AusMum

On 7/8/2023 at 4:37 AM, RyanJCanada said:

Bonus post just went up!

when are you bringing the family to Australia? lol

This is where we are driving to tomorrow (we have a caravan). It will always be one of my most favourite destinations in the world, even though it's in our state. I've bought a new lens for my camera (75 to 300mm) and hoping to practice some photography for our Iceland/Greenland trip.  This is peak time for whale sharks and humpbacks.  We've seen orcas up there too!

My least favourite activity on cruises lol

Miss you already 🙂

On 4/26/2023 at 6:00 PM, Chinaby said:

We are going on a 14 night Silversea Alaskan cruise in May 2024. Considering the Denali land extension and wondering what others have thought of this?

Also be helpful to know what time you arrive at the ship at the conclusion of the land tour.

 

Greatly appreciated.

We did Alaska with another cruise company in 2018.  We did a week in Denali 'on our own' and caught the train back to Anchorage.  We loved having our independence, so hired a car.  It was an amazing experience.  Make sure to look out for bears! we kept getting a false sense of security whenever we pulled over to use rest areas.

On 6/26/2023 at 9:49 AM, HappyLadyTravels said:

Has anyone taken Silver Endeavour from Pond Inlet for Greenland and Canadian Artic? Are boots needed?

I believe you can hire them

On 7/3/2023 at 9:09 PM, TLCOhio said:

 

YES, super cute and creative about that "FLAN" railway being "pie in the sky".  The real Flam rail adventure is fun and exciting.  Need proof and evidence??  Below are a few of my visuals to prove it great drama and excitement.  

 

Hopefully, QueSeraSera has great weather and a wonderful sailing.  Look forward to seeing reports and any pictures. 

 

THANKS!  Enjoy!  Terry in Ohio

 

 

 

Just a couple of samples for the dramatic views experienced when doing the Flam rail adventure.:

 

 

Stopping at one of the massive waterfalls along the track side to see its power "up close and personal".:

 

Can't believe it's been almost 30 years since we went there - we were in our early 20s and could barely afford to eat, but we had an awesome time 🙂

6 minutes ago, calm down dear said:

Today is Nordfjordeid, we anchored and the tendering was very efficient. We were the only ship in town. We had a “hike” to a waterfall with a pleasant minibus ride along the fjord side for about 20mins each way and the walk was about an hour plus a “rest”. There were 12 in the group so not crammed in and this walk seemed to have 4 departures. For an “included” tour this was good. 
Late lunch in Kaiseki - it was completely full, the food here not as good as the Seabourn version at Seishin and portions very small, a maki roll was 3 small pieces. The small windowless space felt like a small windowless place especially with about 30 people in it.

The town had a great Viking museum and a longboat plus an interesting church.

Our fellow passengers seem a very diverse international bunch and compared to our Seabourn October med cruise where we (early 50’s) were very clearly some of the youngest , this has more families and many in 20s and 30s. Not seen one zimmer frame yet, whereas on Seabourn there were many in their 80s (and good for them too, to be clear). 
The ship is a year old according to the hotel director who introduced herself on deck, it looks immaculate. One little detail, on Seabourn when we tendered there were many steps and lots of movement, here whilst there are some steps down the tender entrance is completely level, almost like getting into a lift.

Had tea at Arts Cafe, good selection and service.

Visited spa area, it’s amazing like a hotel with plenty of loungers but what is truly odd is there are no signs on the male and female sauna doors, rather next to them are large Grecian type murals, one Neptune like and one Venus like but it’s not at all obvious and so far in 30 mins , 8 people have gone into wrong one.

Interesting to know.  We are also early 50s and were wondering if we might be the youngest on a Silversea cruise, but guess you can never really tell.

4 minutes ago, alithecat said:

We plan to arrive 2 nights before the cruise, so will only have 1 full non-jetlagged day in Reykjavik for the great circle route. That's all the time we'll have.

we were going to do that, but then we got tantalised by Icelandic crime drama, and decided we wanted to see more 🙂 we initially thought we would spend a week in Scotland, but we were more likely to go back to the UK in the future than Iceland

https://www.silversea.com/destinations/cruises-arctic-greenland/reykjavik-to-reykjavik-ev230905016.html

that's our cruise

10 hours ago, alithecat said:

Thank you for all your posts and photos. We are booked on the Wind in August 2024 for Iceland and Greenland, and have really appreciated this. Safe travels home.

Ours will be on The Endeavour in September next year, so will look forward to your posts! are you planning to do any days in Iceland pre-cruise? we are considering doing the Ring Road

8 hours ago, calm down dear said:

Thanks Terry, yes we had 3 days in Bergen and will have 3 days in Copenhagen and whilst have been to both previously (we live in London) it was about 10 years ago. Bergen was great for walking, we had an Airbnb in the old town, all wooden houses and cobbled streets up on the hill behind the old Bryggen warehouses.

Both are awesome cities

4 minutes ago, RyanJCanada said:

Absolutely agree regarding the transformative impact this has on kids - it just makes everything so much more tangible. Curious to see how it will affect their future schoolwork and career interests!

You are so much closer to Alaska than we are - even if you use a more 'affordable' cruise line than Silversea, then land based into Denali etc, it's an amazing part of the world.

20 minutes ago, RyanJCanada said:

Video of the calving glacier:

 

 

 

We got to see glacier calving on both of our trips to Alaska; you are right in saying it's very bittersweet, but the sound is amazing. Our son was 4 when we first went to Alaska.  he got an award at school for doing a presentation at assembly on 'Glacier Calving in Alaska'.  As I write this I realise why he's so drawn to wanting to work in renewable energies, and how much of a positive impact travel has had on his ambitions.

3 minutes ago, Jonesy333 said:

Antarctica expedition cruise . We did Iceland in May it was cold wet and windy . Where do you live in Australia .

Perth (Salter Point) - you?

Our cruise is in September next year, so we will be in Iceland in late August.  I have a wedding to go to in Denmark in August, so we needed something that suited our time frame.

Any words of wisdom for an Australian in Iceland?

We had booked to go to Antarctica in 2021, but it was only with Celebrity, and we had to cancel.  We always hated the journey we would have to take to get there, via Argentina. The dates had us passing through Sydney for NYE, so it was always going to be difficult.

We were watching Foxtel, where we saw an ad for The Arctic on Silverseas.  They enticed us with images of polar bears etc, and both of us said, "Hey, let's go there, it seems to be so much easier to get to."  We have our 30th wedding anniversary next month, so I guess we are just celebrating a year late.

The first thing I do when I get home from work is check for your updates!  Am going to miss your blogging when this cruise is over.

17 hours ago, LAexNY said:

If you have FF miles to use, you have options.

We did very well using Alaska miles.  We got a short hop from Portland to SFO then business class on Singapore from SFO to Singapore (16 hour 40 minute flight!) with a 3 day stopover in SIN to visit friends and decompress then business SIN-Perth( 5 hour flight) all for 145,000 miles and $61.  Another option if you have Chase points is to transfer them to Singapore Air and look for flights there.

For our return home from Darwin, we bought coach tickets to SIN (4h 45m) then used Singapore miles for SIN-SEA in business (14h 45m)

I love Singapore!

If I can help you in any way whilst you are in Perth, just inbox me 🙂. 

3 hours ago, texanaust said:

We are currently on the Spirit.  Lunch sushi is premade and covered in plastic wrap.  You get three small pieces per serve.  Is this normal?  I thought I remembered sushi chefs making the sushi on the Moon last year and it was five pieces per roll.  

Can't you have as much as you like?

2 hours ago, Jonesy333 said:

Thank you for all the information on this thread . We are on Silver Wind in Feb24 so I'm grateful for all advise I had already bought waterproof slip ons for travel between mud room and cabin so no crocs for me . 

Layers seems to be the way to go as we are from Australia we feel the cold more so we are prepared to layer up or down depending on the day and activity .

 

I think this recent weather has been helping us to prepare lol. I keep getting hubby to stand outside in his new gear from the Anaconda sale, and have said, "This is as hot as it ever gets in Iceland!".

Which journey are you taking?

What camera did you use back then? I've just purchased a new camera, and can't wait to find out how it captures my Iceland/Greenland adventures

Hey, you are in the same part of the world as me now (although I am much further south here in Perth) - we have been experiencing the coldest and wettest winter in something like twenty years, so am not surprised the weather has also been a bit 'off' up north.  We are planning to drive as far north as Karratha, in about 10 days time.

JJS your best option would be to fly from the US to Sydney, spend a few days in Sydney, then travel to Broome via Perth.  Broome is a small town, but it's a major destination for Australian tourists - they have regular flights on decent aircraft.  Because Western Australia has a massive mining economy, with so many workers living a 'fly in fly out' lifestyle, big airlines like Qantas fly there.  Broome also has a large oil and gas (offshore) industry.

We have only cruised from Perth to Broome (much cheaper cruise company) and we also had issues getting into some ports.  Things like weather can't be controlled, which makes it difficult when you live miles away from a destination and it might be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity.

On 7/3/2023 at 8:40 AM, RyanJCanada said:

Day 7 – Sea Day

 

We woke late on our sea day – 7:30 am, which is practically noon for the parents of two very active children. A further deal was struck, and the kids watched a documentary while the parents enjoyed a leisurely wake up. Then off to the Restaurant for a delicious breakfast of waffles, crispy bacon, yoghurt, eggs benedict, and bagels and smoked salmon.

 

When we re-upped for Greenland, we’d wondered how we’d pass two full sea days, but a quick look at the Chronicles revealed that this would be a complete non-issue – between enrichment lectures, swimming, trivia, and the much-anticipated “Expedition Couch” in which the host will interview members of the expedition team.

 

I dashed off after a quick breakfast to catch the last of Kristian Pederson’s lecture – which filled in the gaps around the departure of the Norse from Greenland – and then my wife and kids joined me for Olive’s lecture on whales and their importance to the ocean ecosystem.

 

Fun fact #1: Whales will engage in ‘bubble-net hunting’ in which they cooperatively use columns of bubbles to focus their food into a column, which makes for easier hunting.

 

Source: Whales in a Changing Ocean

 

Fun fact #2: Whale poop plays a vital role in the ocean ecosystem. It contains vast amounts of iron and other minerals, which are vital to the growth of phytoplankton and krill in turn. Over-hunting of whales can break this food chain, leading to vast and unpredictable consequences.

 

Olive's entire documentary is available here - highly recommended:

 

Next it was time for a swim. Thankfully, the pool temperature had increased significantly and there was plenty of room in the hot tubs. This – combined with the mild weather – made for some very happy kiddos. We even had time to enjoy a poolside beverage.

 

I’m not sure whether having a mimosa in the hot tub while overlooking snow-capped mountains and icebergs is my most luxurious experience, but it’s definitely in the top 10.

 

But it was soon time for lunch, and my wife came by to collect the kids one after the next so that there were no arguments over the shower. She then placed a quick call to room service, and we had a pair of piping hot pizzas a half hour later. (Silversea’s pizzas are cooked to order but worth the wait.)

 

Sometimes it’s just nice to having a break from dining in the restaurants, and the pizzas were a particularly good pairing with the Disney Bears documentary that was available on demand from the Silverseas TV system.

 

Though we did have a minor problem this time with Silversea collecting the pizzas after we were done with them – she must have paged our butler three or four times, but without result. Not a big deal, just a bit surprising given the otherwise stellar service we’ve had – and the trays were eventually removed during evening turndown.

 

Off to trivia, where we tied for first place. The tiebreaking question was Tom Hanks’ age. The other team guessed 64 and we guessed 68. He is 66, but turning 67 in a few days.

 

Daniel had been on the verge of awarding us the points but after some debate decided to do a second tie-breaking question regarding Steven Spielberg’s age. Sadly, we were off by an extra year – but still pleased with our second place finish.

 

This brings my son’s prize points total to 409. We’re hoping to save up for a world cruise. Not sure we’re going to reach that goal before the end of the trip.

 

Off to the Observation Lounge. Unfortunately, we still have not yet spotted any whales today despite the ideal conditions and appearance of some minke whales earlier that morning. We did, however, spot some hooded seals. The kids spent most of their time spotting their eReaders, with occasional breaks to closely observe some chocolate chip cookies.

 

 

 

 

 

We then headed down to the Explorer’s Lounge for ‘Expedition Couch’, in which the host asked members of the expedition team to recount some of their most memorable experiences. This was a new format, and it was really well done.

 

Some of the questions:

 

“What are you most proud of?”

 

One team member recounted how she had initially felt quite intimated by driving the zodiac, but then there came a moment – in really rough weather – where she felt like she the situation completely under control.

 

Another team member was proud of himself for pursuing his dreams and persisting in the job, even when it felt like he didn’t have the English skills necessary to succeed.

 

The third team member also struggled with English, but it wasn’t until midway through delivering her first lecture to the guests that she realized just how much she had to learn. But she persevered and was able to deliver a much more successful second lecture.

 

“What’s your favourite part of the job?”

 

Being out in the field, working with a truly competent team.

 

Being able to teach people about the environment – for instance, teaching people that often the smaller, less attractive elements of the eco-system, like krill, are often the most important.

 

“What advice would you give to your younger self?”

 

Don’t worry too much about doing the job well. Relax, and get on with it.

 

Don’t bring too much gear! You don’t need to have 10 different toques (beanie hats).

 

Study more English but relax – it’s going to be fine.

 

The last team member would have told himself to start earlier.

 

“What do you like to do when you’re off contract?”

 

One team member was a wood worker, and can’t wait to get back to his tools so he can cover himself in “man glitter” (aka sawdust).

 

Another team member likes to cook for herself – the food on the ship is exceptional, but she likes being able to make what she makes when she wants to make it.

 

The third team member is from Argentina – the “land of big meat” – and so he loves to host a barbeque and watch his favourite football team.

 

“Do you ever get tired of visiting the same locations?”

 

One expedition team member said no, because the places are always different – but the host noted that he didn’t always go ashore, even when he had the chance to do so. Sometimes it was a lot of work, and seeing the place too often took away some of its mystery.

 

“What do you miss about being on ship?”

 

For one team member – definitely having someone else do her laundry.

 

But the host was the exception, in that he always did his own laundry. For him, it was an important part of self care. Also, he felt that if he ever stopped doing his own laundry he’d never start up again.

 

“What is your favourite place to visit?”

 

South Georgia – the wildlife is just incredible.

 

The Falkland Islands – some of the best bird watching in the world, and a place where you can get unparalleled access to hatching sites.

 

Antarctica – no other place like it.

 

“What length of contract do you like to sign?”

 

There was a lot of discussion around this, but generally the team agreed that 2 – 3 months was a good length of time for an expedition contract.

 

The host noted that, by law, contracts could not exceed 11 months and then the employee needed a minimum of 2 weeks break but really it should be closer to 2 months.

 

He then rattled off a long list of contracts that he’d been on – something to the effect of “9 months and then a 2 week break, then 10 months and a month long break, and 5 months and a two week break. And now I’m on another 9 month contract, so… yeah.”

 

That “yeah” did a lot of heavy lifting.

 

We then took in the expedition briefing, where Darren laid out the plan for Nuuk the next day – we would be berthed, and the Cloud would be laying on regular bus service into town, stopping at both the town hall / cultural centre and the church. There would be a long guided walk, a short guided walk, and a strenuous hike. This time, the strenuous hike would only be 4 km – though a significant elevation change. We signed up for the strenuous hike.

 

Off to dinner, where we had the foie gras, salmon trio, lobster Thermador, and puff pastry with creme Anglaise – followed up with a pre-warmed cognac.

 

 

 

 

 

Another absolutely lovely meal.

 

Then back to the room to sit out on our balcony in our parkas with a bottle of champagne and watch the spectacular Greenlandic coast go by.

 

Tomorrow would come soon… but not that soon.

 

 

 

We were lucky enough to witness whales bubble net hunting in Icy Straits Alaska - it was such an emotional experience I cried

On 7/3/2023 at 8:32 AM, RyanJCanada said:

Yes, we got 4 backpacks when we got on in Dublin (and promptly gave 2 of them back - we just don't need that many backpacks).

 

Based on our experience thus far, my wife would rate it 3.5 stars out of 5. There's no easy spot to put a camera, there's limited quick-access, and one of the zippers already feels like it's starting to go.

but what colour is it? lol

sorry if you have already answered this - did they give you a backpack on this cruise?

1 hour ago, machotspur said:

Amazon have just delivered a new pair of Crocs to our house. The advice given on the website was spot on i.e. they come up large. So the size i've ordered is perfect with thick expedition socks and liners.

I've never been this organised - assisted by the very helpful comments on here I have everything I need delivered/ordered 3 months before departure - incredible !😀

 

BTW - where we are here - in the Cotswolds, England - we have a place named Croc World, just a couple of miles from where we live (a Crocodile 'reserve').  Maybe I should have gone there instead of Amazon for my expedition footwear ? 😄    

I'm organised and don't leave until September next year! Loving some of the suggestions, and can't wait 🙂

33 minutes ago, labrasett said:

Nonsense they may be ugly and look cheap (they are not) but they are so comfortable and useful.   Many many medical staff (particularly operating theatre) and dentists wear them because they are so comfortable for standing all day.   I love them for when I am doing the ironing.   

I've seen people complain about men not wearing ties etc, but Crocs are beyond hideous.