The Fleet Report and Daily for Monday April 17th, 2023

[StLouisCruisers]

Today is Bat Appreciation Day, Blah, Blah, Blah Day, and Boston Marathon Day
 

"With the past, I have nothing to do, nor with the future, I live now" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Meal Suggestion for today - Vegetarian Bean Tacos
Drink of the Day - Bourbon Tarragon Cooler
Wine of the Day - Archery Summit Arcus Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Destination of the Day - Rangiroa Atoll, Tuamotus, French Polynesia
 

Eurodam

Acajutla, El Salvador  08:00 - 17:00
 

Koningsdam

At Sea Destination Nawiliwili, Lihue, Kauai Island, Hawaii eta 4-19
 

Nieuw Amsterdam

At Sea destination Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica eta 4-18 
 

Nieuw Statendam

At Sea Destination Cadiz, Spain, Sevilla eta 4-18
 

Oosterdam

Praia da Vitoria, Terceira Island, Azores Portugal 10:00 - 22:00
 

Rotterdam

Dover, England 0800-1900
 

Volendam

Grand Turk, Turks and Caicos 07:00 - 17:00
 

Zaandam

At Sea Destination Fort Lauderdale, Port Everglades, Florida eta 4-18
 

Zuiderdam

Zeebrugge, Bruges, Belgium 08:00 - 16:00

Eastern Hemisphere
 

Noordam

At Sea Destination Hilo, Hawaii Island eta 4-22
 

Westerdam

Busan, South Korea 10:00 - 17:00

 

 

 

Sandi for Rich

[portofrome]

Thank you for the Fleet Report.

[richwmn]

Today in history:

 

1492 Christopher Columbus signs a contract with the Spanish monarchs to find the "Indies" with the stated goal of converting people to Catholicism. This promises him 10% of all riches found, and the governorship of any lands encountered.

1982 Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Queen Elizabeth II sign 'Proclamation of the Constitution Act', establishes Charter of Rights and Freedoms as part of the country’s new Constitution

[grapau27]

Good morning.

Thank you Sandi @StLouisCruisers for introducing today's fleet reports and Daily.

Today would have been Pauline's dear late mam's 101st birthday.

Her last cruise was with us on P&O Ventura for her 90th birthday.

Sadly Vascular dementia took hold and she died aged 96.

Prayers 🙏 for better health to all those who are unwell.

I hope everyone cruising are having a fantastic time.

Take care.

Graham.

Edited April 17, 2023 by grapau27

[JazzyV]

Today’s Care list:

Roy recovering from pneumonia and working on getting stronger

Cruising sister’s best friend’s son’s death 4/13

RMLincoln’s cousin’s DH’s death

Marshhawk’s DH with confusion episode and trouble swallowing

Broward County flooding

KY and AL shooting victims

Citizens of Ukraine

From the rotation:

Tana’s pulmonary issues

Summer slope’s friend with a brain injury

Luvteaching’s DH in rehab

 

Celebrations and Shoutouts:

Cruising sister’s generosity to a friend

Mr. Boston visiting Maine

Luvteaching’s DH showing improvement

Many Dailyites cruising or with upcoming cruises

 

4 Days for Oceansaway17 (Vision of the Seas 4/21 to 5/1)

5 Days for JazzyV (Celebrity Apex 4/22 to 5/7)

6 Days for Lady Hudson (Anthem of the Seas 4/23 to 5/1)

 

Cruzn Single (Rotterdam to 4/19), Vict0riann (Rotterdam to 4/19), GTVCRUISER (NCL Jewel to 4/23), aliaschief & DWAliaschief (Eurodam to 4/28) Kplady (Grand Princess to 4/28), Sailingdutchy (Rotterdam to 4/29), St Pete Cruiser (Noordam to 5/2), TiogaCruiser (Volendam to 5/2), Overhead Fred’s Anniversary cruise (Rotterdam to 5/6), AV8rix (Volendam to 5/6), Dismomx5 (Volendam to 5/6), USN59-79 (Westerdam to 5/7), Cat in My Lap, Gail&Marty, Richwmn and HorizonChaser1957 (Zuiderdam to 5/12), and Sharon in AZ (Volendam to 5/17) at sea

 

 

[StLouisCruisers]

Good morning friends!  Not a bad morning - I have 47 degrees with a high of 69 and sunshine expected.  I am having a coffee klatch on my front porch at 10 am with neighbor Brenda.  She has coffee and I have peach tea so I hope it warms up about 10 degrees by then and isn't windy, or else it will be held inside.  Brenda doesn't have a covered porch and covets mine.  😄  Brenda and DH Paul are taking their humongous motorhome pulling a car hauler trailer with my old SUV on it (they bought it from us 2 years ago), on a 6 month around the country tour.  In the middle of it they will stop in Seattle and take a HAL Alaska cruise.  So from late April to late October they will be on the road!  All this info is through my DH so I will be able to get more facts later on.  Stay tuned!

 

Our days today will be Bat Appreciation Day, Boston Marathon Day, and Blah, Blah, Blah Day.  I know we should thank bats for their work in eating mosquitoes and other insects, but I hope I don't have to see one or have it hanging from my eaves or attic.  I hope all have a safe and exciting day at the Boston Marathon!  Blah, Blah, Blah Day means we should appreciate the pleasure of casual conversation so how appropriate will that be at the coffee klatch?  Thank you to Ralph Waldo Emerson for his quote but I won't try to interpret it here.  

 

For our meal this morning we have vegetarian bean tacos.  Sounds different.  I will say no to the Bourbon Tarragon Cooler, and we have a nice pinot noir from Oregon.  I will pass on that also.  Thanks to Debbie @dfish, Dixie @summer slope and Ann @cat shepard for their descriptions of those food and drinks.  Thanks also to Rich @richwmn for the contents of the Daily and Fleet Report and for the fun facts he presents about this day in history.

 

I am not sure how to interpret the port of the day.  According to my quick search Rangiroa is the largest island in the archipalego of Tuamotus.  There is no actual port to anchor or dock at in that description.  If you want to interpret that as Avatoru, Rangiroa then please feel free to post your photos here of that port.  I'm not sure if there are any other ports for that island (such as Fakarava).

Good luck!

 

Prayers today for all those on the Care list and also those who may not be listed but still in need.🙏  Three cheers for those on the Celebration list and may all the cruisers enjoy smooth seas.🚢🥂  Thank you Vanessa @JazzyV for helping out with the lists each and every day!

 

Links for Avatoru:

 

 

 

In 2017 we took a Maasdam cruise to the South Pacific and stopped in Avatoru, Rangiroa.  Apparently the most popular thing to do there is take a tour of the pearl farm.  There were no spots left on the ship's tour (HAL had bought all tickets unfortunately) so we decided to just tender over and see if we could find something to do.  We were met by a group of dancers. 

 

I love their costumes!

 

This spot was right next to the pier so I guess you could have just waded in and cooled off but that wasn't on our radar.

 

This was the scene as everyone waited for their van to take them to the pearl farm or frantically tried to find a ride there.

 

The ship wasn't anchored very far off.

 

Well since there was only one road inland we just decided to walk and see what we could find.  If nothing appeared we would just head back.  Here we go!

 

Off to one side was what appeared to be huts over the water such as the big resorts had on other islands.

 

We kept walking.  This was a typical residence along the road.

 

Five minutes later we came to a T in the road with the Tiputa Pass right in front of us.  This is the place where the twice daily tides create churning water and the bottlenose dophins frolic.  Unfortunately we didn't see a single one.

 

We waited around for a while, like this gentleman did but due to the heat and nothing really happening here we walked back to the pier and tendered back to the ship.  

 

 

 

It would have been a great day to go to the pearl farm, so a word to the wise.  Buy your tour here from the shore excursion people on your ship or chances are you will be out of luck.  Still, I'm glad we stopped here on our South Pacific cruise.  

 

Have a great day everyone!

[seagarsmoker]

Thanks for the Daily Report and I hope all the dailylites have a wonderful day! 🙂

 

[puppycanducruise]

Good morning and thanks for the Daily and Fleet Report.

 

Our summery weather has passed and we're back to spring.  A cool, rainy Monday for us today with a chance of flurries.  Brrrr.

 

An interesting collection of days.  @grapau27 Thanks for the explanations.  Bats are important, but I don't want one living in my attic. Good luck to all participants in the Boston Marathon.  Blah blah blah day sounds like a good idea.

I'm not sure I agree with the quote.  I enjoy memories and enjoy re-living them.  I also enjoy planning and anticipation of future events.  Today is wonderful but past and future are important too.

I'll pass on the meal and the drink, hope the wine is tasty.

Thanks for the pictures of today's port, it looks wonderful.

 

Prayers for everyone on the Care List.  Cheers for all the celebrations.

 

Have a wonderful Monday.

[Mr. Boston]

Good morning everyone from a cool, rainy Ogunquit, Maine.  I’ll be brief this morning by saying that I appreciate the work that bats do and that I hope to get to today’s port some day.  I am sadly reporting that my younger brother who had suffered from mental illness took his own life yesterday morning.  He leaves behind two young daughters, my mother and an ex wife who are heartbroken, as well as my three sisters and me. I’ll be off the grid this week as I travel to northern Michigan to try and help make sense of the situation and attend his funeral.  I ask for your prayers and kind thoughts during this sad time because I know that you are generous with them.  

[TiogaCruiser]

Good morning all,

Will have to catch up on the daily when we get home.

 

We’re approaching the dock now (Volendam). Sunrise a few minutes ago:

 

Have a great day everyone!

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by TiogaCruiser

[Vict0riann]

So sorry, @Mr. Boston on the sad loss of your brother.  We’ll be saying a prayer for him and all your family.  
 

Dailyites, good morning;  time is going by quickly on this cruise, it has been restful, a sudden flurry of activity these last few days.  We did a bit of packing this morning, putting everything tropical and anything we won’t need in Ireland in one bag, that we hope to be able to leave in our first night hotel, and pick up the last night there.  That will make it easier in the rental car, I think it’s just a small one. 
 

I envy those just starting out on their cruises - hope you all have a wonderful time.  And Rich, too , must be winding down, although he still has almost a month to go!

[StLouisCruisers]

@Mr. Boston please accept my deepest condolences on the tragic news of your dear brother's death.  We will pray for you and the rest of the family as you deal with your sadness and make final plans.  🙏😢

[rafinmd]

Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann.  I appreciate bats but from a distance.  I'll pass on Blah Blah Blah Day  but wish all today's runners a safe marathon.  Interesting quote by Emerson.  I'll pass on the taco.  My alternative is Chilled Blueberry Soup, Sauteed Pork Chop, and Ricotta Raspberry Tart as served on MS Zaandam April 17, 2017:

 

@Mr. Boston how sad about your brother.  Wishing you safe travels and eventual healing.

 

Roy

[summer slope]

Rain, rain, and more rain.  We have been pounded with thunder/lightening  for the last 2 nights.  We need it but slowly.

 

Bourbon Tarragon Cooler cocktail:

 

Ingredients:
2 Parts Maker's Mark Bourbon
1 Part Lime Juice
0.5 Part Agave Syrup
1 Pinch Salt
1 Cup Ice
4 Tarragon Sprigs
Directions:
Infuse bourbon with Serrano peppers (instructions follow). Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until the ice is pureed. Serve immediately. *Serrano-infused Makers Mark Bourbon: 2 cups Makers Mark Bourbon and 1 piece Serrano pepper, cut in half and de-seeded. Combine the pepper and Makers Mark Bourbon in an airtight container and allow it to macerate until ready to serve. Store in the fridge and shake container gently twice a day.

 

[grapau27]

42 minutes ago, Mr. Boston said:

Good morning everyone from a cool, rainy Ogunquit, Maine.  I’ll be brief this morning by saying that I appreciate the work that bats do and that I hope to get to today’s port some day.  I am sadly reporting that my younger brother who had suffered from mental illness took his own life yesterday morning.  He leaves behind two young daughters, my mother and an ex wife who are heartbroken, as well as my three sisters and me. I’ll be off the grid this week as I travel to northern Michigan to try and help make sense of the situation and attend his funeral.  I ask for your prayers and kind thoughts during this sad time because I know that you are generous with them.  

I'm so sorry to hear your news @Mr. Boston.

Mental illness is often unseen by others but desperately destructive to the mind of those suffering and it is so sad when people take their own lives.

My prayers and condolences to you and everyone who loved your brother.

Graham.

[cat shepard]

Thank you Sandi & Rich for starting us off! Quite cloudy this morning, but it is supposed to clear off and be a bit cooler. Last night’s lightning show over the ocean was spectacular. Though it lit up a huge area to the East, I couldn’t hear any thunder. 
 

Vanessa, hope your bandage adjustment has helped. Thank you for capturing and sharing our happenings. 
 

Off to the gym, then Bindi walks fill my day. This evening I am gathering my with a couple of neighbors to finalize the plans for this coming Saturday’s Block Party. 
 

 

 

Prayers for all who need our support. Cheers to all who are celebrating! Get well and stay well everyone!

 

 

*********

Archery Summit Arcus Pinot Noir 2017, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Many consumers and critics are fans of this wine. I used the 2017 vintage info, since that is ready to drink now. But if you are willing to wait a few years, you can save quite a bit of money. Several online distributors of the 2017 with prices starting at $163.02. But the 2021 can be yours for $49.99 - but you need to wait for it to mature. 

 

Winemaker Notes

Electric notes of raspberry jam and muddled rhubarb weave into hints of dried herbs and baking spice. Never a truer expression of the rocky, fireorange soil of the Dundee Hills with its multilayered mineral mouthfeel. Fresh marionberry and ripe raspberry mingle with dried blueberries, blanketed within mouthwatering acidity leading to an incredibly long finish. A wine as complex as the diverse vineyard it comes from.

V93 Vinous

Deep, brilliant garnet. Ripe red and blue fruit, cola and oak spice aromas show fine clarity, and floral and mineral accents build in the glass. Concentrated black raspberry, bitter cherry, boysenberry and spice cake flavors deliver welcome energy for their heft. Closes with strong, spice- and floral-driven persistence, subtly gripping tannins and a hint of candied licorice. Best After 2023

WS92 Wine Spectator

Refined and vibrant, with expressive rose petal and raspberry aromas that give way to multilayered cherry and dark tea flavors, building tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2028.

WE92 Wine Enthusiast

From one of the top sites in the winery’s portfolio, this was treated to almost 60% whole cluster fermentation. Deep flavors of black cherry fruit match up to dark chocolate notes, along with hints of stem and skin tannins. The wine is well structured and should develop nicely over the next half decade or longer.

 

[smitty34877]

@Mr. Boston, I am so sorry to hear your sad news about your brother. I am sending prayers to you and your family at this difficult time. We will be thinking of you as you go to assist your family .

[summer slope]

@Mr. Bostonprayers for you and your family.

[cat shepard]

1 hour ago, Mr. Boston said:

Good morning everyone from a cool, rainy Ogunquit, Maine.  I’ll be brief this morning by saying that I appreciate the work that bats do and that I hope to get to today’s port some day.  I am sadly reporting that my younger brother who had suffered from mental illness took his own life yesterday morning.  He leaves behind two young daughters, my mother and an ex wife who are heartbroken, as well as my three sisters and me. I’ll be off the grid this week as I travel to northern Michigan to try and help make sense of the situation and attend his funeral.  I ask for your prayers and kind thoughts during this sad time because I know that you are generous with them.  

 

 

 

My deepest sympathies to you and your brother’s entire family. Praying that all of you find comfort in each other’s company. 

 

Ann
 

 

[ottahand7]

@Mr. Boston Deepest sympathy to you and your family on the passing of your brother.  Everyone must be devastated.

@marshhawk I hope that your DH gets over what is going on quickly.   

What a difference a day makes.   Today it is snowing.   Thankfully the streets are still warm from the 80s last week that it is melting quickly.    Thanks for starting us off each day while Rich continues on his world cruise.   I have had today's wine in previous years when it was owned by the original owners.  Price is the same since the 90s but now I think it is owned by Jackson Family Estates, most known for their Kendall-Jackson wines.  I will pass on the recipe and that cocktail looks like something for breakfast not Happy Hour.    Sandi thanks for the photos of today's port, it looks like a place we would love to visit.  Prayers for everyone on our Care list, the multiple shooting victims and the people of Ukraine.  Have a great Monday!  Nancy 

[dfish]

1 hour ago, Mr. Boston said:

Good morning everyone from a cool, rainy Ogunquit, Maine.  I’ll be brief this morning by saying that I appreciate the work that bats do and that I hope to get to today’s port some day.  I am sadly reporting that my younger brother who had suffered from mental illness took his own life yesterday morning.  He leaves behind two young daughters, my mother and an ex wife who are heartbroken, as well as my three sisters and me. I’ll be off the grid this week as I travel to northern Michigan to try and help make sense of the situation and attend his funeral.  I ask for your prayers and kind thoughts during this sad time because I know that you are generous with them.  

My sincere sympathies to you and your family.  Mental illness affects the whole family and healing can take time.  Hold each other closely and know that all of us at the Daily are holding you and your family in our hearts.  

[Heartgrove]

Thank you Sandi, thank you Debbie, thank you Vanessa, thank you Ann, and thank you Dixie for all your work. And thank you everyone for being here! 

 

@Mr. Boston Our condolences to you and the family.

 

Stay Safe!

 

- Jack

[aliaschief]

1 hour ago, rafinmd said:

Thank you Rich, Sandi, Vanessa, Debbie, Dixie, and Ann.  I appreciate bats but from a distance.  I'll pass on Blah Blah Blah Day  but wish all today's runners a safe marathon.  Interesting quote by Emerson.  I'll pass on the taco.  My alternative is Chilled Blueberry Soup, Sauteed Pork Chop, and Ricotta Raspberry Tart as served on MS Zaandam April 17, 2017:

 

@Mr. Boston how sad about your brother.  Wishing you safe travels and eventual healing.

 

Roy

Roy, Last two days any picture you post all I get is a tiny square with a  question mark in it. I get all the other posted pics?

[dfish]

Good morning, everyone!

 

What a difference a day makes.  It is snowing outside right now.  It is supposed to eventually turn over into rain.  As Nancy @ottahand7 said, the ground is too warm for it to stick.  That is the only saving grace.  

 

After discussion with Sue, this messy painter is going to be back at it.  The guest room really needs painting and it will be best to do it before Sue moves in and the room is filled with furniture.  Right now there is only a bed in there.  So, I'll be hitting the paint store and getting started this week.  May as well, the weather is supposed to be lousy.  

 

I am celebrating that I successfully had a charge on my credit card reversed with little effort.  I saw the charge and had no idea what it was, so called the number next to it and it was the Washington Post.  So, I contacted them and they quickly reversed the charge.  

 

Today's meal is interesting, but after reading the nutritional information, I will be taking a pass on it due to the carb content.  Beans are great in small amounts because of the fiber and protein they contain, but the carb count on these tacos is just too high for me.  I'm sure someone will like them, so I offer the following selections.  Keep in mind, you can always add in some meat for the carnivores in the family. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/vegetarian-bean-tacos/

 

 

I could look for the low carb tortillas.  They would help in the carb department.  But, I confess, I would prefer the meat tacos.   The next recipe looks pretty good and the carbs are lower.  They are right that I probably wouldn't miss the meat - if I didn't know it was missing.  https://www.skinnytaste.com/black-bean-tacos/

 

 

This next one looks really good and the quinoa helps give you a meat texture for the filling, but adds to the carb count.  https://playswellwithbutter.com/quinoa-black-bean-tacos/

 

 

Wishing you all a wonderful day!

[grapau27]

8 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Roy, Last two days any picture you post all I get is a tiny square with a  question mark in it. I get all the other posted pics?

Bruce @aliaschief.

These are Roy's @rafinmd food photos today.

I hope they post correctly for you.

Graham