highplanesdrifters

What a great itinerary. Would love to hear your take on western Greenland and the Venture. Have a fab trip.

My kinda busy!

@FlyingScotSailors If you are serious, I don't know the name of the store but it's on the main shopping drag. Bankastraeti which turns into Laugavegur on the left hand side of the street if you're walking away from the center of town up the hill.

For me, not being able to easily get sugar out of a container falls in the category of a "First world problem", which is why I wrote it. I cannot speak for others. If others feel that not getting what they paid for on a luxury cruise liner is a second or third world problem, they have every right to feel that way. Do I feel that luxury cruise standards are not up to pre pandemic levels. You betcha. I have two choices. Stay home and wait till they recover. Or go knowing that there will be problems for at least the next year, probably longer. However when said problems arise I will do what I can to discuss and seek remedy for those problems. But I also know that I am so fortunate that these are the problems that I have.

Are you joking about the book in the gift shop window, or serious about the address of the gift shop? 😉 Just off the Venture. I am I love, what a ship. Hope you like it. Did a live from on the boards in case you missed it. Are you going all the way to St. Johns?

From a gift shop window in Reykjavik.

@jtslattery You mean these awful contraptions? The sugar clumps inside. Taking the top off creates a sugar mess all over your hands and the table. Even after you unclump it, the container needs to be almost full to work. Form is not following function. Chuck em overboard. Fortunately for us this was the worst thing on our recent Venture cruise. Except for the housekeepers not leaving toilet paper. First world problems.

Congrats on the Northern lights. That's a wake up call worth getting!

Thanks @jsea for an excellent recap. @PACruiser5hope the MDR comes through with something noteworthy for you.

Thanks for the update. Looks like you had a great day for a paddle!

My sentiments exactly! If you're not happy, you're not happy!

I love their mirror pose.

Thanks Sharkb8. And quite an adventure you had. Serious bear action! I am a bit concerned that you don't know how to have a good time. 🤣🤣🤣 It's going to be hard to travel on other ships after the Venture

Last time fishy and rubbery. This time I didn't go in till others gave it a thumbs up. Tasted like really good flank/skirt steak.

Well, the Scandis do like a good time when the sun is shinning. When I did business there in the 80s and 90s I could never keep up! It's been 6 years since I've been to Stockholm so things may have changed. It was just the music inside the hotel till 4 am. No hallway drunks or street noise. Fyi, I thought the rooms were pretty tired then. In Oslo our room was just lovely with a view of the square. Nice Juliette balcony. There were protests in the square every day, but that comes with the territory. I could live with that. What a shame about the other noise. Great hotel otherwise, and perhaps OK in early part of the week. Jet lag is hard enough. With the added Covid airport chaos sleep takes on new meaning. Our TA sent us this lovely treat! The hotel did a great job

Just a few of the wines from the Grillmarken tasting. All worth a purchase! Sorry about the fuzziness.😁

Belated Food Porn Oslo Grand Cafe Halibut with enoki and Beurre Blanc Sublime I don't remember😀 Muscles for days Lofoton Fish Restaurant Lobster Salad- I'd like 10 to go please. Oysters- small briny and sweet. Just they way I like them. Lofoton Fish soup Deceptively simple but yet oh so complex. Butter Flounder Lofotons Bouillabisse with tomato and black garlic. I could live on this. Rooftop Bar at Center Arnarhvoll. Grillmarkaourinn There are more courses than pictured. Insane. They also did a great job for our GF friend. Tiger shrimp tempura with kimchi, lemon and yuzu Beef carpaccio with chili pepper jam, candied almonds, herb pesto, and rock Salad Minke Whale - don't judge me🤫 Some over the top Fish thing. Things were getting pretty fuzzy by then. Grilled Flank steak with shishito pepper in Wasabi nuts and lemon oil. Kimchi and truffle yuzu dressing. Dessert Special GF Dessert GRAZZIE TRATTORIA Be still my pizza loving heart! Something light after the Grillmarken gorging.😂 Included Tea at Blue Lagoon Now we're starting to tone it down.

Pre and Post Cruise OSLO First timers and just loved the city. Very walkable with lots if interesting museums and great restaurants. Good Hop on bus. Get the Oslo Pass. Grand Hotel - 4* in the beginning, but quickly slipped to 1*. Raucous roof top band till 3:30am every night starting on Thursday. Drunks in hallway and lots of street noise. On my NA list. Interesting that we also had the same problem with Grand Hotel in Stockholm. Positives- Breakfast, room and staff were awesome. FOOD Lofoton - Fabulous Fish on the warf. Grand Cafe, historic Cafe in the hotel. Conveniently delicious! Uchi - Great Asian find. REYKJAVIK A bit of a fun foodie town, YAY! Very walkable with some interesting attractions. Getting slightly more like some Alaska towns catering to the giant cruise ships in terms of Disney type attractions. There are still plenty of tacky tourist shops. On a positive note we did feel that there were less and replaced with higher end stores since our last visit in 2019. Reykjavik has a long was to go before it reaches theme park status. We finally did the Phallological Museum. Well....even though it was a very scientific presentation it creeped me out. Our friends did spend a bit more time and enjoyed it. Center Hotel Arnarhvoll Great location, views and delightful rooftop bar. Sadly rooms were closet tiny and tired. Tough transition from Seabourn. Doable for one night. We prefer Pearl Apartments, but they were booked a year in advance. The day after we left at least 2 ships coming into port with 2,000 and 4,000 passengers. Our driver told us they expect a 30 % increase each year. Oh my. Food Great Asain options. Kara Thai is a fave but it was closed.on Sunday. Ramen Momo, yummy - next to Pearl. Lots of these litte hole in the wall places. Don't be afraid. Vietnam Reataurant- New to us and lucky find. Extensive menu. Grillmarken- High end famous place. Our second time doing the tasting and wine paring. Really delicious and fab wines. Just way too much food. By course 4 I was over the limit. 😀 Grazie Trattoria Heavenly Pizza!!! Chared puffy yeasty crust. Quality toppings. Yes please. Seabourn take note! The Retreat at Blue Lagoon Grindavik, Iceland Twenty minutes from Reykjavik, and twenty minutes from KEF. This place is Heaven on Earth. See my earlier post. We will return to Iceland just to hang out here.

Yikes! That arrival doesn't sound like the warmest welcome. Glad it's working out and you're rolling with the punches. I just love that little Polar Museum. When reading reviews about it a few years ago someone gave it 1*.....because there was too much to read. 🤣

Thanks so much. Very helpful!

Congrats on the negative! Always stressful. Looking forward to you posts. Contemplating NW Passage, but not sure about all the ice days. Thanks for the pictures of Tromso on a clear day. Now I know what it looks like.😂 Fair winds!

Please share your Canadian Maritimes adventures! And of course have the best of times.

Speaking of debauchery.... Seriously though, it is possible to eat healthy on board. We try and keep it together for breakfast and lunch , get some exercise, and then indulge. Just ask when you board and put in a standing order for your favorite healthy thing. Fyi, on the new Venture the 9th floor walk including the bow stairway curves is about 6 laps for a mile. Bonus if you do the stairs to the 10th floor. My knees said no.😉 And yes, R&T a good time was had by all.

Yes, new thread please!😁

Thanks for keeping it together while I was gone guys and girls. Market is right where I left it Aug. 1. 😂😂😂