Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[FoggyEthan]

I do apologize if this has been summarized somewhere, but I've spent 20 minutes trying and failing to find it across a few threads.

 

Is there a summary of all the Iceland shore excursions being offered to the first three sailings? I'd like to be ready with my preferences quickly upon things opening up, and not spend an hour reviewing all the options.

 

Thanks!

-- Ethan

 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

On 5/27/2021 at 6:06 PM, Delhi Ocean Cruiser said:

We are now one step closer to Viking’s Iceland’s Natural Beauty, 26 June sailing. I’m checking in on MVJ using the Guest Information, Comfort Check-In tab. Be aware you will be asked to upload a photo. It’s becoming more and more real each day!! 29 days to go. 🛫🛳‼️

Well, that's one way of cutting down on the amount of time cruisers spend in lines in a port terminal on embarkation day.  I suppose they'll ask if we want to upload a credit card too. But all of this seems to be the way things are going these days....the consumers or cruisers or whoever do more work, the companies less...download your own user manual, photo, information, etc.  Oh well.  Thanks for the heads up on the photo!   I guess in the next month I'll have someone take a picture of face shot of me.    

[TayanaLorna]

14 minutes ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

 

At this point in my life, I'm trying to simplify, and get rid of the clutter.  So yes, only one felt case with a quote.  But my husband might have quite a few more.  He handles clutter much better.

Page 30 Post 733. However more were added very recently...today?

[Seaharvest]

1 hour ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

There's a new optional tour available on day 2.

Can someone please post the new optional tours for those of us who are stillllllll waittttting. Thanks

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

5 hours ago, StuLaurie said:

You could also consider renting a car. There are a few car rental places at the cruise terminal that are open when ships are in. This way you will have someplace for your luggage. Assuming airport testing is over by the time you travel.
 

Would love to hear if anyone has done this and has any suggestions. We have decided to fly in a few days early, quarantine at our hotel until we get our results which will be easy for us as we get in at 9pm and then explore the next day. 

If you're asking if anyone has rented a car, we have, but it was from the airport and returning it  to the airport a few days later.  Car rental was fairly typical of rental in just about any place we've done it in Europe or the U.S. - not an easy, fast thing, with lines and waits.  But navigating, and driving on the roads were fairly easy, even with some jetlag and not enough quality sleep on the flight over. We drove around about 4 hours the day we got in, looking at lighthouses and stopping to look at the free part of the Blue Lagoon.  I had researched and mapped out the places I wanted to go at home.  Then we drove the Golden Circle the second day.  

 

But we're pretty adventuresome, and I realize that renting a car is not for everyone. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

49 minutes ago, FoggyEthan said:

I do apologize if this has been summarized somewhere, but I've spent 20 minutes trying and failing to find it across a few threads.

 

Is there a summary of all the Iceland shore excursions being offered to the first three sailings? I'd like to be ready with my preferences quickly upon things opening up, and not spend an hour reviewing all the options.

 

Thanks!

-- Ethan

 

This is still some work, and may not include everything, but it's my understanding that the best thing to do is: Look at page 30 of this thread, post # 733.  That will at least give you a starting point, with prices and with when the excursion is offered (morning or afternoon, and we're assuming this won't change from cruise to cruise, since the ship just circumnavigates Iceland for several months).  I don't think there's a description included there, however, so you could then go to the Viking website and look up excursions for Iceland, each port.  You can use the title for starters, then add the cost from this thread. And then add at least one additional, new excursion in Isafjordur that someone posted here, and hope that someone else posts any other new excursions that have popped up.

 

I'm just going to wait until Viking has everything ready to go and posts everything for my cruise. I don't cruise until August, so it's not a big deal for me to wait.  And people will add and drop excursions later, too.  They usually do. There's no need to panic, unless there's something you really, really don't want to miss, or you're traveling with 5 more people who want to travel with you!

 

Hope that helps a tiny bit.     

Edited May 29, 2021 by IWantToLiveOverTheSea
typo

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Well, that's one way of cutting down on the amount of time cruisers spend in lines in a port terminal on embarkation day.  I suppose they'll ask if we want to upload a credit card too. But all of this seems to be the way things are going these days....the consumers or cruisers or whoever do more work, the companies less...download your own user manual, photo, information, etc.  Oh well.  Thanks for the heads up on the photo!   I guess in the next month I'll have someone take a picture of face shot of me.    

You don’t have to wait to upload your credit card.  That is already on MVJ under payments. 

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

OK, I said I'd wait, but I'm not waiting.  Decided to print out some of the excursions - the GENERIC ones posted on Viking's website.  So I'll post the ones from website Reykjavik through Seydisfjordur.  I've never posted a whole bunch of photos/screenshots here before; hope they come out OK and are readable!  And if anyone who already has access to actual excursions to book on MVJ notices something wrong, please say so.  

Go to page 30, post 733 for prices

[DaveSJ711]

For those who want to get hot and wet in Iceland, the Blue Lagoon reopened all of its facilities effective today. Enjoy!

 

https://www.icelandreview.com/business/blue-lagoon-re-opens-112-new-employees-added/

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

More Reykjavik....and Isafjordur

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Akureyri

[IWantToLiveOverTheSea]

Seydisfjordur

[Peregrina651]

39 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

You don’t have to wait to upload your credit card.  That is already on MVJ under payments. 

 

I don't bother. It can be done on the dock at check in and takes less than a minute. It's one less server that has your credit card information.

[Peregrina651]

Correcting some of the information that Ruth gave above.

 

Reykjavik -- BLACK BEACHES ATV  is not on the docket even though it is shown on the website (remember Viking's disclaimer that not all of the tours shown will necessarily be offered) .

 

HOWEVER, they have however a this time added a tour called HEART OF THE GLACIER. ($399).  Details are not currently on the Viking website but they are on MVJ:

 

 

I would love to be able to do this one but I don't see nap-time listed anywhere.

 

 

 

[Peregrina651]

4 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Viking just added a new tour for Isafjordur. The description is on the Viking website and June 26 is able to book it. At this moment, it is not available on July 3 and July 10 -- but we are watching for it!

 

So, not long after writing this, this additional tour along with three other were loaded into MVJ for July 3.

 

Things are changing quickly. Hope this is a good omen.

[FoggyEthan]

3 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

This is still some work, and may not include everything, but it's my understanding that the best thing to do is: Look at page 30 of this thread, post # 733.  That will at least give you a starting point, with prices and with when the excursion is offered (morning or afternoon, and we're assuming this won't change from cruise to cruise, since the ship just circumnavigates Iceland for several months).  I don't think there's a description included there, however, so you could then go to the Viking website and look up excursions for Iceland, each port.  You can use the title for starters, then add the cost from this thread. And then add at least one additional, new excursion in Isafjordur that someone posted here, and hope that someone else posts any other new excursions that have popped up.

 

I'm just going to wait until Viking has everything ready to go and posts everything for my cruise. I don't cruise until August, so it's not a big deal for me to wait.  And people will add and drop excursions later, too.  They usually do. There's no need to panic, unless there's something you really, really don't want to miss, or you're traveling with 5 more people who want to travel with you!

 

Hope that helps a tiny bit.     

 

I don't have specific "musts", but I really don't want a bus tour where you spend only a little time off the bus. I need to experience the location on foot. That doesn't mean rock climbing, but some hiking is very nice. The free Reykjavik tour is my example of something that would make me nuts. The only stop isn't even in Reykjavik.

[Bostongirl12]

Were these optional tours posted?  I’m having trouble locating. Thanks. 

[VI_Lounger]

12 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I TOTALLY understand!  Besides, if Viking ends up with a lot of people who weren't able to get the excursion they want, they will at least ask the vendor if there's any way they could add another bus or tour or time. Sometimes, of course, that's not possible, no matter how much everyone wants it.  But honestly, I've been impressed with Viking's on board excursion folks every time I've cruised on Viking.  The prices are reasonable, there are few excursions that are dropped due to low sign-up, and the excursion folks are pretty knowledgeable about the excursions.  

Well, we got our wish and are now busy investigating all of the new excursions added for July 3 to decide what to change. It looks like the kinks of being shutdown for so long are being worked out and we will all get to experience Iceland the way we hoped! 

[gskimmel]

10 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

Correcting some of the information that Ruth gave above.

 

Reykjavik -- BLACK BEACHES ATV  is not on the docket even though it is shown on the website (remember Viking's disclaimer that not all of the tours shown will necessarily be offered) .

 

HOWEVER, they have however a this time added a tour called HEART OF THE GLACIER. ($399).  Details are not currently on the Viking website but they are on MVJ:

 

 

I would love to be able to do this one but I don't see nap-time listed anywhere.

 

 

 

Heart of Glacier looks amazing.  I hope it is on the July 27th sailing. 

[Clay Clayton]

5 minutes ago, gskimmel said:

Heart of Glacier looks amazing.  I hope it is on the July 27th sailing. 

There are several YouTubes of these glacier caves. But the ones I’ve seen I thought were natural and not manmade. 

Edited May 29, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[bardstowntraveller]

On 5/27/2021 at 7:52 PM, bardstowntraveller said:

It is colder In Louisville this morning  than in Reykjavik   Went out on my porch to practice being cold for our 8/3 sailing 🤣

I’ve seen these abbreviated descriptions. I am looking for the more in depth descriptions available once you can book

[Peregrina651]

This morning's project.

 

The Dynjandi Falls excursion.

 

 

It is a 50+/- minute bus ride to the hiking trail:

 

The line with the randomly marked yellow dots is the hiking trail:

 

 

 

Just 9 minutes? Only 600m -- less than half a mile from parking lot to Falls? But there you have it. And here is more information about the Dynjandi Falls trail: https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/dynjandi-the-jewel-of-the-westfjords

 

 

[Australia08]

4 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

This morning's project.

 

The Dynjandi Falls excursion.

 

 

It is a 50+/- minute bus ride to the hiking trail:

 

The line with the randomly marked yellow dots is the hiking trail:

 

 

 

Just 9 minutes? Only 600m -- less than half a mile from parking lot to Falls? But there you have it. And here is more information about the Dynjandi Falls trail: https://guidetoiceland.is/connect-with-locals/regina/dynjandi-the-jewel-of-the-westfjords

 

 

Thank you so much for adding all this info for us!  Is it possible to book this and another tour such as Vigur Island or is it one or the other?

Thanks!

[Peregrina651]

6 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

I’ve seen these abbreviated descriptions. I am looking for the more in depth descriptions available once you can book

 

Except for the new addition in Reykjavik, the full description of the added tours is on the Viking website: https://www.vikingcruises.com/oceans/cruise-destinations/baltic/icelands-natural-beauty/index.html#itineraryday/3

 

Use the nav-bar at the top of the page to move from day to day -- or go back to the overview. (Each itinerary works this same way; you can drill down for more information about each port on the itinerary and then for each tour in the port).

 

Just remember the caveat on each of these pages:

[Peregrina651]

2 minutes ago, Australia08 said:

Thank you so much for adding all this info for us!  Is it possible to book this and another tour such as Vigur Island or is it one or the other?

Thanks!

 

Okay, here's the bad news. I checked on today's MVJ:

 

Dynjandi hike: Five hour tour runs 9am -2pm. Viking system requires a certain amount of time between tours (not sure what number they are using).

 

Vigur Island: last tour is 1pm

Included tour: last tour 2:45pm

all other tours have no scheduled departures after Dynjandi tour returns