SILVER WHISPER vs ICON OF THE SEAS

First a, few news items:

• Today is Labor Day, a national holiday in the USA and Canada on the first Monday of September.  Banks, Post Offices, stock markets and schools are closed.  You can still go out to eat and shop.

• 
  The U.S. war with Iran has escalated.
• Exchanges of fire.
• Strait of Hormuz remains mostly closed.
• No peace talks have been scheduled.
• 
  Oil prices remain high, as Brent Crude oil hit a recent peak of $98 earlier today.
• U.S. gasoline prices reached a record-high national average of $4.15/gallon for the Labor Day weekend.  The previous high was $3.82/gallong in 2012.

• 
  The Russo-Ukraine War continues with battles and drone exchanges.  
• It has been 1,656 days since Russian invaded Ukrain on 24February2022.  4,482 days since Russia began occupying Crimeaw on February 20, 2014.
• While the Trump administration has made efforts to bring those countries together, they have failed.
• This war will continue if Russia and Ukraine can't agree of land concessions.
• 
  Where is Israel in their wars with neighbors.
• Gaza Strip:  daily airstrikes and conflicts with Hamas continue.
• Lebanon:  fighting with Hezbollah persists.
• West Bank:  Frequent Israeli military raids.
• With Iran:  continued strategic and direct confrontation.

• 
  There is also that matter of the 27October 2026 national election, the first since the outbreak with Hamas on 7October2024.
• Netanyahu's Likud party confirmed his candidacy.
• Polls indicate a tight race against opposition figures like Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett.

About those three hurricanes threatening Hawaii.

• Hurricane Marie today became at tropical storm, now at 65 MPH, and is heading up north to oblivion.

• Karina lost hurricane status yesterday morning, and is now a post-tropical cyclone at 35 MPH. 

•  A video:

• 
  However, concern remains about Hurricane Lowell:

At 8 a.m., Lowell had maximum sustained winds of 115 mph, a Category 3 hurricane, and was centered 325 miles southwest of Lihue and 455 miles southwest of Oahu. It was moving north-northeast at a quick 15 mph. Hurricane-force winds of 74 mph or more extend up to 60 miles from the center, and tropical storm-force winds extend up to 175 miles, according to CPHC.

Lowell is expected to pass ”near or just west of Niihau tonight and early Tuesday, and damaging hurricane conditions are expected to begin in Kauai County tonight and continue through Tuesday morning, with tropical storm conditions expected to begin later today,” they said. “Higher wind gusts are expected atop mountains and on windward and leeward slopes.” It is expected to be a Category 2 hurricane with 110 maximum sustained winds tonight.

On Kauai and Niihau, waves of 7 to 10 feet, rapidly building to 20 to 30 feet, are expected Monday afternoon and evening. For south shores of other islands, surf of 7 to 10 feet is expected, rapidly building this afternoon and evening to 15 to 25 feet for Oahu,

We have been on the Silver Whisper for a week, and getting more and more convinced that this could well be the best cruise we have ever taken.

• The staff is superb.
• Restaurants and other venues are never crowded.

• 
  Cuisine is great, with unlimited caviar.
• Entertainment, games and educational lectures are excellent.
• Internet works well.
• The free alcohol for all is superior.  Macallan scotch and Number Ten gin, for example.
• Our stateroom has one problem.  
• Many ships these days feature king-size beds.
• Our beds are single, if not thinner.  Yet, I have slept well, so this inconvenience is okay.

I was watching a video on Icon of the Seas, the largest cruise ship.  Made me wonder these two ships compare.

• Goggle AI says we are on opposite ends of the cruise industry sectrum.
• But both brands are owned by the same company:  Royal Caribbean Group,
• IotS is a high-energy, family-centric mega-resort at sea.  SW is an intimate, ultra-luxury boutique vessel tailored to mature travelers seeking quiet sophistication, global itineraries and highly personalized service.
• 250,800 to 28,258 gross tons, so IotS is about ten times heavier.
• 7600 passengers vs 390, or a factor of 26 difference,
• 2350 to 302 crew members.  So there is one crew member for every 3 passengers on the Iots, and almost 1 to 1 on the Silver Whisper.

There are 16 Silverseas ships, and the Silver Whisper is the fourth oldest.  Our ship ranks #10 among them, with the newer ones scoring higher.  The three best are Silver Dawn (600 guests, to the left.), Silver Nova (728) and Silver Moon (596).

And the cruise goes on.  Yesterday was my birthday, and the cleaning staff let me know that they know.

Lunch was at the Grill yesterday.  The Silver Band Band entertained.

I ordererd a Reuben sandwich to compare with the one I had in Montreal.  Better.  Also, large salad.  The french fries came hot, a first on this trip.  It was, like being served at MacDonald's tasty, partly because of the temperature.  They were making Rum Punch, plus, I added a Heineken.

After lunch, two enrichment lectures.  First, Steven Cogeshall on What is Physics?

The Heisenberg and Schrodinger equation,

The more you know about the physics, the less you know.  There remain so many mysteries.

Net, Kevin Soden on Medical Myths,

Early medicines.  Like cocaine.

Alcohol.

Joked about what takes precedence in Ireland.

You DON'T starve a fever, and you FEED a cold.

Don't regularly take aspirin!

You think you have only 5 senses?  Nope, there are 8.

You DON'T need to drink 8 glasses of water,  Depends of what else you eat and drink and how much you exercise.

Another myth.  

False again.

Don't sit at a computer for hours at a time.  Walk around every so many minutes.  Your brain shows the difference with a little exercise.

Stress does not cause ulcers.  Caused by a bacterium, and also nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), Naproxen sodium (Aleve) and even low-doses of Aspirin.  So what can you take for pain? Acetaminophen, like Tylenol and Excedrin.  Here is a Google AI comparison:

Tylenol (acetaminophen) helps stop general pain and fevers, but it does not reduce swelling or inflammation like Verywell Health explains. It is a good choice for basic headaches and minor aches. [1]

Excedrin mixes acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. It often works better than standard pain relievers for migraines and tough headaches because the caffeine boosts the pain-stopping power. [1]

Advil (ibuprofen) is an anti-inflammatory medicine. It targets swelling, muscle strains, and joint pain better than Tylenol. [1, 2, 3]

Aleve (naproxen) is another anti-inflammatory medicine that lasts longer in your body than Advil. It works well for all-day relief from arthritis or deep muscle aches. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Finally, should you walk 10,000 steps/day?  No, not necessary.  I try to get 6,000 steps/day, which is around 3 miles.  However, I have only averaged 1000 steps/day on this cruise because it is kind of dangerous to walk around.  Worse, from tomorrow, waves will increase to 7 feet.

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TODAY IS SEPTEMBER 6.....My Birthday.

I was born on 6September1940.  Am now on the Silversea Silver Whisper, heading towards three Pacific Ocean hurricanes.  Met the captain of this ship last night, Julien Albiel to my right (your left) and hotel director Valentin Trif.

He was pleased to hear that we both thought the Silver Whisper was the best cruise ship we have ever been on, all things considered.  Even better that the Ritz-Carlton Luminara.  Here I am with Captain Tom Roth of that luxury yacht.  Read the story of how he personally helped me on Day One of our cruise from Singapore less than a year ago

So back to the Silver Whisper, spent some time talking to Captain Albiei, mostly about those three hurricanes.  Twelve hours later, or this morning, the situation has further improved regarding our safety.  

• Hurricane Karina is now a tropical storm at 60 MPH and continuing to mover westward, sufficiently north of the Hawaiian Islands. Will become a post-tropical gale as she heads away from Hawaii.

• 
  Hurricane Lowell has weakened into a Category 3.
• Niihau and Kauai are now "only" under tropical storm warning.
• A lot of rain expected for all the islands.“
• A turn toward the north and north-northeast with an increase in forward speed is expected over the next couple of days, bringing the center of Lowell across portions of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, just west of the main Hawaiian Islands, Monday night,” forecasters said. “Lowell is forecast to turn toward the north-northwest and slow down by Tuesday night after passing the Hawaiian Islands.”
• On Monday night, the eye of Lowell should have a strength of 110 MPH and be moving north around 120 miles west of Niihau

• Hurricane Marie has weakend into a Category 1 at 80 MPH and is not expected to turn toward Hawaii.

The wave condition through which the Silver Whisper is travelling has not gotten any rougher as we get closer to the path of Hurricane Karina.  Still though, rocking a bit, making walking hazardous.

About my birthday celebration today,  Not sure.  Nothing particularly planned.  Will report tomorrow on these details.

But about September 6:

• It is the 249th day of this year, so 116 days remain.
• On this day, in 1492, Christopher Columbus left the Canary islands to discover America.

• 
  A Magellan ship returned to Spain in 1522
• In 1620, The Pilgrims also began their sail on the Mayflower from Plymouth, England.
• No famous people were born in 1940.  The best I could find:  John Hayes, American scientist (died in 2017), Elizabeth Murray, American painter (died in 2007) and Jackie Trent, Singer and actress (died 2015).

• 
  The Soviet Union shot down Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983,
• Leningrad changed back to Saint Petersburg in 1991.
• In 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. played his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking the record of Lou Gherig.

• 
  2.5 billion watched the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997.
• The Russo-Ukraine War began in 2022.
• No country celebrates a holiday on September 6.
• Kind of a nothing day in history.

Two day ago started with a buffet.  Again, outstanding.

Turns out that you can also order items like ramen and sashimi.  Will do that tomorrow.

Went to the Panorama Lounge for a music trivia competition.  If your team comes in first, you get five points,  Three for second and one for third.  At the end of the trip, you can use these points to win things like shirts and other stuff. That lady from Southern California, who also happens to be a judge was really good at this.  We ended up second.

This game was followed by Garth on the piano,

Dinner for me was baked tomato soup and salad in the first course, with a Chardonnay and Cabernet.

Second course fried chicken and mushroom soup.

Met Executive Chef Jordan.

Lovena B. Fox in The Show Lounge.

Ended the evening in in the Panorama Lounge for Karaoke.

Our buffet lunch yesterday was no doubt our very best of any cruise we've taken.  Ordered a plate of tuna sashimi and ramen.  Plus items from the buffet, including salad, fried chicken and roast pork.  With a glass of beer.

Then went to hear a lecture from Stephen Cogeshall about Fusion:  The Energy Source of the Future.

We appear to have similar backgrounds.  

• He began to work on inertial confinement fusion at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in the 80s.  
• I spent some time with the laser fusion program of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, in the 70s but left the field 50 years ago because I then felt that the laser to accomplish commercial fusion was a half century away.  
• He has kept up with latest developments involving industrial funding for fusion.
• He thinks we remain 20 years from commercialization.
• I think it will be more like 50 years.
• However, we both agree that scientists will someday achieve this goal and that this technology will be crucial to the future of Humanity,
• His upcoming talks will get into AI and other scientific matters.

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