The Fleet Report and Daily for Wednesday October 11th, 2023

[puppycanducruise]

@Nickelpenny  A belated Happy Birthday! 🎂

[rafinmd]

Today's sunrise is again yesterday, this time from the deck of Crystal Serenity coming into Saint John:

 

 

Roy

[Heartgrove]

A few of my photos from our visit to Kiel aboard the Zuiderdam in 2017. We took the train to Lubeck about an 1-1/2 hours away.

 

- Jack

 

 

 

 

 

Statue of Otto von Bismark in Lubeck

 

 

The Holsten Gate built in 1464, now a museum.

 

 

Along the Trave.

 

 

 

[SusieKIslandGirl]

@dfishI hope the hip pain isn't interfering with using your sewing machine foot pedal-or is that what caused the pain?😲 Hope it clears soon.

And October is a great month for birthdays-one week for mine. Take care everyone.

[rafinmd]

Just a couple of photos from Kiel from my day there before boarding Queen Victoria.  This was a sight that was commonplace in my youth but something I hadn't seen in the US in decades:

 

 

and one of the original propellors from QE2 before it was converted from steam to diesel power:

 

 

Roy

[Cruzin Terri]

@Nickelpenny A Belated HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

[Haljo1935]

@Nickelpenny hope you had a great birthday 🎂 yesterday!

@SusieKIslandGirl hope you have great birthday 🎂 next week (I just know I will miss it, so hope you don't mind the early wishes)

@ger_77 MRI confirmed surgery is necessary for shoulder but have to resolve the frozen shoulder first, so that's what I'm working on. I hope your images identify your issues and they're not serious.

Thank you @Cruising-along and @ottahand7 for the well wishes.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Haljo1935
Additional comment

[grapau27]

Happy belated birthday Penny @Nickelpenny

[1ANGELCAT]

Good sunny and warm afternoon.I’m back from my doctors appointment, basically nothing’s changed. He wants to keep doing the Botox and try  a different muscle relaxer. See you in 6 months but at checkout the scheduler said his first available appointment is June. So much for 6 months, but on the list for cancellation.

Also, came home to a message from the electric company that due to scheduled maintenance we will lose power tomorrow from 9-2 . Life is good 😀

 

[dfish]

1 hour ago, SusieKIslandGirl said:

@dfishI hope the hip pain isn't interfering with using your sewing machine foot pedal-or is that what caused the pain?😲 Hope it clears soon.

And October is a great month for birthdays-one week for mine. Take care everyone.

 

The sewing machine doesn't bother my hip at all.  My back does get sore from being bent over it, though, so I sew in short spurts.  I think the hip pain is a nerve.  It is settling down and easier to isolate the source and it is a nerve that run down the backside into the thigh.  

 

2 minutes ago, 1ANGELCAT said:

Good sunny and warm afternoon.I’m back from my doctors appointment, basically nothing’s changed. He wants to keep doing the Botox and try  a different muscle relaxer. See you in 6 months but at checkout the scheduler said his first available appointment is June. So much for 6 months, but on the list for cancellation.

Also, came home to a message from the electric company that due to scheduled maintenance we will lose power tomorrow from 9-2 . Life is good 😀

 

 

Somedays you just can't win.

[aliaschief]

Well if this is true visiting Barcelona will affect one’s visit. October 22 ban and restriction on where cruise ships have to dock.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12610135/Barcelona-BANS-cruise-ships-central-port-bid-stop-pollution-choking-city-passengers-facing-30-minute-bus-ride-historic-centre.html

[grapau27]

4 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

Well if this is true visiting Barcelona will affect one’s visit. October 22 ban and restriction on where cruise ships have to dock.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12610135/Barcelona-BANS-cruise-ships-central-port-bid-stop-pollution-choking-city-passengers-facing-30-minute-bus-ride-historic-centre.html

We always dock at this terminal on Royal Caribbean ships and P&O and it is only 10 minutes to Las Ramblas in a Taxi.

Edited October 11, 2023 by grapau27

[aliaschief]

4 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We always dock at this terminal on Royal Caribbean ships and P&O and it is only 10 minutes to Las Ramblas in a Taxi.

Good to know Graham thanks.

[marshhawk]

I have a question about tipping the cab drivers in Italy-was is customary?  I have read that a cab from the airport to the hotel will run between 70-80 Euros.  What do we tip?  Any answers would be helpful.

Edited October 11, 2023 by marshhawk

[kochleffel]

18 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

We always dock at this terminal on Royal Caribbean ships and P&O and it is only 10 minutes to Las Ramblas in a Taxi.

 

Also my experience with NCL a few years ago. I was coming from the Ramblas, and it took longer to get a taxi than to get to the dock once I had one.

[cunnorl]

Good Afternoon from a very rainy day at the beach

     I am one of 3 girls and have 1 daughter. I was an ER nurse for 25 years. I always tell people I saw things that people would say would never happen. It was a difficult job but I loved it.

      @Nickelpenny  A very Happy Birthday  even a day late. May you have many more.

      I saw a new Doctor today. My previous one has gone to concierge service and I am not paying that. I think that is crazy.  I like the new one, my kids and DH also go to him. He has advised me to get the flu, pneumonia, Covid and Shingles vaccine. Jeez  So tomorrow I will go to Publix to start them. Not getting them all at the same time.

     Stay safe and enjoy today

[Crazy For Cats]

Good Evening, thanks for today’s daily report.  It has been a beautiful day today, although I did turn on the heat in the morning since the house was 67 F.  @dfish today’s recipes look good to me and I’d like to give them a try if someone, HAL, did the cooking.  @Nickelpenny happy belated birthday.

Last night I told Mona no 2 or 3 am wake up calls.  She was good and waited until 4:30 and then started purring into my ear.  Such a sweet girl.

I hope everyone has a good rest of the day.

[quilty964]

Happy Wednesday, thanks for all of the sharing and caring here.  The pictures are great!  Yay for Girl Child day!  A big thanks to ER nurses, I've spent some time there with my dear parents.  Our Children's Hospital is opening a new and expanded ER this week, they said they out grew the old one a long time ago, and it's much needed with the winter season coming on us.  I'll take a Moscow Mule.  When my niece got married a few years ago, that was their signature drink!  I had a few that night, it was a great wedding!  Our dear son in law is a "big honcho" at the hotel venue they used, so he kept getting me refills from the bar!

I had a busy day today, "reading buddies" at our school this am, and then back again for sewing with 6th graders this afternoon.  We finished a 6 week class, and they all did well! 

So far, feeling well after my flu shot yesterday! 

@NickelpennyHappy Belated Birthday!  

@rafinmdThat Woolworths picture brings back memories! 

 

Virtual Hugs to all who need them, and cheers to the rest!  

Have a great evening, Karen

[JazzyV]

Good afternoon. Thanks for the Fleet Report/Daily.

I salute girl children, as I am one. No party today. ER nurses deserve to be appreciated. Good quote. Maybe on the meal, pass on the drink and wine. I haven't been to Kiel, although I been to many cities in Germany. 

 

Late again. It's lovely out, 65 and sunny. I had another bad night, awake multiple times. My watch says I got about 4 hours of sleep, and I'm so sleepy now. The last time I fell back asleep, I was awakened at about 9:15 by a call from the plumber, to schedule my boiler check. I had my appointment with the pain medicine doctor. The paperwork that I had to complete before was interesting, with lots of questions about drug use (prescribed and illicit) and depression screening. I guess in their business they have to do that, but those questions went on and on in different forms. So, I'm scheduled for the epidural steroid injection next Wednesday. BFF will take me. Fingers crossed it helps, although he said it takes a few days to see any effect start.

 

@StLouisCruisers Great photos, Sandi.

@Haljo1935 I hope the Chiro was able to help your shoulder.

@Heartgrove Prayers for comfort on this sad anniversary. Thanks for the Kiel photos.

@RMLincoln Safe travels tomorrow. The framed photo was a nice gesture.

@Lady Hudson I'm glad to hear that DH Bill is improving. I'm sure you'll decide what's best as to whether to cruise next week or not. 

@Cruzin Terri Good luck with the floor guy. Good to hear you slept better. Nice photos.

@dfish I hope the pain with walking lessens quickly. I think we're twins!

@Quartzsite Cruiser Thanks for the photos. I hope DH's appointments went well. Nice to have trustworthy mechanics, isn't it?

@Nickelpenny Belated Happy Birthday! And a salute to you having been an ER nurse!

@ger_77 I hope you get some answers about your shoulder.

@marshhawk  Good that DH made it safely to and from his infusion appointment. Good that the new card arrived. When I had credit card fraud, and was on a road trip with BFF, my replacement that was supposed to be overnighted never arrived. I had a different card with me, but wasn't happy.

@Vict0riann Good news about Pat's appointment. 

@Tbay Excellent news about DH's recovery! I'll remove him from the care rotation.

@cruising sister I hope you can get the surgery earlier. Lots of Libra birthdays on the Daily, including me.

@Cruising-along I was humming the same song, lol! 

@Sharon in AZ Good for you with all that cooking. I seem to have lost interest cooking just for me; and it hurts to stand, so lots of salad with chicken breast on top, or soup now that it's cooler.

@rafinmd Thanks for the sunrise and the Kiel photos. 

@1ANGELCAT Your neurologist sounds like mine. Sorry about the power outage. I hope it won't be too cold there.

@cunnorl Thank you for manning an ER all those years! I'm glad you like your new doctor.

@Crazy For Cats I'm still holding out on the heat, even though it was 62 in the bedroom (I had the electric blanket on low on).

 

Prayers for the Care List and Cheers to those Celebrating.

Edited October 11, 2023 by JazzyV

[StLouisCruisers]

1 hour ago, aliaschief said:

Well if this is true visiting Barcelona will affect one’s visit. October 22 ban and restriction on where cruise ships have to dock.

 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-12610135/Barcelona-BANS-cruise-ships-central-port-bid-stop-pollution-choking-city-passengers-facing-30-minute-bus-ride-historic-centre.html

 

I agree, that dock looks like one closer to downtown and much smaller.  We've always docked at the larger one just a short distance away from Las Ramblas and to the south.  It wouldn't be far by taxi, and in fact we've walked to Las Ramblas from there.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, marshhawk said:

I have a question about tipping the cab drivers in Italy-was is customary?  I have read that a cab from the airport to the hotel will run between 70-80 Euros.  What do we tip?  Any answers would be helpful.

 

Annie, I bookmarked a tipping article and usually forget to refer to it but this time I thought about it and checked for you.  Here is what they say about Italy.

 

 

Italy is another of the most visited countries in the world, home to some of the most romantic and beautiful cities in the world, as well as the Vatican, a ton of famous artwork, and fantastic food. Tipping is not expected in Italy.

• Restaurants and Bars – A service charge may be added to your bill, but the restaurant must make you aware of it. If there is no service charge, you can simply round up the bill, or hand a few euros to your server instead.
• Hotels – You should leave a couple of euros for the porter and the same again for the housekeeper. When you leave, you can tip the concierge if they offered you a good service.
• Guides, Tours, and Drivers – Tours are popular in Italian cities, and you should tip the guide €5-€10 (~$5-$11) depending on the length of the tour. Your taxi driver will not expect a tip, but round up the bill if you want to.

 

Here is the article url in case you want to check other countries. 

https://upgradedpoints.com/travel/tipping-etiquette-around-the-world/

 

 

58 minutes ago, cunnorl said:

Good Afternoon from a very rainy day at the beach

     I am one of 3 girls and have 1 daughter. I was an ER nurse for 25 years. I always tell people I saw things that people would say would never happen. It was a difficult job but I loved it.

      @Nickelpenny  A very Happy Birthday  even a day late. May you have many more.

      I saw a new Doctor today. My previous one has gone to concierge service and I am not paying that. I think that is crazy.  I like the new one, my kids and DH also go to him. He has advised me to get the flu, pneumonia, Covid and Shingles vaccine. Jeez  So tomorrow I will go to Publix to start them. Not getting them all at the same time.

     Stay safe and enjoy today

 

Good idea to not have all shots at the same time.  I had two yesterday, flu and RSV and have no problems at all today, but YMMV!

 

 

Thanks Jack @Heartgrove and Roy @rafinmd for your great photos of Kiel today.

 

 

[aliaschief]

About Barcelona ports bans. First it was Venice, then discussed changes In Amsterdam and other cities limiting tourist visits. Seems like a trend with either environmental concerns or crowd control or both.
How much is this going to impact future cruising? 
I need to do some research as to how much cruise ships add to environmental pollution?

 

Edited October 11, 2023 by aliaschief

[kochleffel]

16 minutes ago, aliaschief said:

About Barcelona ports bans. First it was Venice, then discussed changes In Amsterdam and other cities limiting tourist visits. Seems like a trend with either environmental concerns or crowd control or both.
How much is this going to impact future cruising? 
I need to do some research as to how much cruise ships add to environmental pollution?

 

 

In Venice, the presenting issue was physical damage to the channel. But support for the ban also grew because residents and business owners didn't benefit appreciably from cruise calls: they said that cruise passengers, there only for the day, didn't shop, didn't eat at restaurants other than McD's, and then threw the wrappers into the canals. Passengers embarking from Venice, OTOH, tended to stay in hotels, eat in restaurants, and even shop, but that was of no account. That, and the proposed tax to enter the city at all, have put me off the idea of ever visiting Venice.

 

Air pollution is a genuine issue as well, but increased availability and use of shore power would relieve that.

[grapau27]

Good evening.

Just thought I would share with my Dailyite friends my 22oz Porterhouse steak tonight.

[kochleffel]

2 minutes ago, grapau27 said:

Good evening.

Just thought I would share with my Dailyite friends my 22oz Porterhouse steak tonight.

 

 

Oh dear. Dinner here is turning out to be a grilled-cheese sandwich, Brandywine tomato (on the side) and Swiss chard.

 

[grapau27]

5 minutes ago, kochleffel said:

 

Oh dear. Dinner here is turning out to be a grilled-cheese sandwich, Brandywine tomato (on the side) and Swiss chard.

 

Neither of us like cooking so we eat out when we can rather than a ready meal cooked in the microwave at home.

Edited October 11, 2023 by grapau27