Lotusgirl22

Geiranger is a great port for hiking, which you can do on your own. When we were there, we did tender. My husband and hiked in the morning, ate lunch by the dock area and then took the included tour in the afternoon. Information about hiking trails is easy to find on the internet. A beautiful port.

I agree that conditioner is advisable if you are going to get your hair wet. I clipped my hair up, passed on the mud mask and did not get mine wet.

A towel is provided. I brought flip flops, sunglasses, hat. It was very sunny and bright.

Sorry for the delayed answer. We had wanted to go to Egypt for a very long time. I researched a lot, including best riverboat on the Nile. Did not consider A & K. We have taken two Viking cruises, but I wanted a smaller group and a higher end experience. We have taken quite a few Tauck tours, and thought they would fit the bill. We were very pleased.

I see that there is a Nero d'avola by the glass. We enjoyed those wines when in Sicily last year, and have bought some bottles back home. You may want to try it. 😀

Another option to consider if arriving a day or two prior to the cruise, and if your plane gets in early, is a tour on arrival day. Our plane arrived at 7:00 am. Assuming our hotel room would not be ready, I booked an Express Golden Circle Tour. We were picked up at the hotel at Noon and returned at 6:00 pm. I think there were about 10 of us in the group. This was in June of 2019. The price was $60 or $70 per person. It worked out very well. I think the company was called Extreme Iceland.

We spent time on the top deck enjoying the pool and the River while sailing. Quite a few people did stay in their cabins - I think some were napping. So, it depends on what you like to do.

I have seen the crew do this too, and I was really troubled by it. First, I thought it was unfair for the crew to risk injury to themselves. Second, I did not think it was safe for the passenger who was lifted or the other passengers in the zodiac.