LIVE from "Iceland's Natural Beauty" -- All Sailings, 2021

[stbiehn]

On 7/29/2021 at 7:34 AM, Ellistravels said:

My question is about mask compliance on shore excursion buses.  I have read some posts  that say masks are not being enforced on the buses.  
Has this been your experience?  Your response will help me decide whether or not to cancel our shore ex that involve a bus ride …. at least those that are all day trips.  

On the July 27th trip I just returned from, everyone wore their mask on the bus.  

[NeilP57]

4 minutes ago, stbiehn said:

We were on the July 27the trip and there was a whole restaurant reservation section set up in the Atrium First floor lobby.  On previous trips you went to the restaurant to change reservations, but this time it was easy and all in one place.

You can also go to the reception desk for either Manfredi’s or Chefs Table, which is what we did on day one of our current cruise. 

[stbiehn]

On 7/29/2021 at 1:42 PM, patchicago said:

Hi. Totally different topic but you mentioned that you were on Jupiter so I have a question specific to that ship. I don’t know what cabin class you were in but do you know if the deluxe veranda and the penthouse veranda cabins have a set of drawers inside of the closet? My travel partner is asking and we weren’t able to find that information on any Jupiter DV or PV cabin review anywhere. I believe some of the newer ships have closet drawers but the older ships do not. Thank you.

Our Deluxe veranda had drawers inside and outside the closet

 

[stbiehn]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:03 PM, Milliegirl229 said:

We are signed up for the Vigur Island excursion based on many outstanding reviews from the early cruises. By the end of August it seems that the puffins will be gone. Also the early excursions were noted to have about 20 people per boat and now they are putting 30 people per boat. Based on the experiences of those that have taken the excursion do you think it will be worth it with no puffins and a crowded boat? Thank you.

 

 

I thought the trip was amazing.  We saw lots of other birds besides the puffins.  And the explanation about how the down is collected from the eider ducks was fascinating.  Our guide was the husband of the couple who bought the island a few years ago and it was amazing listening to him tell all his stories about counting the eggs and birds, etc.  we walked through a small part of the nesting area, having to stay in single file on a very specific path so we didn't accidentally step on a nest or a roaming chick

[stbiehn]

On 8/1/2021 at 7:24 AM, bardstowntraveller said:

We currently have scheduled the Seydisfjordor on foot and the Heimey on foot excursions and am wondering if we will miss much if we do these ports on our own. Can anyone provide feedback?

Oh boy - I would say not to miss having a guide.  You can always stay in town longer and wander around on your own.  It is always very interesting to hear what people who actually grew up in a town have to say about what their life is like - ESPECIALLY on  Heimey Island - the guides all have real life experiences to tell you about the volcano and what happened to their parents and grandparents.  I'm very glad I didn't miss it!  In Seydisfjordor we had a young man from their as our guide - He had wonderful stories about what happened when the mud and rock slide came down unexpectedly in the town.  Don't miss the guides - they are worth it!

[stbiehn]

On 8/1/2021 at 10:25 PM, KarNog said:

We're celebrating our 35th anniversary with this cruise. Will Viking help us celebrate? Who/how do we notify?

Yes - If you notify them at Guest Services in Atrium on first floor, they will do something special for birthdays and anniversaries! 

[stbiehn]

On 8/2/2021 at 1:09 AM, mcjyl said:

What happen if you don't have a bar code?  Can you get one at KEF?  Thanks

 

Jim

You will not be able to get on the plane to Iceland without one.  When we were checking in for that last flight, they were advising people in line without the code how to sign in on their cell phones and register to get the code.

[susanlik]

2 hours ago, DAVE & PAT said:

Yes we got our tags also. Have you signed up with Verifly. Easy to do and got verified within 15 minutes. Lots of moving parts for this trip. I will send you our Arctic tours later when I get home. 

Did verfi yesterday submitted and are pending verifcation 

 

Susanlikowski@hotmail.com

 

[NeilP57]

2 minutes ago, stbiehn said:

You will not be able to get on the plane to Iceland without one.  When we were checking in for that last flight, they were advising people in line without the code how to sign in on their cell phones and register to get the code.

Mine was not checked by British Airways when I checked in at London, and it was only checked at KEF. You have to do it online so you may as well do it before you leave home and not whilst waiting in the baggage hall at KEF. 

[susanlik]

40 minutes ago, stbiehn said:

Our Deluxe veranda had drawers inside and outside the closet

 

What roo. Number had both set of drawers 

[stbiehn]

13 minutes ago, susanlik said:

What roo. Number had both set of drawers 

6058

[NeilP57]

On 8/1/2021 at 12:24 PM, bardstowntraveller said:

We currently have scheduled the Seydisfjordor on foot and the Heimey on foot excursions and am wondering if we will miss much if we do these ports on our own. Can anyone provide feedback?

Live from Viking Sky in Seydisfjordur. 
 

We cancelled our included foot tour once we saw how small the place was. We were scheduled on the 3:00pm tour but decided to go for a hike instead. 
 

We obtained a hiking map from the information centre which was located immediately after we got off the ship and he suggested a hike to view waterfalls. We started off by visiting the blue church with the rainbow path nearby and viewed small quaint tin houses that we see in many Icelandic communities. 
 

We then set off a across a small bridge and out of town with the fjord on our right. We then took a left turn up a well marked path (Haubakkar) to some impressive waterfalls. It was great to explore on your own. Some like to hear the stories from the local guides, we sometimes like to explore on our own. The trail was easy to follow as wood chippings had been used to mark the path. After a short steep section you reached the Vestdalur valley and it was a stunning path passing many rapids and waterfalls including Vesdalsfoss. 
 

We then reached sea level again as the river ran into the Fjord and we returned to the ship alongside the fjord. Total walking distance was just over 7 miles. 
 

The above place names are all lifted from the hiking map but this site also provides some pictures and direction. 
 

https://icelandweddingplanner.com/2020/11/10/vestdalsfossar-hike-in-seydisfjordur/

 

Back to Manfredis tonight as it was so good last night. 
 

TTFN

 

Edited August 4, 2021 by NeilP57

[Snit13]

4 hours ago, susanlik said:

Hapoy to have you join us

The meet and mingle for that group is not very active...join me on it

Maybe we can discuss tour options

 

Su and tom

4 of us are on this cruise and I wasn't aware that there was a Meet & Mingle.  I have been posting for about 6 weeks and did not see a mention of it.  I saw your posts on the thread for our Jupiter cruise but no mention of M&M.  Will have to check it out.

[Snit13]

4 hours ago, DAVE & PAT said:

Yes we got our tags also. Have you signed up with Verifly. Easy to do and got verified within 15 minutes. Lots of moving parts for this trip. I will send you our Arctic tours later when I get home. 

Did the luggage tags arrive by mail?  I only go to PO about once every 2 or 3 weeks.  Our new condo building still does not have mailboxes.

[JM0115]

1 minute ago, Snit13 said:

Did the luggage tags arrive by mail?  I only go to PO about once every 2 or 3 weeks.  Our new condo building still does not have mailboxes.

Yes by USPS.

[Snit13]

7 minutes ago, JM0115 said:

Yes by USPS.

Thanks.  Guess I will have to make stop at PO soon.  With Royal Caribbean you printed your luggage tags online.  I would use card paper so they would slip into my luggage tags.  RC stopped sending tags a few years ago.

[JeriGail]

2 hours ago, susanlik said:

What roo. Number had both set of drawers 

Jupiter, Orion, and Venus all have drawers in the closet plus the drawers near the bathroom in all verandah staterooms.

[BarbRN]

3 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

Live from Viking Sky in Seydisfjordur. 
 

We cancelled our included foot tour once we saw how small the place was. We were scheduled on the 3:00pm tour but decided to go for a hike instead. 
 

We obtained a hiking map from the information centre which was located immediately after we got off the ship and he suggested a hike to view waterfalls. We started off by visiting the blue church with the rainbow path nearby and viewed small quaint tin houses that we see in many Icelandic communities. 
 

We then set off a across a small bridge and out of town with the fjord on our right. We then took a left turn up a well marked path (Haubakkar) to some impressive waterfalls. It was great to explore on your own. Some like to hear the stories from the local guides, we sometimes like to explore on our own. The trail was easy to follow as wood chippings had been used to mark the path. After a short steep section you reached the Vestdalur valley and it was a stunning path passing many rapids and waterfalls including Vesdalsfoss. 
 

We then reached sea level again as the river ran into the Fjord and we returned to the ship alongside the fjord. Total walking distance was just over 7 miles. 
 

The above place names are all lifted from the hiking map but this site also provides some pictures and direction. 
 

https://icelandweddingplanner.com/2020/11/10/vestdalsfossar-hike-in-seydisfjordur/

 

Back to Manfredis tonight as it was so good last night. 
 

TTFN

 

Sounds amazing. You guys are adventuresome. 

[TayanaLorna]

3 hours ago, stbiehn said:

6058

On the Jupiter all DV and V cabins have the 3 drawers inside the closet as well as the ones in the hallway next to the bathroom door.  It does not matter what floor or room number of the cabin.

[NeilP57]

1 hour ago, BarbRN said:

Sounds amazing. You guys are adventuresome. 

 

It’s sometimes good to escape from the Viking paddle! 

[Wander58]

4 hours ago, NeilP57 said:

Live from Viking Sky in Seydisfjordur. 
 

We cancelled our included foot tour once we saw how small the place was. We were scheduled on the 3:00pm tour but decided to go for a hike instead. 
 

We obtained a hiking map from the information centre which was located immediately after we got off the ship and he suggested a hike to view waterfalls. We started off by visiting the blue church with the rainbow path nearby and viewed small quaint tin houses that we see in many Icelandic communities. 
 

We then set off a across a small bridge and out of town with the fjord on our right. We then took a left turn up a well marked path (Haubakkar) to some impressive waterfalls. It was great to explore on your own. Some like to hear the stories from the local guides, we sometimes like to explore on our own. The trail was easy to follow as wood chippings had been used to mark the path. After a short steep section you reached the Vestdalur valley and it was a stunning path passing many rapids and waterfalls including Vesdalsfoss. 
 

We then reached sea level again as the river ran into the Fjord and we returned to the ship alongside the fjord. Total walking distance was just over 7 miles. 
 

The above place names are all lifted from the hiking map but this site also provides some pictures and direction. 
 

https://icelandweddingplanner.com/2020/11/10/vestdalsfossar-hike-in-seydisfjordur/

 

Back to Manfredis tonight as it was so good last night. 
 

TTFN

 

Thanks for the info!  We are going to have to do this hike as we don't have anything planned for this port except the walking tour.

[NeilP57]

21 minutes ago, Wander58 said:

Thanks for the info!  We are going to have to do this hike as we don't have anything planned for this port except the walking tour.

Live from Viking Sky

IMHO it’s well worth the effort. 
 

You have plenty of time, we were here at 8 this morning and I think we leave at 10:30 tonight. 
 

It’s just typical we snagged a great table by the window at Manfredi’s tonight only to have a view across the dock side. Last night we were cruising past stunning scenery with great light. Such is life, when you travel you have to take the rough with the smooth. 

 

Just a comment about temperature on board for those considering what to pack. We have done two VO cruises previously, both in warm climates and both times the air con was turned up high so it was quite cool in the public areas. On this trip to a cooler climate, a jumper or jacket is not required around the ship in the evening. Obviously we all feel temperature differently so pack what works best for you. 
 

TTFN

Edited August 4, 2021 by NeilP57

[NeilP57]

Live from Viking Sky

 

And for those that like to collect such things we had a lovely certificate in our stateroom tonight regarding our crossing of the Arctic circle a day or two ago. 
 

Class touch Viking. 
 

TTFN 

[jan_az]

12 hours ago, DAVE & PAT said:

Not sailing till 8/31 but not clear on what the "bar code" document is . Apparently needed to enter country. Can someone explain what it is. Also completed the Verfly process for proof of vaccination and both my wife and myself are verified. This is an app on my phone and hoping that showing them the approved pass on my phone is all that's needed. 

You need to register at covid.is

 

You cannot do this until 3 days before your arrival into Iceland

[jan_az]

4 hours ago, JM0115 said:

Yes by USPS.

Can you post a picture.  Mine were sent to my travel agency and their physical offices have been closed for over a year.  I am going to print up something and go to Staples or Office depot and get laminated

 

Thanks