Silver Cloud Live - Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq - June 25th to July 5th 2023 - Surprise!

[RyanJCanada]

5 minutes ago, lincslady said:

What a wonderful report and pictures - the best I have ever seen on CC.  Thank you so much, it felt like being there. 

So glad you’re enjoying it!

[RyanJCanada]

Just now, drron29 said:

We did a similiar cruise in 2013 on the Explorer. We cruised from Reykjavik to Churchill in Hudson Bay via Greenland. however it was in late August which is a much better time to go. However it didn't stop us from having terrible weather on the way to Skjoldungen Fjord. Seven metre swell on the night before we got there and there were thoughts it may not happen. But for this Expedition we had the A team aboard with both Conrad Commbrink and Robin West leading the team. Several on that team later became Expedition leaders.

However the morning that we were to enter the fjord the weather settled quite a bit. Before getting there we had the bonus of 4 Fin whales passing by.

 

And then approaching the fjord. Once we were inside the conditions were perfect and the weather kept improving.

 

A second lot to come.              

 

 

Fascinating to see what the area looks like, and looking forward to your next round of photos… I keep saying that this is our one Greenland trip, but deep down I expect we’ll want to come back again at some point to see if we can visit some of the places we’ve missed. No regrets, though, as the zodiac cruise through the icebergs was truly special. Fingers crossed we spot some whales!

[RyanJCanada]

Just now, HappyLadyTravels said:

Hello and thank you for your day to day postings. I'm on the Silver Endeavour August 20th. With Zodiac landings, do you think hiking shoes with Bog over shoes to the knee is enough? Instead of renting boots?

I expect that waterproof overshoes will be plenty, but I’ll keep you posted - thus far we haven’t gotten our feet wet at all, but we’ve only done the one landing.

[RyanJCanada]

Today’s meals and menus:

 

 

 

 

Shrimp fried rice with bonus onion rings from my son’s burger. (Photographed after garnish had been removed but before I started eating - progress!)

 

Burger minus onion rings = delicious, according to my son

[AusMum]

51 minutes ago, RyanJCanada said:

Today’s meals and menus:

 

 

 

 

Shrimp fried rice with bonus onion rings from my son’s burger. (Photographed after garnish had been removed but before I started eating - progress!)

 

Burger minus onion rings = delicious, according to my son

is today a sea day?

[RachelG]

Wow, so excited you got to extend the trip.  That is really spectacular.  

 

Couple of comments--too late now, but you would have been better off just taking a taxi to and from the blue lagoon.  We rented a car the first time we were in Iceland but it was a big hassle as you have described.  I did the math, and it was cheaper to just take a cab even to the Blue Lagoon as that is right by the airport. 

 

I agree with Fletcher's observations regarding Greenland.  It is beautiful countryside and fjords, but the towns are pretty awful, and the people are very grim.  George befriended the police chief in one town.  He came over from Denmark on a one year contract. He told George that most all the people there live on welfare--very few are employed except for the teachers and hospital workers who are mostly from Denmark and don't stay longterm. Fishing has pretty much died out. He has a big uptake in crime, mostly related to drunkeness the day the checks arrive.  Otherwise, it is mostly domestic violence.  Really very sad. 

[liptastic]

Thanks for this wonderful follow on cruise thread. I loved your first thread and what a delight again to read this too. Your writing is so enjoyable. 
Thanks, Jean.

[Lirio]

3 hours ago, RachelG said:

Wow, so excited you got to extend the trip.  That is really spectacular.  

 

Couple of comments--too late now, but you would have been better off just taking a taxi to and from the blue lagoon.  We rented a car the first time we were in Iceland but it was a big hassle as you have described.  I did the math, and it was cheaper to just take a cab even to the Blue Lagoon as that is right by the airport. 

 

I agree with Fletcher's observations regarding Greenland.  It is beautiful countryside and fjords, but the towns are pretty awful, and the people are very grim.  George befriended the police chief in one town.  He came over from Denmark on a one year contract. He told George that most all the people there live on welfare--very few are employed except for the teachers and hospital workers who are mostly from Denmark and don't stay longterm. Fishing has pretty much died out. He has a big uptake in crime, mostly related to drunkeness the day the checks arrive.  Otherwise, it is mostly domestic violence.  Really very sad. 

I also noted that dogs for dogs sled is being reducing in favor of snowmobiles and there less and less dogs and some a pretty skinny.

[RachelG]

25 minutes ago, Lirio said:

I also noted that dogs for dogs sled is being reducing in favor of snowmobiles and there less and less dogs and some a pretty skinny.

Yes.  Again, very sad.

[RyanJCanada]

Day 4 – Prince Christian Sund & Aappilattoq

 

We aren’t due to arrive in Aappilattoq until early afternoon, so we had the chance to sleep in this morning – which helped ease the transition, as we had grown used to gaining an extra hour through regular time zone changes.

 

(As much as I hate adjusting to the time difference – aka the Very Long Terrible Day – when travelling west to east, it’s feels easier to get that out of the way first, particularly when we get to gradually return to Eastern time while cruising east to west.)

 

With a lazy morning ahead, we headed to the Restaurant where we had a lingering breakfast of yoghurt, berries, waffles, omelettes and smoked salmon. Then up to the panorama lounge to plan our day – no pool today due to the swells, but we were hopeful that we would be entering Prince Christian Sund.

 

That hoped seemed somewhat thin, as the view looked like this:

 

But, in Silversea Expedition Team we trust so we crossed our fingers and carried on.

 

There were a lovely bunch of lectures laid on this morning, but the kids were ready for a break so we opted for a documentary in the room instead. It was then time for trivia – and without a landing underway, we were able to once more field a team of seven.

 

And – we took third! Three days of trivia with two prize finishes and solo dodo-related bonus points, so we’re quite happy with our progress on this leg.

 

We then looked at the Tex Mex buffet on the pool deck, but the weather remained less-than-hospitable – so we opted for the Restaurant instead. It was nice to have two long, lingering meals in a row, and my wife and I very much enjoyed the shrimp fried rice and Mongolian beef.

 

Back to our rooms, when the fateful news arrived – due to the fog and shifting ice, we would not be landing at Aappilattoq. We were disappointed, but there was nothing to be done about it. So instead we went up to the Observation Lounge to take in an informative lesson on ship’s navigation.

 

It was fascinating to hear how certain technologies had changing over the years - the astrolabe evolving into the sextent, and the compass into the gyroscope. Similarly, it was interesting to see the way in which electronic charts could be fused with radar into a real-time view of the surrounding environs. But we were surprised to hear that paper charts are still in use and are expected to remain in use until 2030.

 

The lecture wrapped, and it was only 3 pm. With two full hours left before the expedition briefing, we found ourselves at loose ends – for around 10 minutes. We then let the kids have an entire hour of screen time while my wife and I put on our parkas, ordered a bottle of champagne from room service, and sat out on our verandah to enjoy the icy and mysterious Greenlandic fog as it raced past our stateroom.

 

 

And – it was lovely. The crest of the swells. The hiss of rain and snow as it plunged into the water beneath us. The splash of the waves as the Cloud lowered herself into the ocean after the rising swells. A rare moment to catch our breaths and revisit the wonders of the previous days.

 

Then we locked ourselves out on the balcony.

 

I’m not entirely sure how it happened, but somehow the handle got jostled so that it went from “mostly unlocked” to “locked”. And there was a moment of concern in which we wondered how on earth we would get back inside. Would we need to call the Cloud’s satellite phone to have someone come and unlock us? How long would our rescue take if we tried to email them instead so we could save the exorbitant “Cellular at Sea” charges?

 

Thankfully, none of that was necessary – our kids were enjoying their screen time, but a few healthy raps on the glass door regained our son’s attention. He rescued us in short order, earning himself a bowl of chips from Panorama in the process.

 

Off to the expedition briefing, where we learned that we would – really, truly – be landing in Nanortalik and Uunartoq Island tomorrow. Fingers are once more crossed, but champagne is on ice in case we need to make another trip to the verandah – this time with a definitely-unlocked door.

 

Expedition Leader Darren apologized for the unexpected sea day, but we had been tracking the ice floe all the way during our journey north. Combined with the fog, it made for an impossible approach. Indeed, the Seabourne Venture had been briefly trapped by the ice inside Prince Christian Sund.

 

The precaps / recaps were again informative – an interesting lesson on citizen science apps that could be used to track bird migration (including Merlin and eBird), as well as an overview of rock climbing in Greenland and the safety mechanisms that should be used to climb safely.

 

Lastly, an explanation of how Greenland got its name – when Erik the Red first arrived in Greenland in 985 CE, the area was actually quite green. But then there was an eruption in Iceland that fundamentally cooled the area and resulted in a prolonged period of glaciation and climate change.

 

It was also fascinating to learn that the Greenland flag was adopted by popular vote – 14 votes to 11. The white stripes represent the glacier and the ice cap. The red stripe represents the ocean, while the red semi-circle symbolizes the sun.

 

Source: Wikipedia

 

Back to the room to get changed, then up to Panorama for an impromptu cocktail party with the expedition staff – which felt like a runner-up prize for today’s lack of landings, but one that proved quite welcome when we ended up spotting pilot whales off the stern.

 

That moment of discovery – with dozens of guests, drinks in hands, pointing excitedly into the shrouded distance – seemed to more than make up for whatever else might have been lacking that day.

 

In the distance - one tiny, teeny pilot whale fin

 

Off to La Terrazza for a fantastic meal of lasagna, beef filet, and veal ossombuco – along with a second appearance of the pilot whiles – then a dessert of chocolate torte and hazelnut sponge cake.

 

 

Veal ossombuco

 

Hazelnut sponge cake

 

Warm chocolate torte

 

Cheese plate with asiago

 

Back to the room, where the realities of everyday life are starting to make unwelcome appearances in the form of baggage cards requesting for details on the number of checked bags and carry-ons for our late flight to New York City.

 

It’s an early start tomorrow – and a 7 am zodiac departure time – but thankfully the breakfast buffet at La Terrazza should be open bright and early at 6 am.

 

And with that, it’s time for bed.

Edited June 28, 2023 by RyanJCanada

[RyanJCanada]

3 hours ago, liptastic said:

Thanks for this wonderful follow on cruise thread. I loved your first thread and what a delight again to read this too. Your writing is so enjoyable. 
Thanks, Jean.

Thank you, Jean - kind of you to say!

[RyanJCanada]

7 hours ago, AusMum said:

is today a sea day?

It wasn't supposed to be, but that's what we ended up with... though it was a good day, all things considered.

[drron29]

I don't want to excessively interrupt your excellent travelogue. My pictures were just to see what you missed and why another Greenland cruise is a must but August we were told is the best month. Certainly was for us. Our day in Prince Christian Sund and Aappilattoq was absolutely great weather. Such a pity missing it.

Edited June 28, 2023 by drron29

[AusMum]

11 hours ago, drron29 said:

I don't want to excessively interrupt your excellent travelogue. My pictures were just to see what you missed and why another Greenland cruise is a must but August we were told is the best month. Certainly was for us. Our day in Prince Christian Sund and Aappilattoq was absolutely great weather. Such a pity missing it.

Did you do the same itinerary as Ryan and his family? Ours is 16 nights, but I believe it starts out further north - it's Reykjavik to Reykjavik. Did you spend much time in Iceland? it's always good to get another Australian's perspective. Should we bring our own cold weather jackets from home? would appreciate any tips.  We have been to Alaska, but suspect this will be much colder.

[drron29]

31 minutes ago, AusMum said:

Did you do the same itinerary as Ryan and his family? Ours is 16 nights, but I believe it starts out further north - it's Reykjavik to Reykjavik. Did you spend much time in Iceland? it's always good to get another Australian's perspective. Should we bring our own cold weather jackets from home? would appreciate any tips.  We have been to Alaska, but suspect this will be much colder.

Our cruise was in 2013 on the Explorer so was quite different apart from the experiences in Greenland. I didn't do a report on CC as I was rather new here at that Time but I have all the photos and if people want I can do a very late cruise report. Virtually all was experiencing nature in mainly untouched places so wouldn't have changed very much. And mostly we had good weather.

We did spend 3 days in Iceland before the cruise.

[AusMum]

2 hours ago, drron29 said:

Our cruise was in 2013 on the Explorer so was quite different apart from the experiences in Greenland. I didn't do a report on CC as I was rather new here at that Time but I have all the photos and if people want I can do a very late cruise report. Virtually all was experiencing nature in mainly untouched places so wouldn't have changed very much. And mostly we had good weather.

We did spend 3 days in Iceland before the cruise.

we have two days in Iceland before the cruise and one day after.  Ours will be on the Endeavour and only goes up the east coast of Greenland.

[HappyLadyTravels]

Hello "A", I have a late August trip similar to yours.  If you have any comments during your travel, kindly post.  And let me know if you really needed heavy boots.  Thank you.

[RyanJCanada]

Today’s Chronicles:

 

 

[jpalbny]

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!

Edited June 29, 2023 by jpalbny

[AusMum]

I can't believe even the smaller, more 'upmarket' cruise ships also try to sell you are work..

 

I hope you got to go ashore!

 

Looks like most nights are 'casual' on this itinerary?

[RachelG]

About the getting locked out of the room on the balcony thing, good thing you had your parkas in that weather.

 

Our very first cruise, other that 2 on a couple of tiny expedition ship voyages on CruiseWest back in the day they were in business, was on Regent Diamond.  We had our 2 teenage sons with us in the cabin next to ours.  I was out doing something.  My husband accidentally locked himself out on the balcony.  Fortunately it was in Greece in the summer.  The boys were in their cabin, but he couldn't get their attention as the divider between the balconies was still up.  He ended up climbing out on the railing of our balcony and onto theirs!! Then knocking on their door to get in.  

[RyanJCanada]

We woke early this morning to the most wonderful sound in the world – the clatter of the Silver Cloud dropping its anchor into the harbour outside of Nanortalik.

 

 

It was almost enough to make up for the fact that it was 5:45 am. This was shaping up to be an incredibly busy day.

 

My wife got the kids up as I started to pack, then we were off to La Terrazza for a whirlwind breakfast – so quick I didn’t even have time for a cappuccino. But I did have time for a lovely cheese omelette, bacon, hashbrowns followed by a healthier course of yoghurt, berries and granola.

 

Back to the rooms to finish packing, and we had scarcely reached Deck 3 before they called Zodiac group 3 to disembark – at 6:50 am, roughly 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

 

We were told that the town was ready to receive us, though the café and cultural centre would be closed this morning. The open-air museum, tourist centre and grocery store would be open, however, and a nature walk was planned for 8 am.

 

We landed at a jetty, and then we were free to explore the town on our own. Silversea had positioned expedition staff throughout the town to help direct us. Most of the sights were located within a kilometer or two from the jetty, so we wouldn’t have far to go.

 

 

 

We started with the open-air museum, which had some beautiful cultural artifacts and historical relics.

 

 

 

 

 

We then walked back through town to try and catch the nature walk before it left. We stopped briefly at the tourist centre (aka the souvenir shop). They had quite a range of Greenland-themed souvenirs, but nothing caught our eyes so we were soon headed back through town.

 

The town itself was rugged and real, but still picturesque. The bright coloured homes and rusting industrial sites seemed a fitting complement to the harsh beauty of the surrounding ice and rock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nature tour continued, but we elected to branch off on our own for a while. We were thoroughly impressed by the local soccer pitch – astroturf, of course – and then wandered down one last residential side street before we went back the ship.

 

This proved to be one of the highlights of our day – seeing the children and parents of Nanortalik making their way to school, chubby cherubic fingers clutched around bright sub-Arctic flowers, wrapped in their parents’ parka-covered arms.

 

Waving to the little ones and nodding our greeting to passers by, we briefly felt as though we were part of this remote, beautiful community.

 

But then a quick glance at my watch revealed that almost three hours had already passed since our arrival. Time to return to the Cloud.

 

Back to Panorama Lounge, where the kids celebrated another successful outing with hot chocolate, chocolate chip cookies and a round of cards. The view in town had been stunning, but the view out the back of the Cloud was no less impressive – brilliant blue icebergs drifting beneath granite shadows.

 

And cause for a moment of celebration. According to another guest, we’re the first cruise ship in a while to reach Nanortalik – the past four had been blocked out due to ice. So as frustrating as it’s been to adjust to a changing schedule, it clearly could have been much, much worse.

 

Off to the pool – which, unfortunately, proved to be a lot cooler than it had been during our day at sea. We still managed about a half-hour of swimming before the kids’ teeth started to chatter, at which point we went down to our staterooms for steaming hot showers before heading to the Restaurant for lunch.

 

Another fabulous meal – beef spring rolls, pulled pork fajitas, pan-friend Cajun snapper, capped with a round of Mississippi mud pies.

 

 

 

 

 

The kids then settled in to have a bit of quiet time in the room, and I went off to collect my drysuit in preparation for sea kayaking this afternoon. I’m completely torn between my desire to kayak among the icebergs and my terror at kayaking among the icebergs, so we’ll see which wins out.

 

I’m also hopeful that I might be able to have a soak in the hot spring at Uunartoq – which is actually heated through the movement of tectonic plates as opposed to volcanic activity.

 

It’s kind of strange to think of plate friction heating a pool – what if it suddenly accelerates and squishes us while we’re in the pool? Then again, volcanos erupt all the time. Maybe it’s better if I just don’t overthink this.

 

Expedition Leader Darren also mentioned that they would need to step up the bear monitoring team as polar bears had been spotted at the site – the Greenlanders are using downstream hot water runoff to boil muskox heads, and polar bears have caught on. But the threat of bears is low, or so we have been told.

 

And we’ve arrived early, so we should be heading to Uunartoq at 3 pm rather than 5 pm. Also – tomorrow is going to be extremely busy, much like today, with stops in both Qaartog and Hvalsey.

 

Back to the Panorama Lounge, where Entertainment Host Daniel is irritated to discover that the moved-up expeditions are once again conflicting with trivia. So we merged forces with another group and seemed well on our way – except I had to leave, because it was time for kayaking.

 

I have done quite a bit of kayaking in the past, but I am not too proud to admit that I searched up “sea kayaking fundamentals” on YouTube. And I will also admit that I tried to put on the booties and then the drysuit. So it was not the most auspicious start.

 

But once we were underway – well, you can see for yourself:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kayaking. In Greenland. With icebergs.

 

What else can be said?

 

Well, I will add that this is the first time I have used rudder controls, and that I didn’t make a complete hash of it. And I was paired with someone else, and we didn’t murder each other. Also – this is apparently the furthest from the Cloud that our zodiac driver had ever picked up guests before. So I suppose there are some bragging rights in there too.

 

I was also hoping to manage to squeeze in a very quick trip to the hot pots – but that was not mean to be, as the wind had shifted and it was well past time to be on our way.

 

I met up with my wife and kids back in the mudroom. They had thoroughly enjoyed the hot pots, particularly the part where Silversea had surprised them with champagne and treats just outside the hotpots themselves. Less enjoyable was the ride back, which has to be have been one of the coldest, roughest zodiac rides of the trip.

 

But some very hot showers on their part – and a very large glass of Glenmorangie on mine, at the suggestion of my paddling partner – we were all feeling much better and ready to head to Dolce Vita as a stopover on the way to dinner.

 

At Dolce Vita, we had another chance to talk to the group of pole-to-polers that have been so welcoming – which has proven to be a wonderful side benefit of cruising on Silversea, the chance to talk to well-informed travellers.

 

One of the points mentioned was how much better the service had gotten once the guests were closer to around the 180 mark, as opposed to the 200+ level that they were during our previous leg. And I would be inclined to agree.

 

Service on Silversea is generally quite exceptional, but at the 180ish mark there is none of the occasional “lag” that you experience on other voyages – which is rare, but does tend to occur from time to time, particularly when you’re in the Restaurant immediately after a briefing has been let out, along with 90% of the other guests.

 

This is all avoidable, but it requires some advance planning and the willingness to go against the grain – booking in at the Grill for some dinners, and at La Terrazza for others. Or picking less-than-common dining times. But it is a bit of a pain, as no one wants to be sitting down for dinner at 9 pm when they’re going to be leaving on a zodiac at 6:30 am the next day.

 

I’m sure this will be the fodder for much future vacation planning. But in the mean time, I’d suggest not shying away from less-attended cruises, as they can offer some truly exceptional levels of service. And rumour has it that the upcoming Greenland cruises will be even quieter, with only 130 guests.

 

And – finally – I was pleased to hear that our son’s new trivia team had placed second in the day’s ad-hoc contest. More prize points to throw on the pile. At this rate, we’re going to need a larger safe.

 

Off to dinner – foie gras terrine followed by lamb rogan josh (sadly not pictured because I inhaled it immediately). Kids also ordered what our daughter lovingly refers to as “the porcupine dessert” – a scoop or two of ice cream along with chocolate and caramel sauce, and as many chocolate slivers as the crew can stick into it without it collapsing into a black hole.

 

Exhibit A

 

And now the hour is upon us – I’d love to tell you that we were going to stay up late and watch the sun set on Greenland, but tomorrow starts early and sleep is poised to claim us all. To think only yesterday we had lamented the coming of a less-than-packed day, wishing for more excitement.

 

Careful what you wish for…

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by RyanJCanada

[Lois R]

Locked out of the cabin? That happened to me and I sail solo.......I am trying to think of where the ship was docked but I had to wave like a crazy person to get the attention of someone below (there were the security folks down there)...that has never happened to me before. Fortunately, someone looked up and saw I needed help. And someone came to the cabin and thankfully I got let back inside.  Whewww....... it was definitely stressful.

[RyanJCanada]

Today’s Chronicle:

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 30, 2023 by RyanJCanada

[RyanJCanada]

23 hours ago, jpalbny said:

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!

Those moments make for the best memories... also, always nice to have a reason to go back. 😉