After three wonderful days in Reykjavik, we checked out of our hotel and got ready to board the Viking Mars. We were a little late checking out of the hotel because daughter Jane and her friend Heather were back in Reykjavik for a day off after their rather strenuous hike into the wilds of Iceland. So we met them for breakfast at our favorite spot, Sandholt. We got to hear more about their hike and chat about this and that while eating delicious skyr (Icelandic yogurt/cheese) with berries and granola. I also ordered up a kleina an addictive Icelandic donut.
Jane and Heather were planning for a day of leisure in Reykjavik before heading out for another trek into the plentiful Icelandic wilderness.
From left: Heather, Jane, Cath, me
My brother Don was kind enough to ferry us to the ship in his rental car. Once there, we got through the boarding process very easily. After a brief safety presentation we were turned loose to roam around the ship until the rooms were ready at about 1pm. I spent a while sitting in some of the very comfortable lounge areas finishing up the blog entry about Harpa and the organ recital. (Sorry about the dead link in the last notification email, which picked up that post as live even though it wasn’t. If you haven’t read it yet, it is live now; you can find the link in the list at left.)
The decor of the ship is very neutral and pleasant. Most of the furniture would be right at home in Restoration Hardware. Here are a couple of photos of the pubic areas of the ship:
Our stateroom is quite comfortable.
Note: This is a publicity photo but very close to what our cabin looks like, minus the Champagne and a bit of clutter.
There is a nice veranda and a really nice bathroom with a large shower and a heated floor. A large shower is a bonus in the cruise world, where space is at a premium, and the shower is sometimes uncomfortably small. After getting unpacked, we walked up to the Explorer Bar on the 7th level at the bow of the boat where there was a guitarist serenading the guests with 1970s songs. Most of the audience probably knew these songs from when they were first played on the radio.
Pretty soon it was time for dinner so we headed to The Restaurant, which is the main dining facility on the ship. Our group of eight was accommodated quite well with a large round window table at the aft. Our waiter Gede was super friendly and made a few recommendations from the menu. I got the shrimp and scallops entree, served with vegetables and rice. For dessert it was chocolate cake with chocolate sauce. After dinner the section maître’d Jeffrey entertained us with a preview of some of the sights we will be seeing during our cruise.
From left: Noreen, Cath, Gail, Don, Sheila, me, Bill, Tom
Cath, Bill and I were scheduled for a visit to a glacier early the next morning so we got to bed early. All in all, the ship seems great, and the day was a great start to our cruise.