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

[BQEC]

Posted on the live thread Iceland now “orange. Possibly going “red” next Thursday according to a click through in the “orange” news article. 

[Pug Traveler]

3 hours ago, dobbs36 said:

Nothing that I know of. If you're concerned about being near someone positive, you should wear it.

And, if you are concerned that not following protocol will trigger a reaction from the Iceland Coast Guard and ruin the cruise for everyone, you should wear it. We found that our acceptance of the protocol greatly improved when the trip was in jeopardy after the positive case in Akureryi (Jupiter, July 13 cruise).

[Peregrina651]

5 hours ago, JM0115 said:

Agree with your comments, Clay.  I think it is on the honor system.

 

I would think that a tracer with no contacts for hours on end is a dead giveaway that it is not being carried around -- and it does seem that the tracers "phone home" regularly -- because how else would they know whom to quarantine without asking everyone to bring their tracers to be scanned. So, I'm not concerned about scofflaws.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

6 hours ago, Balticsailor said:

The questions about where a person was eating, etc. may be part of the new Icelandic protocol.  From the time we arrived in Iceland on July 18 until our departure on July 28 Iceland had ramped up their Covid protocols, in particular contact tracing and masking in indoor public spaces.  After our cruise, when eating in a restaurant or arriving at our hotel we had to provide contact information including phone numbers and wear masks.  Neither of these practices were required the few days we were in Reykjavik before our cruise.

Well, this is from Iceland's Covid website: (covid.is):

Restaurants where alcoholic beverages are allowed may not stay open longer than until 23:00 every day, with a maximum of 100 guests in each area and must maintain the one-metre distance rule. All guests must be registered by name, ID No and telephone number. Alcoholic beverages are to be served to seated guests. All guests must have left the location at 00:00.

Nightclubs and bars may be open until 23:00 evrey day, with a maximum of 100 guests in each area. Alcoholic beverages are to be served to seated guests. All guests must be registered by name, ID No and telephone number. All guests must have left the location at 00:00.

[Pug Traveler]

12 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

We are on 8/3 Jupiter cruise. How can we tell which ports are tender ports for us?

Djupivogur and Heimaey are the tender ports. 

[Pug Traveler]

9 hours ago, IheartNYC said:

You're most welcome. I wanted to share my experience with the home test kits + video verification because I know that someone out there will be relieved to know that those tests were actually valid and accepted for entry into Iceland (just print out the pdf to present as proof of negative test.) As much as I wanted to do a PCR prior to flying Iceland, the circumstances just didn't allow for that. I'm glad it all worked out in the end. Here is the copy of the report I presented to Delta 

We used Ellume/Azova for testing to come home to the US earlier this week. The report we received was not as official looking but Delta accepted a hard copy of the screenshot.

[bardstowntraveller]

Are movies available to watch in room?

[JeriGail]

1 hour ago, bardstowntraveller said:

Are movies available to watch in room?

Yes - all free.

[CCWineLover]

2 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

Are movies available to watch in room?

If you are lucky - you will have so much fun from all the excursions, going to the fabulous dinners, and seeing the shows at night, that you won't even have time for movies!   That has been our experience.  But indeed there are a number of choices if you choose, and not just movies.  Rather amazed at how many in fact.  We should be so lucky to have this streaming at home.

[Clay Clayton]

12 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

Are movies available to watch in room?

Also all the onboard lectures, Viking videos, TEDtalks, and some great videos on world locations.Typically there is “live” tv but that wasn’t working well in Iceland. 

Edited July 30, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[TayanaLorna]

16 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Also all the onboard lectures, Viking videos, TEDtalks, and some great videos on world locations.Typically there is “live” tv but that wasn’t working well in Iceland. 

AND if you miss the Port Talk you can watch it on your TV.

[jtwind]

16 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

 

I would think that a tracer with no contacts for hours on end is a dead giveaway that it is not being carried around -- and it does seem that the tracers "phone home" regularly -- because how else would they know whom to quarantine without asking everyone to bring their tracers to be scanned. So, I'm not concerned about scofflaws.

Naps.  Reading in a quiet corner.  So if they're using some "off the shelf" tracking software, then no contacts for a 24 hour period wouldn't be considered unusual.

[MarkTapley]

18 hours ago, BQEC said:

Posted on the live thread Iceland now “orange. Possibly going “red” next Thursday according to a click through in the “orange” news article. 

I may have missed something.  Anyone know what this means?

[Crockett&Darla]

22 minutes ago, MarkTapley said:

I may have missed something.  Anyone know what this means?

I believe it's the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory warning level for Iceland.

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

2 minutes ago, Crockett&Darla said:

I believe it's the U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory warning level for Iceland.

I googled it and I think it's this (not a U.S. rating): https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2021/07/29/iceland_gets_an_orange_covid_19_classification_for_/

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Just for fun, here's a depiction of what the tender boat operators on Viking do!  (This is the track for Heimaey as of 5:30 iceland time, Friday-- from where the ship is anchored to where passengers are dropped off and back).

[MarkTapley]

6 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I googled it and I think it's this (not a U.S. rating): https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2021/07/29/iceland_gets_an_orange_covid_19_classification_for_/

Great, thanks much!

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Just now, MarkTapley said:

Great, thanks much!

You're welcome.  I was curious too, especially when I was having trouble finding the original link.

 

[Liz55]

On 7/25/2021 at 2:56 PM, TayanaLorna said:

We finally reached home at 5:30 AM today, Sunday morning, and am catching up on a few pages of these threads.  We also did the glacier lagoon excursion and thought it was worth every penny.  The later departing groups had lunch first and we thought it deliciously fresh and tasty.  It was a quick affair and then time to don the survival suit.  The attire was bulky but plenty warm with a light jacket underneath.  When the high clouds and a bit of wind arrived, you could zip up the neck area to keep your neck and ears warm.  Don't plan to bring a bulky backpak on the Zodiac as there is no place to put it.  If it is on your back you will annoyingly bump your fellow passengers as you twist and turn to look sideways and in back of you.  It is a gravel and rocky path up and down a hill to get to the beach with a fairly steep finish on some loose rocks.  It is easy to get into the Zodiac as they pull the bow up on the rocky shore, you sit down and swing both of your legs into the boat.  The guide will hold you if you need to lean back in order to swing your legs up and over.  Being on the lake was spectacular and getting so close to the icebergs exciting.  As you zigzag through these floating ice monuments on your way to the glaciers edge, your guide will explain their different features and answer your questions.  The glacier calved 2 new icebergs while we were close.  Unfortunately we were turned away both times but just hearing the sound was exciting.  The drive was very long but we had comfort breaks both ways at different locations in Hofn, once at a lovely library and another at a visitor center.  The scenery along the drive was different, lovely and our guide, a retired teacher, was excellent.  On the way home we stopped at an overlook high above the beach below.  It was a beautiful but windy location.

I agree with this summary completely!  The bus trip was long but spectacular scenery. The zodiac trip was amazing.  All you need is a light layer under the jacket they give you...I had too many layers and was very uncomfortable.  I didn’t need a hat but most people had one on. You don’t get wet so you can use your camera or iPhone safely. Lunch was delicious! 

[Sr Sailor]

Don’t waste your money on the “Iceland Through the Photographer’s Lens”.  There wasn’t any worthwhile information shared and the sites were lame.  You’re much better off taking your own photographic expertise on “The Golden Circle”.

[Milliegirl229]

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.

 

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

43 minutes ago, Sr Sailor said:

Don’t waste your money on the “Iceland Through the Photographer’s Lens”.  There wasn’t any worthwhile information shared and the sites were lame.  You’re much better off taking your own photographic expertise on “The Golden Circle”.

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear this.  Did you have a guide named "Sig" for this or someone else?  Another person rally liked the excursion, but I believe their are two different groups/guides/locations.  And of course, everyone's different.  I'm not great at photography, just decent, so I can probably learn something if I go.  But mostly I signed up to see something different.  Ive' done the Golden Circle and loved it. 

 

Were you taken to the the goethermal park on the Reykjanes Peninsula?  Did you photograph a lot of lava, or what?  And were you on the first (earlier) offered excursion or the later one?  I'm trying to figure out if you went to the same area as the other people who commented on this excursion.  Thanks for any help you can give me.  I would have to make a decision to go/not go on embarkation day, as the excursion is the next day. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

48 minutes ago, 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.

 

 

That would be a hard decision for me.  And I haven't done the excursion.   But my random thoughts are:

 

Not sure who reported 30 people per boat now, and I'm not saying they're wrong.  However,  I "saw" (live webcam)  passengers being loaded last week for a late morning trip and there didn't appear to be 30.  But if you want to minimize exposure to people, an afternoon excursion might be better.  There always seem to be fewer people on afternoon excursions.  And the trip is about 30 minutes - so not a terribly long time to be on the boat. (Maybe double mask, and if you can, pick a place on the end of a row?)

 

You may want to post or at least look at another thread that someone started.  i forget the title, but it's specifically for excursion comments/reviews.  Maybe someone will give you more information, and hopefully based on more recent experience.

 

It sounds like the eider down demo, the guide on the island, and the snacks on the island are pluses, and those you'd likely get even if you visited on the Sept. 7 cruise.  And I believe there will likely be some other birds there, just maybe no puffins.

 

There's at least one youtube video on Vigur.  One man went quite late in the season, with no puffins, and lots of rain.  It didn't look all that inviting, but with a good attitude and good rain gear, it sounded like he enjoyed it, despite being disappointed that there were no puffins. 

[BarbRN]

2 hours ago, Sr Sailor said:

Don’t waste your money on the “Iceland Through the Photographer’s Lens”.  There wasn’t any worthwhile information shared and the sites were lame.  You’re much better off taking your own photographic expertise on “The Golden Circle”.

Are you referring to technical advice. Did most of the people on your tour feel the same way?

[Retired2016Cruiser]

7 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

You're welcome.  I was curious too, especially when I was having trouble finding the original link.

 

Thank you! Hoping Iceland does not go “red” and hoping cases decrease, especially with new testing requirements to enter country. But, should it go “red”, I’m wondering what, if any implications for US travelers & for Iceland protocols. Anyone have any info? Probably wait & see & hope for the best.