Good info Andi. Not sure what to do since we have 1 free night by Regent and they're choosing the Grand (Regent must get a great deal) the Hilton would cost us a little more but not enough to worry about if it's superior. Both the Grand and Hilton sound excellent and both have shuttle into town since neither are in the center of town.

I looked at flybus and it doesn't appear it stops at the Hilton ??
http://www.re.is/Flybus/PickUp/

Isn't that the best way to get from the airport to hotel. I've never been to Iceland so all new to me!!
With things always changing, I wouldn't book any hotel room that I couldn't cancel and get 100% refund. Andi, was your cc billed in USD ?

It was billed in Icelandic dollars, but it isn't charged unless we stay. We are FULLY refundable and can cancel up to 4pm the night before. Our credit card only holds the room.

My rates definitely include my spouse for free. It even says so on the reservation. I am not sure if this is because I am a Hilton honors member, but I don't think so.


Rate per night: 25700 ISK
Tax & Service Charges:
• Taxes are included.
Additional Charges:
• Self parking: 0/night
Rate Rules and Cancellation Policy:
Clients: 1 Adult
Room Type: QUEEN EXECUTIVE ROOM
Preferences: Non-Smoking; King
Your room type preferences have been submitted with your reservation, and are subject to hotel availability.
Comments and Requests: SPOUSE STAYS FREE ///,

Interesting about Flybus. Thanks for the info, Marcie. I will check with the hotel about the best way to get there.

On another note: tours. I am taking a golden circle jeep tour with Brad and Leslie who kindly invited me to join them. I am looking for a tour for the the 19th. Doug is arriving on the 20th and we are planning on doing a night tour called Lunar Landscapes.


The lunar landscape at Reykjanes, with all it´s volcanos and different lava formations, gives you a good idea why Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin came to Iceland to practice their moonwalk. Our adventure is not quite as extreme but still very extra terrestrial.
You might call this a "hot" tour since we experience geothermal power, blowing steam, hot springs and endless lava before a relaxing soak in the Blue Lagoon.

We start by going driving up to the geothermal area around Hengill volcano and visit the geothermal powerplant. Not only do we get to go into the powerplant but we also drive into the lava field and feel first hand the power of a blowing borhole.

We then continue through a secret little track where we need to cross an unbridged river many times before we get back to a main road (our driverguides love this bit). We don't stay long on the main road but go into another lavafield where you have the opportunity to do some caving in a lava tube cave.

A bit further we see how Icelanders still dry fish in the lava field just outside of the capital area - even if it's just a few miles from the city, it still the middle of nowhere. A few minutes later we are again away from all city lights off-roading on the Super-Jeep in lunar-like landscape which is vast, barren and deserted with many volcanoes and endless lava. We are in fact driving right where the tectonic plates meet; the Eurasia-plate and the North America-plate. This is the reason why the Reykjanes Peninsula is so volcanic.

We make our way along the rough tracks to Lake Kleifarvatn, a secluded mountain lake with black sanded beaches. At Seltun in Krysuvik we will explore a large geothermal area with many hot springs, boiling mud pools and blowing steamvents. Some journalists have said this are to be more facinating than other more known than the more famous Geysir area. There are certainly fewer people and it is a strange and colorful world.

In the spring it's worth while to take a look at the Atlantic ocean from the sea cliffs at Krýsuvik which is brimming with sea birds. Later in the afternoon we go by the back roads to the Blue Lagoon for a relaxing soak before heading back to Reykjavik.
The Reykjanes tour is also ideal to do in the afternoon and evening. This adds to the mystery and the extraterrestrial feeling. After relaxing in the Blue Lagoon you have dinner in it´s award winning restaurant before we go hunting for the Northern Lights on the way back to Reykjavik.

We are also looking into a jeep tour on the 21st.

21st Tour idea 1
Thorsmork Nature Reserve - a Real 4x4 Adventure Day Tour from Reykjavik


Thorsmork is a wide valley named after Thor, the Viking God of Thunder. The rugged nature of green valleys, steep mountains, clear creeks and wild rivers make Thorsmork one of the country´s most popular hiking grounds.

Surrounded by 3 glaciers, Myrdalsjokull, Eyjafjallajokull and Tindfjallajokull in the southern part of Iceland, it offers a great picturesque panorama and landscape. It´s only about 160 km east of Reykjavik but the last 30 km is one of greatest strips of mountain track you encounter – with unbrigded rivers and streams to cross in our strong and reliable Super Jeeps. It´s a great 4x4 track and a lot of fun.

We´ll take a photo stop by a glacier lagoon where you can get real close to the falling glacier and icebergs. In Thorsmork we stop for a couple of hours to enjoy the fantastic landscape, have lunch or take a short hike. On the way back you have the opportunity to take a short hikes through small but magnificient canyons with a hidden waterfall at the end.

We will also stop at the clear freefalling waterfall of Seljalandsfoss where we go a short walk behind the waterfall and feel the refreshing spray and drizzle from one of Iceland´s highest waterfalls. Once in Reykjavik we will drop you off at your hotel or a restaurant of your choice.

21st Tour idea 2

Iceland´s Magnificient West Super-Jeep Day Tour: Lava Tube, Hot Spring, Waterfalls & Glacier

This Nature Explorer adventure day tour starts by driving to Thingvellir where the oldest parliament in world was founded and you can see the tectonic plates drift apart. After Thingvellir we cross the rough mountain road of Kaldidalur (Cold Valley) were we enjoy great variety in barren landscape before reaching Langjokull, Iceland´s second largest glacier. After a short cruise on the white plains of the glacier on the Super-Jeep we continue to one of Iceland´s largest and most magnificient lava caves, Surtshellir which was inhabited by outlaws. We can provide you with headlights so you have the option of caving and explore the strange lava formations. We continue down to Borgarfjordur to see Hraunfossar (Lava Waterfalls) where the river flows from underneath the lava field and cascades down into river. Just a few meters away there´s another great waterfall, Barnafoss. We pass through the historical site of Reykholt before visiting Iceland´s most powerful geothermal spring, Deildartunguhver. Return to Reykjavik via scenic Hvalfjordur (Whale Fjord).
Anyone interested in joining me to do anything on the 19th?


Anyone interested in joining us on either of our other adventures?

Not sure we have new booking number for #2 Viking - tried Viking #1 booking nada - so no excurions/restaurants till that is settled - No problem willing to wait -

Hey Joanna, know the ING part is not what you booked, but know what, you may just have gotten the better part of the deal.

Enjoy, have fun, and you guys, Tom, Marcie, Tom and Mona, remember us in a toast one night ---- we wanna be there!!!!!! We will be, in spirit.

You are right JoAnn - I didn't mind #1 Viking, 13 nights, going into NYC and Boston and some sea days - BUT the replacement trip sure is OK - we will toast and miss you and Frank very much!!!

The Hilton is out of alphabetical order on the flybus web site - it is right under the Icelandair hotel.

Also, if you book online then you put KEF Int. Airport as the pick up point. And you want the flybus+ ticket which includes drop off at your hotel vs, just a central point.

We're doing a Thorsmork/South Coast tour on the 17th, not a super jeep one though, Andi so we can let you know how it is but you might want to contact them to see what their reservation lead time is.

I don't know how many of you are aware of this...I may just have been clueless...but if you pre-book tours FOR ANY PORT ON THIS CRUISE, you cannot apply your credit to tours. You can only apply your credit to tours if you sign up on board. I am going to wait to sign up for my remaining tours til we get on board in order to use up our credit. I may even cancel and resign up in order to use our credit.

There's lots of tours you can book online in Reykjavik without going through Regent. Haven't really looked, but they're probably cheaper also.
Everyone who has time should definitely do the Golden Circle tour, it's probably the most interesting tour we've ever taken--however it is an all day tour, so you need one full day to do it. The other really fun thing to do in Reykjavik is the Blue Lagoon. It's kind of a hot spring type thing but the bottom is a silica mud that you can put all over your body and it makes your skin really, really soft. It's supposedly very therapeutic. The only problem with the Blue Lagoon is that you may freeze your tushie off when you get out. Reykjavik is not a warm place--so bring jackets, etc. Just doing a tour around Reykjavik is pretty interesting also--there is a hop on hop off bus you can take. You can find Iceland tours on the Icelandair website or by just searching Reykjavik tours.
Editing to add: Marcie, I agree--I wish Regent would get their act together and let us know what the deal is on the hotel. I'd probably rather stay at the Hilton myself. Also, weren't we going to get a private van to pick the six of us up at the airport? And there's still hope that Regent will pony up for the transportation I think.

Yes Peggy. I know Ngaire was going to bat for us to try and see if we could get airport pick-up included. I think we're in a holding pattern on this one.

...the Hilton does sound nice and I like getting Hilton points. I was told that 100% sure the hotel we are getting via Regent for free night was The Grand (but after the past few weeks, we know nothing is ever 100% !!)

Yes, I guess we'll just have to continue to sit in the holding pattern for a while longer. I doubt the Hilton will fill up, so we can always change later if it makes sense to do that.

Thanks for the heads up on spouse staying free Andi. They don't tell you that when you make the reservation on line so I made it for two guests. I called Hilton and they confirmed the spouse does stay for free and lowered the rate to the one guest rate. So if anyone else decides to make a reservation at the Hilton just book for one guest. Tom.

I have no problem switching to Hilton BUT it is in my TA's hands (Marcie) ..she always makes the right decisons! The Hilton rate is amazing - thanks Andi for heads up regardless of where "we" stay - editing to say we do not get the free night perk so Hilton may be answer for us

Thanks Tom - Changed our Hilton reservation to the one person rate. The rate has steadily dropped since I originally booked it so it pays to keep checking on the rates.

The documents have arrived!!!. Tom.

We received our documents today - am I missing something - I don't see a "cruise ticket/document" enclosed? Is it now just the itinerary detail sheet?

We didn't get a "ticket" either. Perhaps they no longer feel they need to include it. Tom.

No more cruise ticket booklets, only the print out sheet. I liked the booklets as I knew not to throw that away!

We got our airline e-tickets like that - a piece of paper. Very nerve wracking for someone who had not flown in 8 years.

It worked though which is all that counts!

Everything went as smooth as silk on our return flight - we were escorted from the Rome airport hotel, through all the officialdom, to the plane and were met just outside the door of the plane in NY and deposited in our car. Absolutely perfect.

Thank you Regent!

Peggy, after not flying for 8 years, I hope you appreciated all that attention! You didn't get to see the "real world" as it is now for travel. The getting there part has become "yuk"!

Sorry your cruise ended so abruptly on the wrong side of the pond, but it was great hearing your always reasoned commentary along the way.

We couldn't find anything in the documents that indicated the dress codes. Does anyone know what to expect? Tom.

That's crazy. NOT what the ladies want, no direction! You have a very port intensive itinerary, maybe no formal nights!

I printed the itinerary with dress codes from the old website a while back, so don't know if it's still valid. The formal nights are May 22 (Heimaey) and May 29 (Cobh), there's one informal night on May 25 (Portree) and all the rest are CCC.

Tom, there is an insert in my docs that states that there are 2 formal and 1 informal nights, the rest are country club casual; and that attire will be designated onboard in the daily program.

On another note - we are within 30 days until sailing - anyone able to make restaurant reservations?

When I log in it says:
"Dining reservations for this cruise are not yet available. Please check back approximately 30 days prior to sailing to make your reservations."

and FINALLY - a somewhat confusing and disturbing note on the pre-purchased tour sheet:

"No substitutions are allowed and no refunds or credit will be issued for individual Your World Tours not taken, unless canceled by Regent"

I am taking this to refer to a no-show, right?

Leslie: I got same message for restaurant booking at 5 PM - called Regent on hold 10 minutes, ugh, and then gentleman, who didn't grasp I was 28? days from booking dining, checked and told me to call back later tonight or tomorrow morning - system down - may be up now for all I know - I am Regented out today -

Leslie, this surely will discourage on-line bookings, not being able to cancel within the range of time Regent used to allow on the ship. Not going to sit well with passengers!

And you can't use your credit for tours if pre-booked too. So, it is better to wait to book on the ship. I was going to book more tours, but decided to hold off.

Thanks Leslie. I found the insert. Tom.

I think that language on the confirmation sheet must refer to no-shows or maybe to a pre or post tour.

In the booking area online there is a whole long paragraph of terms and conditions that you have to check that you agree with, including a 36 hr cancel period:
-----------------------------

In order to ensure quality guides and sufficient transportation, we must provide the tour operator with passenger counts at least 36 hours in advance. Therefore no refunds will be given within 36 hours of tour departure for cancellations or no-shows. Please pay special attention to scheduling and tour lengths when booking your shore excursions. In many cases, it is not possible to participate in more than one tour per day in a given port. Tours operate rain or shine. Tours require minimum participation levels to operate so please sign up as early as possible. Tours may be cancelled if minimum participation levels are not met. Prices, Itineraries and General Information shore excursion prices are subject to change to meet unexpected cost increases or currency fluctuations. The information provided here is current as of today. However, changes may occur before your scheduled departure. Please consult the Destination Services Desk onboard for information and current pricing. During local or national holidays, access to certain facilities (such as museums or archaeological sites) may be limited or denied. In such instances, adjustments will be made to minimize inconvenience to guests. Some tours have limited availability. Please sign up early to avoid disappointment. Regent Seven Seas Cruises reserves the right to require guests to complete a liability waiver for select shore excursions. For more information, please visit the Destination Services Desk onboard. To make changes to tours already purchased, please contact Regent Reservations at 877.505.5370

Accept Terms
-----------------------

I just called Regent and was told 2 Formal nights (May 22 & 29) and only 1 informal (25th). These are always subject to change. I know Signatures is always Informal...is Prime 7 the dress code of the night ?

Yes, Prime 7 is the dress code of the night.

I just got a post from Hilton that the airport is only 10 minutes from Hilton and 8.000 ISK by taxi

The Hilton might be 10 minutes from the domestic airport (REK), which is right in Reykjavik, but Keflavík, (KEF) the international airport, is about 30 miles from Reykjavik - probably about 45 minutes away.

The flybus+, which will drop you at the hotel, is 2200 ISK. That's what we plan to do.

Andi, are you sure that is the distance to the international airport? I think there there is a domestic airport that is closer to downtown.

The hotel's website is unclear. It shows one airport being 4 km from the hotel and the other airport 50 km. Tom.

Sorry, I didn't realize Leslie and I were posting at the same time.

We're at the Grand Hotel...the hotel Regent chose for complimentary night. I have no idea distance from KEF Airport, Peggy set it all up :hug: Only know it's about $23. USD per person.

Thanks for clearing this up. I saw two times and the directions seemed the same so I thought I misunderstood. Thanks, Leslie and Tom for the correction. I hope I can manage the Flybus by myself with all my luggage. Usually, I have Doug....

For those who care about this stuff:

Currently, 1000 ISK = about US$5.72
so, 2200 ISK would = about US$12.59

Sounds pretty cheap to me.

Doug

Marcie - the Grand Hotel is fairly close to the Hilton. Both are a bit of a way from the center of Reykjavik - maybe a 20 minute walk or short cab drive. (I think Joanna is already lacing up her hiking boots. ;) )

We are renting a car from Avis on Tuesday - I searched unsuccessfully a few map programs for a map of the address of the city office. I finally found a blog that linked to the Iceland office so I e-mailed them - they will come get us on Tuesday and then drop us off at the pier on Thursday.

For those of you on the 21 May cruise aboard Voyager, there is a schedule update on cruisecritic. Apparently, Capt McNiell says the ship will leave the yard at Genoa 16 May for sea trials and then make a 4 day trip to Reykjavik to pick up pax on schedule. Hope you all have a great cruise!

Thanks, Doug.