Reykjavik to London 11July - 25 July 2019

[texasatty]

Yesterday we took the Puffin excursion from Patreksfjordur to Latrabjarg. The bus ride was a bit lengthy but the payoff was well worth it. Later, Compass Rose maitre d’ Rommel snuck us into Prime 7. I had fresh cod and the Boss has surf and turf. Great meal and superior service. I might quickly add that the facelift and configuration changes since our last Navigator sailing five years ago are fantastic. We are in 934 and feel zero vibration. The water is crystal clear from the tap and our suite is spotless. Our Butler Vikas is exceeding all expectations.

[texasatty]

As an aside: I miss the somewhat quirky voice over descriptions of the excursions from the destination services staff but I do appreciate the in room AV upgrades

[1982CruzStart]

Thanks for the photos and commentary so far. Looking forward to your continued reports. have a great cruise. 

[RachelG]

On 7/5/2019 at 7:17 PM, golfgirls said:

If you are looking for a nice Happy Hour in Reykyavik before embarking, the Canopy by Hilton CIty Centre was a wonderful place to enjoy a drink or two and then head out for dinner. We dined at a lovely French restaurant up the street where they had the best mussels ever.  Not sure if this is would be on your list of to dos but it was fantastic.  

 

Also so look for lava bracelets down by the waterfront.

 

Hope you will post along the way.  This is a wonderful itinerary and we are sure that you will have a spectacular time.  

 

 

 

Do you remember the name of the restaurant?  George and I will be staying at this hotel in a few weeks.

[RachelG]

Loving all the pics and posts.  George and I have been to Iceland 3 times previously and are going on the Silversea Cloud circumnavigation next month, so I am soaking it all in.

[golfgirls]

Don’t remember the name of the restaurant but turn left as you exit the hotel and walk uphill on the street.  It will be, I think, the first corner on the upper and left side of the street,   Would say north west but not sure if that is correct!  Head up the street and you will see a ‘Maison’ type of restaurant.  Hope it is still there. And enjoy Happy hour at the bar upstairs in the hotel.  Very nice.  Envious that you are on a cruise departing from Reykjavik. It will be lovely.  

[xrvlcruiser]

RachelG,

 

Several other Regent-types will be on the same trip.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Peggy

[texasatty]

Today is a Sea Day. Stacy had a massage and I worked out in the gym. Last time we were on the Navigator the Spa/Gym area was the Horizon Lounge. The expanded space makes for a much better experience though I realize some folks miss the forward looking lounge. I find the recent renovation has really changed the look of the ship. Our suite is spotless and the common areas are bright and appealing. The crew are cheerful and accommodating. So far this has been one fabulous trip.

[Boatmans Lady]

Fabulous photos and thank you for sharing your trip. Very envious of your puffin encounters.

[Hambagahle]

On 7/14/2019 at 1:41 PM, texasatty said:

Today is a Sea Day. Stacy had a massage and I worked out in the gym. Last time we were on the Navigator the Spa/Gym area was the Horizon Lounge. The expanded space makes for a much better experience though I realize some folks miss the forward looking lounge. I find the recent renovation has really changed the look of the ship. Our suite is spotless and the common areas are bright and appealing. The crew are cheerful and accommodating. So far this has been one fabulous trip.

You must have been on the Navigator a VERY long time ago ?  The gym area has been upstairs and forward since our first cruise on her which was a trans-atlantic in 2009!  There was still a sign in the forward lift indicating a bar upstairs - but only the gym was there!

[texasatty]

It was very foggy yesterday and last night, so foggy that more often than not the Captain had to sound the horn at two minute intervals. The sound was not a problem for us but I can imagine lighter sleepers may had had difficulty. The fog lingered as we docked in Tórshavn (pronounced Tor-shawn) in the Faroes. We took a boat excursion and during the cruise the fog lifted a bit. Later we enjoyed a local IPA at restaurant Tarv on the waterfront. We also tried aged, dried mutton which is a local delicacy...think lamb prosciutto. If I’m honest, it’s not my favorite regional dish from this trip. More successful were the fritters of salt cod, onion, potato and parsley with romesco. Next up, Lerwick, Shetland Islands. I’ll be on the lookout for Douglas Henshall, et al. 

[liptastic]

Really enjoying your live thread and great photos. Pleased to hear how you are finding Navigator after her recent dry dock. We are fans of the Navigator.

Thanks for keeping us updated.    Jean.

[texasatty]

By the way, we had a drink with Ray Solaire last night and he said he will be with the Navigator until early September

[RachelG]

On 7/13/2019 at 6:17 PM, golfgirls said:

Don’t remember the name of the restaurant but turn left as you exit the hotel and walk uphill on the street.  It will be, I think, the first corner on the upper and left side of the street,   Would say north west but not sure if that is correct!  Head up the street and you will see a ‘Maison’ type of restaurant.  Hope it is still there. And enjoy Happy hour at the bar upstairs in the hotel.  Very nice.  Envious that you are on a cruise departing from Reykjavik. It will be lovely.  

Great! Thanks!

[RachelG]

On 7/13/2019 at 6:46 PM, xrvlcruiser said:

RachelG,

 

Several other Regent-types will be on the same trip.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Peggy

Looking forward to meeting you as well.  Look for the big Oklahoma rancher with cowboy hat and boots.  That would be George.

[xrvlcruiser]

Will do!🚢

 

Peggy

[califsealion]

Enjoying the photos and trip reports, keep 'em coming!  The puffin excursion looks fantastic.

[texasatty]

16 July 2019 we visited Jarlshof in the Shetland Islands. The Navigator docked in Lerwick and the bus ride was about fifty minutes. Though is was cold and rainy we donned our foul weather gear and after fortifying ourselves with a wee dram of Scots whisky headed out to view the ruins that spanned from the Neolithic Age to the 16th Century.

After a quick stop in Hoswick we were back in Lerwick where the rain had stopped. We shopped a bit and walked around town spotting buildings from the British crime drama Shetland. We found Det Jimmy Perez’ house and the police station. Next up Bergen, Norway. We will be in port until 11 pm and have decided to do our own thing. This is the second night in three days where we lose an hour so it’s time for bed.

 

I’m sorry the photos don’t always upload in order

[texasatty]

17 July 2019 in Bergen we opted to do our own thing. We rode the funicular up above town. We bought one-way tickets and embarked on what we intended to be a 4ish mike hike to the top of Mt Fløyen and back to town. A couple of wrong turns and we ended up hiking about ten miles back on a trail between Fløyen and Ulriken. It was all good though as we saw things we would not have otherwise. 

 

Back in town, we fortified ourselves with a local beer and headed out for the important sites. We saw the fortress, tower and hall, the Hanseatic HQ and shops in Bryggen, admired the statue of Icelandic Bard Snorri Sturluson, had a snack/dinner at the fish market and closed out with the locals on the plaza who were all out enjoying the glorious and all too rare for Bergen sunshine. Good day.

Be warned the Marienkirke, Hakon’s Hall and Rosencrantz Tower all close at 4 pm

[texasatty]

18 July 2019 we docked in Stavanger, Norway. The day was overcast but the rain held off until afternoon. We took a morning excursion to see Pulpit Rock which is really all the area offers aside from a beautiful Cathedral and a nice shopping area. 

We boarded a fast boat that holds about 75-100 people. We ran up the Lysefjord which is very beautiful, stopping at points of interest along the way. We cruised by the Pulpit Rock for a photo op then on to a restaurant accessible only by boat and dedicated to feeding tourists coffee, waffles, clotted cream and jam. Then back on board for the fast run to town.

in town we did a bit of shopping before the rain set in and headed back to the ship for a nap.

In the evening we stopped by Galileo’s Lounge for the Champagne and caviar service (1oz Osetra and setups for $100, Champagne and vodka free) then on to Compass Rose where Rommel had arranged a fantastic Indian feast. We had samosas, chicken tikka, a lentil dish & spicy lamb stew. Great Day!

[texasatty]

19 July 2019

Today we docked in Kristiansand, Norway. This is a wealth fiord community of about 85,000. Our excursion today was probably my least enjoyable. In the morning we went to the gym for a good workout then had something light on the pool deck. The cheeseburgers look and smell amazing and before this cruise ends I will have one. Our excursion left at 1:30 pm. We walked through a beautiful village called Høllen. The houses and gardens were pretty but most of our bus load of thirty were oblivious to the locals who also wanted to walk, ride their bikes and otherwise move on their own roads and paths. I cringe a bit when my fellow passengers seem unaware they are inconveniencing others. Our next stop was a little church and then on to an open air museum. Let me just say that I made a mistake trying to visit a museum with a group of thirty...that’s on me and it is a mistake we did not repeat the next day. Canapés on the balcony, drinks in the Seven Seas Lounge and a nice vegetarian dinner in Compass Rose rounded out the day. 

 

[texasatty]

20 July 2019

After a somewhat frustrating excursion in Kristiansand we ditched our planned outing to museums in Oslo and went on our own. We thoroughly explored the Viking Ship, Kon-Tiki and Fram Museums at our own pace in less than the 3.5 hours our planned excursion had allotted. I recommend all three. After that we still had plenty of day left to walk around Oslo, take in the sights and stop for an aquavit, beer (wine for the boss) and a delicious open face sandwich of cured salmon. Back on the ship we had a light meal at Compass Rose. The food has been exceptional and the crew happy and accommodating. 

 

 

 

 

[Hambagahle]

That Viking ship is beautiful.  the best of Scandinavian design!  Great photos - thanks...

[2012_Alaska_bound]

We are boarding in Oslo next year, so great to hear that doing the museums on your own was easy, since we will do that before the cruise.

 

Any other Oslo suggestions greatly appreciated!

[PaulaJK]

Thanks for your commentary and these beautiful photos.