Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[PeabodyMa]

Fagradalsfjall volcano update info link

(Sun. May 23, 2021)

 

https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/fagradalsfjall/news/130874/Fagradalsfjall-volcano-update-Lava-overflows-dam-enters-valley-towards-southern-Ring-Road-now-in-dag.html

[alohadave]

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/iceland/reykjavik?month=8

 

All most 18 hours of daylight...

[TayanaLorna]

43 minutes ago, alohadave said:

https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/iceland/reykjavik?month=8

 

All most 18 hours of daylight...

This will be our 3rd "summer"cruise to either the top or the bottom of the world.  I am happy to report that the blackout curtains in the stateroom work very well.

[VI_Lounger]

On 5/23/2021 at 8:23 AM, FLORIDA FLOUNDER said:

Yes, we booked May 14th and it's not looking too promising. 😏

We booked this cruise on May 12th and it's not looking promising for us either. We've emailed tellus and then spoken with a supervisor, called and spoken with multiple reps, live chatted while on the excursion page and get the same answer of 'working on it' but it's hard to keep the faith at this point and we're exhausted from checking hourly. It's really frustrating to look at an excursion that appears open, only to click on it and discover all the times offered are sold out, but the excursion is not labeled on the main page as sold out. 😪 And to top it all off, the person who called us when a room finally opened up to get on this cruise now tells us 'well you  booked really late'. Ouch!

[Peregrina651]

32 minutes ago, VI_Lounger said:

And to top it all off, the person who called us when a room finally opened up to get on this cruise now tells us 'well you  booked really late'. Ouch!

 

Sorry, that is absolutely no excuse. Those are five words that should never issue from the mouth of any agent.

 

If Viking knew at the time that couldn't fulfill the contract it making with you -- including one tour in each port -- then they should not have accepted your booking.

 

[bardstowntraveller]

We are booked on the 8/3 cruise. I have read through this thread and a few of the early cruises but still have a few questions

 

Any thoughts on travel insurance. We usually purchase but given Vikings Risk Free Guarantee am torn on whether to purchase. Thoughts?

 

Still having difficulty deciding what to pack. Will definitely pack a rain suit and boots for excursions. Not sure how to pack for onboard ship. We spend winters in Florida so don’t have a lot of winter clothes and now is not best time to buy 😝  Any suggestions?

 

Finally, I read on one of these forums that 45 minute reservations will be required to utilize the spa. Any idea how to book?

 

[Delhi Ocean Cruiser]

On 5/20/2021 at 11:46 AM, Donaghadee said:

Just wondering, how much do you have to drink to break even on the Silver Spirits package?

I know we looked at it years ago and came to the conclusion that our livers weren't up to the task.

Anything change?

You can find a bar beverage menu on the Viking page, just takes some poking around. Usually around 3 drinks will make it worth the cost. Remember you must purchase the SS package for both travelers in the suite, so that is 3 drinks apiece. Really not hard to do. Each of you have a double Bailey’s before or after dinner and you are 2/3 there. Have a special wine at dinner, another cocktail before or after and you are ahead of the game. 

[librarylady19]

6 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

We are booked on the 8/3 cruise. I have read through this thread and a few of the early cruises but still have a few questions

 

Any thoughts on travel insurance. We usually purchase but given Vikings Risk Free Guarantee am torn on whether to purchase. Thoughts?

 

Still having difficulty deciding what to pack. Will definitely pack a rain suit and boots for excursions. Not sure how to pack for onboard ship. We spend winters in Florida so don’t have a lot of winter clothes and now is not best time to buy 😝  Any suggestions?

 

Finally, I read on one of these forums that 45 minute reservations will be required to utilize the spa. Any idea how to book?

 

Regarding wardrobe (I recently advised my friend DLN929 who is a Florida transplant!): layers is the key. You don’t need a heavy winter coat, a light down jacket is plenty or a windbreaker with a lining. Definitely a vest - fleece/puffy or both) long sleeve shirts and t shirts. Jeans, rain pants for day. It doesn’t look like too many of the shore excursions will include real hiking. I’m bringing hiking sneakers but not boots. We were in Iceland in Aug. 2017 and it was up to 60s but windy. Definitely pack gloves and hat!

[Clay Clayton]

13 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

We are booked on the 8/3 cruise. I have read through this thread and a few of the early cruises but still have a few questions

 

Any thoughts on travel insurance. We usually purchase but given Vikings Risk Free Guarantee am torn on whether to purchase. Thoughts?
 

As long as you have health insurance that covers you outside of the USA (presuming that’s where you’re from) and evacuation insurance you should be ok as long as you recognize what the “risk-free” insurance provides. Read its terms carefully and peruse these threads for information on using vouchers. 
 

We lived nomadically for two years and had an annual travel health plan that covered us (and provided evacuation) outside the US so that plan along with the disruption coverage of my credit card worked for us. For this trip we are purchasing a single trip health plan (cheaper than a full travel policy. For Mike’s mom who has a Medicare replacement policy that surprisingly covers her outside the US (most Medicare plans don’t) we are purchasing just evacuation insurance. She had a friend get very ill on an Alaskan cruise and thank goodness they had a good evacuation policy. It helicoptered him off the ship and then after being stabilized ashore, air ambulanced him from the west coast back to Virginia. I can only imagine how much the insurance company paid for all that. 

 

Still having difficulty deciding what to pack. Will definitely pack a rain suit and boots for excursions. Not sure how to pack for onboard ship. We spend winters in Florida so don’t have a lot of winter clothes and now is not best time to buy 😝  Any suggestions? 
 

I agree with LibraryLady   Layers are our friends  I will say after being hot almost the whole time we cruised Alaska, we will have a short sleeve shirt or two with us  😂

I

13 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

 

Finally, I read on one of these forums that 45 minute reservations will be required to utilize the spa. Any idea how to book?

I don’t think anyone has answered this yet. Hopefully someone on one of the early cruises will soon do so. 

 

See my thoughts above. 

[JeriGail]

Here's another photo from one of the UK cruisers that was posted on the other site.  Viking removed the furs from the couches.

[Clay Clayton]

5 minutes ago, JeriGail said:

Here's another photo from one of the UK cruisers that was posted on the other site.  Viking removed the furs from the couches.

Blankets too it appears 😢.  Interesting that throw pillows stayed. Seems like they would be hard to clean. 

[sleepybobo]

So, as of today, excursions are posted to which sailing? First 3 or first 6?

[Peregrina651]

22 minutes ago, bardstowntraveller said:

We spend winters in Florida so don’t have a lot of winter clothes and now is not best time to buy 😝  Any suggestions?

 

The average temps are in the 50s and it can be windy, which will make it feel colder outside. 

 

If you are always in warm warm weather, even temps in the 50s may be uncomfortable for you. Keeping warm and dry is essential; if you are cold and wet, you aren't going to have a fun vacation.

 

Layering is the best way to dress and a warm layer such as polart-tec or wool under your rain gear will help keep you warm (I'm a fan of cashmere because it is light and thin to pack but keeps me really warm; I like down as well but it has to be kept dry to keep me warm).

 

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

Just got my weekly email from Karine, this week VikingTV is all about Iceland! 😊

https://viking.tv/?contid=30021854738_1003356166&utm_id=email_vrc.54099382&cid=EML|RSP|999|vrc.54099382&utm_source=email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=55presale

[Seaharvest]

As part of my prep for the cruise I looked into my ATT prepaid plan and how to add Iceland so I could get my text message regarding my Covid test results from the airport. My plan does not offer any international options and my husband's plan does not include Iceland. Have others looked into this and what are they finding.

[ericfromri]

9 minutes ago, Seaharvest said:

As part of my prep for the cruise I looked into my ATT prepaid plan and how to add Iceland so I could get my text message regarding my Covid test results from the airport. My plan does not offer any international options and my husband's plan does not include Iceland. Have others looked into this and what are they finding.

try tmobile

[FlyerTalker]

10 minutes ago, Seaharvest said:

As part of my prep for the cruise I looked into my ATT prepaid plan and how to add Iceland so I could get my text message regarding my Covid test results from the airport. My plan does not offer any international options and my husband's plan does not include Iceland. Have others looked into this and what are they finding.

 

You may want to get a prepaid SIM for your phone.  Here is a wiki page on phone options in Iceland:

 

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Iceland

 

Note that you can buy SIM cards on Icelandair flights, so you would have connectivity on landing.  I would want info sent, not by text to a specific phone number (which depends on the installed SIM), but to an email account accessible from any phone.

 

The general wiki page is a go-to reference for all of my travels -- I find that if I am more than a day or two in a country, it's generally better to get a local SIM.  For a New Zealand cruise, the local sim was a true bargain, also for Hong Kong, as was it for a number of other countries as well on other trips.

 

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data

 

I keep this bookmarked for travel needs, be it cruising or otherwise.

 

 

[Donaghadee]

30 minutes ago, Seaharvest said:

As part of my prep for the cruise I looked into my ATT prepaid plan and how to add Iceland so I could get my text message regarding my Covid test results from the airport. My plan does not offer any international options and my husband's plan does not include Iceland. Have others looked into this and what are they finding.

I've used this app shipboard several times.  I'm not 100% certain it works with all carriers, but it's worth a look.  Similar to WhatsApp in that it operates over the ship's WiFi system.  Set your phone to airplane mode but turn on WiFi.  No cell service required, and you don't have to deal with FB like WhatsApp.  And it's free.

 

https://www.vzmessages.com/introduction/index.html

 

Edit: Yes, it works with all US phone numbers irrespective of carrier.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Donaghadee

[Donaghadee]

1 hour ago, JeriGail said:

Here's another photo from one of the UK cruisers that was posted on the other site.  Viking removed the furs from the couches.

Looks a bit thin on furniture too.

[Seaharvest]

8 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

 

You may want to get a prepaid SIM for your phone.  Here is a wiki page on phone options in Iceland:

 

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Iceland

 

Note that you can buy SIM cards on Icelandair flights, so you would have connectivity on landing.  I would want info sent, not by text to a specific phone number (which depends on the installed SIM), but to an email account accessible from any phone.

 

The general wiki page is a go-to reference for all of my travels -- I find that if I am more than a day or two in a country, it's generally better to get a local SIM.  For a New Zealand cruise, the local sim was a true bargain, also for Hong Kong, as was it for a number of other countries as well on other trips.

 

https://prepaid-data-sim-card.fandom.com/wiki/Prepaid_SIM_with_data

 

I keep this bookmarked for travel needs, be it cruising or otherwise.

 

 

I would prefer my results come by email but all the info says text message which would mean a phone number. I have never used a prepaid data sim card so I will need to look into that and if my i-phone will take one..

[SantaFe1]

52 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

I would want info sent, not by text to a specific phone number (which depends on the installed SIM), but to an email account accessible from any phone.

I would want email too.  I wonder if there is a way we kind find out if they will do that...?

[LindaS272]

8 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I would want email too.  I wonder if there is a way we kind find out if they will do that...?

They have the Rakning app that some folks say their results were sent to. Only need wi-fi for that.

[Donaghadee]

13 minutes ago, SantaFe1 said:

I would want email too.  I wonder if there is a way we kind find out if they will do that...?

You don't need to spend any money for a cellular SIM card to message.  Simply install one of several apps that are FREE.  Like I mentioned earlier, Message+, WhatsApp and Signal, as well as others will allow you to text to your heart's content over the ship's WiFi system.  If you want to send email, that goes over the ship's Wifi system too.  Find a teenager to set it up for you. 🙃

 

Edit: Viking WiFi is FREE and available throughout the ship.  It's quite good.

Edited May 24, 2021 by Donaghadee

[SantaFe1]

2 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

They have the Rakning app that some folks say their results were sent to. Only need wi-fi for that.

I saw that the other day.  I guess I need to look into that.

 

1 minute ago, Donaghadee said:

Find a teenager to set it up for you. 🙃

This is my mantra!

[SantaFe1]

On the other hand, what would happen if I had registered, given my phone number, got to Iceland and they tried to send to that number to my phone w/o a SIM card?  Or what if I didn’t have a cell phone?