lauderdale is getting hammered with the winds and rain.  I am glad I am not on a ship today as I do get sea sick.  I was sea sick  on our September trip to Alaska when we were in the Gulf of Alaska with a huge storm which caused us to divert our path.  Luckily the Dramamine worked for me but it was not a fun time.  Going outside did help a bit but it was too cold to stay on our balcony or on the outside decks.  

Not much on the agenda today. My DH is happily watching multiple football games and plans to do the same tomorrow, which should be another rainy day.  

My DD and grandkids come later this week and the weather should be better. We are looking forward to having them for the holidays. We have a full house for the remainder of the month and into January with various family coming.  It is a fun time but exhausting.   My DH and I have a cruise planned at the end of January to recover - it will be nice to be served and get a break from cooking, cleaning and laundry.

Love the quote, no on the meal, drink and wine.  We have been to Sydney on a cruise but no digital pictures.  It would be a place I would love to go back to but the flight was so long I don't think we will be going again.  I know we could cruise there but right now we can't do that long a cruise- I can only take long vacations in our summer and the cruises all go in the winter.  I still work and have no plans to retire anytime soon.  

Please a hold on the cabin and then call Hal on Monday they can take the hold to a booking and then you can transfer to your travel agent. 

@seagarsmoker  Sorry you can't leave today- I hope that the trip down tomorrow is fine for you.  It looks like the weather is going to be wild here tomorrow.  I know FLL is always worse than us and they are predicting terrible flooding there.  We are already getting weather alerts.  

2 hours ago, seagarsmoker said:

Good morning dailyites and thank you for the daily report.

Going to pack today as we are leaving early tomorrow morning for Florida.

For those who watch the sailaways, the weather this weekend looks bleak. If we leave between 4 and 5 on Sunday, we should be on our balcony. We are in cabin 7084 (port side, right across from the Neptune lounge), which is close to the middle of the ship. With the NA being delayed by two days, I wouldn’t be surprised if they delayed our cruise as well. If I hear anything today, I will let everyone know.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

    

I would consider leaving today vs tomorrow.   The weather is supposed to be awful with torrential rains and wind - today it is only very windy with drizzle.  We also have a flooding alert for tomorrow.   Just be safe whatever you decide to do.  

@Sharon in AZ  Have a wonderful anniversary today.

Awful weather in Florida today and for the weekend. I hope everyone who is coming to this area to cruise makes it in - Saturday is scheduled to be the worst day.  My son was supposed to be visiting today from the NY area but we told him to re schedule since there really is not much to do in the pouring rain and wind.

@StLouisCruiserssorry about the passing of your cousin. It is hard to lose family members even if we didn't see them often.

@RMLincoln Glad that you made it to Texas have a wonderful time at all the celebrations.

@Cruzin Terri Sorry to hear about your medical issues. One of my closest friends has the temporal arteritis and the treatment is the steroid you are on.   She is much better now and was weaned down from the steroid and is now totally off - she was put on a new medicine which has been controlling everything for her.  I hope that you don't have to go this route but I did want you to know that there is a treatment for it that works.  

I have PT on the agenda for today and not much else.   Work has been slow - given what I do which centers around the school calendar. I imagine most people are busy planning for the holidays.

Sending healing thoughts to all and a Bon Voyage to those with cruises. How exciting for those with long cruises coming up.  

1 minute ago, igar39 said:

We are becoming increasingly concerned about driving from Central Florida via the turnpike Friday.  There are flood warnings for the hotel where will be staying.   Anyone else concerned about the flooding. situation?  Called hotel and they say their parking lot does flood. 

The turnpike should be fine since it is west of the areas that usually flood.  I wouldn’t park in the lot though as torrential rains are predicted for Saturday and the area around the airport floods. I think the cruise port lot has high levels for parking so I would do that. My only worry would be if it is full.  
 

Another suggestion is to stay west of the port and take an Uber to the port. You can even stay in palm beach there is a nice Hampton inn on military road and gateway Blvd and across the street from loads of restaurants. Then Uber to the port, it is about 45 minutes away.  I think there are also some holiday inns as well but we haven’t had guests stay there.  

I hope this helps. 

2 hours ago, 0106 said:

We usually travel with only a carry on.  I realize it may be 100F in Buenos Aires and 32F or lower in Antartica.  I may need to check a bag for our cold weather gear.  I plan on layering.  With regards to packing, just wondering, as you cruise, if there is anything you are extremely happy you brought or something you wish you would have brought.

 

Wishing on time flights and the ability to sleep during your transatlantic.

Bring long underwear for Antarctica - very lightweight and an easy layer to pack.  Also REI sells a great low turtle neck top that is windproof - so layer is long underwear, the turtle neck (you can use any one but you need to cover your neck)  fleece and rain proof/wind proof shell to go over it all. Hat and gloves are critical.  Water proof hiking shoes - this takes the place of sneakers so make sure they are comfortable.    In Antarctica it is the wind more than the cold that you must be concerned with in their 'summer'.  I had bought hiking pants that converted into capri's so no need to double pack.  I also wore them for casual nights with a nice button down sun shirt - long sleeve that I wore for 'cold' and warm weather. I wore my long underwear underneath the button down shirt if I was cold.  It was also nice that I could take it off if the weather changed when we were out - and stuff it in my backpack.  

One other note - I don't want to post the links - but for those of you in the NY/NJ/CT area there are three fabulous exhibitions at the Metropolitan Museum of Art- one is on women designers and the two others are about impressionist art and the fauvists.  For the latter two there are great you tubes posted on the Mets web site that take you through the exhibit and I highly recommend them.  I wish I could visit but we can't manage a trip to NYC right now having just been there for my granddaughter's baby naming.  Now all the family is coming here for the holidays. 

I sincerely hope everyone is feeling a bit better. @JazzyV I really feel for you having suffered with back pain.    My doctor  - who did the surgery - referred me to a pain specialist  last year and the pain specialist helped me survive until I had my surgery.  Perhaps you can get a referral to a pain specialist from the neurosurgeon since even if the doctor recommends surgery it often takes time to have the procedure.  

So glad to see so many packing for long cruises.  I hope everyone has a fabulous time and posts about their travels, assuming you all have internet.

Jackie- glad to hear that you are all fine and the weather has passed. It looked like quite the storm in your area.  

Terri- sorry to hear about your medical issues. I hope your doctors can help you get back on track.

Terry - I am amazed by all you do for your family.  I also think you should take some time for yourself as the caregiver also needs care and a break from responsibilities and time to mourn as well.  It is okay to spend the day 'in bed' so to speak - I call them pajama days.  

@cruising sister I feel for you about your niece but can't you tell her this is not a good time for you and you would love to facetime vs an in person visit?  When I read the advice columns the advice they give is to be able to say no - not that I am good at this but it is an aspiration.  

Not much on the agenda today. I am still suffering the s/x of the RSV vaccine - my arm is very swollen and I feel 'off'. I have to drive my DH to the eye doctor, do a few errands and then home for the day. Luckily I work remotely (P/T) so no office to go into and I can work my own hours.  Like you @Cruzin Terri I have to do the driving now.  We also sold our 2nd car last year since it was just sitting in the driveway.  The only time we need a car is when our kids come to visit but renting a car is a lot less expensive than maintaining a second car for their short visits.

I had better go and get ready to start the day.  Sending healing thoughts to all.  

If you want a lot of activities and large production shows then I don't think Holland America is for you.  We sailed Celebrity for years and years but really didn't like their newer ships.  I did not like having to walk in the sun vs a promenade deck and having no forward area of the ship that I could actually get to.  I also find the new non veranda - verandas absurd.  I do not want a large glass window that opens in my room vs a separate veranda.  Also prices on Celebrity for these non veranda rooms are much higher than HAL's real veranda rooms.    I will also say as someone with food allergies I found HAL staff to be much more accommodating.   On my last cruise with  Celebrity I had to send back my food multiple times and I ended up eating way after everyone had left the dining room.  This was the last straw for us, and this was pre Covid.  

2 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

OMG!!!!!  How adorable she is!  Welcome to the world Maeve Grace. 

She is beautiful. Hope Mom is also doing well.  Sorry to hear that Murphy has more issues - please let this baby have a break!!

Sorry to hear that so many are still in pain.  

1 hour ago, seagarsmoker said:

Good morning Dailyites and thank you for the Daily Report!

My interview went well yesterday, timewise, I was the first of several more as I imagine it will be a while before I know if I have made it to the second round.

Starting to get some of the small items sorted out for our cruise. I printed our boarding pass and put the luggage tags in plastic holders. We will drive on December 16 to Florida and spend some time with my uncle and cousin whom we have not seen since doing this in March. Then get up early on Sunday morning, get on the turnpike and drive to Port Everglades. Will keep my toes crossed that entire drive we can get a parking spot in the Palm Garage in the port. If nothing is available, we will probably park at the airport and take a taxi to the port.     

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Glad to see that you had a job interview - hope you get this  job if that is what you want.  For parking at the cruise terminal rather than worrying about there being a spot you can make a reservation to park at a number of  places near the airport and they have a shuttle to the cruise port.   https://parkbytheports.com/port-everglades-parking/. https://www.bookparkngo.com/

@StLouisCruisersCongratulations on Ren's acceptance.  

@rafinmd glad to hear your are on the train and on your way home.

@JazzyV I hope you get treated for your pain.  I don't know how you live with this pain every single day.  Hopefully the MRI will answer the questions and get you a good treatment plan.

@marshhawk glad to hear your oxygen finally came but sorry your cruise wasn't what you wanted.

@Sharon in AZ Glad that your surgery went well.  

@rafinmd Glad you are on your way home. Wishing you safe travels and hope you are feeling a lot better.

Baby Murphy looks adorable and what a fighter she is.  I hope her journey to health and getting home continues.

Sorry to hear that people are still waiting for needed medical things.  It seems that our health system is getting worse and worse.  A 3 week wait to read a test is inexcusable - these tests can reveal life threatening conditions!! Also @marshhawk I can't believe you still haven't gotten your needed oxygen.

Today was a busy day with work in the afternoon and loads of errands in the morning.  I work remotely so I can make my own hours.  I usually walk everyday but today I just couldn't get it together so instead I made a nice meatloaf (haven't had one in years) and my DH made home made mashed potatoes.  It turned out great.

Tomorrow we have a repair person coming for our front door and then some additional errands and then work.

@JazzyV I hope you get a good sleep tonight and may it be pain free.  

Safe travels to everyone. @Nickelpennyyour trip to Hawaii looks fabulous.  

@kaku  thank you so much.

Sorry to hear so many people are having issues and the awful weather doesn't help.  

We are back from our trip to NY/NJ - it was a quick trip to go to our newest granddaughter's baby naming.  It was fun but I find traveling exhausting now even though our planes were on time.  Our next trip will be a bit easier since we only have to drive to the port.  

@rafinmd I hope you get discharged from the hospital shortly. I know you don't like to fly but did you consider it and perhaps ship your car to MD.   A lot of people use car transport companies so if you need one post here and if you give me an email address I can send you the name of the companies we use.  

@kazu - hope all your visits went well - a favor to ask- we are going to Amsterdam this summer and wondered if you can share the name of the canal trip company you used. I can't seem to find it. I thought I had saved the link but I guess I didn't.  

Glad to hear that heating and electric got fixed.  @JazzyV I really don't know how you do a house with so many levels given your back/leg pain.  I hope that you find a solution and that the house gremlins stop!!  

I am hoping everyone had a wonderful holiday today however it was celebrated. I am thankful today for this wonderful group of people.  I love traveling with you to all the different ports that I will probably only see through your pictures.  I also want to thank you for all the caring  and friendship that is shown to all who come here whether we post a lot or not.  

39 minutes ago, bdawg76 said:

I am doing the Eastern Caribbean 11 day cruise on the Eurodam departing FLL on December 9.  It's my first cruise!  I'm going with a friend of mine from high school.  We're in our late 40s.

 

I'm scuba certified and would like to dive at 2 or 3 of the ports of call.  It seems like most of these places have decent but not absurdly great diving so there's not too much to differentiate them from that respect.  So I thought it might make sense to instead see what are the best "topside" activities at each port and then scuba at the places where there's nothing above water that really floats my boat (ha!).

 

I like adventure activities the most: hiking, canyoning, etc.  I also like interesting cultural activities.  Shopping is of no interest to me.  Beaches are of minimal interest.  I'm not a big drinker.  I tend to prefer smaller group activities or exploring on my own rather than being on a big bus full of other tourists.

 

What are folks must-do activities at these ports?  We're going to Sint Maarten, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Thomas, and Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas.

 

Thanks!

I suggest you go to the board that says Caribbean and look at each port you are going to be at- there are recommendations on that board for all these ports.  Have fun and enjoy.  

In our local paper they said that the FLL airport lot is full but nothing about the cruise port lot.  I would be prepared for major traffic in the area as our roads have been a mess as usual.  

Try using Safari that seems to be the only one that works for me- Chrome and Firefox is the spinning ball.  

We loved Pompeii and Herculaneum and they are both very interesting to see. If anyone goes on a trip to this area and has some time in Naples go to the archeological museum - visit the private room where some of the risque items are kept from Pompeii.  We did enjoy the entire museum and you see the colors of the mosaics a bit better in the museum.  

We used flightease and asked for ticketing once final payment was made - it wasn't an issue.  This was well in advance of our cruise. Of course the airline made changes right up until we left and then of course our flights were delayed but we did mange to make our connections.  

Purchasing the hotel through HAL charges you almost double what you can do on your own since the rate is per person not per room.  I suggest you book the hotel on your own.  Also note that taxi fare is regulated from the airport to the hotel/cruise port so it is generally cheaper than an uber.  You need to fly in at least one to two days before your cruise leaves given what is going on with delayed canceled flights. We stayed downtown, not by the port since we wanted to walk to see the sites, and have loads of restaurants nearby.  I suggest you do a web search on one of the larger sites to see what is still available and the cost and then book through the hotel's site which is generally cheaper.  We always book a refundable rate. For airfare we did use flight ease.  We had no issues with flightease at all - we got our seats right away and when we paid final payment we asked for our airline tickets to be issued to us which HAL did.  Good luck and have fun.  Vancouver is a great city.  

3 hours ago, Haljo1935 said:

We have been notified of a very last minute port change for tomorrow. Apparently, the pier at Salerno has collapsed into the sea because of a storm. So, we will now go to Sorrento, a tender port.

Here's when it bites it to have a non-ship excursion - we have not been able to get a response from the tour company for our tour in Pompeii - ugh!

In Sorrento there is a train that takes you right to Pompeii - it takes about 1/2 hour and is an easy walk from the station to the entrance.   Wow the weather is really impacting cruises this year. I do hope you reach your excursion provider.  

There is a transatlantic that leaves  in late June 2024 that goes to both plus does the entire Canadian maritimes and ends in Boston.  It leaves from the commercial port in Amsterdam not in central city.