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Ron has inspired me...I might go back and add some pictures to my 2011 Svalbard report!

The two-layered parka sufficed for the bulk of our stops, with one base layer (thin Eddie Bauer mock turtleneck or similar). If you're just sitting on a zodiac as opposed to getting out on land and walking you would best add another layer such as a sweatshirt or a fleece or sweater under the parka. Sitting around on the water with the wind whipping around will get really cold, really fast. There are three key points to staying under the weight limit. 1, only bring clothes that can be multi-purpose. I don't bring a dedicated fleece or a jacket for example. I'd bring a sweater that can tuck under my parka as a base layer, but is also nice enough to wear to dinner. I bring a heavy button-down shirt that could be worn to dinner but could also double as a light jacket. Pretty much all of the pants that I bring are good enough for dinner, but OK for wearing ashore, especially because they are covered by waterproof pants and don't get dirty. Remember the expedition dress is far more casual than the classic ships. 2, bring fewer shoes. They take up tons of room and weight. Wear your heaviest shoes on the plane. 3, take advantage of the free washing machines on board. They even supply the laundry soap. Just bring dryer sheets if you want. This was a godsend before we got to the magic 100-day level and earned that "free" laundry.

If you're coming to see M&M then you'll have to come to Albany and see us too!

Love Iceland! For us, we just have to drive 3h to Boston and hop on that last flight. It's even more beautiful in the winter.

Yes...but out of all my "people" I am the only one there. So if I turn 🥶 Chris will have to rescue me! We aren't too worried. We will have a day in Cusco to acclimate. Bring on the coca tea!

For @highplanesdrifters: This Peru trip is for my brother's wedding. Except he and his bride couldn't wait through Covid, so they got married 2 years ago. So this is an excuse for a party on their 2-year anniversary. That's in Lima, a week from tomorrow. We're going early because, why not? We fly out tomorrow afternoon. We've been to Machu Picchu in the past so we're not going again. So we land in Lima Sunday morning and immediately fly to Cusco. Nothing planned for Sunday other than around town on our own. Monday we are hiking to "Rainbow Mountain" to see if we can get some good pictures before we die of hypoxemia. Tuesday we take the Belmond Train - not to MP, but to Puno. It's an overnight train which will be fun! We have two nights on the shore of Lake Titicaca. Then Friday (a week from today) we fly back from Juliaca to Lima for the pre-party, then the party on Saturday, then fly home early Sunday (ugh).

Thank you! We are, but probably not where you're thinking. I should refrain from dragging this thread OT and put the details in the Cooler. Stay tuned.

Where's the wine fridge, M? Just teasing. It looks lovely! We'd come visit.

They were fine when we flew through earlier this month. Made it from 2E to 2F at CDG, with passport control and security, in 30 minutes. AMS was also pretty relaxed. No long lines and there were plenty of seats in the lounge. Of course the summer tourist season is just beginning... and some dummy is flying out tomorrow, to Peru, during July 4th weekend. What was I thinking? I'm solidly in the "I have people for that" camp. The markets are nuts and defy logic.

Have a great trip!

In all seriousness, I know about it because it was used as a treatment for asthma. We lung doctors need to know these things!

You mean, your ex-wife?

Gee, they are all interesting. We visited all 3 on our Danube cruise in 2016. Durnstein is tiny. There is a bone vault in the cemetery, a small town with a few streets that you can wander through quickly, and Richard the Lionheart's castle a bit of a climb above town. Melk is the famous Abbey which is definitely worth a look. The town is small but pretty. There is a small wooded area nearby where you can do a short "hike" on your way back to the ship. Linz is bigger. You could spend a whole day here and not see everything. There's an opera house a bit out of town, the church with the "hermit tower" and a fairly large museum too. Kepler lived there for a time so there's a monument to him. And across the river there's a cool railroad that climbs a hill to a church (Postlingberg), which we didn't have time to see. My trip report has pictures and other details from all three of these stops which might help you get an idea of what there is to see and do in each. Durnstein starts on page 5, post #115 and then we go to Melk and finally Linz.

Nanortolik! This town was our very first time stepping onto Greenland, 15 years ago. We wandered out of town trying to find a path up the mountain and ended up circumnavigating the thing without ever finding a way up... Enjoy!

I prefer Datura stramonium myself. Perfect for asthma...and whatever else ails you!

Same here; even in my tiny little rural school in Upstate New York, the Diary of Anne Frank was required reading in English class. So it was a no-brainer for us to visit the house in Amsterdam. And it was moving for sure. The Trapp Family Lodge is an easy trip from Albany. Had dinner there last year, with our friends who have a cottage near Stowe.

That is the best news I've had all day! Looking forward to a Greenland expedition through your reports.

For informal, a jacket is expected. Whether it's strictly enforced is a different matter which can vary. Plan on wearing one. You don't need one for casual nights though. Your description (slacks and an open collared shirt) fits with casual. However it's more complicated than that. Even on formal night, not every venue is formal. There is always a place where you can eat in casual attire. For example, the Grill (Hot Rocks) and Spaccanapoli are always casual, so you wouldn't need a jacket there. Also, La Terraza, Silver Note, and Kaiseki are always "one down" from the evening's dress code (i.e., casual when it's "informal" night' informal on "formal" night). So on Spirit, only La Dame, Atlantide, and Indochine are formal on formal night, informal on informal night, etc. Everywhere else is at least one down from that. RE: wine, the complimentary pours are not "fine wines" but they are perfectly ok for everyday wines. They might retail for $10-20 here. You will find plenty of crisp whites. Australian reds are common enough though I don't remember too many on this last cruise (earlier this month on Silver Wind). There were more reds from Chile than anywhere else. However, do take a look at the wine list (Connoisseur's list) and talk to the sommelier about your preferences. IME all you have to do is buy ONE bottle early on in the cruise and then the sommelier will always keep an eye on you and will make sure that you get whatever you want from the included wines. That's what we did last cruise - bought a bottle on day 3 (and again on the last night), but during the interval in between we got all sorts of attention to make sure that the wines were meeting our expectations. We got to try all sorts of different Pinot Noirs that he was hiding away. Enjoy your cruise!

Agree! We have really enjoyed our two with them and are looking for #3.

Have investigated a Douro cruise and decided against it, for the reasons you detailed above. We planned a DIY driving trip instead and it was one of the most fun trips we've had in years. Except for driving in Porto itself which is a nightmare, but I digress. There is so much more to do in Portugal than a Douro cruise can possibly offer.

We booked our first GTY ever on a WC segment for January 2025. I expect it to be assigned some time after I get on the plane to Hong Kong.

We must have had the expedition discount, at 80 points per shirt?

For dinner, yes. Not for the lunch buffet.

Have not been on Muse but the options on Spirit should be similar. There are a few outdoor tables at La Terrazza (breakfast/lunch buffet and Italian restaurant for dinner) located on the aft of the ship. Very nice but very popular in fine weather. The Grill is somewhat outdoors. Lunch food w/ burgers, hot dogs, other choices. Dinner is called "Hot Rocks" and yes most of us are OK with cooking our own main course but rumor has it that they will cook it for you if you ask (have never tried it). You theoretically need reservations for dinner at Hot Rocks but they will probably accommodate you as a walk-in if there is room. My experience on Cloud/Wind is that the grill is outdoors with a bit of shelter, but on Spirit it was fairly enclosed so not totally an "outdoor" experience. Spaccanapoli (pizza place) is on-deck and open for lunch and dinner. I guess you could make a dinner reservation there if you want to. Am I forgetting something?

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your kids!