Marcie, Consider going to the airport, check your bags and then take a taxi into the city of Keflavik and just spend the day there. It is a walkable town with some museums, attractions and nice restaurants.

Yippee, Pop the Cork....Kim to the rescue.
They're planning to rent a car so we're going to split it and go exploring with them. I confirmed our dock with Silver Sea, "Mibakki" (used by smaller ships). There's 2 other ships in town that day (AIDAcara and Asotoria) never heard of either one.

I'm relieved and no longer feeling homeless or sequestered in the airport for 9 hours. It still slays me there's 2 Iceland Air non-stops from KEF to Seattle leaving 30 minutes apart. Kim & Alice @ 5:00 and Tom and me @ 5:30.

Marcie, great news!

Great, Marcie! Probably run into everyone along the way since I presume we are all headed to the same sites! We are being picked up by Dollar at 8:30. We will likely check into hotel so we can drop our luggage and then head to Blue Lagoon or waterfalls or whatever it is Andi and Rachel suggest since both have been before.
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Helen

We will probably run into you (hopefully not literally) as we are there for only one day so doing waterfalls, black sand beach, and blue lagoon on one long day.

I was going to login and make a goofy comment how we're all going to end up following each other around! Then I see I wasn't the only one picturing that! hehe!! We'll all have a great day!

A couple of days ago, I tried to research where the Explorer would be docking. I gave up at the time. Marcie researched it today and got the name Midbakki. I figured it out thanks to her tip! Midbakki is the name of the dock, in the Gamla Hofn (i.e., "old harbor"). On this website: View of Gamla Hofn harbor you can hover your cursor over the docks and it displays the dock names. Our dock is on the left, below the building with the bright blue roof.

The other larger harbor is Sundahofn. This is where the large cargo ships come in and I'm guessing big cruise ships. It's location is to the east from Gamla Hofn. Here is a map with the old harbor area in the upper left near where it says "Harpa" and the Sundahofn on the right. Zoom out to see more of the city. Reykjavik harbors

Also, the airport looks to be approx 43 minute drive from Gamla Hofn (approx 51 km). Google driving directions from harbor to airport

When I zoom in on the Google map, I see a Sixt rent a car location in Gamla Hofn by the Grandabakki dock. I'll try them.

Looks like we are at the farthest dock from Sixt; I see a taxi in our future. :(

Marc

The other blue roof . The smaller one. The Ingolfsgardur dock is near the larger building with the blue roof.

Maybe a 13 minute walk to Sixt? I bet they will pick us up. Walking map to Sixt from dock.

True, but if we were at Grandabakki we would be right at Sixt. :)

I made a reservation at Sixt. If Sixt doesn't deliver the car to our dock or pick us up, then probably Alice and I will just leave our stuff with Tom and Marcie and we will just walk over there to get the car. Then come back and get Tom and Marcie.

Kim, sounds like a plan; I can leave Arlene with Tom and Marcie and walk down with you; however, it would be nice if they picked us up.

Marc

I'll try to contact them at some point to see what kind of arrangement we can make.

My memory isn't what it used to be; I just want to confirm no sports coats; just shirtsleeves for dinner.

thanks,

Marc

That's what George wearing.

Ditto for Tom, every night casual

The current Silver Explorer Iceland to Longyearbyen cruise left Reykjavik on Friday; here is the link to the Voyage Journal:

http://www.silversea.com/expeditions/voyage-journals/7713/1/

They are a couple of days behind but it will whet the appetite. Still a lot of ice on north and east coasts of Svalbard so will be interesting to read the reports when they get there next week.

Marc

Thanks, Marc! We love this ship and our little cabin under the stairs. Can't wait to get back onboard.
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Helen

Thanks Marc. I'm with you Helen, something really special about this ship and we can't wait to get back on.

Thanks for the link, Marc. Reading it reminded me of our previous Reykjavik to Svalbard cruise on Explorer, so I pulled up my blog on CC from that trip. Here is the link:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1650860&highlight=jan+mayen

It made me a bit nostalgic as a couple of the people who posted are good friends, now departed--Orpington and Duct Tape.

Also, it was the first time I did a blog using my ipad only, so there are major editing issues. But there is also good info for anyone who is interested.

For those that have sailed Svalbard on Silver Explorer before; are the landings all wet landings? Wondering whether to bring hiking books for the hikes or will we need to use their (tall) boots?

thanks,

Marc,

When Brayden and I did the arctic trip that started from Tromso in 2010 my memory is that there were not a lot of landings. There were some but not like Antarctica. If we see polar bears we will see them from the ship or from a zodiac as they do not want people on the land any where near where the polar bears could be a problem. The mud boots do help keep you feet warm in the zodiac. My recollection is that there were more trips out in the zodiac to see ice , birds etc . Not sure this helps a lot. Maybe Ngaire would add her recollections and others that have done similar cruise in the arctic.

I can echo Ralph's comments and we were on the same cruise (which actually circumnavigated Svalbard.) If you are on land for a short stop and a polar bear is spotted, even more than a mile away, they get you right back into the zodiacs. You view bird colonies and ice floes from the zodiacs. The only long stop where you do a lot of walking is Longyearbyen where you are docked and can wear shoes.

I did bring my hiking shoes and did use them on the times we were at an actual dock. For the wet landings, you need there waterproof tall boots, but there aren't that many. Last time we went, I brought my hot pink muck boots, which were new at the time, but they have been out to the ranch a lot since then. And I don't want to pack them in a suitcase, no matter how clean I try to get them, so I will use the ship's boots. George will too--hope they have a size 13.

I would say on the previous trip, it was 50/50 as far as dry vs wet landings. IMO you do need to bring hiking shoes or boots.

Do the boots that Silversea provides go over your shoes? Or do you have to wear just your socks in the boots?

Just socks.

Figures. (Eew)

Kim, The boots are rubber wellies . Most I think have been left by previous guests. We bring our own.
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Helen

That's what we will do then. Alice has some. I'll get some on Amazon. Thanks!

See youse soon!

Kim, I have a pair made by Helly Hansen and I love them - really comfortable! They came from either Zappos or Amazon.

Thanks, Kathy. The ones I ordered from Amazon arrive today. They are from a UK company. If I don't like them, I'll try the HH, which I saw when browsing Amazon.

I'm wondering about the need for cash while on the ship. In Oslo we can use credit cards. What are the chances of needing cash in Norwegian krone while on the ship when we are in "ports"?

None. Only port is Longyearbyen and they should transfer us straight from airport to ship.

Silver Explorer in Tromso today to pick up replenishments. I sure hope they are brining on extra large supplies of Santa Margherita, Red Wine, and Scotch!!! And don't forget the potato chips; ruffles with ridges!!!

Marc

and I hope they load up with Sambuca !!!

I will never forget Marc and Arlene looking for Diet Coke in a tiny town in Greenland at the grocery store. NOWHERE for supplies on that Northwest Passage.

Ngaire, it wasn't Diet Coke; Susan scored a whole case of Coke Zero for Russell; she probably bought out the whole town's annual supply.

I hope they have brought on a huge extra supply of Coke Zero for George. Last Arctic trip, they ran out of both coke zero and diet coke as well as bacon. (The bacon is for me!)

I knew it was some kind of COKE. But it was fun to see that purchase. Supplies are tough on these expedition cruises.

Ngaire, you where not along when Jerry decided he just could not go another day without Special K protein drinks. The supermarket (?) in Nuuk, Greenland actually had that!

Starting to get packed and I have run across extra waterproof pants, anyone need them?
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Helen