Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[Clay Clayton]

Sad news from someone on the site which cannot be named….no whales seen today on the Whale Watching trip😢

[Heartgrove]

21 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

I really like this web page.   If you clink the arrow on the left, you can hit on 2021-06-29 and be able to see the Viking Sky arrive.  (Note:  Bes sure to go to full view by clinking the bottom right hand corner first or another arrow will pop up sending you to a different Iceland camera)   When watching the Viking Sky arrive, I was able to see it arrived at 8:18 am instead of 8:00 am.

 

Using the history setting, I find it interesting on the reliance of the bow thrusters to dock. But maybe tidal conditions require it instead of bow in to the pier and using the spring line to swing the stern.

 

BUT, if you have bow thrusters, use them! I am wondering if it will need to use the turning basin to leave?

[TayanaLorna]

9 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sad news from someone on the site which cannot be named….no whales seen today on the Whale Watching trip😢

But it was a fantastic day for a boat ride.

[DaveSJ711]

One more Iceland waterfall picture to whet your appetite.

[emptyK]

23 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sad news from someone on the site which cannot be named….no whales seen today on the Whale Watching trip😢

Oh no! That's the one we have booked.

[Clay Clayton]

Just now, emptyK said:

Oh no! That's the one we have booked.

Us too

[DaveSJ711]

1 minute ago, Clay Clayton said:

Us too

One of the popular tour companies out of Husavik (across the fjord from Akureyri) advertises that in their years and years of experience, tour participants have seen whales on 98% of the trips. Of course, that leaves the other 2%…

[Clay Clayton]

5 minutes ago, DaveSJ711 said:

One of the popular tour companies out of Husavik (across the fjord from Akureyri) advertises that in their years and years of experience, tour participants have seen whales on 98% of the trips. Of course, that leaves the other 2%…

I wonder if it’s because Husavik isn’t so deep down a Fjord?  When I was doing research it seemed Husavik was the top whale watching place.   

Edited June 29, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[Australia08]

27 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

I wonder if it’s because Husavik isn’t so deep down a Fjord?  When I was doing research it seemed Husavik was the top whale watching place.   

I think  Viking’s whale tour is out of Akureuri, not Husavik. The tour times don’t really allow time for a bus all the way to Husavik, plus whale watching. There are whale watching tours out of Akureyri, but their success rate might not be as good.  I’ve read that Husavik is the best. 

[Dukefan]

51 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

Us too

I wonder if the really unnormally high temperatures today for Akureyri played a role in not spotting any whales.

[patchicago]

19 minutes ago, Dukefan said:

I wonder if the really unnormally high temperatures today for Akureyri played a role in not spotting any whales.

We were told on one of our excursions in Norway that fewer and fewer whales were in the waters there because their preferred food, krill, preferred colder water so they went north and the whales followed.

[gskimmel]

I've seen this question posted but no answers (unless I missed it).  Does anyone have any details on the Footsteps of the Elves excursion?  Just wondering what exactly it is given the length and cost of the excursion.

[Heartgrove]

From the website "Hopping Miles." Remember we are observing nature. Whales are not paid by the hour to appear.    But conditions change by the hour, day, or week so they might be visible for you!

 

Whale watching Akureyri vs Husavik

This is one of the frequently asked questions and let me lay out some details for you that’ll help you decide on this. If you are in Iceland for a short period of time and travelling only around Ring Road, then Akureyri is your best chance of spotting a whale.

But, if you have a few hours to spare, take drive one hour up North to Husavik to experience the best whale watching experience in Iceland. Drive from Akureyri to Husavik takes approximately one hour. While Akureyri tours operate from Eyjafjörður bay, Husavik operators explore the Skjalfandi Bay. The latter is known to house many species of whales, thus offering you not only the variety but also a sure shot chance of spotting at least a few whales.

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

Sad news from someone on the site which cannot be named….no whales seen today on the Whale Watching trip😢

Nooo!😥

I tentatively have express whale watching booked (on my own) in a RIB if we're still able to escape the bubble. We shall see. 🙏🏻

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

2 hours ago, Dukefan said:

This appears to show the Viking Sky at the Tangabryggja 11A dock instead of the Oddeyrarbryggja 12 dock that it was scheduled to be.

https://www.port.is/index.php?pid=65&w=v

According to the calendar it should be in Oddeyrarbryggia. Could be wrong though.🤷🏼‍♀️

[Clay Clayton]

17 minutes ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

Nooo!😥

I tentatively have express whale watching booked (on my own) in a RIB if we're still able to escape the bubble. We shall see. 🙏🏻

After watching a couple of YouTubes on the RIBs I emailed with those folks and they advised against us doing the RIB as I am so tall. 😢

[BlairsvilleCruiseGirl]

3 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

After watching a couple of YouTubes on the RIBs I emailed with those folks and they advised against us doing the RIB as I am so tall. 😢

We've booked the RIB excursion in Heimaey.  Any idea why height might be an issue (Hubby is 6')?

[Heartgrove]

29 minutes ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

https://www.port.is/index.php?pid=65&w=v

According to the calendar it should be in Oddeyrarbryggia. Could be wrong though.🤷🏼‍♀️

 

All of this is under the Harbormaster's control. Pier slots can change depending on traffic, maintenance of the vessel (painting, etc.), or pier maintenance. It also appears that Tangabryggia 11a might be easier to maneuver to dock at.  The month of August shows added cruise line traffic on Tuesdays according to the calendar.

 

Edited June 29, 2021 by Heartgrove

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9650420

 

Supposedly the current location but hey, again I could be wrong🤷🏼‍♀️

[FLORIDA FLOUNDER]

1 minute ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

https://www.cruisemapper.com/?imo=9650420

 

Supposedly the current location but hey, again I could be wrong🤷🏼‍♀️

Annnnnnd now they're leaving 

[Jaea]

Hello travelers on the July 27 cruise! The ice lagoon excursion on August 1 is sold out. We’re considering a private tour from the port in Djupivogur to the glacier lagoon and ice beach in Jokulsarlon.  This is a different (closer and more famous spot) than the scheduled Fjallsarlon glacier lake. The more people, the cheaper the tour (up to 8 people). The price for 4 is about $410pp. A boat ride on the lake is extra. There are 2 of us. Anyone interested?

[Dukefan]

1 hour ago, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

https://www.port.is/index.php?pid=65&w=v

According to the calendar it should be in Oddeyrarbryggia. Could be wrong though.🤷🏼‍♀️

On the calendar, the current cruise was also booked for Oddeyrarbryggia 12.  Tangabryggja 11A appears to have better views of both sides of the fjord.  Hope our cruise gets changed to there.

[Triptkr]

On 5/22/2021 at 9:49 PM, Dukefan said:

Why note bring some glue and gold sprinkles.  Put the sprinkles in a sandwich bag, put glue on the contact tracer, put the contract tracer in the sandwich bag and shake it up - instant gold jewelry!

On our Bermuda cruise we had to give the tracer back at the end of the cruise...just fyi.  🙂

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, BlairsvilleCruiseGirl said:

We've booked the RIB excursion in Heimaey.  Any idea why height might be an issue (Hubby is 6')?

Knee room.  For the one in Akureyri you sorta ride on a saddle and there isnt a lot of leg room. Don’t know what the RIB is in Heimaey.  Maybe take a look at some YouTubes? That’s where I saw someone having issues and got in touch as I am 6’-7”. 

[Clay Clayton]

1 hour ago, Jaea said:

Hello travelers on the July 27 cruise! The ice lagoon excursion on August 1 is sold out. We’re considering a private tour from the port in Djupivogur to the glacier lagoon and ice beach in Jokulsarlon.  This is a different (closer and more famous spot) than the scheduled Fjallsarlon glacier lake. The more people, the cheaper the tour (up to 8 people). The price for 4 is about $410pp. A boat ride on the lake is extra. There are 2 of us. Anyone interested?

Would be interested but we are on the July 10th cruise.  Can you share contact info though?  Thanks!

 

If you haven’t posted on your rollcall already you might want to do so.