Qaqortoq, Greenland

[roupa]

Port of call 7AM-5PM in August 2022.   Looking for thoughts/info if you have been there.  Shore excursion suggestions?

[Nitemare]

Most options will be offered by your cruiseline, there aren't many local providers.  What kinds of things are being offered and what are your interests?

[edinburgher]

We have visited twice.  It is an attractiuve little town to visit with many coloured buildings and in summer there are also colourful wild flowers.  You are sure to get some pretty photos.  You can walk around looking for Stone and Man rock carvings.  The Tourist office is next to the tender dock as were local ladies selling traditional hand made crafts. (beading is very popular) I think our town map with the stone and man carvings  came from the tourist Office.  There is also a library and a church..

 

It is interesting simply walking around taking in aspects of daily life.  The local kindergarten brought the kids out to see all we "strange looking people"!   It is also worth looking in to the local supermarket  to see what is available and the cost of it!  You can also walk around the lake, something we did on our second visit.

 

Be aware that both times we had to fend off huge numbers of big flies.  First time we were unprepared and had to use sunglasses as a barrier for our eyes, but second time we covered our heads with fine nets which we took with us..

 

Most Greenland ports offer little in the way of shorex for a number of reasons. Qaqortoq is super easy to DIY and looking for and at the rock carvings was interesting. You should find info on them easily enough with an internet search.

[roupa]

At this time, the cruise's shore excursions are not listed.  I am simply looking for noted experience of previous visitors and possibilities.  Thank you, edinburgher.

[edinburgher]

sorr, double post deleted.

Edited November 10, 2021 by edinburgher

[edinburgher]

Roupa. A bit like Alaska in that with most supplies having to arrive by sea or by air and few roads (if any) connecting small towns and villages, the options for shorex are going to be limited, although if you search the internet with something like "shore excursions in Qaquartoq", a few examples  do pop up and there is also some information on Tripadvisor.  I see we missed  out on a museum visit, although the weather was so good both times we were happy outdoors (apart from the flies)

 

We also used the internet in the local library both times.

 

The "walk" around the lake is actually quite a hike and no shorex would be needed for that, nor for a guided walk around the town.

 

We enjoyed our first Greenland cruise ports so much, a couple of years later we booked another which offered some different ports, although Qaquartoq wasc ommon to both. and  I think you wil lenjoy your time there.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

On 11/9/2021 at 10:40 AM, edinburgher said:

We have visited twice.  It is an attractiuve little town to visit with many coloured buildings and in summer there are also colourful wild flowers.  You are sure to get some pretty photos.  You can walk around looking for Stone and Man rock carvings.  The Tourist office is next to the tender dock as were local ladies selling traditional hand made crafts. (beading is very popular) I think our town map with the stone and man carvings  came from the tourist Office.  There is also a library and a church..

 

It is interesting simply walking around taking in aspects of daily life.  The local kindergarten brought the kids out to see all we "strange looking people"!   It is also worth looking in to the local supermarket  to see what is available and the cost of it!  You can also walk around the lake, something we did on our second visit.

 

Be aware that both times we had to fend off huge numbers of big flies.  First time we were unprepared and had to use sunglasses as a barrier for our eyes, but second time we covered our heads with fine nets which we took with us..

 

Most Greenland ports offer little in the way of shorex for a number of reasons. Qaqortoq is super easy to DIY and looking for and at the rock carvings was interesting. You should find info on them easily enough with an internet search.

 

Hi, info on the nets, please, for the flies?  And are they year-round?  I'm excited to be going in 2023.  THANK YOU!

 

[edinburgher]

You could simply search the internet for "mosquito (or insect) head nets" or similar and you should get a fair few results as they are popular with campers, caravaners and folks walking in the countryside. Or try an outdoor or camping store if you have one near your home.

 

We already had these at home although had not yet used them. First time around we had to use our sunglasses as eye protection as the flies were very much attracted to eyes.

 

. And if you ever visit the Scottish countryside, you could use them against our infamous midges -the reason we already had them!

 

No idea if they are year round as both our visits were in the summer months, although I imagine yours will be too.

 

I feel a bit bad now that you may feel obliged to buy something based on only our experience.  i thought perhaps that others might have added their own experiences of flies, but nobody has.

 

i wonder if it would be worth starting a thread headed something like FLIES IN GREENLAND? on which others could post their own experiences mas that could help you decide.

 

 

Edited February 28, 2022 by edinburgher

[dfish]

I found one online when I was planning to visit Iceland and Greenland.  I did use it in Iceland, but did not encounter the flies in Greenland.

 

 

 

[DonnaMarieNJ]

Thank you both!  I will be going in September, when I *think* it will be COLD.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

I just googled.  Supposedly, in Sept the flies and mosquitos are gone.

 

Thank you both again.

[edinburgher]

Very fetching dfish! Glamour has no place in Greenland or Iceland when self preservation is the order of the day.......😀

 

Now you mention it, we did have flies in Iceland too, at Lake Myvatn (which translates as midge/black fly) on a tour we did out of Akureyri, but not as bad as the ones in Qaqortoq,the worst in the several ports in Greenland which we visited.

 

It wasn't the flies which prompted our second visit, but the icebergs which we totally fell in love with on our first visit. They have "proper" icebergs in Greenland, nothing like the wee bitty surface  floating stuff they have in Alaska, our only disappointment on our Alaskan trips.

 

We had a lovely surprise on the second visit to Qaqortoq when we planned to walk around the town lake. As you face it, with the buildings behind you, we began walking in a clockwise direction, and approx 1/4 of the way around, (actually that is a guesstimate) we decided to walk to the top of a smallish hill on our left side, expecting to take  photos of the lake from above.  Much to our delight and amazement, once on top, we were looking down on the lake on one side, but on the other were looking down on a bay we had not known was there.  It had several beautiful icebergs floating around on it.  It was a beautiful sight, as are all icebergs.

Edited February 28, 2022 by edinburgher

[DonnaMarieNJ]

For those of you who have traveled to Greenland before, what are some things I will need to have with me that I wouldn't ordinarily bring on a cruise?  I know I'll need much warmer clothes (I'm going in September) - anything special in the way of clothes?  Other items?  Thanks in advance and I will post this in the general Greenland section, as well.

[Nitemare]

What other ports are you going to?  Cold is cold, and what you are used to in NJ in midwinter will be more than enough for Greenland in the fall.

[DonnaMarieNJ]

On 3/2/2022 at 6:43 AM, Nitemare said:

What other ports are you going to?  Cold is cold, and what you are used to in NJ in midwinter will be more than enough for Greenland in the fall.

 

Nuuk, Qaqortoq and (maybe) Nanortalik.   Also going to Halifax and St. John's.

 

I just need to know the things that I normally wouldn't bring on a cruise - like the face mask for the flies/skeeters.

[happy227]

On 11/9/2021 at 9:40 AM, edinburgher said:

We have visited twice.  It is an attractiuve little town to visit with many coloured buildings and in summer there are also colourful wild flowers.  You are sure to get some pretty photos.  You can walk around looking for Stone and Man rock carvings.  The Tourist office is next to the tender dock as were local ladies selling traditional hand made crafts. (beading is very popular) I think our town map with the stone and man carvings  came from the tourist Office.  There is also a library and a church..

 

It is interesting simply walking around taking in aspects of daily life.  The local kindergarten brought the kids out to see all we "strange looking people"!   It is also worth looking in to the local supermarket  to see what is available and the cost of it!  You can also walk around the lake, something we did on our second visit.

 

Be aware that both times we had to fend off huge numbers of big flies.  First time we were unprepared and had to use sunglasses as a barrier for our eyes, but second time we covered our heads with fine nets which we took with us..

 

Most Greenland ports offer little in the way of shorex for a number of reasons. Qaqortoq is super easy to DIY and looking for and at the rock carvings was interesting. You should find info on them easily enough with an internet search.

Thank you for sharing, sounds like a nice outing.  Tender port, did it take a long time getting off the ship?  We’re going on NCL in July.

[happy227]

On 2/28/2022 at 5:52 AM, edinburgher said:

You could simply search the internet for "mosquito (or insect) head nets" or similar and you should get a fair few results as they are popular with campers, caravaners and folks walking in the countryside. Or try an outdoor or camping store if you have one near your home.

 

We already had these at home although had not yet used them. First time around we had to use our sunglasses as eye protection as the flies were very much attracted to eyes.

 

. And if you ever visit the Scottish countryside, you could use them against our infamous midges -the reason we already had them!

 

No idea if they are year round as both our visits were in the summer months, although I imagine yours will be too.

 

I feel a bit bad now that you may feel obliged to buy something based on only our experience.  i thought perhaps that others might have added their own experiences of flies, but nobody has.

 

i wonder if it would be worth starting a thread headed something like FLIES IN GREENLAND? on which others could post their own experiences mas that could help you decide.

 

 

Thank you for mentioning the flies, I saw them mentioned on an Icelandic site as well and we’re renting a campervan for a week, I’d rather be prepared and not bugged!  I’m sure the nets or bug spray is minimal in price.

[happy227]

On 2/28/2022 at 9:53 AM, edinburgher said:

Very fetching dfish! Glamour has no place in Greenland or Iceland when self preservation is the order of the day.......😀

 

Now you mention it, we did have flies in Iceland too, at Lake Myvatn (which translates as midge/black fly) on a tour we did out of Akureyri, but not as bad as the ones in Qaqortoq,the worst in the several ports in Greenland which we visited.

 

It wasn't the flies which prompted our second visit, but the icebergs which we totally fell in love with on our first visit. They have "proper" icebergs in Greenland, nothing like the wee bitty surface  floating stuff they have in Alaska, our only disappointment on our Alaskan trips.

 

We had a lovely surprise on the second visit to Qaqortoq when we planned to walk around the town lake. As you face it, with the buildings behind you, we began walking in a clockwise direction, and approx 1/4 of the way around, (actually that is a guesstimate) we decided to walk to the top of a smallish hill on our left side, expecting to take  photos of the lake from above.  Much to our delight and amazement, once on top, we were looking down on the lake on one side, but on the other were looking down on a bay we had not known was there.  It had several beautiful icebergs floating around on it.  It was a beautiful sight, as are all icebergs.

Sounds amazing!

[edinburgher]

 happy227

 

Thanks for your  appreciative comments as not everyone bothers to acknowledge posts by others.

 

 Tender port, did it take a long time getting off the ship?  We’re going on NCL in July.

 

Sorry cannot help with that one as we prefer cruising on smaller ships as these are usually quickerto both get off and get back onto again, especially when tenders are involved, so never having sailed any of the NCL "big girls"😀 I would have no idea how they operate their tender system. 

 

Do they offer priority for pax in the top suites or for those in higher tier loyalty schemes, or do they work by deck?  Or do you collect tickets from a specific lounge on the day? You could ask about tender operations over on the NCL Board if you never tendered with them before.

 

 

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by edinburgher

[GRBlizz]

We are considering booking a Greenland/Iceland cruise in August, and my hubby uses a wheelchair full time. Can we navigate this port in his chair? We enjoy walking, so the walk around the lake sounds marvelous if he can manage the surfaces.

[tring]

On 4/26/2022 at 10:02 PM, GRBlizz said:

We are considering booking a Greenland/Iceland cruise in August, and my hubby uses a wheelchair full time. Can we navigate this port in his chair? We enjoy walking, so the walk around the lake sounds marvelous if he can manage the surfaces.

 

We were in Qaqortoq a few years back and there was an excursion which was supposed to be a walk around the lake.  I did not go on it, but I do remember there being some disquiet from people who did.  They apparently had to turn back because the path was incredibly rough with stones that were just too difficult to walk on.  I do not know if that is always the case, or if there had been a rock fall, but I would not expect it to be a metalled path suitable for wheelchairs.  Others may have more knowledge than me though.  

 

The centre of the town is flat, but roads going out of the town were very steep.  We did the kafemik excursion where we visited the home of a local lady for refreshments and to talk about their way of life and most of the homes visited (small groups) were up hill.  There was a person on our excursion who was not able to walk up the steep hill, so had to return to the ship and was given a refund.  Transport was not available for the number of people ashore as coaches/mini buses were not generally used there for tourists regularly and we were visiting on a small ship (700 pax) so not hoards of people.  Not sure if it has become any easier, again others may know better than me, but I would speak to your cruise line and ask about disabled access or suitable organised tours..

 

I also suggest you look at Google Earth and go into street view, so you can see what sort of limitations there may, or may not, be for yourselves.

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by tring

[edinburgher]

We enjoy walking, so the walk around the lake sounds marvelous if he can manage the surfaces.

 

Sorry neither of us can remember the surfaces, but as mentioned in my post #6, the "walk around the lake" was a bit of a misnomer as it was a quite hard going "hike" rather than a" walk"., and at the time we were both fit and ablebodied. Also, several of the few roads in the town are steep.

 

In addition, this is a tender port and tenders vary in design with some being more easily accessed than others and I cannot remember how we got from the tender onto the path, ie whether there were steps or a ramp.

 

 You could try contacting the local tourist info office as they should be able to advise but I  also think your question is a  wee bitty  lost on this thread,,coming in quite far down as it does, so maybe you could consider starting a separate thread on the subject in this forum, or puting it on the Disabled Cruise Travel forum where you might get more specific info.  You also don't say what your other ports on the itinerary would be, but you could include these too as the responses could help you decide if it is worth booking or  if a different itinerary might suit you both better.  Sorry I cannot help more.

 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by edinburgher

[DRS/NC]

On 2/27/2022 at 9:23 PM, DonnaMarieNJ said:

 

Hi, info on the nets, please, for the flies?  And are they year-round?  I'm excited to be going in 2023.  THANK YOU!

 

Amazon, of course.  I remember mine came in a pack of 3 at a low price.  Never even had to open them (Aug. 2019).

[DRS/NC]

I'll jump back in here RE walking & mobility issues in  Qaqortoq & Nanortalik and tendering.

 

I was on the Caribbean Princess in Aug. 2019, RT form NYC.  The weather in Greenland was amazingly good.  I wore my fleece-line rain jacket & was quite comfortable -- and no rain.  Those 2 POC are very  small fishing villages (under 2500 residents each at that time). Tendering from the ship took 2 hrs.; tendering back took 3 hrs!  There was no port; each had a small wooden fishing pier, as one might have at a remote fish camp. The pier could handle only 1 tender at a time.  Dumping 2,500 tourists on them was not kind. 

 

I use a folding rollator/walker when tendering so I had a place to sit & wait for the return tendering.  The mild weather (a rare summer day, we were told) caused the young school boys to shed their shirt & pants (undies only) & dive/swim in the pier-side water!  A local man played live music (for coins) as we waited.

 

The roads/paved surfaces were very limited -- mostly broken or rough gravel.  It was often challenging w/my walker; I felt the vibrations in my arms/shoulders for several hours after.

 

There is a lovely church to visit in Qaqortoq, but I didn't see it.  It was farther down the road than I could walk.  I did go into the very small fish/seafood market house in Nanortalik; I can now say that I have now seen seal & whale meat.  Moving on!

 

The highlight (for me) in Nanortalik was the middle school's fund raiser.  The kids (most spoke English quite well) were raising money for a 2020 trip (probably cancelled) to Denmark.  Like many schools, they had 2 long tables set-up outside the (1 & only) supermarket.  For a $1 donation, one could get a bagel chip w/blue berry or blackberry jam.  (I chose blackberry -- good.)  What better day for a fundraiser than when the cruise ship comes -- all those grandparents who were sure to say "Ah, of course!"

 

Nuuk is a growing capital -- several bus tours around town as well as an easy public bus.  Very colorful town -- it made me think of Lego houses/buildings.  We were actually docked there -- at the cargo port.

 

St John, Newfoundland is now one of my favorite ports -- a local person welcomes the ship w/a wonderful Newfoundland dog!  We had a fabulous day there -- sunny & quite warm (80*) on Sept.1.  It's a beautiful city -- very colorful.  I took a 1/2 day city tour w/various stops, including a wonderful museum.

 

Don't miss the small but interesting immigration museum (free) at the pier in Halifax.  Canada has a rich immigration history.

 

OK, probably more than you wanted to know.  I really enjoyed the ports.  I won't do the cruise again, but I'm glad I did it once.

 

Have fun!

Edited April 28, 2022 by DRS/NC

[gnome12]

1 hour ago, DRS/NC said:

St John, Newfoundland is now one of my favorite ports -- a local person welcomes the ship w/a wonderful Newfoundland dog!  We had a fabulous day there -- sunny & quite warm (80*) on Sept.1.  It's a beautiful city -- very colorful.  I took a 1/2 day city tour w/various stops, including a wonderful museum.

Note that the city is St John’s, Newfoundland (with an apostrophe “s”). Saint John (note that Saint is never shortened) is in New Brunswick.