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Travel Pictures - Iceland, Land of Fire and Ice tour

Smiling Sam

Since the Travel Challenge is on leave until Monday. I thought another way to help pass the time during our confined periods would be for people that have upcoming tours to ask previous travelers on that tour to post their single favorite photo (I know almost impossible to pick just one - but lets try just one) and why it is their favorite from when they took that tour.

I'll start - I am booked on the Iceland, Land of Fire and Ice Tour for the end of June (hope I get to go). I would love to see what previous travelers on this tour think of as their single favorite picture.

Previous travelers on the Iceland tour simply post a picture in response in this discussion.

If others want to do the same thing then simply start a new discussion with the Name of the Tour in the title like I have and ask for posts from previous travelers.

Comments

British

This is a funny easy one from our tour.

I fell in love with the French Captain. We got on so well he invited us to join him on his private tender and go out with him to view the nesting puffins in the cliffs. If you like these pics I might show you some scenery. 😀This is sure easier on all those guess where this pic is.....and I keep seeing those when someone has already guessed correctly

British

The Captain and me

BKMD

I've been to Iceland 3 times - a long time ago. So long ago my pictures are on Kodachrome slides. Very interesting place.

Smiling Sam

British - Great pictures. I really like your stocking cap. What’s Mr. British think of your new dance partner? The captains on the Ponant ships always seem to be quite dashing and very personable. I’d love to see what your number one favorite scenery shot of Iceland is and why. From my research you could probably fill a coffee table book of beautiful scenery shots.

Smiling Sam

Here is the captain with me and my wife from the Venice and Dalmation Coast tour. As you can see, the captain is quite dashing!!! But of course the wife would say "I'm way better!" followed by a couple of chuckles and a grin.

cvc

I was never a bird watcher until Iceland - loved watching the puffins on Grimsey Island.

Smiling Sam

I love it. Does the puffin have a fish of some sort in its beak? Did you have a large telephoto lens or were you reasonably close when you took this shot?

BKMD

Smiling Sam 12:04PM Here is the captain with me and my wife ...

So which one is the captain?

Smiling Sam

BKMD - You're too kind!

cvc

We had to stay back from the puffins because they were nesting so I did use a telephoto. We were accompanied on the island with a woman who had done lectures on the ship about the different birds we would see. She took us to a spot where we could get good views. This puffin does have a fish in its beak - not sure what kind.

Smiling Sam

cvc - When were you on the tour? Were you north of the Arctic Circle when you took this shot? The literature says that the Arctic Circle cuts through Grimsley Island.

cvc

We were there in July of 2016. Looking at the order of my pictures, I think we were north of the Arctic Circle when I took pictures of the puffins. Tauck had a photograph area set up and a sign we could hold that said we had crossed the Arctic Circle. Of course we all stood in line to have our picture taken. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip - the scenery is beautiful. I hope you get to go - if it doesn't work out this year, I would definitely reschedule.

Smiling Sam

For those of you that have been or will be on a Ponant ship I just discovered the following for the ship that we will be on for our Iceland tour (likely they have this for each of their ships). You can see where in the world the ship is currently located and also see what is being seen at the time from the ships helm (webcam).

Smiling Sam

The link to the Le Champlain
https://us.ponant.com/le-champlain

British

It’s a little tricky looking at the thumbnails to post here, will try to whet your appetite Sam.

Smiling Sam

British - Great pictures. I’m surprised by the amount of wild flowers. It has to be a very short season. The waterfalls are amazing. I expected that. The number puffins and wild flowers are more of a surprise.

BKMD

Sam - don't forget that with 24h sun, photosynthesis goes 24/7 that time of year. I learned that in Alaska.

British

Ah, the flower closeups were in a botanical gardens.
The birds in flight were when we were in lthe ittle dinghy and there were hundreds of them dive bombing a shoal of fish that were jumping out of the water. They were not puffins, forget their name, my husband is the bird guy!

gladysorlando984

British those are wonderful pictures.

British

Wow thank you. Anyone can take these photos, the scenery makes them wonderful not the photographer.

Smiling Sam

Sounds like it will be 2021 before I get to go. I heard that the CDC is recommending a 100 day shutdown on all cruises. If that goes into place then we are past my departure date. I’m keeping hopeful, but the chances for 2020 are getting slim. With all the pictures that have been posted I’m even more excited to go on this trip.

British

This is.what I found. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0409-modifications-extension-no-sail-ships.html

British

When we took the Iceland tour in 2018, it was the new itinerary On literally a brand new ship, where you had choices of what you could see instead of the old itinerary where you saw and visited more places. It meant a lot more time on the ship. We had booked a regular sized cabin, which meant either lying on the bed or sitting on a small chair very near the bed. It was our very first ship experience apart from the Galapagos expedition ship. If I took this tour again, I would definitely upgrade to a suite. My husband liked to nap some afternoons, so I would go and sit in the deserted scenic lounge at the back of the ship and read., curled up on a comfy sofa.....my hubby is disturbed by even a page being turned.....Also, the bathroom is extremely small, so it is really impossible for you both to be in there when getting ready in the morning. I believe the suites have two bathrooms.
I was pleasantly surprised when we took our first river cruise the following year to find how big and well designed the bathroom was in a standard room. By this time, we had already booked a small ship cruise on the Panama canal, again on the brand new sister ship of the Iceland ship and again the regular room, so at least we knew what we were in for.

AlanS

Smiling Sam
April 10 edited April 10

Sounds like it will be 2021 before I get to go. I heard that the CDC is recommending a 100 day shutdown on all cruises. If that goes into place then we are past my departure date. I’m keeping hopeful, but the chances for 2020 are getting slim. With all the pictures that have been posted I’m even more excited to go on this trip.

British
6:27AM

This is.what I found. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0409-modifications-extension-no-sail-ships.html

That info only applies to ships departing from or returning to US ports.

Smiling Sam

If the US imposes the no cruise ships for 100 days I wonder if others will follow? And if not then would the US require a quarantine upon return?

AlanS

Smiling Sam
3:13PM

If the US imposes the no cruise ships for 100 days I wonder if others will follow? And if not then would the US require a quarantine upon return?

Only if they ask and you tell you were on a cruise ship before leaving Iceland, or somehow they find out- "Where did you stay in Iceland?" "Hmm, the Ponant Hotel, Cabin, er I mean, room #302."

British

Naughty Alan, that’s how the virus spreads, people not following sensible guidelines.

Smiling Sam

Kfnknfzk - that’s great that you’ve added this tour to your wish list. Beyond getting myself more excited, I thought this idea could help others. I would love to see new discussions about other tours that past travelers could inspire us with their photos.

Smiling Sam

Using the Ponant website ship tracker it looks like the ship, the Le Champlain, is headed from the Caribbean to Iceland ( albeit at a slow pace ). The first Iceland tour is at the start of June. Hope we’re so lucky that things are such that travel has opened up by June.

cvc

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but Tauck updated their website today announcing trip cancellations through June:
..."Due to continued uncertainty about our ability to deliver the level of experience you expect from Tauck, and consistent with the latest guidance from the U.S. State Department, we’ve decided to cancel all land tours and cruises with departure dates through June 30, 2020."