The Fleet Report and Daily for Friday February 24th, 2023

[StLouisCruisers]

Today is National Tortilla Chip Day, Paczki Day in Poland, and World Bartender Day
 

If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one? - Abraham Lincoln

Meal Suggestion for today - Grilled Halibut and Summer Squash with Pumpkin Seed
Drink of the Day - Paloma
Wine of the Day - Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay Canoe Ridge Estate, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington
Destination of the Day - Reykjavik, Iceland
 

Eurodam

Dry Dock Bahamas Bahamas until 3/3
 

Koningsdam

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii Island 08:00 - 19:00
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

Grand Turk Island, Cockburn Town, Turks and Caicos 14:00 - 22:00
 

Nieuw Statendam

Key West, Florida 10:00 - 19:00
 

Oosterdam

Valparaiso-Santiago, Chile 07:00 - 16:00
 

Rotterdam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 2-25
 

Volendam

At Sea Destination Fortaleza, Brazil eta 2-25
 

Zaandam

Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala 10:00 - 20:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

Auckland, New Zealand 07:00 - 16:00
 

Westerdam

At Sea Destination Singapore eta 2-26
 

Zuiderdam

At Sea Destination Port Louis, Mauritius Island eta 3-02

 

 

 

Sandi for Rich and Roy

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[RedneckBob]

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

It’s RNB, “Sleepless in Tampa Bay”.

 

Three of my favorite days today. In fact I have a little jingle that goes with today days. Here goes.

 

Nacho Nacho man. I want to be a nacho man.

Give me some tortilla then you add some cheese

Add a few spices pass the nachos please

Then open up a cold one to wash down the paczki

It’s a great experience while I am at my home ski.

 

I promise I will go to my therapist today!

 

As far as the City of the day in Iceland I was there in 2010 and 2012. Interesting short story. Did the Golden Circle tour and as part of trip went to geysers. Several of us approached this large geyser that appeared to be ready to erupt. There was this rope and I mean only a rope acting as a fence to keep you away from the geyser but it was only 20 feet away. The hot water began to bubble then in an instant the geyser shot up and we all at once realized we were too close and down wind. All I can remember is someone yelling, “Run for your life RedneckBob”. 

Edited February 24, 2023 by RedneckBob

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  It is 66F again this morning, and will be cloudy today, a chance of showers and a high of 74.  Similar to yesterday but we had more sun yesterday.  I'm feeling very little soreness from my exercise with the weight machines at the gym yesterday.  Maybe I'll go again tomorrow.  

 

Thank you Rich @richwmnfor the Daily and Fleet Report content today.  Which brings to mind Roy @rafinmdwho I hope had a good night's rest.  For myself, I remember waking up at 11:30 (flight arrival time), 12:30, 3 am, and 4 am.  Maybe I got some sleep in between so that is worthwhile but a ridiculous sleep pattern!

 

Today is National Tortilla Chip Day which I like a lot.  We eat way too many chips but it doesn't seem to have affected us any so will continue that I'm sure.  Also Paczki Day in Poland, and World Bartender Day.  Hurray for Paczkis which everyone was celebrating here on Tuesday, weren't we?  Also I salute the bartenders because I would be terrible at that job.  Love the funny quote from Abraham Lincoln, say no to the halibut and chardonnay, and whoa to the Paloma.  I read they are quite strong.  

 

Prayers today for our Care list people, also the trouble spots in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, New Zealand, and let's not forget the people of East Palestine, Ohio who have dealt with so much worry and possible health troubles for the past three weeks.  You wouldn't want what they had happen to them in your town.  🙏  Congratulations to all on the Celebration list who are cruising, preparing to cruise and for any other accomplishments in your lives.  🥂  Special thoughts go out to Annie @marshhawk, Chuck and Neko.🙏

 

Our port today is the ever popular Reykjavik, Iceland.  We had it posted here by Rich on May 19, 2021 and Dec. 3, 2022.  Here are the links to those dates so you can retrieve your photos.  I'll post mine right afterward.  

 

 

Reykjavik is a fine city to visit.  Our first visit there was on Emerald Princess in 2011, second visit was on Caribbean Princess in 2015, third visit was on Seabourn Quest in 2018, last visit was on the Covid cruise Island Princess in June 2022.  On the 2018 Quest cruise we actually started our cruise in Reykjavik so flew over a day early to spend the night there.  That made the stay there a little more interesting because we had more time.  We have also flown through Reykjavik several times on our way to Europe.  On the 2018 flight to Reykjavik from Boston we had a TV news personality and his family on the flight with us.  DH spoke to him while they waited for luggage to show up at the carousel.  After hearing our cruise plans, he said he wished he was going on our cruise with us, but he didn't have that amount of time off, so they were going fishing there in Iceland.

 

For those who haven't been to Iceland yet, one of the best tours you can take is a Circle Iceland tour.  Sometimes they call it Golden Circle tour and other times Grand Circle tour.  The point is they take you outside of Reykjavik to see the geysers, waterfalls, and volcano site.  You will probably also see the Icelandic horses in the countryside.  They take you quite a distance on these tours so it will take a long day in port to achieve it.  We took a private tour with CC roll call members our first time in Iceland.  I recommend it for a good overall look.

 

A photo of the famous Hallgrimskirkja church which I took in 2018.  The weather was perfect for our overnight visit so we saw pretty blue skies which made all our photos better.  You must see this church when you visit Reykjavik! 

 

 

Another place that Reykjavik is famous for is the Blue Lagoon.  I have never had an interest in going there in the past, but if I continue to visit this city I have a feeling I will end up there someday.  I might even find I like it!  

 

A typical street scene.  

 

The second stop on the Golden Circle tour was the Pearl, a dome with stunning views of the city from the panoramic 360 degree platform.  The dome sits atop the huge tanks in which natural hot water is stored for heating the city.  Inside is a rotating restaurant, a cafe and a museum.  At least it did in 2011 when we visited there.

 

 

 

Driving around the island you saw scenery like this.

 

We stopped to see the tectonic plates which divide Europe from North America.  At least I think that's what they told us.  This would be a good thing to do some research on when I have nothing else to do.  Right...

 

 

Heading towards the geyser areas we saw scenery like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then to the Gullfoss waterfall.

 

 

Then we drove to another waterfall, name unknown but I did take a photo of this sign just before we arrived so it could be a clue.

 

 

Last stop was to see this volcanic cauldron.

 

Before we got to the cauldron we were looking at some Icelandic horses in the fields.  In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return.  This is a poor photo of them but we had an accident with a farm dog who ran into the road and had to stop and see to him.  The horses were forgotten at that point.  

 

A photo taken in 2015 which I've never repeated on my trips there.  Maybe this street no longer has the rainbow on it.  It's a heavily traveled street with lots of shops on it and as you can see, at the top of the hill is the Hallgrimskirkja church.

 

On the 2015 visit DH was under the weather that day so I walked all over town by myself.  I took my umbrella along and at the end it started to pour rain.  Lucky I had it as I walked back to the bus shuttle area to get back to the ship.

 

I took this photo of this waterside sculpture on that rainy day.  Note the rainbow starting behind it.

 

And here it is in 2018.  

 

During the beautiful weather in 2018 we visited a small botanical park in town.

 

 

 

 

 

ahh, the flowers!

 

 

For dinner we went to a restaurant for pizza and a bottle of wine.  Cost was about $70USD.  Not a cheap place to visit but they take credit cards so you don't have to have local currency.

 

Well now that I see that yummy pizza I'd better get downstairs and get on that treadmill for my 2.5 mile walk.  Hope everyone has a great Friday and beginning of their weekend.  Also hope the snow isn't too deep in Jacqui's @kazu hometown today.  I saw last night it was in that general area.  Take care and stay safe!

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning.  Thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Another cold day here.  Currently it's -14°C (6°F) and we've got more snow falling.  Bertie and I will go for a short walk and then I'm staying in!  I've got some short ribs to put in the slow cooker for dinner tonight.

 

Great collection of days.  We love tortilla chips.  I didn't have a paczki this year, wish I did.  A big thank you to bartenders, especially those on BHBs.  I heard it's also "I hate cilantro day!".  That's my day too.

 

Great quote.

I'll pass on the meal for today, but I'll probably save the recipe for another day.

I'd love a Paloma, hope the wine is good too.

We were in today's port many years ago, I'd like to go back.

 

Prayers for our world, so many need them.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

 

Have a wonderful Friday.

Stay safe.

[rafinmd]

Happy Friday.  Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and all fellow Dailyites.  Sandy, might your DS hunkered down at a hotel near the airport.  Sounds like a potential attraction for me.  I think I slept well last night and until 4 (I tend to be up  for the first 4:30 newscast), although while I am aware of long sleepless periods I'm less aware of how much I am actually asleep.

 

A couple of milestones today.  It's the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.  Today also I am now older than my brother was when he died.

 

Starting out warmer than yesterday but then it rose steadily to almost 80 while today the temperature will blip up a bit to 52 and then drop steadily to the 40's.

 

Roy

Edited February 24, 2023 by rafinmd

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Thank you Sandi for today's daily reports.

Interesting food days and bartender day. 

I personally do not like 2 faced people as I put a lot of faith in trusting people and always say what I believe but not if it will upset someone.

Prayers for everyone on the care list.

It was lovely seeing our Sarah last night and her visits to the chiropractor after her injections seems to be working.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

 

 

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! 

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  I'll pass on today's meal suggestion. I think we will have leftover spaghetti with salad.  Yesterday was another busy work day. At the end of the day I received an email from Zandam@xxx. I checked and they are an employee so it's legit,  I just may need a vacation sooner than I thought.  I hope everyone has a nice day today. 

This morning the yard looks pretty after yesterday's ice and snow.

 

 

[aliaschief]

1 hour ago, RedneckBob said:

Thanks for the Fleet update and general info.

It’s RNB, “Sleepless in Tampa Bay”.

 

Three of my favorite days today. In fact I have a little jingle that goes with today days. Here goes.

 

Nacho Nacho man. I want to be a nacho man.

Give me some tortilla then you add some cheese

Add a few spices pass the nachos please

Then open up a cold one to wash down the paczki

It’s a great experience while I am at my home ski.

 

I promise I will go to my therapist today!

 

As far as the City of the day in Iceland I was there in 2010 and 2012. Interesting short story. Did the Golden Circle tour and as part of trip went to geysers. Several of us approached this large geyser that appeared to be ready to erupt. There was this rope and I mean only a rope acting as a fence to keep you away from the geyser but it was only 20 feet away. The hot water began to bubble then in an instant the geyser shot up and we all at once realized we were too close and down wind. All I can remember is someone yelling, “Run for your life RedneckBob”. 

It’s obvious to me you didn’t sleep well last night but thanks for the chuckles.

[StLouisCruisers]

33 minutes ago, rafinmd said:

Happy Friday.  Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and all fellow Dailyites.  Sandy, might your DS hunkered down at a hotel near the airport.  Sounds like a potential attraction for me.  I think I slept well last night and until 4 (I tend to be up  for the first 4:30 newscast), although while I am aware of long sleepless periods I'm less aware of how much I am actually asleep.

 

A couple of milestones today.  It's the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.  Today also I am now older than my brother was when he died.

 

Starting out warmer than yesterday but then it rose steadily to almost 80 while today the temperature will blip up a bit to 52 and then drop steadily to the 40's.

 

Roy

Morning Roy.  I'm glad you got some sleep too.  Yes, today is a very thoughtful day as we consider the first anniversary of the invasion in Ukraine, but for you thoughts of your brother are topmost.  I was thinking of my late sister this morning too.  She has always been an angel in my mind.❤️

 

Knowing my boy he got right into his car and drove home.  Not only has he lived in Michigan for the past 22-23 years, he attended university there for his undergraduate degree, and is a Michigander by birth so it must be in his blood to not worry about road conditions.  I will text him in a while and verify he is safe and sound.  The plane left SFO a half hour late and still arrived on time last night.

 

That is quite the change in weather for you all.  Stay in and stay well!

 

 

 

20 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Good morning.

Thank you Sandi for today's daily reports.

Interesting food days and bartender day. 

I personally do not like 2 faced people as I put a lot of faith in trusting people and always say what I believe but not if it will upset someone.

Prayers for everyone on the care list.

It was lovely seeing our Sarah last night and her visits to the chiropractor after her injections seems to be working.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

 

 

Hello Graham.  Your dinner last night looked delicious but I'm sure you enjoy the company of Sarah and Pauline more than the food!  Have a good day!

 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Crazy For Cats said:

Good Morning Everyone, thanks for the daily fleet report.  I'll pass on today's meal suggestion. I think we will have leftover spaghetti with salad.  Yesterday was another busy work day. At the end of the day I received an email from Zandam@xxx. I checked and they are an employee so it's legit,  I just may need a vacation sooner than I thought.  I hope everyone has a nice day today. 

This morning the yard looks pretty after yesterday's ice and snow.

 

 

It does look beautiful if you don't have to get out into the weather, right?  Have a great day!

 

 

 

[RMLincoln]

Made it to Friday!  
So blessed to have this caring place to share all the parts of life!

 

Blessings to Annie and Chuck and Neko. 💔 And their vet. 
 

Blessings for all the doctor appointments and tests going on!   Bring in the healing!  
 

cheers for all those celebrating! They help us remember that Life is Good!  
 

Comfort and hope for Ukraine. And all those suffering disasters. And all in the storm!  Hunker down if you can. And walk with extra care!  
 

Smooth travels for all away. We all need a break to refuel ourselves. 
 

Today is all our gathering family’s flights’ day.  The early ones were canceled out of NY/White Plains. No plane. They just got rebooked through Boston to arrive FLL this evening. Hoping it all works. This is why we’re driving, too much uncertainty in flying. Two more sets of family flights to still happen. Thanks for all your caring prayers, feeling them for sure! 
 

I applied to Iceland for grad school back in the 70s.  Wanted to study the geology there. But too expensive for foreigners who couldn’t get scholarships the first year.  Finally got to visit using Icelandair’s no-extra-cost layover plan on our way to a Hurtigruten cruise. Fabulous place to visit. 
 

Bon Voyage to our cruisers!  
 

Hugs to each of you. Many thanks for all the caring support here!  onward….

Maureen 
 

 

[JazzyV]

Today’s care list:

Roy recovering from pneumonia; more tests

RIP 2/22/23 My BFF’s Uncle 

Those in the path of snowstorms and ice

Cruising sister’s DGS dealing with loss of family members

Earthquakes in Turkey, Syria and Sicily

New Zealand affected by cyclone/flooding, with deaths/missing people

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Jacqui recovering from elbow surgery

Marshhawk’s Neko crossing the rainbow bridge

Tana’s pulmonary issues 

Scrapnana undergoing chemotherapy

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

 

Celebrations and Shout outs:

All who contribute to the Fleet Report/Daily

Luvteaching’s DH’s continued improvement

 

1 day for RMLincoln family cruise (Rotterdam 2/25 to 3/8)

1 day for SusieKIslandGirl (Noordam 2/25 to 3/11) 

1 day for Cruisercl (NCL Bliss 2/25 to 3/12)

1 day for Mr. Boston (Celebrity Millennium 2/25 to 3/4)

 

Lady Hudson (Enchantment of the Seas to 3/3), ottahand7 and Lindaler (Volendam to 3/18), Seasick Sailor and 57redbird (Koningsdam to 3/25), Norseh2o (Oceania Marina to 4/6), and Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12) at sea

 

 

[cat shepard]

Thank you for getting us started, Sandi. Rich, thank you for making this all happen!

A super dense fog here this morning. Bindi was very puzzled. But it is already 67, and looks to be a beautiful day. 
 

Vanessa, thank you for tracking our highs & lows so diligently.  Off to the gym. Then I am hoping the company comes to out the furniture back while I am gone. All the preps for my family coming in are done. Even the pool temp is cooperating at a balmy 84.  Hoping this bittersweet gathering will help all of us cope with my nephew’s passing. Especially his son. 
 

 

Sometimes my nose has an off day, and I feel like this person…

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. @marshhawk Annie, extra prayers for Neko, you & DH. ❤️
Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well & stay well everyone!

 

*********

Chateau Ste. Michelle Chardonnay 2018 Canoe RidgeEstate, Horse Heaven Hills, Washington

I used the 2018 vintage info, since that seems to be the easiest to find. Excellent reviews from consumers and critics, and available from numerous sources. Online distributor prices start at $19.99.  BTW Mr. Parker’s review takes on a poetic note near the end. 

 

Winemaker Notes

The Canoe Ridge Estate Chardonnay is refined and elegant and offers apple and citrus aromas with a clean, refreshing finish. We age the wine in lighter French oak barrels to maintain the fresh, elegant style of this Chardonnay.

Ideal pairings include salmon, crab cakes, and pork.

JS92 James Suckling

Peach, apricot, pineapple, cream and praline on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy layers and bright acidity. Concentrated, yet fresh and pretty. Drink or hol

WE90 Wine Enthusiast

Aromas of peach, straw and sweet spice lead to stone fruit flavors that are rich in the center. Like many wines from this vintage, its appeal is much about the balance it brings.

W&S90 Wine & Spirits

This chardonnay from a warm site has a rich scent of chopped pineapple, cut slightly by citrus. It’s satisfying, delivering a lot of weight and body for the price. 

RP89 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The 2018 Chardonnay Canoe Ridge Estate Vineyard displays a pale gold core and offers aromas of candy corn, yellow apples, wax melon, marshmallow and sweet citrus. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is layered with flavors of citrus pastry cream and offers a rich mouthfeel with a soft nutty undercurrent from sur lie aging. The wine comes to a close with a delightful and round finish. 6,500 bottles were made.

Edited February 24, 2023 by cat shepard

[summer slope]

Good Friday morning..  Getting ready for a Card making online retreat this weekend.  I am a paper crafting demonstrator and love to create and send cards.

 

Paloma cocktail:

 

Kosher salt
1 grapefruit wedge
¼ cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup mescal or tequila
¼ cup club soda
Preparation
Step 1
Pour some kosher salt on a plate. Rub half of rim of a highball glass with grapefruit wedge; dip rim of glass in salt. Combine grapefruit juice, lime juice, and sugar in glass; stir until sugar is dissolved. Stir in mescal, add ice, and top off with club soda. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

 

[kazu]

Thanks for our TGIF Daily, Sandi.

 

Good collection of days.  I’ll happily celebrate world bartender day - especially our bartenders on BHB’s 😘 

Sadly, today is also the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine - sad day indeed 😔 

 

Love the Lincoln quote and another white wine?  Yippee!

 

Big surprise - it’s snowing and blowing.  Not quite blizzardy but blowing quite a bit and not conducive to pics.  Going to be another mess but hopefully, there’s at least no ice underneath it this time 🤞 

 

 

@Crazy For CatsJake, very pretty pics especially if you are inside 😉 Wish ours was as pretty.  Just a bunch more to add to the pile 😌 

 

 

Thinking of @marshhawktoday bidding farewell to Neko. 💔 

 

 

Timing is everything and thankfully instead of coming today, my seeds arrived yesterday so I called my neighbour who kindly went to get them out of the community mail box for me.  I didn’t want them sitting there in the cold for 2 days.  My excitement today will be starting the ones who need an early start.  Trying some new ones - no guarantees but what’s the worst that can happen?

 

 

Prayers for all those on the Care list (thanks as always @JazzyV), people of Ukraine, New Zealand & earthquake victims and for those that need them.  And a huge cheers 🥂 to all those celebrating.

 

 

Have a great Friday everyone !!!!!

[grapau27]

23 minutes ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Morning Roy.  I'm glad you got some sleep too.  Yes, today is a very thoughtful day as we consider the first anniversary of the invasion in Ukraine, but for you thoughts of your brother are topmost.  I was thinking of my late sister this morning too.  She has always been an angel in my mind.❤️

 

Knowing my boy he got right into his car and drove home.  Not only has he lived in Michigan for the past 22-23 years, he attended university there for his undergraduate degree, and is a Michigander by birth so it must be in his blood to not worry about road conditions.  I will text him in a while and verify he is safe and sound.  The plane left SFO a half hour late and still arrived on time last night.

 

That is quite the change in weather for you all.  Stay in and stay well!

 

 

 

Hello Graham.  Your dinner last night looked delicious but I'm sure you enjoy the company of Sarah and Pauline more than the food!  Have a good day!

 

 

 

It does look beautiful if you don't have to get out into the weather, right?  Have a great day!

 

 

 

Thank you Sandi.

Your words are much appreciated and always so nice.

Your dear sister sounds like she was an angel like you.

I hope your son has a safe drive home.

It was lovely being with Sarah last night and she said seeing us was what she needed.

Our meal was delicious last night.

Sarah's rib eye steak looked lovely and the restaurant wrapped what she had left so she could eat it for lunch at work today.

She is seeing her best friend tonight the one whose American husband just died with a brain tumour.

His funeral is next week.

Graham.

 

 

[aliaschief]

Good morning! Currently 69 degrees and will reach 78! Yesterday’s  high of 80 F set a record. Right now we are in a very dense fog that should clear by noon. Glad I’m not flying today.

This morning I have my annual medical visit to check if I’m still cancer free. No reason to believe I’m not.

Me and my bride have no major plans for the weekend. Well every day is a weekend these days but it doesn’t take much to entertain us.
One thing that I attribute to sleeping well is to shut off the phone, I Pad, games near bed time and that helps my transition and prep for resting.

So now it’s time for the hardest moment of my day. Choosing MeMe’s!🤔

Enjoy the day and thanks for stopping in an posting on the Daily.

Bruce

 

 

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Happy Friday.  Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and all fellow Dailyites. 

 

A couple of milestones today.  It's the first anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.  Today also I am now older than my brother was when he died.

 

Starting out warmer than yesterday but then it rose steadily to almost 80 while today the temperature will blip up a bit to 52 and then drop steadily to the 40's.

 

Roy

 

So is this Happy Birthday, Roy?

 

If so, may your new year be filled with great health, laughter, love, and a cruise!

 

Edited February 24, 2023 by cat shepard

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, StLouisCruisers said:

Good morning friends!  It is 66F again this morning, and will be cloudy today, a chance of showers and a high of 74.  Similar to yesterday but we had more sun yesterday.  I'm feeling very little soreness from my exercise with the weight machines at the gym yesterday.  Maybe I'll go again tomorrow.  

 

Thank you Rich @richwmnfor the Daily and Fleet Report content today.  Which brings to mind Roy @rafinmdwho I hope had a good night's rest.  For myself, I remember waking up at 11:30 (flight arrival time), 12:30, 3 am, and 4 am.  Maybe I got some sleep in between so that is worthwhile but a ridiculous sleep pattern!

 

Today is National Tortilla Chip Day which I like a lot.  We eat way too many chips but it doesn't seem to have affected us any so will continue that I'm sure.  Also Paczki Day in Poland, and World Bartender Day.  Hurray for Paczkis which everyone was celebrating here on Tuesday, weren't we?  Also I salute the bartenders because I would be terrible at that job.  Love the funny quote from Abraham Lincoln, say no to the halibut and chardonnay, and whoa to the Paloma.  I read they are quite strong.  

 

Prayers today for our Care list people, also the trouble spots in Ukraine, Turkey, Syria, New Zealand, and let's not forget the people of East Palestine, Ohio who have dealt with so much worry and possible health troubles for the past three weeks.  You wouldn't want what they had happen to them in your town.  🙏  Congratulations to all on the Celebration list who are cruising, preparing to cruise and for any other accomplishments in your lives.  🥂  Special thoughts go out to Annie @marshhawk, Chuck and Neko.🙏

 

Our port today is the ever popular Reykjavik, Iceland.  We had it posted here by Rich on May 19, 2021 and Dec. 3, 2022.  Here are the links to those dates so you can retrieve your photos.  I'll post mine right afterward.  

 

 

Reykjavik is a fine city to visit.  Our first visit there was on Emerald Princess in 2011, second visit was on Caribbean Princess in 2015, third visit was on Seabourn Quest in 2018, last visit was on the Covid cruise Island Princess in June 2022.  On the 2018 Quest cruise we actually started our cruise in Reykjavik so flew over a day early to spend the night there.  That made the stay there a little more interesting because we had more time.  We have also flown through Reykjavik several times on our way to Europe.  On the 2018 flight to Reykjavik from Boston we had a TV news personality and his family on the flight with us.  DH spoke to him while they waited for luggage to show up at the carousel.  After hearing our cruise plans, he said he wished he was going on our cruise with us, but he didn't have that amount of time off, so they were going fishing there in Iceland.

 

For those who haven't been to Iceland yet, one of the best tours you can take is a Circle Iceland tour.  Sometimes they call it Golden Circle tour and other times Grand Circle tour.  The point is they take you outside of Reykjavik to see the geysers, waterfalls, and volcano site.  You will probably also see the Icelandic horses in the countryside.  They take you quite a distance on these tours so it will take a long day in port to achieve it.  We took a private tour with CC roll call members our first time in Iceland.  I recommend it for a good overall look.

 

A photo of the famous Hallgrimskirkja church which I took in 2018.  The weather was perfect for our overnight visit so we saw pretty blue skies which made all our photos better.  You must see this church when you visit Reykjavik! 

 

 

Another place that Reykjavik is famous for is the Blue Lagoon.  I have never had an interest in going there in the past, but if I continue to visit this city I have a feeling I will end up there someday.  I might even find I like it!  

 

A typical street scene.  

 

The second stop on the Golden Circle tour was the Pearl, a dome with stunning views of the city from the panoramic 360 degree platform.  The dome sits atop the huge tanks in which natural hot water is stored for heating the city.  Inside is a rotating restaurant, a cafe and a museum.  At least it did in 2011 when we visited there.

 

 

 

Driving around the island you saw scenery like this.

 

We stopped to see the tectonic plates which divide Europe from North America.  At least I think that's what they told us.  This would be a good thing to do some research on when I have nothing else to do.  Right...

 

 

Heading towards the geyser areas we saw scenery like this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then to the Gullfoss waterfall.

 

 

Then we drove to another waterfall, name unknown but I did take a photo of this sign just before we arrived so it could be a clue.

 

 

Last stop was to see this volcanic cauldron.

 

Before we got to the cauldron we were looking at some Icelandic horses in the fields.  In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return.  This is a poor photo of them but we had an accident with a farm dog who ran into the road and had to stop and see to him.  The horses were forgotten at that point.  

 

A photo taken in 2015 which I've never repeated on my trips there.  Maybe this street no longer has the rainbow on it.  It's a heavily traveled street with lots of shops on it and as you can see, at the top of the hill is the Hallgrimskirkja church.

 

On the 2015 visit DH was under the weather that day so I walked all over town by myself.  I took my umbrella along and at the end it started to pour rain.  Lucky I had it as I walked back to the bus shuttle area to get back to the ship.

 

I took this photo of this waterside sculpture on that rainy day.  Note the rainbow starting behind it.

 

And here it is in 2018.  

 

During the beautiful weather in 2018 we visited a small botanical park in town.

 

 

 

 

 

ahh, the flowers!

 

 

For dinner we went to a restaurant for pizza and a bottle of wine.  Cost was about $70USD.  Not a cheap place to visit but they take credit cards so you don't have to have local currency.

 

Well now that I see that yummy pizza I'd better get downstairs and get on that treadmill for my 2.5 mile walk.  Hope everyone has a great Friday and beginning of their weekend.  Also hope the snow isn't too deep in Jacqui's @kazu hometown today.  I saw last night it was in that general area.  Take care and stay safe!

Absolutely fantastic photos Sandi.

We have never been to Reykjavik so your photos were extremely interesting.

Thank you for sharing them.

Graham.

[aliaschief]

4 minutes ago, cat shepard said:

 

So is this Happy Birthday, Roy?

 

If so, may your new year be filled with great health, laughter, love, and a cruise!

 

I was wondering the same thing. Happy Birthday Roy if it is your birthday,

[grapau27]

Happy birthday Roy @rafinmd.

[0106]

Thanks you to all the regular posters on this wonderful thread.

 

Happy to celebrate all of the days.  I have a chip problem…if I open a bag, I eat the entire bag!  

 

 

I put myself through college tending bar; bartending added a great deal to my resume.

 

I just posted my favorite way to drink a Paloma on the “margarita” thread: tequila, grapefruit juice splash of soda.  I’ve been known to drink tequila and Ting and call it a Paloma too.  (Ting is a Caribbean grapefruit soda, my favorite.)

 

Positive thoughts to those who need them.  Cheers to those celebrating and cruising,

[ottahand7]

Good Friday morning.   We are at sea today and I am going to get caught up with my photos.  Thanks Sandi and Vanessa for getting us started with the reports. @JazzyVso sorry for your BFF'S loss.   Thanks for the wine, cocktail and recipes each day.  Back to reality in less than a month so I will need those to bump up our hum drum eating at home after having such good food for months.  

Sandi @StLouisCruisers weren't you the one who relayed the water issues on the Volendam in the Amazon?  Like reduced water usage and no laundry?  We want to be prepared but if it was due to a broken part we won't worry that it will happen again.    Thank you for the photos of today's port.  They were beautiful!

Power remained on at home but from the outage map my siblings are still out. Can't text with them today.  

Our Cultural Olinda HA tour took us to beautiful spots but was way too long.  4 hours turned into 5 so no lunch for us.  Too much talking by our guide and some extra walking due to Carnival tear down.  I am glad we have nothing to do in Fortaleza.   

Another great dinner in the MDR last night ( panko crusted Hake and beef tri tip) and some photos of Olinda and old Recife. 

[GTVCRUISER]

My favorite HAL Bartenders