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Help. Which cruise to see icebergs


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You won't see icebergs in Iceland or northern Norway becuase of the Gulf Stream.

 

We went to Spitzbergben with Fred, which was a wonderful cruise, but we did not see any large icebergs. We did anchor in Magdalene fjiord in Spitzbergen for about an hour or so and there were a large number of ice floes around - smaller pieces of ice that have broken off a glacier - I was looking at one when it turned over. The ports there are very remote.

 

I believe the cruise where you will see icebergs is Greenland and we are looking for something like that ourselves, but we are tending to favour splashing out on an expedition cruise rather than do Fred's itinerary as we would see more and spend longer there as they are fly cruises. It will be 3 times the price, but you have to treat yourself once in a lifetime.

 

Antartica would be the really icy place of course, but the flights, cost and sea conditions crossing Drakes Passage from south America are somewhat off putting for us.

 

We have been a bit put off Alaska as well as it is reportedly very touristy and a Canadian told us that the ports are very crowded as they are only small places, with a lot of large ships visiting. That is not really our style. Not sure how close you get to the icebergs and glaciers there as I have no first hand experience.

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We have been to Alaska twice and it is absolutely breathtaking! We travelled both times at the end of the season in September and most of the tourist traps have closed by then. Take the local bus to the Mendenhall glacier and you can walk almost right up to it, if you are fit enough for a walk on uneven ground. Glacier Bay is one of the most amazing sights we have ever seen and you will pass by icebergs and see seals floating on ice floes. If you are lucky enough to see a glacier 'calve' you will never forget the experience. Alaska was supposed to be a once in a lifetime trip but we loved it so much that we went again after 2 years, taking 2 family members with us, who also fell in love with it and we are already discussing trip number three!

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Hello everybody, my wife wants to see icebergs but doesn't want the long flights to Alaska. Any of Fred's Norway, Artic Circle or Iceland cruises a possibility ?

June, July or August 2014.

Thanks for any help.

 

I suggest you look at the cruises offered by Hurtigruten. A few years ago I went on an Adventure Cruise to the North Cape (Svalbard/Spitzbergen) on one of the ice breaker ships in the Hurtigruten fleet. We flew to Tromso, then on to Longyearbyen where we picked up the ship. We saw lots of icebergs and wild life including polar bears, walrus and Arctic foxes. It was my favourite cruise of all the many cruises I have sailed on.

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Someone mentioned the Antarctic experience. And if you want to really see icebergs then that is the place to go. We have just returned from a 23 day trip with 18 on board Hapag Lloyd's ms Bremen. And we are talking the luxury of Cunard but with the expedition experience like Quark.

Yes it is expensive - we booked it 21 months prior to sailing and we put away an amount per month so when the final invoice arrived we had the money.

Simply amazing. Penguins, whales, seals , birds and ice bergs and floes. And we spent lots of time cruising in zodiacs through the ice. Well you have to as the only way to get ashore is on the zodiacs.

Google Hapag Lloyd Bremen Antarctica and you will see what you get.

A genuine once in a lifetime experience.

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Interesting that Alaska at the end of the season is not so bad. We may speak to a few people and think again as we have relatives in Newfoundland and Montreal, so could make a joint trip of it.

 

We still fancy an expedition trip though - Hurtigruten is one of the options we were looking at - they do around Spitzbergen and more northerly parts of Greenland than the main cruise companies. Hapag Lloyd's ms Bremen sounds very interesting, but the price could be way above our potential budget, even as a 'once in a life time' thing. An expedition cruise would need to be fairly soon for us as we are mid 60's and I get quite stiff at times. We have been on a zodiac before though and it was not as bad as I had expected - quite fun in fact.

 

We have just booked 3 Fred cruises at 30% off, having chosen ones that are reasonably priced to begin with including a back to back fly cruise. That will help us save - if spending can be a way of saving that is!!! I am sure that is the case.

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Hi everybody.

Thanks for your replies.

We have this afternoon booked with Fred on Greenland and Glaciers for July this year.

Think this will just be what we are looking for.

Now to buy the warm clothes.

Thanks again and happy cruising......

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Hope so Susan.......

A couple of questions...

Did you have any problems with mosquitoes. I have just been looking at info and they mention them.

Is it layers for clothes. The temperatures on the tourist info look fairly cold, but many photos show people in shorts etc.......

Thanks.....

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I don't recall any problems with mosquito's.

 

It was very sunny when we visited Greenland (Aug) but I would definitely go for layers where you can add or take off.

 

There was a couple on our table who had been twice before at different times and found the weather very changeable.

 

Enjoy your cruise, we did, and it is somewhere I would quite happily visit again.

 

Susan

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Thanks Susan. Just this afternoon hit the sales for outdoor trousers and jackets.

We have them already but apparently we need some more for the cruise...:-)

Looking forward to the cruise, the photos on the web look fantastic

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Hope so Susan.......

A couple of questions...

Did you have any problems with mosquitoes. I have just been looking at info and they mention them.

Is it layers for clothes. The temperatures on the tourist info look fairly cold, but many photos show people in shorts etc.......

Thanks.....

If there are mosquitos, they don't carry disease. So even if they bite, they can't infect you. I've come across them in Norway, but not Greenland.

 

As for clothes, it's always layers. Surely nobody dresses any other way - underwear with a fur coat over the top? Can't believe it.

 

Hot day, outer clothes consist of shirt and trousers. Cooler, add a sweater. Colder, a coat. Colder still, waterproof (and windproof) trousers. All layered.

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Did that cruise couple of years ago on Boudicca, it was fantastic ,lots of Icebergs and Icefields with Seals on them,can be very foggy and you will see nothing or very hot and wear shorts,we had wonderful weather and the ship took the bad weather between the Faroes and Greenland in her stride,although we did walk for a while with one leg shorter than the other:).

 

Enjoy.:)

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