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Thank you - I’d looked at the Venicelink site earlier, but only now am I noticing this language, re the upcharge for a solo traveler - The service is reservable for minimum 2 people. However, if you're travelling alone and are interested to book an Venice Shuttle water taxi, have to pay at least 50 euro like a two people service reservation or your request won't be accepted. If anyone has used Venice Shuttle in the past, please let me know if yours was an ok experience - thank you!

Thanks very much for sharing your experience - actually, I’ve taken private water taxis in Venice before, both to and from an airport - and I loved the experience, it reminded me of movies and made me feel “glamorous”. But at that time, the cost of it was bundled into the overall price of the tour/cruise - so I didn’t “see” it. Now I am making independent arrangements to join a tour that is originating elsewhere, and the 140 euro cost each way for getting to and from the airport isn’t sitting well with me - I think I’d rather spend that money on a performance at La Fenice, or some nice dinners, or shopping. The shared option (about 40 euros each way) seemed like a nice middle point between private and vaporetto - I’ve seen a few reviews, mostly positive but wanted to ask here also, The tour organizer is offering to pre-book the private water taxi for me. My understanding is that if water levels are too high? too low?, the private taxi would drop me at Rialto, and I’d have to walk 5-10 minutes and over a small bridge to reach my hotel - which I think is what the shared taxi would be doing anyway. So if that’s the case … why pay the premium, if there is no guarantee that it would take me directly to the hotel? In any event, it’s a lot of money … and I’ve done it before … so I’m just considering the options. Thanks for the reminder to pack light!

I would be interested in any feedback about the use of shared water taxis in Venice, between the airport and a hotel. Were they reliable? Timely? Did you wish you had taken a private water taxi or the Alilaguna vaporetto instead? Thank you!

Hamburg is an interesting city for walking - there are a number of historic churches, including St. Nikolai Memorial, which is no longer a functioning church, but stands in memory of WWII and its impacts. The Speicherstadt and HafenCity areas are really interesting to walk through, and couldn’t be more different from each other - some good photo opportunities there. Elbphilharmonie is a fascinating structure, it is a concert hall, and perhaps tours are offered, but I think one can just wander the public spaces and there is a gift shop. Further into the city, the art museum, Kunsthalle, is open on Sundays. And for something completely different, there is the Reeperbahn. And you could do a “Beatles in Hamburg” tour, since Hamburg was a really important place in the development of the band. Lots of possibilities, I think - I hope you enjoy your visit -

Husfliden - https://www.afar.com/places/husfliden-as-alesund

Thank you!! Brings back memories - This is my first attempt to upload photo on CC, let’s see if this works. Note water level relative to bench -

For me, this was a nice surprise: On a Rhine River cruise (originally Düsseldorf to Basel) on the Amadeus Imperial (diverted to Nierstein rather than sailing from Mannheim/Heidelberg to Strasbourg, due to the December high water levels/flooding), we had the option of a very long bus ride to Strasbourg (only to spend a couple of hours there), or almost a full day in Mainz (not on the original itinerary). As much as I had originally wanted to visit Strasbourg, I chose to go to Mainz, so as not to be rushed - and it turned out to be my favorite day of the whole cruise. Maybe it was because it was someplace I hadn’t planned on visiting. But there was so much to see and experience - I wasn’t able to do it all. The Christmas market was a very nice one, it was lively but not overly crowded/packed that day. I also shopped in some very lovely stores, and accomplished a fair amount of holiday shopping in that one city. Churches, museums … just a really good day overall. Amadeus got us through 2/3 of the regular itinerary before we had to turn around and shift into bus tour mode. I think we had a very experienced captain, and I wonder if that might have made a difference in our ability to continue sailing and docking when other ships were starting to turn around or pause. Communications about changes in itinerary/plans were good. We spent the last night in a nice hotel, and I was impressed that the arrangements came together pretty smoothly. (Can’t imagine how stressful it must have been behind the scenes. But what I saw was competence in the face of challenging circumstances.) Oh, and the Amadeus crew went to unbelievable lengths, sloshing around in the river water, to construct a ramp so that guests could safely go ashore when docked in Nierstein. Kudos to them -

Yes, the Amadeus Imperial docked in Nierstein on Dec 16, and yes, it was an itinerary change. The ship reversed direction after docking in Heidelberg, and the cruise became a bus tour after that. The original itinerary was Düsseldorf to Basel.

Additional random bits, as I think of them - The two-part parka is heavy, and is suitable to the task. Unisex sizing. The boots are standard muck boots. I think we’ve only had one wet landing, but this will vary based on itinerary and circumstances. They sometimes refer to zodiacs as “pontoon boats”. Base camp, from which the zodiac landings depart, is spacious and well equipped. The mandatory safety drill was thorough. There was a polar plunge, I think about 20% of the guests participated, and they seemed to have a good time. There was supposed to have been a kayaking excursion, but it was canceled due to conditions. There have been a few zodiac cruises, 60-90 minutes each. These haven’t gone quite as far afield as as been the case on some other expedition cruises I’ve taken with other operators. The senior expedition staff is heavily oriented towards polar explorers. Their lectures are quite interesting, but not always oriented to the area we are sailing in. There might be a shift change coming up in Kangerlussaq, regarding the expedition team leader. There are a couple of naturalists onboard, and an astrophysicist. Also a professional photographer. There have also been guest presenters, from within the groups that are taking part in the cruise. The expedition lounge is a super comfortable place from which to view the lectures. Supposedly it is possible to watch these presentations live from your tv, but that feature has not worked in my room. However, all presentations are recorded for later viewing, and turnaround time is pretty quick. Make sure to let them know if you want to be woken up for northern lights. They did not automatically do this on the one night when the aurora could be seen, and there was much discussion about this the next day, resulting in a change in practice. (Though I don’t think the lights have reappeared since, at least not that’s been announced.). Whale sitings are usually announced, but these have been during the day/evening. We’ve had pretty good internet access, better than I expected - make sure to follow the login instructions completely. The sail through the Kangerlussuak Fjord was beautiful, and sailing out through it should be wonderful, if that’s the way your cruise is starting - the mountains will get taller as you progress outwards towards the sea -

I’ve now learned rhat the optional excursions do cost money, which makes sense. Among the people I’ve talked with, there’s been general agreement that more clarity about the excursions, and exactly what they consist of, would have been desirable - not only during the booking process, but even while we’re here on the ship. This is the part of the cruise that still seems to be a bit of a work in progress. The “rebranding” of SH is still relatively new, 14 months. More time in the ports that are towns would also have been welcomed.

The very fact of the existence of optional excursions was new news; this had not been conveyed prior to departure.

I do not know - I am traveling with a small group, and our tour director signed us up for excursions. I don’t know if these were the included or optional ones. I’m not aware of any printed material that discusses these excursions; general summaries are displayed on video boards as part of the daily calendar. As I mentioned in my message, I’ve had a medical issue - so I am reporting on what I know, which is mostly ship-based, in case that is helpful for others, and also why I suggested that folks check on what’s what when they are onboard.

For those who will be sailing on the Vega soon - I am currently on the Vega, we will be wrapping up on Tuesday in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland. I am very happy with the ship, the crew is outstanding, and the food is A++. The zodiac boarding process is very smooth, and I had great confidence in the crew who were assisting with this, Unfortunately I had a medical issue, so I haven’t done as many excursions off the ship as I would have liked. I think their communication around the nature of excursions could be improved - it wasn’t until I was on this ship that I learned that there were both included and optional excursions, and I didn’t think enough information was provided about either category, nor was it clear whether the optional excursions cost additional money, or whether they were asking for signups simply in order to get a headcount. There was a 48 hour window to sign up for both the optional and included excursions, and this was also confusing to me (why sign up for an included excursion?). Not sure if this will carry over into future voyages, but this was my experience. We had rough seas crossing from Iceland to Greenland, and a number of people became seasick. Other than that, this is a very smooth sailing ship. I cannot say enough good things about the crew. You will be well taken care of. The focus of my cruise was Greenland - it is hilly. At some ports there were shuttles. Ask lots of questions about the excursions when you’re onboard, in case the information provided in the briefings isn’t sufficient. And mention any mobility concerns. For the Northwest Passage cruise that begins on Sept 5, my understanding is that all the cabins are booked, and there will be 120 passengers. My sailing had 58 passengers I think - so the staff-to-guest ratio was 2:1. Martha Stewart was along for the ride for part of my cruise, and you can read all about that in social media. I would travel again on the Vega in a heartbeat, if I have another opportunity in the future. (Next year’s prices look a little steeper.). Happy to answer any questions, if I can. Have a great time, safe travels -

cruisemom42, I’m wondering - is this cruise on Swan Hellenic? I am sailing with them to Greenland in a couple of weeks, on the Vega, and the itinerary before mine sounds similar to what you’ve described. There are a number of people on CC boards who are interested in feedback about the Swan Hellenic experience - so if that’s the cruise you’re on, I hope you’ll consider sharing some of your impressions along the way.

I'm sorry, didn't mean to induce panic! I'm with you, I am not normally an outdoors person, but have become transfixed with the Arctic and have made several visits (with Greenland coming up again in a couple of weeks) and hope to do more. All I meant to convey is that rain pants have provided extra protection against the conditions I've often found while traveling there, and that, IMO, the temps might be too warm for the bulkier insulated winter pants. As noted earlier, rain and wind may be more of a factor than cold. On a June day-cruise to Eqi Glacier in Greenland about a decade ago, I wore thermals, pants, and rain pants, plus warm jacket, hat with ears covered, gloves etc. This worked out ok for me - I hope you have a great time -

Or, if you're leaving Thursday, you can buy rain pants somewhere along the way, like in Iceland! But I think that's something that would be good to have on hand. Quick-drying light pants are good (way better than jeans, I've learned), but rain pants would add some additional sturdiness for facing the elements. Have a great time!!

Rain pants are not expensive, you can order them from Amazon or your favorite outdoor goods store. I've ended up using mine far more often than I thought I would. For me, they are the outermost bottom layer, over all the other layers - I've worn them them over pants or jeans, and a base layer. If you tend to run "hot", the bulky insulated pants might be more than what you need. Deeper into fall and winter, yes, you might want those, but over the next month or two, a couple of layers plus rain pants is probably ok.

I will be interested in seeing other replies - but from my experience in Iceland, Greenland, Svalbard in summer, the full-on insulated winter pants might be unnecessary. I’ve never come back from one of those trips wishing I’d brought them. I think layers should be sufficient. If the sun is out, you’ll warm up. Rain pants can be helpful too.

That's great - I'm glad they were responsive. I think it's best when the cruise operator knows in advance that someone may need some extra assistance or service along the way, it helps them prepare. And it's also good that you're trying to be realistic upfront. I think just being in that part of the world is a gift, regardless of how physically active one may be within it. Enjoy your planning!

I think it’s great that your mom is interested in exploring this part of the world! I know of people with mobility limitations who traveled to Antarctica on expedition cruises - some of them never left the ship, once they were onboard - but they still had an opportunity to experience and enjoy the region, just by being there and “present” in the environment, on deck or observing from the warmth of a lounge. Others went on the zodiac cruises, but chose not to participate in any of the landings. They still had a good time. However, I think this is a question to discuss with the tour organizer, or the cruise company - they may have policies, guidelines, rules around this. Not every cruise to the Arctic is an expedition cruise - perhaps you might also explore other options with itineraries that involve fewer physically demanding elements? But I also think it would be useful to find out about Swan Hellenic’s approach to clients who may have some mobility limitations - do they do anything to help make the Arctic accessible to all?

I will be sailing to Greenland on the Vega next month, and can share some impressions afterwards. On paper, this expedition cruise sounds great, and I’m looking forward to the experience.

Another vote for Husfliden - unique items, high quality

Just sharing a photo of the Ventus Australis, from December 2022 Odysseys tour

Jazzbeau, Thank you for your detailed review and for the photos. I took the exact same trip (minus the Iguazu Falls portion) with Smithsonian Journeys, which used Odysseys as its tour provider. Ivan was our tour director also, and Pato and Francisco were our local guides in Torres del Paine as well. I could tell many stories about those three! They are good friends, and their friendship enlivened the experience for those of us who were touring together. I loved BA, and the tour provided a good orientation to set up a future independent visit. I also ate at Piegari (found it myself), and watched a very important futbol game there, and this added some interesting local perspectives. I was not as impressed with the Australis cruise experience as I’d hoped to be, given all of the glowing reviews elsewhere. All of us in our 20-person group thought the food was mediocre at best (most entrees had one or two ingredients too many), with the exception of breakfast croissants that were divine, and a beautiful raspberry juice. But my group was complaining a lot about the food. I really liked the enormous floor to ceiling window in my room. I thought the expedition staff were a bit green, and I thought the zodiac boarding wasn’t quite as smooth as I’ve experienced on other expedition ships. (It was “ok”). Overall, I’d give the cruise a 3.5 on a 5-point scale. Our weather (December) was a bit better than yours was. (Although it had been 100 degrees in BA.). We landed at Cape Horn, a highlight, and while it was raining when we arrived, the weather cleared eventually. The penguins were a delight. I found the Chilean fjords to be somewhat less “impressive” than those of Norway. (But it’s always wonderful to be in fjord country!) The (non-cruise) highlight for me was Torres del Paine, wow. So beautiful, and rainbows everywhere. Just wow. And the Rio Serrano Lodge was really great, the food, accommodations, service, location, views, everything. and then - I became a Covid kid - my first-ever experience of it, and the second person in my group to get it. Quarantined in Santiago, and it was a really sad feeling to be suddenly and abruptly isolated from the group. Smithsonian/Odysseys had suggested that people might want to bring along Paxlovid, which I had done - so at least I was taking the same measures that I would have, had I been home. It was a mild case, I recovered well, and my departure home was only delayed by one day. Ivan stayed in touch periodically, while I was recuperating. The hotel accommodations (Pullman Vitacura) were very comfortable, the staff were helpful given the quarantine situation, and I had blazing fast internet service, so I was well connected with folks back home. Odysseys does a good job, this was my third tour where they were the operator (all of these were through Smithsonian Journeys, which adds some additional enrichment features to the overall tour programs.). I wouldn’t suggest to someone that they not do the Australis cruise … but in my experience (as well as that of the others in my group), expectations weren’t quite met. But I’m glad I did it - it just wasn’t the highlight of the trip that I thought it would be - Again, I really appreciated your photos, and especially the mentions of Ivan, Pato, Francisco. Thank you for taking the time to prepare and post your review.

An update regarding earlier issues with Travel Guard - after I sent them a painstakingly detailed letter of appeal pointing out the errors in how my appendicitis-related claim had been evaluated, Travel Guard eventually made good, and I received payment yesterday. So in the end, they did the right thing. But it never should have come to this, it was a simple illness-related claim that was properly documented and within all of the parameters. Their staff (and supervisors) need much better training - it was appalling how ill-informed they were. Travel Guard has lost a long-time regular customer over this incident.