The Fleet Report and Daily for Sunday August 14th, 2022

[richwmn]

 

Today is National Financial Awareness Day, National Navajo Code Talkers Day, and National Wiffle Ball Day
 

And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it.--Roald Dahl

Meal Suggestion for today - Takoyaki
Drink of the Day - Bourbon Bonn Bonn
Wine of the Day - Rough Day 2019 Cabernet (Thracian Valley) Bulgaria
Destination of the Day - Venice, Italy
 

Eurodam

At Sea Destination Juneau, Alaska eta 08/15
 

Koningsdam

Scenic Cruising The Inside Passage
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Vancouver, BC Canada 07:00 - 16:30
 

Nieuw Statendam

Seydisfjordur, Iceland 08:00 - 20:00
 

Noordam

Whittier, Alaska 01:00 - 16:00
 

Oosterdam

Istanbul, Turkey, Galataport 16:00 -
 

Rotterdam

Rotterdam, Netherlands 07:00 - 17:00
 

Westerdam

Seattle, Washington 07:00 - 16:00
 

Zaandam

Bar Harbor, Maine 07:00 - 16:00
 

Zuiderdam

Glacier Bay, Alaska 07:00 - 16:00
 

Volendam

Rotterdam Waalhaven Ukraine Relief
 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[grapau27]

Today's sermon.

Graham 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Fleet and Daily Report.

 

Just got back from a short walk with Bertie.  It's cloudy but mild 13C this morning, should get up to 24C this afternoon.  I saw 2 hot air balloons (sorry, no picture).

 

I always try to have financial awareness.  A big thank you to the Navajo Code Talkers.  I've never played wiffle ball.

Good quote.

Not sure about the meal, will wait until I see the recipe.  I hope I'll like the drink and the wine.

We were in Venice several years ago on the Eurodam, we stayed for 3 days before the cruise, loved it.

 

Prayers for everyone.

Have a wonderful day.  Stay safe.

[grapau27]

Good afternoon.

It is still a little misty but the sun is burning the mist away and it is 70°F.

It was another nice church service this morning.

Thank you Rich for today's daily and fleet reports.

Interesting days and quote.

Food sounds nice.

We have stayed twice pre cruise in Venice and another time we got straight onto the ship from the airport.

We sailed every time on Splendour of the seas.

Prayers for everyone on our care list.

Take and stay safe.

Graham.

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for today’s Report & Daily, Rich! Had to put lights on this morning. The sun is just about to clear the trees. 
 

Thank you for keeping our lists, Roy! Morning Dailyites. My “pool party” was lots of fun, though our pool time was severely limited by a t-storm. But with good company, food & wine - we didn’t care. I grilled up some of Aldi’s butter, garlic, sea salt shrimp on skewers that were delicious.  Salad, fruit board, and some amazing appetizers & desserts made for a great meal. Off to the gym, then Aldi & need to put everything away.  Maybe pool time.
 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Stay well everyone!

 

**********

Rough Day 2019 Cabernet (Thracian Valley) Bulgaria

Fairly certain this is our first wine from Bulgaria. At least it is my first one!  Excellent consumer and expert reviews and a price that makes it easy to try. A bit elusive, but several online distributors offer it with prices starting at $10.99. The price makes it an easy one to try. 

 

Rough Day Description

A garnet color in the glass, this Bulgarian Cabernet Sauvignon has aromas of vanilla, black plum and lavender. Flavors of black cherry and black raspberry unfold in the glass. The tannins are soft and well structured, with a pleasant astringency on the finish.  TOP 100 BEST BUY!

 

Wine Enthusiast: 90 Points

[rafinmd]

Thank you for the Sunday report, Rich, and thank you Graham for Vicar David's message.  I THINK I have played wiffle ball sometime in the distant past but not sure.  I'll salute both the Navajo Code Talkers and Financial awareness.  I love the quote but have not been to Venice.  No idea what the meal is.  My alternative is Classic Caesar Salad, Prime Rib of Beef  au jus, and Baked Alaska which may well have  been my final dinner on Grand Dame (Rotterdam V) August 14, 1997.

 

Today’s care list:

Devastating news on Shadow
HorizonChaser1957 DD endangered in Taiwan
Fires near Seasick Sailor
Tana with persistent problems
ger_77 DH now covid positive
Safe travels for StLouisCruisers
RIP Koningsdam entertainer Anthony Lorenzo Hopkins 8/9/22
Crabbi Patti’s father and now son with Covid
The locks at Ijmuiden(Rotterdam diverted to at least 98/11)
From the rotation:
Atrex6 Father severely declining
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1), msmayor (5/20) and JAM37 (7/7)
Strength and healing for Kazu
Painful falls for Marshhawk, and Lindaler

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Volendam caring for refugees
3 days for Av8rix (Zuiderdam 8/17 to 8/31)
Bon Voyage Aliaschief (Rotterdam 8/14 to 8/28)
Welcome home AMRDS
Copper10_8 (Zaandam to 8/20) , Mtn2sea and kplady (Nieuw Statendam  to 8/27), and Gail&Marty (Rotterdam to 10/15) at sea
Staff Captain Sabine - Our first female Staff Captain and HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

Roy

 

[summer slope]

Bourbon Bonn Bonn cocktail:

 

Ingredients
2 parts Maker's Mark® Bourbon
1 part DeKuyper® Creme De Cacao Dark Liqueur
1 part Half and Half

Instructions
Build in a martini glass.

 

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone.

 

We dodged the rain yesterday and while it was cool and cloudy we still managed to have a great picnic with the family and the traditional kick ball game.  It is staying cool and cloudy today, but no rain in the forecast.

 

Takoyaki  is a ball-shaped Japanese snack made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus (tako), tempura scraps (tenkasu), pickled ginger (beni shoga), and green onion. The balls are brushed with takoyaki sauce (similar to Worcestershire sauce) and mayonnaise, and then sprinkled with green laver (aonori) and shavings of dried bonito (katsuobushi).

Yaki comes from yaku, which is one of the cooking methods in Japanese cuisine, meaning 'to grill', and can be found in the names of other dishes in Japanese cuisine such as okonomiyaki and ikayaki (other famous Osakan dishes).

Basically, it is eaten as a snack or between meals, but in some areas it is served as a side dish with rice.

It originated and became popular in Osaka around 1935 (according to wiki) and then spread to greater south-central Japan and beyond.

It’s one of the most popular Japanese street foods along with Okonomiyaki.

Takoyaki is usually sold by street vendors, convenience stores, supermarkets, food courts, and of course specialty restaurants. In Osaka, takoyaki stands can be easily found throughout the city.

It is usually served with slightly salty takoyaki sauce, which goes well with beer and other alcoholic drinks. Therefore, many Izakaya restaurants serve takoyaki on the menu.

https://www.justonecookbook.com/takoyaki-recipe/

 

Takoyaki need quite a few ingredients and a specialized pan, but I think it’s worth it. You can find a takoyaki pan on amazon.com or you can use an ebelskiver (Danish pancake) pan. As for the insides, octopus is classic, but feel free to put in shrimp, chicken, or whatever savoury filling you like. Some like to do a combo of octopus, squid and shrimp. You can also throw in some mozzarella cheese to get an crispy toasted cheese outside with an extra gooey cheesy inside. If you’ve never seen takoyaki being made, do a youtube search, it’ll give a good starting point for how to flip the little balls around.

https://iamafoodblog.com/takoyaki-recipe/

 

 

The differences in recipes is very slight, but I'll offer one more.  https://tasty.co/recipe/takoyaki

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day.

 

 

[grapau27]

20 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you for the Sunday report, Rich, and thank you Graham for Vicar David's message.  I THINK I have played wiffle ball sometime in the distant past but not sure.  I'll salute both the Navajo Code Talkers and Financial awareness.  I love the quote but have not been to Venice.  No idea what the meal is.  My alternative is Classic Caesar Salad, Prime Rib of Beef  au jus, and Baked Alaska which may well have  been my final dinner on Grand Dame (Rotterdam V) August 14, 1997.

 

Today’s care list:

Devastating news on Shadow
HorizonChaser1957 DD endangered in Taiwan
Fires near Seasick Sailor
Tana with persistent problems
ger_77 DH now covid positive
Safe travels for StLouisCruisers
RIP Koningsdam entertainer Anthony Lorenzo Hopkins 8/9/22
Crabbi Patti’s father and now son with Covid
The locks at Ijmuiden(Rotterdam diverted to at least 98/11)
From the rotation:
Atrex6 Father severely declining
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1), msmayor (5/20) and JAM37 (7/7)
Strength and healing for Kazu
Painful falls for Marshhawk, and Lindaler

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Volendam caring for refugees
3 days for Av8rix (Zuiderdam 8/17 to 8/31)
Bon Voyage Aliaschief (Rotterdam 8/14 to 8/28)
Welcome home AMRDS
Copper10_8 (Zaandam to 8/20) , Mtn2sea and kplady (Nieuw Statendam  to 8/27), and Gail&Marty (Rotterdam to 10/15) at sea
Staff Captain Sabine - Our first female Staff Captain and HAL’s likely first female Captain(I know this is a repeat but she’s worth it)

Roy

 

Thank you Roy for today's lists and your thanks for vicar David's sermon.

Graham.

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is my earliest ever, taken on my one cruise aboard SS Rotterdam V.  It was taken August 14, 1997 as we steamed the inland passage from Seward to Vancouver:

 

 

Roy

[4966and556]

Thank you for the Daily Fleet Report.  

 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Thanks for the info. 

[ottahand7]

After a long day of rain yesterday it appears to be clearing.  A day off from watering the potted plants.  I just picked several Fodor's travel guides from eBay at the post office so I enjoyed reading them while watching horse racing.  

@richwmnthanks for the Daily Reports. A compilation of enjoyment for all of us.   @rafinmdthanks for tracking all the celebrations and illnesses for all to know about.  I am restricted on wifi time for now it is a great way to keep up with what is happening.  Today's drink, wine and meal are all a pass for me but I look forward to them every day.  Look forward to seeing some photos of Venice.  Have a great day!

[aliaschief]

We were driven by private hire to Rotterdam and now on board the MS Rotterdam on packed and enjoying the beautiful weather on our SB aft veranda..Boarding was quick and no one seemed to care about boarding times. In fact we actually got through everything and we all questioned did anyone check our vaccination and Covid test result?

 

We enjoyed a quiet lunch in the MDR and at 2:30 we have unpacked, sorted through three weeks of dirty laundry, visited our Muster Station and laying back and watching the river traffic awaiting sail-away.

 

Not sure how WI-Fi will be affected but will try and keep you apprised of our daily travels. In today’s world it’s always a relief when you make it onboard through all the protocol and obstacles.

 

Thanks Rich for the Daily and for all our friends on the Daily.

 

Bruce

Edited August 14, 2022 by aliaschief

[swin26]

Thanks for the report.  We were supposed to be boarding the Rotterdam today for two weeks, but canceled awhile ago.  Just not ready to cruise yet. We are heading to Amsterdam and Paris tomorrow for a two week land trip, but still feel a bit sad today.  I hope someone does a live report, so that I can follow along.  

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  Another nice day, hopefully the promised rain comes later this week.  I’ll pass on today’s meal suggestion although I have no idea what we will have.  DH made the stop and the Lego store and picked up a Batmobile and an Imperial Star Destroyer.  Picked up a Shark vacuum cleaner and it seems to work just fine.  I hope to get in some yard work today and then water in the evening.  I hope everyone has a good Sunday.

 

[HAL Sailer]

On October 15, 1999 we slowly sailed on the Rotterdam into Venice through the main lagoon something no longer allowed for large ships. The pilot boarded just after 7am, we sailed past Piazza San Marco about 7:45am, and docked at the Racino di Maritima Dock about an hour and a half after first entering Laguna Veneta.

 

Silently slipping past San Marco.

The Rotterdam at dock.

 

In Venice, we toured…

St. Mark's Basilica

 

The Bridge of Sighs

 

The Scala d'Oro (The Golden Stairs)

 

And, of course, enjoyed a gondola ride.

 

 

 

-Melisa

[GTVCRUISER]

Happy Sunday 🙂 from San Diego 

[marshhawk]

Good Sunday Morning Dailyites!  I am financially aware that I am one of those Americans that live pay check to pay check, (so I went back to work to get another pay check.) I did play wiffle ball, but never took it seriously, and I believe that we should appreciate the Navajo Code Talkers everyday for the work that they did during WWII.

 

@grapau27Thank you so much for Father David this morning.  I need that type of fire.  And I never knew the history of matches.   So thank you!

 

So far today looks like a quiet day, no plans for me, I might go out and hack down some shrubbery that is currently eating my  Adirondack chairs that are in the corner of the driveway.

 

DH has been watching a Netflix show called Alone.  Where you go out into the wilderness, along with the bears, and try to live alone.  Building your own shelter, catching and eating your own food.  The one who stays the longest wins money.  They are in the wilderness on a lake in BC, and it is fall, with winter coming in.  When you are ready to call it quits, you call on a special phone, and they come get you.  Most folks so far have left because they have realized that family and health is more important than money.  I think everyone on the Daily already know that.

 

Breakfast today is some fresh mango and a granola muffin.  No cooking this morning for me!  Yeah!

Today I am going to be praying for the renewal to sanity to humans.  The news of the world needs a good reboot.

[lindaler]

Good morning all. Thanks Rich and all who contribute. Finished my lawn work so today is a do what I want day. Of course I do that every day but still, it sounds good. 28 days until I fly to Seattle to join my sister and visit Alaska. Then she will fly back with me to spend a week here in Mobile. In those days I have to close on son's house, get him moved, set up furniture for sister to enjoy guest room, paint said room, and a slew of other items. I keep reminding myself that I can only do what I can and be happy with that. Have a great Sunday. 

 

[aliaschief]

Like I stated earlier it’s a beautiful day in Rotterdam and this is our view.

The locals are hoping that tomorrow’s forecast actually brings some much needed rain.

 

 

[Seasick Sailor]

Blessed Sunday Daily-ites. Thank you Graham for Father's message. 

 

Still reeling from our Jacqui's post last night. Prayers lifted, Roy's care list is getting longer again. Hoping Gerry doesn't wake to covid this morning. 

Bon Voyage to Bruce and the girls. Beautiful city pictures of Rotterdam. 

 

Had girls over last night for Mahjongg and a few other games. At 8:30 it was still too warm to sit out on the patio. Praying for rain! Today is our water day so going to take advantage of it by adding more water to our poor trees.

 

Not ever going to try the meal of the day but would love to sit at the table with Roy and share Ceasar salad, prime rib, and baked Alaska. 

 

Finally today is a nothing on the calendar day, so going to enjoy it!

 

Sending prayers and Cheers. Xx

Edited August 14, 2022 by Seasick Sailor
.

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, HAL Sailer said:

On October 15, 1999 we slowly sailed on the Rotterdam into Venice through the main lagoon something no longer allowed for large ships. The pilot boarded just after 7am, we sailed past Piazza San Marco about 7:45am, and docked at the Racino di Maritima Dock about an hour and a half after first entering Laguna Veneta.

 

Silently slipping past San Marco.

The Rotterdam at dock.

 

In Venice, we toured…

St. Mark's Basilica

 

The Bridge of Sighs

 

The Scala d'Oro (The Golden Stairs)

 

And, of course, enjoyed a gondola ride.

 

 

 

-Melisa

Nice photos of yourselves and Venice Melisa.

Graham.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

Good morning from sunny central Texas.

 

The Navajo code talkers were instrumental in winning the war in the Pacific in WWII. I believe we are financially aware, and we've never played whiffle ball.

 

Today's quote is interesting.

 

We'll pass on the meal and the drink.  The wine sounds good, and we've had some good wines from eastern Europe.

 

We have been to Venice several times.  It was the port of the day on June 17, 2021.  If you posted pictures that day and do a search for Venice, I found my pictures on page 21 of the search.

 

@cat shepard  Ann, I'm glad the party was a success.

@aliaschief  Bruce, thanks for the pictures.  Glad you three and your luggage all made it safely to the ship.

@lindaler  Linda, it sounds like you have a busy few weeks until your Alaska cruise.

@marshhawk  Ann, enjoy your day off.

@HAL Sailer  Melisa, I enjoyed your pictures of Venice.

 

Pictures from June 17, 2021:

 

The problem with many visits to Venice there are just too many to choose from.  We were there in 2016 and 2017 on the Prinsendam, and in 2019 on the Veendam.  So my pictures will be a mix from five visits, and will have to be broken up between two posts.

 

A couple of pictures as we sailed into port on the Veendam.

 

In 2016, during our first time in Venice, we got to the Doge's Palace ahead of the tours, and managed to get a senior ticket that included three other museums. The first picture is looking out the Bridge of Sighs toward the lagoon, which was the last look at the city for most prisoners.  The second picture is a repeat, but it puts the first one in perspective..

After the three other museums, we headed to the Campanella with advice to be back down before noon as the bells are deafening.  In the last pictures, you can see the Prinsendam "in front of the X ship.

 

On our second call there was after Venice had three days of heavy rain, and St. Marks Square was underwater.  We bypassed the area, and found a dry route to some of the back streets.

 

On another visit, we took a gondola ride, but without the singing.

 

We have also toured the Opera house.

 

One  of the streets away from the Grand Canal.  

 

There was an art festival one time we were in Venice, and there were various temporary displays around the city.  This one was on the Grand Canal.

 

Lenda

Edited August 14, 2022 by Quartzsite Cruiser