Jump to content

Maligator

Members
  • Posts

    1,122
  • Joined

About Me

  • Location
    Cypress (Houston), TX
  • Interests
    Photography, aviation (both commercial and military), gadgetry, firearms, travel
  • Favorite Cruise Line(s)
    Celebrity
  • Favorite Cruise Destination Or Port of Call
    Europe, Caribbean, South America

Recent Profile Visitors

620 profile views

Maligator's Achievements

Cool Cruiser

Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. I hadn't considered that. I'll need to check into the move-up for Constellation next September!
  2. With 2024 schedules trickling out whenever they feel like releasing them, my wife and I are looking at those that managed to be released and found a Japan itinerary that looks good. After being spoiled in one of the six FV aft corners on Summit a few years back, we'd really like to book one of those again, but there seems to be no way to do it on the website. If I recall, we had to book a different room and wait until a few weeks before the sailing to inquire about moving to a FV. Is this still the only way to do it?
  3. Consider what's ABOVE that white area on Deck 9. Looking at deck plans, it seems to be right under the pool, which would protrude down into the Deck 9 space below. So the answer is likely pipes and/or maintenance access space to the pool.
  4. We've been back a couple of weeks and I can confirm there isn't much around the pier. There's the standard Iceland store with souvenirs. Maybe a HOHO bus stop, but I didn't see it.
  5. Hopefully, a search led you to my humble little post. Let me preface by saying we did this excursion through Celebrity in August 2022 and I don't think anyone on our tour was fully prepared for what it entailed and the level of exertion needed to complete it. I cannot speak for any other cruise line's description, other than Celebrity's. We've been on numerous hiking tours and the like that carry the caveats that participants should consider their overall physical condition and fitness. Sure, some are more challenging than others. But I don't believe even these advisements fully prepared us - or anyone else on our bus - for exactly what this tour entails. I'm not knocking the tour or the operator. For reference, the day we went, the weather was mostly sunny, around 75F, and breezy. The Gobbins Cliff Path Walk is an independent organization from the coach service Celebrity provided; that is to say, the coach gets you to the visitor center and the Gobbins staff then takes over until your return. I assume the tours are all the same when it comes to cruise groups. Tours are divided into smaller groups of about fifteen. As you're ushered into the briefing room, the guides are assessing footwear. Anyone not wearing appropriate shoes/boots with grippy soles are sent to the side to be given loaner shoes. I had trail running shoes with knobby soles and was deemed acceptable; my wife had regular Asics running shoes and was given loaners. You're then given a helmet, of which they have a variety of sizes. You MUST wear the helmet once the tour begins and it IS NOT for show! Backpacks, purses, etc are placed in lockers and you keep the key. Much of the walk isn't big enough for backpacks. From the visitor center, each fifteen-person sub-group is assigned a guide and everyone piles into a shuttle van for the three-minute ride to the drop-off. From that point, there's a relatively steep grade path down to the sea. Keep that in mind, as what goes down must come up. The entrance to the actual cliff walk is the next obstacle. This path was originally cut in the 1800's and while much of it is improved, some of it isn't. The entry requires squeezing through a gap in the rock. I'm 6'5" and had to shrink down quite a bit. The majority of the walking surface is either the rock or steel grate. The steps - especially those carved out of the rock - can be very uneven. Some are short. Others take more of a step. Even the steps made of steel grate can be super steep - more like a ladder. One specific section goes through a very narrow crack in the cliff with a steep decline that actually goes down below sea level before coming back up through another steep and narrow split. This is where the helmet really pays off. I recall a number of times I felt the helmet pick up bits of cliff face that would certainly have broken the skin on my scalp. I can't recall just how far you actually go along the cliffs. I'd say anyone in reasonable shape should be able to complete the walk, albeit with some considerable exertion. Young children and seniors were making it through. There is a cart at the bottom of the initial path for those who truly need it to get back up that steep grade. A couple on our sub-group were really sucking wind and took longer to get up to the top. One teenager who seemed to be more of a couch potato was really struggling. The van arrives to schlep everyone back to the visitor center. Anyway....I hope this helps inform anyone considering this excursion. I hope not to scare anyone away, as it is a very pleasant hike and I'm glad we went. I just feel like the description and advisories provided by the cruise line fell quite a bit short.
  6. Assuming the entire fleet gets the same supplies, the answer is likely "No." We're just off Apex and if the wrapper hadn't said it was a biodegradable straw, I'd swear it was a plastic straw. Unless they're in a transition period between suppliers, expect the good straws.
  7. All of our hand-wringing, doubts, and general pessimism were for nought. DW tested negative just before we headed to the airport. George Will said, "The best part about being a pessimist is that you're either constantly being proven right or pleasantly surprised." Thank you, anyway, for the guidance.
  8. None of the tour operators I've contacted have flexed at all on times, or have recommended other tours not even remotely close to what I wanted. So we ended up booking one through Celebrity that will probably end up being operated by one of the companies I contacted. I've already decided I'm going to do a non-cruise photo expedition for all the things I have to miss on this trip. It's not like I'd be able to see it all, anyway. Thanks for the advice
  9. I'd booked a flightseeing tour with a local pilot in his Cessna, but he was killed (along with his three passengers) in a crash last winter. I didn't find out until last week.
  10. Thanks, all. We have a Golden Circle tour the following day, so I want to avoid that. I'll check with our TA
  11. Some ports have tour operators right off the pier. Not the taxi drivers who offer to give you the nickel tour, but all day tours that range out for several hours. Our Reykjavik tour was unexpectedly derailed and we're scrambling to find something. TripAdvisor has a bunch, but their pick-up times are predominantly 7-9am and our ship doesn't dock til 10. Thanks
  12. I have some videos on my Flickr account which should be in my signature. LPC is truly unique and a blast to experience.
  13. So I called and spoke with two different reps. Both assured me we'd be fine with the documentation in-hand. Thanks for the tips.
  14. My wife tested positive two weeks ago, is asymptomatic, and her test Monday is still positive. With her COR, our TA called Celebrity and was told "Absolutely not." Seems not everyone at Celebrity is on the same page. I'm planning to call myself. For reference, we're booked on an Aug 1 Apex sailing, so time is running out.
×
×
  • Create New...