About to leave for the airport. First we have to fly to Houston then London then Copenhagen. We have had little luck with FF miles on BA from DFW but Houston has two flights to London a day instead of the one offered from DFW.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.

Bon Voyage!

We saw Ngaire and Ken in the Compass Rose last night, so we know they made it!
It is an overcast, rainy day. Perfect to catch up on rest and familiarize ourselves with the Voyager again.

Too bad we can only see part of the Voyager. Looks like it's still overcast. Hoping the TROLLers are having fun!

This one is better!

Hi Kim

Good stalking!!

So long story short we arrived in CPH to a bag missing. Fortunately we got one bag of clothing (I cross pack) and a small bag with unnecessary things like a scrabble board).

We can make it if we buy a few items so we went shopping today to fill in the blanks for surivial. Things like athletic shoes, extra pair of day time pants (so we can wash the one pair we have) etc. Things are expensive in Noway! However we can make it now. We will be travelling like Kim and Alice who only travel with carryons - they are amazing.

The bag was left behind in Houston and we could have received the bag today if they put it on the flight that day they discovered it was missing. We did all the normal paperwork and had the online tracking number.

My office received a call that they would NOT forward the bag until WE PERSONALLY talked someone in the Houston AA office and they gave us a name and telephone number. My office could not approve the shipping of the bag. We tired calling this number from the ship twice and could only get an answering machine. We were also dealing with the time difference. I have lost my bags so many times and never had anything like this before they just find the bag and ship it!

So frustrated with the "answering machine" I called Clay and put him on the case. The result of that call to CLay was an email from this person in Houston that she got the bags on a plane that night and hopefully we will get it tomorrow. THANKS to Clay, when you need action he has a way to make things happen.

If it does not arrive tomorrow it cannot be shipped anywhere until July 22nd as the upcoming ports after tomorrow and Longyearben, Russia and North Cape. None of those place will accept the luggage! THe next ports are small and it may be disembarkation day until it arrives.

This has not dampened our spirits of being on board the Voyager again. We are pretty used to losing bags just a STRANGE issue with the required personal call. Anyone else had that situation?

Ship looks great and a DREAM team of excutive staff onboard. People I know well like coming home. Seeing all the great friends was great
as well. So far the food has been super. Best lobster I have had in Compass Rose, great Dover Sole and Rack of Lamb last night. We go to Signatures tonight and I heard it is a brand new menu.

Plus a game of SUPER SCRABBLE with sister June was a nice start to the cruise.

It is a chilly overcast day today but not too bad. Last week it was in the 90's what a difference. Not raining or windy so not bad at all. We skipped our tour today to go shopping so not sure how everyone tours went yet.

Be back later - off to Trivia and IMPORTANT part of the day!

So happy to hear all is going well onboard. Sounds like fun. I'm hoping your missing bag arrives today but I like your attitude, just in case it doesn't. I've never heard of the hassle of having to talk to some one personally?? Thank goodness for cross packing. Tom and I do that too, but maybe not as much as we will start doing after reading your story.

Cheers to everyone on the Voyager.

So sorry about your bag, Ngaire! And how odd about the phone call, how would they even know it was really you?
Thank goodness you weren't on United, they grounded all flights this morning due to a computer issue.

Kim, GREAT stalk! You are the best!!!

Have a great trip--wish we were there! Please say hi to Ray Solaire for me--so sorry to miss seeing him. Good luck with trivia!

So we went shopping today at a local mall outside the tourist area. Slow going at first but we ended up getting some great things so we are all set if we see no bags now. PLUS we got some great items that we really like that will be reimbursed from insurance. This has happened to us before and some of my favorite item are due to lost bags.

Always a positive to every situation. As I always say life is good

Signature sure was good tonight. New crab cake with avocado appetizer , crab soup and a great filet. We were all very happy a whole new menu.

Trondheim tomorrow temperature supposed to be 50 degrees and cloudy.

Maybe I should start checking bags!

Love the sound of that new Signature's menu!

I have had plenty of lost luggage, and I have never heard of having to make a personal phone call. In fact, when we were on our Norway cruise, BA lost all our luggage. I got to go in the lost luggage are at CPH, and it is huge! Size of a gym, and full of lost luggage.
Fortunately for us, we had a couple of days precruise in CPH, or we would have been in your shoes.
Hope everything else goes wonderfully!

I wonder if this is a new policy? I lost a bag last spring and not only did they want to talk to me on the phone, they wanted a piece by piece description of everything in my bag.

Glad you found some good stuff, Ngaire! From one non-shopper to another you always find the cutest clothes.....or maybe you just look so cute in them!

Hope you all have a great cruise! Keep that seamail coming!

TROLLers are in Port of Trondheim.

That's a great shot of the Voyager! We are sitting in the Observation Lounge relaxing before dinner. We did the high speed RIB adventure and it was great! Weather was cloudy and a few drops fell, but lovely all around!

I was up at 0200, sitting on the balcony enjoying the views. It definitely takes some getting used to having 24 hours of light outside, but we are enjoying ourselves tremendously! Service has been impeccable, always big smiles and it is such a special feeling when the staff remembers us from previous cruises, call us by name and remember our likes and preferences. Incredible!

Well no bag but new clothes that are already tailored and ready to go. We just went into town today on the shuttle and enjoyed a walk around the town and had 10.30 am coffee. Many of you will guess who we were with.

Enjoyed our day it was a bit chilly but not raining so that is good. This afternoon sister June and I played a game of scrabble. June's score was so high we retained the board to finish later. Lovely day.

We finished off our day with dinner at Sete Mari and I had a great cioppino with extra seafood and wonderful company.

From another non-shopper, you did a great job Ngaire. You sound like you're set. Kim, you've got some great shots.

At sea right now and the seas are calm and the sky is bright with some sun. Supposedly going to be sunny tomorrow and a balmy 45 degrees in Longyearbyen. We were here with Brad and Leslie overnight and hit a warm 45 degrees. We were all bundled up and the locals were eating outside in short sleeves. All what you are used to.

Ah, Longyearbyen! Such fond memories. You really have to stay there overnight to appreciate its hidden charms.

The Captain announced that due to updated environmental regulations we will not be able to sail within the Magdalenafjord National Park day after tomorrow. Instead we will be sailing to the Polar Ice Barrier to witness a shelf of Arctic ice that extends as far as the eye can see.

Ken has not taken any pictures yet but will be taking some in the coming days. Ship says we will get our bags tomorrow though the American contact said they cannot send bags to Longyearbyen. Let's hope American is wrong.

Leslie I was telling people the tale of our stay in Longyearbyen at dinner tonight. From the waffles to pizza on seal skins, to running around in socks and to your upgrade to a suite on our return visit. Let us not forget this Is where I learned to play hearts. This town has a special place in my heart we will be visiting "our restaurant, crua" tomorrow.

So as Scarlet said " tomorrow is another day " maybe a BAG day.

It looks foggy in Longyearbyen today.

Excellent stalk, Kim! The ship is perfectly centered on the webcam!

Thanks Karen. It was fun! It's a really cool webcam that rotates 360 degrees that I could stop at just the right spot.

Any word on luggage?

Photos from TROLL, many of these are compliments of Nikon Ken:


Canals of Copenhagen.


Shopping in Alesund, Norway because of the missing bag. We did receive our bag in Longyearbyen.


Great waffles in Trondheim, Norway.


Sheila, Barbara, Tim, Ngaire, Ralph, June, & Ken.


Ralph & June on the old bridge in Trondheim.






Keene Luxury Travel Cocktail Party.


Barbara, Sheila, & Linda.


Captain Gianmario draws the preliminary winners.

Kroa Restaurant in Longyearbyen, Norway. Does this bring back memories Brad & Leslie.




Sheila, Jim, & Pam.


Sheila & Ken.




Dog sled on wheels.


Eida Duck.

Sorry we had no internet as we were so far north. It came back late this afternoon.

YEAH OUR LUGGAGE turned up in Longyearbyen. I was a very happy camper. Today we got north of 80 And saw the ice drift from the sea ice. The fog cleared, the sun was shining. Everyone was very happy . An afternoon of cards and scrabble followed by a near miss again at trivia because we changed answers. Will we never learn to leave our first instincts alone. Then a great dinner at prime 7 I never tire of eating here. Crab cake, crab legs, prime rib, the berries. Does not get any better. Priscilla we had lunch with the Wynns who met you on a cruise and asked us to say hello to you and John.

Another wonderful day at sea tomorrow. Back later

So happy you got your bag Ngaire and what lovely pictures Ken, everyone looks happy happy happy ! What a good time for all.

Yeah for luggage. And dinner sounds delish.

So good to see so many familiar faces, and everyone looks great.

A ZEBRA 1 reunion!

We have had some sea days so not much to report but that we have had very good seas. We stopped in Murmansk for a "technical" call to clear the ship. I heard it took eight hours. No one could debark of course and it was interesting to see all the old ships and submarines lined up at the docks. Many need a coat of paint. Better to do it this way than when we arrive for our tours.

THen we left for our visit to Solovetsky Islands. What a sensational day we had for this excursion, brilliant sunshine, very calm seas, barely a ripple. Could not have been a more perfect day. We were in an area surrounded by small islands.

We were touring the Solovetsy Monastery that was founded in 1429. The Monastery outline was visible as we got close to the island. Some of the Monastery has scaffolding as they are in the process of restoration, but it will take a long time. This is a huge monastery complete with very thick walls, battlements and cannons for protection. It was also used as a prison mostly for political prisoners under Stalins time in the 1930's. One church had been stunningly restored with a beautiful gold altar. The tour was really interesting and we had a delightful young female guide.

A glitch at the end of the tour was that the tenders were not there to take us back to the ship. It was a huge group waiting. Finally two tenders came and both were totally full. One of the tenders was out of service as it hit a rock on entering the port area. So everything got backed up. Good thing it was a nice day!

Lunch was GOOD - I was ready. Pictures from Ken will be coming!

glad you're having such a great time. The Monastery sounds like it was very interesting and a good one (except for the tender wait). Was this a Regent excursion?

Marcie this was indeed a Regent excursion, we were in RUSSIA and ZERO infrastructure so everyone had to do a Regent Excursion. Even if you had a visa you probably could never have found a guide.

We walked from the tender to the Monastery and the vehicles were a hoot. All of them were old and a van that would have been on a movie for a rundown third world country.

Back at sea today and again seas like glass. So wonderful!!

I am eagerly waiting Ken's photos from that excursion!

Ice Cap and The Solovetsky Monastery:


Bathing suits on the pool deck - Coats on the upper deck.


Voyager sails up to 80.22.4 N, which is 577.6 nautical miles from the North Pole.


The Monastery from the dock, we tendered for about 35 minites.


The grass is greener at the Monastery.


Under restoration, suppose to be finished in 2018. I don't thnk so.








The church in the Solovetsky Monastery.

Our Russian guide was an English school teacher.






The monastery was fortified.




The Monastery Prison was underground.

A Russian tour group.




Some houses outside the gates of the monastery were built partially underground.


Russian guides were having hot chocolate after the tour.


These Russian river boats came up from St. Petersburg.

Fascinating photos! Thank you!

These photos are wonderful. Some day I must visit. Thanks for posting.