Iceland trips

Looking for some help from P&O experts.

Hoping to book an Iceland cruise for 2018, visiting Reykjavik, Isafjordur and Akureyri. Does anyone know the cost of the official full day trips for these stops?

I have searched the Internet for local companies that offer full day trips and I'm wondering how much price difference there is with P&O as they seem expensive online.

If we do go to Iceland then I would need to budget for trips in the cost of the holiday so trying to work out how much to allow in advance

Many thanks ....getting excited about booking another fantastic holiday

For August 2017

Reykjavik Golden Circle £120

Akureyki Jewels of the North & Myvatin Nature Baths £110

Isafjordur Best of £68 (3hrs). No full day trips from my quick look

For August 2017

 

Reykjavik Golden Circle £120

Akureyki Jewels of the North & Myvatin Nature Baths £110

Isafjordur Best of £68 (3hrs). No full day trips from my quick look

Thank you so much for the quick reply

Wow it is an expensive place.

Do most use P&O for Iceland ? Or it like St. Petersburg where we used a local company?

We're doing the Iceland cruise later this week and so looking forward to it.

I saw recommendations for a few companies in Iceland and we've booked with FAB Travel. They've got very good reviews so worth looking at these online.

We booked their Cruise Package for Reykavik and Akureyri, but you could also include a tour in Isafjordur. It's cheaper booking as a package rather than separately. We paid by c card online and it was cheaper than paying when you get there, although you could do this and pay in £ if you want to. They guarantee to get you back to ship on time and refund if you don't dock in the port.

It cost us under £300 for both of us for both full day tours, and these are for two full day trips (7-8 hrs each day) and should be smaller buses than the ship tours.

We often the d to do the ship tours as u worry about missing the ship, but after reading the reviews and recommendations I was swayed to go with FAB Travel. Seeing more over the full day swayed us too rather than the 3-4 hour trips from the ship.

Hope this is useful. [emoji568]

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We're doing the Iceland cruise later this week and so looking forward to it.

 

I saw recommendations for a few companies in Iceland and we've booked with FAB Travel. They've got very good reviews so worth looking at these online.

We booked their Cruise Package for Reykavik and Akureyri, but you could also include a tour in Isafjordur. It's cheaper booking as a package rather than separately. We paid by c card online and it was cheaper than paying when you get there, although you could do this and pay in £ if you want to. They guarantee to get you back to ship on time and refund if you don't dock in the port.

It cost us under £300 for both of us for both full day tours, and these are for two full day trips (7-8 hrs each day) and should be smaller buses than the ship tours.

 

We often the d to do the ship tours as u worry about missing the ship, but after reading the reviews and recommendations I was swayed to go with FAB Travel. Seeing more over the full day swayed us too rather than the 3-4 hour trips from the ship.

 

Hope this is useful. [emoji568]

 

 

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Thank you HomelessBear. I've been looking at Fab tours as a price guide. Have an amazing cruise this week, it sounds a wonderful country to visit.

It looks as though Fab tours might be the way to go then. My last concern would be getting back to the ship ontime especially as some of the ports are tenders..but I am a worrier...

Thank you everyone for your very quick replies...here's hoping to another cruise being booked soon

We've booked the 3 day package with FAB

Would it be possible for either eddie11 or homelessbear to let me know how the trips with Fab went on your return?

Very excited about this cruise now and just hope that we can get to go on it next year

Ok.

Will report back after the cruise. [emoji568]

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Thank you both.

Have a fantastic cruise...hopefully I'll be able to start my countdown soon :halo:

My last concern would be getting back to the ship ontime especially as some of the ports are tenders..but I am a worrier...

I used Fab Travel a couple of years ago and found them to be good.

As for getting you back to the ship on time, they build into their schedule a one hour tour around town at the end (in Rekyavik we went to the cathedral and the Pearl). However if their tour is delayed for some reason they can skip this part and get you back on time.

We did the Iceland cruise on Oriana in 2015 and loved it. We did tours with local companies in two of the places which we booked directly online and a private tour with two other couples in Akureyi who we had met via the Roll Call.

They were much cheaper than ship's tours. They were sourced from Tripadvisor and no trouble getting back to the ship on time. Local operators have their reputations to maintain. It is also much nicer being in a small minibus with a few other people than on a coach with 50 others.

Yes, Iceland is very expensive.

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We used this company a few years ago

https://www.igtours.is/en

They were fantastic. We had the owners son as our guide and nothing was too much trouble. Would highly recommenced them. Much better than the ships tours which are just too big

I'm posting with feedback of our Fab Travel tours in Iceland as asked.

In Akureyri we had a great tour to Godafoss Waterfall and Lake Myvatn and the lava fields. Lovely weather and an interesting day. Lunchtime was about an hour and half at a small cafe with optional geothermal "dip". For me this was too long as we didn't participate in the water option and there was nothing else around there to do. Many of us hoped we would get an hour in town on the way back, but due to the extended time at the lunch stop (he'd given us extra time for some reason), we weren't able to stop in town or even have a town "tour". Not a biggee but would have liked a walk around town. Overall an excellent tour guide (Ian - who was originally from UK) and an informative and interesting tour.

Unfortunately we get into Reykjavik as the ship couldn't dock due to high winds. Disappointing but that's the risk when cruising.

We'd paid for the trips beforehand online. It was well organised when we got off the ship in Akureyri, and we found the staff easily. Just look for the "Free as a Bird" signs. I noted that some people paid on the day in £ sterling or local Krona. A few on our tour hadn't booked beforehand and just came looking for a tour on the day.

We had an 18 seat mini bus which was comfy enough and better than a bigger coach.

They guarantee refunds for missed stops, but I had to send 2 emails when we got home asking when we'd receive this for our missed tour in Reykjavik, before I got a reply.

I'd use them again but would personally work out the costs between paying before or on the day and with which currency (£ or Icelandic Krona). Just in case we couldn't do the tour, to prevent possible issues getting a refund.

Hope this info is helpful.

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Thanks!

Thank you HomelessBear

Can't wait for next year now

From Akureyri you can travel by boat to Grimsey which is in the Artic Circle, Akureyri is just below it.

Also on the journey into Akureyri get up early and look out for whales, we saw lots of them at close quarters, amazing to see.

Depending on your next port of call the ships will sometimes go slightly further North to make sure that passengers can say that they were in the Artic circle. I don't know if they all do this or its down to the Captain.

And re your name - they should not have cancelled it after 1 series!!!!

On our Iceland trip we received a certificate with date and time we crossed the Arctic Circle.

There was also an on deck "Neptunes Court" ceremony the evening before, similar to crossing the equator ceremony. Lots of ice thrown about!

As requested, my feedback on IG or FAB Iceland tours (both names work ; it's the same company)

We did the 'cruise ship package' for the 3 Iceland ports. First day 8 hours, 2nd and 3rd days slightly shorter but a good 7 hours. No problems in finding the minibuses on the quayside each day. Good, comfortable buses. Reykjavik there were 15 in a 20 seater, with 8 pax off Oriana and the rest International pax picked up at a couple of venues in the city. Isafjordur there were just 5 in an 18 seater and Akureyri there were 6.

So much nicer than hanging around for the slowest of 50 on a full sized coach.

Drivers and guides were excellent. The tours are as detailed on the website. We didn't swim at Lake Mvatn either, so there was a bit of a lull there - but that was our choice; we knew the itinerary.

All I can say is that we were quite blown away by the whole piece. I've done the sums, as best I can, and think the total for the three FAB tours came in at over £100 less than the corresponding P&O ones.

Please ask if there's anything else - I'll try to remember whilst it's still in my mind. If anyone is swithering about an Iceland cruise - don't swither , it's fantastic! A real experience

We used this company a few years ago

 

https://www.igtours.is/en

 

 

 

They were fantastic. We had the owners son as our guide and nothing was too much trouble. Would highly recommenced them. Much better than the ships tours which are just too big

+1 for igtours.

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Also, we used cruisingexcursions.com for an Akureyri tour some years back and it was half the price of the cruise line and was operated by the same tour company as the cruise line used.

Also we've visited the public thermal baths in Akureyri and that was fun and inexpensive.

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Thank you eddie11.

It really does sound amazing. We are still waiting for 2018 holiday dates to become available to book off through work.

My only question is, were any of the ports tender ports? I've never done a tender port, how does timings work for meeting up with an independent excursion as against being on the official excursion?

I noticed in your report that you didn't do the hot pool. Could the time at the venue be easily filled?

One final question. On the Fab excursions there is no included lunches. Are payable local lunches needed? We often don't eat lunch on a cruise, but do you need to purchase food at certain stops?

Thank you again.

Thank you eddie11.

 

My only question is, were any of the ports tender ports? I've never done a tender port, how does timings work for meeting up with an independent excursion as against being on the official excursion?

We recently visited Akureyri, Isafjordur and Reykjavic. Only Isafjordur was a tender port. Tenders will run pretty regularly once the ship is anchored so you should have no problem getting to shore for the agreed / arranged time.

Incidentally, I would very highly recommend a trip to Lake Myvatn and the nearby geothermic areas from Akureyri. The scenery is from another planet, and was a lot less crowded than the Golden Circle trips from Reykjavic.

The tendering was fine. You'll need to get yourself on as early a tender as you can. The tour company are aware of the ship's movements and timings.

Food - no, not included. Iceland is eye-wateringly expensive and I have to confess that the ports were the only ones we have ever taken food from the ship (just a ham roll and an apple). Each tour stopped at places where food was available and it all looked very very good. Just very expensive. About £10 or so for 'meat soup' (looked and smelt lovely, more like Irish stew) over £20 for fish and chips, salmon, lamb etc. Coffee is not so much at variance with our prices - say £3ish

You can walk across the lava field at Myvatn, watch the swimmers from the cafe, look at the small gift shop or have a coffee and cake or lunch. Swimming is expensive. I think the guide said 4000k or 2600 for seniors. Two on our trip did it and said they loved it

Also, we used cruisingexcursions.com for an Akureyri tour some years back and it was half the price of the cruise line and was operated by the same tour company as the cruise line used.

 

 

Also we've visited the public thermal baths in Akureyri and that was fun and inexpensive.

 

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Hi, we are using the crusingexcursions.com tour in Akureyri in a couple of weeks, I will give you some feedback once we return.