cruise to Iceland???? who's been there

[anniecat]

we are thinking about the HAl Prinsedam cruise to Iceland (july 12 2005). Has anyone been on that cruise? Warm weather? stormy? interesting ports?
I'm just planning the NEXT one :)

[Bill S]

anniecat: we were there in 2001-visited Reykjavik (sp?)and Akureryi in July!

The temps in Reykjavik were around 60 degrees but cooler in Akureryi due to it's very close proximity to the Arctic Circle--probably in the 50s-definitely sweater/sweatshirt weather. The key is to layer, windbreaker over sweatshirt/sweater, etc. We brought gloves and earmuffs, too. It was breezy in Akureryi, so the wind chill was a factor.

A week before the cruise, I started checking a weather website that had temps and forecasts for all countries, unfortunately, I have lost the url to that site, but at least we had an idea of what to expect.

Excursion-wise, we took a half-day city tour of Reykjavik and a half-day of an Icelandic horse riding (great fun on gentle and unique horses) across bogs and rivers. In Akureryi, my DW just walked around the city, shopping and had a nice time and found some interesting clothing items. I was off on a flight up to Grimsey Island to sit on the Arctic Circle-very brisk breeze up there!

I would like to go back some day. Also, if your cruise stops at the Faroe Islands, all the better-we really enjoyed that stop. Torshavn is very quaint and colorful and the scenery up in the mountains north of the city was spectacular.

We are booked on the Prinsendam for July 26 Baltic/Scandanavian cruise. Take care of her for us!

[grannynurse]

We've been to iceland twice on the Rotterdam, transatlantics both ways: Reykjavik X2 and Akureyri X1. June and July in Iceland can be foggy and rainy, and downright cold! We missed our whale watching tour this year in Reykjavik, as it was cancelled due to high winds and rough seas.

All of the northern islands, Shetlands, faroes etc can be very foggy and chilly, and usually are. Temperatures are usually in the 40's and 50's, so dress in layers, and bring rain gear and a winter jacket. We had hats and gloves too, and still were cold. You'll need rain gear in Ireland too. We did have some sunny days but got piddled on in almost every port.
We missed Harwich and Plymouth England due to very stormy seas, and last year same thing happened so we missed Guernsey.
I guess you can't avoid it in the northern Isles but we had a wonderful 34 days anyway.

It's a wonderful itinerary, I'm assuming you're leaving from Amsterdam and doing the British and Irish ports, as well as the islands and the 3 ports in iceland. Except for the currency exchange rate, everything was really wonderful... you'll love it.

I'll post a link to some of our pictures of Iceland and Greenland.
If you have any specific questions, I'll try to help.
Link: http://community.webshots.com/user/riosmom101
GN

[arzz]

Have never been to Iceland as a cruise port, but when Icelandair used to fly to Luxembourg from Chicago we used to fly them into Europe -- then, of course, we HAD to overnight in Iceland along the way.

What an incredible country! Volcanic lava fields, sulfur springs, waterfalls on a craggy, green landscape like Ireland (no trees, though), and, of course the Glaciers. Where ever you seem to be, the geology that you are in seems to spread out in all directions as far as the eye can see -- but then in 20 minutes you are someplace else and the geology has changed! There are hot springs that you can swim in, towns painted in the colors of the Caribbean but wrapped in a different climate and back drop -- and during the summer there is the mid-night sun. It is sort of like Alaska in that the weather can be cloudy, damp, chilly, or warm and wonderful. We have experienced both. We have always relied upon experienced tour drivers because in the summer roads that are there in the morning may be under a river of water from the melting glaciers by afternoon. You really have to know how to do it to get around and not get stranded.

The Icelandic people were wonderful. Have not been there for many years but as of our last visit (about 20 years ago) it felt so safe there one had the impression that if you left a suitcase in the middle of the airport on arrival it would still be there, untouched, a week later (of course that would not go down at all today even if it still just as safe there).

And, in Iceland you MUST have the herring. Clearly, I have learned, that the Scandanavians and Icelanders save the best for themselves and send only the "other stuff" overseas as their herring (like the herring we had in Denmark) is unbelievable and unlike any product that we can find here.

I would not hesitate to visit on a cruise ship -- my only caution would be to know about the expected seas in that region at the time of year that you are travelling -- this year's Rotterdam incident really brings that home.

[Aussie Gal]

Thanks Bill, Grannynurse and Arzz for your great replies.

We are booked on the Maasdam Transatlantic and are very much looking forward to our visit to Iceland. Is there any particular excursion you would recommend whilst in Reykjavik.

Jennie

[grannynurse]

Although it's very "touristy" the Golden circle tour will take you to places that are of cultural interest and shows you some marvelous scenery. Geyser (pronounced Gayseer) is a field of active steam and water erruptions. Thingvellir is the site of the first and continuing Icelandic parliaments circa 800-900 AD, and Gulfoss is a magnificent and truly huge waterfall.

A "taste of Iceland" includes a wonderful Icelandic lobster lunch and visits to the southern coastal fishing villages. this tour is kind of pricey, though, and some people thought that the food portions were small, others reported having had plenty to eat.

The exchange rate for Icelandic kroner was pretty awful, and a lunch in Reykjavik for us, sandwhich and beer and coffee came to $50 US....and mayonnaise is everywhere, scrape it off, it's awful!.

If you are not crossing the Arctic Circle on your trip as we did because our trip included Norway, you may want to take the helicopter flight to Grimsey, just to say you've been there, pricey at over $200 pp, but if you stop in Akureyri, you'll get a certificate for crossing the circle even tho it's 50 miles north of the port.

The Maasdam trip is a great combination of both of our last 2 transatlantic trips. Wonderful ports, great scenery, however, this is not really a shopping itinerary. Scotland and Ireland have some lovely good, but it depends on how out of the way your port stops are. Stornoway in the Hebrides has of course, the original Harris tweed.

I'd love to go but DH wants to go elsewhere after 2 summers of northern isles.
I envy you!
GN

[Druke I]

We stopped in Iceland on a Royal Princess' trans-Atlantic several years ago, and enjoyed it very much.

We did take a "canned" ship's excursion out to a thermal lagoon coupled with a city tour, and thought it gave a good overview of the terrain and lifestyle.
Not sure that I would want to spend much time there - somewhat isolated, much like far north Norway or Finland.

[Aussie Gal]

Grannynurse,

Thanks so much for your wonderful information. I was hoping you would be on our trip as I would love to have met up with you. I have read your past reviews with interest. We don't go on the cruises to shop, we can do that anywhere. We love seeing and visiting interesting places where we would not otherwise go.

We are looking forward to this trip so much as it will also be our first time to the U.S. I cannot wait to see New York.

Jenne

[anniecat]

thanks for all the great info...it sounds like a very intriguing cruise...I like cool weather, wild scenery and geology...not sure about wild seas (but with bonine on board I'll manage). now to talk DH into it!

[grannynurse]

I would love to meet you! i always read your posts, especially the ones about your last Prinsendam cruise.

We are looking at some Asia-pacific itineraries for 2006. The only one i know about for sure is a january 30 day trip, but I don't think it goes to Australia. I hear that the Statendam may be home-ported in Sydney in '06, if so perhaps we will meet, although I know that you may live across the continent from Sydney, it's alot closer to hope for than where we are now, in Oklahoma.

I know we won't be on the Maasdam, the 720 foot ships without the midship elevators don't really appeal to me, but if the Statendam is going to Sydney, I may just change my mind....

BTW, I thought that the M'dam leaves from Boston, does she return to NY?
I'm originally from Boston and have sailed from there several times in the last few years. I hope that you're going in a few days early...You MUST see Boston!!! We stayed at the Sheraton Back Bay and had windows overlooking the Charles River into Cambridge. The hotel is a HAL hotel and is part of the Prudential Center complex. There is a marvelous restaurant called "Top of the Hub" in the complex, it looks out over the city, food is wonderful too.
The Freedom trail is a Revolutionary War historic walking trail through town, then there are the swan boats in the Common... I could go on and on, Please tell me that you're going to see Boston.
GN

[RuthC]

I
BTW, I thought that the M'dam leaves from Boston, does she return to NY?
GNNo, it's round-trip to/from Boston. Practically walking distance for me. :D
Is it too soon to start looking forward to it?

[Aussie Gal]

Grannynurse,

Thank you so much for your kind words. I do hope you make it over here someday.
Everyone I have spoken to from the U.S. seem to love Australia and New Zealand.

We are only doing the first part of the trip from Boston to Rotterdam. We are staying in New York for a week before we catch the train to Boston and have a couple of days there. I have always wanted to visit both New York and Boston so my wish is coming true.

We are staying at the Sheraton so we may have a similar room to what you have described. We have booked it already, directly with Sheraton.

I want to do the Freedom Trail and was wondering what else we should not miss while we are in Boston.

Ruth

Perhaps you can help me with this as you live close by. We are starting to plan our stay and I want to see as much as possible in a very short time.

Jennie

[grannynurse]

I don't live in the Boston area now, we've been in Oklahoma since 1981.

We really enjoyed the Old Town Trolley tour. It's a hop on hop off trip that covers 21 historic and cultural stops and includes a harbor tour by boat. You can get an internet discount on 1 or 2 day tickets by going to their website.

Legal Seafood retaurant (one of 8 in the area) is at the harbor stop.
Between Old Town Trolley, "Ride the Ducks" and the Freedom Trail, you can see alot of Boston in 2-3 days. If you have a HAL transfer from the hotel to the pier, you'll get another tour including a stop at Quincy Market for lunch.

Do walk through the Boston Common and Public gardens, they are about a 10-15 walk from your hotel, or take the "T", the oldest public transit in the USA.
Boston is confusing to drive through but easy to navigate walking. It can be humid in July, but usually in the 80's. Sailing from Boston's lovely. Black Hawk terminal is fairly new and boarding is a snap as opposed to NY.
Boston architecture reminds me of parts of London, especially around the Common and Back Bay, sort of like deja-vu.
More later,
GN

[RuthC]

Jennie, of course I'd be pleased to help out with whatever I can. Let's not junk up the thread; you can e-mail me at:
rcurleyl@dhs.ri.gov (rcurleyl@dhs.ri.gov)
There's a lower-case "L" after the "curley"; it's easy to miss.

Grannynurse has given you some good ideas of places to go and things to see. If you'll give me an idea of your interests I might be able to come up with some more.
Looking forward to meeting you next July!

[Aussie Gal]

Ruth,

Thanks for your kind offer. I will email you later this morning.

Jennie

[Aussie Gal]

Grannynurse,

Thanks for the info. I have printed out what you have suggested and will follow it up. When walking around London I felt very much at home as Melbourne is a very Victorian city. The one big difference is that Melbourne is clean, has wonderful bright blue skies and is warm and we also have skyscrapers as well as the wonderful old architecture. My sister felt that Boston had a feel of Melbourne when she visited the city a few years ago.

Jennie

[user8]

We were on the Rotterdam and stopped in Reykjavik last July. The weather was ideal; we didn't need jackets and we didn't have any rain. We thoroughly enjoyed the visit as Iceland is a very pretty country with lots of unusual features such as geysers and walking along one of the earth's natural rifts. The Gullfoss waterfall was spectacular.

We took the "Thingvellir, Gullfoss, Geyser, Golden Circle" tour and thought it was well worth the money ( $120 and 8 hours ).

[Aussie Gal]

User8,

Everyone who has done the Golden Circle Tours seems to really enjoy it. We have it listed as a must do in Iceland.

Jennie