What to wear in Iceland

[Mel]

We will be taking the M/V Discovery on May 31st to Norway, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands and Iceland. I'm getting paranoid about what to wear - just how cold will it probably be? It seems like the average high temperature will be about 12 degrees C just about everywhere which doesn't sound very warm! I understand it rains quite a lot there too. Anyone who has been to these places in June - PLEASE help! I would prefer not to have to take a fleece jacket unless really necessary.

[2serendip]

We were there on a cruise two years ago in late June. The weather was brisk with heavy rain only in the Faroe islands. The trick is to layer, of course, but I wouldn't travel in any of those places without t-necks, fleece, and some lightweight goretex jacket. In Iceland we had one day of glorious sunshine, though not particularly warm, but the next was quite dreary.

[eh2zed]

You will need a piece of fleece but it doesn't have to be a jacket. We used a hooded sweatshirt as our fleece and layered with a windbreaker jacket. Worked well in Greenland too as well as Iceland and Shetlands. It will be windy in some of those places so the hoody is a good idea.

[shoshona2]

Hi Mel,

 

Would you post when you return from your cruise as to how the weather conditions were? We are planning to cruise from Copenhagen to Iceland June 2009.

 

Sheila

[Mel]

Will do, Sheila.

Mel

[shoshona2]

Thanks, Mel!

 

I would really appreciate it. We just booked the Azamara from Copenhagen to Geiranger, Norway; Lerwick, Scotland; Torshavn, Faroe Islands; and Reykjavik, Isafjordur and Akureyri, Iceland; Scrabster, Scotland and back to Copenhagen for June 6, 2009. If you stop at any of these ports, I would be most interested. Coming from So. California, I will be very cold there in June, but I will button up and brave it!!!!

 

Sheila

[PersistenzaretiniKa]

i've done shetlands, orkney cape north fjords and iceland last year in late june and we found 10à in reykiavik and then we found a great sunny weather at geizers in the same day, really hot , we were in vests and t shirts. we had an incredibly windy time and cold in shetlands. i really suggest layers outfit.

[ToBe]

We will be taking the M/V Discovery on May 31st to Norway, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands and Iceland. I'm getting paranoid about what to wear - just how cold will it probably be? It seems like the average high temperature will be about 12 degrees C just about everywhere which doesn't sound very warm! I understand it rains quite a lot there too. Anyone who has been to these places in June - PLEASE help! I would prefer not to have to take a fleece jacket unless really necessary.

We just came from Iceland and had three fun days there. It was COLD and we wore heavy fleece jackets over thin fleece shirts. I needed my hat and gloves. We had no sun but didn't care. The geology made the trip quite an experience. We are now in Amsterdam where it is gray and rainy but nor biting cold.

 

I figure that you can always remove layers but it is very hard to deal with cold when you are wearing a thin coat. Fleece does pack light and does work in the compression bags.

 

Have a great cruise.

[Mel]

OK, Temma, you've convinced me! I'll take a fleece jacket. Thanks for the help. Mel

[MMEPhilly]

You will need a piece of fleece but it doesn't have to be a jacket. We used a hooded sweatshirt as our fleece and layered with a windbreaker jacket. Worked well in Greenland too as well as Iceland and Shetlands. It will be windy in some of those places so the hoody is a good idea.

eh2zed,

when you went to Greenland and Iceland, which cruise line and ship did you take? what was on your itinerary? how many days was it? We are looking for a trip that goes to both places, with as many ports as possible and I would very much like to hear about your trip.

Thank you so much!

~Michelle

[Mel]

We returned from our Iceland/Shetland Islands cruise last night. The weather was quite cool everywhere, a high of about 10 Celcius every day and you never knew when it would rain, but never seemed to last very long. It was breezy (sometimes VERY) everywhere so layers are definitely the way to go. This was the first week of June but I don't believe that it changes much in the summer, by the sound of things. Mel

[lizbeth]

Hi -

 

To MMePhilly - We are taking the HAL Maasdam trip this summer which includes Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, Norway and many other wonderful ports.

 

What makes this trip of 35-days so unusual is that Maasdam only does it once a year AND it leaves from and returns to Boston, Massachusetts. No transatlantic flight.

 

This year's (2008) itinerary is very different from next year's (2009) route. But, you might want to check it out if you have that kind of time.

 

July & Aug. are the warmest months for the counties listed above.

 

Good luck with your plans!

Liz