The Iceland/Scotland Cruise - An Instant Classic

[Chrislovesdisney]

We are booked for France/Iceland/Norway next year. I'm really looking forward to it. I do wish we were going to be on the Magic though. And I, personally, would have preferred Scotland to the France port that we have, but I'm sure it will still be amazing.

Hands-down, Normandy has been my best vacation. If I could build a dream home anywhere in the world, it would be in Normandy. You’ll love it!

 

[tidefan]

I may ditch Italy/Greece for this itinerary-seriously intrigued!

The answer is do both. We did the 9-night Greek Isles on the Magic this Summer and quite honestly, it lands squarely at either #1 or #2 (the DVC MC to Alaska in 2015 was also amazing, but for different reasons) of all the cruises we've done. Norway is in the top 5, but we didn't go to Iceland.

That said, I would go back to Santorini and especially Mykonos tomorrow. The Greek Isles are amazing. Rome was OK (Naples we were so worn out and it was so hot that day that we didn't do much), but all of the stops in Greece are amazing.

You won't go wrong either way!

 

[closetmickey]

The answer is do both. We did the 9-night Greek Isles on the Magic this Summer and quite honestly, it lands squarely at either #1 or #2 (the DVC MC to Alaska in 2015 was also amazing, but for different reasons) of all the cruises we've done. Norway is in the top 5, but we didn't go to Iceland.

That said, I would go back to Santorini and especially Mykonos tomorrow. The Greek Isles are amazing. Rome was OK (Naples we were so worn out and it was so hot that day that we didn't do much), but all of the stops in Greece are amazing.

You won't go wrong either way!

So glad you posted this!! We are on the 2023 Greek Isles and I had been wishing we were going back to Iceland instead

 

[ladyofthetramp]

The answer is do both. We did the 9-night Greek Isles on the Magic this Summer and quite honestly, it lands squarely at either #1 or #2 (the DVC MC to Alaska in 2015 was also amazing, but for different reasons) of all the cruises we've done. Norway is in the top 5, but we didn't go to Iceland.

That said, I would go back to Santorini and especially Mykonos tomorrow. The Greek Isles are amazing. Rome was OK (Naples we were so worn out and it was so hot that day that we didn't do much), but all of the stops in Greece are amazing.

You won't go wrong either way!

The plan right now is to do both. The Italy/Greece-3x times cancelled now-we chose not to go this year due to testing at the port. Alaska is right up there with my number 1 cruise of all time. Can't wait to see how these compare. The question is which to do first? LOL We are booked on Italy/Greece-opening day with a veranda room for the same price I had on an oceanview for the cancelled cruises. May just ride with that. We shall see....

 

[dobball23]

Yay!!! Thanks for letting us know. His fan club is still strong.
Your cruise sounds amazing. It's on our bucket list. Thanks for sharing your adventure.

My wife and I are part of his fan club! He was on our weeklong Fantasy cruise in December 2018. We saw him (not as a club host; wearing all whites) on the Dream in January 2022. My mother in law said we ran up to him like he was Santa Clause!

 

[pjacobi]

Aurora forecast for all points on the globe:

https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast


-Paul

 

[95DVC]

I am doing a NCL cruise from New York to Iceland in May 2023 so reading along. Thank you for the information.

 

[brentm77]

So glad you posted this!! We are on the 2023 Greek Isles and I had been wishing we were going back to Iceland instead

I haven't been to Iceland, but the Greek isles cruise was literally the best vacation I have ever taken. One day I will get around to writing all my tips in an appropriate thread, but you won't regret taking this cruise.

I highly recommend doing private tours for most stops. The Disney tour on Santorini was very disappointing because it was far too rushed and the lunch provided was pretty bad. It was still an amazing stop, but it would have been better private. We heard similar complaints about the Disney excursions on other stops - although our Disney one in Sicily was great (the mountain town with the ancient Greek theater). All of our private tours were fantastic - especially in Athens where we were always leaving each site as the huge groups of cruise busses were arriving. Do not waste away your day in Naples either. We did a private tour to Positano and Ravello and we are already talking about when we can go back for a week. I think a lot of people miss Ravello and it was so charming - set up in the mountains with amazing views of the coast far below.

Sorry about putting this in this thread, which I am loving - back to our regularly scheduled programing...

 

[LiZaArd]

A very easy drive - little traffic, only one direction, and incredibe scenery. The path you want to follow goes like this on Google Maps:

Alesund >> Sjoholt >> Andalsnes >> Trollstigen .. and back if you don't want to take any ferries.

Otherwise, ... Trollstigen >> Sylte >> (Ferry) >> Stranda >> Sykkylven >> (Ferry) >> Alesund, which will make for a very nice circle tour. Make sure you time your arrivals correctly for these car ferries.

We did the full circle. The trip was incredibly scenic - so much as so that we kept driving and ended up in Hellesylt - just 30 minutes from Geiranger - where the ship was to port the next day.

With all the stops, ferries, and detours - including the rental pickup/return in Alesund - the trip took about 5.5 hours in all.

THANK YOU!! I hope you enjoy the rest of your cruise!!

 

[tidefan]

I haven't been to Iceland, but the Greek isles cruise was literally the best vacation I have ever taken. One day I will get around to writing all my tips in an appropriate threat, but you won't regret taking this cruise.

I highly recommend doing private tours for most stops. The Disney tour on Santorini was very disappointing because it was far too rushed and the lunch provided was pretty bad. It was still an amazing stop, but it would have been better private. We heard similar complaints about the Disney excursions on other stops - although our Disney one in Sicily was great (the mountain town with the ancient Greek theater). All of our private tours were fantastic - especially in Athens where we were always leaving each site as the huge groups of cruise busses were arriving. Do not waste away your day in Naples either. We did a private tour to Positano and Ravello and we are already talking about when we can go back for a week. I think a lot of people miss Ravello and it was so charming - set up in the mountains with amazing views of the coast far below.

Sorry about putting this in this thread, which I am loving - back to our regularly scheduled programing...

Yep, absolutely loved our Greek Isles cruise. To your last point, I wish that Naples wouldn't have been our last stop because A) we were all so tired from all the tours we had done prior and B) it was miserably hot and humid the day we were there, so all we did was walk around town. I wish we had gotten out of town because, to be honest, the city of Naples itself wasn't all that to write home about, though we did have a good meal there.

Also, our tour experience in Santorini couldn't have been better. Funny thing, she said that she had only been doing tours for a bit over a month and she was our best guide (along with our ones in Katakolon and Crete). Our Athens guide, OTOH, was terrible. We were in that mass of buses that you describe. If we hit Athens again, I think we'll either do the HOHO bus or just take the Metro into town. I will say that I think one thing to consider with a Greek Isles cruise is to really look at the port schedules and try to find one that minimizes the other ships that will be in port on days you will be there. In Santorini, there was just us and a smaller NCL ship in all morning and we had a great visit to Oia and to Santo Winery and it was great. By the time we got to Fira, we saw the NCL Getaway (I think) pull in around 1pm and by the time we got to the cable car area around 3pm, it was a madhouse. In Mykonos, we were the only ship in that day and we had the place to ourselves. It was wonderful!

Funny story about ships in port tied in with the Norway itinerary. We stopped in Bergen and were there with one of the Mein Schieff ships. We went to take the Floibanen up to the top of the hill/mountain. At any rate, we got in one of the cars going up with a bunch of folks from that ship. It was in the 80's that day in Bergen, and let's just say you could very much tell that no one on the other ship believed in the use of deodorant . We were so happy to get off the funicular...

 

[anricat]

Hands-down, Normandy has been my best vacation. If I could build a dream home anywhere in the world, it would be in Normandy. You’ll love it!

What do you recommend there?

 

[Intr3pid]

AKUREYRI

So, on to the second Icelandic port of Akureyri. You will find it at the mouth of a fjord called Eyjafjordur, which makes for a brilliant sail-in/sail-out.

The town is right on the foot of an ice-carved mountain. If you drive to other side of the bay, the photogenic mountain also doubles up as a backdrop for your ship's customary photo. The town is small, which means that a number of car rentals are located right at the pier (yay!).

You can drive about 90 minutes east to the Myvatn area, which has the geysir pools, large mounds of volcanic ash/landscape, and dormant craters - with a sprawling freshwater lake at the center.

Also look up Myvtan Nature Baths if you want to dip into geothermal pools (like at the Blue Lagoon) while in the area. Relative to those in Reykjavik, you might find these a tad more rustic. We instead did the Forest Lagoon located just 5 minutes out from the Akureyri city center. This is a brand new, modern facility with a great view of the bay. (Bring your own towels, heads up.)

Roughly midway to Myvatn are the Godafoss falls. Not as big as those further south, they are superbly accessible and make for some great snaps. As a bonus, you will be among almost no crowds.

-------------------------

Here is Magic in town from two different angles.

 

[brentm77]

Yep, absolutely loved our Greek Isles cruise. To your last point, I wish that Naples wouldn't have been our last stop because A) we were all so tired from all the tours we had done prior and B) it was miserably hot and humid the day we were there, so all we did was walk around town. I wish we had gotten out of town because, to be honest, the city of Naples itself wasn't all that to write home about, though we did have a good meal there.

Also, our tour experience in Santorini couldn't have been better. Funny thing, she said that she had only been doing tours for a bit over a month and she was our best guide (along with our ones in Katakolon and Crete). Our Athens guide, OTOH, was terrible. We were in that mass of buses that you describe. If we hit Athens again, I think we'll either do the HOHO bus or just take the Metro into town. I will say that I think one thing to consider with a Greek Isles cruise is to really look at the port schedules and try to find one that minimizes the other ships that will be in port on days you will be there. In Santorini, there was just us and a smaller NCL ship in all morning and we had a great visit to Oia and to Santo Winery and it was great. By the time we got to Fira, we saw the NCL Getaway (I think) pull in around 1pm and by the time we got to the cable car area around 3pm, it was a madhouse. In Mykonos, we were the only ship in that day and we had the place to ourselves. It was wonderful!

Funny story about ships in port tied in with the Norway itinerary. We stopped in Bergen and were there with one of the Mein Schieff ships. We went to take the Floibanen up to the top of the hill/mountain. At any rate, we got in one of the cars going up with a bunch of folks from that ship. It was in the 80's that day in Bergen, and let's just say you could very much tell that no one on the other ship believed in the use of deodorant . We were so happy to get off the funicular...

It sounds like we were on the same cruise - June 10 of this year? We had the same experience with the same ships in port. It was fantastic. A shop owner in Santorini told us there was going to be 7 ships in port the next day, if I remember right. We were very lucky, because Oia was already pretty crowded with just the two ships. And that cable car area was a madhouse! Our guide there was fine, but our stop in Oia was so short that by the time we waited in line for a bathroom and took some photos, it was time to get on the bus to head for lunch. I couldn't believe it - it was the highlight of the island and we barely had any time there. I would never do Disney again for that port.

We had the craziest experience at the Naples port. We got off an hour late because it wasn't clear to us that private tours weren't picking up outside the port gates, since Disney had allowed their "private" tours inside the gate and they were all holding signs with names. We just assumed our driver would be there too, but he was waiting outside the gates since we didn't book through Disney. I had hired a local guide who was hilarious, but he really didn't understand us. He played the same six songs over and over again for the entire day - singing his heart out and wanting us to join in. I will never hear Ed Sheeran the same. We kept saying we just want to go to Positano and have a long time there for lunch and head back, but he literally wouldn't listen or didn't understand. After Positano he drove to Amalfi, then Ravello. We were seriously concerned we wouldn't get back to the ship on time, because he wasn't making it clear that we would take a faster way home, over the mountain instead of back up the coast. It made it a bit stressful near the end, but we are so glad that he did what he did, because Ravello turned out to be our favorite stop. It was a hot day, but not bad up in the mountains and he spontaneously stopped for fresh lemon ice things alongside of the road that were so good!

P.S. I totally get being too tired in Naples! - it was a lot of ports, and a lot of fun nights back on the ship. We kept most of our port stops on the shorter side, which probably helped a lot too. But we did feel like we just had a taste of some places and would have liked more time. It's a tricky balancing act.

 

[mmmears]

So glad you posted this!! We are on the 2023 Greek Isles and I had been wishing we were going back to Iceland instead

Same, but the dates didn't work for us and I prefer more Norway anyway. I do worry about the hot weather in the Med though.

 

[brentm77]

Same, but the dates didn't work for us and I prefer more Norway anyway. I do worry about the hot weather in the Med though.

When are you going? Early June wasn't too bad overall. I recommend a sun umbrella. It makes a huge difference as you have instant shade everywhere you go and there are often times you find yourself standing in the sun during tours. They sell some pretty compact cheap ones on Amazon.

 

[mmmears]

When are you going? Early June wasn't too bad overall. I recommend a sun umbrella. It makes a huge difference as you have instant shade everywhere you go and there are often times you find yourself standing in the sun during tours. They sell some pretty compact cheap ones on Amazon.

Thanks for the advice. We are going early June because I know I can't handle the Med in July or August.

 

[tidefan]

It sounds like we were on the same cruise - June 10 of this year? We had the same experience with the same ships in port. It was fantastic. A shop owner in Santorini told us there was going to be 7 ships in port the next day, if I remember right. We were very lucky, because Oia was already pretty crowded with just the two ships. And that cable car area was a madhouse! Our guide there was fine, but our stop in Oia was so short that by the time we waited in line for a bathroom and took some photos, it was time to get on the bus to head for lunch. I couldn't believe it - it was the highlight of the island and we barely had any time there. I would never do Disney again for that port.

We had the craziest experience at the Naples port. We got off an hour late because it wasn't clear to us that private tours weren't picking up outside the port gates, since Disney had allowed their "private" tours inside the gate and they were all holding signs with names. We just assumed our driver would be there too, but he was waiting outside the gates since we didn't book through Disney. I had hired a local guide who was hilarious, but he really didn't understand us. He played the same six songs over and over again for the entire day - singing his heart out and wanting us to join in. I will never hear Ed Sheeran the same. We kept saying we just want to go to Positano and have a long time there for lunch and head back, but he literally wouldn't listen or didn't understand. After Positano he drove to Amalfi, then Ravello. We were seriously concerned we wouldn't get back to the ship on time, because he wasn't making it clear that we would take a faster way home, over the mountain instead of back up the coast. It made it a bit stressful near the end, but we are so glad that he did what he did, because Ravello turned out to be our favorite stop. It was a hot day, but not bad up in the mountains and he spontaneously stopped for fresh lemon ice things alongside of the road that were so good!

P.S. I totally get being too tired in Naples! - it was a lot of ports, and a lot of fun nights back on the ship. We kept most of our port stops on the shorter side, which probably helped a lot too. But we did feel like we just had a taste of some places and would have liked more time. It's a tricky balancing act.

No, we were on the June 27th departure. Other than how terrible Prenetics was, we couldn't have asked for a better cruise! As to Santorini, not sure which excursion you went on, but we spent a good bit of the morning in Oia, probably 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Very much enjoyed it.

 

[mmmears]

No, we were on the June 27th departure. Other than how terrible Prenetics was, we couldn't have asked for a better cruise! As to Santorini, not sure which excursion you went on, but we spent a good bit of the morning in Oia, probably 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Very much enjoyed it.

Sorry for the off-topic question, but what do you recommend for Santorini? I'm a private excursion all the way traveler, but private there means getting on the tenders last and having to wait for the cable car on the way up (vs. booking through DCL, getting off first, and being tendered directly to a bus) so I was seriously considering a DCL excursion for this one port.


To be more on-topic here, we loved Alesund in Norway. We did use a DCL excursion there, because my two wants were to go to the top of Mt. Askla (sp?) and to go to the Sunnmore Open Air Museum (which was fabulous) and there was an excursion that did both.

 

[brentm77]

Sorry for the off-topic question, but what do you recommend for Santorini? I'm a private excursion all the way traveler, but private there means getting on the tenders last and having to wait for the cable car on the way up (vs. booking through DCL, getting off first, and being tendered directly to a bus) so I was seriously considering a DCL excursion for this one port.


To be more on-topic here, we loved Alesund in Norway. We did use a DCL excursion there, because my two wants were to go to the top of Mt. Askla (sp?) and to go to the Sunnmore Open Air Museum (which was fabulous) and there was an excursion that did both.

I wanted to respond, but I felt like I hijacked this thread too much, so I started another thread, here.

 

[DCLCruiseFan09]

AKUREYRI

So, on to the second Icelandic port of Akureyri. You will find it at the mouth of a fjord called Eyjafjordur, which makes for a brilliant sail-in/sail-out.

The town is right on the foot of an ice-carved mountain. If you drive to other side of the bay, the photogenic mountain also doubles up as a backdrop for your ship's customary photo. The town is small, which means that a number of car rentals are located right at the pier (yay!).

You can drive about 90 minutes east to the Myvatn area, which has the geysir pools, large mounds of volcanic ash/landscape, and dormant craters - with a sprawling freshwater lake at the center.

Also look up Myvtan Nature Baths if you want to dip into geothermal pools (like at the Blue Lagoon) while in the area. Relative to those in Reykjavik, you might find these a tad more rustic. We instead did the Forest Lagoon located just 5 minutes out from the Akureyri city center. This is a brand new, modern facility with a great view of the bay. (Bring your own towels, heads up.)

Roughly midway to Myvatn are the Godafoss falls. Not as big as those further south, they are superbly accessible and make for some great snaps. As a bonus, you will be among almost no crowds.

-------------------------

Here is Magic in town from two different angles.

View attachment 697114

View attachment 697115

Your Pictures Make me miss the magic and I was on her less than 10 days ago.

Kudos to you sir.