Norway / Iceland Cruise in September

I would not pick 2026 as the eclipse that is happening August 12 has already caused many places to be booked out in Iceland, and the prices are even more insane than usual.

Weather in Iceland in September is typically not bad, but Iceland is a whole other beast and weather can be bad any time of year. Once, we had to hunker down in late July as the winds were too strong to keep driving. September is the start of aurora season, so that is a really nice part of coming this time of year. This past August, we had one day with very strong winds that blew our vehicle a few feet, but thankfully my husband somehow managed to not get us blown off the road. This is not uncommon at all for Iceland, so even if you are not driving, you could be affected by any system that rolls in. When I was there last September, we saw the aurora a handful of times. We had very good weather for our trip, but were bundled up most of the time. Fall is actually my favorite time in Iceland. They don't have the foliage like in the NE here since there are very few trees, but there is a lot of color in the brush. It reminds me of Alaska in the fall.

I would not cruise there for a number of reasons. One, except for Reykjavik and Akureyri, the other places are tiny towns. You will be extremely limited for things to do unless you do ship excursions. Second, some of the ports are trying to get cruise ships to not visit as they take such a toll on the town. Often times the cruises have their own guides for excursions and that takes away from the local economy.

We were in Norway in late August 2024 and it just dumped rain on us most days. We are from Seattle, so rain doesn't bother us, but I know many others don't like it.

If you want to see Iceland, fly there and either drive yourself or take a tour if you are not comfortable with driving. There is SO much to see there. We have over 65 nights there so far and still have so much more to see, to give you an idea. We will be back next summer, but are avoiding the eclipse time like the plague.

As to fall colors, there are vanishingly few deciduous trees in Iceland. I don't remember about Norway, but the colder parts may be similar, with lots of evergreens (?) We went in July, and I would recommend the warmest months in Iceland. Wind and rain are common, but most everything is "rain or shine", so you need both layers and serious foul weather gear. (The rental cars have stickers warning you to "Open this door with TWO HANDS" because of the wind.)

I personally found (by actual experience with a rental car for four days) that port excursions are able to show you only a small part of Iceland. Waterfalls tend to be near the coast, but you can only see so much in half a day. This statement is not 100% true, but it is generally one hour plus from one BIG waterfall to the next one. You may wish to read my 2023 review of Windstar's 7-night "Around Iceland" itinerary:

https://www.cruisecritic.com/memberreviews/memberreview.cfm?EntryID=702974

You might wish to check how many ports are "Tender" ports on the actual cruises you are considering. I don't remember if you find getting into a power lifeboat to be troublesome. There are a lot of (some, improved) dirt paths at Iceland attractions. There are almost no serious natural sights directly at a port, without a bus ride.

Hello mikliz96

I know you are very well traveled from reading your many other well written posts. Thank you for responding.

For myself, given my age and mobility issues, a cruise may not be the best way to go but it is the best for me.

It seems that there were not many options for August / September 2026 and I was wondering why. Besides the eclipse, there is also a large event happening in different cities around the world. I think that it is the World Cup which ends in June but often groups license the entire ship from Norwegian offering their own cruises.

Have to do a lot more research.

Hello Tim

As I said to the previous poster, a cruise may not be the best way to go but it is the best way for me when you consider not just my age. but my mobility issues. I have to consider my reality ....

You may realize that i just returned from Japan and I agree that a land tour is probably preferable to a cruise but I am forced to go with the flow. It will be the same with Iceland / Norway.

No matter wherever you go, cruise excursions are just a spec of sand on the beach. You see just a moment of anywhere. I am considering going to somewhere like Paris for a full week

Sounds like Iceland is challenging to visit but also well worth the challenge. You and the previous poster sort of splashed reality into my face.

Thank you for responding

Boston Phil, bad weather can happen anytime, anywhere. If those dates suit you, go ahead and book. I personally would go for the smaller ship choice over the larger ship. Easier to get around, easier to get to know people, and fewer people wanting to go to the same locations in port.

I'm booked on a Princess Cruise out of Copenhagen the end of August 2027 that is primarily a transatlantic that goes Denmark, Norway, Scotland, 4 ports Iceland, 2 ports Canada and then ends up in Boston. I am looking forward to the itinerary.

I've been to Iceland a few times, but never off a cruise. I think you will find that excursions (and pretty much everything else) are extremely expensive there. Plan accordingly.

I love Norway so much that I would probably look for a cruise that focused on Norway alone because it is worth the time.

bostonphil--I was thinking of you and your situation when I posted. Trust me, you can do it outside of a cruise, if you want to. I don't think it would be too much, from what I have read of your posts. You could drive, or do a multi day tour. Next summer is already chaos for booking Iceland. Some of our trips were right before I had both knees replaced, so I can sympathize with the mobility issues. If you decide to look into tours, I highly recommend www.troll.is . We have used them for a number of excursions that require guides, and then one winter we were to do a 2 day trip up the south coast. Long story short, a storm rolled in so it turned into a day trip, but the way that Troll handled it was so professional. Excellent communication, immediate processing of the refund etc. Based on all of our experiences I would not hesitate to book them for a longer multi day tour, FWIW. I have also heard good things about Nice Travel from friends, but I have no personal experience with them.

Hi Phil, I second Carol’s suggestion of a cruise focusing on Norway. I have very recently begun looking into cruise options as a way to see Norway.

Both your and Carol’s prior posts on cruises, has inspired me to try one. I’ve got my eye on an artic circle cruise for 2027.

I do not recommend driving in Iceland unless you have lots of experience driving in poor weather conditions and driving around roundabouts. I was in Iceland this past June, and I said to my sister “Thank goodness we did not rent a car. We’d be driving around in circles for hours!”

https://www.reykjavikcars.com/blog/driving-iceland/roundabouts-in-iceland

You have enough travel experience to know what works best for you. Cruises seem to work well for you.

I would try to find something for next year if you can. My motto this year has become, travel as much as you can, while you can.

I look forward to hearing about your next adventure.

Happy planning!!

Not counting Hurtigruten only ports there are 55 cruise ports or destinations in Norway. I've not been to all of them by any means, but to more than many people.

Even those which are tender ports in my experience are very user friendly. At least on the ships I've been on the crew always go out of their way to assist those who are mobility challenged to use the tenders.

Yes, weather can strike anytime. I've even failed to get into Trondheim due to the swell as you turn into the fjord (Hurtigruten also couldn't get in). The reward was an unscheduled daytime passage up the Romaldsfjord and an overnight at Andalsnes.

In Greenland I've been to several ports on cruise which don't have airports and there are no inter city roads in the country. So, unless you use the Greenlandic equivalent of Hurtigruten (way more basic and far less frequent) it's the only way to get there.

I know you aren't going to Greenland, but it's important to say we were welcomed every where with open arms.

We were even employing locals in the form of our 3 ice pilots.

Quite frankly I've been to some of the smaller Icelandic and a couple of Faroese ports. And what you are being told as far as I'm concerned is just not true. We were a valuable contribution to the local economy and welcomed strongly employing local guides and bus drivers.

Carol N R

That Transatlantic from Copenhagen 2027 sounds like a really incredible cruise.

I have just started researching Norway / Iceland and the emphasis from NCL for 2026 and 2027 seems to be on Iceland. There are no NCL ships that begin or end in Norway for 2026 and 2027. My memory is that at one time they did begin in Norway. It might be that Norway is becoming more concerned about cruise ships, the environment and over tourism

Norway is just for now ports of calls within Northern European cruises. Now I might be able to get a Northern European cruise that does not include Iceland but does include Norway. I will go back and look. Just beginning my research.

Thank you for your feedback. I remember you cruising Norway one or more time last year and loving it. I was hoping that you would jump in.

mikliz97

Thanks for the feedback.

I think that I am going to forfeit Iceland this go around and focus on Norway...

I have not driven since 1989 and I never liked driving to begin with. I am saving lives, including my own, by not driving but at least I have the good sense to know it.

Thank you for the links. I will look at them ...

One of the reasons that I am unsure about cruising 2026 is that there might be a gathering of forum members in Northern Idaho about September 2026. I have never been to that area of the country so I am planning on traveling even if not cruising.. I believe it might be Pam who will be announcing it and I am leaving the calendar open, just in case.

For now, I am in the very early stages of planning the next cruise but I have already discovered that maybe Iceland is not the right place for me at this point in time.

As I told Carol N R , for some reasons NCL is not offering cruises that are beginning or ending in any Norwegian ports. I think they once did. Norwegian Ports are for now only ports of call.

I would love to cruise Australia / New Zealand or South America but I have a very short window in which I can cruise. I can plan a cruise only for between very late August to Mid October but I might be able to do a last minute cruise for April or May depending on some factors after February .

Hi Carrie

I hope to travel in 2026 but perhaps not on a cruise.

One of the members on Forum is considering an in person meeting next September in Northern Idaho. I have never been to that area of the United States and I would love seeing the faces behind the screen names.

Research for my next cruise is just beginning so already I am discovering that perhaps Iceland might not work and to focus more on Norway. I have learned a lot from forum members, sometimes even things that I do not want to hear.

So back to NCL.com.

To be continued ....

Hi isn31c

NCL actually offers a cruise to Greenland and Iceland including the Faroe Islands. But for now, I think that i have my heart set on Norway.

What do you mean about "what I might have been told" I have been told a lot about a lot of things having to do with cruises especially the very large ships.

When traveling, weather is always going to be a factor. Nothing is predictable any longer.

and David just posted this

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/flights-to-lax-halted-due-to-air-traffic-controller-shortage

it's not just weather any more

Well, went back to NCL and if I want to go to Norway, I have to go to Iceland, at least on Norwegian Cruise Lines.

NCL has many cruises from or to Iceland. On those cruises, I can also get three ports in Norway. There are a very few Northern Europe cruises that do not include Iceland but only offer one port in Norway for several hours.

So if I want to see Norway, I have to see Iceland ...

I have a Future Cruise Credit worth over $600 and Cruise Next Certificate worth $500. Both can be applied to any future cruise that i take with Norwegian which is 6 days or more.

@BostonPhil.
Is there an expiration date on your credits? What would be your net price? Could you use them on a different cruise?

https://www.princess.com/itinerary-details/?voyageCode=Y720&fareType=BESTFARE&meta=
For $3999 you can have a 14 day cruise on Princess round trip from Southampton that follows the Norwegian coastline all the way up to North Cape and back. That is for an inside cabin.

I have taken cruises on both the NCL Star and Prima, each 14 days. I prefer the Star, but also like the Prima. I will be going on the Star again next year for an Iceland cruise. Wratherwise, it’s a gamble either way

There are almost no cruises for any line which start and/or end in Norway, except Hurtigruten or Havila. They at best start in Denmark or Sweden or elsewhere in Europe.
Part of the issue I suspect is the lack of terminal facilities. Even Bergen has no real terminal building.
The old terminal was sold off for private use.
Oslo and Trondheim are probably the only ports with real terminals. They could possibly use the ferry terminal in Stavanger if so minded.
I'm fairly sure NCL do Southampton to Norway and return. Maybe a Copenhagen to Norway return.
Other lines do Newcastle (England) or Dundee (Scotland) to Norway. Sometimes starting in other English ports.

Carol N R

I checked out your cruise. What a great cruise.

If I were younger and in better health, I would like to explore other cruise lines. I have heard that both Princess and Celebrity are a step above Norwegian but I think that I may be coming to the end of my cruising days.

As a rule, I do not travel during the summer months because of crowds.

My Cruise Next Certificate has no expiration date but I am not certain of my Future Cruise Credit. I will be talking to my Cruise Consultant this week and will check.

By the way, I am so glad that i went to Japan. There were glitches and problems and mistakes but so glad for the experience. Maybe I will be able to get back that way another time. It might be that i will just want to do a week in Japan and a week in Seoul.

Bigtyke

I like the small ships compared to the mega ones. Just came off the Spirit sailing Japan. I don't need the water slides, the go go carts, laser guns, video arcades and even the big Broadway shows. Some people do.

It seems that weather in Iceland and maybe Norway also is the Luck of The Irish or Luck of the Draw, however one sees it. However due to climate change, weather has become unpredictable all over the world.

Japan was supposed to be in the 50's and 60's according to my research but it was in the low to high 80's every single day. Maybe not horrible for some but it was for me.

isn31c

Norwegian has lots and I mean lots of Northern European cruises that begin and or end in Southampton.

There are also some that begin or end in Copenhagen and Helsinki.

Here is an example of one of the cruises beginning in Southampton: It is the longest Northern European cruise ...

And for myself, I can fly non stop from Austin to London

https://www.ncl.com/vacation-builder/planning/cruise-itinerary?itineraryCode=STAR14SOUNWHIVGREYISAAKUMLYBGOSVGSOU&guests=2&gateway=NONE&dates=Aug-2026,Sep-2026

bostonphil--I did giggle at your driving comment, ad the way you stated it was great, and I am glad you know your limits:) A land tour of Iceland would be good for you, IMO. I too am hoping to be at the GTG in Idaho, so hopefully we will meet in person!

One of the reasons that I am unsure about cruising 2026 is that there might be a gathering of forum members in Northern Idaho about September 2026.

Wasn't that already announced for the last weekend in September of 2026? That's what I put on my calendar.

Whatever cruise you decide to do for Norway, make sure you have stops that have enough time that you can get inland. When we were there in September of 2023, we saw ships at many inland ports as opposed to just the coast.

We were in Norway for 18 days and really didn't see any fall colors.

As a rule, I do not travel during the summer months because of crowds.

On a cruise, you and your fellow cruise travellers are the crowd ;)
If June/July is an option, I would take that over August/September, to have the experience of endless days.

yes, it was announced that there would be or might be an person meeting in September 2026 in Idaho. It was announced months ago.

I have put it in my mental calendar and am planning on paticipating

Because life happens, I do not see it as certain until we get closer.

But I did talk to my cruise consultant today and he sweetened the pot for August or September 2027. We will be firming it up next week.

So if I book August or September 2027 and Idaho does not happen, I can just change my cruise to 2026. Or maybe just book a completely different one.

And I am looking forward to meeting each and everyone of you.

balso

I never thought of my cruise community as being a crowd. Sometimes it gets crowded but there is always my cabin when I need ultimate space. Cruise ships seem less crowded in the fall. Maybe they are or maybe it is just a. more relaxed crowd in the fall.

I think that i was thinking more about airports and attractions being crowded and frantic.

And I was thinking less kids in the fall. No, I do not hate kids but I have taken a cruise during the summer months and it can get massively chaotic. I think kids sail free and they usually share the cabin with adults, The numbers are much greater in the summer. The ships seem to be bursting at the seams in the summer and there is an insanity of movement. The energy is exceedingly high and I need more quiet and relaxation.

I know my needs and I go with my needs.

Is June an option for you, then? The kids aren't on vacation, and it is a wonderful time to go north - better than September!

balso--Kids in the US are on summer break in June, and that is when many families travel.

We did the southbound Hurtigruten coastal ferry plus 11 days in Norway at the end of May/early June. Didn't feel crowded at all.

balso

many American families can only travel June, July, August, not just because that is school break for the kids but because companies will only allow employees to take vacations those months.

That is often why those three months are very busy and very crowded when it comes to travel. And why prices are often higher.

However kids who go to private or parochial school often are on a. different schedule than the ones who go to public schools so you will have kids on cruises all times of year but not in the numbers as June, July or August.

jeanm

late May and early June may be less crowded than late June through mid August for that region of the world.

And the large cruise ships with all the bells and whistles are very appealing to families with children. These large cruise ships have waterparks, go go carts, laser guns or whatever else, arcades, activities for young people of all ages. The kids have the time of their lives. It is summer camp plus.

balso--Kids in the US are on summer break in June, and that is when many families travel.

Yes, but not in 95% of Europe (at least not until the last week of June), and I guess a Norway cruise would largely be a mix of European and American passengers?

Anyway, I am merely making suggestions - there's nothing wrong with September!

balso

I do not believe this June would work but maybe June 2027.

However I do not believe that I would be able to see The Northern Lights during June and that is something I would like to see, if at all possible,

Iceland has had a very heavy snowfall.... I think that I read it is one of the heaviest snowfalls for this date.

You won't see the Aurora in June, and unless it's the end of September even then it is not especially likely, especially as I don't think NCL really go far enough north (or to the right places) to make it a strong possibility. But at least in September it is possible, in June effectively no chance.

It's not that the Aurora isn't around- it is more that it does not get dark enough to see.

In June you won’t see the aurora as there is almost 24 hours of light. We have seen the aurora from the plane several times in mid August though. Last September our trip was the latter half of September and we saw it several times on that trip. The last night was a stunning show!

The Northern Lights is strongly on my wish list.

isn31c

I am also looking at a British isles cruise which includes Scotland and Ireland ...

bostonphil, I think you're going to have to decide on what is most important to you. Northern Lights, then go late season with shorter days and more opportunity. Chance for better weather, then go during the summer with more daylight.

Frankly. I wouldn't be too concerned about crowds if I'm on a mega ship that carries over 4500 people.(that's almost as the population of my home town).

If you haven't done so already, head to cruise critic forums and see what folks there say about Iceland ports and weather, especially with huge ships. Weather conditions will play a huge factor in your enjoyment of Iceland and Norway.

Disclosure: Personally I can't wrap my head around these monster ships. Definitely not my cup of tea.

Enjoy your research! Whatever you decide will be beautiful scenery.

jeanm

I do prefer the smaller ships but can deal with the mega ships off season or shoulder season. Have you ever taken a mega ship in the summer?

I am enjoying my research. Sometimes I like the research better than the reality but I like post trip when I am posting my pictures. I did not know that I saw so many incredible places when in Japan and S Korea, last month. My pictures are so beautiful. Did I really see these places?

For now, I continue to lean towards September for Iceland and Norway. That is for now.

I will have to continue my research. Whatever I choose, i think it is going to be beautiful and interesting. And I will one day be posting my beautiful pictures ...

bostonphil, Your right, sometimes the planning and anticipation can be more enjoyable than the actual trip!

The largest ship I've traveled on was about 2000 passengers and that was years ago. I now try to keep any cruise ship travel under 1000 passengers. Like you, I don't need waterslides and climbing walls.

Whatever you decide and whenever you go, you'll have a wonderful time and see some wonderful natural scenery.

We traveled to Iceland the third week of September a few years ago. The weather was cool but not unbearably cold or anything. We had some nice blue skies too. We did always have our rain layer with us because these brief storms would blow across from the North Sea, then be gone again. We were only there for a few days and did not see the lights but they had been out before we arrived so September is possible to see them, especially if you are on a ship (dark skies) for 10-15 days. I think combining Iceland with Norway would be nice and the nice thing about sailing from Iceland is the short flight from the US, I think for us from Cleveland OH to Reykjavik was less than 6 hrs.

jeanm

I could not do the climbing walls or water slides even if wanted to. Good thing that I have no interest.

For me, a 2000 passenger cruise ship is small because I have sailed the 4000 passenger cruise ships. I prefer the 2000 passenger cruise ships but can deal with the mega ships as long as it is not during the heavy tourist season.

I would like to try a 1000 passenger ship but they are usually not in my budget.

When I plan my cruises I know that there will be glitches and things will go wrong but I never know what will be a problem until there really is a problem. I try to remain calm but I do not always handle the problems as well as I wish I could.

Still there is always a next cruise no matter what ..... so the good always outweighs the bad.

I have been watching youtube videos and the scenery is oh so beautiful.

sboh

I was looking at cruises that were sailing from the first to the third week of September but you are telling me that the weather was not too bad the third week of September so maybe I will look at the end of September.

I also have concerns about very cold and wet weather.

I live in Austin and it usually takes me a long time with having to change planes. I think that I am going to book a cruise that begins in Reykjavik and ends in Southampton. I will have to book a multicity flight.

Even though I am not going until 2027, I was playing around with booking.com and I realize that I will get a better hotel price off season.

Bostonphil—typically September isn’t too bad in Iceland, but it can be so just be prepared for anything. Even when my husband sailed from Reykjavik to Greenland in July/august 2024 the weather was so bad they were stuck in port in both grundarfjordur and olasfsvik for several days each. With Iceland you just have to be super flexible and not get uptight if a planned schedule goes sideways.

Take a look at Azamara cruises. There have a couple of Norway Intensive cruises - I'm looking at 17 nights. Yes it does start in Edinburgh and end in Copenhagen. There's also a shorter 10 N cruise that I might do instead (starts and ends in Copenhagen) then I can go back to Finland.

Bostonphil- NCL are having a Black Friday sale at the moment. There are some very good fares to be had (right up to 2027), with up to 50% off.

I know someone who's bagged a last minute deal for this weekend in the sale out of Los Angeles to Mexico for about US $65 a day for the week including Free at Sea. OK- there's the cost of the flight to add on, and a night's hotel pre-cruise, but still an offer hard to refuse.

Iceland isn't anything like that cheap (!!) but still worth looking at. I don't know how long the sale is on for.

I also learnt today that on any cruise which starts and ends in the UK heading for anywhere in Schengen you don't have to do the EES (Entry-Exit biometric checks), no-one yet knows whether that will also apply to the ETIAS system when it eventually starts. It's not something I've seen mentioned anywhere else.