Hey y'all! I have decided to start a series on the cruises that I have taken and my opinions on them and their ports. I am starting with the last cruise that I was on, which was a Norwegian Cruise Line cruise from Norway to Iceland. This was the longest cruise that I have been on so far. It took two weeks and it had 12 stops with 2 days at sea. However, this cruise crosses the Norwegian Sea which would only have only taken a day, but we ran into some bad weather which required us to slow down and actually miss the first port in Iceland, adding an unexpected day at sea to the trip. Additionally, towards the end of the cruise, we ended up missing a second port, Grundarfjordur, Iceland, due to choppy waves and the fact that the port required a tender boat. Despite this, this was an amazing cruise which I would recommend to anyone looking for an adventure on some on the best landscapes that I have ever seen.
Pictured Above: Viewpoint from the Sherpa Trail in Tromsø, Norway. A great place to start a great cruise!
I will post the itinerary here with links for each port if there is a port or two that you may be particularly interested in. If not, read on!
We boarded this cruise in Tromsø, Norway. If you have extra time and money to spend some time here, it is absolutely worth it. I spent three weeks here before the cruise and it was just stunning. There is so much to do and the city of Tromsø is full of life and culture, and the most amazing views. This is a newer port added to NCL's list of ports, and I highly recommend spending some time here. But now, on to the actual cruise!
Day 1- Day at Sea
Some people disagree with the value of a day at sea on a cruise ship, but I love them. There are so many things to do during a day at sea and I love doing all of the activities throughout the day. My favorites are the sudoko, trivia, and the showings in the theater. This cruise was in a colder destination, so the pool deck was not very popular, but they always have the hot tubs! (Side note for NCL cruises- locate the H2O pool deck for an adults-only experience!) If you have a drink package, a day at sea can be a fun time to try new drinks that you haven't had before, or to sign up for one of the tastings that are often offered during sea days, like wine tasting or whiskey tasting. These some at a small additional fee, but I do the wine tasting every time, despite the $20 charge. The other activity that I tend to partake in for an extra fee is the spa. On sea days, there are typically specials at the spa that sell out quickly, so if you are interested, book as early as possible! Overall, there are a ton of things to do during a day at sea, which of course all vary a little bit depending on the ship you are on.
TIP: Before you book a cruise, look up the ship you are spending your time on, especially if you are traveling with kids! Not all ships are built the same! Some are better for certain people/groups than others, and it can be an unpleasant surprise for some to learn that there aren't certain amenities like waterslides, laser tag, or multiple pool decks.
Day 2- Harstad, Norway
Walkability: 3/10; this town was relatively flat but quite a long walk to get to the things that I did that are, in my opinion, a must see. Public transportation was not an option that saw.
Port Location: 8/10; you could get off the ship and walk right into the downtown area. There was not a ton to do in the downtown, though.
Excursion Necessity: 5/10; if you are unable to walk longer distances, then you may need to book an excursion. If you are up for a 10-mile day, then I think you are good to go!
After a day at sea, I was ready to get some steps in. And boy, did I get some steps in. I typically do not book excursions when I travel, but I do a pretty significant amount of research beforehand to see what kind of activities there are in each port. For this cruise, I did not do a ton of research, so I did not know a ton about the ports I was going to. I got off the ship and started walking! I ended up following some signs that were posted and listening to other people's conversations, and I found the most beautiful walkway by the water that led to a cultural center with a history museum. Just past this, there was a beautiful old church, one of the oldest in the country. Behind the church is series of ruins from World War II where Soviet POW's were held. I continued on, finding a trail just past the ruins, and discovered a few buried Viking longboats and burial mounds. The Harstad port is truly an amazing stop, and the first stop of an incredible tour of Norway.
Pictured Above: A view from the walkway to the cultural center in Harstad. Just stunning.
Day 3- Alesund, Norway
Walkability: 10/10; the port was right by everything you need.
Port Location: 10/10; the port was in a great location and it was extremely easy to find the downtown area.
Excursion Necessity: 3/10; the downtown area was extremely accessible. However, there were many cool excursion options here.
Alesund, Norway was such a stunning surprise. I had an amazing time here. I started my day off finding a hike up the mountain and was rewarded with a phenomenal view of the city. I went back down the mountain and continued to journey through the city. This was such a great city to get lost in. I wandered around for quite a while, finding lots of great sights along the way. There was not a ton to do in Alesund, but there were a number of excursions in the area through NCL or third-party companies that took you to amazing looking fjords, Trollstigen (a famous viewpoint in "troll territory"), and more. Excursions here were pricey, as is everything else in Norway, so I skipped out, but I had a great time here nevertheless.
Pictured Above: The view from a bridge in Alesund.
Day 4- Bergen, Norway
Walkability: 6/10; the port is a short walk to the downtown area, but this city is pretty big, so there will be a lot of steps here.
Port Location: 6/10; the port is not super close, and some of the more must-do attractions are somewhat far.
Excursion Necessity: 1/10; there is so much to do here! There is a lot of walking involved, so if you struggle with walking longer distances, you may want a tour to make this less overwhelming.
This is the city that appears in your mind's eye when you think of a Norwegian city. Once you make the short walk to the Old Town/downtown area, you are greeted with a street that takes you back in time. There are quaint buildings from the past, complete with the best little souvenir shops; everywhere you look there is history. I found a small set of ruins across from St. Mary's Church that were very cool by just wandering around aimlessly. I then made my way to the Floibanen funicular, which you can ride up, or, if you are ready to get your steps in and work off those buffet and drink package calories, you can walk up. The walk was a long one, and challenging, but it was definitely worth it. If you do anything in Bergen, whether it is walking or riding the funicular, this is it! There were walking trails here and so many viewpoints and, generally, things to see and do. One last recommendation for Bergen- walk up and down through the streets and get lost, because the little side streets are so amazingly charming and sweet. Overall, Bergen is such a wonderful city and if you do anything, you have to wander around here and find the charm for yourself!
Pictured Above: Some views from Bergen, Norway.
Day 5- Lerwick, Shetland Islands, UK
Walkability: TENDER* 8/10; the town of Lerwick is pretty tiny but it is hilly. If you have issues with mobility, this could limit the parts of town that you can see.
Port Location: 10/10; the tender boat brings you right into the center of town.
Excursion Necessity: 7/10; unless you are willing to taking a local bus, there is not a lot to see or do in Lerwick.
Lerwick is a pretty classic Scottish island; stony and gray. It was a cute town, and I did walk around a bit, but it is very small. A friend and I made our way to the tourist information where we got the bus schedule, and decided to take a local bus to the other side of the island. The bus stopped in front of Sumburgh, a beautiful little hotel right in front of Jarlshof Prehistoric and Norse Settlement. And, as an added bonus, there were the cutest Shetland ponies, true Shetland ponies, in front of the hotel. We walked around here for a bit and then got back on the bus to Lerwick. There is a cool spot here which is actually the Lerwick Town Hall, which is in a stunning building, but the real stunner is the large room upstairs with the stained glass windows based on historical figures from the island's past. If there is an excursion on this island that strikes your fancy, I would recommend considering booking, unless you are up for a local bus adventure!
Pictured Above: A true Shetland pony in front of the lovely Sumburgh Hotel.
Day 6- South Queensferry, Scotland, UK (Edinburgh)
Walkability: TENDER* 0/10; this port is not near Edinburgh, so you have to take a taxi, bus, or potentially train to get into the city, or an excursion.
Port Location: 0/10
Excursion Necessity: 8/10; you can get into the city without an excursion, but an excursion may be easier and you may get earlier access to a tender/no waiting time.
Disclaimer: I did not get off the boat this day, so I do not have much to say. I believe there was a train nearby that went into the city, and for those who took a taxi or a bus said that traffic was intense and took maybe 30-45 minutes to get into the city. Additionally, the tender boat was somewhat unsuccessful; the lines were extremely long and the wait time made a lot of people a little upset. I believe this was due to the cruise ship having to anchor a good way out from the shore due to a bridge that we were unable to pass under, so this is a common scenario.
Day 7- Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland, UK
Walkability: 7/10; the town is definitely walkable, but the best things on the island are a short bus ride and a few miles roundtrip away.
Port Location: 5/10; the port is a 10 or so minute ride away from the town, but there is a free shuttle that takes you into town.
Excursion Necessity: 6/10; if you can figure out the bus system and are willing to walk, you can see the great sights without a tour, but if not, a tour would be required.
First things first (literally) was the sign that the lovely people of Kirkwall placed at the port, welcoming our specific ship into port (I will attach a picture). Once I made it past that unique welcome and into the town on the shuttle, I began to wander around and explore. The town is pretty small, and I quickly began to look for another activity. I inquired with the tourist information desk about something to do and discovered that a short bus ride away were two sets of standing stone circles, so I jumped on that bus and away I went. The bus stopped at the end of the lane, and it was maybe a half a mile to the first set of standing stones, and another mile or so to the next set. This was hands down one of my favorite parts of this trip, and one part that you absolutely cannot miss out on, whether you take the public bus or book an excursion.
Pictured Above: Two sets of standing stones a short walk away from each other. Stonehenge who?
Day 8- Torshaun, Faroe Islands, Denmark
Walkability: 10/10; the ship docks near the downtown area, and it is a short walk to the best sights.
Port Location: 10/10; this port is very close to town and easy to navigate.
Excursion Necessity: 5/10; if you are able to walk up and down hills, I think you can fill a day up with wandering around. However; I did a short day due to the weather, and there are some cool excursion opportunities there.
Despite the day being extremely gray, wet, and windy, I had an exceptional time in the Faroe Islands. Once I got past the weather and decided to make it a good day, I had a blast. The charm in this town is insane. The houses here are so unique, the landscapes were utterly charming (and that was in the rain), and the culture was just seeping into the air. I have never seen anything like this place. The Faroe Islands are on my list of will-returns, because for the 2 minutes that they fog lifted, it was absolutely insane.
Day 9- Day at Sea
I will not say anything more on this here; it is a lot of the same from before.
However, what I will say here is that this is where things went a little south for a minute. The weather began to turn quite ugly, as we were crossing the Norwegian Sea, and the weather there can be unstable. We had to slow down our speed as we crossed the sea and this put us back a few hours originally, leaving us with a delayed port time, but the storm got worse and we ended up missing the next port altogether.
Day 10- Djupvigur, Iceland; Day at Sea
I have no information for this port; however, I had had an excursion booked here to see the Icelandic horses and to see a glacier. It was expensive, but I ended up using the refund as an opportunity to relax at the spa with a massage.
Day 11- Seydisfjordur, Iceland
Walkability: TENDER* 6/10; there was a short walk into town from the port but once in the town, everything was close. However, there is a waterfall that is a short hike away and there are some sights up the road that may be walkable.
Port Location: 10/10; the view from the boat was excellent, and the tender boat drops you off right by the downtown area.
Excursion Necessity: 5/10; I did do an excursion from this port and still had time to explore the town. An excursion is definitely not necessary, but the town is very small.
Seydisfjordur was a remarkably precious little town! Little town is extremely accurate, however; there was very little to do here. There was one main street, decorated with the rainbow painted road that is common throughout Iceland, and that was about it. There was a small waterfall that was on the other side of the town that was a nice little hike. Now, for the excursion. I paid SO much for this excursion, Scenic East, which took us to a really lovely overlook, then on to Vatnajokull National Park, where Icelandic author Gunnar Gunnarsson built a house that is now a museum, and then ending with a stop in the town of Egilssstadir for souvenirs and beers before heading back to Seydisfjordur. I did enjoy this tour, and I think we saw a lot in four hours, and we still had time to wander around town before getting back on the ship. If you can afford this excursion, then I do believe it is worth it, but you can spend some time hiking up the road (very uphill) and seeing some cool views that way.
Pictured Above: Top left- the waterfall outside of town; top right- an abandonded boat in front of one of the incredible mountains in Iceland; bottom left- an Icelandic beer (it was delicious); bottom right- the view from the single road leading out of Seydisfjordur.
Day 12- Akureyri, Iceland
Walkability: 7/10; the ship docks pretty close to the downtown area and the town is small and simple to navigate.
Port Location: 9/10; this port is pretty much as close to a downtown as you can get without a tender.
Excursion Necessity: 8/10; this town was bigger than Seydisfjordur, but it was still small. I did a whale watching tour that was 110% worth it.
Akureyri is one of the best locations in Iceland for whale watching, so that was my priority here. This day was especially frigid and slightly damp, so I was not particularly motivated to do more than whale watching here. I got off the ship with my tour group, and we were led a short walk away to the boat that we took to see the whales. The people working on the boat were very knowledgeable and took us about an hour down the fjord to where they believed there would be whales, and boy, did we see some whales! I will say that this boat was packed which made it difficult to see the whales sometimes and annoying for those like me who make travel photography their main activity. Afterward, we made our way back to town, where I made my way to the downtown area and did some souvenir shopping, and then back to the ship I went for some hot food and drinks to warm up. The town here was somewhat small with not a ton to do, but I also did not explore very much due to the weather, so there could be some hidden gems here!
TIP: One of the girls that I met on this cruise booked a rental car here with two other people and drove to a town about a 20 minute ride away I believe, where they took a whale watching tour. But their tour was cheaper than the one I booked and they were on a zodiac boat, and they saw WAY more whales, they saw a variety of whales, and they got closer to the whales. They also went to a famous waterfall nearby after their whale watching tour. If you are willing to take a few more risks, like car rentals and time management, then I highly recommend this.
Pictured Above: Two whales we saw on our whale watching tour.
Day 13- Isafjordur, Iceland
Walkability: 9/10; this town was very flat and had incredible views. I did hike up a little bit and got a great view of the town, which I recommend if it is possible for you.
Port Location: TENDER* 6/10; this tender dropped us off slightly further away from the downtown than other locations on this trip, but it was still close (maybe a 10 minute walk).
Excursion Necessity: 3/10; I had a great time here just wandering around. There were a few museums and a brewery, so I do not think an excursion is necessary at all.
This day started out a bit foggy, but as the fog lifted, my mind was blown! Isafjordur is located on a little peninsula surrounded by the most amazing looking mountains I have ever seen in my life. I got off the ship and began to walk, following the crowd of people before me, hoping they were going towards something cool. Of course they were. This town has another classic Icelandic rainbow road, and cute little shops on either side. The main street continues down towards this insane looking mountain, which I obviously needed to climb, so I climbed. There was a short trail that led up to an unofficial viewpoint where I sat and observed the town, where I saw another little trail by the water. I made my way down there and walked down the waterway, and then I got lost walking up and down the streets. I had a little tea from a cute cafe, and made my way over to the other side of town. I found a brewery here and had just enough time to have a flight before getting back on the ship.
Pictured Above: Some of the lovely sights in Isafjordur. Obsessed with this place!
Day 14- Grundarfjordur, Iceland; Day at Sea
This port was canceled because of the weather; this port required tender boats to get us to shore and the waves were too choppy for safe travels. While this was a sad way to end the trip, I think it is admirable that NCL respects the safety of their passengers and puts that safety above all else.
The next morning we landed in Reykjavik, Iceland, where I was exhausted and broke, so I booked a shuttle from the ship straight to the airport. The shuttle was reasonably priced, but I did have to pick up my luggage from the tents right off of the boat and take it to the bus (my duffel bag was way heavy). The city is about 45 minutes from the airport, and I made my way into the airport and prioritized getting my super heavy duffel bag checked and away from me. KEF airport is really tiny and it utilizes self-check in and self-drop luggage stations, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This airport also has great shops and restaurants for a short stay, and is quite clean and has a lot of spots for charging electronics.
TIP: PLAY Airlines is a great new airline that I have used a few times now and highly recommend. It is a discount airline, so do not expect luxury, but I have enjoyed flying with them greatly. You can also book a long layover with them, anywhere from 8 hours to about 10 days, and if you can spare a day or two, I would use this benefit to your advantage.
Overall, if you have the opportunity to do this cruise (or a similar one) with Norwegian Cruise Line, I highly recommend!
The length of the cruise may seem long, but there are only a few days at sea. The stops are full of incredible views, history, culture, and more. There are opportunities for excursions, but there is also the possibility of a more budget-friendly experience, or a mix of both! This is truly a once in a lifetime experience.
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