December 17, 2015

Beautiful Iceland Cruise Review - Ocean Diamond Cruise

Iceland Circumnavigation Cruise Review 

My husband and I have just returned from an amazing holiday in Iceland. We booked through DORA at Nordic Saga. Everything went smoothly and we got the cabin we wanted. We did a circumnavigation of Iceland on a small cruiseship, the Ocean Diamond, which was small enough to go down the fjords, right to the harbours of the small villages. It was an outstanding trip! I highly recommend it! The expedition crew on the Ocean Diamond were amazing! We were always given the best safety gear for our excursions (helmets, goggles, survival suits, life jackets, etc.). Every day was an adventure! We visited waterfalls, geysers, lagoons, fishing villages, volcanic craters, museums, nature baths, geo-thermal pools, glaciers, and icebergs, and much more. We rode Icelandic horses, went whale watching, saw puffins, eider ducks, black guillemots (with red feet!), and arctic turns. We had rides in zodiac boats, RIB boats (Rigid Inflatable Boats) and amphibian boats. Everywhere we went, experienced guides explained the historical background and told us interesting sagas of Iceland. We loved SKYR, the Icelandic yogurt. The scenery in Iceland is beautiful and dramatic, from mountains covered in purple lupines to black lava sand beaches. Everything in Iceland is very, very, very, very, expensive! i am glad that all our meals were included with our ship. The days were were away for lunch, they gave us a picnic brown bag lunch. We stayed a couple of extra nights at the beginning and end of our cruise and stayed in hotels which were 'tired' or had small rooms or shared bathrooms and no elevators; not Canadian standards. Just be aware. The circumnavigation covered most of Iceland but we took an additional land tour to see The Golden Circle and it was amazing! We were amazed by the 24 hours of sunlight! Nordic Saga provided all the information and paperwork that we needed. We had an excellent vacation and I have a beautiful red hooded Icelandic sweater to keep me warm next winter!

Here are a few pictures from our amazing cruise around Iceland:

 Iceland

 Horse Riding

Nature Baths in Myvayn

 Whales in Husavik

Unforgettable Vacation

Atlantic Puffin