RachelG

Oro Verde is in a very sketchy neighborhood. Prostitutes and drug dealers by the dozen right in front of the hotel. George and I walked around down the malecon during the day, but after dark, very scary place. I would not be happy.

Yes, laundry, which you will need as you may swat through clothes at an amazing rate.

The pancake story has to be one of the funniest things I have read here in a long while.

So sad for your cruise to end! but I excited for your trip to the Galapagos. We have been 3 times, once on Celebrity a long time ago, then again on the old Silversea ship, and then 2 years ago right after covid on the new Silversea ship. It is wonderful. We would go again. If you want a preview, you can look up my blog here on CC.

Yes.

None offered when we disembarked in Tokyo in April. I think the one mentioned above was on the cruise after ours, because we and a bunch of others had complained so much. Normally there is a generally reasonably priced tour offered to those with later flights. This was really the first time we had not our offered.

Well that is disappointing. You need to move the trip up!

Never had any issues

Are you on the one next April?? If so,that is awesome. George and I are signed up, and he gets really bored with sea days. Needs someone to make trouble with.

The slip on slippers provided in the suite are perfect. BYW, I would rather amputate my feet than wear crocs.

Yes, we were on that cruise together. My husband loved climbing up on Jan Mayen. Still talks about it.

Thanks for world’s latest trip report. We have done that Icelandair flight from Boston a couple of times. After the first,, I knew not to book an overnight flight on them as it is torture. But the Virgin lounge in Boston is very nice, and Iceland is wonderful. Most recently we have taken to flying Delta to Iceland. Better seat, though still wasn’t great.

No age restriction generally, though I have seen a couple of excursions where the operator imposed them.

Not as far as I know, and my husband loves to play blackjack onboard.

I don’t remember ever being cold in Antarctica, and I just wore a turtleneck or t shirt and sweater under the provided parka. And the waterproof pants also are helpful for insulation. But I do remember almost freezing to death in Greenland on a zodiac cruise through the icebergs!

I had the men’s both in the Arctic and Antarctica. Except the first time when we went to Svalbard and I brought my own. This was a long time ago, and you didn’t have the option of borrowing them,so I brought my hot pink ones that I wear at the ranch. But they take up way too much space in the luggage

He is not a particularly patient person, so probably not that long. And yes, the ship was moving. Wow, the price of a cab has definitely gone up. I think it was about $ 75 one way when we were that, but that was pre covid. Your pictures of the town look a LOT better than the villages we visited, other than Nuuk, which seemed to be doing ok.

same experience here. You just have to move the stuff in the safe and toiletries/meds, little stuff. I did supervise to make sure they got everything though.

About the getting locked out of the room on the balcony thing, good thing you had your parkas in that weather. Our very first cruise, other that 2 on a couple of tiny expedition ship voyages on CruiseWest back in the day they were in business, was on Regent Diamond. We had our 2 teenage sons with us in the cabin next to ours. I was out doing something. My husband accidentally locked himself out on the balcony. Fortunately it was in Greece in the summer. The boys were in their cabin, but he couldn't get their attention as the divider between the balconies was still up. He ended up climbing out on the railing of our balcony and onto theirs!! Then knocking on their door to get in.

we love the airtags. once we were flying somewhere, don't remember where, and had a connection in Dallas. It was a longish connection, but our next flight was international. When we arrived in Dallas, I checked the location of our bags as the check in agent in Tulsa seemed to be particularly unengaged in work that day. (Most of the AA agents in Tulsa are great, and we have known them for years. This person was clearly having a bad day.) At any rate, our luggage said still in Tulsa. We were able to get one of the ladies in the Admiral's Club at DFW get the Tulsa people on the line, and they put our bags on the next flight which caught up to us and our onward flight.

Yes. Again, very sad.

We have been there three times--no food allowed off the ship. And most landings aren't in towns so nothing to buy. The exception would be Nuuk where there are plenty of stores and even restaurants. We have been to a couple of other small villages where you possibly could buy food, but it would be really limited variety. I get hypoglycemic too, but just make sure I eat plenty of protein prior to going out.

Wow, so excited you got to extend the trip. That is really spectacular. Couple of comments--too late now, but you would have been better off just taking a taxi to and from the blue lagoon. We rented a car the first time we were in Iceland but it was a big hassle as you have described. I did the math, and it was cheaper to just take a cab even to the Blue Lagoon as that is right by the airport. I agree with Fletcher's observations regarding Greenland. It is beautiful countryside and fjords, but the towns are pretty awful, and the people are very grim. George befriended the police chief in one town. He came over from Denmark on a one year contract. He told George that most all the people there live on welfare--very few are employed except for the teachers and hospital workers who are mostly from Denmark and don't stay longterm. Fishing has pretty much died out. He has a big uptake in crime, mostly related to drunkeness the day the checks arrive. Otherwise, it is mostly domestic violence. Really very sad.

I am very much enjoying following along with your cruise and observations. We have been on the same itinerary before (plus St Petersburg as it has been a while) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I love seeing the places we visited. As far as the door being open, on this ship we had an issue with the door not latching completely unless you actively pulled it closed. So that may have been what happened. Housekeeping should know this, but maybe just forgot.

George also got yelled at for complaining about the steak