Vict0riann

Bon voyage, @VMax1700 and your DW! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it. We are booked on Oosterdam next Fall (2023) quite a similar itinerary, and then a TA, so I'm interested in your comments on the ship. I know we, too, will miss Tamarind, it is our favourite! Strange that arrival in Trieste is 1 p.m. Friday for debarkation Saturday. I wonder if it is all about the distance to Venice and all the transfers.

Good morning, Dailyites! Best wishes to all celebrating special events, and prayers for those needing them. When we lived in the States, and the children were studying the American Revolution, I read a book called "To Spit Against the Wind", about Thomas Paine. I've always remembered the title! An Englishman, he was an instigator of the revolution with his pamphlets. He once wrote: "These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated." I think that could also refer to the war in Ukraine right now. My DMIL lived in the Isle of Man for 23 years, until her death in 2005, so I have visited there many times. Pictures are all pre-digital. I will have a hunt for a few. We always stayed at the Sefton, too, from the days when it was a decrepit old hotel with terrible food, until they renovated and turned it into a modern, quiet, place. (When the TT races were on the engine nose reverberated everywhere!) We love TAs! It is always nice to have a relaxing few days crossing the ocean after a busy, port-intensive cruise in the Med or Northern Europe. Or to start one off! We have two booked for next year, and one for next month...There are some good prices now, with the Celebration Sale. I vote for a continuation of The Daily, too, maybe a change to "The Daily Fleet Report"? Others, who don't join in might be interested to at least see where the ships are. I had intended to go down to Ogden Point to see Westie when she was here, but missed her. Does anyone know if there's a webcam in Seattle?

I had a difficult time with the barium. I was told "No burping." I said "Can I throw up?" He said no....

Good afternoon, all. I have spent some time today going over the cruises we have booked to see if the prices are better on the Celebration sale. Just a bit confusing! We have been to Taipei airport. We had been in Hong Kong and wanted a stopover there, and DH said we didn't need visas, but in reality, we did. We were relegated to a little room in the airport, watched through a window, and sat there until there was a flight we could be ejected on... @JazzyV, I had my barium swallow yesterday. Not pleasant. They gave me a medicine cup of some sort of crystals that I had to hold in my mouth and then drink maybe 4 ounces of barium to "wash" them down. Yuck! Then I had to roll all around on the narrow bed to coat the esophagus, get pictures taken in a bunch of positions, and then lie on my right side with my left arm over my head. In that position they gave me 2 mini-marshmallows to swallow. Just try swallowing mini-marshmallows flat on your side with your arm over your head. It was really difficult - and no chewing the marshmallows! When I finally got that done, I had to drink a large glass of some other liquid, it seemed like some sort of flavoured creamy drink, through a straw, still lying on my right side. I was very happy when it was all over. It only took about 20 minutes.

We got that same email today - fortunately, only our return flights from Boston were done by Flight Ease (early August) and I'm not going to worry about it. I imagine we will also be hearing from our TA who organized our outgoing flights and hotels in July!

Bon voyage! 😄

Carolyn, "Morning Glory" needs a sign like this:

And the Fleet Report changed to The Daily on March 16, 2020 -

Good morning, Dailyites, and many thanks to all who post. Cheers to those celebrating and prayers for those who are not! We made it home safely yesterday afternoon, no problems with ArriveCAN, the border officer didn't even want to see our QR codes, Just hope we don't suddenly start getting emails from the government to quarantine! There is a lot of anti-ArriveCAN going around and I wouldn't be surprised if they just quit the whole thing! I had a look through the Dailies I missed and have to say "Hope you have a speedy recovery!" to Debbie @dfish after surgery, and the same to those with Covid. Love all the doggie news! Miserable weather here, today. Drizzly and dark. I hear the forecast is that we won't have any summer until at least July. Ohm well, I guess that's better than the "heat dome" we had last year.

Good morning, and thanks all for the birthday wishes for Pat. He was quite overcome with emotion!! Heading off to the ferry soon, but I just have to comment on macaroons. I make plain ones, just sugar and egg whites, baked in a low oven, for Christmas. We have them with whipped cream or sometimes , if they are broken up, with jam and whipped cream (Eton Mess). Then there are the French macarons, which are perfectly shaped, definitely not like mine, which are usually lopsided, two layered with a filling. Also coconut macaroons, which I make for gluten-free friends, although the ones in the grocery store sometimes are not. The best ones in the whole world are almond macaroons, which used to be made in a little bakery up the island, and I would stock up on them if we were in Duncan. We haven't been there for ages, so I don't know if the bakery is still there. They were melt-in the-mouth delicious. Today was a big day for me, too. I got the confirmation from HAL for our M&G on the Nieuw Statendam in July, and an appointment for my barium swallow in June. Now I can go off and enjoy shopping in Bellingham, just look out Macy's!

Good morning, Dailyites, and thank you to Rich, Roy and all who post and happy Memorial Day to the Americans on board!. That meal really sounds like a blend of nationalities. The best of all possible worlds? Pat and I both have high blood pressure and are researching the DASH diet. I think it probably would be a good thing if we go vegetarian a couple of days a week. I have/had 5 cousins I know of who have MS, all in varying degrees; one has refused all medications and is now in a wheelchair, others are all on different meds. Autoimmune diseases are the pits, and each one seems to respond differently to the available drugs. Happy birthday, Gary, @GTVCRUISER! Pat got an emailed coupon for $20 at our favourite restaurant in Bellingham, Anthony's, and we will definitely be celebrating his birthday there tomorrow. Kona was a stop on our French Polynesia cruise on Westie in 2016. Jacqui, @kazu, organized a terrific tour in a van for about 8 of us. The scenery was amazing. I hope to return! The little yellow birds enjoying a leaky hose! A sacred rock, ne touche pas!

Good afternoon , and happy Memorial Day weekend to our American neighbours. The Swiftsure sailing race took place yesterday and today there is an Ironman race here, both the first since 2019. Things are trying to get back to normal. (But not altogether - in the past all the American cousins would be up here for the weekend and we would be doing lots of entertaining!) Wonderful sermon today from Father David, Graham, as a very amateur seamstress, it hit home for me. I always needed a pattern! DD has occasionally made us an enchilada pie, but I think I prefer my own enchilada, as then I can have mine without jalapeños! @Dismomx5, so sorry your cruise didn't work out - hope the family members who did go enjoyed themselves. We always composted in our garden in Oak Bay, three bins and Pat was forever turning and aerating them. One winter a rat decided to make his/her home in one and unfortunately the pile fell in on him and we found his little body the next Spring. Other than the rat, we never added any cooked or animal matter! In this townhouse complex we have a bi-weekly private compost pickup, so we can put cooked and animal matter in it, and it is composted at an indoor facility. We also have pickups for hard plastics and paper. At a nearby school, once a month there is a recycling drop-off place for styrofoam and soft plastics. And there is a place to take electronics and small appliances to be recycled. So we have minuscule bins to be picked up for the landfill. I think I posted my pictures from Raiatea the last time it was the port of the day, my pictures are much like the others. I remember it was hot and rainy. And there were a lot of mynah birds, I had a pet mynah as a child, so I love them. We must be in a countdown, watching Westie slowly making her way up the coast, heading for Seattle to go back into service. How exciting it must be for HAL to finally have all the ships back in action! - I guess that's why there is a Celebration Sale on now... I have been having problems with CC lately, actually I don't know if it is my computer or CC, but also we are going down to Bellingham for a few days to celebrate Pat's birthday (Tuesday) so I may not be around for a bit. But you will all be in my thoughts!

You have done a stalwart job keeping us going over this terrible time, Rich. When Westerdam comes back into service next month and all the dam ships are sailing again perhaps it will be time to go back to the Fleet Report, and give you a well-deserved break!

We went to the Pinnacle Gala dinner on Eurodam last October - it must have been one of the earlier experiences, and we were not terribly impressed. US$284 for 2 people for dinner is pretty steep. Your experience had certainly progressed. It seems to be still the same menu now (May) and I think we will not do it again, until they change the menu. (And we didn't get a photo...) I did a few posts about it on my "live from" here -

And Roy, @rafinmd, as a follow-up, I now have your trick bookmarked. Ta!😄

Roy, if I have something bookmarked on my computer, it shows up as a bookmark on my iPad. My new iPhone 11 doesn't do that, there is a little symbol down at the bottom showing an open book and I can physically put a bookmark there - not so easy though. Every time there is some sort of update, though, things change! Every day I learn something new, - and then promptly forget it...

The HAL Navigator had an update just a few days ago that someone mentioned here. I don't know if that would have anything to do with it, but I went to the app store and found the Navigator again, it had a tab for update and I downloaded that. I don't know if it made a difference!🙃

Good morning, Dailyites, I've had a busy few days, but I have no idea what I've done! I did get my new glasses, but DS came by yesterday and says he will need to make some adjustments as they don't go over my ears properly. I've been thinking of you all while I did other things, Roy having a good time, and I do hope Tana enjoys the outing today! We visited Pago Pago (pronounced Pango Pango) on the old, beautiful, Statendam in 2006. Our first stop after Hawaii on our way to New Zealand. This was only our third "cruise" ever, and it was wonderful. I think we had 8 sea days in a row on the last bit to NZ! We had wonderful speakers and activities. The port I guess I went to the same market as Sandi in 2014 - even the same tents! We took a ship's tour which took us all over the island. The churches' ceilings were made of the planks from ships, I seem to remember... Fatumafuti is two islands, the story is that Fatu and Futi, two "star-crossed" lovers, were eloping, and their canoe sank and they were turned into two rocks coming out of the sea. Swimming out to this one and planting a blue flag was supposed to bring good luck. The Governor's mansion We had a great day! And they fed us local delicacies (covered with flies!)

Good morning, Dailyites. I'm thinking of, and praying for, those 19 families (so far) which have lost their children, also those injured. I wonder if this will make a difference. On the news last night the announcer said we know school shootings by name now, as @mamaofamisaid, "Columbine", "Sandy Hook", now "Uvalde". A sad commentary. Cheers to those cruising or going to cruise - I am envious, but in a little over a month we will be leaving for Europe. We got our second boosters, just have to check what we have to prove to get into England, and then the EU. We have appointments to get tested at Heathrow 3 days before the cruise, I wish they still tested at the cruise port, that worked so well in Venice last October. Pat's second favourite food (after a real Irish fry-up), is cauliflower cheese, so today's recipes sound like a great thing to try. I would even cut up the stem to add to it; it is always avoided when I make the whole thing. Or maybe add some broccoli to it as well. Cauliflower seems now to be a very versatile vegetable, they make pizza crusts with it, and the cauliflower "risotto" on the ships is excellent. Thanks to all for posting. Good luck with your booster, Jacqui, @kazu .

Very sad news. Prayers for all involved and their families.

Underneath the sixteen digit card number is another four digit number which says “PIN”. That must be it….

Sounds really blustery today in Juneau!

I had the scallops in the Pinnacle on Eurodam in October, they were delicious. I was all set to order them again on Koningsdam in March, and they were not on the menu.

Looks miserable in Juneau. I would just stay on board!

Good morning, Dailyites, and thanks for the daily news! My neighbour is in Juneau today on Koningsdam, it looks like a miserable day there. (She's the one who asked if she should take a jacket...) I told her where the free internet was, in the library right there at the dock, so perhaps she will spend the afternoon there! My prayers go out today for my CC friends and family! Good that @Cruzin Terri ate all her dinner, keep it up, Terri! Sorry about @AncientWanderer's DH. Hope the Covid is mild with no aftereffects, and Maxine doesn't catch it. Sad to lose a friend, condolences to Roy, @rafinmd. Here we are muddling along, our neighbours who moved into assisted living are having difficulties. He is now in the hospital, he became agitated and was wandering around (Alzheimer's), I think he will have to go to a more confined place. The whole residence is getting Covid boosters tomorrow, well organized, I think. I heard from @sailingdutchythat they survived the big storm, just a few trees down on their property. I think he'll be out cutting firewood for a while! We've had a beautiful 2 days, now the weather has changed for the holiday. Just a few sprinkles so far. I imagine the parade went ahead as planned. We'll see it this evening on the TV! Pat is golfing and I am doing laundry - just a regular Monday...