Viking Saturn—Bergen to Reykjavik-July 5-July 19

[Capt_BJ]

Wrt connectivity .... Comments about high latitude don't apply as rather than traditional maritime satellite this ship is using SpaceX Starlink which is low earth orbit network of satellites. I've checked my access at least once a day and it has never exceeded 10mbps, usually well below. Elon ain't convinced me he's got a winner yet. Maybe after a few hundred more of his satellites cloud the sky 🤔

 

[BlairsvilleCruiseGirl]

On 7/13/2023 at 3:51 AM, SJD117 said:

We’re on our way to Longyearben, about to pass Bear Island (the southernmost island in the Svalbard archipelago). The temperature has dropped like a rock — 77 degrees F yesterday, the low 40s and misty today. Brrrrrr! Perfect weather, though, for the Saturn’s Blue Nose ceremony in about an hour. Linda assures me that she will jump in the ice-cold water with no hesitation.😁

I'm curious if you did the Blue Nose ceremony, and if you did, did you have to kiss a fish?  LOL, I know that sounds funny, but I've seen YouTube videos of the ceremony with no fish involved, but also have read blogs where people said they had to kiss a fish!  🐟

[SJD117]

14 minutes ago, BlairsvilleCruiseGirl said:

I'm curious if you did the Blue Nose ceremony, and if you did, did you have to kiss a fish?  LOL, I know that sounds funny, but I've seen YouTube videos of the ceremony with no fish involved, but also have read blogs where people said they had to kiss a fish!  🐟

We did not kiss a fish! But we got a dab of something blue on our noses, just to prove we’d been crazy enough to participate. God almighty, that water was cold.

[SJD117]

2 minutes ago, SJD117 said:

We did not kiss a fish! But we got a dab of something blue on our noses, just to prove we’d been crazy enough to participate. God almighty, that water was cold.

@Clay Clayton You and Mike will have to participate in the Blue Nose ceremony! It was quite a production, and several dozen pax obliged by dunking themselves in the ice-cold water. In our case, we were especially (un)lucky — the staff “refreshed” the cold water with several new bags of ice right before we went in. The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

[Mpc524]

2 hours ago, SJD117 said:

@Clay Clayton You and Mike will have to participate in the Blue Nose ceremony! It was quite a production, and several dozen pax obliged by dunking themselves in the ice-cold water. In our case, we were especially (un)lucky — the staff “refreshed” the cold water with several new bags of ice right before we went in. The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

Same thing happened to me! As I was sitting there, they added 30 more bags of ice! 

[Mpc524]

2 hours ago, SJD117 said:

@Clay Clayton You and Mike will have to participate in the Blue Nose ceremony! It was quite a production, and several dozen pax obliged by dunking themselves in the ice-cold water. In our case, we were especially (un)lucky — the staff “refreshed” the cold water with several new bags of ice right before we went in. The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

We kissed a troll statue! It was SO much fun! The trick is to jump in and go under in one swoop. Once you’re in, all you can think about is getting out! 

[CurlerRob]

2 hours ago, BlairsvilleCruiseGirl said:

I'm curious if you did the Blue Nose ceremony, and if you did, did you have to kiss a fish?  LOL, I know that sounds funny, but I've seen YouTube videos of the ceremony with no fish involved, but also have read blogs where people said they had to kiss a fish!  🐟

 

Kissing the fish has been a feature of equatorial crossings on other lines we've sailed. I've not seen a fish involved for northern ceremonies.

 

PS - don't kiss the fish (or troll) - unfortunately, it was a great way to contract a GI illness on our first crossing many years ago! 🍺🥌

[CurlerRob]

8 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

Wrt connectivity .... Comments about high latitude don't apply as rather than traditional maritime satellite this ship is using SpaceX Starlink which is low earth orbit network of satellites. I've checked my access at least once a day and it has never exceeded 10mbps, usually well below. Elon ain't convinced me he's got a winner yet. Maybe after a few hundred more of his satellites cloud the sky 🤔

 

 

The Starlink issue is virtually no coverage over Scandinavia, Iceland and Greenland. May take at least a few hundred more ... https://satellitemap.space/   🍺🥌

[ericosmith]

8 hours ago, Capt_BJ said:

Wrt connectivity .... Comments about high latitude don't apply as rather than traditional maritime satellite this ship is using SpaceX Starlink which is low earth orbit network of satellites. I've checked my access at least once a day and it has never exceeded 10mbps, usually well below. Elon ain't convinced me he's got a winner yet. Maybe after a few hundred more of his satellites cloud the sky 🤔

 

I'm not sure those comments don't apply.  Check out the map.

 

https://satellitemap.space/

 

 

[Clay Clayton]

3 hours ago, SJD117 said:

@Clay Clayton You and Mike will have to participate in the Blue Nose ceremony! It was quite a production, and several dozen pax obliged by dunking themselves in the ice-cold water. In our case, we were especially (un)lucky — the staff “refreshed” the cold water with several new bags of ice right before we went in. The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

I'm hoping I can get the nerve up to do so.  Might be easier if I liked Aquavit😂

[Clay Clayton]

45 minutes ago, ericosmith said:

I'm not sure those comments don't apply.  Check out the map.

 

https://satellitemap.space/

 

 

Yeah, not much coverage at all!

 

[Twitchly]

4 hours ago, SJD117 said:

The pain was intense but brief — the aquavit that followed was a blessing.

I think I’d rather skip the dunk and go straight to the aquavit part. 

[Clay Clayton]

44 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

I think I’d rather skip the dunk and go straight to the aquavit part. 

🤮

[LindaS272]

2 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

Kissing the fish has been a feature of equatorial crossings on other lines we've sailed. I've not seen a fish involved for northern ceremonies.

Seems to be a Newfoundland feature—at least as it was described to us when we visited St. John’s. 🔱🐠🐟

[Clay Clayton]

26 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

Seems to be a Newfoundland feature—at least as it was described to us when we visited St. John’s. 🔱🐠🐟

Yup, I had to kiss a fish when I got "screeched in" and became an honorary Newfie. 

[CurlerRob]

4 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

Seems to be a Newfoundland feature—at least as it was described to us when we visited St. John’s. 🔱🐠🐟

 

The good news is that the screech is a perfect antibiotic! And, compared to where you are, Newfoundland is a southern resort! 😁  🍺🥌

[Sailor Sam 407]

We are now floating in the Norwegian Sea, as they tighten a screw on the propeller! It is only supposed to take an hour. We should have an update soon.

[Sailor Sam 407]

5 hours ago, Sailor Sam 407 said:

We are now floating in the Norwegian Sea, as they tighten a screw on the propeller! It is only supposed to take an hour. We should have an update soon.

All’s well. Full speed ahead.

[duquephart]

13 hours ago, Clay Clayton said:

Yup, I had to kiss a fish when I got "screeched in" and became an honorary Newfie. 

 

"had to" kiss a fish?

[LindaS272]

10 minutes ago, duquephart said:

 

"had to" kiss a fish?

If you want to be Schreeched in!

[Clay Clayton]

56 minutes ago, LindaS272 said:

If you want to be Schreeched in!

Exactly. 

[Capt_BJ]

Star link versus traditional maritime satellite

 

Is the difference between a moving set of small satellites versus a geostationary satellite. The ONLY place a geostationary orbit can be achieved is ruffly 23,000 miles above the equator. A position that becomes hard to see above 75 north and complicated by mountains in the line of sight. (At this height and in an equatorial orbit in same direction as rotation of earth the speed the bird needs to stay UP matches earth rotational speed and satellite appears to be stationary in the sky)

 

The low earth satellites as your map shows are moving but always in an orbit on a plane which passes thru the center of the earth (physics). Elon  has minimal coverage (orbits) covering the low population poles. Nor does he yet carry tv!

 

Note GPS is also A network of low earth orbit satellites. This network is 'complete' including polar orbits and usually at least 3 satellites are within sight and used to determine A 3 dimensional position

Edited July 16, 2023 by Capt_BJ

[LindaS272]

9 minutes ago, Capt_BJ said:

Star link versus traditional maritime satellite

 

Is the difference between a moving set of small satellites versus a geostationary satellite. The ONLY place a geostationary orbit can be achieved is ruffly 23,000 miles above the equator. A position that becomes hard to see above 75 north and complicated by mountains in the line of sight. (At this height and in an equatorial orbit in same direction as rotation of earth the speed the bird needs to stay UP matches earth rotational speed and satellite appears to be stationary in the sky)

 

The low earth satellites as your map shows are moving but always in an orbit on a plane which passes thru the center of the earth (physics). Elon  has minimal coverage (orbits) covering the low population poles. Nor does he yet carry tv!

 

Note GPS is also A network of low earth orbit satellites. This network is 'complete' including polar orbits and usually at least 3 satellites are within sight and used to determine A 3 dimensional position

Meaning…? 🫣

[LindaS272]

On 7/14/2023 at 2:13 PM, LindaS272 said:

I’ll only comment on food 👍; “entertainment” 👎; lectures 👍.  One side note about the entertainment—other than the first night with a destination violinist, we have not been to the shows.

That said. Last night Heather Clancy, CD, did a show and hit it out if the park (& I’m not a baseball fan). Opera, blues, gospel, general torch singing. She was fabulous! Sorry those boarding on July 19 will miss her since she was a fill-in between other CDs. The band was great, too—keyboardist and the two electric guitars. She gave them a run for their money. I gave her a high five afterwards 🥳

[CCWineLover]

8 hours ago, LindaS272 said:

That said. Last night Heather Clancy, CD, did a show and hit it out if the park (& I’m not a baseball fan). Opera, blues, gospel, general torch singing. She was fabulous! Sorry those boarding on July 19 will miss her since she was a fill-in between other CDs. The band was great, too—keyboardist and the two electric guitars. She gave them a run for their money. I gave her a high five afterwards 🥳

She does put on a great show and is quite talented, regardless of what people think of her personality.  (People either like or dislike her - nothing in between was our experience). We enjoyed her.