World Tour 2024: Day 123 & 124 - CDG-DFW-HNL.

[walmann]

The bar. They are known for their cosmos but the bar was closed due to a visit from the French PM.
Image

Yikes, does Attal drink that much that the bar was sold out?

[Comrade Renski]

Day 100 - At Sea. Titanic remembrance - 112th Anniversary.



An interesting set of circumstances, to include port cancellations, port substitutions, weather delays, and a sea of icebergs has placed us in historic waters. Because of the Belle Isle Strait closure and iceberg avoidance area, our new track is south of Newfoundland pointing directly to the spot where the Titanic hit an iceberg exactly 112 years ago.


The RMS Titanic hit the 'berg at 11:40 pm, April 14, 1912 on its maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. Last night at 11:40 pm, April 14, 2024, the MSC Poesia was 185 nm northwest of its sinking.

And the Captain of the MSC Poesia is on his farewell cruise,...to Southampton. The ship picked up hundreds of new passengers in New York.

On or about 6:12 am April 15, 2024, the MSC Poesia was on the same longitude as the RMS Titanic but two degrees north, estimating 128 nm due north of Titanic's wreckage.



The dark black line was our original route; the dashed line is our revised route; the double line is the iceberg line of safety. Originally, we were to be nowhere close to these waters on this day.


Although very disappointed, this North Atlantic journey has increasingly become more interesting due to Nuuk's cancellation. IYR, in Halifax we learned more about Samuel Cunard's role in saving Titanic passengers and the burial of 150.


In Belfast we'll visit where the Titanic was built. In Liverpool we'll see its homeport - White Star offices as well as Cunard's. And finally, we finish our cruise in Southampton where 920 of the 2,224 passengers embarked.


Adding to the eeriness of it all we've been in fog for two days. Every 90 seconds, throughout the day and throughout the night, the ship's foghorn has sounded. Seas are 4 meters high and the temp is in the 30's.

[BMatt]

My first thought was Pink Floyd Animal album as well.

When you get home, you should find a nice frame and put that map of your travel route in it... mebbe you already thought of that.

[TRx]

My first thought was Pink Floyd Animal album as well.

When you get home, you should find a nice frame and put that map of your travel route in it... mebbe you already thought of that.

When he gets home I'm worried he'll find OFR Squatters that have taken up residence.

[FatMan]

My first thought was Pink Floyd Animal album as well.

When you get home, you should find a nice frame and put that map of your travel route in it... mebbe you already thought of that.

When he gets home I'm worried he'll find OFR Squatters that have taken up residence.

And swimming in his pond.

[Comrade Renski]

CR is hoping this little devil will aid in coping with 7 sea-days, OFR squatters, and pond scum.

[TRx]

CR is hoping this little devil will aid in coping with 7 sea-days, OFR squatters, and pond scum.

Nice! That reminds me... CR, where do you keep the spare key to your liquor cabinet?

[Comrade Renski]

[TRx]

Interesting... I guess you won't lose it that way.

[MacCrimmon]

Interesting... I guess you won't lose it that way.

Nonsense, if you don't already have a set you can get these at WALMART.

[Comrade Renski]

When you get home, you should find a nice frame and put that map of your travel route in it... mebbe you already thought of that.

I've thought about it but I've got little wall space left.


Cheers. RenO.

[surfinx]

My foghorn will be going off tonight….

[BigMark]

I make my own special fog.

[Comrade Renski]

Day 103 - At Sea.

At 62.5163 N, CR is now further north than barndoggie.

Four more degrees until we reach the Arctic Circle. Mrs. CR will be doing an Arctic plunge (in the ships's pool) around 1400 tomorrow.





Meanwhile,

[ArtificialStupidity]

Bartenders got to be ready to go home.

[TRx]

We drank that Chairman's Reserve in St. Lucia

[Comrade Renski]

Day 104 - Iceland Ho!

Good morning comrades. Spectacular sunrise,...took forever being this far up - 65 to 66 degrees North latitude.


Our Skipper deviated course to cruise closer to the northwest corner of Iceland. Since Greenland's cancellation it's been a long 7 days at sea, now we have 5 days in Iceland at 3 ports.




It's cold. It's windy. It's freezing! That's not stopping cruisers from checking out the view and hanging out in the pool.


This chap has been practicing on the alphorn for months now; looks befitting with the snow-capped mountains in the background.


Looking eastwardly above the Captain's bridge.


Mrs. CR and I do the 'arctic plunge' upon crossing the Arctic Circle - N66.56 degrees. Sadly, our 3-months tans are fading and peeling.


We have High Tea...


... afterwards we catch this view from Deck 7.


I call this, Cruise Ship Mountain. Do you see it?

[BigMark]

Blue nose!

[MacCrimmon]

Our new Swede friend said to try and dine at Ketilkaffi, time permitting.

[Comrade Renski]

Day 105 - Akureyri, Iceland

Góðan daginn, comrades.

Last night it snowed on the deck. Peoples were throwing snowballs at each other, smoe had never been in the snow before.


This fjord is the longest in Iceland. Very dramatic.


As we were entering the fjord, this trawler was exiting. It's 04:49 am.


Winds were very high, this tug worked its arse off.


A couple of times it seemed the wind was winning, saw the ship move back out to sea to regroup and try again. It took over an hour to dock. Winds later on peaked at 80 km/hr.





Our excursion takes us back up the fjord a bit to this waterfall...Godafoss.




Next, we travel further up to see these 'turf houses' at Laufas. This site dates back over 1,000 years - the church was built in 1865 and the turf houses are from 1840. This was a wealthy community by Icelandic standards. Iceland had no indigenous people. These were early settlers.


This ski resort above Akureyri had nice views of the town and open slope.





After our excursion we had a few hours to kill in town.










A view of our ship from the church.


I dint know it at the time but I will be seeing this Viking emblem again.


I'm hungry,...


I dint know I needed this Volcano Dog. Also got smoe local Icelandic coins for my project. Iceland is expensive - this dog cost me nearly $9! It was good but not 'sooo good'.


Excellent clothing, mo betta than North face, very 'spensive.


We find a liquor store, Vinbudin, and buy smoe local beverages, a cruising habit by now. There's that Viking again.


We walk back to the hot dog stand, go up the hill a bit to a small coffee shop that had a 'sweet' that Mrs. CR heard about and wanted to try. Sooo good.


The owner of the coffee shop saw the bottle of Brennivin on the table. We axed here how to drink it and what to pair it with. Moments later she comes back out with two cubes of fermented shark, a dried fish that I cannot pronounce, butter,...and two shots of Brennivin which translates to 'fire wine'. Lol. I tried. It was interesting. But the more I tried it the more I liked it. The drink was smoewhat expected but with a very pleasing caraway or fennel finish. I just wish I had before the sweet pie. I had smoe strange burbs after this. Yeesh!


We walk back to the ship and see these heart-shaped stop lights everywhere. The story goes, after Iceland crashed in 2008 from holding US derivatives, someone came up with the idea of replacing normal round stop lights with these to inspire happiness. I don't know if it worked but it's a must pic for Instagramers.






We walked 6.3 miles today!

With an hour to spare, we're back at the ship preparing for shove off. Winds rapidly increase and peak at 80 km/hr just before launch.


We see three whales on three separate occasions on our fjord exit.


A few hours after departure, the Captain makes an announcement warning us about high winds, rough seas, and a slippery deck. The spray coming off the bow of the ship reaches us on the 12th deck.