AusMum

we aren't booking any tours independently when we are on the cruise, but we have had to book in advance for a couple of excursions we are doing along our drive - I think we have booked ones where you only pay on the day, so cancellation (on their part) will be disappointment versus not getting our $$ back (I hope).

We have only got one port for Greenland.  At the time of booking we had three, and we have no idea why they got cancelled. The pay off is we are going further north up the east coast, so we are happy with that.

You have me worried now.  We have booked excursions etc for our upcoming trip around Iceland, before we go on The Endeavour.  I never entertained the idea that the prices could increase so much between now and then (the ones we have booked privately).

22 hours ago, Port Power said:

I think the point of the lagoons is the natural thermally heated water from the volcanic system, not the actual facility that holds the water.  It is not chlorinated water from the mains!  I quite enjoyed Star Lagoon, which also included a sauna room and steam room and salt scrub.  It was well managed and drinks were limited to three, with a wrist band to be scanned as proof.  The view of the sea was lovely.

Did you realise Bicton Baths are thermally heated?  also a beautiful view, but a place we take for granted.

https://swimmingholeheaven.com/wa-warmpools.htm

On 7/6/2024 at 1:19 AM, gcornell said:

When I travel to new places I want to do everything at least once especially since I bring my teens along and want them to experience the world to form their own opinions.  We arrived at Blue Lagoon at 8am and it was almost empty and very enjoyable. We left at Noon and it was a madhouse. At least 100x more people.  That would have completely changed the experience. 

If it was 'natural' it might have more appeal, but it is man-made.  I have a heated pool and a spa in my back garden, and am only moments away from deserted beaches, so not expecting it to be as much as a novelty as it might be to others.  I would rather spend my time seeing natural water falls etc

3 hours ago, Aussieflyer said:

Hopefully with the tightening up of smoking on ships at least you can make the decision to stay away from the areas where smoking is permitted.You should not be told 'too bad' and smokers must stay in designated areas (though I can imagine that air currents and wind may be an issue with smoke drift at times). It seems that the 'assistance dogs' were able to go everywhere on the ship with no doggie free zones.

I have been on cruises where it was so bad I ended up having to stay in my cabin beause the no-smoking rules were ignored

I'm not expecting that on SS though

18 hours ago, highplanesdrifters said:

 

Last time we were there in 2022 our driver happened to own the company.  He said they were expecting a 30% increase in cruise traffic and there was no way the country was ready. He said his company was already stretched to its limits.

 

Thanks for the article.

It's difficult to judge others, as I am off to Iceland as well.  I do believe doing our research has helped us to make better choices like giving places like The Blue Lagoon a miss.  I've just finished a travel and tourism course to become a travel consultant, and we had an entire unit on sustainability that encouraged us to think about over tourism, its impact, and some alternatives

I was recently on a Virgin cruise and loved The Band/Bracelet we were given.

I have been to the Seychelles in December - it was hot and sticky

On 7/2/2024 at 9:48 AM, Aussieflyer said:

I would have thought the dogs would have had to be wearing offical 'assistance animal' jackets to identify them as such. Although this is onboard it is an area where the owners come into contact with other members of the public therefore the dogs should be correctly identified if they are assistance or service animals (there is a difference in the role they play between the two I think).

 

On a slightly different point, I wonder if anyone on either trips had made a complaint and if so what the response was. Certainly if I was allergic to dog hair I would think I would be within my rights to do so. Silversea should have robust rules to ensure that any service animal is correctly accredited by a proper third party.

True, but whenever I have mentioned on other sites that I am allergic to tobacco smoke I often get a "too bad".

Was just reading this today, as we are off to Iceland in August. Am glad The Endeavour only has 200 passengers - these 2,500 passenger cruise ships must be tough for such small communities

https://www.icelandreview.com/news/seydisfjordur-cruise-ship-traffic-has-locals-asking-for-assistance/

this is disturbing

https://www.icelandreview.com/news/seydisfjordur-cruise-ship-traffic-has-locals-asking-for-assistance/

We are doing the Ring Road and have booked a whale watching trip from Husavik

It will never happen in Australia because our quarantine rules are very strict, but I often wonder where dogs will fit into the future of all kinds of travel.  Dogs are being treated as family members more and more - gone are the days where you just shove Fido outside.

I'm leaving my two boys back in Australia for 6 weeks, so it is breaking my heart.  We usually try to travel around with them to 'dog friendly' places in our caravan.

On 7/3/2024 at 6:05 AM, Mahogany said:

I don't think anyone is "being angry towards considerate people", Jeff. But most people when considering a new cruise line (to them) visit the website to check itineraries and destinations. On Silversea's website there are FAQ and General Cruise Information and Guidelines. They discuss the dress code there, and you don't even have to set up an account. Doesn't it make sense to read this rather than the myriad of responses you get from Cruise Critic posters?

We didn't know anything about SS when we booked - we just liked the itinerary it was offering for Greenland.  We saw photos of people looking like they were excited about going on an adventure.

My experience on here is that people try to dictate what people should/shouldn't wear.  A friend has recently returned from an Endeavour cruise and said "I saw no bling, no ties and no jackets".  So, I guess there is a big difference between expedition cruises and classic cruises.

4 minutes ago, Hezu said:

I'm not that familiar with Olympus/OM Systems gear and never been in Greenland, but at least the focal lengths of your lenses cover most needs. If you want to do any long exposure photography (for example auroras) you definately want to have a tripod, although I have to mention that tripods may not work for long exposures aboard a ship as there is always more or less shaking. Also I think your lenses may be a bit slow aperture wise, so for low light situations (and especially for nighttime photography) that could be a problem.

If I have the opportunity to see the northern lights (on land) in Iceland, what lense would you suggest?

I am taking an OM-5 to Iceland and Greenland in September.  I like that it is more water/rain resistant than some other cameras.

I currently have the following lenses

  9 - 18

14 - 150

75 - 300

I want to take pics of scenery in Iceland (possibly some wildlife), and HOPEFULLY the Northern Lights. Greenland is where I really hope to see polar bears etc I will be on an expedition ship for 16 nights and going up the east coast of Greenland.

Do I have the right equipment?  thinking I need to invest in a tripod as well.

I am off to Iceland and Greenland in August/September and have just started researching binoculars.

I currently have an OM System OM-5 with various lenses.  My biggest is a 75-300.

The Greenland cruise is 16 nights on an expedition ship, so I imagine there will be a lot of time to look for wildlife.

I would love a sensible recommendation.  I didn't take binoculars to Alaska and really wished I had them in Denali.

20 hours ago, Port Power said:

Yes, lunch is as you list, plus the Reuben sandwich and grilled salmon.  Dinner is “Hot Rocks”, although you can elect to have the meal served already cooked in the kitchen.  Filet steak, chicken, prawns, served with a jacket potato or other choices.

sounds perfect 🙂. thanks!

They probably aren't including the whale sharks because it's so expensive, but they do start to arrive around March (some friends from Denmark were lucky enough to dive with them in early March this year).

I have done the glass bottom boat a few times, and it seems strange you need to waitlist already.  It's quite an inexpensive tour, if you book as a member of the public. It seems crazy that it is already 'booked out' b ut it might be because the tour company hasn't opened for bookings yet.

https://www.glassbottomboat.com.au/

Turquoise Bay is one of my most favourite beaches in the world.  You don't even have to be a strong swimmer to enjoy it. Turquoise Bay is famous for drift snorkelling.  Most people just lean over a swimming noodle and let the current take them out and then back in.  You can see fish swimming around your feet etc because the reef there is protected as part of the national park.

https://exploreparks.dbca.wa.gov.au/site/turquoise-bay

How long do they give you in Exmouth? you could consider hiring a car and driving yourself to the boat ramp, and then to the National Park and Turquoise Bay.

I have a question about The Grill.  I have read mixed information.  From my understanding lunch is pretty muh wraps, burgers and hot dogs.  Does this then change to cooking your own meat on hot rocks at night tiime?  Just finishing my reservations 🙂

On 5/25/2024 at 1:01 AM, claranda said:

Thanks to all for this good advice. It’s our first SS cruise and we appreciate your help. I’ll keep a close eye on developments…..

 

Port Power, it’s Exmouth that’s the spot in question. We’re looking forward to being in Perth again after quite a few years and catching up with extended family who’ve been there a long time.

what time of year are you there? are you hoping to do one of the whale shark tours? it's one of my favourite places

On 5/23/2024 at 11:20 PM, claranda said:

A related question…we have booked on a 2026 cruise (a world cruise section) and after paying the deposit I went straight on and booked the excursions - with the exception of a one-horse (one excursion company?) little town in W Australia where the two included excursions are marked SOLD OUT and the other two (with a charge) are waitlisted. I’ve put us on the wait list and have also contacted the supplier, who was sorry, but the cruise company also books all the buses in town, so we’d have no way of getting to the starting point of any tour. No public transport, no hire cars… . My question is whether, in this situation and if we manage to get on the charged excursion, we are entitled to have it as our ‘included’, ie. free of charge, tour?

If you need any info on Western Australia just inbox me - I am from there and pretty passionate about it

I'm really excited about getting mine 🙂

On 4/13/2024 at 9:45 PM, shipsmail said:

While there is a lot of posts about poor service on Silversea, I look forward to my expedition cruise on the Endeavour. Can anybody tell about experiences recently of this ship? Maybe from the current cruise in Scotland?

when is your cruise?

We are doing something similar to this in August before our September Greenland cruise