It always seemed strange to me that the photos of Iceland we were shown at school were all about green meadows, volcanoes, waterfalls, and wildlife. Shouldn’t ICELAND be covered in ice?
Conversely Greenland looks like a desolate frozen place, so why it was named Greenland is a complete mystery.
My fascination with Iceland continues today. It’s a very impressive nation. Almost 100% of their energy comes from renewable sources, it’s in the top 5 world rankings for democracy index, the equality index, and median income, and is first in the world on the Global Peace Index. They are apparently getting some things right up there.
It is also spectacularly beautiful.
If you’ve haven’t seen Down to Earth with Darin Ollin and Zac Efron – sit through the Iceland episode, and you’ll want to go there.
What is there to do in Iceland?
Reykjavik is the only city of any size on the island, and it has some great food options, along with other more urban treats. The rest of Iceland is all about scenery, wildlife, and nature:
- Go for a swim in the hotsprings
- Try some exotic food in Reykjavik
- Marvel at the volcanoes and glaciers, waterfalls, and geysers
- Take a whale watching tour
- Do an ice cave tour
- Go to the exact place where the European and North American tectonic plates meet. You can stand in Europe, and your spouse in North America and only be a few feet apart.
- For the adventure nuts, there’s snowmobiling, glacier hiking or snorkeling (for real).
Iceland is kind of a hybrid of the best of Alaska, and the best of Costa Rica. Vastly different than both, but much more like those places than Western Europe.
Much like Alaska, most of Iceland is very remote, and accessing it by water may be the best way to see it. Several cruise lines have discovered this fascinating little country in the past few years, so there’s lots of option. Often those options include the UK or Ireland, and in repositioning season you can find cruises that start or finish in North America.
Northern Lights? We’re often asked where and when these are most visible. You need relative darkness to see the Northern Lights, and with Iceland’s high latitude, you won’t see much darkness at all in the summer months, so if the Northern Lights are your reason to visit Iceland, you should do so October through March.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
Iceland Intensive & Ireland with Azamara
- 11-days departing Reykjavik July 9, 2023.
- Veranda rooms for $6199 per person.
- Includes open bar and gratuities
- Visit 6 ports in Iceland, then on to the Faroe Islands, the Isle of Skye (Scotland), Belfast, and finishing in Dublin
- Book through Pampered Cruiser and you’ll receive an additional exclusive amenity of $100 per person on board credit. That’s in addition to anything you receive from Azamara.
Iceland and UK on the Oceania Marina
- 15-days departing Reykjavik on August 22, 2023.
- Verandas at $9699 per person with an optional Air add-on of $900 round trip (to Iceland, and home from London).
- Visit 5 ports in Iceland, Faroe Islands, Shetland Island, Hebrides, 5 ports in Ireland, and then arrive in London.
- Book through Pampered Cruiser and you’ll receive an additional exclusive amenity of FREE GRATUITIES. That’s in addition to anything you receive from Oceania.
Iceland to Denmark on the Seabourn Ovation
- 8-days departing Reykjavik on July 30, 2023
- Veranda Suites for $3637 per person
- Visit 4 ports in Iceland, then on to Skagen, Denmark before finishing in Copenhagen.
- Includes gratuities, an open bar, Wifi on board, all specialty dining
- Book through Pampered Cruiser and you’ll receive an additional exclusive amenity of $150 per person on board credit. That’s in addition to anything you receive from Seabourn.
- Note: this is a really amazing price for Seabourn, which is a true luxury cruise line. Bob and I have travelled a couple of times with Seabourn, and we absolutely LOVE it. Here’s one of our videos with Bob doing a ship tour of the Seabourn Sojourn: https://youtu.be/RJT7BVFpoqo
Viking Flash Sale – Asia 2023 – FREE AIRFARE
Viking just added a Free Air Promo to the cruises below. We very rarely see free air to Asia, and the catch is you’ll have to travel in the next few months:
- Bangkok to Bali for 13-days departing April 6, 2023
- Visit Bangkok (2 days), Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta (2 days), Java, and Bali (2 days).
- $5799 per person for a Deluxe Veranda
- Tokyo to Vancouver for 23-days departing April 23, 2023
- Visit Tokyo (overnight), Sapporo (overnight), Dutch Harbor (Alaska), Kodiak, Seward, Valdez, Glacier Bay, Sitka, Ketchikan, fly home from Vancouver.
- $9599 per person Veranda Suite.
- This cruise is an interesting twist on the traditional Alaskan cruise itinerary, and on a per-day basis, with the air included, this is pretty hard to beat. Japan has only been open to tourists again for about 3 months, so there’s a lot of demand for this destination.
Viking includes all taxes and fees, round-trip air, airport transfers, a shore excursion in each port, beer/wine with meals, and Wife on the ship. Book through Pampered Cruiser and you’ll receive an additional exclusive amenity of $100 per person on board credit. Already directly with Viking (river, ocean, or expedition)? Get in touch as soon as possible so we can add extra onboard credits (everything about your existing reservation remains exactly the same).
Thanks for supporting two hard-working small business owners! There is no extra fee to work with us, and we earn commission from the cruise lines after you travel, so you’ll pay exactly the same price as you would if you booked direct.
Have something to say about this?
Join the conversation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PamperedCruiser/posts/pfbid021HTq3X972brQNQAHQArwnpqp4aDGtEFeQSUw6noxvS4RG1mgdUUiQX4PsFVLh4LEl
If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
