If you've sailed with Celebrity to Akureyri

[cruise kitty]

Hi, hoping to get some insight from those who have sailed with Celebrity to Akureyri, I'm trying to make a decision about our 3 days in Iceland as to whether or not to stay with the ship when it sails from Reykjavik to Akureyri, or to continue with our self driving tour...

 

My question is: how is the sail in to Akureyri? From our driving maps it looks to be a very long channel/ harbour entrance & I'm wondering if the sail in is something spectacular? Anyone with experience would be helpful. :)

[brigantiner]

Nothing that stands out on the cruise in.....but the entire trip was amazing!

[ghstudio]

Nothing spectacular....if you want to do self drive, go for it.

 

 

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[chemmo]

I would check how frequently ports in Iceland are cancelled owing to bad weather...what would happen if you got off in Reykjavik and then the ship cancelled the next port?

[Essiesmom]

It's nothing like the Norwegian fjords. No high mountains or waterfalls. EM

[cruisestitch]

May 5 2018 Akureyri sail in

 

 

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[cruise kitty]

I would check how frequently ports in Iceland are cancelled owing to bad weather...what would happen if you got off in Reykjavik and then the ship cancelled the next port?

 

Since we're there 3 days in a row, I would know the day before if the weather was turning. Worst case scenario, we take a plane to the next port. :)

[Ashland]

Have you cleared doing this with Celebrity ?

 

We just did an amazing itinerary on Eclipse that included Akureyri on June 2nd...enjoy !!

[Miaminice]

We have had the cruise of a lifetime in Iceland - fabulous!

 

Read more info in our travelogue:

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Eclipse-Iceland-1/eclipse-iceland-1.html

 

Enjoy!

[sentosa25]

We have had the cruise of a lifetime in Iceland - fabulous!

 

Read more info in our travelogue:

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Eclipse-Iceland-1/eclipse-iceland-1.html

 

Enjoy!

Beautifully written and very detailed review with wonderful photographs.

Thank you so much for sharing.

 

Anne

[Iamthesea]

We were on this cruise in May. Very much enjoyed the early morning cruising into Akureyri.

Here is a photo from breakfast in Luminae. We had stretches of views like this during our meal. ;)

[cruise kitty]

thanks so much for all the replies! Seeing all the photos makes the decision more difficult, to me, that scenery is spectacular. We may just do our land overnight in Reykjavik only... I have the car reserved, just need to plot out our itinerary & figure out a place to stay overnight. :)

[cruise kitty]

We have had the cruise of a lifetime in Iceland - fabulous!

 

Read more info in our travelogue:

https://www.travelandcruise.net/travellove_en/Our-Trips/Eclipse-Iceland-1/eclipse-iceland-1.html

 

Enjoy!

 

Miaminice, I actually have your travel blog bookmarked on my laptop, I think I've read your Iceland blog pages at least 10 times now lol. Thanks so much for sharing!

[Iamthesea]

We were able to do the Golden Circle on our 2 day cruise visit... and stayed overnight on the ship. After the first day, the second day was a repeat of scenery, and by lunch time, we were ready to return to the ship. I think that others on our tour felt the same way. We booked with https://yourdaytours.is/

[ShawninFL]

Definitely get pre approval from the cruiseline to do this. Some countries and some cruiselines do not allow this; however, I do recall someone on our Royal Caribbean Iceland stop last year getting approval. We had 2 days in Reykjavik and 2 in Akureyri. Sailing out of Akureyri was pretty with whales in the sound, but the land scenery doesn't rival the Norwegian Fjords. And Iceland is an easily place to get around, so I say go for it.

[cruise kitty]

We were able to do the Golden Circle on our 2 day cruise visit... and stayed overnight on the ship. After the first day, the second day was a repeat of scenery, and by lunch time, we were ready to return to the ship. I think that others on our tour felt the same way. We booked with https://yourdaytours.is/

 

Hi, thank you, we're set on self driving as we enjoy hiking & want to have time to hike to the various waterfalls... everyone's different, but I can't imagine getting bored out in nature. :)

[cruise kitty]

Definitely get pre approval from the cruiseline to do this. Some countries and some cruiselines do not allow this; however, I do recall someone on our Royal Caribbean Iceland stop last year getting approval. We had 2 days in Reykjavik and 2 in Akureyri. Sailing out of Akureyri was pretty with whales in the sound, but the land scenery doesn't rival the Norwegian Fjords. And Iceland is an easily place to get around, so I say go for it.

 

Hi, thank you, I think we're set on staying on the ship. :) We've got almost two weeks of pretrip doing some hiking in Scotland, & DH has mentioned he'd like to get some relaxing in on the cruise, lol... We may still overnight off ship in Reykjavik though. :)

[Northern Aurora]

We have been to Iceland twice on land trips and also once on a cruise. In fact, we were on the same cruise with Miaminice. But I just wanted to comment that we have driven Icelandic roads, and while some folks seem reluctant to drive themselves we find navigating the country very easy. Just be aware that many of the gas stations are not manned at all (i.e., you don't fill the car and then go inside to pay) so read up on what type of credit card you will need.

[cruise kitty]

We have been to Iceland twice on land trips and also once on a cruise. In fact, we were on the same cruise with Miaminice. But I just wanted to comment that we have driven Icelandic roads, and while some folks seem reluctant to drive themselves we find navigating the country very easy. Just be aware that many of the gas stations are not manned at all (i.e., you don't fill the car and then go inside to pay) so read up on what type of credit card you will need.

 

Hi thanks, I didn't think of this, we have a chip & pin card that we've used on past trips to Europe, I'm hoping that's all we need.

[vulcan1971]

Hi thanks, I didn't think of this, we have a chip & pin card that we've used on past trips to Europe, I'm hoping that's all we need.

 

cruise kitty - the only place I have rented a car was on the island of St. Barts. This was another place where you had to use a chip card with PIN. I was prepared for this and it worked just fine. I suspect it would be the same for you in Iceland.

[Essiesmom]

We were there in August..

 

 

 

 

 

Visit Laufas it it is on your way...EM

[cruise kitty]

cruise kitty - the only place I have rented a car was on the island of St. Barts. This was another place where you had to use a chip card with PIN. I was prepared for this and it worked just fine. I suspect it would be the same for you in Iceland.

 

Thanks, we've actually never rented a car abroad before, always just used trains, buses, trams... we did rent ATVs in Santorini, but the gas station there had an attendant who we paid.

[cruise kitty]

We were there in August..

 

 

 

 

 

Visit Laufas it it is on your way...EM

 

Thank you! Your photos are gorgeous! Someone else on our role call is overnighting in Iceland, & I think they are spending the night in Laufas :)

[Iamthesea]

Essiesmom - Where were those photos taken?

 

Hi, thank you, we're set on self driving as we enjoy hiking & want to have time to hike to the various waterfalls... everyone's different, but I can't imagine getting bored out in nature. :)

 

Lol We walked to the falls after the van dropped us off in the parking lots. Not very far from car park to falls...and mostly flat lands. The divide was a longer "hike". We were not bored with the nature, just the same scenery of lava rock after a day and a half. Though we did have lots of stops on the first day (and encountered lots of people and long bathroom lines!) the distances to get from one place to the next on the second day was approaching boring by lunch time. :eek: After a spin through the main town, and a visit to the contemporary church, we went back to the ship. Others enjoyed the small, but pretty town. ;)

 

Now, Akureyri was a different story! There was beauty all around us on that island.

 

I'd be afraid of getting loss on both islands, but with navigation these days (if you know how to use it), I imagine driving would be easy.

 

Have a great trip!

[Essiesmom]

I think those were taken from the bus along the road which runs both sides of the fjord. That was 2008, on QE2, which you can see from a distance. At that time there was no dock.

 

Map of the fjord further up from Akuryeri, which is on the far right.

 

Laufas