We can't do both this and Grand Prix Rod, just can't make the travel budget work.

How have you tried to contact me? We talked on the phone not too long ago re Hawaii.

My email is the same, and the office phone you called me on is the same. Try again by email on the icon at top. Weird, nothing has changed.

Here is an updated roll call-Please let me know if there are any inaccuracies!

Eugene and Gail 711
Rod and Cynthia
Dave and Joan 645
Ken and Sheila 647
Cindy and David
Mary Ellen and Jim 721
Ngaire and Ken
Mitch and Bert 643
Andrea 648
Sheila and Ken 647
Mark and Cheron 646
Maddy and Paul 716
Jan and Fred
Paul and Susan 709
Dave and Maxine 729

Actually, I think our names show up twice on the list.

I just removed one of you! Thanks.

FYI, dining reservations on SHAMROCK are now open for booking.

Mitch, Please remove our names from the list. What a wonderful cruise this will be but we just had to cancel when we booked Taj Mahal.

Carolyn and Don

We will miss you-I have updated the list again.

Mitch, you can update the roll call on your original post by clicking the button at the top of your message

Fred and I would like to see the Giants Causeway while in Belfast. But he can't walk fast enough to keep up with the group so I have been looking into a private guide. I have found one that gets good reviews and will customize a day for us. He has a 6-passenger van.

We walk pretty slow and Fred doesn't do anything very strenuous - although he walked up 122 steps in Hawaii last month! Sometimes he waits for me while I go exploring and come back and get him. We were thinking of a full day to see that area of Northern Ireland, with a stop for lunch at an Irish Pub.

Is anyone interested in joining us? If you are, let me know and I'll get you the information.

We would be picked up at the ship.

Jan

Jan, I took The Giants Causeway excursion last August off the Voyager. Once you get to the site, there is a restaurant and souvenir shop. You can take a bus down and back, so Fred won't have to walk. I recommend getting in line early to come back up as on our trip, the line was long.

Thanks, for the info, Beth. Unfortunately, the vistors center is under major renovation so we don't know whether it will be fixed or not.

It is just very difficult for us to do any of the included tours anymore with any kind of walking. We can't keep up with the group so don't hear the guide and are often way behind getting back to the bus.

So I think we will still do a private excursion.

We don't mind the tours that don't have a lot of walking.

This is one reason we are trying Seaborne in 2013 so we don't pay for excursions we can't do.

Jan, The new visitor's center was in the construction stage in August. I forgot to tell you that once our bus reached the visitor's center we were on our own for over an hour. So we were at our own pace after that.

Hope you can find some fun ways to enjoy the ports. I know the other passengers will be a lot of fun, too!

Bert and are getting into Reykjavik a few days before we join Shamrock and I am getting final plans ready for our hotel stay, tours, etc. Ran across several articles claiming that Reykjavik may be home to world's best hotdog. Thought some of you might find these links of interest:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/victoria-haschka/best-hot-dog-in-the-world-iceland_b_844305.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=762AoHV2OX0

Thanks, Mitch. Sounds great. I've bookmarked the page so I won't forget to get a hot dog in Reykjavik.

Actually the great hot dogs are available at service stations in Iceland. Wrapped in bacon!!

Yum! Can't wait. That has to beat the putrified shark which is apparently a local specialty. I have fairly wide-ranging tastes and consider myself a liberal eater, but I think I will pass on that one.

Mitch,
There's an excellent seafood restaurant by the harbor in Reykjavik. It's in an old sailing boat. The local cod and lobster are both superb. There's also another seafood restaurant near there (don't remember the name but it's advertised.) We'll try that one when we get there in May. Did you know you can get your bus ticket from the airport to city online? http://www.re.is/Flybus/ You can arrange drop off at most local hotels. The 1 hour trip would cost a fortune by cab.
Jim

Jim-

I think you may be talking about the Fish Company. We have made reservations there the day we get to Iceland. The Around Iceland tasting menu is supposed to be delicious. Another popular seafood restaurant, the Seafood Cellar, has closed. Here is a link:

http://www.fishcompany.is/English/About_FishCompany


I was able to make a reservation on-line via email. Shouldn't have bothered with google translate-received a reply in English.

Second night we are trying an Indian restaurant with great reviews called Auster India. Here is that link:

http://austurindia.is/?lang=en

We are thinking about visiting the Blue Lagoon on our way from the airport to the hotel using the flybus.

Mitch, by all means go to the Blue Lagoon -- but be sure to bring your swim suit so you can get in it! The nice warm water is great for all those aches and pains you get from flying on Icelandair ;) If you have time, also do the Golden Circle trip -- speectacular scenery and interesting history of Iceland.

Oh yes, by all means do the Golden Circle!

Too bad Seafood Cellar has closed--very good, but pricey. We will have to check out the Fish Company. We are boarding Silversea Explorer on June 13th--same day as Voyager is in town. Still working on transport from airport to Hilton. George doesn't like buses so will probably spring for car and driver. Last time we were in Iceland we did a 3 day precruise and rented a car. But don't need to do that this time as we are only there overnight.

Hi Peggy-
We are scheduled for the Golden Circle and the day we board ship, we are doing a morning whale watching, Puffin Island tour. Say hi to Jerry! We are having one more dinner with Betty and Al next month and we will miss you!

Mitch,
The Fish Company is the other restaurant I mentioned. The one on the sailing vessel is a block or so from the Fish Company and is tied up at a pier. Both are excellent.
Jim

We've started thinking about clothing for SHAMROCK. To get started I downloaded some historical weather data for most of the ports we'll visit. Obviously what happened in the past is no guarantee of the weather we'll encounter on SHAMROCK but it gives you a good general idea of what to expect. Note that some of the data comes from nearby locations and not from the port itself.

Southampton , Falmouth , Cork , Dublin , Douglas , Belfast ,

Portree , Kirkwall , Reykjavik , Isafjordur (no data available),

Akureyri , Torshavn , Lerwick , Alesund ,

Geiranger (no data available), Flam (no data available),

Bergen , Oslo , Copenhagen .

Hope this helps in planning for the cruise.

Thank you Dave. Looking forward to meeting you on the cruise! Looks like the weather will not be greatly different from a typical June in the Pacific Northwest!

Yes, thanks, Dave. As a near native Floridian, the plan for comfort will be layers. Can't wait!

We are flying into Heathrow before SHAMROCK and have been following the UK immigration staffing problem. Let's hope it is resolved before June 1. See the problem here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20120501-713094.html

I addition, the weekend we arrive and then leave for boarding in Southampton is the Queen's Jubilee!

Thanks for the climate information Dave. Definitely bringing our LL Bean wet weather gear! And for those needing great breathable jackets and pants, Bean now has free shipping.
www.llbean.com

Fred and Jan are in 730. Jan is leaving Sat May 19 for two weeks in south of England before Fred joins her in London.

Will post about immigration lines (if any) after I arrive May 20.

Jan

I added your suite number to the roll call, Jan. Looking forward to meeting you. It shouldn't be too long before we are doc dancing-

My mate John says " If you are looking for a good Pub lunch on the outskirts of Belfast try "The Chimney Corner", when in Dublin look for "The King's Citrick" (Seafood)"

When in Falmouth there is a good restaurant/pub close to the dock (5 degrees West). A traditional English pub without warm beer (The Seaview) is an uphill walk.. Try "Bangers and Mash", "Bubble and Squeek" or "Toad in the hole".

Doc Dancing! Just got cruise documents in the mail. I like the new format. Much easier to pack.

Jan and Fred

Just received ours also. Interesting new spiral "booklets." One item of interest on the itinerary is all the ports at which we'll be anchoring; I counted nine ports.

There also is a photo of the suite and the location on the relevant deck.

All our shore excursions are also listed on a couple of pages with start times. The rest of the shore excursions are also included with reserved ones indicated.

It's also nice that all the luggage tags are filled out for us and included in the booklets.

All and all, I'm impressed with the new format.

-----------------------

Eugene

You are probably a week ahead of us since we are on the second half of the B to B. Maybe the next iteration of the documents will include a freeze dried portion of Dover Sole and a powdered cocktail mix so we can get into the Bon Voyage mood while doc dancing!

The Shamrock pin

WOW! Looks great.

That is the cutest pin ever !!
If there's any extra I'd LOVE to have one...pretty pleeeeze

perfect!

We've been in Reykjavik the past 3 days working our way to Cossacks. The weather has been delightful, clear skies and temperatures 55 to 60 degrees F so a light jacket is sufficient. There are a lot of new restaurants in the old town & harbour area. The Icelandic lobster is small (tails about 3" long) and excellent. Even the appetizer serving has several tails on the plate. The lamb is outstanding, as good or better than NZ lamb. The whales are back from their winter vacation in the south for those taking a watching tour. The exchange rate is approx $1.00 = ISK 120.00. Everyone speaks excellent English and they are very friendly. American credit cards work well so don't exchange money unless you are spending more than one day here.
Jim