Iceland's Natural Beauty General - 2022

[Doc who loves to travel]

1 hour ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I've read that bug repellent doesn't work for midges.  I assume that's true, but don't really know.  I just plan to wear my lovely midge netting with a somewhat broad-brimmed hat. Since the "Natural Treasures" excursion goes to Myvatn, and that translates to "Midge Lake," I figure I'll need it!

Oh I love that.  I agree about the bug repellent thing.  What worries me is that we will find Mosquitoes like we encountered in Alaska, the kind that are big enough to fly away with a grown man....

[DaveSJ711]

23 minutes ago, Doc who loves to travel said:

Oh I love that.  I agree about the bug repellent thing.  What worries me is that we will find Mosquitoes like we encountered in Alaska, the kind that are big enough to fly away with a grown man....

No skeeters in Iceland.

[LindaS272]

I’ve been meaning to ask about the lunch place for the Heart of the Glacier tour from Reykjavik. We drove out to Husafell last Monday where the guides for that tour are based, went to Reykholt (medieval studies center), the two waterfalls, and saw the hot springs. But we didn’t see an “expansive estate” where the tour said you’d get lunch. Can anyone on that tour describe where it was? Just curious.

 

[TayanaLorna]

5 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

I've read that bug repellent doesn't work for midges.  I assume that's true, but don't really know.  I just plan to wear my lovely midge netting with a somewhat broad-brimmed hat. Since the "Natural Treasures" excursion goes to Myvatn, and that translates to "Midge Lake," I figure I'll need it!

The last thing I want to do is put bug spray on my face especially DEET so I bring a head covering net.  Maybe I would put a mild bug spray, like for children, on my net.

[Twitchly]

8 hours ago, IWantToLiveOverTheSea said:

Absolutely beautiful!

 

Thank you! We were fortunate in our timing — it was practically empty because of the lateness of the day, and the mist made everything look even more surreal than usual. 

It’s hard to take a bad photo in Iceland. What a beautiful place.

[Twitchly]

Will the Heart of the Glacier excursion take you inside one of the glaciers? If so, we did that when we visited a couple years ago, and it was fantastic! We ended up driving in a whiteout blizzard (in September!) out on the glacier itself, even though it was relatively clear and much warmer down below. The interior of the glacier was magical, if damp. (They provided boots and waterproof gear to wear over your clothes.) Unforgettable.

 

 

[jeremybe]

4 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

I’ve been meaning to ask about the lunch place for the Heart of the Glacier tour from Reykjavik. We drove out to Husafell last Monday where the guides for that tour are based, went to Reykholt (medieval studies center), the two waterfalls, and saw the hot springs. But we didn’t see an “expansive estate” where the tour said you’d get lunch. Can anyone on that tour describe where it was? Just curious.

 

we are driving there in two weeks - How was the drive? Any pointers/tips would be appreciated!!

[VI_Lounger]

15 hours ago, Seaharvest said:

For the sake of the group I will bring my well worn net and will gladly not have to use it. 😁

If you are on Golden Circle and National Treasures on the 7/3 cruise, you'll be with me so you'll be safe. Mosquitos, no see-ums, and midges all love me and eat me alive and my partner, Joe, isn't touched. I'll be the one in the net with a swarm around me. You're welcome 😕   🦟

[Doc who loves to travel]

Does anyone have restaurant suggestions for Reykjavik?  We have two nights and I want to make reservations if needed…

[jeremybe]

53 minutes ago, Doc who loves to travel said:

Does anyone have restaurant suggestions for Reykjavik?  We have two nights and I want to make reservations if needed…

 

We are doing a foodie tour in Reykjavik and they recommended the following:

 

Matarkjallarinn (Food Cellar) restaurant: This is my first recommendation to you! A brilliant and super exciting restaurant & cocktail bar that just opened their doors last summer and is located in a 160-year-old building in the heart of Reykjavik. Their cuisine is 'Brasserie' which shows in their cozy and relaxed atmosphere but the focus is on fresh local ingredients. They are also one of the most exciting cocktail bars in Reykjavik with award-winning bartenders in their team. Guests can enjoy live piano music every weekend and some weeknights.

KOL restaurant: KOL is and has been one my favorites throughout the last year. They make really amazing classic and "comfort food" cuisines and everything with an Icelandic twist. Seafood, finger food, and awesome cocktails are among the things on the menu and last but not least, the chefs at this venue are some of the most experienced ones in Reykjavik. If you're looking to kick-start the night, then KOL is also a good spot. They specialize in craft cocktails and were among the first ones in Iceland to make their own drinks from scratch. Located in front of Hallgrímskirkja church in downtown Reykjavík.

Sjávargrillið (Seafood Grill): For me personally, I would say it's one of the absolute best restaurants in Reykjavik right now, especially when it comes to seafood. They are located right downtown near the big church, so in a great location. It was funded by a local chef who comes from a tiny fishing village up North. They want their guests to experience Iceland through their food so they serve outstanding, authentic local food and try to offer fair prices. The atmosphere is cozy, quality service and the perfect place if you want to dig deeper into Icelandic cuisine!

 

[oldgeez]

2 hours ago, Doc who loves to travel said:

Does anyone have restaurant suggestions for Reykjavik?  We have two nights and I want to make reservations if needed…

We always make sure to visit Messinn. Great fish pans. 
https://messinn.com/english/

[Msgolferfhcc]

From some replies, it appears that Viking is letting people wander on their own or take private excursions. Is this true?  We’re going 8/17. I’ve put in the question to our TA to check with Viking. 

[peribit]

Does anyone know if I can use the same cell phone number for my wife and myself to pre-register for entry to Iceland?

 

[BQEC]

57 minutes ago, peribit said:

Does anyone know if I can use the same cell phone number for my wife and myself to pre-register for entry to Iceland?

 

Now that's a very good question. 

[Clay Clayton]

2 hours ago, Msgolferfhcc said:

From some replies, it appears that Viking is letting people wander on their own or take private excursions. Is this true?  We’re going 8/17. I’ve put in the question to our TA to check with Viking. 

They are allowing this on the current cruise. Those folks were notified just before they left. I do not believe anyone on the July 3rd cruise has reported if they have been similarly notified.  We are on July 10th and have not. 

[Clay Clayton]

Viking’s landslide services continues to confound me. Folks who are signed up for a Viking transfer don’t get the email telling them about the morning at the museum or whatever and today we get the attached email even though we don’t have Viking Air and aren’t flying Icelandic.  Anyway, I guess too much information is better than not enough but it’s weird. 

[Mehroswitha]

I received E-Documents for our July 13 Iceland cruise several days ago, but my husband on the same booking did not. (Confirmation in the documents of flights, excursions, and so forth are only for me.) I immediately messaged TellUs and received an automated acknowledgment but so far nothing else. 1) What more can we do to get his documents? 2) Do we have a serious problem if they don't show up? Thanks for any advice or insights.  

[Clay Clayton]

18 minutes ago, Mehroswitha said:

I received E-Documents for our July 13 Iceland cruise several days ago, but my husband on the same booking did not. (Confirmation in the documents of flights, excursions, and so forth are only for me.) I immediately messaged TellUs and received an automated acknowledgment but so far nothing else. 1) What more can we do to get his documents? 2) Do we have a serious problem if they don't show up? Thanks for any advice or insights.  

FWIW, We only received one email. It included two PDFs, one for each of us. 

Edited July 1, 2021 by Clay Clayton

[FoggyEthan]

32 minutes ago, Clay Clayton said:

They are allowing this on the current cruise. Those folks were notified just before they left. I do not believe anyone on the July 3rd cruise has reported if they have been similarly notified.  We are on July 10th and have not. 

I know that all this is true, but it's very hard to imagine them giving this benefit to the first cruise and not to later cruises. I can't come up with any rationalization for it. But we'll see soon enough.

[azjoy]

1 hour ago, peribit said:

Does anyone know if I can use the same cell phone number for my wife and myself to pre-register for entry to Iceland?

 

We had no problem using one cel phone number.

[peribit]

9 minutes ago, azjoy said:

We had no problem using one cel phone number.

Do you register both people at the same time?

[azjoy]

55 minutes ago, peribit said:

Do you register both people at the same time?

The pre-registration is for one person at a time.  You will receive 1 email per person with the confirmation/bar code.  I used different email addresses for us but the same phone number.  

You can go to the website and start the process if you're more comfortable.   Just don't submit it until 3 days before arrival.

Edited July 1, 2021 by azjoy
correct typo

[anaco_angler]

1 hour ago, Mehroswitha said:

I received E-Documents for our July 13 Iceland cruise several days ago, but my husband on the same booking did not. (Confirmation in the documents of flights, excursions, and so forth are only for me.) I immediately messaged TellUs and received an automated acknowledgment but so far nothing else. 1) What more can we do to get his documents? 2) Do we have a serious problem if they don't show up? Thanks for any advice or insights.  

We are on the same sailing. No luggage tags, no E-Documents.

[gskimmel]

1 hour ago, Clay Clayton said:

They are allowing this on the current cruise. Those folks were notified just before they left. I do not believe anyone on the July 3rd cruise has reported if they have been similarly notified.  We are on July 10th and have not. 

I asked about the July 27th sailing this morning and was told we are still restricted to Viking only excursions and cannot explore on our own.  Hope this changes by the time we sail.

[Mehroswitha]

As was probably predictable, I received a call from Jo at "Tell Us"within 45 minutes of posting my inquiry above (# 2442). She had no more idea than I did why my husband's documents had not arrived but re-sent them on the spot. All good now!

 

anaco_angler: Our tags and so forth arrived a couple of weeks (or more) ago. You might want to query "Tell Us" about both issues.