The Value
The Value of Luxury
VACAYA is rewriting the equation on luxury and its value. Step aboard Le Champlain and discover all that’s included.
Get Ready
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Our journey to the Land of Luminosity begins in:
The Vacayans are hard at work planning each and every detail of this amazing cruise. And of course, we’re super excited to share many of those details with you along the way. As we have new information to share, you’ll find it here.
We’ll also house an email archive on this page, too. This archive will feature all the trip-specific communications we have with you throughout your pre-cruise experience with us. That way, if you happen to lose a general email somewhere along the way, you’ll be able to find it right here.
And from party themes and entertainment previews, VACAYA’s mission is to give you everything you need with plenty of time to ensure a totally stress-free experience. Get ready for your vacaya!
We’re often asked, “What should we expect from a VACAYA Luxe experience?” Our Luxe vacations are an unapologetically exclusive celebration of the wonders of our planet – welcoming to all, of course, but built for discerning travelers seeking intimate experiences, splendid accommodations, and unparalleled service. They’ll reach the far corners of the globe – giving VACAYA guests an opportunity to expand their horizons in completely new ways.
The VACAYA Luxe rhythm is… Bold. Refined. Intimate. Exotic. Treasured. Calm. Cool. Grand. A chance to live life to the absolute fullest.
A GENERAL NOTE
UPDATED 02.17.2021
As we’ve gotten ever closer to a global return to travel, cruise lines who’ve been playing with their deployment schedules over the past year are now locking in exactly where each and every one of their ships will be (and when) as they begin to return to service. With their imminent return this June, Ponant has made a couple moves that affect our charter. They are as follows:
AIRLINE DISCOUNTS
As a VACAYA guest, special airfare discounts are available to you for flights to/from Reykjavík on Delta Air Lines, Delta Connection, and codeshare flights with Delta partners (must be Delta designated). The discounts are as follows:
For US and Canada flights to/from Reykjavík:
International flights, not including Asia/Australia:
International Transpacific flights from Asia/Australia:
International Transpacific flights from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport (HND):
To make an online reservation with Delta, click BOOK NOW just below:
You can also call Delta at 800.328.1111 (Monday-Friday, 7am-7:30pm Central Time). Be sure to use Meeting Code NMS3G when making your flight bookings via phone. For 2020 flights, use Meeting Code NMT4U. Please note there is no ticketing charge for working with a live Delta agent to book your flights.
Discounts will be available for flights to/from Reykjavík August 27-September 13, 2021.
CURRENCY
The official currency of Iceland is the Krona and while Euros are sometimes accepted, you’re better off carrying Krona.
When purchasing Krona, the current exchange rate is:
1 USD = 129 ISK
1 ISK = 0.01 USD
For the latest exchange rates, we recommend https://www.xe.com.
You’ll find Krona-dispensing ATMs at the Airport and throughout the City Centers.
ENTERTAINMENT
We’re so excited to welcome the following entertainers on our 2021 Iceland Cruise. To read more about them, simply click on their photo.
We encourage all of our guests to follow our entertainers on all the various social channels. Their social handles can be found in the lower right-hand corner of each artist’s photo.
EXCURSIONS
Ponant has created an exciting line-up of excursions for our voyage. It’s your chance to see the very best Iceland has to offer. Excursions can be purchased onboard. Each excursion has a minimum number of guests required to operate. Excursion offerings/prices can change at any time, with or without notice.
ISAFJORDUR – Guided Walk on Vigur Island
ISAFJORDUR – Icelandic Encounters
ISAFJORDUR – Maritime Culture and Traditions
AKUREYRI – Incredible Lake Myvatn
AKUREYRI – Godafoss and Akureyri
AKUREYRI – Thermal Bath and Godafoss
SEYDISFJORDUR – Chasing Waterfalls
SEYDISFJORDUR – Skalanes Nature Reserve
HEIMAEY – Circumnavigation of Heimaey
HEIMAEY – Pompeii of the North
REYKJAVIK – Geothermal Landscape and Viking History
FLYING HOME
Le Champlain returns to Reykjavik on Thursday, September 9 at 8am. We’ll overnight in the city that evening and disembarkation will be the morning of Friday, September 10.
If you’re flying home on September 10, ANY flight time will work. You’re welcome to walk off the ship as early in the morning as you’d like and we’ll all be off by 9am.
HOTEL RECOMMENDATION
Updated 04.24.2021
As we’ve mentioned in our social media channels, the great folks at Radisson are working to include our recommended Iceland hotel, Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel Reykjavík, in their global booking system. Right now, there’s a bug that’s preventing this particular property from displaying our discounted rates properly. While they’re actively working on fixing the bug and hope to have it resolved soon, they’ve provided a work around for those of you who are chomping at the bit to lock in your room. If you can hold tight, we recommend doing so. If not, then here’s the workaround:
Based on your preferred dates, room type, and meal plan, they will email the available rates back to you and provide instructions for locking in your room. The VACAYA discount is 15% off the lowest available rate at time of booking. Yes, we realize this is an old-school manual way of booking a hotel room, but it’ll provide you with a chance to do it now, as opposed to waiting until they resolve their system bug.
Thank you, all, for your patience as we’ve launched our new global rates with Radisson.
LAUNDRY
With so many of you extending your time in Iceland, there are three ways to get laundry done before, during, or after our Iceland Cruise:
BEFORE/AFTER: Laundry can be completed for a fee at our recommended pre-/post-cruise hotel, the Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel, Reykjavik. Radisson Blu offers send-out services. You can contact the hotel for specifics on pricing at +354.599.1000.
DURING: For optimal comfort while onboard the cruise, laundry service is offered on Le Champlain. You’ll find laundry pricing, bags and slips inside your cabin. During your entire cruise, your steward or stewardess will be available for laundry and ironing services, which will be completed within 48 hours. You can contact PONANT for specifics on pricing at 888.400.1082.
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT ONBOARD
UPDATED 06.19.2020
Ponant is renowned to have health care’s latest generation of equipment onboard their ships.
They also go beyond industry standards with the following additional provisions:
Additional COVID Considerations
Continuous Control of Temperatures: Two thermic cameras will check the body temperature of all passengers and crew when passing by. Both will be placed at maximum transit points of guests and crew.
Two PCR Test Biologic Devices available onboard, with enough reactant for testing all guests.
The PCR testing of guests and crew will be implemented only if necessary. The doctor will be in charge for conducting the sampling and use of machine for testing. The positive results of diagnosis will be shared with CCMM (Maritime Medical Coordination Center in Toulouse, France), who will decide the next steps for managing the patient and their evacuation.
Isolation Staterooms: 5 staterooms are being held as “isolation rooms” in case of quarantine needs.
PARTY THEMES
UPDATED 06.23.2020: We’ll keep our 2020 party themes in place for our 2021 Cruise.
It’s Night One and there’s no ZOOM around! We are face-to-face again (maybe wearing masks, who knows?), but we’re all together… finally! Do you even remember how to mix and mingle? If not, no worries. We’ve got you covered. Come ready to meet all of your fellow passengers with a little something that lets us know where you’re from!
Today, we’ve crossed the Arctic Circle where the sun barely sets. That can only mean one thing… it’s time for Iceland’s red-hot White Nights! So give us your best all-white or Aurora Borealis-green outfit, grab a drink, and let’s all hit the upper decks to enjoy the otherworldly glow. If all the conditions are right, the chances are about 50/50 we might see the Northern Lights, so we’ve got our fingers, toes, and every other appendage crossed!
Inspired by all of Iceland’s beautiful glaciers, snow-capped mountains, fjords, and icy waterfalls, ICE ICE BABY is a musical journey back to the 90s. Today, we’ll celebrate with some of your favorite 90s songs along with your favorite cocktails… over ice, of course.
With many of you hitting the Blue Lagoon over the next few days (and if you’re not, what?!?), today we celebrate the gorgeousness of everything we’ve seen. And we do it wrapped in blue and with endless hope for never-ending clear blue skies ahead.
REYKJAVÍK DOCKING LOCATION
UPDATED 03.16.2021
Miðbakki, our docking location, is located at 101 Geirsgata in the heart of Reykjavík’s City Center.
Le Champlain will leave from this dock on Friday, September 3 and return here on Thursday, September 9. On September 3, boarding begins at 2pm, with our departure at 5pm. On September 9, we’re scheduled to dock around 8am in the morning and we’ll overnight here. Since most people are flying home on September 10, there are really no restrictions as far as flight times are concerned; you are free to leave the ship at any time on September 9 (after our 8am arrival) or 10. Keflavík International Airport is about an hour away from Reykjavík by taxi.
PRO TIP: If your flight home is late in the day on September 10, after disembarking Le Champlain we recommend heading to Blue Lagoon (reservations required), checking your bags there, and enjoying the warm thermal waters until a couple hours before your flight. Blue Lagoon is located about 20 minutes from Keflavík Airport and is a PERFECT way to while away your pre-flight hours.
SAFETY PROTOCOLS
UPDATED 04.26.2021
Of course everyone wants to know exactly what the protocols will be for our sailing, but it’s simply too early to know. Everything is changing at an incredibly fast pace – all for the better. So our plan is to announce whatever might be in place for our sailing about 30 days before the event. That will give you more than enough time to plan. We use the word “might” because even after we announce at 30 days, they still might change (but hopefully all for the better).
We would all lose our minds if we played the “update this every day” game. We will communicate everything that’s necessary when it’s necessary. So rest assured The Vacayans got you, baby.
What we do know now is that EVERY GUEST MUST BE VACCINATED TO ENTER ICELAND AND TO BOARD LE CHAMPLAIN. So if you haven’t been vaccinated yet, be sure to do so at least 14 days before our cruise. You’ll be required to securely send your vaccination certificate to PONANT 14 days before our cruise and to also show your physical vaccination certificate upon entry into Iceland. You will also have to show a negative PCR test to board the ship. We’ll provide instructions for all these steps approximately 30 days before our sailing date.
If you’d like to see PONANT’s current protocols, you can do so HERE.
TRAVEL INSURANCE
If you purchased Travel Insurance through VACAYA for our 2020 Iceland Cruise and would like to update your policy to our new 2021 dates, you can submit a policy modification request via TravelGuard’s online modification form. Modification requests must be submitted prior to the original travel dates (in this case before August 30, 2020). Through this form, you can also change or add any pre- or post-cruise travel days or add additional trip costs (flights, hotel, etc.). Adding coverage for other items beyond your cruise (if that’s all that was covered in your original policy) may incur additional premium costs.
If you have questions, we encourage you to visit TravelGuard’s Resource Center, where you’ll find answers to many frequently asked questions. You can also speak with a licensed TravelGuard insurance agent by calling 800.826.5248.
WIFI ONBOARD
While complimentary WiFi was not included with our 2020 charter contract, we were able to renegotiate that point for 2021. For our 2021 sailing, complimentary WiFi will be INCLUDED for all guests ship-wide.
EMAIL ARCHIVE
Emails from VACAYA about our 2020 Summer in Iceland Cruise will be posted here.
May 1, 2020 – 120 Days Before Sailing
June 14, 2020 – IMPORTANT Information About Your Iceland Cruise
June 18, 2020 – Ponant Releases Safety Protocols
June 22, 2020 – Guests elect to postpone the 2020 Iceland Cruise to September 1-8, 2021
June 30, 2020 – Official Notification of our Postponement to 2021
February 17, 2021 – Iceland Cruise Update: Ship, Dates, Reykjavík Docking Location
April 26, 2021 – Reykjavík Recommended Hotel & Delta Airlines Discounts
May 17, 2021 – Passport Information Needed
June 4, 2021 – Entertainment Preview. 90 Days To Go!
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