*Live(ish)* Splendor - “Summer in Scandinavia”

[lprp]

We’re about to set off on our cruise from Reykjavik to Copenhagen on 31 August.

It’s going to be a series of firsts: our first cruise on Splendor, our first time in Iceland and (gulp 😬) my first ever attempt to do a Live(ish) report on CC!!

I’ve got really HUGE shoes to fill, thinking about recent reports from @Gilly @flossie009 @boblerm@WNcruiser and @GeorgiaPeach51 to name but a few…..

We’ve just arrived at the Sofitel LHR ahead of our 7:10am flight tomorrow (hopefully NATS will be sorted by then) into Reykjavik.

We’re in a Concierge suite, but are flying in one day earlier because we wanted to fly BA (DH is Silver on BA so it’s just about worth it, despite all the negative stuff…..) and they don’t fly on a Wednesday 🤷‍♀️

We’ll be staying in the Grand Reykjavik; we haven’t booked anything in Reykjavik, hoping we might get to visit the Blue Lagoon, we’ll see what’s available when we get there.

I’ll report back tomorrow, hopefully we will get there unscathed 🤞

LP

Edited August 28, 2023 by lprp

[1982CruzStart]

Thank you for taking us along with you. Have a wonderful cruise and look forward to your posts whenever time permits. 

[Portolan]

lprp: perhaps we'll see you on-board.  Maybe at the sail-away where we usually hang around near the Pool Bar.  I'll be the tall guy with a camera slung around my neck (like my picture to the left, but not wearing the bright orange parka).

 

We are flying a dog-leg (Dulles-Frankfurt-Reykjavik) in order to have a much better business class experience (upper deck 747!) than with Icelandair.  So, with an early afternoon arrival in Reykjavik, we'll likely board around 3 PM.  We'd normally fly a day ahead, but in this case, the Iceland ports are ones we've visited so in a worst-case scenario of arriving late, we'll join the next day in Isafjordur.

[Techno123]

@lprp thank goodness you were flying in a day early as (according to this evening's news) there is still going to be a lot of disruption tomorrow - will keep 🤞🏻for you and will look forward to reading your report.

[lprp]

35 minutes ago, Portolan said:

I'll be the tall guy with a camera slung around my neck (like my picture to the left, but not wearing the bright orange parka).

The orange parka would make it so much easier to recognise you😜

Hope your flights work out and you board In Reykjavik 

[Portolan]

39 minutes ago, lprp said:

The orange parka would make it so much easier to recognise you😜

Hope your flights work out and you board In Reykjavik 

Only wear the parka in the Antarctic and Arctic!

[GeorgiaPeach51]

Yay!  Looking forward to this!  Thanks for entertaining us!

 

Joanie

[Zqueeze1]

Another live thread!  Have a great cruise and thanks for posting about your adventures.  
 

Z and TB

[pingpong1]

6 hours ago, Portolan said:

We are flying a dog-leg (Dulles-Frankfurt-Reykjavik) in order to have a much better business class experience (upper deck 747!) than with Icelandair.

Portolan - You brought back many good memories (during my working years) of flying many Business Class trips in the upper deck of a United 747 between Chicago and Seoul.  What a great "flying machine"!  The "made to order" deli sandwiches and the "custom made" Ice Cream Sundaes.  Plenty of storage space for a briefcase, and lots of legroom, etc.  Comfortable seats. And the staff actually seemed to be "happy" to see you (again)!  Those were the "good ol' days" of flying onboard a wonderful "flying machine"!  Regards!

[Portolan]

2 hours ago, pingpong1 said:

Portolan - You brought back many good memories (during my working years) of flying many Business Class trips in the upper deck of a United 747 between Chicago and Seoul.

They are nearly gone.  No US carriers still fly them.  Here at Dulles, the only ones still flying are the Lufthansa 747-800's which is what we'll be on.  I won't know when it'll be the last time, so take the opportunity when it presents itself.

 

[lprp]

We’ve checked our bags in at a very quiet LHR T5 - it was 5:10am, but given yesterday’s fiasco I thought it would be busier.

Sadly BA have gone self service, even in Club Class, so you now have to print your own boarding passes and luggage tags, which you then attach yourself. There were a couple of BA staff around to help if you needed it.

Even at the Lounge there is a self service kiosk, there was someone on the desk too.

Our flight is about to begin boarding🤞

[Gilly]

3 hours ago, lprp said:

Sadly BA have gone self service, even in Club Class, so you now have to print your own boarding passes and luggage tags, which you then attach yourself. There were a couple of BA staff around to help if you needed it.

Oh that's a pain - we just encountered this for the first time in Reykjavik, where the process was not well signed and a little confusing.  Hmmm....I had hoped for better, BA!

 

Still @lprp I'm glad to read there are none of the hassles from yesterday!  Have a safe flight and I'll look forward to continuing my Iceland adventures with the next baton holder in the relay 😉  

 

And @Portolan and @pingpong1 we share your affection for the old Jumbo and wondered what we'd do when there wasn't a 60 A and B to put our name on.  I think we're *almost* recovered from the loss and are gradually getting used to new ways, what with BA "suites" and all of that, but reading your memories was a nice reminder of fun times.  Thank you.

[swansong]

3 hours ago, lprp said:

We’ve checked our bags in at a very quiet LHR T5 - it was 5:10am, but given yesterday’s fiasco I thought it would be busier.

Sadly BA have gone self service, even in Club Class, so you now have to print your own boarding passes and luggage tags, which you then attach yourself. There were a couple of BA staff around to help if you needed it.

Even at the Lounge there is a self service kiosk, there was someone on the desk too.

Our flight is about to begin boarding🤞

Is that a recent change? I know you have to serve yourself at bag drops but at the far end of T5 there has always been ( at least up to last June) a club class dedicated check in section next to first class. 

[Gilly]

The last time we checked in en route to Copenhagen on July 21st, there was still the Club check in desks in T5 zone ?G?, though there were self check machines as well.  Maybe this is a (very) recent change?

[lprp]

@swansong, this was precisely where you describe, no more personal check in for Club Class, l guess it still exists for First Class…..

@Gilly It was a very recent change, I mentioned to one of the 2 BA staff that I really prefer a more personal check in experience. She was in complete agreement- her response was “Exactly” with a look on her face and inflection in her voice that left me in no doubt that she she wasn’t a fan of this latest change.

At least the stewards on the plane were still human beings 🙄

[lprp]

We’ve arrived in Reykjavik 😁

Our flight was on time, unfortunately the usual 2 people in a row for 3 configuration in Club Europe was suspended so we had to squish in 3 - First World problems I know. It was to help with the Icelandic Air passengers who were stranded yesterday.

Given the situation, it was hard to feel anything but fortunate that we had got away.

 

The flight was thankfully short and uneventful.

 

We arrived at 9am Iceland time and within 2 hours of landing we were at the Grand Hotel!

Check in wasn’t available until 3pm, so we left our luggage and headed out for a (VERY) long walk in the Reykjavik sunshine- circa 15c, but very bright and hardly any wind.

Photos to follow.

 

[lprp]

A Walk Around Reykjavik:- 7.5km in 2 hours - our poor aching legs and feet 😬

[flossie009]

Glad you made it to Reykjavik despite the ATC problems. Weather looks stunning.

 

16 hours ago, lprp said:

@swansong, this was precisely where you describe, no more personal check in for Club Class, l guess it still exists for First Class…..

@Gilly It was a very recent change, I mentioned to one of the 2 BA staff that I really prefer a more personal check in experience. She was in complete agreement- her response was “Exactly” with a look on her face and inflection in her voice that left me in no doubt that she she wasn’t a fan of this latest change.

At least the stewards on the plane were still human beings 🙄

 

In October last year we were faced with having to do our own bag tags (T5, Club). Didn’t seem to be saving time or staff as customers didn’t know what they were supposed to do.
BA flights since then (including an early flight on 8th August) reverted to traditional check-in for Club customers - maybe due to adverse feedback?

@lprp your experience shows that BA are intent on devaluing their Club Class experience yet again ☹️

Our best check-in earlier this year was with Qatar at LHR T4; a most efficient, personal and friendly service which matched the perfect on-board experience 🙂

 

[lprp]

Today the weather wasn’t as good - in fact despite assurances to the contrary by the weather App it was raining.

Armed with our raincoats we walked back into town, having decided against the Blue Lagoon. We ended up on the HOHO.

A couple of comments/suggestions; it’s lovely in Reykjavik but the HOHO is probably the worst we’ve ever been on, it’s just not very interesting, PLUS it was INCREDIBLY HOT upstairs 🥵, the windows don’t open and the A/C was MIA. I’m sure we would have been better served on a Golden Circle trip, hey ho.

The most interesting fact I learned was that there are 130,000 people in Reykjavik and 230,000 in the Greater Reykjavik area out of a total 350,000 in total in Iceland, the rural areas must be very remote indeed!

 

Also, if anyone reading this is staying at the Grand Reykjavik in future, when you check in remember to ask for your room to be serviced, fresh towels, etc. or it won’t be! It’s an ECO initiative and we only noticed it this morning - it’s written on the back of the Do Not Disturb sign . Apparently we should have been asked at check in but we weren’t. It’s hopefully being addressed now - the bath mat is a dripping mess - wet rooms are great, but…..

LP

[lprp]

@flossie009, BA are definitely intent on devaluing the Club Class experience, it’s a travesty!

We were booked in Singapore and Emirates Business Class on our Explorer cruise at Christmas, both were amazing. We’re booked in Qatar Q Suites for another (non RSSC) trip next June and are looking forward to the flight, which isn’t something I can remember feeling like for the longest time.

[RachelG]

Looking forward to following along.  We have been to Iceland several times, and it is a favorite.  We have never done the HOHO bus in Reykjavik as it is just a great city for walking, but the Golden circle tour is good, though it wouldn't be so good in the rain, so you were probably fine to just save your money. 

[CruiserFromMaine]

@lprp @PortolanI’m following along—we’ll be on the Splendor around Iceland next summer. Thanks for posting! 

[WNcruiser]

On 8/29/2023 at 11:43 AM, lprp said:

A Walk Around Reykjavik:- 7.5km in 2 hours - our poor aching legs and feet 😬

Well many of these look familiar 😀. The Grand is really far from town, that is why we just booked our own hotel in Reykjavik to be right downtown. There are almost no restaurants near the grand either. 
 

The weather looks great! 

Edited August 31, 2023 by WNcruiser

[lprp]

Embarkation yesterday was probably the fastest and easiest we’ve ever done.

We left the hotel at 12:15 and were onboard by 1pm. We stopped by Coffee Connection, it seemed like our suite was ready in no time, the cases were in the hallway and we were fully unpacked by 4.30pm.

 

A HAL ship, Nieuw Amsterdam was also in port.

 

We had pre dinner drinks in The Meridian Lounge, dinner in Compass Rose, a long awaited Crab and Avocado with Beef Tenderloin for me, DH had Lobster Bisque and Clam Pasta, we both had Soufflé for dessert.

Post dinner drinks in the Observation Lounge followed by the show rounded off the evening.

I’m not the best at taking food photos, but I did take a few of the drinks 😋

 

[Guerncruising]

Looks like one of those glasses had a leak. 
Take the opportunity to ask for another.