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I not too long ago loved my first cruise vacation—a superb journey round Iceland and the Faroe Islands aboard the Seabourn Enterprise, the world’s most luxurious expedition cruise ship. You possibly can learn my journey studies right here:
- Evaluation: The Reykjavik EDITION Resort
- Evaluation: Seabourn Enterprise
- Evaluation: Extremely-luxury cruise round Iceland (in the present day)
- Evaluation: Resort Hafnia (Faroe Islands)
- Evaluation: Resort Brandan (Faroe Islands)
- Evaluation: Manon Les Suites Resort, Copenhagen (Denmark)
Evaluation: Extremely-luxury cruise round Iceland with Seabourn
Few journeys provide the proper steadiness of journey, luxurious, and intimate exploration fairly like Iceland — and my 8-day voyage aboard the Seabourn Enterprise – the world’s most luxurious expedition cruise ship – delivered it in spades. From Reykjavík’s colourful harbors to the dramatic cliffs and hidden coves of the North Atlantic, the expedition immersed me in Iceland’s uncooked landscapes, volcanic formations, and wildlife-rich islands.
Every day introduced a brand new discovery: kayaking previous puffin colonies, mountaineering by misty valleys, marveling at waterfalls tucked away in serene corners, and exploring volcanic caves and fjords. Evenings provided a return to the ship’s class, with gourmand eating, panoramic lounges, and conversations with fellow vacationers and the knowledgeable 24-member Expedition Crew, whose information spanned wildlife, geology, and native lore. This wasn’t only a cruise — it was an 8-day journey into the center of Iceland, throughout stormy seas and Arctic waters, the place the ability of nature and the consolation of a luxurious expedition intertwined to create recollections that lingered lengthy after the voyage ended.
On this article, I’ll share a day-by-day description of the voyage, capturing the highlights and unforgettable moments that made this expedition really exceptional. You possibly can watch a YouTube video documenting the complete day-by-day expertise under.
Have you ever ever made an Arctic cruise? In that case, what was your expertise? Depart a remark.
Day 1 – Embarking in Reykjavík
It was pure exhilaration once I first glimpsed Seabourn Enterprise, the elegant ship that will carry me on my very first cruise. Till then, I had solely examine expedition cruises and imagined what it’d really feel prefer to step aboard such a vessel. Seeing her glossy inexperienced hull and swish traces ready in Reykjavík’s harbor despatched a shiver of anticipation by me. This was no odd vacation — it felt like the start of one thing thrilling.
Embarkation was seamless. Inside minutes of arrival, my baggage was whisked away, and I used to be greeted with real heat by the crew. Their smiles and easy hospitality instantly put me relaxed. Fellow visitors — some seasoned Seabourn vacationers, others first-timers like myself — exchanged introductions, the shared buzz of journey already knitting us collectively. After check-in, I slipped into the simple rhythm of ship life nearly immediately. I headed straight to The Colonnade, the place a leisurely lunch with sweeping views of Reykjavík’s waterfront set the tone for the journey forward. From there, I made my solution to my suite, my personal retreat for the following week. Spacious, superbly appointed, and full of considerate touches, it felt extra like a boutique lodge than a ship’s cabin. With glass of champagne in hand, I took time to discover the decks and lounges — every house inviting in its personal approach, from the intimate Bow Lounge to the Constellation Lounge with its panoramic views.
By early night, all visitors gathered within the Discovery Middle for the obligatory security briefing. The 24-strong Expedition Crew, representing 5 continents, launched themselves one after the other. With tons of of years of mixed expertise in polar and distant exploration, they exuded each authority and fervour. Their tales ranged from scientific analysis to polar guiding, and I may sense instantly that we have been in knowledgeable fingers — individuals who didn’t simply know these wild locations, however liked them deeply.
That evening, as Seabourn Enterprise glided gracefully out of Reykjavík’s harbor, I stood on deck with the northern summer season solar lingering on the horizon. All of the sudden, a pod of dolphins appeared, leaping and bow-riding in entrance of us — a dwelling escort into the open sea. Just some miles later, humpback whales surfaced, their blows catching the golden mild. For me, it was nothing in need of magical: on my very first day at sea, Iceland gave the impression to be welcoming me personally, providing a blessing of untamed magnificence as our voyage started.
Day 2 – Exploring Snæfellsnes Nationwide Park
Our first full day ashore took us to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, typically known as “Iceland in miniature.” I understood why instantly — inside a single sweep of the attention, I noticed black sand seashores, lava fields, and the glacier-topped volcano Snæfellsjökull, nonetheless half veiled by clouds.
I selected to hitch a guided bus tour round Snæfellsnes Peninsula, and it turned out to be the proper solution to immerse myself within the area’s magnificent landscapes. Our first cease was Mount Kirkjufell, Iceland’s most photographed mountain. Seeing its swish, church-like peak rising instantly from the shoreline and reflecting within the calm waters was a quiet, unforgettable second. From there, we continued into Snæfellsnes Nationwide Park, the place a lone lighthouse stood proudly in opposition to the backdrop of black cliffs and the stressed Atlantic. The wind whipped round us, seabirds wheeled overhead, and I felt dwarfed by the uncooked energy of the setting. It was Iceland at its most elemental.
From the lighthouse, it was a 60 minute drive to our subsequent cease. At Hellnar, a tiny coastal hamlet, we wandered alongside the rugged shoreline the place dramatic basalt formations and sea arches framed the crashing surf. It was simple to think about how this little settlement as soon as thrived on fishing, with nature’s forces all the time shut at hand.
By noon we reached the harbor city of Stykkishólmur, an enthralling place with colourful homes and a bustling waterfront. We paused right here for a scrumptious Icelandic lunch earlier than visiting the city’s hanging church. With its trendy, sweeping design, the church is each architectural landmark and group coronary heart, providing a way of stillness inside that contrasted superbly with the vigorous harbor exterior. Architectural Digest known as Stykkishólmskirkja church one of many 19 most stunning church buildings on the planet.
Our last cease was Helgafell, a small hill wealthy in folklore. Native legend says that in the event you climb to the highest in silence, by no means trying again, and make three needs, they’ll come true. I adopted the custom, climbing quietly till the panorama opened earlier than me. Standing on the summit, I felt linked to each the land and its tales, my needs whispered into the Icelandic breeze.
By the point we returned to Seabourn Enterprise, I felt as if I had skilled an entire portrait of Iceland in a single day: mountains, myths, villages, and wild shoreline.
Day 3 – Flatey Island: Tradition & Puffins
Arriving at Flatey Island felt like stepping again in time, as if the fashionable world had quietly slipped away the second our Zodiac touched the shore. Solely a handful of households dwell right here in the summertime months, and their brightly painted homes give the island a quaint, storybook allure. Our first cease was the island’s tiny church, modest on the surface however exceptional inside. Within the Sixties, Spanish artist Baltasar Samper coated its partitions with whimsical murals of island life — fishermen in yellow oilskins, puffins with vivid orange beaks, and youngsters at play. The work have been easy but deeply evocative, a window into the on a regular basis rhythms of this distant group.
Subsequent, we visited the island’s library, the oldest in Iceland. It was sufficiently small to really feel nearly like a personal research, with cabinets holding sagas, weathered historic texts, and a lovingly stored reproduction of the well-known Flatey Ebook. Leafing by its pages, I used to be struck by how a lot of Iceland’s literary and cultural heritage had handed by this little island, as soon as a hub of studying and religion.
Nevertheless it was the kayaking that stole my coronary heart. I selected to kayak alongside the shoreline, gliding silently previous colonies of seabirds. The air was alive with their cries: Arctic Terns slicing into the ocean with pinpoint precision, Frequent Guillemots diving beneath my paddle and vanishing into the clear water. After which, the second I had been hoping for — puffins! Dozens of them perched comically on grassy ledges, their heads tilting with curiosity, whereas others bobbed on the water’s floor just some ft away. Their colourful beaks and clumsy, decided takeoffs was a exceptional sight.
In the meantime, some fellow visitors opted for a submersible dive, descending right into a world hidden from the remainder of us. They returned later brimming with pleasure, describing forests of swaying kelp, translucent jellyfish drifting like ghosts, and faculties of fish weaving by the shadows. Listening to their tales, I noticed Flatey had given every of us a unique type of magic — cultural, pure, or marine — relying on how we selected to discover it.
Again on board, the indulgence continued with a caviar reception within the Constellation Lounge, perched excessive on Deck 9, the ship’s very high ground. With panoramic home windows framing the infinite expanse of sea and sky, it felt like the proper spot to savor such a decadent deal with. Champagne glasses clinked, the ambiance was vigorous, and I couldn’t assist however marvel on the distinction — solely hours earlier I had been tracing historical past in a tiny island library, and now I used to be having fun with caviar and champagne aboard one of many world’s most luxurious expedition ships.
As if the day hadn’t already been magical sufficient, we launched into one other tour that night — this time to the majestic Dynjandi Waterfalls. Approaching them on foot (after a Zodiac touchdown) was nothing in need of awe-inspiring: a sequence of cascades tumbling down in broad, bridal-veil sheets, every smaller fall feeding into the following till they spilled out into the fjord. The thundering sound and mist on my face made me really feel totally alive, dwarfed by nature’s uncooked grandeur. Standing there at nightfall, with the northern sky painted in smooth hues, I noticed Day 3 had given me all the things I had hoped for on this journey — historical past, wildlife, indulgence, and the purest type of pure surprise.
Day 4 – Siglufjörður: Echoes of the Herring Ladies
Crusing into Siglufjörður felt nearly cinematic, as if our ship have been slipping right into a secret world. The fjord is strikingly slender, with steep mountains rising like partitions on both facet, their peaks shrouded in drifting mist that curled and unfurled like cathedral incense. Colourful homes appeared one after the other alongside the waterfront, their cheerful facades a stark but charming distinction to the dramatic panorama that surrounds this tucked-away city.
As soon as the undisputed “herring capital” of the North Atlantic, Siglufjörður thrived on an business that formed each its identification and its fortune. That historical past is lovingly preserved within the award-winning Herring Period Museum. Inside, reconstructed salting stations and smokehouses advised vivid tales: the scent of tar and salt nonetheless lingers within the wooden, nets are coiled as if simply hauled in, and mannequins in interval clothes deliver scenes to life with uncanny immediacy. I may nearly hear the rhythm of knives flashing in opposition to fish, the clatter of barrels, and the laughter and songs of the famed “herring ladies” — ladies whose pace, power, and unbreakable camaraderie stored the business alive. Their power appeared to echo by the halls, turning historical past into one thing visceral.
Later within the day, I joined a guided hike into the Hvanneyrarskál Valley, a lush pocket of inexperienced nestled between the mountains. The meadows have been sprinkled with wildflowers — delicate yellows, purples, and whites — that swayed within the breeze like brushstrokes on a canvas. At one level, I finished merely to pay attention. Overhead, a Frequent Snipe carried out its extraordinary aerial “winnowing” show, the vibration of its tail feathers producing a haunting sound — someplace between wind speeding by strings and the low hum of an instrument. It was as if the valley itself had a voice, nature providing its personal personal live performance.
By night, the city revealed one other layer of its allure on the Seagull Brewery, a comfortable microbrewery set in a former fish manufacturing unit. We sampled a flight of Icelandic craft beers, every with its personal character. Dialog flowed simply, warmed by each the beer and the camaraderie of fellow vacationers. Again on board that evening, the ambiance carried over with dwell music within the Constellation Lounge, the place the day’s experiences mingled with melodies, and Siglufjörður felt just like the type of place that lingers in each reminiscence and coronary heart.
Day 5 – Crossing the Arctic Circle at Grímsey
Few journey moments examine to stepping throughout the Arctic Circle, and in the present day I did simply that on the distant island of Grímsey. The strategy itself was memorable — a low, windswept strip of inexperienced rising out of the ocean, framed by sheer chicken cliffs. Solely about sixty individuals dwell right here year-round, but this tiny island carries outsized significance.
As I walked towards the Arctic Circle Monument, I handed a sequence of engraved stones marking the Circle’s gradual however regular drift as a result of Earth’s axial tilt. Every stone represented a yr, stretching like a quiet timeline throughout the panorama. Pausing to run my hand over one, I felt a humbling sense of scale — the reminder that our planet is all the time transferring, all the time altering, whereas we get solely the briefest glimpse of its rhythms.
But when the Arctic Circle was the headliner, it was the puffins that stole the present as soon as once more. Right here, they have been in every single place — tens of hundreds carpeting the cliffs, their payments full of silver sand eels for his or her hungry chicks. The air was alive with the whir of wings, the ocean dotted with rafts of puffins bobbing like little corks. Some launched into their comically decided flights, wings beating furiously in opposition to the wind; others stood perched on grassy ledges, watching us with vivid, curious eyes. Including to the spectacle have been guillemots, razorbills, and kittiwakes, weaving by the sky in a chaotic but stunning ballet of feathers.
Grímsey is wild, windswept, and unforgettable — a spot the place human presence feels fleeting and nature nonetheless reigns supreme. Because the morning ended, I noticed that crossing into the Arctic wasn’t only a matter of latitude; it was an initiation right into a world the place the uncooked energy of wildlife, sea, and sky exists by itself phrases, unchanged and unyielding.
After our Grímsey Island tour, Seabourn provided the exhilarating Polar Plunge — an opportunity to dive into the icy Arctic waters. Company embraced the coolness with laughter and cheers, the icy splash adopted by the fun of returning to the ship’s heat. It was a heart-pounding, unforgettable solution to expertise the uncooked energy of the Arctic, and a spotlight many people nonetheless speak about.
Day 6 – Húsavík: Whales & Diamond Circle
If Reykjavík is Iceland’s capital, then Húsavík is its whale capital — and the nickname proved true the second we arrived. Even from the ship, I may see plumes of spray rising from the fjord, proof of humpbacks feeding offshore. This small, picturesque city has lengthy been the hub of Iceland’s whale-watching business, and extra not too long ago it earned worldwide fame because the setting for the Netflix movie Eurovision Tune Contest: The Story of Fireplace Saga. Locals converse of it with good humor, and there’s even a bar named Jaja Ding Dong after the film’s cult music — a testomony to how popular culture and small-town allure have intertwined right here.
As an alternative of visiting the Whale Museum, I joined a bus tour across the Diamond Circle, considered one of North Iceland’s most spectacular routes. Our first cease was Ásbyrgi Canyon, a horseshoe-shaped gorge steeped in legend. Norse mythology claims it was fashioned by the hoofprint of Sleipnir, Odin’s eight-legged horse, and standing at its base it was simple to consider. Towering cliffs cradled a lush forest of birch and willow, and through a brief hike, I felt transported right into a hidden oasis — a hanging distinction to Iceland’s in any other case stark volcanic terrain.
From there, we continued to Hverir, a geothermal wonderland the place the earth itself gave the impression to be respiration. Steam vents hissed, fumaroles roared, and dust pots bubbled in surreal shades of ochre and grey. The air was thick with the scent of sulfur — harsh, however unusually invigorating, as if we have been strolling throughout one other planet’s floor.
Our subsequent cease was Dimmuborgir, the “Darkish Castles,” a labyrinth of twisted lava formations created hundreds of years in the past by collapsing lava tubes. Their eerie shapes loom like fortresses, arches, and even figures, inspiring Icelandic folklore that elves and trolls dwell among the many rocks. Wandering by the paths, I half anticipated a hidden creature to disclose itself.
The day’s last spotlight was Goðafoss Waterfall, “The Waterfall of the Gods.” Its identify comes from the yr 1000, when Iceland’s lawspeaker symbolically forged his pagan idols into the falls after Christianity was adopted. As we speak, it’s considered one of Iceland’s most stunning waterfalls, a large crescent curtain of glacial water plunging right into a turquoise pool under. Standing on the edge, with mist cooling my face, I felt the historical past and energy of this web site converge — each pure and cultural.
Again aboard the Seabourn Enterprise, the day ended on a totally totally different notice — playful somewhat than profound. As Arctic twilight lingered exterior, our Cruise Director hosted a disco warm-up within the lounge, sequins glittering and laughter filling the room. Then got here “Rock the Boat” with DJ Arek, turning the Remark Bar right into a full-on dance ground. It was a pleasant paradox: pure wonders by day, disco lights and dancing by evening. That distinction is, maybe, the true pleasure of expedition cruising — being awed by nature within the morning, after which celebrating life’s sparkle with newfound mates by night.
Day 7 – Papey: A Whisper of Monks & Puffins
Arriving at Papey Island felt like stepping right into a secret chapter of Iceland’s historical past. The island, simply off the coast of East Iceland, is small and uninhabited in the present day, nevertheless it as soon as supported a tiny group of farmers and fishermen till the mid-Twentieth century. Papey’s identify comes from the Irish monks, or “Papar,” who’re believed to have settled right here lengthy earlier than Norsemen arrived. Their presence provides the island a barely mystical aura, as if it carries echoes of Iceland’s earliest non secular life.
However Papey shouldn’t be solely about historical past — additionally it is a sanctuary for wildlife. As our Zodiac floated quietly close to shore, hundreds of puffins darted round us, their orange beaks flashing like sparks. Seals lifted their darkish, liquid eyes from the kelp-strewn rocks, watching us with quiet curiosity. Someplace on the island, the ruins of a turf chapel hinted on the Celtic monks who as soon as lived right here in solitude.
The second that the majority touched me? When our Zodiac reduce its engine in a hidden cove. The world fell silent aside from wind and waves. A single puffin landed close by, cocking its head at us as if we have been intruders in an historic story. I felt humbled, reminded that some locations don’t reveal themselves totally — they ask solely that you just pay attention.
As Papey pale again into fog, I knew this voyage aboard Seabourn Enterprise was not nearly luxurious or locations, however about connection — to historical past, to nature, and to the quiet corners of the world the place time nonetheless stands nonetheless.
Day 8 – Disembarking in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands
Within the pale morning mild, Seabourn Enterprise glided quietly into the sheltered harbor of Tórshavn, the tiny but vibrant capital of the Faroe Islands. After every week of crusing alongside volcanic coastlines, crossing the Arctic Circle, and discovering distant Icelandic islands, this felt like the proper last chapter — a touchdown place the place fantasy, historical past, and trendy creativity all meet.
The journey from Iceland to the Faroes had been memorable in its personal proper. For hours we reduce throughout the stormy North Atlantic, waves crashing in opposition to the bow and spray lashing the decks. It was a reminder that these waters have all the time been each barrier and bridge — the identical seas that challenged Viking explorers and St. Brendan, but linked these far-flung islands to the broader world. The joys of navigating such untamed waters gave the ultimate leg of the voyage a way of drama and reverence.
Tórshavn could also be small, however its identify carries the burden of legend. Derived from Thor, the Norse god of thunder, the city sits in a spot one won’t anticipate of such a stormy deity — a peaceful pure harbor framed by emerald grasslands and steep basalt cliffs. As I stepped ashore, the distinction was hanging: conventional turf-roofed homes clustered round slender lanes, whereas simply past, glass-fronted cafés and boutiques buzzed with the hum of a brand new era. It was simple to see why The New York Occasions known as this city a “nexus of creativity.”
For me, disembarkation was bittersweet. After days of kayaking beneath chicken cliffs, mountaineering volcanic valleys, and toasting the midnight solar with newfound mates, it was tough to step away from the rhythm of expedition life. But, watching the Faroese flags fluttering within the harbor, I felt a way of closure. This journey had traced not solely a geographical arc but additionally a human one — from historic sagas and myths to the brilliant, up to date spirit of the Faroes. As I rolled my bag down the gangway for the final time, I paused to look again on the Seabourn Enterprise. She had carried us safely by mist, mountains, cliffs, and stormy seas, all the time regular, all the time welcoming. The journey was ending, however the tales, the landscapes, and the laughter would sail with me lengthy after.
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