Live from Splendor, Southampton to Reykjavik

[rotoal]

11 minutes ago, Gilly said:

@rotoal   did you see my note on your cruise roll call?

Thank you, I did and will make sure we have some over-the-counter supplies.   Our family members are already touring Iceland, so I shared your post and offered to pick up some more supplies.

 

 

[Gilly]

Today was a good day, arriving in Grundarfjörður Iceland around lunchtime.  Tours left shortly after lunch and into the afternoon, which wouldn't have been a problem had the tour descriptions in the excursion summary been accurate - which they were not.  As a result, several people were surprised to find our tour (which left at 1.15pm) was five hours long (plus time for tendering ashore) resulting in arriving back on the ship somewhat late and into "dinner time".  Other tours arrived back in the early evening too - prompting a reminder to check times and tour descriptions carefully.  We fell for it too - we'd arranged a special Indian dinner in CR this evening with friends and we all had a (very) quick turnaroud, though a delicious G&T and a sumptuous feast of Indian food soon overwrote all of the slight panic at the start of the evening.  Once again, Regent managed it all so well, we really didn't need to worry one bit.

Tomorrow we're in Isafjordur and our tour doesn't leave until sometime around noon.  Since we're leaving at 5.30pm, I hope it's not another 5 hour one !   

 

Big mess up on the Excursion summary then - which we spotted and alerted the Destinations team to.  I was surprised how relaxed they were about it all,  for such things affect our planning and on board experience generally (eg our Indian Supper).  We'd already noted and informed them of a major typo for guests transiting in Southampton and "continuing to Barcelona"  (Huh?  we were going to Greenland we thought!) but these further errors simply reinforced our reluctance to feel confident about anything coming from that department without checking it first ourselves.

[lprp]

@Gilly love reading your reports and your blog.
We board in 11 days in Reykjavik (who’s counting 😉) and it’s definitely whetting our appetite!

One quick question if I may, are many people using the pool, given how far north you are? TIA

LP

 

[Gilly]

4 minutes ago, lprp said:

@Gilly love reading your reports and your blog.
We board in 11 days in Reykjavik (who’s counting 😉) and it’s definitely whetting our appetite!

One quick question if I may, are many people using the pool, given how far north you are? TIA

LP

 

Thank you for such kind words @lprp!  Life on Splendor is pretty grand right now, though a few hacking coughs and sneezes indicate that not everybody is feeling 100%. I am reliably informed that it's not Covid, btw.

 

In answer to your pool question, I had a swim one day - not too chilly - but on many days it's been netted over or empty due to rough seas.  Our port days have been filled with activity, so very little time to swim...hopefully you will be sailing in calmer conditions than we have had, in which case yes, bring your swimming things for sure! (I wish I had remembered my goggles because of the salty water!) 

[pappy1022]

Thank you for your reports. I don’t think anyone who is coughing and hacking will admit it to be COVID. I would assume it is and take precautions. I am hearing about a lot mor COVID cases on cruises recently including multiple people that I know personally. Fortunately, the cases don’t seem to be severe and calm down in 5-7 days.

[Gilly]

Well, the day has come...the Bon Voyage cloth was on the bed yesterday and it was time to pack.  We didn't arrive in Reykjavik till 5pm, so it was all evening tours - we did a great 4x4 adventure with a grand finale by the bubbling mud pools.

Reykjavik is beautiful this morning and it's hard to leave, but handing over to @boblerm who I know will have a wonderful time on board this great ship!

[lprp]

@Gilly, it’s been great travelling vicariously with you, who knows one day we might even be on the same cruise ☺️.

We travel to Reykjavik next Tuesday board Splendor on 31 August - can’t wait.

Safe travels home.

LP

[Gilly]

53 minutes ago, lprp said:

who knows one day we might even be on the same cruise ☺️

Wouldn't that be fun?!   Have a wonderful cruise - I shall be following you this time @lprp !

[Gilly]

One last thought about our final day/disembarkation from this cruise.  For the first time that I can remember, we didn't arrive in Reykjavik, our final port, until 5pm on the eve of disembarking and all tours were evening excursions. Of course, usually, the last night is often busy..either last minute packing or spending a final relaxing dinner with friends. As it was, we were (mostly) packed by the time we arrived and simply had our coats and one or two other bits to tuck into our luggage before putting it out when we got back. Just as well because our tour - super 4x4 adventure - didn't get home till gone 10pm and I hear the Blue Lagoon trip was even later.  La Veranda was offering a late night Italian buffet till gone 11 but really by that time we were beyond it and opted for nutrition in liquid form and met friends for a last nightcap in the Observation lounge.  

My point is really that although this evening tour offering would have been fine on an ordinary cruise night,  we didn't feel it was so successful on the final night and felt sorry to miss that special "last night in Compass Rose" and all of that. I mean, go without my Wienerschnitzel😱  (fortunately i enjoyed that at the end of the first of the b2b cruises!)   To sum up, we enjoyed the tour very much indeed but didnt really think that our fabulous cruise was rounded off in the usual Regent style.

 

Anyway, we enjoyed the morning tour of Reykjavik offered to those of us with late flights, felt it was worthwhile and purposeful (unlike some similar pre-airport tours where we have felt we were just killing time)  We met Julius again, one of the best guides we had all trip, still wearing his 'mellow yellow' jacket.   

(If anyone met Julius and heard his reference to his musician son, you can watch an hour long documentary about him and his band Kaleo on Icelandair's in flight TV offering, filmed in LA in the build up to them as opening act for the Rolling Stones tour. Maybe it's on YT as well?  Don't know.  

 

Now we are home, perhaps I need to open a suitcase or two. Not my favourite task!!

[Mudhen]

Although I haven't chimed in much on your reports, I've enjoyed them thoroughly!

We'll be boarding the Splendor for a spin thru the British Isles on the 12th. Can't wait!

Thank you for taking the time to take us all along on your adventures!

[pappy1022]

59 minutes ago, Mudhen said:

Although I haven't chimed in much on your reports, I've enjoyed them thoroughly!

We'll be boarding the Splendor for a spin thru the British Isles on the 12th. Can't wait!

Thank you for taking the time to take us all along on your adventures!

We will be joining you in Copenhagen for the British Isle cruise. It’s getting closer and becoming a reality now.

[liptastic]

Gilly thanks for your great live blog and posts from your lovely cruise. Enjoyed the daily reads on both.  Jean. 

[czardas]

Thank you for bringing your cruise “alive” for us. I’m sure many of the readers are counting down their days before boarding and your live blog, helped get us even more excited. Great job 👏🏼