Liz55

9 hours ago, bardstowntraveller said:

We currently have scheduled the Seydisfjordor on foot and the Heimey on foot excursions and am wondering if we will miss much if we do these ports on our own. Can anyone provide feedback?

We had a fantastic guide in Seydisfjordur...would not have been the same if we had done it on our own. 
 

On 7/31/2021 at 8:52 AM, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

This is a screenshot I took from a webcam on the 26th (Monday).  I believe the vendor might be West Tours. Of course, there's no guarantee that the boat will be the same for all trips/dates.  I vaguely remember that someone reported there were a few seats outside, so if you're concerned about crowds, it may be possible to sit outside (in the back, I suppose?)  I'll try to remember to look at the webcam early Monday morning to see if I can get an idea of how many passengers it's taking that day.

There is room for about 20 people inside the boat and if I recall another 4 or 6 outside.  They only allow small groups to tour the island at a time. 

On 7/25/2021 at 2:56 PM, TayanaLorna said:

We finally reached home at 5:30 AM today, Sunday morning, and am catching up on a few pages of these threads.  We also did the glacier lagoon excursion and thought it was worth every penny.  The later departing groups had lunch first and we thought it deliciously fresh and tasty.  It was a quick affair and then time to don the survival suit.  The attire was bulky but plenty warm with a light jacket underneath.  When the high clouds and a bit of wind arrived, you could zip up the neck area to keep your neck and ears warm.  Don't plan to bring a bulky backpak on the Zodiac as there is no place to put it.  If it is on your back you will annoyingly bump your fellow passengers as you twist and turn to look sideways and in back of you.  It is a gravel and rocky path up and down a hill to get to the beach with a fairly steep finish on some loose rocks.  It is easy to get into the Zodiac as they pull the bow up on the rocky shore, you sit down and swing both of your legs into the boat.  The guide will hold you if you need to lean back in order to swing your legs up and over.  Being on the lake was spectacular and getting so close to the icebergs exciting.  As you zigzag through these floating ice monuments on your way to the glaciers edge, your guide will explain their different features and answer your questions.  The glacier calved 2 new icebergs while we were close.  Unfortunately we were turned away both times but just hearing the sound was exciting.  The drive was very long but we had comfort breaks both ways at different locations in Hofn, once at a lovely library and another at a visitor center.  The scenery along the drive was different, lovely and our guide, a retired teacher, was excellent.  On the way home we stopped at an overlook high above the beach below.  It was a beautiful but windy location.

I agree with this summary completely!  The bus trip was long but spectacular scenery. The zodiac trip was amazing.  All you need is a light layer under the jacket they give you...I had too many layers and was very uncomfortable.  I didn’t need a hat but most people had one on. You don’t get wet so you can use your camera or iPhone safely. Lunch was delicious! 

We just got back from the July 20 sailing of Jupiter. It was great!  There was a positive COVID test early on and that person was taken off the ship to quarantine at a hotel. Several folks who were contact traced to that case has to stay in their room for a few hours but were then cleared. There was a later positive test and that person quarantined on the ship (Deck 3 I think) until we got back to Reykjavík.  None of this affected us at all.  We missed our last stop at Heimaey because of very rough seas but otherwise the weather was gorgeous the whole time. And FYI, everyone wore masks all the time, even on the buses. We had an amazing time!

On 7/20/2021 at 11:05 AM, Steve NH said:

Thank you so much for all of your posts along the way! They've helped me with my packing.

You never know though. We are on day 5 of our cruise and have had warm, sunny weather every day!  Not a drop of rain or wind!  Fabulous!

Did anyone do the Whale Watching excursion in Akureyri? I read that this is the place to see whales but from what I’ve been reading in these threads, many of the other excursions sound wonderful too!  And I always hate to miss ice cream opportunities. 😋

Can anyone tell me if the person who tests positive can get off the ship and complete their journey as planned?  Or do they have to continue to quarantine somewhere else?

2 hours ago, photogranny said:

Would you be willing to share some of your itinerary, especially accommodations with me?  We have talked about doing this but decided not to but I would like to have the info under my belt in case.

Thank you!  Maybe when you are on shore and able to use regular email?  Let me know!

I did a lot of research on hotels.  My first choice, Hotel Borg, was booked so we chose the Hilton Canopy.  We are spending our first day in Reykjavík and maybe going to Videy Island and then the second day we are going to the Blue Lagoon. Just FYI, if you make a reservation at the Blue Lagoon you can arrange transportation through them that is much less expensive than a taxi or private transfer. 

2 hours ago, bbtondo said:

I wonder if the departing cruisers can stay in Iceland at a hotel and enjoy the rest of their time there? 

This is a really important question. I think quite a few people are doing this...I know we are!  We would have some real shuffling to do if we can’t stay. 

Couldn’t agree more that these updates are appreciated!  We sail next week and are carefully following this thread. Best of luck!

10 minutes ago, mhb1757 said:

We are having a Beautiful sunny and warm day in Djupivogur. Started out a bit iffy but couldn’t be nicer now. I have been in short sleeves since mid morning. Here are a couple of tidbits for future cruisers…

if you are using Apple devices (iPhone, iPad etc) don’t plan on using the Viking Voyager app for much. Android users don’t seem to be having issues but the app shuts down every time you try to use it for anything. If you delete the app and then reinstall it, it will work for anywhere from 12 to 24 hours then you have to do it all over again. You can just ask your cabin steward for a paper copy of the daily health survey if you get tired of messing with the app. 
 

Don’t lose sleep if you can’t get the dining reservations you want in advance. We were able to get both Manfredis and Chefs Table on days and times that worked for us after boarding. No need for reservations at the Restaurant. Haven’t seen any appreciable wait any evening yet. 
 

Also if you want to dine at a table with others…no problem. Just show up at the same time and request a table for whatever party size you want. They are happy to seat you. 
 

we also had no trouble making reservations at the spa for the thermal suite. We have been every day except today. 1 hour blocks. It is very nice since they limit it to 6 guests per hour. 
 

they are keeping a waiting list for sold out shore excursions on board, so if you want one and have not been able to book it be sure to get on the waiting list when you board. I was chatting with the lady next door. She waitlisted for both of the ATV excursions and got on both of them. 
 

And last but not least I would strongly suggest packing some insect repellent and sun screen. I didn’t think I had been out in the sun long enough to burn, but my face got way more than I expected. Really high UV index I’m guessing! And the bug spray made me a very popular person on a couple of excursions. It helped a lot. 
 

it has been a great week so far. Hoping those of you sailing in the weeks to come have such amazing weather. 

This is great info...thanks!

6 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

We are tendering this morning in Djupivogur.  Our cabin is right over the tender. Man, is that noisy! 

 

We are off to the glacier lagoon this morning. Woo-hoo! 

 

It rained overnight. But this morning it is that strange combination of fog and sunshine that we have been getting all week. 

Please let us know about that excursion!  We’re booked on it on an upcoming cruise but I’m wondering if it’s worth it?

Did anyone go on the Zodiac trip in Djupivogur?  If so, how was it and was it worth it?  We are currently booked on that excursion on the July 20 sailing.