The Fleet Report and Daily for Thursday February 9th, 2023

[StLouisCruisers]

Today is National Pizza Day, Toothache Day, and Read in the Bathtub Day
 

Why does everyone think the future is space helmets, silver foil, and talking like computers, like a bad episode of Star Trek? - Tracey Ullman

Meal Suggestion for today - Vegetarian Mushroom Barley Soup
Drink of the Day - Warm Welcome
Wine of the Day - Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California
Destination of the Day - Piraeus-Athens, Greece
 

Eurodam

Willemstad Curacao, Netherlands Antilles 07:00 - 16:00
 

Koningsdam

Lahaina, Maui Island, Hawaii 08:00 - 20:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea Destination Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caic eta 2-10
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Half Moon Cay, Bahamas eta 2-10
 

Oosterdam

Port Stanley, East Falkland Island 08:00 - 17:00
 

Rotterdam

Bridgetown, Barbados 08:00 - 17:00
 

Volendam

At Sea Destination Punta del Este, Uruguay eta 2-10
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Puntarenas, Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica eta 2-10

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Sydney, NSW Australia eta 2-11
 

Westerdam

Pulau Langkawi Island, Malaysia Kedah 08:00 - 17:00
 

Zuiderdam

Sydney, NSW Australia 18:00 Depart

 

 

 

Sandi for Roy and Rich

[StLouisCruisers]

Today’s care list:

RIP Hal Sailer’s DSIL 2/3/23

RIP Cat Shepard’s nephew 2/4/23

RIP Bennybear’s aunt 2/5/23

Cruising-along’s worsening lab result

Joy’s painful diagnosis & little doctor advice

Roy slowly getting back to normal

Jacqui still with splint on problem elbow

Cruising sister surgery today after possible Covid exposure

15,000+ deaths after Turkish & Syrian earthquakes

From the rotation:

 

Marshhawk’s friend in a coma after falling

Status of Scrapnana
Status of St. Louis Sal (7/1) and JAM37 (7/7)

 

Celebrations and Shout outs:

Dailyites sleeping better!

Summer Slope gets good medical report

Casino luck for Cruzin Terri

Tupper10’s son doing well after surgery

Luvteaching’s DH out of hospital and back in rehab facility

Aliaschief in Cancun until 2/14
2 days for StLouisCruisers (Sky Princess 2/11 to 2/18)

Cruzin Terri (Oceania Sirena to 2/19), Norseh2o (Oceania Marina to 4/6), Dobiemom (Norwegian Encore to 2/12), 0106 (Rotterdam to 2/15), Lindaler and Ottahand7 (Volendam to 3/18), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12) at sea

 

[ski ww]

Don't like todays Meal Suggestion, drink of the day sounds nice, a nice wine is always welcome, have been to destination of the day more then once, nice city to walk about & make like a tourist. 

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  Up and at 'em early today but tomorrow will be even earlier because we have a very long drive ahead of us.  DH cleared some cookies from my computer yesterday and so far today things are working smoothly.  🤞  The weather this morning is 56F, cloudy, with rain expected this afternoon and evening and a high of 68.  I guess we will drive through rain tomorrow which we hate but it's better than frozen precipitation.

 

Thanks today go to Rich @richwmnwho is the creator of the Daily content.  We are the reporters and fill in the rest.  I hope Roy @rafinmd has another good day, and slept well last night.  Before we know it he will be back at his job as Rich's replacement.  Today the Care list is still long but we will pray for them all.  Besides the earthquake victims, we pray daily for the citizens of Ukraine who continue their struggle.  Prayers also for Jacqui, Joy, Tana, Sarah, Kathi, Annie and DH, Carolyn @Cruising-along, Lorraine @cruising sister, and the dearly departed of our members who passed last weekend.  If I haven't mentioned you we are still praying for our Daily family so you are definitely covered.  My memory isn't perfect but I always wish the best for you every time I read of your troubles.  🙏

 

Hurray and three cheers for those feeling better physically, Terri's @Cruzin Terricasino win, and our cruisers - those currently on one or heading to one including me.  😎  I appreciate Ann @cat shepardand Vanessa @JazzyVwho will take over for me so I can relax on my cruise.  Lenda @Quartzsite Cruiserwill look for Rich's posts for port of the day and add any photos I might have had previously.  So a salute to you gals for handling everything!🥂

 

Wow, I love today's celebration of pizza!  We just had some this week, and DH warmed the leftovers for lunch yesterday.  He barely warms it in the microwave, then finishes the job in a hot skillet on the range.  Makes it nice and crispy instead of mushy like the microwave does.  I refuse to celebrate toothache day.  Who does that?  However reading in the bathtub is acceptable as long as you don't drop your book or device in the water, so good luck!  The soup sounds delicious and I bet Debbie @dfish has some nice recipes for us.  No thanks to the drink and I don't drink red.  

 

I feel like we just had Athens recently but we haven't.  Today's port of Piraeus, Athens, Greece was listed here twice before on December 24, 2021 and July 14, 2022.  This is a popular port and I believe we have been there 5 times already.  I didn't post photos on Dec. 24 due to drive day to Ohio for Christmas, but I posted Piraeus photos last July.  There were many photos from others of Athens and I'll leave that to y'all, while I cover the port of Piraeus.  Here are the links to those dates so you can easily retrieve them.

 

 

 

Now, on to the photos!

 

On our first cruise to Athens on Crown Princess in 2012, we toured the Acropolis and Plaka.  On the Prinsendam in 2014 we were there twice, once at the beginning of the Black Sea cruise, then at the beginning of the next cruise to the Holy Land.  We stayed at a hotel a block from Pasalimani Harbor in Piraeus.  Here's a photo of the harbor taken from our lunch restaurant.  

 

 

And our lunch

 

 

In December 2018 we were crossing from Europe to the U.S. on the Pacific Princess.  Our stop in Piraeus was on Dec. 1.  We walked from the ship's dock to Pasalimani Harbor again to do some wine and water shopping.  If only I could speak Greek I'd know what these stores sold.  No clue!

 

I loved the little tree on the sidewalk with a pretty explicit warning.

 

These kitties lived right in the doorway of this residence.

 

In Greece you park anywhere your car will fit, even if it's at the intersection of two streets.  We saw a lot of double parking too.

 

 

This was the grocery store.  They had moving escalator ramps you put your cart on and it moved on up to the second or third floor.

 

 

We passed by an archaeological museum on the way back to the ship.  This was the site of an ampitheater and they had all these stone objects lining the lot.

 

The Piraeus dock where our 2019 cruise began.  It was the Emerald Princess and we enjoyed 14 days onboard.  At day 7 the rest of our family joined us in Barcelona to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversay.  We had to celebrate it during mid-summer due to everyone's school and work commitments since our true anniversary date was Sept. 6.  

 

Can't believe I finished ahead of my usual treadmill time.  Thanks for that go to DH who handles my computer problems.  I will stay in touch during my cruise because I have to read the Daily everyday.  Have a wonderful day everyone! 

[0106]

Good Morning from Barbados.  Thank you to all who make the Daily a special place with you photos and positivity.
 

Really enjoyed the scenic cruising by the Pitons in St Lucia yesterday.  Allowed on the bow.  First time I’ve been on a ship that spun around 365 degrees since Alaska.

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

 

Who came up with Toothache Day. No one wants to celebrate that except your dentist ($$$$). 😳

Now, what book should I read in a bath tub? Oh I know. Last time I threw a few ice cubes in the tub while reading Titanic. Or maybe read Run Silent Run Deep. That was a navel disaster.

 

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a great day!

Great job Sandi! 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Heavy rainfall and strong winds in our forecast for today.  A short walk for Bertie and then inside for me for the rest of the day.

 

We haven't had pizza in ages, thanks for the suggestion.  No to celebrating toothache day.  Reading in the bathtub is better than reading in the shower.😉

Interesting quote.

The meal sounds good.

Hope the drink and wine are tasty too.

I loved our visit to Athens many years ago on the Eurodam.   Hope to go back someday.

 

Prayers for everyone.

Stay safe.

[mamaofami]

Good morning everyone. If sleeping till 5am instead of 4am is sleeping better, I guess I can join the daylites who are sleeping better.

Off to see a new pain doctor today as mine is leaving and no one knows where he is going.

Stay safe everyone,

Carol

[aliaschief]

Good morning! Not much news here! We sit by the pool, use the large hot tub, cool off in the pool, sip on a cocktail and read and surf the web.  No web surfing from ten to one as we all received notice the resort will be working on their WiFi system. We still have T-Mobile!

Evidently this lounging by the pool is tiring as it sure seems lights out is eight PM!

Sue made us a delicious pizza last night which the leftovers will be our poolside lunch. 
Who would ever want to celebrate toothache day?

Thanks Sandi, Rich and Roy for making it happen and our special Food and Beverage reporters! Debbie that chicken recipe yesterday looked so good I saved it and will try on grill  at home.

 

[grapau27]

Thank you for posting today's daily reports and lists Sandi @StLouisCruisers.

It is 43°F this afternoon.

I Like pizza but had my fair share of toothache and dental work.

Today's food sounds nice.

We had a nice day in Athens during a cruise.

Prayers for everyone on the care list.

Take care tomorrow Sandi @StLouisCruiserson your long drive before your cruise.

WIshing you both have a fantastic cruise.

Graham.

[rafinmd]

Wednesday was a

ess busy  day than Tuesday but I did get out to the store and mail. and took care of a few other things at home.  Still in slow motion.  I think I slept pretty well.

 

Progress is very slow  and I am not at all likely to be up to covering for Rich before he returns.  Safe travels and Bon Voyage Sandi.

Roy

[cat shepard]

Sandi thank you for getting us started by posting the Report & Daily. Another stellar morning here. Bindi and I were treated to a group of blue herons flying overhead as we walked. I have an early mani-pedi, then Bindi walks, chores and organizing my paperwork for my tax return filing. Yesterday’s visit to the dermatologist found no issues, so I have now graduated to a checkup every six months!  What will I do with all that extra time?
 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support, especially: Jacqui, Kathi, Roy, Sarah & Tana.

Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

 

********

 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

I used the 2018 vintage info, although the 2020 has been released there is not a great deal of info available for it. The 2018 has excellent consumer and critic ratings and price just barely in my budget. I found numerous online distributors with prices starting at $42.00.

 

Winemaker Notes

A dark ruby wine with inviting aromas of cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, and cedar. A juicy mid-palate shows flavors of cherry and layers of texture. The natural sweetness of the fruit balances the bright acidity and follows through to the lingering coffee and vanilla cream-laced finish.

RP93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A barrel-sample blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep garnet-purple in color with vibrant wild blueberries, blackberries and boysenberries with red and black currants, bay leaves, lavender and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is vibrant and refreshing with a firm, grainy frame and lively finish.
Barrel Sample: 91-93

Edited February 9, 2023 by cat shepard

[aliaschief]

Good morning Roy! Here’s your morning sunrise!

 

[cat shepard]

7 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Wednesday was a

ess busy  day than Tuesday but I did get out to the store and mail. and took care of a few other things at home.  Still in slow motion.  I think I slept pretty well.

 

Progress is very slow  and I am not at all likely to be up to covering for Rich before he returns.  Safe travels and Bon Voyage Sandi.

Roy

Glad to read you are taking care of yourself, Roy! 

[summer slope]

Warm Welcome cocktail:

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 part Basil Hayden's® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
1 Egg White
1/2 part Lime Juice
1/2 part Simple Syrup
1/4 part Apple Syrup
Grated Nutmeg

Instructions
Add egg white, lime juice, simple syrup, spiced apple syrup, and Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon in a shaker. Give it a nice dry shake to mix all the ingredients together, then add ice and shake again so your cocktail is chilled when strained. The cocktail will have a nice froth on top. Grate fresh nutmeg, sprinkle on top for garnish and enjoy.

 

[ottahand7]

Good morning!  Sandi thanks again for starting us off with our daily reports.  Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Roy so glad to hear you are slowly on the mend.  

Prayers for Jacqui, Kathi and Tana and continued healing for Roy.  

Day 5 begins on the Dolphin deck.  Let's hope it is today we return to our cabin.   When I went up to get more clothes yesterday it is getting drier but there still is something in the air that induced coughing. It doesn't take much to induce coughing with me though.  We are planning to sit on our balcony this afternoon to get some sunshine and whale watch.  

Our shore excursion was fun although there were three buses at the sheep farm and the seal viewing area. First time we shared a venue with a bus from another ship.   I would think they wouldn't want mixing of germs.  Celebrity ship possibly Infinity in port with us. The city was beautiful and so were the environs of the estancia and the seal colony. It was a steppe area where we saw more wildlife on our bus ride to the farm than we had seen on our other land based shore excursions this trip. Patagonian Fox, many Rias, all kinds of land birds like quail and partridge and some prairie dog like ground squirrels.  The farm had plenty of animals to look at too including a pet Guanaco. The seals were numerous and active. Ending with some food porn. Crispy pork belly and a chef special chicken appetizer on a potato salad and a fresh veggie relish. Both were great. Have a wonderful day! Nancy 

 

 

 

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Good morning! Not much news here! We sit by the pool, use the large hot tub, cool off in the pool, sip on a cocktail and read and surf the web.  No web surfing from ten to one as we all received notice the resort will be working on their WiFi system. We still have T-Mobile!

Evidently this lounging by the pool is tiring as it sure seems lights out is eight PM!

Sue made us a delicious pizza last night which the leftovers will be our poolside lunch. 
Who would ever want to celebrate toothache day?

Thanks Sandi, Rich and Roy for making it happen and our special Food and Beverage reporters! Debbie that chicken recipe yesterday looked so good I saved it and will try on grill  at home.

 

 

Hilarious Bruce!  LMAO!

 

 

42 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Thank you for posting today's daily reports and lists Sandi @StLouisCruisers.

It is 43°F this afternoon.

I Like pizza but had my fair share of toothache and dental work.

Today's food sounds nice.

We had a nice day in Athens during a cruise.

Prayers for everyone on the care list.

Take care tomorrow Sandi @StLouisCruiserson your long drive before your cruise.

WIshing you both have a fantastic cruise.

Graham.

 

Thanks Graham!  Hope you, Pauline and Sarah are all feeling well and enjoying life.

 

 

 

29 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Wednesday was a

ess busy  day than Tuesday but I did get out to the store and mail. and took care of a few other things at home.  Still in slow motion.  I think I slept pretty well.

 

Progress is very slow  and I am not at all likely to be up to covering for Rich before he returns.  Safe travels and Bon Voyage Sandi.

Roy

 

It's good news you are getting up and out of the house, even if in slow motion.  Getting enough sleep is so important to your recovery.  We will manage somehow without your input to the Daily while you are on "sick leave".   Thank you for your bon voyage wish.

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

Sandi thank you for getting us started by posting the Report & Daily. Another stellar morning here. Bindi and I were treated to a group of blue herons flying overhead as we walked. I have an early mani-pedi, then Bindi walks, chores and organizing my paperwork for my tax return filing. Yesterday’s visit to the dermatologist found no issues, so I have now graduated to a checkup every six months!  What will I do with all that extra time?
 

 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support, especially: Jacqui, Kathi, Roy, Sarah & Tana.

Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

 

********

 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California

I used the 2018 vintage info, although the 2020 has been released there is not a great deal of info available for it. The 2018 has excellent consumer and critic ratings and price just barely in my budget. I found numerous online distributors with prices starting at $42.00.

 

Winemaker Notes

A dark ruby wine with inviting aromas of cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry, vanilla, and cedar. A juicy mid-palate shows flavors of cherry and layers of texture. The natural sweetness of the fruit balances the bright acidity and follows through to the lingering coffee and vanilla cream-laced finish.

RP93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

A barrel-sample blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Malbec, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is very deep garnet-purple in color with vibrant wild blueberries, blackberries and boysenberries with red and black currants, bay leaves, lavender and cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is vibrant and refreshing with a firm, grainy frame and lively finish.
Barrel Sample: 91-93

 

Nice to hear the dermatologist visit went so well.  Enjoy all that extra time.  🤔

 

 

 

8 minutes ago, ottahand7 said:

Good morning!  Sandi thanks again for starting us off with our daily reports.  Prayers for all on our Care list and the people of Ukraine. Roy so glad to hear you are slowly on the mend.  

Prayers for Jacqui, Kathi and Tana and continued healing for Roy.  

Day 5 begins on the Dolphin deck.  Let's hope it is today we return to our cabin.   When I went up to get more clothes yesterday it is getting drier but there still is something in the air that induced coughing. It doesn't take much to induce coughing with me though.  We are planning to sit on our balcony this afternoon to get some sunshine and whale watch.  

Our shore excursion was fun although there were three buses at the sheep farm and the seal viewing area. First time we shared a venue with a bus from another ship.   I would think they wouldn't want mixing of germs.  Celebrity ship possibly Infinity in port with us. The city was beautiful and so were the environs of the estancia and the seal colony. It was a steppe area where we saw more wildlife on our bus ride to the farm than we had seen on our other land based shore excursions this trip. Patagonian Fox, many Rias, all kinds of land birds like quail and partridge and some prairie dog like ground squirrels.  The farm had plenty of animals to look at too including a pet Guanaco. The seals were numerous and active. Ending with some food porn. Crispy pork belly and a chef special chicken appetizer on a potato salad and a fresh veggie relish. Both were great. Have a wonderful day! Nancy 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nancy, good photos of the animals, countryside and food.  Hopefully the room is still improving on dryness and smell.  Do they have an air purifier to put in there?   

[smitty34877]

Good morning. It will be a warmer day here,mid fifties with a chance of rain later.I would not celebrate toothache day and I am always relieved if there are no problems after a cleaning.I am probably  the only one in the family who likes barley soup.Pizza however is always popular!

We have not been to the port and had to cancel a cruise starting there when I was hospitalized a few days before .

@Cruising-along, Carolyn ,I was sorry to see your bloodwork  was not optimal  and hope the MD is able to help.

@Seasick Sailor,Joy. All I can say is  Whoa. I am sad that this was the only response you got.

My hip xray prior to surgery was quite problematic and I heard from two different doctors and the radiologist before I even drove home.

@marshhawk, Annie,  I hope DH is doing well and that you are also managing things well.My DH is not an easy patient either and we somehow get through it.

Take care everyone. My cousin's  son will be at the funeral of his fellow officer today.It is a hard day for NYC .

[kochleffel]

Positive covid test this morning. I've sent my doctor a message about Paxlovid.

 

I was in Piraeus and Athens in May and posted photos then, many of them of street cats. Mushroom Barley Soup is considered a Jewish specialty but most people don't include dried mushrooms, as my grandmother did, and without them it has little flavor.

 

Three minutes later: doc is sending the prescription but also wants me to have an e-visit. Because the government pays for Paxlovid, they want to do everything by the book in case of audit.

[Seasick Sailor]

Good morning Dailyites.

 

Many thanks to all who contribute. Sandi we will be missing your posts. Please try to stop in and say hello.  You always have something of interest and I enjoy you.

I pray your drive goes well and you have a perfect cruise. You deserve it!

 

Thinking of the devastating earthquake that struck down thousands. My heart aches for them. Prayers lifted to Roy, Jacqui, Tana, Kathi (hope she gives an update soon) and Graham what's going on with Sarah?

 

The luggage is finished and gone, I nearly have our weekender bags ready for the 3 days in San Diego.  We are both excited to see Ethan and hoping we have a smooth sailing out of San Diego on the 18th. Since we haven't sailed across to Hawaii before, can it be a bumpy ride? Maybe Seasick patches?

 

There's 35 minutes left before the clinic opens. I'm calling. "Not much can be done" but what CAN be done? I'll sit with my coffee and bag of frozen peas and Google it if need be. 

 

Enjoy toothache day..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessings for a great day. Be kind. Xx

[StLouisCruisers]

3 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

Positive covid test this morning. I've sent my doctor a message about Paxlovid.

 

I was in Piraeus and Athens in May and posted photos then, many of them of street cats. Mushroom Barley Soup is considered a Jewish specialty but most people don't include dried mushrooms, as my grandmother did, and without them it has little flavor.

 

Three minutes later: doc is sending the prescription but also wants me to have an e-visit. Because the government pays for Paxlovid, they want to do everything by the book in case of audit.

 

Darn, a positive Covid test!  Something we all hate to see.  Must have caught it on your 5 day NCL cruise since you just returned 3 days ago.  Props to your doctor for getting back to you right away and  I hope the Paxlovid helps.  

[ger_77]

Good morning, thanks for the Fleet Report and Daily!  I'll celebrate pizza day tomorrow, I don't know of anyone (besides dentists) who would celebrate toothache day, and I used to love to read in the bathtub.  Somehow it doesn't work well in the shower.

 

It's a cool morning out there with temps of -15C, but it's expected to go up to -5 by later this afternoon.  Yesterday we bought some ice melt and tossed it on the driveway to help get rid of the icy lumps left by the tire tracks.  Unfortunately our house sitter didn't do a great job keeping the driveway cleared of snow, but I guess we hired a house/cat sitter, not a driveway sitter.  LOL

 

@Seasick SailorI hope you're up and around and will be on your phone directly at 8AM.  You need to know what to do about your pleural effusion; is there medication you should take or something else you can do?  Your doctor sounds like a bigger pain than your cracked ribs!

@rafinmdI'm glad you're up and about, but taking things slow.  It's good that you're pacing yourself and not forcing yourself to do more than you should.

 

I'm off to wake up DH; he has an appointment this morning to discuss the results of his x rays and bloodwork from last week.  I checked online at the results in his file and he's getting older, so his joints are getting weaker, but I'll let the doctor tell him that.  LOL

 

I look forward to today's recipes, but saw that romaine lettuce was on sale, so on our way back from the doctor's office, I'll get some along with pre-cooked boneless ribs for a ribs & Caesar salad dinner at the kitchen table tonight.  And wine.

 

Prayers for the souls of the 17,000 people killed in the earthquake (and their families), as well as the people of Ukraine, and all of our Dailyites who need them.  A hearty cheer goes out to everyone with celebrations (no matter how small).

 

Smooth Sailing!  🙂🙂🙂

Gerry

 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  Tomorrow I’ll adapt today’s meal suggestion to chicken barley soup, it’s a nice way to clean out the freezer.  I can’t imagine celebrating toothache day.  I hope everyone has a good day today.