NCL Iceland shore excursions

[Cruiseguy14]

I will be sailing on July 27th from Iceland to New York.  I recently went to the carribean and researched every port and was able to plan my own excursions  which saved me thousands and I didn’t sacrifice any enjoyment.

 

I am trying to do the same with Iceland and I am having trouble finding the same type of resources for information. If anyone has any resources that would help me plan out my trip I would be very grateful . Below are the ports I am visiting:

 

Djupivogur

Akureyri

Isafjordur

 

Thanks I’m advance. 

[MagnoliaBlossom]

Just google those towns and day trips.  Should show you what’s available,  they are all small so there’s not a lot of companies out there.

[UKstages]

which ship?

 

the prima never made it to isafjordur the entire 2023 season. the port needed to be dredged, the prima doesn't have tenders, yadda yadda, yadda. there are multiple threads on cruise critic about this. the smaller ships had better success with calling on isafjordur.

 

i used NCL excursions while in iceland for a variety of reasons, so can't really send you in the right direction for tour companies. others will be along shortly to do that, i'm sure. what i do recommend is you google "NCL excursions" and then the city name.  all the tours will pop up. then you can take those tour names and put them in the google machine and see other companies that are offering  similar tours

 

what i will say is that excursions in iceland tend to be quite expensive. there is a very high standard of living in iceland and tours are priced quite high. it is quite common for your bus driver (if taking a coach tour) to actually own the bus he's driving. you rarely see that in other countries. so, booking with other companies might also be pretty expensive in iceland.

 

whichever tour you take out of akureyri, make sure it includes a visit to godafoss.

 

 

[LoveThatCorgi]

1 hour ago, Cruiseguy14 said:

I will be sailing on July 27th from Iceland to New York.  I recently went to the carribean and researched every port and was able to plan my own excursions  which saved me thousands and I didn’t sacrifice any enjoyment.

 

I am trying to do the same with Iceland and I am having trouble finding the same type of resources for information. If anyone has any resources that would help me plan out my trip I would be very grateful . Below are the ports I am visiting:

 

Djupivogur

Akureyri

Isafjordur

 

Thanks I’m advance. 

We are also visiting Iceland this summer with NCL.  In Akureyri, we have booked a tour with Iceland Everywhere.  In Isafjordur, we have booked with Arctic Shorex.  I can't recommend them myself yet, but I am hopeful that the experiences will be good.

 

You might find others who have already taken tours with these companies by entering the city name in the Cruise Critic boards search field.  That was how I found these.

 

[YVRteacher]

I did the Star through Iceland and Norway last summer and wrote an extensive trip report that includes port research. Just search my name and it will come up. Sorry I can’t link it: I’m on ship wifi at the moment.

[mking8288]

OP ... have you look into the Port of Calls tab - and see if there are chats, links & resources posted by others.  Are you on that sailing's CC roll call ?  

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2705-iceland-and-greenland/

 

Sorry, am I missing something, don't see anything associated with NCL doing a crossing this July to NY from Iceland or with a stop there ... is this a mystery cruise ??   Do share & tell 😉

Edited March 19 by mking8288

[YVRteacher]

@mking8288, it’s the Star. They do a couple of transatlantic cruises this summer.

[mking8288]

@YVRteacher - Thanks, got it, now it show up on NCL, when I checked TA cruises for July ... nothing came up on their "AI" enhanced search engine.   We're last on the Star in 2009 ... gosh.  Loving your live review on the Breakaway, I graded their internet among the best in the fleet back in 2014 and happy to wait until after her dry dock to sail ... going to be a while (late in 2025)   An overnight stop coming up in May for us in transit passing thru Iceland, maybe someone from our roll call can help.  Renting a hybrid 4WD locally - Toyota Highlander (2 days rental minimum, okay to return a day early) - gasoline or petrol is $9 USD+ per gallon there, frugal to sightsee ourselves, sunset is 10 PM in early May except Prima doesn't dock until 2 PM.   

[Kayak25]

We did the Greenland and Iceland cruise in 2022, on the Star, that went to Norway instead of Greenland. The best Iceland excursion we did was from Isafjordur to the Bird Island of Vigur. It's a half hour journey to the island on quite a fast, powerful boat. You can sit inside but for seeing the amazing scenery sit outside. Make sure you are wearing plenty of warm clothes!

The island is a haven for Arctic bird life, be prepared to be bombarded by the Arctic terns as they protect their nests. You are given a stick to hold above your head which the birds will attack instead of your head. Plenty of puffins and other birds to see as you walk round the island.

At the end of the visit you'll be given coffee and delicious homemade cake.

[imadisneyfan]

@Cruiseguy14 I will be on the Star when it sails from New York to Reykjavik in August. I did extensive research on these boards in the Iceland/Greenland forums. (See @mking8288 post #8 for the link.)

A few things to keep in mind when planning private excursions in Iceland. As a smaller ship, the Star can access the ports that the bigger ships (Prima) can't.

1) As we are on the Star, I know we will be tendering in Akureryi. This will affect the start times of the excursion. Tendering ports will need further research.

2) All tour operators require the tour to be paid in full PRIOR to sailing. This can be costly especially if you aren't prepared.

3) Most importantly, you will need to read all terms and conditions of your bookings to completely understand their cancellation policy. This itinerary can have several missed ports due to weather or even too much ice in the sailing area. I checked with the tour operators thoroughly prior to booking to verify their policy on refunds due to a missed port. Some may require contact within 24 hours to notify them that the ship will not be arriving. As ship wifi can be wonky at times, I wasn't comfortable relying on my email for notification. Luckily I was able to find tour operators in Akureryi and Isajfordur that will know ahead of time if the ship is unable to reach port and a refund will be given promptly. 

I found the Iceland forums very informative to completely understand how to book private tours and found the information regarding the terms and conditions very helpful. Planning for Iceland requires a bit more effort and research as I have also sailed many times to the Caribbean and only use private tour companies.

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.  😊

 

[ontheweb]

We were one of the many who missed Isafjordur on the Prima. We had a private tour booked and I can confirm that they want the money in advance. Also with the vendor we used it said that if the ship did not make the port, she would keep 5% as she had expenses. 

 

Then it became obvious that we were going to miss the port, and I let her know. She now said it sounds like you want to cancel in which case we would get nothing back. No,no, we want to go, but we do not think it will be possible.

 

And then when it was confirmed that we would not go, I let her know along with the proof that the ship was not docking there. She now intended to take 40% of our payment as she said this was not weather related. I would have complained to our credit card company if she had not come off of that. (I'm sure part was she was pissed as I imagine with the Prima missing the port every cruise she lost a lot of business.) She then said she would return all but 10%, still more than her terms which we had agreed to, but so little actual money difference that it was not worth hassling about.

[floridafish]

Last summer I booked excursions thru Viator while in Iceland. Extremely pleased. BTW....I highly recommend the walking foodie tour in Reykjavik.

[Ellis1138]

1 hour ago, imadisneyfan said:

@Cruiseguy14 Luckily I was able to find tour operators in Akureryi and Isajfordur that will know ahead of time if the ship is unable to reach port and a refund will be given promptly. 

 

I'm interested in the tour operators who keep tabs on the ship and will refund in the case of not being able to make port. We're going on the Prima's June 23rd Southampton/Iceland cruise and I know from reading these forums that the ports, especially Isafjordur, get skipped a lot. 

 

My initial thought was just to overpay for NCL's excursions so that we'd definitely be refunded, but if there are independent ones who will do that, I would book with them instead.

[imadisneyfan]

1 hour ago, Ellis1138 said:

I'm interested in the tour operators who keep tabs on the ship and will refund in the case of not being able to make port. We're going on the Prima's June 23rd Southampton/Iceland cruise and I know from reading these forums that the ports, especially Isafjordur, get skipped a lot. 

 

My initial thought was just to overpay for NCL's excursions so that we'd definitely be refunded, but if there are independent ones who will do that, I would book with them instead.

@Ellis1138 since you're on the Prima, it's a crapshoot. In my case, being on the NCL Star gives me more confidence I'll make the Iceland ports. Also, when many of the tour operators asked me what ship I was on, they were much more likely to work with me. A few operators said they had so many issues with the Prima and the missed ports last year, they are not sure they'll run private tours for Prima passengers this year. Many of them said they decided to offer the same tours through the ship instead for insurance. 

 

To each his own however. You decide.

[Cruiseguy14]

10 hours ago, mking8288 said:

OP ... have you look into the Port of Calls tab - and see if there are chats, links & resources posted by others.  Are you on that sailing's CC roll call ?  

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/2705-iceland-and-greenland/

 

Sorry, am I missing something, don't see anything associated with NCL doing a crossing this July to NY from Iceland or with a stop there ... is this a mystery cruise ??   Do share & tell 😉

No I was unaware of that tab. Thank you and I appreciate the advice. 
 Check out the screen shot below and let me know if you need anymore info 

 

 

[Cruiseguy14]

2 hours ago, floridafish said:

Last summer I booked excursions thru Viator while in Iceland. Extremely pleased. BTW....I highly recommend the walking foodie tour in Reykjavik.

Lol I think I’ll do this. I have a 3 year old who is a picky eater and would love to see her face when they try to feed her whale. 

[Cruiseguy14]

6 hours ago, Kayak25 said:

We did the Greenland and Iceland cruise in 2022, on the Star, that went to Norway instead of Greenland. The best Iceland excursion we did was from Isafjordur to the Bird Island of Vigur. It's a half hour journey to the island on quite a fast, powerful boat. You can sit inside but for seeing the amazing scenery sit outside. Make sure you are wearing plenty of warm clothes!

The island is a haven for Arctic bird life, be prepared to be bombarded by the Arctic terns as they protect their nests. You are given a stick to hold above your head which the birds will attack instead of your head. Plenty of puffins and other birds to see as you walk round the island.

At the end of the visit you'll be given coffee and delicious homemade cake.

Is this dangerous ? I’m a city guy so I’m not use to wildlife , plus I will be with a 3 year old.

[Cruiseguy14]

14 hours ago, UKstages said:

which ship?

 

the prima never made it to isafjordur the entire 2023 season. the port needed to be dredged, the prima doesn't have tenders, yadda yadda, yadda. there are multiple threads on cruise critic about this. the smaller ships had better success with calling on isafjordur.

 

i used NCL excursions while in iceland for a variety of reasons, so can't really send you in the right direction for tour companies. others will be along shortly to do that, i'm sure. what i do recommend is you google "NCL excursions" and then the city name.  all the tours will pop up. then you can take those tour names and put them in the google machine and see other companies that are offering  similar tours

 

what i will say is that excursions in iceland tend to be quite expensive. there is a very high standard of living in iceland and tours are priced quite high. it is quite common for your bus driver (if taking a coach tour) to actually own the bus he's driving. you rarely see that in other countries. so, booking with other companies might also be pretty expensive in iceland.

 

whichever tour you take out of akureyri, make sure it includes a visit to godafoss.

 

 

Thanks , we will defiantly see godafass

[Cruiseguy14]

3 hours ago, imadisneyfan said:

@Cruiseguy14 I will be on the Star when it sails from New York to Reykjavik in August. I did extensive research on these boards in the Iceland/Greenland forums. (See @mking8288 post #8 for the link.)

A few things to keep in mind when planning private excursions in Iceland. As a smaller ship, the Star can access the ports that the bigger ships (Prima) can't.

1) As we are on the Star, I know we will be tendering in Akureryi. This will affect the start times of the excursion. Tendering ports will need further research.

2) All tour operators require the tour to be paid in full PRIOR to sailing. This can be costly especially if you aren't prepared.

3) Most importantly, you will need to read all terms and conditions of your bookings to completely understand their cancellation policy. This itinerary can have several missed ports due to weather or even too much ice in the sailing area. I checked with the tour operators thoroughly prior to booking to verify their policy on refunds due to a missed port. Some may require contact within 24 hours to notify them that the ship will not be arriving. As ship wifi can be wonky at times, I wasn't comfortable relying on my email for notification. Luckily I was able to find tour operators in Akureryi and Isajfordur that will know ahead of time if the ship is unable to reach port and a refund will be given promptly. 

I found the Iceland forums very informative to completely understand how to book private tours and found the information regarding the terms and conditions very helpful. Planning for Iceland requires a bit more effort and research as I have also sailed many times to the Caribbean and only use private tour companies.

Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions.  😊

 

Thank you so much for your reply.this if good information . I tried to look at that @ and find your post but I am a little confused . I am new here so if there is anyway you could post it here I would love to read it. Thanks again .

[Nitemare]

Tripadvisor has great Iceland content on the message forums there, I'd ask on those boards for specific advice.

 

I wouldn't recommend Viator (or Get your Guide, etc). No need to use 3rd parties for booking tours, especially in places like Iceland where docking and weather can be issues.  Refunds are so much harder thru third parties, especially Viator.

[Kayak25]

42 minutes ago, Cruiseguy14 said:

Is this dangerous ? I’m a city guy so I’m not use to wildlife , plus I will be with a 3 year old.

No, the diving Arctic terns will go for the taller people but hold your stick up and they won't come near you. Thet swoop towards the stick. Don't wave the stick about just hold it above your head. The nesting area is a small part of the walk. 

As I've mentioned above make sure you have plenty of layers of warm clothing especially if sitting outside on the boat. 

Edited March 19 by Kayak25

[Ellis1138]

3 hours ago, imadisneyfan said:

@Ellis1138 since you're on the Prima, it's a crapshoot. 

 

To each his own however. You decide.

 

There are 2 other ships in port on the same day we're supposed to go to Isafjordur, so my idea was to do either no excursion or an NCL one, because I am willing to bet our giant wonking ship won't be able to get in there. 

 

I chose Prima because my husband has shown no interest in any cruise ship until this one. He wants go karts and Indulge Food Hall. So, here we go. 

Edited March 19 by Ellis1138
typo

[MagnoliaBlossom]

If you are embarking or disembarking in Reykjavik, I would recommend using NICE Tours.  We did three days post cruise touring with them.   We plan to return to see the things we didn’t have time for on our first trip.   Fell in love with Iceland and its friendly people.  It is the cleanest place I can remember, their invasions using their geothermal energy is intriguing (85% of the restaurants and bakeries use ovens powered by geothermal heat). It is quite expensive as so much needs to be imported, but so worth it.  We had some excellent seafood.  Enjoy your time there, it’s a magical place.

[pch]

23 hours ago, Cruiseguy14 said:

I will be sailing on July 27th from Iceland to New York.  I recently went to the carribean and researched every port and was able to plan my own excursions  which saved me thousands and I didn’t sacrifice any enjoyment.

 

I am trying to do the same with Iceland and I am having trouble finding the same type of resources for information. If anyone has any resources that would help me plan out my trip I would be very grateful . Below are the ports I am visiting:

 

Djupivogur

Akureyri

Isafjordur

 

Thanks I’m advance. 

Following

[edinburgher]

9 hours ago, pch said:

I am having trouble finding the same type of resources for information. If anyone has any resources that would help me plan out my trip I would be very grateful

Past threads would be a good starting point, plus the usual local Tourist Information Offices for each, Tripadvisor, YouTube and others which appear when you google eg " (name of port) tourist Information"

 

Past threads to get you started

 

Isafjordur

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=isafjordur&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=2705

 

Akureyri

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=akureyri&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=2705

 

Djupivogur

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/search/?q=Djupivogur&quick=1&type=forums_topic&nodes=2705