Live from the NCL Star July 23-August 15, 2023. Will I survive 23 days without the beverage package?

[QuattroRomeo]

The "brown building" offerings look unbelievably good!!

The round bread reminds me of the dellcious round breads Mom used to bake. She used  large juice tins to get the shape! She's 100 now so no more bread..

So glad the food ashore continues to delight you!

Edited August 10, 2023 by QuattroRomeo
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[schmoopie17]

There is a restaurant in Sister Bay, Wisconsin (Al Johnson's) where they have grass on the roof...and goats grazing up there. And you don't even have to go on a cruise to see them...although a cruise is much more fun than driving.

[Cruisewilm]

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

@Cruisewilm

More importantly, do you like cake?

 

My husband lives for dessert!  I plan to go back through your posts - took lots of notes when I first started reading them.  We are hoping to find bakeries and walk in as many ports as possible.  With 11 ports, it is just not possible for us to do organized tours and afford the cruise too.   And please can someone come up with  name of the app or the company with the program that is like AirBNB but for cars. Using a person’s car for the day as opposed to renting from an agency, especially in Harstad. Please, does anyone know the name of this program?

[Girr]

4 minutes ago, Cruisewilm said:

 

My husband lives for dessert!  I plan to go back through your posts - took lots of notes when I first started reading them.  We are hoping to find bakeries and walk in as many ports as possible.  With 11 ports, it is just not possible for us to do organized tours and afford the cruise too.   And please can someone come up with  name of the app or the company with the program that is like AirBNB but for cars. Using a person’s car for the day as opposed to renting from an agency, especially in Harstad. Please, does anyone know the name of this program?

Turo is the one I'm familiar with; however, I'm not sure if it's going to be available in these smaller ports.

[Ottawa Lynne]

8 minutes ago, Cruisewilm said:

 

My husband lives for dessert!  I plan to go back through your posts - took lots of notes when I first started reading them.  We are hoping to find bakeries and walk in as many ports as possible.  With 11 ports, it is just not possible for us to do organized tours and afford the cruise too.   And please can someone come up with  name of the app or the company with the program that is like AirBNB but for cars. Using a person’s car for the day as opposed to renting from an agency, especially in Harstad. Please, does anyone know the name of this program?

@YVRteacher is it Turo? I know that's the one in North America.

[nhtravels]

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

Fingers crossed for your mammogram. It’s so hard to wait for those results!

 

Is someone going to tell us how to pronounce Leominster??

LEMminster. (or "Leminster")... With a Boston accent it sounds much better!

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by nhtravels

[odie1024]

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

You’ll see and experience incredible scenery on a land based trip. Which places will you visit?

We are doing a tour called Iceland's Magical Northern Lights, we have 4 nights in Reykjavik and 3 nights in VIK. I definitely will need a cruise with your ports both in Norway and Iceland to see your scenery. I am going with about 12 girls so that should be fun.

 

Yvonne, are you using a camera or cell phone and what kind is it? Your pictures are just totally amazing, so many of them would make great wall pictures or even puzzles. 

 

Forgot to mention we have salmon in restaurants around here from the Faroe Islands and never knew where they were.

Edited August 10, 2023 by odie1024

[Girr]

10 minutes ago, Ottawa Lynne said:

@YVRteacher is it Turo? I know that's the one in North America.

Turo is worldwide, but for the most part only larger cities.  I tried doing to mock booking for Harstad, but all the days I put in showed cars not available.  

 

Also, feuilletine is made from thin sweetened crepes.  That cake looks out of this world.  

Edited August 10, 2023 by Girr
Adding info.

[YVRteacher]

20 minutes ago, Girr said:

Turo is worldwide, but for the most part only larger cities.  I tried doing to mock booking for Harstad, but all the days I put in showed cars not available.  

 

Also, feuilletine is made from thin sweetened crepes.  That cake looks out of this world.  

A cake with crepes? No wonder I loved it!

[YVRteacher]

28 minutes ago, Ottawa Lynne said:

@YVRteacher is it Turo? I know that's the one in North America.

I don’t know. I just heard people talking about using it.

[Turtles06]

20 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

We are doing a tour called Iceland's Magical Northern Lights, we have 4 nights in Reykjavik and 3 nights in VIK.

Have a great time, Iceland is spectacular! 

[YVRteacher]

21 minutes ago, odie1024 said:

We are doing a tour called Iceland's Magical Northern Lights, we have 4 nights in Reykjavik and 3 nights in VIK. I definitely will need a cruise with your ports both in Norway and Iceland to see your scenery. I am going with about 12 girls so that should be fun.

 

Yvonne, are you using a camera or cell phone and what kind is it? Your pictures are just totally amazing, so many of them would make great wall pictures or even puzzles. 

 

Forgot to mention we have salmon in restaurants around here from the Faroe Islands and never knew where they were.

Hi Odie. I just use my phone. It’s an iPhone 14 ProMax.

[YVRteacher]

40 minutes ago, Cruisewilm said:

 

My husband lives for dessert!  I plan to go back through your posts - took lots of notes when I first started reading them.  We are hoping to find bakeries and walk in as many ports as possible.  With 11 ports, it is just not possible for us to do organized tours and afford the cruise too.   And please can someone come up with  name of the app or the company with the program that is like AirBNB but for cars. Using a person’s car for the day as opposed to renting from an agency, especially in Harstad. Please, does anyone know the name of this program?

That’s how I felt too. I did one splurge excursion on each cruise, a few less expensive NCL excursions, and walked everywhere else. I have a non NCL waterfall excursion booked for Ísafjordur as recommended by people on the Cruise Critic roll call. 
 

Check out Arctic ShoreEx and Get Your Guide

[Turtles06]

8 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

I have a non NCL waterfall excursion booked for Ísafjordur

I assume you are going to Dynjandi?  I think you’ll enjoy the walk up the levels of the falls. When we were there several years ago, we had the most driving sideways rain I’ve ever encountered. (We were prepared in terms of our gear, but still.) 

 

 

 

[YVRteacher]

Yes, that’s the one.

 

Edited August 10, 2023 by YVRteacher

[YVRteacher]

Big swells, big wake last night after leaving the Faroe Islands.

 

 

The moon made an appearance. I hope the production cast member saw it!

 

[YVRteacher]

August 10

Djúpivogur 

 

We are back in Djúpivogur today for the first of 4 repeating ports on this B2B cruise.

 

Yes, the tenders were slow today. Every other tender port has been swift and smooth. I have Latitudes priority so didn’t need a tender ticket number and I didn’t have an NCL excursion or a private excursion so wasn’t worried. It would have been stressful for anyone who had booked a private tour. I waited until they called tender ticket number 12 before joining the queue. There was a bit of a wait but just for one tender boat to load and leave.

 

There was another medical disembarkation (our third.)

I decided to buy a pair of hand knit socks in Iceland. Do you think I could find socks in Djúpivogur? No socks. I did find knitting needles and wool but I don’t know how to knit.

 

Last time I was here I walked to Eggin, walked through the bird sanctuary and along the beach and explored the village. I also had a wonderful cinnamon bun.

 

Today I walked even more! First to the airport, then across the heath, then over some big rocks and almost to the ocean. I walked for hours! Then my legs got tired so I backtracked. I wore my hiking boots so I’m calling today a hiking day. Iceland still feels otherworldly. 

I loved the layers of fog and cloud hovering over Búlandstindur (Iceland’s highest mountain at 1069 metres.)

 

 

Remember the little purple rhubarb jam stand?
 

Look what they were selling today!

Back in town I returned to the scene of the cinnamon bun. Here is the menu.

 

I had the homemade vegetable stew with the homemade flatbread and homemade hummus. There’s just something about food served on a wooden board after a hike. When I get home I’m searching for a recipe for this flatbread!

Don’t worry. I had a treat too! There weren’t any names for the cakes today and they were almost sold out of everything! The woman behind the counter told me it was a traditional Icelandic cake. It was a little too oatmealy earthy for my taste. 

The tender ride back was good because the tender driver was playing ABBA. 

 

Just taking a moment here to shout out the Security Team on the Star. Without exception they are kind and friendly. They say hello to everyone and they are incredibly patient. 

[YVRteacher]

How was my dinner at Teppanyaki tonight? Wait til tomorrow to find out!

Spoiler alert: my favourite shirt is now airing out on the balcony. (It’s tied up and I’m supervising it.)

[Cruisewilm]

16 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

How was my dinner at Teppanyaki tonight? Wait til tomorrow to find out!

Spoiler alert: my favourite shirt is now airing out on the balcony. (It’s tied up and I’m supervising it.)

The suspense is killing me. 

And I think I have found a ride share for Norway!!!! Not sure how it works etc, but at least it's a start!  Over the past few weeks, I have sent out many emails for taxi rides with NO response.

[JIMESOPUS]

@YVRteacher Thanks for a great review, your pictures are just amazing. I'm simply appalled by the lack of professionalism in the gallery. A Chef like any other tradesman should have pride in their work and the end product, it appears they lack both. Would you hire a carpenter who didn't know how to use a level?

We will be on the Star this October, thus the interest in the ship, and everything else ( pictures and satire ) was a bonus.

Safe travels

 

Jim

[Scotswoman]

I really had to laugh today, when my daughter sent me a photo of Penguin Biscuits from Seydisfjordur Coop with the comment “Childhood memories 😋”. So Yvonne, your father is not alone in his yearnings! My mother sent me a supply of Penguins regularly by post from Scotland to Germany for over 20 years!😂 During family holidays with our children, their favourite aunt in Scotland always had plenty of Penguins and Clubs! I had not mentioned your comments to my daughter, nor had she read your postings on Cruise Critic, so the coincidence was striking!

[www3traveler]

Hi Sweetie,

As always, I pray that you had a wonderful adventure today.

BIG BIG BIG BIG HUG

Love and prayers always

[Burrata]

@YVRteacher

I follow a FB page about Iceland.

 

People have reported (and photographed, at 2am) the Northern Lights! Maybe you will be able to see them if conditions are right.

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, Scotswoman said:

I really had to laugh today, when my daughter sent me a photo of Penguin Biscuits from Seydisfjordur Coop with the comment “Childhood memories 😋”. So Yvonne, your father is not alone in his yearnings! My mother sent me a supply of Penguins regularly by post from Scotland to Germany for over 20 years!😂 During family holidays with our children, their favourite aunt in Scotland always had plenty of Penguins and Clubs! I had not mentioned your comments to my daughter, nor had she read your postings on Cruise Critic, so the coincidence was striking!

Oh, this is delightful! I’m mad at myself for not going into the Coop today!

[YVRteacher]

2 hours ago, Burrata said:

@YVRteacher

I follow a FB page about Iceland.

 

People have reported (and photographed, at 2am) the Northern Lights! Maybe you will be able to see them if conditions are right.

Thank you! We cross the Arctic Circle at 1:00am. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see the Northern Lights then?