hobse

I can only answer about the lotion as I have one.  Photo included with ingredients listed.  Hope it helps.

1 hour ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Hobse....I also thank you for your time and efforts in posting along the journey! Safe travels home.... 🙂

Thank you, and DGHOC for your kind comments.  Being a new journey, I know many people have lots of questions.  Hope it helped a little.  I am including just a few photos for those to look forward to, and some quirky tips.

We arrived Tilbury around 05:00 a.m. 6 February.  The rest of the sea crossing was smooth.  Disembarkation started at 06:30 for the first groups (meet at 6:15) bussing to Heathrow (Viking transfer).  Disembarkation was smooth, luggage ready to claim and load.  The drive to Heathrow should have been 1.5-2.0 hours (rush hour).  However, our driver and guide decided to detour through the city (at rush hour!), and we arrived at Heathrow 2.45 hours later.  Not concerned as we had plenty of time, but it was annoying.  The busses that left after us had already arrived.

Happy travels to all future Northern Lights hunters!

Departed Stavanger around 6 PM last night, Monday.  Heading across the North Sea toward Tilbury.  The seas were rolling a bit at times, but overall not too bad.  One especially large wave hitting us and sending a huge shudder through the ship around 3 a.m.  One guest in Q &A this morning asked the Captain what did we hit?  Hopefully the rest of our sea day and arrival at Tilbury will remain smooth.  

Everyone had to go through U.K. Immigration this morning on the ship.  There were two Immigration officers, the process was efficient, lines moved quickly.  Took all of about 7 minutes.

Last port, Stavanger.  We have been here before and made no plan for optional excursion but to do the included panaramic tour.  Decided not to go for the bus ride (trying to avoid the close confines with all the coughing going on). Instead we walked to the Petroleum museum which is included in the bus tour.  We had a great dock location, easily walk everywhere, including Starbucks.  The small sardine canning museum was surprisingly interesting.  The day was rainy and much warmer.

Tromso day 2.  Ship dock location is right in town, so no shuttles.  Before leaving home we booked an independent outing with Tromso Arctic Reindeer Experience.  They picked us up at the Raddison Blu hotel which is only a 2 minute walk from the ship.  Roughly a 25 minute drive to their winter grounds for the reindeer.  They have over 300 reindeer.  You are allowed to walk all over the several acres and feed, pet, photograph the cute reindeer, and sleigh ride if you wish.

A tamer version of NL could be seen early from the ship tonight before we sailed out.

Bodo.  Uggggg.  Will not be able to report on this port because the stop was CANCELLED!  Very disappointing, but Captain makes the decision.  Thinks the wind was too much.  So, we get to have another Sea day (not my favorite thing and a downside of cruising).  But, oh boy, the replacement for Bodo this afternoon is a showing of Robin Hood.  Really? They really should have more back up options for filling the time when ports are cancelled.

Tomorrow is another (scheduled) sea day, next stop and last will be Stavanger on Monday.

Tromso day 2.  Ship dock location is right in town, so no shuttles.  Before leaving home we booked an independent outing with Tromso Arctic Reindeer Experience.  They picked us up at the Raddison Blu hotel which is only a 2 minute walk from the ship.  Roughly a 25 minute drive to their winter grounds for the reindeer.  They have over 300 reindeer.  You are allowed to walk all over the several acres and feed, pet, photograph the cute reindeer, and sleigh ride if you wish.

A tamer version of NL could be seen early from the ship tonight before we sailed out.

Tromso.  We highly recommend the Home Visit in Lyngen Alps ship excursion.  It was probably the best ship excursion we have ever taken, and felt it was worth it.  It is a longer day and drive but the scenery was beautiful.  I wasn't sure about this excursion at first when the other half wanted to do it.  But I loved it from the start.  It is a small group tour.  We were in a 15 passenger van that was snug with everyone's coats and such.  Drove about 40 minutes, got on a ferry for about 20 minutes, drove another 40 minutes to these lovely peoples home.  The area all around does look like the Alps.  Our hosts, Kristin and Asbjorn were very welcoming, warm, super.  You could sit inside their home and enjoy the view or you could play outside.  We sledded and snowshoed and had a delicious stew.  It was a great day!

12 hours ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

 

May I ask what category of room you're referring to? Is there not enough closet space? Thanks for the suggestion - might do this. Certainly is something that would not have occurred to me to bring along! 

We are in a PV.  Plenty of storage here with the extra set of drawers and larger desk.  However, it is much easier to hang the coats, other things you may want to air out, on the wall hooks.  Then just grab and go.

On 2/1/2019 at 2:20 AM, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Thanks. One of the big concerns is certainly to have adequate winter clothing. I think we're just about good to go now. It's been a great opportunity here lately to test some new clothing being that the polar vortex has taken us down unusually low -  0 to minus temps. Were your NL excursions with GLØD?  From correspondence I've had over the past few months, it seems they are the company that does the Viking tours. 

Yes Glod runs Viking's Alta Northern Lights excursions.  

12 minutes ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Hobse....curious as to whether you had 2 evening Northern Lights excursions booked prior to the trip (one in Alta and Tromso) or did you add the 2nd excursion having not had much luck with the one in Alta?  I have one booked for Alta in the March sailing, but not for Tromso. Anyway, glad you saw them! Can't wait and hope we get as fortunate - especially in Alta since I have the ship's excursion booked. 

 

I might also ask..how have the evening temps been? 

 

 

Tonight was cold.  Tromso town was about 10f / -12c.  Where we stopped for NL got to about -13f / -25c.

Hand and toe warmers are your friend.

2 minutes ago, gretschwhtfalcon said:

Hobse....curious as to whether you had 2 evening Northern Lights excursions booked prior to the trip (one in Alta and Tromso) or did you add the 2nd excursion having not had much luck with the one in Alta?  I have one booked for Alta in the March sailing, but not for Tromso. Anyway, glad you saw them! Can't wait and hope we get as fortunate - especially in Alta since I have the ship's excursion booked. 

 

I might also ask..how have the evening temps been? 

 

 

Yes, we had two booked prior to cruising.  We booked independent in Alta, however ship tour or independents in Alta saw no lights that night.  They just did not appear.  We wanted to book independent in Tromso originally but our top guide choice was already booked, so decided on the ships.  It is all up to nature, we were just REALLY fortunate tonight.

Woohoo!!  Boy did we hit the jackpot tonight in Tromso!!  We saw Northern Lights like never imagined.  Better than any documentary, Nat Geo film we have ever seen.   Truly hard to describe.  They danced, sang, and played the piano.  They were Angel's, ballerinas, and everything in between.  Everyone tells you that you will only see white with the naked eye, but green or so from your camera.  Not tonight! We saw white, green, pink, blue.  JUST MAGNIFICANT.  

There were many ship excursion buses that went out.  Our first bus stop was not the best.  We had street lights from a church and a house.  But the NL came out early about 8 pm and we were happy, but we asked to go somewhere darker.  We moved a couple miles, which was better and the NL were better and all were happy.  It was getting late, so we started heading back but may stop again.  Then WOW, out the bus window they appeared.  The driver pulled over as soon as he could, it was a dark place, and for the next 30 minutes or so, it was a performance.  So for 3 hours minus a short intermission we were thrilled.

Great, flatmoennatur.no

Johnnie and Levi are wonderful.

Forgot to mention earlier, there were shuttles at Narvik and Alta.  Both running every half hour.  Narvik drops off at the library next to the war museum.  Alta drops off at the Visitor Information Center.  Both ran exactly on time.

We have snow boots with good traction and so far have not felt the need for ice cleats.  But good soles are the key.

Arrived Alta about noon Jan. 29.  It is cold but manageable.  Hot Hands are great for pockets!  We went on the included tour, and were going to take a taxi to the Igloo hotel but never got around to it.  We booked an independent Northern Lights tour because we wanted a smaller group.  Big groups, small groups, Nothern Lights did not appear even though it was clear.  

Today in Alta we booked an independent tour with Flatmoen.  It is a local father/son owned company.  You visit the countryside in a horse drawn sleigh from their beautiful ranch.  If anyone is looking for a low key few hours, away from the crowds, and like nature, this is it.  They were lovely hosts.  

Still hoping for the lights, but we depart at 11 p.m. tonight and head to Tromso.

Well, it depends!  How is that for a definitive answer.  What is your physical ability? Are you active?  Or prefer to ride around?  The included tour in Narvik, "Panoramic Narvik" was mostly a short (1.5 hour) bus tour around town.  There was a short stop at Ankenes Church for photos.  

The included tour in Alta, "The City of Northern Lights", was a bus (3 buses) drive to the Alta Museum.  It is a cute, very small museum about their rock carvings that can't be seen in the winter due to snow.  There is a nice view over a lake.  But the stop was about 30+ minutes too long.  If you are somewhat active there are several good optional things to do in Alta in winter, either with the ship or independent.

Sea day yesterday between Bergen and Narvik.  Sea was calm and a mostly clear and sunny day.  But that changed.  Snowed quite a bit overnight.  Lots of shoveling off the decks.  

Unfortunately, those seeking input about the Ofoten Railway and snowmobile or dog sledding excursions will have to wait.  Both trips were cancelled today.  Although the railway was running, we were told they were afraid of not getting us back on the Swedish snowy roads.  We were all set to go this morning but the cancellation was last minute.  It was a huge disappointment, but it happens.  That left very little options for us.  So we just hopped on one of the included bus tours for a drive around, and then later went back to town using the shuttle.

We depart here at 6 PM, and off to Alta next.

On this trip now.  Overnight in Bergen, sailed this afternoon and now in open water on way to Narvik.  Tomorrow is a sea day.  Very good info and tips provided on the previous trip's roll call board.   Desire is right, the Success Cake in Mamsen's is wonderfull! 

We did not do any excursions in Bergen as we have been there before and just wandered about.  We heard from others that the buses were incredibly hot.  I will try and post on our future excursions, ships and independent.  And answer some questions others have had.  DO bring hooks for the walls to hang your coats.  We use the Command brand removable hooks that work very well.  We also brought along a string to tie back the drape that wants to cover the door.

Ship temperature on board has been comfortable for us so far.  Just a light shirt and vest have been sufficient.  Except for the fitness center that is way too hot!  If you work out too hard you may pass out!  

Your room steward can arrange with maintenance to turn off your heated bathroom floor, as we did.  It was just too hot in there.

We have been all over the world (seven continents; third world countries; etc), including New Zealand.  Have always organized our meds in weekly containers before leaving home, plus have loose otc meds.  We have never been questioned or stopped anywhere about them.  We also carry photos of the prescriptions and pills on our phone.

I can't speak to the Orion, but we have been on The Explorer 3 times and she is a wonderful ship.  We went to the Arctic in 2009, Antarctica 2010, and last year South Georgia and The Falkland Islands 2017.  All 3 sailings we had the same fantastic captain, some of the same naturalists, and the same waiters!   The only thing that could (and rarely) prevent you from doing a landing would be weather.  But the crew on The Explorer are experts with this.   Passengers are divided in groups to comply with the limitations.  You will not be disappointed.

We were in Egypt last November (2014) with A&K. Absolutely no problems and did not feel unsafe generally. Some of the vendors can be aggressive though, just keep walking (they are supposed to be working on this issue). But they really need the money. Had armed security with us (required for U.S. tourist groups). Occasionally we had police escorts that were very beneficial in getting us through traffic jams. You will still be discouraged from walking around on your own in Cairo.

Our Egyptologist said that tourism was still way down at only 20%. Some sites we had all to ourselves. It was great.

Abu Simbel definitely worth the trip.

ducksoupforme,

We were also in a category 6 cabin, but not 221. If it is laid out the same (see photo), we found it to be very comfortable. It isn't very large, but it is very workable and comfortable. The ship is very well stabalized and quiet. We never heard the passengers next to us.

willis,

I'll try and help with regard to the ship and the zodiac boarding. We returned last week from the Arctic. I certainly would not want to discourage anyone from taking a dream trip, and hope your father will be able to take his. Honestly though, while not impossible I think it will be somewhat difficult. There is one elevator on the ship which is toward the bow, stairs in the middle and stern. So I would suggest trying for a cabin close by the elevator.

The mud room is a locker room where you can change in to and store your boots. People gather here in preparation for boarding the zodiacs. I have included two photos that will give you some idea of the loading area. One photo is taken from the mud room toward the door that is opened. It is not a great distance, but there are 3 or 4 steps. The other photo shows the zodiac on the outside of the door. Basically, what happens is the zodiac pulls up to the ship (there is no platform for the zodiacs it stays in the water). Passengers go down the steps and two or three crewman are there to assist you into the zodiac. This requires another step down into the zodiac and then you sit on the side. To depart the zodiac for a landing, you scoot to the front of the zodiac and swing your legs over and into the water.

I hope this helps to visualize it for you and I would be happy to answer any questions that I can. As soon as I can find the time, I will be doing a review of some sort.