wassup4565

Re rental cars in Iceland: Please inspect your car very carefully when you pick it up, note all scratches, pits, windshield chips, and so on. Mark them on the paper the company gives you, and insist that a company representative acknowledge the existing damage by signing the paper to agree to the damage report. Go back inside to the desk if necessary. People also recommend taking photos of any damage. The Iceland Thread on Trip Advisor is full of stories about people who did not do this, and were then charged whopping amounts for repairs. Some people claim it's a scam, but usually the people who complain are the ones who did not carefully inspect the car when they picked it up.

This also means you need to leave time at the airport for turning the car in, so I would say allow an extra half an hour for turning the car in.

That Iceland thread on Trip Advisor is a gold mine of information - highly recommended! We travelled in Iceland for three days in early June this year, and received so much helpful and info from the TA people.

Thank you all so much for your ideas! Very helpful. Sounds like Belem will be just right, and we can decide whether our friend has the energy for the tram on that day.

I like the scrambled eggs, but that's because I like my scrambled eggs creamy, not cooked to death until they are hard little egg chunks. And on only one cruise did I think they were made from powdered eggs - but the food generally on that cruise was very disappointing. How bad? I lost weight, that's how bad.

I find the buffet pasta and pasta sauces disappointing, something like you'd get at the food court in a mall. Agree with the comments about the cakes - tasteless sponge with over-sweet cute icing. The fish is hit-or-miss. Sometimes it's very good, and other times, tasteless, swimming in undistinguished sauce. The french fries are surprisingly good.

I love the salad bar, with all the interesting things to sprinkle over the leaves. And the station where the guy carves off whatever roast beast is on the menu that day.

Hoping someone can help. I'm almost dizzy from searching threads and websites to figure this port out for our small group of three. We have a short day (9:00 to 4:00, Nov 10) in port near the start of our TA cruise on Jewel. I cannot figure out if there are still three possible places we could dock, or whether all ships now dock at the new cruise terminal. Tried looking at the Lisbon port website, but either I did it wrong, or the info for our ship is not yet showing on that schedule.

We are three people, and one person is recovering from a serious illness. While she is certainly mobile, she will not be strong enough for a lot of walking or hill-climbing. I've ruled out the #28 tram, sadly, because it's probable she won't get a seat and standing for that ride is out of the question for her. Similarly the HOHO, because she'd be done in after a couple of stops.

What I'd really like is if we could take a cab to a walkable area with a few interesting sights nearby where we could look at the architecture, ramble around a little, maybe get one of those famous pastries, look around a bit more, get a nice local-food lunch and people-watch, then get back to the port.

Any advice will be very welcome, because I'm not doing well figuring this out by myself!

We stopped at Iceland on a cruise two years ago in October, one overnight, so actually two part-days in Iceland. If you Google "Driving the Golden Circle" or "Iceland in a car" (or something similar) you will find many blogs with photos and accounts. We rented a car and did not complete the Circle as we stopped several times, and enjoyed all there was to see. At the big waterfall we turned back and re-traced our steps, since were were tired and a bit done in by the weather. It took us about six hours round trip, and we loved it. I should also say that we pulled off at fairly mundane looking parking area along the way, and followed a well-marked trail to a waterfall that fell off a steep plateau like a curtain. Absolutely beautiful and unexpected. I'm trying to say there are other sights along the road, not just the big three.

The road was very drivable, but narrow, with very steep shoulders. You shouldn't just stop in the middle of the road. There are places to pull off, however, for photos or to pinch yourself to make sure you're seeing what you think you are. The landscape is phenomenal, everywhere you look. The rift area is quite long and you will probably not have time to walk its whole length - pick one part and see what you can. The geyser is fascinating, but it won't take you long. You watch it two or three times, and that's enough. The big falls require a fair walk to see - on boardwalks and stony paths. It can be slippery underfoot. That's as far as we got.

We encountered rain, wind, sun all repeated again and again. Be sure you have good footwear with good treads, and warm and rainproof clothes/jackets. Ponchos are useless, - when it's raining the wind is also blowing and the poncho just flies around. Geysir is pretty close to the road, but for most other things you will have to walk, sometimes a good distance, maybe in the rain and the wind.

Have a wonderful time! It's incredibly beautiful and unique, every mile along that road. Take time to enjoy it. I loved it so much we are going back, renting a car, and staying for a few days to see more.

All I can say after reading these comments is I must not be a very discerning person. I can always find something in the WJ I like to eat, and often it's very good. Yes, if you go at peak times, it can be crowded, but that's true everywhere.

If it's busy, my first priority is to find my spot to eat. I'm not shy. If two people are sitting at a large table, I ask whether I/we can join them, and this usually works out -in fact, I've met some very nice people this way. Next, I get the beverage(s).

At lunch I always start with a big salad (helps me keep from overeating bad stuff). The salad offerings in the WJ are always better than the MDR if your goal is to concentrate on eating lots of veg. I want veg, not meat, sauce, condiments and so on. After filling up on veg, I go back for the next round.

Here is where the WJ shines, at lunch. I can ask for one small piece of meat at the carving station. I can have a few fries. Maybe a spoon of cooked veg in cheese sauce. One spoon of pasta...not too much of anything, but a little of all the things that appeal.

Same routine at breakfast. Eat a lof fruit, then a little of other things that appeal.

I love the WJ because it allows me to fill up on a lot of the stuff that is good for me, and then just eat small amounts of the things I crave. BTW, on the Radiance class, there is nothing that can compare to eating on the back open deck!

Diamond Lounge late afternoon/early evening with unlimited drinks, and canapés. Of course, it's very crowded.

Three drinks loaded on your card but they only get you drinks from a small menu allowed, not everything on offer at the bar. You cannot get these drinks in MDR or WJ, but at most bars in late afternoon early evening.

One free photo. You can pick from those on display in the photo area, so go ahead and mug for the camera, and if you see one you like, winner!

You can actually pre-order the stuff in the room. doesn't have to be soda, there are a few other choices. Check the c & a section, and you should see a place where you can choose a juice or water instead of soda.

And actually, I find having DIAMOND printed in capital letters on my card does get me more attentive and favourable service. You can't measure that, but I've noticed it.

You're welcome and happy to help. :)

I did the mud baths a couple of years ago, because I'm a great fan of all kinds of hot springs; I expect them to be stinky. The Soufriere mud baths are stinky, muddy and very hot - too hot for me to get right in, although I did see some people who managed it. I found a shallow spot and lathered the mud on, waded and splashed.

There are outdoor showers to rinse off in, but the mud is very sticky/oily. No soap available that I saw, and that's reasonable. Why should they provide soap for free? As well, the showers are open and public, so you can't peel off and rinse everywhere the mud collected. As a result, I rode back in the van sticky and reeking of sulphur, which my van-mates (who were too chicken to get into the water) did not appreciate. Back on board, it took a very long soapy shower to get all the mud off, and I was very glad I hadn't put it in my hair. I could not get it out from under my fingernails, however, and had to buy a stiff nail brush at the next port to work on those.

So, ....not my favourite hot springs experience. Don't wear a favourite bathing suit!

I go ashore at the ports, hire taxis, or take local excursions, and I always bring a $100 US bill. I keep this in my safe underwear place. It's just an insurance policy that makes me feel comfortable exploring on my own. If the bus breaks down, if the taxi doesn't show up for the return trip, I figure there is always a guy with a vehicle who will get me back to the ship on time for $100. Just my security blanket!

Just need cash for tipping the staff, if you never leave the ship. If you order room service, $2 to $5 each time depending on how big a load you make the staff person carry to your room. We always tip our room steward, usually minimum $20 for the trip. As well, at least on RCI, it's traditional to tip the dining room wait staff for your table on the last night, probably $20 for the main server and the same or less for the assistant.

 

(*Areas in which I am terrified have nothing to do with the ship or the cruise as such. This is a family cruise with Mom and my adult siblings and in-laws, and so my true fears have more to do possible strain on any slightly less than robust relationships, and with my 87-yo Mom's greatly less than robust health.)

Unless you are travelling with someone who is determined to be miserable (and make everyone else miserable), you are probably worrying about this part of the trip too much also. One of the great things about a ship is people can, and usually do, find their own things to do and places they like to be. So no one needs to be trapped, all together for tiresome hours, making nice with each other.

You can set an example. Every day you will all receive a daily cruise newsletter listing many events and activities. You can use this as a vehicle to encourage people in your group to choose the things they like, and go their separate ways to do them. If you are really desperate for some "away" time, wait for them to announce their enthusiasms, and then pick something no one else wants to do. (You don't even have to stay with your choice. If someone catches you hiding out elsewhere to get a bit of peace, you can just say there were too many people for the Scrabble Slam, so you didn't stay.)

The one person who needs attention is your Mom. Her comfort and preferences come first, so you (and hopefully everyone else) must see to it that she gets to do everything she wants, all the time. But it doesn't take all of you, all the time. As well, it would be kind if people didn't let on that you are all taking turns with her. No adult likes to feel babysat.

It's probably a nice idea for everyone, or at least most of you, to have dinner together. If you have all been busy doing things all day around the ship, you will likely have interesting things to talk about over dinner. (As opposed to pointing out each other's character flaws, for instance.)

My very best advice to you is to promote the idea that there is no need to do everything all together as a family all the time. That way lies danger.

Um, I think we're talking about an oversized mug.

There is usually a big crush of people trying to board at the earliest possible time - usually around noon or shortly after. They want to get on board and wring every possible moment out. This means the buffet and the other cafe-type places are crammed with people trying to grab lunch, hauling their hand luggage, and wandering around waiting to get into their cabins. If you really hate lines and crowds, wait until 1:30 or 2:00. However, by all means, make sure you're there by 3:00 or not much later later. I think 3:30 will be the latest you will be allowed to board. 4:00 o'clock is when the gangways have all been pulled up, the ropes are cast off, and the ship's motors are driving it away from the dock.

I don't know Majesty, but many people like going to the pool deck for sailaway, on every ship. Fun party feeling, you can see the shore slipping away gradually, sometimes people wave from the shore. Don't be shy, introduce yourself to total strangers, everybody is happy they're starting an adventure!

Even for the big fancy dining room, as long as you're neat, clean and look like you made an effort, you'll be fine. Some of us have to fly to every cruise, and we have to pay the airlines by the suitcase. We're not bringing jackets for the men and gowns for the ladies these days, not when we have to pay by the pound! It's also perfectly fine to wear the same thing to the dining room for dinner more than once, even several times. This is not a fashion show, it's dinner.

Have a great cruise! Tell us all about it!

I chose the first cruise for my daughter and me, based entirely on her very limited available dates. I googled Cheap Cruises about four weeks in advance, found a knocked-down cost RCI cruise that fit best with our dates, and that's what I booked.

We had a fantastic time. I now know that any of the other cruises available at the time would also have made us very happy. It wouldn't have mattered what the ports were, they would have also made us happy.

So just pick your dates, and if you're willing to try any ports (why wouldn't you be?) and any major line (why wouldn't you be?) google cheap cruises, pick one, and go.

Hey, would you please come back and post in this thread about how you liked your cruise? And say whether our advice to you turned out to be useful?

I'm a Canadian, going on a cruise in less than two weeks, and I really hope Americans will talk to me about what this election and the Trump presidency mean to them. I want to listen, not judge. We share a long peaceful border. Many of us, whether US or Canadian citizens, have relatives or friends who have moved from one country to live in the other. And in many ways, we are more similar to each other than most nations on earth are. We watch the same TV and movies, we read the same papers and magazines, we follow the same stars, listen to the same movies, read the same mystery novels, ...on and on.

Yet our countries recently chose to follow very different political directions. This is very interesting to me, and talking to Americans would maybe help me understand better. I'll try to be polite (ha ha) and not argue, unless we can do that in a constructive, useful way.

I will say, at this time in the world, I think more people talking and listening to each other is a better way to go.

Oh wow, are you in for a treat! You are going to have an amazing choice of meals and places to have them, all included, don't bother with the specialty restaurants. Try all the included ones, and enjoy! You can order room service (except for the middle of the night) at no extra cost, so why not sleep in a little, and have your breakfast delivered, at least once? Please be sure to tip the waiter who brings it a couple of bucks. That's your only cost.

Go to the shows, and go to the bars, where there will also be entertainment. Look at the daily newsletter, and pick out some activities that appeal. You will meet some nice people when you participate.

On RCI you will have to pay for every alcoholic drink, and most of them run about $10 a pop, unless you want to get really fancy. You are allowed to bring on two bottles of wine per cabin (not per person), so if you would enjoy a little drinkie at sunset, you should bring that wine. You can't bring the bottle into the dining room or the buffet.

Don't worry about the clothes too much. You SHOULD try eating in the dining room (because it's great) and as long as you are not wearing shorts, a muscle shirt, flip flops and a baseball cap, you'll be fine. Really, for both sexes, just keep the body hair out of sight in the dining room and nobody is going to care.

Have a great cruise! You are going to love it!

If this is your first cruise, probably not worth it. The food in all the included venues is very good, with lots of choice and variety. Try them all, that will keep you interested enough. As well, unless you have a lot of extra money to throw around, why not use your money to explore the ports you will be visiting? Pay for a taxi to drive you around for a couple of hours, or for an adventure in some place you may never visit again. Unless you're dying to have a really fancy steak served by a server in a better outfit. That's your decision.

I really think the specialty restaurants are for people who have a lot of spare cash and who cruise a lot so they're a little bored with the usual fare. They might be looking for something more, and have the money to pay for it.

TOO MANY PEOPLE. Cabins are small unless you want to pay big bucks to get a big suite or something.

Do you really have to cruise? Right now? Why not go to an AI on land and get a two-bedroom adjoining suite? I love cruising, but sometimes you have to step back and ask whether being jammed into small rooms is your best bet, right now.

Well, if the shower stall is the size of a small telephone booth, it doesn't much matter to me whether I'm trying to avoid bumping my body parts on a curtain or a door. I can stand it, either way.

However, many posters before are correct. If you can't take the ick, the gym showers are big, with no flapping curtains or doors.

We rented a car, and that was ideal for us. However, we could not get a guaranteed automatic reservation, and sure enough, the car had a manual shift. It was not a problem for us, as one person of our group could drive a standard shift.

We got the car soon after we docked and spent the first day driving part of the Golden Circle. We judged correctly that trying to drive the whole loop was too much for one day. We did stop for the highlights and get out and walk (Thingamajiggie continental divide, geyser, big waterfall place). But at least as much value for us was going at our own pace. We had sheep jump into the road ahead, looked close up at another waterfall that had a great boardwalk, stopped in some pull-outs that let us gaze at the breathtaking landscapes). Went back and ate and slept on the ship.

Up early the next day, and took the road to the Blue Lagoon. Lingered and poked along on the way, seeing a very different landscape from the day before. Swanned around in the Blue Lagoon applying healing mucky stuff (not recommended if you must wear eyeglasses to see,

as they got completely smeared.) Spent as long as we wanted there, then drove the car slowly back to R., lollygagging all the way, parked it and had a walk around and a great lunch. Drove right back to the dock and turned the car in about an hour before sailaway.

The car was expensive, about $100 a day, but we were three people, so actually that was a very good value. We paid for the extra insurance for sand/wind and tire damage. In our case, we did not experience these things. Insurance is a crapshoot, right? The car was excellent, a new Toyota four-door, very peppy, capable car. We used not even one full tank of gas for all the driving.

The roads were in excellent repair (although we stuck to the paved ones - we heard the off-roads were probably not for us). Drivers are courteous and well-behaved, both in the city and in the landscape. There are many, many road signs in the local language, which uses a lot of letters and looks nothing like English. GPS does not work, as some of those letters are not like English. We had excellent paper maps, but the signs marking the roads often did not match up with anything marked on the map. We muddled through.

This was the best way for our group of three to spend the limited hours we had in Iceland. Iceland is very expensive, no surprise, as it is an island way far away from everywhere else. For about $250 all in including a tank of gas, we saw as much and squeezed in as much as we could in our short two days. By comparison, we spent $150 for lunch for three in R. It was delicious, and we each had one excellent local beer with the food. But it was in a pub, there were no tablecloths, and it sure wasn't fancy. The car was good value.

Have a wonderful time! See and do everything you can when you are Iceland, there is nowhere else like it.

He may be just fine. My hubby has bad motion sickness BUT only in some situations - small aircraft, small boats, for example. I had to press-gang him onto his first cruise, he was so concerned. Guess what? No problem, even though it was pretty darned rocky going through the San Juan Passage. That kind of motion apparently doesn't bother him. We brought everything: patches, wristbands, ginger candies, drugs - and he never needed any of it.

So expect the best and prepare for the worst. Fingers crossed for you!

My daughter and I sailed on the Brilliance two autumns ago, 18 nights total on the ship. We stopped at some ports early in the cruise (France, England and Ireland). The ship then turned north and we went to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. After Iceland, the ship took a straight line from Reykjavik to Halifax. All told, there were 12 sea days, four of them on that last leg from Iceland to Halifax.

We knew in advance that the northern parts of this trip would be cold (it was 12 C, mid-50's F), often rainy, and windy. So, we had plenty of warm, rain-proof gear. We also brought lots of novels, puzzles, knitting projects, music, maps and guide books. We're also pretty sociable and (so far) immune to seasickness. We had a fine time on the cruise, met lots of nice, interesting people, loved the ports, and were rarely bored, so I'm glad we did it. However, I would not do that route again.

It was often bitterly cold, windy and rainy. We did get out on deck every day, sometimes in winds so strong we had to lean into them to walk. As well, we were blasted by rain drops (I joked I didn't need a facial in the spa because I was getting a free face peel every day). The leg from Iceland to Halifax was really, really rough, and many people were sick. As well, the ship lost satellite (as my daughter said, who would aim their satellite at a place where there is nothing?) so there was no TV, no news, no internet, no cellphone. Just vast miles of huge, grey waves. And some whiteish seabirds that I tentatively identified as gannets - whatever they were, I have great respect for their ability to survive. On the last day or so before Halifax, we saw many, many whale blow-spouts. And btw, to echo a previous poster, I got darned tired of the dining room and WJ food after a couple of weeks. There's nothing like home-made!

We would never have gone to the Faroe Islands except this way, so that's a big plus. We had an overnight and two days in Iceland, rented a car, went around as much as we could, and absolutely loved that place. Again, not sure if we'd ever have gone there otherwise, but now I know for sure I will go back.

We handled the isolation well, - the ship became a community, and it was fun getting to know folks. The passengers were very international. Although neither of us got sick, we did find the four straight days of rocking made us sleepy. It was kind of like the ship was a cradle and we kept nodding off. Before I was a cruiser, I was a wilderness canoeist. It seems to me that the trips you remember most (and maybe most fondly) are those that are a real challenge. I don't remember all the sunny days, but I sure remember the ones when the tent leaked, the canoe hit a rock, the fire wouldn't start, and so on. I remember them with pride, because I managed, I made it, I got there. That's how I feel about our 18-day northern autumn TA.

Wow! Thank you all so much. I had no idea my hubby could be included. I'll get right on it.

Look at O for small ship casual elegance. Cannot beat them for excellent food and ports. Alcohol package sometimes included. No dressy clothes necessary. May 11,17 Marina Rome-Barcelona 10N,, no sea days. Or stay on for total of 22 days ending in London. 7-10 days rather short for Med. Sept 29,17. Rivera Venice-MonteCarlo. Several more shorties embark from MonteCarlo. .

O (Oceania) is overpriced in my experience. I paid almost $2000 over price of other cruise lines for my first Med cruise on O. Sure it was all very nice, and the food was very fancy, although very short on fresh fruits and veg for what I prefer. Yeah, sure, you don't have to dress up on O, but you don't really have to dress up on most other lines now either. The ports are mostly the same.

O's big claim to fame is their staff to passenger ratio, but once you realize they have a lot of cabins with butlers hanging around, unless you have a butler, the service is standard. And they also claim their food is a cut above. Well, yes, if like rich sauces, large hunks of meat, and so on. I found the food was from a gentlemen's club in the sixties. Not to mention, everyone on board is old and affluent.

There are other less expensive cruises in the Med than O. And in the Med, you are ashore every day, all the time, if you're doing it right. It's not about the ship in the Med, it's about where you are every day.