We are planning a Norway fjord cruise for July 2019 and would like to work it to stopover in Iceland on the way to go to a convention. Any ideas on cruise operators large and small. Want one that goes above Arctic Circle. I have seen listings for cruises on ferry/mail ships that have many stops and some larger ships that are more traditional ocean cruises. Any experience with airlines that have deals for stopover in Iceland and then continue to the continent. All advice would be appreciated.
Posted by
Palm Springs area, CA. USA (winters)🌴☀️ Nomadic (Spring thru Fall)
3969 posts
Have you checked out Iceland Air? They have stopovers in Iceland.
Hurtigruten ferry travels the coast of Norway, you can check it out to see if that is something you would be interested in.
Posted by
New York, NY, USA
11294 posts
A great way to find cruises with specific parameters is the Vacations To Go Custom Search: https://www.vacationstogo.com/custom.cfm
You may have to register. But then, you can specify which ports you want to visit and the timeframe (in your case, July 2019 to July 2019), and get a list of all the cruises that meet these parameters.
Posted by
10122 posts
We wanted to do a Norway Arctic Circle cruise.
My Daughter and Son with their families did a great on last year on NCL.
We compared NCL with RCI and decided to go with RCI, since it was cheaper.
Check out Royal Caribbean cruises. We are booked on Serenade of the Seas for June 9, 2019 out of Copenhagen.
Iceland Air does the stopovers.
Posted by
Boston, MA
1832 posts
If you want a stop over in Iceland; you have only 2 options
Iceland Air and WOW air both offer them without extra charge if flying on those airlines.
No one else would ever make a stop in Iceland on the way to another European country of course.
WOW will always be cheaper BUT everything costs extra by the time you add in the fees you will be charged in the end it could be wash or cheaper to fly Iceland Air so make sure you research that.
Posted by
West Coast
302 posts
You don't mention how much time you have? My trip was last July and I used Iceland Air and the week long coastal Hurtigruten, Bergen to Kirkenes. I loved the experience, and in summer season sailed, as mentioned, into Geirangerfjord and Trollfjord. The optional excursion at Geraingerfjord was awesome, and so was Nordkapp. This is not a traditional cruise shop, though. If you have been to Alaska, that was plenty of fjords for me in Norway- the experience above the Arctic Circle was incredible. This assumes you don't want to rent a car, or, perhaps do both, as mentioned. From Kirkenes you could fly Oslo- Iceland...
Posted by
10122 posts
Mark,
We have cruised a lot on ships with 2400 persons and know how to book our tours for each port. We largely book private tours with smaller groups. We don't just walk around the town, we visit key sites.
As for taking Hurtigruten, which has a smaller ship that visits many ports (more than the large ships) we found the overall fare to be significantly higher than on a main line cruise ship. Also, that would involve a cabin on Hurtigruten with no balcony or window, where on the cruise ship you can get a balcony.
Also, you have to pay an arm and a leg for drinks and food. Many of the stops in ports are very short, with no real time to explore the city. The few ports that you can book excursions, the prices are very high.
Yes, there are advantages to a smaller ship like Hurtigruten, but many disadvantages as well.
Posted by
OP
Seal Beach, CA, USA
37 posts
Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. We are going on the 12 day round trip package in August with an Arctic Superior cabin. We are on the MS Richard With, which was newly remodeled last year. We are flying into Bergen and out of Oslo with extra days on both ends to do more land exploring. Not booking any land tours in advance based on feedback that booking on board or independent tours at ports of call would be cheaper and more flexible. Will post our experiences after the cruise.
Posted by
10122 posts
We are booked on Serenade of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) Arctic Circle cruise from Copenhagen for 11 days on 9 June.
Both my kids and their families did a very similar cruise on the Norwegian Jade last year and loved it.
They were the only cruise ship in the ports and didn't feel crowded.
The Hurtigrukten line has a smaller ship that stops in many smaller ports (many for just 20 minutes. The problem with that cruise is the cost. It is very expensive and you don't get a balcony like you can get on NCL or Royal. Also, you pay more for drinks, etc.
https://www.visitnorway.com/plan-your-trip/getting-around/by-boat/hurtigruten/