TrulyBlonde

@MamaFej You have had some wonderful experiences and that is all that matters. In all honesty, nobody cares if you are middle class, what type of handbag you carry etc. We are all cruising to see the world and that is what we all have in common. Next time on board a ship, strike up a conversation with someone wearing a Rolex or carrying an LV handbag. You would be surprised that many of us never grew up with a silver spoon either. We just worked hard and got lucky 😉 But let me add, most that own those items do not bring them on cruises because they do not want to stand out or get robbed. You never know who you will meet and your experiences are what we want to hear about.

Thanks and I was going to choose Silversea too, at first. The reason we went with Ponant was because everyone said you "Must" go to S Georgia. We like to travel in November and the timing was best with Ponant because they offered that addition. Otherwise, it would have been Silversea. I just realized you are thinking about Ponant and the Great Lakes cruise. An excellent idea to try them out that way first. I was born and raised in Michigan and you will have a delightful time on the Great Lakes. 🙂 We have taken 3 river cruises in Europe. The cabins are really small on all of them. Our last one on the Danube was with Tauck and they do a very good job. We splurged for the largest cabin they had because I wanted to make sure DH would not get cranky. If you enjoy independent tours, you are out of luck. It is more like a bus tour but your hotel is the river boat. Just our opinion of course, many people really enjoy them. Regardless, all of it is better than staying at home and travel is an adventure 🙂

Jim, My Ponant review is Nov. 2018 titled LeLyrial cruise S.Georgia and Antarctica.

I did notice the Louboutin''s ;-). Perfect Christmas attire. I remember them from a prior post.

https://www.foxnews.com/world/viking-polaris-passengers-speak-rogue-wave-strikes-antarctic-cruise-ship-killing-american-woman#&_intcmp=hp1bt4,hp1bt Info on the woman killed along with details from other passengers

https://www.foxnews.com/world/viking-polaris-passengers-speak-rogue-wave-strikes-antarctic-cruise-ship-killing-american-woman#&_intcmp=hp1bt4,hp1bt

Sun Valley. We have a few places close by, however, the Blonde needs a bit more ambience, luxury, and charm. SV has that and yes, it is an 8 hour drive in good weather. We will spend the Winter ski seasons there and Summers at the lake. I must say that I also missed small town living so this gives us the best of both.

No, I had lived in FL (Jupiter) for many years. I still own an investment property there and my daughter rents it from me. Too hot there for me. We live on the lake in ID and the new Winter place is for DH to get a few more years of skiing in. He is not ready for the rocking chair yet and this keeps us both fit and healthy. 😉 I guess cruising is on the back burner for now :((

Safe until......I would hope anybody planning on kayaking in frigid waters would read what I posted about drysuits. I am a very experienced kayaker & things happen out there. What if a whale or seal surfaces in those calm waters and topples it? I am just providing info that I think is very important when considering one of these kayak tours for your average Joe. 🙂

Do they offer drysuits? I have kayaked quite a bit and had a Summer lake home in the Adirondacks. I would think that a drysuit would be prudent in those icy waters. Falling into those icy waters could lead to a quick death. We would wear ours when waterskiing and kayaking early Spring.

I have been meaning to tell you this new saga. This is the 1st year DH has not skied on Thanksgiving and he is getting a bit unruly 😉 We took a trip to Sun Valley a month ago and his appetite for a ski place is in full throttle. Lo and behold we have a new ski home for the Winters. I get to ski, do laundry, cook, and a small remodel. He is worth it so I made the concession. UGH! I know you will understand his drama 😉 LOL!

They need to Learn to Code? ;-))

I remember when their 1st Ocean ships came out, the glass shower doors shattered in some rooms. Then the Norway incident, and now this. Viking is new to these waters and you had better have the most experienced captains, crew, and expedition crew, along with a solid ship. :((

I must say that when we took our bucket list cruise to S. Georgia and Antarctica, we chose Ponant. They have been doing these cruises for many years and seemed quite accomplished. The waves we experienced were horrendous. When flying back to BA, our plane was still parked at the gate and it started shaking prior to takeoff due to the winds. This can be a dangerous part of the World. I would never do it again, especially after reading this. A woman slipped getting out of the raft into the water, the seals are mean, the waves can be wild, and a man died on the 2nd night (most likely a heart attack). Choose wisely 😉

There is some info on the Viking board right now as to the issues with the zodiac, broken windows, severe injuries, and possibly a death. I did my Antarctica & S Georgia island bucket list cruise and after that realized that expeditions cruising is not for me. If I had read this stuff prior, I would never have done it. South of France works best for me 😉

When I was in Helsinki they had a wonderful "Farmers Market" and the first time I had ever eaten reindeer. DH would not try it, but I was Game. 😉

It actually took me a minute, but I figured it out. LOL

What bothers me are the wine glasses without a stem. My daughter thinks they are great. There is an elegance when drinking out of stemmed glassware vs an orange juice glass . LOL

@QueSeraSera I was teasing you. Some people do not understand my sense of humor. yes, it does get me in trouble sometimes 😉 Although, I would have taken the peanut butter cups. xo

Mountain woman is laughing too. She hates the heat.

I just know if I was trick or treating, my friends and I would be skipping that house. LOL! I am just teasing 😉

Nutrigrain bars? It is Halloween for goodness sake. 😉

I love Spatzle too! German heritage. You can buy a Spatzle strainer which makes it easier or just drop tiny dumplings in boiling water 🙂

Some British humor from Twitter today: My son has lived through four chancellors, three home secretaries, two prime ministers and two monarchs. He's four months old.

We received our bivalent booster about 3 weeks ago. I was wondering if someone would catch it after getting this booster. Well, now I know 😞