Iceland's Majestic Landscapes - August 2024 Itinerary Change

[OneSixtyToOne]

I just booked Iceland's Majestic Landscapes cruise and I had a interesting phone conversation with a very helpful Viking agent.

Originally I was going to book the August 7 sailing of the Saturn from Bergan to Reykjavik but was told that there is an itinerary change, substituting 3 of the ports with other unpronounceable cities. The stops shown on the website are not accurate for this sailing.

The Venus is sailing the same day in the opposite direction and that is accurate along with all the excursion information. I opted for the Venus rather than dealing with the unknown.

 

I also asked the agent if the payment deadline for our Far Eastern Horizon's cruise for October 2025 could be moved and after consulting with the powers that be, we were able to have that moved to 6 months out. Very happy about that. We missed the chance to book onboard the Octantis last October because the 2025 schedule wasn't released for another three weeks. As had been stated on this board many times "I never hurts to ask."

 

We also booked the extension to Oslo by train from Bergan. As a train buff, I'm really excited about that. This will be our first trip to Iceland and Norway.

Video of entire train ride is online:

 

Please feel free to offer up any tips or advice for any of the above. 

Edited April 8 by OneSixtyToOne

[Peregrina651]

From my notes for  upcoming BIE:

 

NORWAY

Flam railway excursion availability

This excursion is not on our itinerary but there maybe some helpful comments there for those of us who are planning on doing this on our own.

8 Tips for the Bergen to Oslo Train Trip

This thread, on the other hand, is amazingly helpful both for those who are taking the Viking post-cruise extension to Oslo and those who will be doing it on their own.  Note that you can pay for luggage forwarding when you make your own booking, so that you don't have to deal with luggage if you choose to do the detour to Flam.

Disembarkation to Bergen Train station?

https://www.flybussen.no/en/airports/bergen-airport-flybussen-bergen/

 

Things I wished I had packed for Norway

Bergen is the rainiest city in the world with rain  on at least 2/3 of the days of the year. Come prepared.

Bergen-Stave Church and Concert

Mt. Floien Hike - Bergen Norway

 

The Scenic Flåm Railway

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2947038-question-for-recent-bie-greenwich-to-bergen-passengers/

 

My Shorex reviews from our 2021 Iceland Circumnavigation with Viking:

 

Reykjavik:

 

Included tour: "Snapshots of Reykjavik" It is what it is -- an hour and half bus ride around Reykjavik and a chance to see things a bit further out of town that you might not otherwise see (which is why we chose to do the tour in the first place). I thought that it was a good tour, nicely planned and giving a wide overview of the city. No pit stop. Completely accessible. Good value for $$.

 

Optional: Viking Museum & Reykjanes Peninsula: I was looking forward to this one and in the end, I did not like it at all. It was a long bus ride with one 15 minute stop at the Seltun geothermal pools (smelly but interesting and deserving of more time), one 5 minute photo stop at a lake (could have been completely eliminated) and a longer stop for bathrooms and shopping at the Viking Museum. The tour, although the description touted the meeting of the continental plates, did not include a stop at "Bridge Between the Continents" which would have been far more interesting than the lake or the overly long amount of time spent at the Viking Museum.  Accessibility: Very accessible. Very little walking. Rollator/walker/ friendly. Hiking boots/poles not needed.

 

Isafjordur. 

 

Optional: Vigur Island. Loved it, top to bottom. A simple, short well planned circuit to see the puffins, eider ducks and Arctic terns that nest on the island. Guide/owner excellent -- gracious, knowledgeable and informative. Accessibility: Not very accessible. Steep ramps to reach the ferry to the island and at the island --and can be slippery when wet or damp. On the island, rough, uneven walking surface and narrow paths are not rollator/walker friendly. No steps.  Availability very limited: only 22 people per tour.  Notes on the ferry boat: seating for 22 people inside and a few more seats outside. Steep steps involved in getting on and off the boat. (Learn more about the island here: https://www.vigurisland.com/about)

 

Akureyri

 

Optional: "Northern's Iceland's Natural Treasures" -- Loved it. Well done and well organized.  Exactly what I was looking for -- a smattering of the various natural features of the area  - pseudo-craters, waterfalls, geothermal mud pools and lava labyrinths. The tour was exactly as described on paper, though not necessarily seen in the same order. Lunch was good -- filling and healthy -- but wish I had known about the ice cream stand sooner -- don't linger of lunch so you have time for dessert.

Accessibility: depends on the stop but most are a short walk from the bus. Rollator/walker accessible (except for the pseudo-craters which have steps). Paved hiking paths at the lava labyrinth are steep in places but you can go as far in as you wish and turn back at any time. Mud pools are fairly flat and you don't have to walk very far to get the ideal of what it is all about.  Waterfall has paved path all the way to the falls but it is a bit of a walk to the edge of the falls if that is your goal.

 

Seydisfjordur

 

Optional: Skalanes Nature Center -- another owner-operated venture. Loved it. Olly (sp?) is knowledgeable and informative -- and has a lot to say -- and not just about the birds and flowers. It is obvious that the nature center, which is a working research station for researchers from around the world, is a labor of love. Some of my best photos of the trip come from these few hours. The best part of the tour is the viewing platform that the owner has built at the cliffs to make it easier to see the birds that nest there (puffins, gulls, kittiwakes, etc.).  Accessibility: bus ride over mostly gravel roads. Fords three streams which can be very rough and jolting (think disc and other back issues). Once at the center, it is an 800m walk to the viewing platform over rough uneven ground. The platform itself is reached by stairs -- not steep but equivalent to a couple of flights, no hand-rail (yet?).

 

Djupivogur

 

Optional: Fjallsarlon Ice Lagoon by Zodiac -- Magnificent day. Loved it. Even with the 2+ hour bus ride coming and going so glad we were able to do this excursion. I was worried about getting in and out of the zodiac (short legs and out of shape) but I did just fine.  The crew is accustomed to helping folks on and off the boats and loading, unloading is a quick and easy process.  Wardrobe note: Contractor provides a warm jacket and life vest but does not provide waterproof pants or boots. Bring waterproof pants because you will want them if it is raining when you get there. Jackets come in multiple sizes. It was warm and sunny and I did not really need the down  vest I was wearing. Accessibility: Path down to the lagoon is rough and uneven. Rollator/walker use questionable. 

 

Heimaey

 

Optional: Wildlife of Heimaey by Boat -- wet weather made this a disappointment -- cold and wet outside -- no views and exhaust fumes inside. With 20/20 hindsight, we should have chosen a land-based activity as the bird-viewing was just a repeat of Vigur Island and Skalanes. However, if you haven't made it to Vigur or Skalanes, come prepared for the worst. Regardless of the day's forecast, wear/bring waterproof gear including waterproof pants so that you can sit outside without being cold and wet. Seating area is tables with benches -- solid metal, holds the cold and wet. Waterproof your camera equipment. Accessibility: Steep wet ramps on to the boat. Steep wet steps up to the outside viewing deck. An expensive boat ride to be stuck inside.

 

We stayed on for a few days after, to see the Reykjavik area and do the Golden Circle.

 

[WanderingBrit]

Imagine how useful this post would be if it included which ports were being replaced, or even which country they were in?

[Peregrina651]

I get the impression the OP did not have a chance to write them down in his long conversation with Viking.  

 

[Cienfuegos]

The Oslo main train station is a delight. Thru trains to places like Bergen depart from the farther platforms, trains to / from Oslo airport arrive on the nearer platform.  Lots of activity.  The train trip passes suburban train lay-up yards outside Oslo and Bergen. 

 

The Flam train departs across the platform from the Oslo / Bergen trains.

[SailorPaulH]

1 hour ago, WanderingBrit said:

Imagine how useful this post would be if it included which ports were being replaced, or even which country they were in?

I took a look at the cruisemapper web-site and for that cruise itinerary it shows Molde, Norway replacing Alesund, Norway and Djupivogur and Westman Islands replacing Akureyri and Isafjordur ... so a southern Iceland route instead of of northern Iceland route at the end. It seems to be a one-off.

[OneSixtyToOne]

7 minutes ago, SailorPaulH said:

I took a look at the cruisemapper web-site and for that cruise itinerary it shows Molde, Norway replacing Alesund, Norway and Djupivogur and Westman Islands replacing Akureyri and Isafjordur ... so a southern Iceland route instead of of northern Iceland route at the end. It seems to be a one-off.

Thanks for the info. It was a long phone call and after I heard Alesund was replaced, I lost track of the changes.  I really want to see the Art Nouveau architecture there. I also was hesitant of what shore excursions will be available on the alternate route.
 

It is a one-off change, all the other sailings are the same.

Edited April 9 by OneSixtyToOne

[Peregrina651]

13 minutes ago, SailorPaulH said:

Norway and Djupivogur and Westman Islands replacing

 

6 minutes ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

I also was hesitant of what shore excursions will be available on the alternate route.

 

Both Djupivogur and Westmann Island are regular stops on the Iceland circumnavigation, so it is not like Viking has not visited either port before. The big attraction at Djupivogur is the Fjarslaron (sp) Glacier Zodiac boat ride. It is a long ride to the site but the countryside is beautiful and the up close-ish and personal experience with the glacier is worth it.

 

 

[OneSixtyToOne]

9 minutes ago, Peregrina651 said:

the up close-ish and personal experience with the glacier is worth it.

Did the Chilean Fjords expedition cruise in October so we saw our share of glaciers. 😃

 

 

 

 

[May B]

OneSixtyToOne, my understanding is, you certainly had to ask them to edit your final payment date for your 2025, but it exactly follows their rules. You booked another cruise, making you eligible for the six month final on a later cruise.

[Peregrina651]

1 hour ago, OneSixtyToOne said:

Did the Chilean Fjords expedition cruise in October so we saw our share of glaciers. 😃

 

Me, too, but this was an entirely different experience from other glacier experiences I've had.

 

I know you have made your decision for this trip; my comments were for other readers who might have the impression that these are new ports for Viking.