The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday September 23rd, 2022

[rafinmd]

1 hour ago, Horizon chaser 1957 said:

Happy Friday, everyone. Maybe a Hurricane is the one time NOT to wish I was on a BHB!

Actually, I think I would be happy with that.  A cruise ship has the mobility to get out of the path of the hurricane and the advantage of a Captain that is always watching.

 

Roy

[kochleffel]

1 minute ago, rafinmd said:

A cruise ship has the mobility to get out of the path of the hurricane and the advantage of a Captain that is always watching.

 

And generates its own electricity!

[cat shepard]

Farewell HAL. Hello Vancouver!

 

September 11th

 

We put our suitcases out before midnight, so the luggage fairies could collect them and deliver them to our hotel. But that mean our tote bags were full. And cumbersome. 
 

So we decided to do breakfast and then come back for them, before heading down to the Pinnacle Bar. My last NF latte with 1/2 pump mocha from Jezelle. I was the first in line. We were early in the Lido, too. Just a couple tables when we arrived. Boy that changed quickly. Farewell to Panca, Erlene, and Ronahlyn! We could not find Kris anywhere. 😞  Aniy refilled our coffee cups and then we headed down to the cabin. We bid farewell to Dhias and then spent down to the Pinnacle Bar. We snagged a great table by the window and were quickly joined by several groups. HAL was also using the bar as a staging area for those needing assistance. We were part of the Lime 2 group - Ho Ho tour and then transportation to your hotel. Every screen showed that ours would be the third group called, and we were. 
 

Those part of the tour were led to a separate area, and all of our forms, etc., checked. We were told where to meet our guide, and with the exception of the final turn - the directions were spot on.  I am not sure if the Canadian officer even glanced at my form when I turned it in.  Of course HAL had already vouched for our completion of ArriveCAN, so perhaps they considered us safe. When we exited the terminal our guides instructions ran out, so we were at a bit of a loss - until a young woman came yelling after us and wanted us to run in the opposite direction. We all laughed at her, but we did make our way quickly to the street. She led us across to our waiting Ho-Ho.  We were not lucky enough to get outside seats, but knew that would change as time went on. 
 

Our driver/guide was personable and very informative. Adding info to the recorded tour message. After one round trip, my friend and I decided to see if our hotel would store our totes for us, so we would no have to lug them around with us. We were thrilled to find out our room was ready!  So we checked in and headed to our room. And our luggage was already there! Of course, we were across the street from the terminal, but still…

We did a bit unpacking and then headed out for lunch. We walked down the street to Gastown, where the menu of Local Gastown - just down the street from the steam clock - called our names.

 

 

In the midst of a server rotation, we got lost in the shuffle, but our meals were wonderful and people watching was fun. We did notice the air quality was not the best, and later on we learned that the smoke from local fires gave the air quality its worst possible rating.
 

We went over to the nearest Ho-Ho stop after lunch, where we waited for 30 minutes before the next bus appeared. The woman at the wheel apologized and said there should have been at least two buses before hers. We hopped on and snagged a decent seat. Two stops later, she bid farewell and our new driver hopped on. We believe he drove us around the same four block section of Vancouver, though he did stop at the correct spots in that area. He then stopped where he got on and yet another driver got on. This one was clearly intending to give us a thrill ride! He did have all of us in the back seats laughing hysterically as we slid around on the seats and bounced over the potholes. My friend and I decided we’d had enough and went back to the hotel. The Niew Amsterdam had already sailed away! Talk about an efficient transition!

 

We did a bit more reorganizing and then headed down to the bar for a pre-dinner glass of wine. My friend had not slept well the night before, so she was hoping to find a decent place to eat close to the hotel. Well we did not factor in that it was Sunday and the first three places we checked were closed on Sunday. So we wandered down Cordova St to Steamworks Brewing.
 

It was meant to be - they had Meiomi! And they would allow us to bring our unfinished bottle back to the hotel. 😎 Our meal was really delicious. I had a sockeye salmon burger and yam fries. They even gave us a paper bag, so we wouldn’t have to walk back with a bottle of wine in our hands!
 

Back to the hotel, where we put the two wine glasses in our room to work. It was a great way to end the day. Tomorrow we were heading to Butchart Garden via the ferry, so we knew we would be up early.  I decided to shower before bed. And still slept like a log. 

 

 

 

[kazu]

45 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Actually, I think I would be happy with that.  A cruise ship has the mobility to get out of the path of the hurricane and the advantage of a Captain that is always watching.

 

Roy

 

Yes a cruise ship can get out of most of the path and escape the worst -Captain Gundersen did just that on the Prisendam - but 200 miles was still not enough - there was definitely a rough ride 😉. But even a captain as skilled as captain Gundersen could not totally  avoid this storm - the radius was too big.  Ok with me as it could have been much worse -     But there were a number suffering from Mal de Mer that day - they didn’t know what a bad storm was on a cruise ship - a story for another day.

 

Here - All the cargo ships, cruise ships, etc were ordered out of the Maritimes yesterday for their safety.

I don’t believe anything at sea is allowed to return until Sunday or Monday - it depends on the port and if they are still operational.  This is a big storm - with at least a 700 km radius from the cone.  Effects will be felt everywhere and it’s arriving.  It’s going to be a creepy night.

[Heartgrove]

6 hours ago, rafinmd said:

@Heartgrove I've always gravitated to Royal out of Baltimore because Carnival is pretty much wedded to 7-day cruises with just a couple of lame itineraries.  You scored a real gem.

 

Roy

 

 

After our VO cruise last July in Iceland, I spotted that the Carnival Legend was doing a 14-day cruise to Greenland and the Maritimes in September 2023. It would be a chance to drive instead of flying overnight for a unique cruise itinerary. Called Carnival and was told "Sold Out." I could have gone on a Wait List but decided against it. About a week later they announced a second cruise with the same itinerary but leaving two weeks earlier in August. Snagged one of the last Balcony staterooms! We have "hmmd and hawed" since booking because our stateroom is near "Camp Carnival." Maybe closer to Final Payment we will be able to move.

 

- Jack

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

58 minutes ago, kazu said:

 

Yes a cruise ship can get out of most of the path and escape the worst -Captain Gundersen did just that on the Prisendam - but 200 miles was still not enough - there was definitely a rough ride 😉. But even a captain as skilled as captain Gundersen could not totally  avoid this storm - the radius was too big.  Ok with me as it could have been much worse -     But there were a number suffering from Mal de Mer that day - they didn’t know what a bad storm was on a cruise ship - a story for another day.

 

Here - All the cargo ships, cruise ships, etc were ordered out of the Maritimes yesterday for their safety.

I don’t believe anything at sea is allowed to return until Sunday or Monday - it depends on the port and if they are still operational.  This is a big storm - with at least a 700 km radius from the cone.  Effects will be felt everywhere and it’s arriving.  It’s going to be a creepy night.

 

Jacqui  continued positive thoughts for you, your neighbors, and allmin the path of Fiona.

 

Lenda

[rafinmd]

1 hour ago, kazu said:

 

Yes a cruise ship can get out of most of the path and escape the worst -Captain Gundersen did just that on the Prisendam - but 200 miles was still not enough - there was definitely a rough ride 😉. But even a captain as skilled as captain Gundersen could not totally  avoid this storm - the radius was too big.  Ok with me as it could have been much worse -     But there were a number suffering from Mal de Mer that day - they didn’t know what a bad storm was on a cruise ship - a story for another day.

 

Here - All the cargo ships, cruise ships, etc were ordered out of the Maritimes yesterday for their safety.

I don’t believe anything at sea is allowed to return until Sunday or Monday - it depends on the port and if they are still operational.  This is a big storm - with at least a 700 km radius from the cone.  Effects will be felt everywhere and it’s arriving.  It’s going to be a creepy night.

I think I'd still rather be on a ship than in the Maritimes next week.  There are of course exceptions.  I have a friend currently on the Seabourn Quest between Montreal and Quebec.  That will be interesting.

 

Roy

[marshhawk]

[Cruzin Terri]

Good evening.

Sorry I am so late.

Today turned out to be a busy day.  We decided to go to Savannah to the flooring store to select the type of flooring we wanted.  Everyone has been suggesting Luxury Vinyl Plank throughout the house.  I was all for it until I saw it.  We had wall to wall carpeting until the flood.  Now most of it is gone and the parts that were not affected will be pulled up.  

I was disappointed with LVP because it lacks luster. I had been thinking about changing to wood, and like that look.  With the introduction of  LVP and its popularity, i was considering it.  Upon seeing it I am not impressed.  

We did see some Waterproof Hybrid Wood flooring, which has some luster and much nicer.  We decided on that.  I don’t know if we made the right choice, but we like it better.  

Here’s a picture of what we chose.

[Cruzin Terri]

I was trying to add to the prior post, but I am not sure how to do it. 

Anyway, the Master Bath is now totally gutted.   The bathtub has been taken out as well as the shower.  We now have an empty room except for the huge water extractor machine to dry the walls.

 

One of my neighbors, who has the same model house as we do renovated her bathroom and but in a large walk-in shower and a linen closet. I went over to their house and asked if I could see what they did.  They were very gracious and gave me a tour and let me take pictures of their bathroom.

I really like it and will send them to my contractor.

 

I would post it, but since it is another person’s home, I am reluctant to do so.

 

Anyway, that was my busy day.  We went out to eat because I knew I was too tired to cook anything.

 

I hope everyone had a good day.

I will now try to read all of today’s posts.

Take care and stay safe,

God Bless,

Terri

 

[marshhawk]

You all know that I love to send you at night angel memes, but the truth is with the storms that are coming to a lot of you, I thought of this, as all of you are excellent survivors after life's tragedies.

 

[Quartzsite Cruiser]

58 minutes ago, Cruzin Terri said:

I was trying to add to the prior post, but I am not sure how to do it. 

Anyway, the Master Bath is now totally gutted.   The bathtub has been taken out as well as the shower.  We now have an empty room except for the huge water extractor machine to dry the walls.

 

One of my neighbors, who has the same model house as we do renovated her bathroom and but in a large walk-in shower and a linen closet. I went over to their house and asked if I could see what they did.  They were very gracious and gave me a tour and let me take pictures of their bathroom.

I really like it and will send them to my contractor.

 

I would post it, but since it is another person’s home, I am reluctant to do so.

 

Anyway, that was my busy day.  We went out to eat because I knew I was too tired to cook anything.

 

I hope everyone had a good day.

I will now try to read all of today’s posts.

Take care and stay safe,

God Bless,

Terri

 

 

Terri, it sounds like you had a productive if long day.  I like the look of the flooring you chose.  

 

Lenda

[Cruzin Terri]

5 minutes ago, Quartzsite Cruiser said:

 

Terri, it sounds like you had a productive if long day.  I like the look of the flooring you chose.  

 

Lenda

Thank you, Lenda.

Terri

[Sharon in AZ]

1 hour ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good evening.

Sorry I am so late.

Today turned out to be a busy day.  We decided to go to Savannah to the flooring store to select the type of flooring we wanted.  Everyone has been suggesting Luxury Vinyl Plank throughout the house.  I was all for it until I saw it.  We had wall to wall carpeting until the flood.  Now most of it is gone and the parts that were not affected will be pulled up.  

I was disappointed with LVP because it lacks luster. I had been thinking about changing to wood, and like that look.  With the introduction of  LVP and its popularity, i was considering it.  Upon seeing it I am not impressed.  

We did see some Waterproof Hybrid Wood flooring, which has some luster and much nicer.  We decided on that.  I don’t know if we made the right choice, but we like it better.  

Here’s a picture of what we chose.

I love this! I think you chose a good one!

[HAL4NOW]

Just another quick update on the Bolt Creek Fire near Skykomish: Highway 2 is opening a couple days earlier than anticipated; it should open tomorrow at 10 AM. The fire continues to creep, but it was a lot quieter today and tonight than the previous 48 hours. Temperatures are expected to get back into the high 80's of the next few days and no rain in the forecast until at least Thursday.

These pictures were taken today and tonight:

 

 

 

[grapau27]

Good morning.

It is 08.25am 52°F and raining heavily here in NE England.

 

[Cruzin Terri]

8 hours ago, Sharon in AZ said:

I love this! I think you chose a good one!

Thank you Sharon.

Terri

[cat shepard]

10 hours ago, Cruzin Terri said:

Good evening.

Sorry I am so late.

Today turned out to be a busy day.  We decided to go to Savannah to the flooring store to select the type of flooring we wanted.  Everyone has been suggesting Luxury Vinyl Plank throughout the house.  I was all for it until I saw it.  We had wall to wall carpeting until the flood.  Now most of it is gone and the parts that were not affected will be pulled up.  

I was disappointed with LVP because it lacks luster. I had been thinking about changing to wood, and like that look.  With the introduction of  LVP and its popularity, i was considering it.  Upon seeing it I am not impressed.  

We did see some Waterproof Hybrid Wood flooring, which has some luster and much nicer.  We decided on that.  I don’t know if we made the right choice, but we like it better.  

Here’s a picture of what we chose.

 

Terri

 

This is gorgeous. I really love the idea of hybrid!  Hope you can share some pics after it is installed. I also love the idea of a walk in shower - with safety bars, of course. 
 

 

[cat shepard]

8 hours ago, HAL4NOW said:

Just another quick update on the Bolt Creek Fire near Skykomish: Highway 2 is opening a couple days earlier than anticipated; it should open tomorrow at 10 AM. The fire continues to creep, but it was a lot quieter today and tonight than the previous 48 hours. Temperatures are expected to get back into the high 80's of the next few days and no rain in the forecast until at least Thursday.

These pictures were taken today and tonight:

 

 

 

 

Be safe. Are the prevailing winds bringing the smoke your way?

[Cruzin Terri]

8 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

 

Terri

 

This is gorgeous. I really love the idea of hybrid!  Hope you can share some pics after it is installed. I also love the idea of a walk in shower - with safety bars, of course. 
 

 

Thanks, I am glad you like it.  I will definitely post pictures after the house is finished.  I can’t wait for that day.

As for the shower, I still have to show that to the contractor.  Probably send the pics to him and see what he thinks.  I would make some modifications but overall, love the concept.

Terri

[puppycanducruise]

@Cruzin TerriWe have flooring that looks like that, not sure if it's the same brand, but we like it.  It stands up well to traffic and doesn't show dust.

[Cruzin Terri]

6 minutes ago, puppycanducruise said:

@Cruzin TerriWe have flooring that looks like that, not sure if it's the same brand, but we like it.  It stands up well to traffic and doesn't show dust.

Thanks,  It’s good to hear that you like it.  I am especially glad to hear it doesn’t show dust.  This girl is tired of cleaning.

Terri

[HAL4NOW]

3 hours ago, cat shepard said:

 

Be safe. Are the prevailing winds bringing the smoke your way?

With the ridges and canyons and valleys in our area, even when the wind blows from the north or the south, it gets diverted and becomes an east or west wind. Because of that, each time the wind shifts or changes, the fire keeps burning back onto itself. There is so much fuel in the forest that it could do this for a year or more without any significant weather events. Since we get feet of snow every year, we don't anticipate the fire going much past October 1st. 

All of that being said, the air quality in Skykomish hasn't been too bad. Yesterday the air quality index in town was about 46. Leavenworth is about 30 miles east of us as the crow flies and their air quality was over 100, even though they are much further from the fire.