The majestic Norwegian fjords are iconic symbols of the beauty of traditional Norway. These are places where time moves in its own pace and there is no better way to take in the awe-inspiring beauty of this UNESCO-protected environment than from the deck of either a luxury cruise ship or a luxury expedition cruise ship.
Iceland is a country of extreme geological contrasts. Widely known as “The Land of Fire and Ice”, Iceland is home to some of the largest glaciers in Europe and some of the world's most active volcanoes. It is also the land of light and darkness, long summer days with near 24 hours of sunshine are offset by short winter days with only a few hours of daylight.
The Norwegian fjords are just brimming with incredible contrasts and breath-taking stunning vistas. There are more than a thousand fjords in Norway, but most of the iconic ones - those you may have seen on the postcards, like the Nærøyfjord, the Sognefjord, the Lysefjord, and the Geirangerfjord - are located in the Fjord Norway region. The fjords resemble still blue lakes, but consist of saltwater - they are prolonged arms of the seas, often reaching deep inland with majestic cliffs towering above on both sides. Even though the fjords are often intertwined, and you can sail from one fjord to another or back into the sea, visiting the fjords can make you feel like you are in a secluded universe. There are small villages spread throughout, and trails for both glacier walks and mountain hikes are plentiful.
The fjords feature pristine scenery and strikingly beautiful villages and they are tinselled with thousands of lazy waterfalls. Norway is also one of the best places to view the astonishing natural phenomenon that is the Northern Lights and other wonderful places to visit in Norway include Narvik, Bodo and the beautiful Lofoten Islands. We also love the breath-taking landscapes of Skjolden, the very quaint village of Nordfjordeid, Haugesund‘s Viking heritage and Kristiansund’s art nouveau Opera House.
Iceland is the youngest country in the world, Having been informed “only” about 25 million years ago. It is the second-largest island in Europe after Great Britain. Its nearest neighbours are Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Scotland and Norway. Iceland is located very close to the Arctic Circle and half the land mass of some of the islands of the north coast of Iceland lie within the Arctic Circle.
With almost 80% of the country uninhabited, much of Iceland‘s terrain consists of plateau, mountain peaks and fertile lowlands. There are many long, deep fjords and glaciers, including Europe’s largest glacier, Vatnajokull. The Icelandic landscape is characterised by waterfalls, geysers, volcanoes and otherworldly steaming lava fields.
Most luxury cruise visiting Iceland will call in to Reykjavík, the capital city of Iceland. Reykjavík is Iceland's nucleus of culture and arts. By day, the café culture is supreme, but as the evening arrives people start filling the cities excellent restaurants, where local ingredients are served with fresh delicious lamb, seafood or wild game.
Reykjavík is a city of old contrasts: it is both cosmopolitan and small town; vibrant and sophisticated; young at heart and yet full of history. Other beautiful Ports of call often visited by luxury cruise ships in Iceland include Akureyri, Isafjordur and Hrisey. Also, do not forget to visit the magical Blue Lagoon.
There is an exceptional array of luxury cruise and luxury expedition cruise opportunities that visit the Norwegian fjords and Iceland.
If you just wish to dip your toes in the water, there are many seven night Norwegian fjords cruises available throughout the spring and summer round-trip from Southampton. These are provided by Cunard and other luxury cruise lines. If you wish to view the aurora borealis, Northern Lights cruises mainly take place in February, March, October and November, usually round-trip from Southampton for 12 nights.
If you wish to experience a longer, more in depth Fjords cruise and include incredible Iceland into your itinerary, then there are a variety of 14 nights to over 30 night itineraries provided by most small ship luxury cruise lines. These will often commence or finish in Dover, Southampton, Greenwich or Tower Bridge. However, a flight to or from the UK is often required at the other end of your cruise, but a few, longer roundtrip UK options are available.
Iceland can also be visited round-trip UK as a main destination with the Norwegian Fjords as a secondary destination. These cruises are normally of 14 nights duration or longer and often include ports of call in the Faroe Islands, the Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands.
An increasingly popular way to visit Iceland is to take a small ship luxury repositioning cruise from the UK via Iceland and Greenland, these cruises are normally for 21 days or longer and also visit Canada and New England. They generally finish in Montréal, New York or Boston, But can often be extended to also include the eastern seaboard of the United States and end in the warmth of Florida, this makes a truly epic voyage. These itineraries generally take place in August or September and the ships often do the reverse itinerary in the spring.
Regardless of if you are planning a seven night Norwegian Fjords cruise or an epic adventure to this part of the world lasting many weeks, the luxury cruise experts at The Sovereign Cruise Club look forward to assisting you to plan the perfect Norwegian fjords and Icelandic cruise for you. As always, we cannot wait to share our knowledge of these incredible destinations with you and as always, provide you with a guaranteed best prices on your luxury cruise choices.
