JDincalif

We were on the MS Trollfjord two weeks ago and had three consecutive nights of lights just north of Tromso, off the North Cape, and while crossing the Barents Sea, including a truly astonishing display of 'rainbow auroras.' Hope all of you aurora hunters are successful!

We've observed situations involving clearly evident physical frailty as well.

It's a good option for those who meet criteria, although we've witnessed at least once a passenger reseated at boarding when it was evident that s/he was not capable of fulfilling the duties.

In our experience and opinion, for a short visit to Granada the Alhambra is best done with a guide or through a tour company. Visiting the vast Alhambra isn't a "buy one-ticket to see it all" encounter. An experienced guide or tour company can help you determine what you most want to see, expedite the ticket purchase process (which does require submitting a copy of your passport), arrange the timing to make the most of your visit and provide historical and aesthetic commentary to enrich your understanding and appreciation.

We too were on that voyage. In Alta we signed up for a private 8 passenger van tour. The driver was in constant radio contact with other drivers to locate good viewing spots, and the small group size - congenial folks all - allowed the flexibility to pack up and move quickly and easily to another site.

Index cards = good idea. J once had to abandon an 80# hook and was so abashed she slid it across the wall and over the desk mirror to a discreet corner, hoping that subsequently someone would either remove it or find it to be a useful surprise🙄

From the port of Almeria (not one of the ports on this voyage) we used Pepe Tours for an enjoyable full day tour of the city of Granada and a guided tour of the Alhambra; cost was around $180/pp for a group size of 14-16 people or so. For this voyage, Shore Excursions Group (another company we've used successfully) currently lists a Granada/Alhambra tour out of Malaga starting at $159/pp. It's worth checking out both private tour providers and 'brokers' since from time to time a specific tour/date might be available through one but not the other.

This sounds correct. We had to submit passport copies to our tour operator to get tickets *and* present both tickets and passports at several different gates onsite.

Last year we and several on our voyage booked a private tour of the Alhambra. It was well worth the price for guidance around that complex and astonishing site/sight.

From what we've read, larger ships will still be allowed to visit Longyearbyen, but only smaller ships will be allowed into national parks and other designated protected areas.

We've put test kits in carry-on bags without any TSA screening issues. The tiny amount of fluid hasn't set off any alarms.

Texting at table when data plan permits comes in handy for those of us with difficulty hearing who simply who want to hear each other (or gossip about others) in a noisy dining room. We do prefer tables for two where we have our personal space with the the option for conversation with others when all are agreeable.

Rather amusingly, when we were in Barcelona last November our Google Maps search for tourist attractions yielded a "Tourists Go Home" mural near our hotel. We prudently decided against visiting *that* particular attraction.

Some folks seem to enjoy complaining even more than they enjoy cruising 😉

Azamara has R class ships (same ship type as Oceania's Insignia, Nautica and Regatta) with those tiny showers, but instead of glass doors they use heavy fabric shower curtains (at least on the Onward), giving some literal space flexibility without too much water escape.

The Shelter is on Deck 3 behind the bow. It's an outdoor seating area about 3/4 enclosed by windows and a nice place to enjoy the view unbuffeted by wind.

We were in 6090 on Viking Sky and noticed no noise issues from the World Cafe above. The 'wings' reduced visibility a bit but we were still able to see the Northern Lights from the balcony

Just realized that we were with you on that same August 2016 Azamara voyage. The weather was splendid, showcasing the spectacular scenery, for the entire two weeks. And the "White Nights" party outside on deck in Trollfjord was unforgettable.

J definitely needed insect repellent for several days in and around Denali on a Memorial Day weekend. The mosquitoes were out for blood. Didn't need it for briefer shore excursions during a similar time period.

Escarole🥬or escargot🐌? 😉 Regardless, O usually accommodates most reasonable cravings and dietary requirements.

Seven time Oceania cruiser, celiac here, who on every voyage has been provided with a large and creative selection of delicious gluten free options.

We like it 😉

Viking Sky, March 2019. Passengers and crew that we observed were calm and orderly during the report to muster stations.

According to this table the path of totality around Isafjordur will be roughly 300km/186 miles wide.

Thanks for starting it! ☺️