TLCOhio

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

How lucky do you feel? Need to be "Three for Three" for getting off of the ship early, then the hour or so distance and transportation to the airport and then dealing with check-in, security and luggage at the airport? We are on the Aug. 1-8 sailing and this is our first trip to Iceland. It seems like a firm "Maybe" as to being possible. And, then some airlines for 10:30 am flights, close up their doors 10-15 minutes early. Your choice and risk. We are doing an extra day there rather risk things being too tight and/or of chance. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Since our first cruise in 2006, Athens to Istanbul on the Seabourn Spirit, certain "things" have evolved and changed. Others aspects not so much different. Depends much on your choices and ability to pay. Itinerary (our first priority), cruise line (ideally we like smaller ships), budget/value (that's getting more challenging!!), etc.??? From Bodrum Castle on the Turkish Coast, here was the view of this first ship with only 200 passengers. Nice size, great food and service. BUT, even the smaller ships are getting bigger. That's another pro/con factor that offers some benefits and drawbacks. One key factor, such as last year with Mumbai to Singapore on the Silver Moon and upcoming in early August for Iceland, is spending additional time pre- and post-cruise in order to maximize the experience. 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/

Happy Birthday USA. Sorry, King George III, but parting was sweet. No offense, however, to our fine cousins today in the UK. It's the Fourth of July here today and during the next year, we will be celebrating the run-up to that 250th Celebration. Last night in Central Ohio, it was our Red, White and Boom fireworks show, billed as the largest in the Midwest. Had my camera and tripod along and below are four visual samples. More local, community, suburban fireworks shows here tonight. Using a tripod, there were shot with my Nikon D7200, two second exposure, f11, ISO 100. Glad technically that things worked out. Plus, taking lots of shots helps much in order to get a few that work out better than average. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio India to Singapore 2024: Live/Blog at 24,278 views with many visuals, including for “Golden Triangle”, Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2992045-live-terryohio-india-to-signapore-silver-moon-rising-pix’s/

Appreciate these continued great comments and kind follow-ups from R&T and highplanesdrifters. Keep it coming!! And, are very welcome to join in, makes comments, raise questions, etc. From the Wall Street Journal, below are their charts for the past week that was shortened by an early Thursday close and today being the Fourth of July holiday here in the USA as we celebrate our Bye-Bye to King George III. From NBC News yesterday, they had this headline: "U.S. dollar has fallen at the fastest clip since 1973. Here's what that means" with this sub-headline: "Some global investors no longer expect the U.S. economy to outperform the rest of the world." Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Over the past six months, the dollar has declined more than 10% compared with a basket of currencies from the U.S.’ major trading partners — something it has not done since 1973. Today, it sits at a three-year low. The simplest explanation for the decline is that global investors now expect the U.S. economy to no longer outperform the rest of the world as a result of Trump’s tariffs and worsening fiscal issues. Even with U.S. stocks returning to record highs, the return on other countries’ equities has been even stronger. Meanwhile the return on lending to the U.S. is expected to decline as growth here slows.” In this news analysis, the point was made: "the advantage of a weaker U.S. dollar is that it makes goods produced in the U.S. more attractive to foreign markets." Will this work out as true and who benefits most? Full story at: https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/us-dollar-falls-lowest-value-since-1973-what-to-know-rcna216469 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Enjoy the Caribbean? Here are two popular posts/links with thousands of views with much info for . . . . Grenada https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2179927-grenada-pixs-fun-experiences-jan2015/page/2/#comment-66823149 Or, Aruba: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2178325-aruba-pixs-fun-experiences-feb2015/page/3/#comment-66677721 Here is Royal Caribbean, both for the past five trading day and since the start of this year. Big, positive moves? New 52-week highs for RCL!!! How long can it last and keep rising?: (Open your screen/viewer wider to see these visuals larger/better!) Here are the WSJ charts for Caribbean and Norwegian during the most recent five trading days. Norwegian still lags way behind for recovering back to its 52-week high marks. Why is Wall Street so negative on Norwegian?: For comparison, below are the WSJ charts for the broader S&P 500, both during the past five days and since the start of 2025. Early April was "rocky", but the recovery has been significant.:

Appreciate this great follow-up and details. Lots to learn in order to understand and put together what all we will be seeing there in Iceland. Very helpful!! Keep it coming. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Below is a connection tor a highly-detailed live/blog on the NCL Board about their sailing that had various stops in Iceland, including in Reykjavik, Akureyri and Isafjordur.. Many, many pictures. Am sharing below three of their visuals from their stops and exploring. First, the Godafoss waterfall near Akureyri. Second is another visual from nearby to Akureyri. Finally, here is an interesting shot of the unique Iceland horses near Isafjordur: Is the excitement building? THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon vs. Porto? Many different Portugal tips, options, ideas, visuals, etc. with more than 37,687 views at: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2558841-lisbon-vs-porto-which-best/page/7/#comment-66782296

Agree!! Me too. Thanks. Terry in Ohio

Appreciate your live/blog with many details and visuals. Just found out about your nice postings and enjoyed much. We are getting ready for our first visit to Iceland. It will be on the Celebrity Silhouette, Aug. 1-8. We will have added pre- and post-cruise time in and around Reykjavik. We have three port stops, including for Akureyri and Isafjordur that you visited. Will share on our roll call a couple of your pix's to build up our excitement for what we will be seeing and experiencing. SUMMARY QUESTION: What did you love most from Iceland and what other tips and suggestions do you have for a first time visitor there? Other secrets and suggestions for Iceland? Love your Norway!! Visited Oslo in 2008 and then as detailed below did a long sailing up and down the western Norway Coast, including up to the Top of Europe. 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 this great above tip and follow-up. Maybe I am not doing things correctly, when going on the app with my iPhone. It shows I am checked in, but only allows me seeing things such as entertainment for our Aug. 1-8 cruise. Nothing is up and posted, yet, for our early August sailing dates. Cannot look at the current Silhouette sailing dates and details. Any suggestions? Or, am I doing something incorrectly. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

From a posting on the Silversea Cruise Critic board, a traveler just completed an expedition cruise that included a number of stops in Iceland. Many pictures and interesting details with his live/blog, but none of their port stops match to ours to be experienced with the upcoming Celebrity sailing Thought his insights and comments would be of interest here: "Iceland 🇮🇸 is enchanting! The people were very welcoming. My best advice is to be sure and have a waterproof outer layer. We only really saw the sun on one day. Other than that it was damp, rainy, and chilly. But, you may be lucky and get more dry weather. Make sure you have a good Icelandic Krona converter. I never had a good feel for exactly how much I was paying. If anyone in your family likes wool products, it is plentiful and beautifully crafted. Enjoy your trip!" THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Lisbon, NWSpain, Bordeaux/Brittany: Live/blog, June 2017 from Portugal to France along scenic Atlantic Coast on the Silver Spirit. Now at 36,592 views. Many pictures, details for history, food, culture, etc.: www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2511358

From a posting on another Cruise Critic board, this traveler just completed an expedition cruise that included a number of stops in Iceland. Thought his insights and comments would be of interest here: "Iceland 🇮🇸 is enchanting! The people were very welcoming. My best advice is to be sure and have a waterproof outer layer. We only really saw the sun on one day. Other than that it was damp, rainy, and chilly. But, you may be lucky and get more dry weather. Make sure you have a good Icelandic Krona converter. I never had a good feel for exactly how much I was paying. If anyone in your family likes wool products, it is plentiful and beautifully crafted. Enjoy your trip!" 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

Appreciate this posting. Glad you like the cast. Key question??? Since you are now on the Silhouette, or from anything on this ship recently, what are the shows being performed by this cast? Will be on the Silhouette Aug. 1-8 and interested as to any specifics or background for the performances and shows offered on this ship. Any and all detailed would be very helpful. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate these fun follow-ups from R&T and highplanesdrifters. Sorry, never watch or follow CNBC's Cramer. Am I the Clown? Or, him? Remember he is on a cable "news" channel where the game is attacting "eyeballs" and "clicks". Having a personality where people either hate or love you is part of the "game" there. Right? From this Wall Street Journal-related financial news website this afternoon, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Climbs To Record High On New Price Targets; Analysts Like This About The Stock” with these highlights: "Royal Caribbean stock jumped to another record high Wednesday after an analyst said the cruise line has reignited itself after the pandemic. The news helped other cruise-line stocks extend gains to all-time highs. Bernstein analyst Richard Clarke raised the firm's price target on Royal Caribbean (RCL) to 360 from 290 and kept an outperform rating. The analyst said Royal Caribbean has emerged from its 'pandemic cocoon' as a transformed business." This report also noted: "New ship launches and the opening of its first beach club in The Bahamas could help propel the cruise line to $20 billion in revenue next year. The stock shows no sign of fatigue, with its relative strength line also making new highs. Carnival rose 2.4% to a four-year high. Viking, which went public on the NYSE in May of last year, also climbed to an all-time high. Norwegian is lagging its peers as shares trade 27% below the Jan. 31 peak and below the 200-day moving average." Below is the late today WSJ chart for RCL. Looking good? For how long? Full story at: https://www.investors.com/news/royal-caribbean-rcl-stock-cruise-lines/?src=A00619&refcode=aflMarketWatch&_gl=1*al86zv*_gcl_au*MTE0NjM1OTgzOC4xNzUxNDg4MTI5*_ga*NDUxNjczNzI1LjE3MjU4ODkzOTU.*_ga_K2H7B9JRSS*czE3NTE0ODgxMjYkbzQkZzEkdDE3NTE0ODgxMjgkajU4JGwxJGg5NTk2OTMwODI. 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

YES, Doug, appreciate any postings during or right after your July 6 sailing on the Silhouette that you can share here on the Cruise Critic boards. Love to hear any and all insights for the current state of the Silhouette. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Good questions and comments regarding the naming and dining at this Celebrity speciality location. Love the above cute questions/comment by this comedian. Fun!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

YES, Paul and Linda, just checked out that Silver Wind live/blog with so many wonderful visuals and details showing off the wonders of Iceland. These posting really build the excitement for our upcoming exploring and around Iceland during our first visit there. Great sharing!! THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Super CONGRATULATIONS for a wonderful live/blog with so many excellent visuals, destination details, food and ship sharing, etc., etc. Well-done!! Just catching up late for these nice postings. Really enjoyed the visuals from Iceland, the waterfalls, sea scenes, fishing villages, architectural highlights, etc. We are getting ready for an August 1-8 sailing around Iceland, first for visiting there. Will be using another cruise line as we booked late and had a more limited budget than would fit with Silversea's prices these days. Any other insights, tips and suggestion for maximizing the experiences in Iceland? Keep up the great sharing and fine postings. 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/

From MSN News and this financial news website yesterday, they had this headline: “Royal Caribbean Cruises Stock Hits Record High at $316.37 Amid Leadership Changes and Strong Outlook” with these highlights: "Royal Caribbean reached a new all-time high, with its stock price hitting $316.37, marking a major achievement for the cruise line giant valued at $85.8 billion. This milestone reflects an impressive 101.91% increase over the past year. The surge in stock price is driven by a rebound in travel demand and growing consumer confidence, with revenues climbing 13.7% in the last twelve months. As the industry recovers from the pandemic’s impact, investor confidence in Royal Caribbean’s future growth has fueled the stock’s upward momentum." Also detailed and shared: "On the credit front, Moody’s upgraded Royal Caribbean’s senior unsecured rating to Baa3, citing solid financial results and improved leverage metrics." Full story at: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/royal-caribbean-cruises-stock-hits-record-high-at-316-37-amid-leadership-changes-and-strong-outlook/ar-AA1HLFF3?ocid=BingNewsVerp THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Early 2020, many visuals and details from New Zealand/South Pacific in going from Auckland to French Polynesia. This includes Bora Bora, Fiji, NZ experiences, etc: Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2735732-live-terryohio-“new”-regatta-south-pacificnz-pix’s/

Appreciate these smart concerns about the second half of 2025 and this follow-up from the savvy R&T. Keep it coming!! From the Wall Street Journal two days ago, they had this headline: “Your Next Cruise to Mexico Could Cost More. Here’s Why." with this sub-headline: "New passenger tax takes effect July 1 as Royal Caribbean and other firms plan for new resorts.” Here are some of their reporting highlights: “Royal Caribbean wants to develop a private resort for its cruisegoers near a Mexican seaside village, complete with the world’s longest lazy river and largest swim-up bar. The new destination in Mahahual is expected to make the cruise line millions. The Mexican government is pushing to collect its fair share from the project and others like it, too. Royal Caribbean and its peers have been tussling for months with officials in Mexico City over taxation, hiring and local investment rules. Starting Tuesday, cruise passengers will be assessed a $5 fee when their ship stops at a Mexican port. That rate will eventually rise to $21 per passenger, though the industry thinks that is too high.” Money, money, money!! Is it always about that? Sadly, yes. Am I missing something? Or, being unfair? Full story at: https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/cruise-lines-spar-with-mexico-over-taxes-that-raise-trip-prices-ec6d1127 THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio Summer 2019 Calgary, Jasper/Banff National Parks, Western Canada Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure, Vancouver, sailing up to Alaska on Silver Muse, post-cruise excursion to Denali, etc. Many visuals, Our firsts in these scenic areas! Now at 23,965 views. Live/blog: https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2682584-live-terryohio-silver-muse-alaska-canadarockies-pix’s/

Not sure the original stand is across from their new Opera House. Did find a pix and details for Clinton being there in 2004 and having one of those famous hot dogs. Fun history and background. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Here is more about the "Great Iceland Hot Dog" race and this link. Looked it up on Google maps and saw this info for Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. They noted: "Signature hot dogs are cooked up at this renowned little food stand dating to 1937." But is this location popular? See the visual from Google: This stand is located right next to the Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik and near Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. Also, if my understanding is correct, just a couple blocks north of the historic square of Austurvöllur, in the heart of Reykjavík, across from Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, and the cathedral. Handy, but super busy? You can find out much, much more helpful background at: https://bbp.is/blogs/news/discover-the-famous-icelandic-hotdog On thi site, they share: "The Icelandic hot dog, known locally as pylsa or pulsa, holds a special place in Iceland's food culture. Unlike typical hot dogs, Iceland's version uses high-quality, locally-sourced ingredients, including lamb, beef, and pork. Thanks to Iceland's pure-bred sheep that graze on natural farmlands, the meat is organic and hormone-free, giving these hot dogs a unique, savory flavor unmatched anywhere in the world." 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 77,212 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

Appreciate this link. Looked it up on Google maps and saw this info for Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. They noted: "Signature hot dogs are cooked up at this renowned little food stand dating to 1937." But is this location popular? See the visual from Google: This stand is located right next to the Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik and near Reykjavik Konsulat Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton. Also, if my understanding is correct, just a couple blocks north of the historic square of Austurvöllur, in the heart of Reykjavík, across from Althingi, the Icelandic parliament, and the cathedral. Handy, but super busy? 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 77,212 views. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1101008

YES, hotels are costly in Iceland. Many of the more basic hotels were $350 to $450 per night. Some suggested "nicer" hotels that were over $1000 a night. Book early, check back for better deals and locations, etc. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Appreciate this great tip and added details for Iceland hot dogs and their toppings. Am sharing with others here. Keep it coming with such helpful insights and experiences. THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio