TLCOhio

From this Wall Street Journal-related financial news website yesterday, they had this headline: “Can Royal Caribbean’s stock keep rising? Here’s what Wall Street’s new top bull says." with this sub-headline: "The most asked question of Stifel analyst Steven Wieczynski is how much higher the cruise operator’s stock can go. His answer? ‘A lot.’ " Here is the mid-afternoon WSJ chart during the past month for how RCL has hit another 52-week peak. Here are some of the reporting highlights: “Shares of Royal Caribbean were hovering just below record levels on Wednesday, after the new most bullish analyst on Wall Street said they still have a lot further to rally. Stifel analyst Steven Wieczynski said there was a lot of skepticism back in December when he said that Royal Caribbean’s stock, which at the time was trading around $225, was worth more than $300 a share.” Now what does this bullish analyst predict? "He responded by raising his price target on the stock to $400 from $310, with the new target implying about 21% upside from current levels. That target now makes Wieczynski the most bullish of the 27 analysts surveyed by FactSet who cover Royal Caribbean’s stock." Full story at: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/can-royal-caribbeans-stock-keep-rising-heres-what-wall-streets-new-top-bull-says-b0bbe8d2?_gl=1*260cln*_gcl_au*MTk1NTA0NTQ5NS4xNzUyMTczMDA2*_ga*MTY1NzA5OTY5My4xNzUxOTI4NDgx*_ga_K2H7B9JRSS*czE3NTIxNzMwMDQkbzIkZzEkdDE3NTIxNzMwMDYkajU4JGwxJGgyMjYzNTY3NjQ. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is this spot one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 122,627 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

Appreciate these great follow-up regarding the ship's technology from our travel friends in Florida. Very helpful and encouraging. Cute line about "your mileage may vary in Iceland". Keep it coming for any and all tips, secrets and insights for the Silhouette, Iceland, etc. Yes, excited in less than three week to escape some of our current Midwest heat for some Iceland "COOL"!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate the great visuals and continued sposting from desibee. Great weather for St. John's. Plus, the excellent follow-up for my question on the ship's wi-fi. The information is especially impressive from our Silicon Valley friend and super tech expert. Wow!! On a ship this size with thousands of guests and staff, can understand some amount of "throttling". Plus, I am not that fast at typing to need super higher speeds. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Yes, this Iceland dining location is on my list. Glad to get your encouragement. I love seafood. My wife not as much. Tried to check out their menu, but they did not have it on their website in English. It is right near our Berg Hotel location. Gets very good reviews/ratings from TripAdvisor, etc. Keep it coming with all good tips, ideas and suggestions for Iceland. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Wonderful visuals and details from J.P. Love the range of pix's from Reykjavik. I have "borrowed" this cute and fun visual below and will post it on our roll call for our upcoming Aug. 1-8 circumnavigation of Iceland. Love puffins and hope that this does not happen in real life. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Great above Iceland history and connection. That national park is on our schedule to visit during our Golden Circle private tour on our first day. Our private guide schedule describes it as "a huge source of history, traditions and a geological wonder." ICELAND CURRENCY?: How are your math skills? You will need that ability in Iceland!! Their currency is the Icelandic króna. As of today, 100 USD equals 12,193.50 ISK. When you see a price for dinner or an item, can you quickly divide in your head their local price by 122 to figure out easily its cost in US dollars? From a number of friends who have been to Iceland, the good news is that most every location takes credit cards and getting the local currency is not that needed. Below is a Google chart as to how the dollar has lost some value in the past year for Iceland. Per Wikipedia, as with other Nordic currencies (Danish krone, Swedish krona and Norwegian krone), the name króna (meaning crown) comes from the Latin word corona ("crown"). Added insights/experiences for Iceland currency, etc.? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio AFRICA 2016: Fun, interesting visuals, plus travel details from this early 2016 live/blog. At 58,461 views. Featuring Cape Town, South Africa’s coast, Mozambique, Victoria Falls/Zambia and Botswana's famed Okavango Delta. www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2310337

From a friend who just arrived in Iceland and had an exciting first full day in Reykjavik, he shared visuals of their dining delights at Grillmarkaðurinn. I am sure that food tasted as excellent as it looked in his pictures. Tomorrow, he and his wife board a Silversea expedition ship going to Greenland, Canada's Hudson Bay, etc. He shared this below visual of their "Iceland Lamb Roaming Free Since 874" sign at Grillmarkaðurinn. This visual is especially wonderful and I am "borrowing" it to post here in prep for our Aug. 1-8 cruise . Yes, that history of lamb and Iceland is amazing and apparently makes that meat especially great there. Right? BUT, my NY friend had no sense of "adventure" to try their grilled puffin, reindeer burgers, whale steak, horse tenderloin, etc., there on the menu at this famed Reykjavik dining star. They went more "conventional" with two different fish dishes. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Athens & Greece: Visuals, details from two visits in a city and nearby with great history, culture and architecture. Now at 77,360 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Super LOVED and appreciated these great visuals, comments and follow-up from savvy traveler J.P. reflecting your exciting first full day in Iceland. All wonderful. Am I assuming correctly that your entrees at Grillmarkaðurinn tasted as excellent as they looked in your pictures? Keep 'em coming. Look forward to following along. The "Iceland Lamb Roaming Free Since 874" visual/sign was especially wonderful and I might "borrow" it to post on Aug. 1-8 cruise roll call, etc. Yes, that history of lamb and Iceland is amazing and apparently makes that meat especially great there. Right? BUT, no sense of adventure to try their grilled puffin, reindeer burgers, whale steak, horse tenderloin, etc., there at this famed Reykjavik dining star? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 255,824 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Super appreciate these continued great visuals, comments and follow-ups from our South Florida friend. Keep it coming!!! It's been fun researching and learning more about Iceland, its history, gaining suggestions from many friends who have not only visited there, but super loved it, etc. From our local libraries in Central Ohio, I found that there a wide variety of different travel guide books available relating to Iceland. Need proof? Below is my visuals of the nine different books I have obtained from our local public libraries. Have spent some time with the Eyewitness and National Geographic books. Both, to my personal bias, have lots of colorful and interesting visuals. All seem very detailed with more than can be absorbed and digested during just our ten days there, including with the pre- and post-cruise private tours out of Reykjavík. Which tour books have others reviewed, liked, used? And these various cover pictures on each book give a good idea for the wide range of great sights and sites possible in Iceland. Right? Spent some time this week starting to get back in the habit of using our home recumbent exercise bike. It still works, as do my aging legs. Kind of?? Maybe?? Got to be ready and in slightly better shape for the walking, exploring, etc., in Iceland. We won't be renting a car in Iceland as my wife worries way too much. That's another, different, longer story. But, around Reykjavík, we will have a private guide and driver for three different days. Also, have a finalized for a tour to Vigur Island near Isafjordur. That hopefully yields some cute puffin like you have shared previously. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Amazon River-Caribbean 2015 adventure live/blog starting in Barbados for 26 days. Many visuals from this amazing river and Caribbean Islands (Dutch ABC's, St. Barts, Dominica, Grenada, San Juan, etc.). Now at 78,521 views: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2076101-live-amazon-river-caribbean-many-pix’s-terryohio/

YES!! Appreciate the kind encouragement for sharing. Will do such a link and photo tease/sampling on this thread, plus on the SS Cooler site. It's been fun researching and learning more about Iceland, its history, gaining suggestions from many friends who have not only visited there, but super loved it, etc. Spent some time this week starting to get back in the habit of using our home recumbent exercise bike. It still works, as do my aging legs. Kind of?? Got to be ready and in slightly better shape for the walking, exploring, etc., in Iceland. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Are you asking if I'll be alive in early August 2025? Hope that to be true. At our ages, who knows for sure these days? YES, planning to do a live/blog for this Iceland trip on the Celebrity CC board. Think from Iceland I can find a few interesting things to capture with my cameras? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Sounds like a great plan where I predict you will success. Good luck on the weather and you exploring there. Look forward to any and all visuals, details, etc. And, YES, want to hear about your dinner tonight at Grillmarkaðurinn. This includes as to whether you will try their grilled puffin, reindeer burgers, whale steak, horse tenderloin, etc. All food porn visuals welcomed!!! THANKS! Enjoy the vacation! Terry in Ohio

Yes!!! Super loved Halifax from visiting there three years back with three fun days there. Great charm, history, food, etc., in that wonderful part of Canada. Very much enjoyed their Boardwalk!! Keep it coming with the interesting travel details, nice visuals, etc. Yesterday finalized and booked the Internet plan for our upcoming Aug. 1-8 Iceland circumnavigation on the Silhouette. Got at a decent price the Premium Plan for this sailing. My questions??: With Starlink, is the service that good/decent for video streaming, uploading pictures, etc.? Know it is not as fast as at home and/or on land with a wired connection, but do things at sea with Premium, worked reasonably well under the circumstances? Much better compared to basic on a ship? Second, supposedly on a cruise ship, we access and watch video from Amazon Prime. True? Any other tips, suggestions for using Celebrity wifi at sea? Assume that at most locations around the ship, the wireless works reasonably well. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Canada 2022/2023: Scenic visuals, details from Canada Maritimes (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton Island). Plus, new from Aug. 2023, exploring historic/charming Quebec City. Visual/Info Summaries: www.flickr.com/photos/196555480@N08/albums

Yesterday finalized and booked the Internet plan for our upcoming Aug. 1-8 Iceland circumnavigation on the Silhouette. Got at a decent price the Premium Plan for this sailing. My questions??: With Starlink, is the service that good/decent for video streaming, uploading pictures, etc.? Know it is not as fast as at home and/or on land with a wired connection, but do things at sea with Premium, worked reasonably well under the circumstances? Much better compared to basic on a ship? Second, supposedly on a cruise ship, we access and watch video from Amazon Prime. True? Any other tips, suggestions for using Celebrity wifi at sea? Assume that at most locations around the ship, the wireless works reasonably well. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From MSN News and this financial news website over the weekend, they had this headline: “Travel Stocks Could Offer Investors a Glorious Trip, This Analyst Says” with these highlights from Conor Cunningham, an analyst at Melius Research who has covered the travel industry for nearly two decades.: “I view travel as a secular growth industry that is going to grow at a much greater rate than gross domestic product. There is a perception that people will change their travel plans at the drop of a hat because of economic fears related to tariffs. But I see a consumer who is changing, and is willing to continue spending on experiences more than goods.” From this reporting, they also share and back up the point with this info: "The numbers back him up. Global air passenger traffic grew by a record 10.4% in 2023, compared with a gain of 3.8% in 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. And nearly two-thirds of people surveyed last year by McKinsey said they were more interested in travel than they had been prepandemic. 'People always ask me when travel demand is going to fall off, and my view is, never,' Cunningham says." Fascinating range of background and information in this report. True? Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/air-travel/travel-stocks-could-offer-investors-a-glorious-trip-this-analyst-says/ar-AA1HUHvY?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 255,824 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Appreciate these comments and follow-up from HPD. Yes, it is all about the "extras" that most of the mass-market cruise lines push to boost their bottom lines. Successfully!!! Selling drink packages, jacking up the excursion prices, having high spa fees, etc. That's the 'game" and it is used for expanding profit margins. Getting ready for an Aug. 1-8 Celebrity Silhouette circumnavigation of Iceland, we booked late, got a very sailing price, BUT, then see all of the add-ons needed and wanted. It is still much cheaper than paying a much higher, if it had been available, cruise price with Silversea, Viking, Lindblad, etc. Economic trade-offs!!! That's what cruise lines and consumers consider and juggle. Right? From this financial news website over the weekend, they had this headline: “3 Reasons to Buy Carnival Stock Like There's No Tomorrow” with these highlights: "The company is bouncing back in a big way thanks to strong customer demand. Carnival experienced record-breaking sales of $6.3 billion in its fiscal second quarter. In its fiscal 2024, ended Nov. 30, Carnival hit all-time high sales of $25 billion, a strong 15% year-over-year increase. Fiscal 2025 looks to deliver even better results, given the historically high occupancy rates for its bookings. This contributed to Carnival shares skyrocketing nearly 70% over the past 12 months through July 2." Full story at: https://www.fool.com/investing/2025/07/05/3-reasons-to-buy-carnival-stock-like-theres-no-tom/ THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 257,895 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate ALL these various wonderful visuals, comments and follow-ups. Keep it coming!! All very interesting and helpful. As of tomorrow, it will be just three weeks till our July 29 flight via Delta and JFK to Iceland. We have scheduled private tours in the two days prior to do our boarding on August 1. One for the Golden Circle. Second for the southern coast to the black beach, etc. Also, have a private booked for August 8 when we git off of the ship. From a NE Ohio friend who has visited Iceland four times, she outlines below a wide range of tips, suggestions and background. Many good options to consider and enjoy based on her wide-ranging comments. Reactions? Recommendations: Pay attention to the landscape and wildflowers on the way from the airport. Prepare by reading the steps and time it takes for molten lava to grow anything and what begins the process. Eat lamb soup! I usually have it every day while there. Hotdogs are popular, but I prefer the soup. Menus often just say soup. Try a tasting menu with about a dozen bites. Pricy, but a taste of local food and beverages. The bites remind me of eating tapas in Spain. Visit a mineral bath etc. spa. This time I'll try The Sky Lagoon instead of the Blue Lagoon. It will help with jetlag and the discomforts of an over-night flight. Walk the pedestrian only streets. Chat with vendors set up in open areas. There were many next to the Radisson 1918. Usually, they were women selling what they knitted during the dark winter months. Visit where the tectonic plates of N America and Europe meet. Scenery is spectacular. Europe and America quite literally have a rocky relationship. Read about the history, Viking government, and think about our government today in comparison. Take a whale watch cruise. Minke whales sometimes come up to the boats. Unfortunately, Minke whale is delicious and available in restaurants. Puffin cruise may also be fun. They also may be on a tasting menu. Icelandic horses are a special breed, smaller, and have five distinctive gates. One is unique. Any horse that leaves the country cannot return. This is to protect and keep the breed pure. You will love Iceland and run out of time to see everything on your list. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Venice: Loving It & Why??!! Is this spot one of your future desires or past favorites? See these many visual samples for its great history and architecture. This posting is now at 122,627 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1278226

From MSN News and a travel news website yesterday, they had this headline: “One Of The World's Biggest Cruise Ships Costs $1M A Day To Run” with these highlights: "Running a cruise ship that costs $1 million every single day might sound like a financial money pit, but for Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas, it's a well-oiled business machine. The Symphony of the Seas, formerly the largest cruise ship in the world, can carry more than 6,500 passengers, supported by a crew of 2,400. It measures a whopping 1,188 feet (362 meters) long. Symphony of the Seas turns a profit through a relentless focus on efficiency, smart design, and economies of scale. What happens behind the scenes reveals a carefully orchestrated balance of luxury, labor, and logistics that allows this floating metropolis to thrive at sea." Many interesting background detail are provide for operating such a large ship, why the finances roll up, etc. This includes: "Over 2,700 rooms must be cleaned, and within nine hours, the ship has to be fully restocked with more than 600,000 pounds of food and drink delivered via 500 pallets. Any delay in restocking can postpone departure, creating a costly domino effect for a ship on a tight timeline." Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/one-of-the-worlds-biggest-cruise-ships-costs-1m-a-day-to-run/ar-AA1I56ll?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Barcelona/Med: June 2011, with stops in Villefranche, ports near Pisa and Rome, Naples, Kotor, Venice and Dubrovnik. Great visuals with key highlights, tips, etc. Live/blog now at 262,719 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1362155-solstice-livefirst-timer-reportspix’s-italycroatian-june-7-19/

For JP, it must be something malfunction with your washing machine and/or dryer causing your clothes to shrink too much. Right? Look forward to any and all posts from Reykjavik as to your dining treats, sights, etc., from Iceland before boarding your SS expedition ship. Good luck!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

YES!! Super great wisdom above as to the importance and significant value of and for capturing those fun visuals. Need these picture memories to have for us now. PLUS, long term to keep the recollections alive and well from these exciting adventures. Look forward to following along with you, Chris, mysty, etc. Glad you will have two days in Iceland before boarding the Silversea Endeavor. Hope you can share some of what you loved and did in Reykjavík, where dined, etc. Keep it coming!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these above great comments, insights and follow-up in preparing for our first exploring of Iceland. Very helpful from an Oslo resident who just completed a long and detailed live/blog on the Norwegian Cruise Critic board. Yes, have scheduled to do a Golden Circle tour upon arrival before commencing our Aug. 1-8 cruise. Am sharing these summary points here and on our Celebrity Roll Call. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 257,895 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Appreciate these great comments, insights and follow-up in preparing for our first exploring of Iceland. Very helpful. Yes, have schedule to do a Golden Circle tour upon arrival before commencing our Aug. 1-8 cruise. Will share these summary points on our Celebrity Roll Call. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Sydney to NZ/Auckland Adventure, live/blog 2014 sampling/details with many exciting visuals and key highlights. On page 23, post #571, see a complete index for all of the pictures, postings. Now at 257,895 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1896175-solstice-live-australianzhawaii-many-pix’s-jan-20-feb-3/

Highly appreciate the continued great sharing of the wonderful visuals from Iceland. Love it!!! On these super sharp puffin pix's, what camera and lens were you using?? Excellent images. Nice seeing these fun birds . . . up close and personal!! Have sent an email to Bessa. She's based out of the port at Ísafjörður. Right? What tour option did you use for the Puffin tour? At the Seydisfjordur port? Nice to know the date for their Independence Day is June 17. That's very easy for us to remember as that is also our Wedding Anniversary date. Just celebrated our 53rd Anniversary. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen, July 2010, to the top of Europe. Scenic visuals with key tips. Live/blog at 255,824 views. https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/1172051-livesilver-cloud-norway-coastfjords-july-1-16-reports/

Super appreciate ALL of these great visuals and follow-up postings. Wonderful and very helpful. Lots to consider and enjoy in Iceland. My best favorite is the early puffin pix with the small fishes in the mouth. Amazing!! How close were you to these puffin? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Agree above as to no checked bags, getting off early and such advanced experience/planning/prep does significantly improve your "luck" and odds. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio