Iceland and Greenland on Boudicca, Ship and port report with practical information.

Firstly, let me say that we thoroughly enjoyed the cruise and the ports of call. I am a compulsive note taker and, although the information is only from my personal experience, I am recording it in this review in the hope that you may find some of it useful. My intention is to give practical information rather than a blow by blow account of what we did.

We chose this cruise for 2 main reasons...... The first being the itinerary (Greenland and Iceland is quite an unusual combination) and the second being the fact that Boudicca was sailing from Liverpool, a mere 60 minutes drive away from home so no tedious trip down south or airport hassle!

The Itinerary: this was a 14 night cruise with an overnight stay in Reykjavik (Iceland), a day of ’scenic cruising through Prins Kristian Sund (Greenland) plus 3 ports in Greenland – Narsarsuaq, Qaqortoq and Nanortalik. We sailed from Liverpool.

Background

My husband and I are keen cruisers (37 cruises so far) and we cruise for destination rather than cruise line. We are from the Midlands in the UK and are in our mid 60s. My husband is extremely active whereas I have some mobility problems and can’t walk long distances anymore. This restricts my adventurous nature somewhat.

This was our 4rd Fred Olsen Cruise but the first on Boudicca and our first time sailing from Liverpool.

CAR PARKING.

When I started researching car parking options though, I was horrified at the cost - £130 for port parking. I searched for cheaper alternatives and found 'Skyparks' at Liverpool Airport for £35. The taxi fare to the port was £13.80. We had anticipated getting the shuttle from the car park to the airport terminal and then getting a taxi but the people at the Skyparks reception were really helpful and called a taxi firm for us. The taxi arrived within 5 minutes and it was a 15 minute drive to the port.......an excellent service!

LIVERPOOL PORT AND CHECK-IN

The dock area is right in the city centre with several attractions within a 10 minute walk.

The terminal building is a temporary structure with a small 'drop-off' zone in front.

There are porters who whisk away the luggage so make sure you have already attached your luggage labels to the cases you want to be taken straight to the ship.

Once inside the building:

there is a desk where you fill in the 'health questionnaire'.

Rows of seats

Check-in desks

Free magazines

Toilets

A small outdoor seating area

Desks where you can book spa appointments and the 'speciality' afternoon tea.

 

The check-in system:

After filing in the health questionnaire you are asked to sit and wait until your deck number is called.

The check-in desks are divided into 2 sections....Decks 9,8,7,6 on one side and decks 5,4 and 3 on the other.

The lines moved fairly quickly.

At the desk you need to show your passport, health questionnaire and credit/debit card.

Once processed you are given your sea card and a boarding number.

Boarding commenced at approximately 13.45 and groups were called at 5 minute intervals (approx 10-20 in a group).

You walk from the terminal building down a steep ramp to the security area where your hand luggage is screened.

From there it was a short walk along a covered passageway to the ship.

There were lots of staff members to direct you to the correct deck and cabin location.

 

There was 'afternoon tea' available in the 'Secret Garden' buffet so we went to partake. There was an assortment of sandwiches and cakes along with tea and coffee.

 

THE SHIP - BOUDICCA

MUSTER DRILL.

The time of the Muster Drill was not listed in the 'Daily Times so we had to wait for the tannoy announcement from the captain which gave us 10 minutes to get organised. Our muster station was in the Secret Garden buffet area. A roll call was taken before the demonstration of how to put on the life jackets. Once we had our life jackets on

 

CABIN 4081 OCEAN VIEW.

It was quite difficult to spot the cabin originally as the cabins are in sets of 2 with a short communal corridor that leads to the entrance door. This is a configuration that I have not come across before. The cabin numbers are displayed on the wall at the end of this corridor so they are not immediately visible.

 

The cabin is long and narrow with the twin beds at the far end underneath the 2 small portholes.

There is a small bed side table between the beds with a small lamp and a shelf below.

I found the bed to be comfortable and the 2 pillows soft enough for me.

The bed cover is a duvet which I found to be too heavy but was fine for my DH. I always bring a silk sheet with me when travelling as I often find bedding to be too hot or too heavy. It folds to almost nothing so it packs easily.

 

There is plenty of room under the beds for storing suitcases etc.

 

There are 2 double wardrobes and 1 single wardrobe so there is plenty of hanging space. All 3 wardrobes have shelf space/drawers in addition to the hanging rails and there were plenty of coat hangers too.

 

The dressing table is large with:

5 drawers

Hair drier

Telephone

The hospitality tray - kettle, 2 mugs, 2 glasses, 2 spoons, 4 tea bags, 4 coffee sachets (Dowe Egbert regular and decaf), sugar and sweetener sachets, milk cartons.

Mirror

Chair

Waste per bin

Box of tissues

Small shelf

1 UK type plug socket

2x2round pin plug sockets.

 

There is also a small, wall mounted TV that can be swivelled towards the desk or the bed. This has a limited number of channels.

An arm chair

A safe

A full length mirror on the bathroom door.

 

THE BATHROOM

The bathroom is situated at the opposite end of the cabin to the beds.

It contains;

Toilet

Wash basin with a mirror and shelf above it.

Shower stall with a shower curtain (I think the shower stall is a good size in comparison to many that I have suffered on the more modern ships)

2 glasses

Squirty bottles of hand wash and shower gel/shampoo

Bath, hand towels and face flannels

Non-slop bath mat

Shaving point

Clothes hooks

Over shower retractable washing line?

Waste bin

 

On arrival in the cabin we found:

A copy of the 'Daily Times'.

Our tour tickets.

Pen and note pad.

Welcome letter.

Noro virus information sheet.

Dining times with restaurant allocation and table number.

A folder with ship's map, postcards, laundry list, room service menu, duty free order form and spa information.

 

NOT IN THE ROOM

fridge

Ice bucket

Toiletries, apart from the liquid soap, but you can request soap, shower cap etc. from the cabin steward.

 

We found the cabin to be clean and comfortable and, although not glitzy, more than adequate for our needs.

GENERAL SHIP'S INFORMATION.

Tonnage - 28,388

Passengers - 880

Crew - 329

DECK 10: SUN DECK

Fitness centre and Gym - the gym is small but has:

running, walking, stepping and rowing machines plus weights and toilet facilities. My DH says that, in his opinion, the machines are calibrated accurately.

Sun deck with sun loungers and chairs.

Golf nets

DECK 9: MARQUEE DECK

The Observatory Lounge with:

Comfortable seating

Picture windows

Bar

Musical entertainment

Balcony suites

A small Pool

Comfortable seating and sun loungers

Pool bar

DECK 8: BRIDGE DECK

Balcony suites and balcony cabins

DECK 7: LIDO DECK

Outside Junior suites and outside superior cabins

Open promenade deck with sun loungers and chairs.

Internet room with 3 computers

Card room

Library with comfortable seatin

Gaming tables x2

Coffee lounge with a chocolate shop/coffee bar area ( the chocolates looked scrumptious)

Lido lounge and bar with small dance floor..........a lot of the indoor activities happen here - bingo, quizzes, line dance classes, cookery demonstrations etc.

There is an outside seating area with comfortable chairs and tables. This is also a smoking area at one side.

DECK 6: LOUNGE DECK

Four Seasons Restaurant, Tintagel Restaurant, Heligan Room restaurant and Secret Garden buffet.

Dining is traditional set seating with 2 evening sittings.....6.45P.M. and 8.45P.M.

The restaurants are open seating for breakfast and lunch with a buffet plus some speciality dishes which have waiter service

The Four Seasons restaurant is the MDR and largest area.

The Tintagel and Heligan areas are a little smaller and more intimate but serve the same food.

The Secret Garden buffet is quite small and the range if food is limited compared to larger ships but there are salads, soup, hot main courses and hot and cold desserts.

There are several lounge and bar areas on this deck plus the:

Neptune Lounge which is the show lounge with a variety of seating options

The main pool area has a largish pool, small plunge pool and 2 Jacuzzis. The pool is salt water and it was heated so several people were swimming.

There are comfortable seats, tables and sun loungers.

The Pool grill and bar (this serves ,open seating, breakfast and lunch and then turns into a 'speciality restaurant' in the evening with a cover charge of £20pp. This grill only operates when the weather permits.....it was never open during this voyage.

The Iceni lounge has a 24 hour self service station for tea and coffee.

DECK 5: MAIN DECK

This deck houses:

Outside cabins with picture windows

A meeting room

The photo gallery and desk

Fine jewellery shop

The main shop - clothes, handbags, scarves etc.

Shore tours office

Reception desk

Future cruise sales office

The port shop - general supplies, ship's souvenirs

LAUNDERETTE - £2 per wash which includes the detergent (tokens available from reception). Use of the tumble driers and irons is free. 6 front loading washers and 6 driers + 2 irons and ironing boards. There are washing baskets to use for moving items from the machine to the drier. The short wash takes half an hour. I found the driers to be efficient and most things were dry in 40 minutes. There are seats too.

The launderette is open from 08.00 to 12 noon and then from 2.00p.m. To 6.00 p.m.

DECK 4 - ATLANTIC DECK

Outside cabins with port holes

Inside cabins

Beauty salon

Sauna and steam rooms

DECK 3 - MARINA DECK

Outside cabins with port holes

Inside cabins

The medical centre.

OTHER INFORMATION.PASSENGER DEMOGRAPHY.

Generally, the passengers were in the 60+ age group but I suspect that this was because the itinerary does not appeal to younger people so much. There was possibly 20% of passengers below 60 years old and the ones that I spoke to had no problem with the older generation. The vast majority of passengers held UK passports but there were a few people from the USA, Canada, Australia, Scandinavia and other parts of the world. I had a long chat with a lady from the US who told me that she was thoroughly enjoying the ship, the food and the atmosphere and would certainly cruise with F.O. again.

GRATUITIES - £4pppn is added to your ship's account. Envelopes are available at reception if you want to give some extra cash to particular staff members.

I imagine that you can remove the automatic gratuity but I've never felt the need.

FOOD AND ENTERTAINMENT:

I know these subjects are very much judged on personal taste so I will try to be as objective as I can and relate my experiences.

Boudicca is a British based ship with mainly older British passengers and so is geared to British tastes.

FOOD.

The 3 main dining rooms have traditional seating with waiter service.

The buffet is self service but I do like the way the tables are properly set with table mats and the correct cutlery for all meals.

The menu in the buffet reflects the menu in the MD rooms.

The MDRs are buffet service and open seating for breakfast and lunch with additional dishes available to order from a menu.

Iced water was served automatically at lunch and dinner.

Tea and coffee were offered automatically at breakfast and dinner.

Breakfast.

The menu is the same each day.

There is a good variety of cold dishes:

fresh fruit, cereals, pastries, cold meats and smoked salmon, cheeses, marmalades and jams, yogurt and juices.

The hot dishes include:

Sausages, British back bacon and American style streaky bacon, baked beans, grilled tomatoes, eggs (fried, scrambled, poached and boiled), potatoes (fried, scalloped and hash browns), mushrooms, pancakes and syrup, brown/white toast.

Lunch:

The menu changes each day but always includes these items plus extra dishes ‘of the day’:

Cold dishes -

Salad items and dressings, cold meats, cheese and fish.

Hot dishes -

Soup and rolls, steamed vegetables, a vegetarian option, pasta, a fish dish, 2-3 meat dishes, a potato dish.

Desserts -

There is always a hot pudding with custard (we are British and we love sponge puddings, crumbles and pies etc), fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, dried fruits and nuts, fresh fruit salad, a cake, a creamy pudding and a pastry of some sort.

Dinner -

The options are similar to the lunch menu but with the addition of a traditional 'British' option ( shepherd's or cottage pie, fish pie, fish and chips, braised lamb shank, liver and onions etc)

There is also an 'always available' selection of omelette, fish of the day, grilled chicken etc.

There is a 'supper club' at 23.00 - midnight in the buffet which is themed - Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, Italian etc.

My personal opinion is that the meat quality was generally very good and the food was tasty and well presented.

There is a 'morning coffee' (10.45-11.15) and an 'afternoon tea' (3.45-4.15) service with supplies of sandwiches, cakes and biscuits.

There is room service with a good selection of cold dishes – some items have a charge – e.g. party platters

ENTERTAINMENT

I thought that the entertainment team, although relatively small in numbers, were very hard working.

There is live popular and classical music at venues throughout the ship.

There are a variety of organised activities throughout the day which include:

Daily quizzes, fitness sessions (some with a small charge), dance lessons, a bridge club with sessions for beginners, improvers and skilled players, lectures and seminars, musical recitals, a choir, art and craft classes, bingo, wii games, team games etc, etc.

 

The evening entertainment follows the usual cruise pattern

DANCING:

There is live popular music to dance to in the Lido Lounge.......mostly popular standards from the 60s-80s.

There is ballroom and sequence dancing most evenings in the Neptune lounge to both live and recorded music.

There are 4 dance hosts (3 gentlemen and 1 lady) who will dance with passengers who need a partner. They also lead the dance classes and the sequence dancing.

BRITISH NIGHT.

This was a chance for passengers to wear red, white and blue (some people ‘did’ fancy dress but the majority just wore the colours in some way) and to attend a pre-show ‘sing-song’ where flags and song sheets were handed out. Everyone sang the well known ones and seemed to be enjoying themselves.

SHOWS

There are 2 shows per night. Generally the first show is after first sitting and it starts at 8.45. The second show is 10.45.

Once again, this is only my opinion.....I thought the production shows were good to very good. We don't go to many live shows on land so enjoy live performances at sea. The shows are geared to the older British audience but are performed with gusto. The stage area is quite small and there are not the extensive production facilities of the larger ships but the costumes are colourful and the singing and dancing of a good standard and certainly matched, and in some cases exceeded, shows we have seen on the big ships.

The guest artists, for me, were a bit 'hit and miss' but many people really enjoyed them.

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

Announcements are kept to a minimum. On sea days the only announcement is the Captain's midday report. I thought the Captain was very amusing but also informative and keen to promote general safety and hygiene practises.

On port days there are announcements about disembarkation procedures and tender times but, apart from those occasions, I found the ship to be very quiet.

SERVICE

Overall, I couldn't fault the level of service. Staff members were polite and helpful and there was always someone to carry my plate or pull out a chair. I had a query which was dealt with quickly and efficiently by a lady at reception.

CAPTAIN'S RECEPTIONS.

There is a 'welcome party' and a 'farewell party' for all guests. These are held on formal nights in 2 sittings and are organised by your dinner timing.

They are held in the Neptune Lounge and there is a photo opportunity with Captain.

There is a plentiful supply of drinks and some delicious canapés. Each reception lasted about 30 minutes with the Captain giving a short, and in our case - amusing, speech.

here was also a morning 'cocktail party' for past passengers who have gained silver and gold status. This followed the same format as the other 2 except guests with the longest number of F.O. Cruise days received flowers and a gift.The dress code was well respected with the majority of people making the effort to wear the appropriate clothing for that day.

 

POINTS MEAN PRIZES.

There are many ways to earn points. We play the trivia quizzes and, in the unlikely event that our team wins, each player in the winning team is given a card which is worth 1 point. The same applies to other ship run competitions.

On the last afternoon, there is a place on the ship where the point cards can be exchanged for prizes. These range from;

1 point = a key ring through to 30 points for a tote bag and all things in between.

IMHO this is a great system and I much prefer it to the way many cruise lines work where a prize is given after each competition and there is no choice.

Even better is the fact that the points can be carried over to other F.O. cruises and ships.

DISEMBARKATION PROCEDURE

Information is delivered to your cabin 2 days before disembarking.

Your final account invoice is delivered to your cabin in the early hours before disembarkation.

Luggage can be put out between 10p.m. and 1.00a.m.

Luggage is arranged by deck number in the terminal so you need to use your original luggage label.

Group travel passengers have separate arrangements and labels.

Cabins should be vacated by 08.00.

Breakfast is ‘open seating’ between 06.30-08.30.

Passengers are requested to wait in the lounges until called.....generally by deck, starting from the highest deck down.

There are separate arrangements for group travellers and people who need assistance.

There is a very steep ramp from the dock side to the terminal building so there is a mini bus for use by passengers who are unable to ascend this ramp.

 

DISEMBARKATION

The ship docked in Liverpool at approximately 06.45

Priority passengers were called for disembarkation at 07.45

The other decks and groups were called from 08.00.

Our deck (4) was called, according to odd or even cabin numbers, between 08.20 and 08.40.

I would guess that the ship was empty by just after 09.00.There was a shuttle service from the bottom of the gang plank to the terminal for those who could not manage the steep incline from the dock to the road level.

This was quick and efficient and took about 3 minutes.

Luggage was arranged in groups according to your deck.Those who had booked valet parking were able to collect their keys at a kiosk inside the terminal.There were taxis available just outside the terminal fence (100yds).

The area had a ‘marshalling’ system and the queue was orderly and waiting time was minimal.

THE PORTS OF CALL AND TOURS – GENERAL INFORMATION. Once again, the information given and the opinions are from my personal experience and are only for guidance. Many of the things that I record are because I cannot find that information elsewhere. I have mobility issues and do not walk well so I have had to rely on my much fitter DH for some information. WEATHER AND SEA CONDITIONS.

The weather in Iceland was cool with a high over the 2 days of 12*C. It was dull and overcast for most of our time there and we had some persistent drizzle and some heavy showers too.

I would recommend dressing in layers with a wind/waterproof coat, hat. Scarf and gloves as well as shoes that can cope with wet weather and rough terrain, particularly if you are doing anything away from the main town.

I asked our guide about the weather generally and she said that it is very unpredictable. Her advice was ‘be prepared for every eventuality’.

We had a lot of fog during our transit across the North Atlantic in both directions which kept the temperature down but people did sit out on the aft decks. You just needed to wrap up. When the sun did break through, it got almost hot on deck.

The weather in Greenland was wonderful. We were so lucky as we heard that these ports are often missed due to fog, wind or too much ice in the channels. We got into all 3 ports and, although the mornings were mist the sun came out by noon and we basked in warmish (16*c) but glorious sunshine.

The sea conditions were a revelation too, as I had prepared myself for rough seas the whole time. I don’t know if it was luck or the norm but, apart from one 24 hour stretch of high swells, we had ‘flat calm’ seas the whole time.

DAY 4. REYKJAVIK -GENERAL PORT AND TOUR INFORMATION.

Thursday 10th July

A.M. Cold and overcast with light drizzle at times.....10*c

P.M. As above but with heavier rain and strong wind as we headed back to the ship.

 

THE DOCK.

We had an overnight stay in Reykjavik so some information may be different for 1 night stops.

 

We docked at the Skarfabakki port at 06.45. This is not the central port but an industrial port a 15 minute bus ride from the city centre.

The ship was cleared for disembarkation at 07.45.

Tour busses are parked close to the ship.

Taxis were available.

There is an information office close to the gangway. It has an extensive range of souvenirs, a tour booking office, a help desk with English speaking personnel, local maps and clean toilets. There is free wifi too for 20 minutes.

 

There is a shuttle bus into the city centre which is free for passengers on the 'suite dreams' and 'freedom fares' packages. For all other passengers it is £5 pp for 1 day or £7.50 for both days. The first bus is at 09.00 and the last bus back from the city is 22.45 on overnight stays and 09.00 to 16.15. The drop off point is the Harpa Concert Hall near the city port.

There is a public service bus stop fairly close to the Port exit.

 

GOLDEN CIRCLE TOUR - ISK 9,500pp = £48.50pp.

We booked this independently through 'ICELAND GUIDED TOURS' ('igtours.is') after a lot of research on the internet. The itinerary seems the same as the F.O. Excursion but was £50pp approx. The major difference is that our tour does not include lunch but there is a lunch break stop where we can purchase food. Our internet booking just reserved our place on the tour so we paid once on the bus. Some people paid in cash but we used a credit card.

 

The meeting point was the dock side information centre between 08.30 & 09.00.

Our mini bus arrived at 08.35 and we set off at 08.45. There were 9 passengers so plenty of space. Our driver, Sonja, was also our guide. She spoke very good English and was extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

The tour took us around the outskirts of Reykjavik and then up into the countryside. This has a wild and rugged beauty although the hills were shrouded in mist and it was very overcast and dull.

I was amazed at how empty the country is but the reason became obvious when Sonja told us that the whole population is just over 300,000 so compared to the UK which has a similar area but a population of around 63,000,000 it's not surprising that there were such vast empty spaces.

 

Our first stop, after an hour, was a 'comfort break' at a small, local mini-market where there were clean free toilets and a shop selling coffee, snacks and groceries. We had about 15 minutes there.

 

From the mini-market we continued through the uplands and had a short 'photo-stop' at a waterfall before continuing to Gullfoss waterfall.

By this time we had been on the road for 2.5 hours.

 

GULLFOSS WATERFALL.

The guide dropped us off at the lower car park and we had an hour to explore the area.

The falls are large and impressive with long drops and dramatic, swirling water and spray.

There are several different viewing areas connected by walkways at the lower level.

There is a stairway up to the upper viewing level with approx 80 steps. Once again, there are several viewing areas.

There is also a Visitors' Centre with a shop, small cafe and free toilets and an upper car park where our mini-bus met us.

 

It was a 10 minute drive to the next stop.

 

GEYSIR

Our next stop was the hot spring area at Geysir.

We were dropped off at the side entrance and had 1.25 hours to explore.

The area is covered in the steam from the multiple geyser holes and is criss-crossed by hot streams with warnings not to test the temperature as it is at boiling point.

There are several pathways (some paved) which pass by some of the numerous small fissures and there is 1 huge hole where the geyser explodes spectacularly every 10-15 minutes. Large crowds congregate round this one.

 

On the other side of the road is a large car/coach park, hotel and an enormous Visitors' Centre with a cafe, shop and free toilets.

 

After a 40 minute drive we reached our last stop.

 

PINGVELLIR

The last stop was at the UNESCO World Heritage area of the Pingvellir National Park where, yet again, the passengers were dropped off at the lower car park (or given the option to stay on the bus to ride to the top car park and Visitors' Centre).

 

This area is at the heart of Icelandic culture and was where the people, from the 10th century onwards, gathered to celebrate together and to develop the laws and cultural heritage of Iceland.

 

The scenery is spectacular with snow capped mountains in the far distance, flat plains closer to, rocky gullies between lava stacks and a huge lake.

There are pathways through the gullies and across the small rivers. There is a viewing platform at the upper level too.

 

The Visitors' Centre has a small shop and museum.

There are modern, clean toilets but they were the only ones where a charge is made - 200ISK. It is possible to pay with a credit/debit card if you don't have the right change and this is done actually at the turn style.

 

The tour finished with a 40 minute drive back to the ship and we were dropped off at the Visitors' Centre just before 16.00.

 

We were very happy with the tour and the efficient service.

A great day.....it was just a shame that it was so cold and overcast but fortunately, apart from some drizzle, the heavy rain held off until we got near to Reykjavik.

 

DAY 5. REYKJAVIK CITY, PUFFIN WATCHING AND OTHER TOUR INFORMATION.

Thursday 11th July

A.M. Overcast with some patches of blue sky.

Noon - heavy rain.

P.M. Drier with some warmish, sunny spells.

REYKJAVIK

A shuttle bus was provided on a continuous loop from the port to the opera house which is close to the city centre.

It was £5pp for 1 day and £7.50 for 2 days of unrestricted journeys.

The shuttle bus took 10 minutes. The distance is walkable for those who are fit......once out of the port, just keep the sea wall on your right and follow it round.

The main shopping area is a 5 minute walk from the drop-off.

Walk straight on past the Opera House, cross the main road at the lights and keep on walking with a large white building on your left until you come to a small square. The main shopping street is across the road on your left.

Once across the road, the Tourist Information Centre is on the right.

The city is built on hills so, if you have mobility problems, be aware that walking can be quite hard.

 

The city centre is relatively small for a capital city and, IMHO, very pleasant.

There are many small boutique type shops and attractive cafés, lots of flowers and not much traffic.

Most of the cafés have free wifi.

The church is worth a visit as it is an unusual design.

I didn't have time to go inside but there were a lot of people who were going in.

In the street directly opposite the church there is a small supermarket on the left side going down the hill.

There are public toilets on this road too.

There are whale watching, fishing and puffin watching trips available from the harbour in the city centre.

These can be pre-booked online, booked at the cruise port Information centre or at the harbour, on the day, but be careful about timings so your trip fits in with your ship's departure.

My DH is an avid bird watcher and photographer so he went off to the ' city lake' and the swamp area which was a 15 minute walk from the main shopping street.

This area is a park with flowers, trees, fountains, seats etc.

DH was very pleased with his photos of Arctic Terns and some other birds whose names I can't remember!

PUFFIN WATCHING.

We booked through Fred Olsen as the tour departed at 2.00p.m. I like the peace of mind of a ship's tour when it is so close to our departure time.

The meeting time was 1.45p.m. in the Neptune Lounge.

We were taken by mini bus to the central harbour and then got on the small sightseeing boat.

It had both a covered seating area and an open seating area.

There were no toilet facilities on board.

There was a knowledgeable guide who explained all about the different kinds of puffins and their life styles and then pointed out several other species of sea bird.

The boat trip lasted about 60 minutes and we saw lots of puffins at the island.

We were incredibly lucky that the sun came out just as the boat left the dock and the sea was as calm as a mill pond too so the experience was even better than expected.

The mini bus dropped us back at the ship at 16.00.

OTHER SHORE EXCURSIONS.

I can only report snippets that I have picked up from talking to other passengers.

Those that I spoke to all enjoyed the BLUE LAGOON and said it was a worthwhile experience.

People did see whales (mostly Minky Whales) on the WHALE WATCHING excursion.

This was on a much larger 3 deck high boat with toilet facilities, a small shop and refreshments.

DAY 7 - AT SEA - SCENIC CRUISING THROUGH PRINS KRISTIAN SUND. Cancelled because of fog.

Sunday 13th July

A.M. Cold and overcast with a sea fret - 9*c

Noon - fog clearing!!

P.M. Fog descended again in mid-afternoon

Sea - calm with a slight swell.

 

We spotted a couple of icebergs at 06.30 as we began to near the Sund.

Boo hoo.......we've just had an announcement from the captain cancelling the scenic cruising because the fog is unlikely to lift so we wouldn't be able to see anything.

The ship is continuing its normal course. We are seeing a lot of ice flows though.

NOON.

It's been foggy for the last few hours but the fog has lifted a bit so we can now see the coastline of Greenland with its high mountains and glaciers.

It is very reminiscent of the Chilean Fjords. There are lots of icebergs of various sizes floating by. Some are quite big......car sized and double decker bus sized!

Unfortunately, as the afternoon progressed, the fog dropped again and it felt as if the ship was in its own little cocoon.

The fog lifted once again in the late evening and we witnessed a beautiful sunset with the icebergs floating past.

DAY 8. - NARSARSUAQ, GREENLAND

Monday 14th July

A.M. Cold with sunny intervals early on but clear blue sky by 11.00.

P.M. Warm in the sun but a chilly wind.

Sea - flat calm

Docked at 07.30

Cleared by immigration at 08.00

All aboard 5.30p.m.

Depart 6.00p.m.

NB - there are a lot of MIDGES which are quite a nuisance.

I'm so glad I invested in a 'MOSQUITO NET HAT' which I wore over a peaked cap so that the netting was away from my face. Thank you Cruise Critic - I wouldn't have thought about getting one if I hadn't read the advice on one of your forums. A lot of people got bitten

NB - use insect repellent and sun screen.

Wow, wow, wow.......the ship sailed very slowly up the fjord (dodging icebergs I think) through spectacular scenery at sunrise.

I'm so glad we were awake at 06.00 to see it, especially after the fog yesterday. There were obviously people who had been up even earlier than us as it was quite busy on deck when we got out at 06.25!

One abiding memory will be opening the curtains to see 2 huge icebergs floating past just a couple of yards from the ship. How do you beat that?

I have to say that we have sailed along fjords with more dramatic scenery in Norway but it was the icebergs and ice flows that were lit up by rising sun

that made this 'sail-in' so memorable.

The fjord is quite wide with steep, rugged cliffs covered in shrubby vegetation and punctuated with fast flowing waterfalls.

The tiny settlement of Narsarsuaq (it's much too small to call a town) nestles among these cliffs on some low lying ground.

There is a small, deep water quay where we docked at 07.15

This is the site of the 'international' airport where there is 1 flight a week to and from Reykjavik plus some local, light aircraft flights and government sponsored research flights.

Most buildings are sited around the runway and there is:

A small hotel with a restaurant

A cafe with the tourist information centre

A small museum

A shop/post office

Supermarket

Airport terminal

Monument

Reservoir

Signal Hill viewing point.

The walk from the dock to the settlement is approximately a mile.

There are no shuttle busses or taxis. This is a shame for those of us who are less mobile as I only managed to walk about half way to the settlement.

It is up a fairly gentle incline to a promontory and then down hill, past the airfield to the buildings but I find hills very challenging. People with good mobility managed the route easily.

There are amazing views along the way so it is worth the effort to do at least part of the walk and the wild flowers were beautiful too.

TOURS.

I am guessing that there are not the facilities or man power to provide independent tours here but I may be wrong.

F.O. Offered 4 different tours.

1. QOROQ ICE FJORD. (My trip)

This is done in a small but modern fishing boat which is docked right next to the ship.

This tour was run 19 times, the first one leaving at 08.00 and the last one at 4.00p.m.

My meeting time was 2.15p.m. in the Neptune Lounge.

It was a short walk along the pier to the boats which hold 14 people in comfort inside.

There is a small open deck and a walk way around the cabin so when we got to the ice field we could go outside to see things more clearly.

The ramp down to the boat was very, very steep.

There was a fast ride to the ice field where we spent almost an hour slowly cruising among the icebergs.

There is a vast area of floating ice with bergs ranging in size from tiny to the size of a large building. The sun was shining and it made the whole area sparkle like a fairy kingdom although it was quite eerie hearing the ice being ground up by the boats propeller. When we had the opportunity to touch one of the icebergs, it was a truly magical experience.

I have to say that this must rate as one of my most memorable excursions.

2. HIKE ON THE RIDGE. (My DH's trip)

There was a morning and afternoon departure on this trip.

My DH's group met in the Neptune Lounge at 08.45.

Here is his report:

We left at 9.00 am. There were two mini buses waiting on the quay side which carried eight passengers each. I sat in the front with the driver and another passenger for the ride of about two and a half miles to the starting point for the hike.

There were two female guides who were both friendly and very informative!

The walk, which was along a ridge between two valleys, was on uneven ground which varied between rocks, grass and loose stones.

There were a couple of areas which contained fairly steep banks. There were two ladies who used walking sticks and, with helping hands, they managed these obstacles quite easily.

The plant life was amazing with flowers like harebells, American rosebay willow herb, gentian and many others as well as different mosses and lichen.

The walk took about seventy five minutes to get to the vantage point and the view of the Kiagtut Sermiat Glacier was stunning.

We stayed at this view point for fifteen minutes before starting our return journey. On the way back to the boat you had the option to be dropped off in the town. For me this was an excellent excursion.

3. ERIK THE RED'S VILLAGE

There was a morning and an afternoon departure for this excursion.

I spoke to people who had done this excursion and this is what they told me.

The trip lasted for 4 hours and started with a journey across the fjord on the ship's tender. This was followed by a walk of about 2 km on uneven and hilly paths through the village.

At the village there were various sites including a reconstruction of Eric's church. People also saw the small sheep farming communities.

They found the excursion to be interesting and worthwhile

4. HELICOPTER FLIGHT.

There were 2 departures, both in the morning, for this tour.

The gentleman that I spoke to said he had a wonderful time and the views were amazing. He and his companions were transported to/from the helipad by mini bus to/from the ship.

9. DAY 9. - QAQORTOQ.

Tuesday 15th July

A.M. Very foggy. Expected high of 3*c!!

Noon - the fog had almost dissipated and there were some patches of blue sky. It is definitely warmer than 3*c.

P.M. Wow....what a difference a few hours can make. By 3.00 it was clear blue sky and almost warm in the sun in a sheltered spot.

Sea - flat calm

NB - QAQORTOQ IS A TENDER PORT.

The ship anchored at 07.15

First tender - 08.00

Last tender - 17.30

Sail away - 18.00

Qaqortoq has a population of approximately 3,000 people and is the largest town that we visited.

The tender ride took about 5 minutes and was running approximately every 15 minutes.

NB - we didn't encounter any bugs today, thank goodness.

THE TOWN.

The main attractions are :

The port

Black tarred log building

Torvet fountain

Frelsereny church

Museum

Post office

Hotel

Greenland fur house tannery

Vatican Hill view point

Tourist information office. It is possible that there was a public toilet here but I forgot to check......sorry.

The lake.

 

The town is built on a series of fairly steep hills in the lee of the moss covered mountains and the houses straggle, colourfully, across these mountain sides.

The buildings are colour coded so any painted yellow have a connection with health care, red ones are shops etc........

The small harbour houses a variety of boats: fishing, kayaks, speed boats, yachts etc.

 

Directly opposite the tender dock is a 'tourist shop and Information Centre' which has a wide selection of souvenir items ranging from key rings up to clothing made from local animal skins.

The shop accepts credit cards or cash in US$, € and £. This shop also advertises that it can arrange tours but I didn't find any brochures inside so I can't confirm what is available.

Just outside the shop there were some stalls manned by local people selling locally produced goods.

The stall holders were willing to accept US$, €s and £s too.

A short walk to the left from the pier brings you to the museum and, shortly after that, the town square with the fountain.

There is a restaurant overlooking this square with tables outside. We had a coffee and used the very clean, modern toilet.

If you keep right, past the restaurant, you will come to a fast flowing mountain stream, a pretty little church, a lovely wild flower area and then the supermarket.

 

I went in the supermarket out of curiosity and was amazed at how many of the products are brand names that I could get at home in the UK.

There was a large fruit and vegetable section, tinned and packeted goods, wines and spirits, household products and a bakery.

I did like the look of the packaged open sandwiches (very Scandinavian) and take-away salad bowls. Some passengers were buying these to have as a picnic lunch.

The upper floor of the supermarket had clothing, electrical goods, household appliances and kitchen equipment. I was tempted to buy some very stylish water jugs but resisted temptation.

If you walk left by the fountain you will come to the tiny harbour.

The walking described above is fairly easy with only gradual, slight gradients but if you choose to walk to the right as you leave the tender dock then the road climbs very steeply, as it does in other parts of the town.

My DH is a keen bird watcher and photographer and he was really excited to see snow buntings, red poll, wheatear and Lapland bunting in the lake area.

EXCURSIONS.

Once again, I'm not sure if it was possible to arrange independent tours.

There are no roads out of the town so I think it is unlikely but others may know differently.

F.O. offered 4 excursions.

My DH did the HIKE ALONG THE GREAT LAKE.

I didn't do any because they all involved quite a lot of walking and the town is quite hilly so I know that I would have slowed the group down.

1. HIKE ALONG THE GREAT LAKE.

The group met at 07.30 in the Neptune Lounge and were off on the first tender at 07.40.

Following a tender ride of about ten minute we formed into our five groups of twenty with two guides each.

We walked through the town, along the small river side until we reached the lake.

Our main guide was very informative, relaying information about the development and formation of the lake, mountains and what plants and wildlife can be found in the area.

The walk was along the fairly flat shore line on uneven and loose soil, grass and stones. Once the early mist had cleared the views were stunning.

The bird life we saw included ravens, redpolls, snow buntings, Lapland buntings and red breasted merganser.

The walk lasted about two and a half hours and.

You were allowed to make your own way back if you wanted too.

The lake is not far from the tender dock and can be easily reached by independent walkers.

The estimated time to walk around the whole of the lake is four hours.

Having done the guided walk I would now recommend that you do it independently.

2. HVALSEY CHURCH BY BOAT.

I didn’t speak to anyone who did this trip so can’t comment.

3. TASTES OF GREENLAND

I didn’t speak to anyone who did this trip so can’t comment.

4. TRADITIONAL GREENLAND

Friends who did this reported that the walk to the house took about an hour as the house to be visited was at the top of a very steep hill.

Some less mobile passengers actually dropped out and returned to the lower part of the town or the ship.

Once there, though, our friends said it was an enjoyable experience.

The group spent about an hour in the home of an 83year old lady who talked, through a translator, about her life and demonstrated her skills in bead craft and other native skills.

The group were also provided with hot drinks and scones and biscuits.

There was a toilet in the house.

DAY 10 - NANORTALIK

Wednesday 16th July

A.M. Overcast and. Cold,

Mid morning - some sunny intervals

Noon - glorious sunshine, clear blue sky and warm enough to sit outside in a short sleeved t-shirt!!!

NANORTALIk is a tender port.

We dropped anchor at 06.30ish.

he first tender left the ship at 08.00

he last tender was 15.30 and not 17.30 as stated in the 'Daily Times as the captain has altered the schedule.

He hopes to sail through the PRINS KRISTIAN SUND as we start our journey back to Liverpool.

We missed sailing through the passage on the outbound journey because it was too foggy to see anything so we are all hoping we get the chance this time.

 

The sound where we were anchored is incredibly picturesque with a sparkling blue sea, small, rugged islands and icebergs of all shapes and sizes drifting slowly across the bay.

I have seen amazing sights all around the world but this view must rank high in the top 10. The huge iceberg that is directly in front of me now, which must be nearly the size of our ship, is shaped a little like a dog's head and it has an enormous hole through the top corner which looks a bit like an eye!

The whole thing is glittering and sparkling in the sunshine and it is dwarfing the fishing boat that is passing in front of it.

It is such a shame that photographs don't do justice to a subject like this!

EXCURSIONS

There were no ships excursions at this port but F.O. had sponsored the local people to put on a variety of activities which were free for passengers:

Folk dancing, a choir performance, kayak show and an open air museum with people dressed in native costume.

THE TOWN

The tender trip is about 10 minutes.

The population is approximately 1,300.

 

The town is small and the sights are in close proximity to each other. I managed to see most things.

There were some flies but I wasn't aware of any midges.

The tender boat docks at a concrete pier.

This is an industrial docking area with large warehouse buildings.

It is a short walk to the main road.

At the main road -

Turn left for the church and the museum.

Directly in front of you across the main road is a large supermarket that sells a wide variety of food items along with clothing and household goods.

Turn right and the first building on the right is the TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRE. This has:

Internet access

A variety of souvenirs

Maps

English speaking assistants.

A tour desk (I'm not sure what else there is to see but they might be able to arrange boat trips into the bay and around the icebergs)

Public TOILETS!

This building also houses the Post Office, Bank and ATM Machine

If you follow the road you will find:

a small cafe and shop (the green building on the left)

The fish market

A grill/bar

The Culture House

There are park bench type seats at various view points along this main road.

The town is situated across low hills and it is worth walking up the back streets to see the houses and school.

The whole area is awash with wild flowers - buttercups, dandelions, clover and lupine.

here are some taxis in the town but, once again, I'm not sure where a taxi would take you.

 

10B. PRINS KRISTIAN SUND.

Wednesday 16th July

Well, we made it and, boy, was it worth the wait!

Prins Kristian Sund is a 55-mile narrow channel situated at the southern end of Greenland.

A series of fjords connects from the western coast of Greenland to Prins Kristian Sund on the eastern coast of Greenland and allows passage from one side to the other.

The ship left NANORTALIK at 4.15 just as the fog began to descend after the beautiful day so we were beginning to doubt the wisdom of our beloved captain in taking the decision to leave the port early to sail the SUND.

However, he was absolutely right because, as we sat down to our early sitting dinner, the fog lifted and the incredible journey began.

I cannot believe that our dinner 'companion' was this astonishingly dramatic scenery with the towering cliffs slashed by pockets of snow and dizzily dancing waterfalls and, to complement all this, we had icebergs drifting by too.

By 8.00 we were well into the Sund and had passed a tiny village of 70 people perched perilously on a small flatfish rocky outcrop.

The sun sinks very slowly at this time of the year so, as we meandered along, we were exposed to periods of strong sunshine that lit up the icebergs and glowed on the rocky surfaces of the mountain sides.

We would be suddenly plunged into near darkness as an enormous mountain peak hid the sun and then we would emerge, yet again, into the light.

 

We sailed for several hours between the soaring mountains with unusually jagged peaks punctuated by glaciers and deeply cut inlets as night slowly crept up on us.

In many ways I was glad that this sail through came at the end of our Greenland adventure as the scenery was so amazingly awe inspiring that it may have diminished our appreciation of the ports.

They were all unique in their own way and really interesting but none had scenery to match the Sund.

I have visited many 'fjord' areas of the world.....Norway, the Chilean fjords, Fjord-land in New Zealand, Alaska ....but this has to be my favourite. SummaryI loved the cruise and the ports. I realise that we were very lucky with the weather and there are times that ships are not able to make their port because of ice/fog so I feel very privileged that we saw everything that was on the itinerary.

Now that's what I call a review......:-) thanks for taking the time and effort.

Edited July 27, 2014 by 1160451

Thank you so much for you comprehensive and helpful review soccer ref. it's great that you didn't miss any of the stops due to bad weather. The itinerary looks very interesting, and I am tempted to try it myself!:)

Some photos to follow your excellent review and information.

 

Sunset iceberg off SW Greenland on our arrival.

 

 

Road to/from Narsarsuaq

 

 

Boudicca tenders, Qaqortoq

 

 

Nanortalik church

 

Royal Arctic line and Boudicca

 

 

Nanortalik locals

 

 

Nanortalik icebergs

 

 

 

Prinz Kristiansund

 

We're trying Fred Olsen for the first time in a few months and also visiting Iceland in September so your review was really informative and interesting. Thanks for all the time and trouble you took to write it all up for us.

Thanks for the report!

Thank you Gaelsail for posting the photos. I've tried to post some of ours but failed miserably so yours really add emphasis to the beauty of our voyage.

 

Thank you everyone for your kind comments. I really enjoy writing up our adventures and I'm glad some bits of information are useful.

Thank you very much for a very well written report and also the terrific photos.

 

Keith

Hi soccerref, I saw this cruise advertised and really fancied it but I was unable to go. After reading your review I really must go on it next year. Thank you for a most interesting descriptive review. Rene. :)

Wow, what a great review. We are going on the "Exploring the Arctic" cruise in August 2015 which includes Iceland and Greenland so the information will be very useful. Thanks for the tip on parking. We sail from Newcastle and I think the port parking is nearly £10 per day.

I will be in Iceland on the 20th of August with Fred thanks for all the information it was really useful as it is my first time with Fred