JSR

I am not familiar with how Cunard works in regards to sold out cruises. Do they just remove the cruise from the website? We are on a WB transatlantic cruise in June and it is no longer listed. It was there until a couple days ago. I check it often because I am looking to switch cabins to the portside. Just want to make sure this is normal and not an issue with the sailing. Thank you for your help.

@mysty Thank you for the helpful information. Packing is my second to least part of traveling. It is a constant battle to be practical about we we can reasonably manage. I am looking forward to GV as we will only have a night or two pre-cruise and not a lot of weather to contend with. Our upcoming June trip is two cruise ships, two land parts, and lots of varied weather. A packing nightmare. I do not know how the carryon people do it. Best, Jean

@mysty Hi I am enjoying following this thread and learning a lot. When you can would you circle back to which luggage you landed on and also about the insurance you were having requoted. Thanks, Jean

I have not read every page of this thread though what I have read I have enjoyed. Just to bring up the past my husband crossed multiple times on the SS United States in the 60s. Tuxes were required at dinner every night, made packing for men easy, and required a lot of luggage for women who would not repeat a gown during the voyage. my husband was also allowed to keep his pet hamster in his cabin, and they brought their dog and car along... ah the old days. 😀

@cagefreewill - very well put. I wish you the best in your journey to save your holiday. @Insights - this is a perfect example of the double standard, while the guests already on the ship are enjoying their holiday, those that were not on the ship are left to their own devices to arrange housing as well as transportation with little notice. Not to mention those that are unable to fly either for health reasons or are traveling with dogs, etc. are truly in a predicament. I am happy for your friends however, compassion for those in more difficult situation is called for.

On our first SS cruise last summer, the people we spent the most time with were a couple in their late 30s. We are in our early 60s. They were traveling with one set of parents who were in covid quarantine. I booked our own excursions which in many ports were more interesting to us then the cruiseline offerings. The 30 something couple enjoyed joining us on some of our adventures. I would suggest dig a bit deeper into what you want to do in each port. With 3 kids at home you may enjoy a quieter experience then you would have on a cruiseline like Virgin which caters more to your age demographic but is not luxury. If you decide to do a more mainstream cruiseline for access to more people your age, always consider the benefits they offer for suites, these ships now a days do have a tier structure which can sometimes provide a cruise within a cruise.

The staff is wonderful at helping those of us that use a wheelchair on and off the ship. Didn’t miss any ports on our last cruise even two tender ports and I do not walk or stand. This is not true of all cruise lines. I can say SS excels.

@bobolz I do not have any information on rentals, though you do seem to have that covered. If you want any excursion information let me know. Have a wonderful cruise.

Thank you to all those that made me laugh today! Also, for bringing the crew fund to my attention, our second Silversea cruise is coming up and it is nice to know about that option.

I have accessible port information for Reykjavik, some ports in Norway and Denmark, and Amsterdam, Southampton. If any of this overlaps let me know and I’ll post links or the actual info.

@bobolz some buses have the ability to store a scooter others do not. You would have to work with the shore excursion desk to sort that out. You can also do this in advance though not all the information I received prior to our last cruise was accurate. I do not take bus tours. I can not walk or stand so I can’t get in and out of the buses. I mostly book my own excursions. They are accessible and a bit more of the beaten track. Where is your cruise to?

I am a paraplegic and use a manual wheelchair so I am not as knowledgeable about scooters but do have some insight. - there are now collapsible scooters you can buy/rent which could be used and then folded up in the cabin while charging. - SS suites are big enough for a moderate size scooter however the door width may preclude bringing it into a standard cabin. - you can not take a scooter on many tours as the bus will not accommodate them. - SS will provide assistance on and off tenders. they will lift me on and off in my wheelchair. However some scooters are too heavy to lifted on and off so take that into consideration When selecting one if you have tender ports. - there are also light weight portable electric wheelchairs which maybe able to be rented which maybe more compact.

@mysty Thank you for showing me your folder system. I use one Note which is an electronic notebook. I can access it from all my devices. I also use spreadsheets which I them put in the notebook though I create them in excel. @highplanesdrifters I love the idea that you have a friend that edits photos and makes travel books when you return. I always say I am going to do that however, it is yet to happen.

@mysty How do you organize all the information you collect? I am curious as I am starting to plan our GV,

Sounds like you should book transportation ahead to give you more options. We use http://primetours.is and have found them both reliable and knowledgeable.

We enjoy a proper tea on the QM2. I have been anticipating the scones since our cruise last summer

The Endeavour is docked in Genoa. Hoping all the work is going as planned.

I think you should go with Prime Tours directly. Iceland Unlimited is a middleman. I booked all our tours with Prime tours as they are an actual tour company not a middleman. our guide, Inge was great. They offer 24 hour cancellation. I loved the Reykjavik Peninsula tour. I think you can make that a half day tour. I liked it so much I’m doing it again as my husband missed it last time. GC is a good one. Very popular. Check the prices on Prime’s website then fill out the contact form. I highly recommend our hotel. It is not in the middle of the tourist area but close to the sea wall.and we rolled/walked to the tourist area almost everyday I do not know what your needs are, but I found the bathroom worked well. We roll/walk a lot and distance doesn’t bother me. The cathedral is worth the trip however, the hill we took was long and steep. Try and find out if there is a lunch time organ concert. We have yet to experience this but on my to do list. The concert hall/opera house is worth a visit, the sea wall is an easy roll with some fun sculptures. The downtown shopping area is ok but nothing there particularly worthy. I researched a lot of hotels and I always have them send me bathroom photos so there are no surprises. The room is small but very manageable. We are in Reykjavik briefly again this June - 2 days and one is our arrival day we will probably just sleep and wonder. We wanted to try Dill but didn’t have reservations so could never get in so I have already made reservations for June. I’ll report back. Our fav restaurant was Reykjavik Kitchen, best to make reservations and note they have a couple steps down, they helped get me in and out in my wheelchair. let me know if you want more info. Or have questions

Ahh. Replying before coffee always leads to confusion on my part. 😂

We live part time in LA, (Marina Del Ray which is not far from LAX) while we will not be there in December I am happy to help you sort out transportation should you need assistance. Jean.

@canderson thanks. I’ll just ask them directly. GV is Grand Voyage. Business air is included with the fare. It is a 71 day round trip Ft Lauderdale to Fr Lauderdale. We will be flying from LAX. Flights are not out yet for the return and in general the options are more limited then one would expect from LAX even flying into MIA instead of FLL. AA is to MIA is the main option with Jet Blue to FLL the other. We have lots of time and lots of points so we shall see how it plays out. best of luck with your flights.

I am confused by this statement and do not find it clear. Please help me understand. Is SS saying that even though Business class is included in the GV benefits, if it is a domestic flight it will be in economy? thanks

Thank you Lois, Dawn, and Misty. I am trying hard to wait and see how it goes on the Endeavour and then decide, though it is hard not to just book it. I may no longer be an option by then due to availability...I know I can plan the wedding from a far (heck I planned mine via fax from 6000 miles away and I was young). I just do not want to miss those special moments with our daughter. My husband laughs and asks me if I trying to set a spending record between the cruises and the wedding... LOL All good, I appreciate having a space to talk about this while I debate with myself!!!

HI I am new to the water cooler. I am not sure if this is the place to ask my question or not - what the heck, I will give it a shot. They are somewhat random. Background: We are gone 30 days in June, 14 on Endeavour ( Iceland and Svalbard) and 7 on QM2 (transportation home) and 5 in Amsterdam. We are also booked January 4-March 15 on Nova GV South America. Mind you the longest cruise we have been on is 14 days with a one day break then 9 days. So 71 days is a huge leap for us. Minus a little bit of concern about the heat in Rio and the Amazon we have no reservations about this cruise. I then spotted a 33 day cruise mid October- mid November Lisbon to Lisbon to FLL. I have not booked this. I am tempted too but am concerned it is too much travel (is there such a thing?) given the other bits of life. Question: How many cruises in one year are two many? How much time can you be away while helping your daughter plan her formal big city wedding- will start in July when return from vacation? Thanks for helping me debate this.

Thanks for the suggestion. It is not an option as it returns after Thanksgiving which makes me realize that the Moon in 2024 is not an option either. I guess it is Nova, 2023 or no TA back. It is ok, we will find something I am sure. 🙃