Crown Princess Norway Iceland Review

[Hemi001]

houch - Don't spend too much time worrying about the weather, you can always pick up a brolly and wear a nice warm jumper. In Scotland I think the scenery actually looks better when it's a bit misty.

[Hemi001]

The crossing over from Norway to Iceland was quite smooth and we were all excited to catch a glimpse of a new and different country.

 

Akureyri is a beautiful little town with some majestic snow capped mountains as a backdrop. The scenery is quite different than the Norwegian Fjords but no less beautiful.

 

The time in port was short today and our choice was to do the Princess excursion "Iceland's Landscape of Fire" After a very pleasant bus ride our first stop was at the bubbling mud pools of Namaskard. One thing struck me right away during our bus ride, the landscape in Iceland seems to change around every corner and Namaskard is an extreme example of this. There is a complete lack of vegetation and it resembles nothing more than a moonscape with bubbling mud pools and steam vents. You are free to walk around on your own, there are no guards or guides but we were warned to keep within the roped areas, straying off the marked path could result in disaster. Be prepared for the stink, rhe smell of sulfur is very strong and if you get down wind of one of the vents it can be overpowering.

 

Next we were off to Dimmuborgir which is an extinct lava lake. Once again the scenery changes to tall, fantastically shaped lava formations. There are trails that take you down into the formations, it was very easy to get disoriented among the formations so it is very advisable to stay on the path, I could imagine walking around for hours trying to find a way out otherwise.

 

We paused for a small lunch of coffee, sandwich and cakes before traveling to our final stop at Godafoss Falls. From afar the falls do not look that big but up close and personal they are quite immpressive. Once again you have free reign to wander around but care needs to be taken as the footing is quite slippery in places and there are some precipitous areas where you could well end up in the water if you do not pay attention.

 

The drive back to the ship was enjoyable, the scenery is just amazing, you don't want to miss any of it. While we were gone we were joined by two more ships, the Albatross and the Kristina Regina. Because the scheduled departure time was 2pm there was no time to explore Akureyri which was a great shame, it was a very nice looking town, so we boarded had the obligatory beer (Icelandic this time) and looked forward to Reykjavic.

 

 

Akureyri on the Sail in.

 

 

The Crown alongside Akureyri.

 

 

The alien landscape of Namaskard.

 

 

Another view of Namaskard.

 

 

The extinct lava lake formations of Dimuborgir.

 

 

Godafoss Falls.

[LisaH]

Thanks Shogun, after the cruise we visited my brother up in Scotland. Driving through Glen Coe I could imagine myself back on my balcony on the Crown steaming up one of the Norwegian Fjords.

 

hightownCO - if you get the chance jump at it. The scenery is right up there with Alaska and South America/Antarctica.

 

Your pics have been terrific. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

[Hemi001]

Your pics have been terrific. Thanks for taking the time to do this.

 

LisaH - My pleasure, thanks for taking the time to read this.

[Clutterlady]

Beautiful pictures.....some are picture postcard perfect! Thank you:)

[luxurysailer]

We were on the same cruise as the OP. The scenery in the Norwegian fjords was spectacular and that in Iceland was majestically bleak. And the glens and coast of Antrim out of Belfast were beautiful as well.

 

The weather was unseasonably warn; and although we had been hoping for cooler temps, it was certainly not uncomfortable. The upshot was that we had virtually no rain.

 

The ship was beautiful, the service good, and the dance bands (Indigo and Icon) were excellent. Food in the dining room was good, but a little bland for those of us from Louisiana. We had seen one of the production shows on a different ship; and, although the other two were not particularly my cup of tea, the singers/dancers/orchestra turned in very good performances.

[Hemi001]

luxurysailer - I am so glad that you had a great trip, the weather was unusually warm wasn't it. The only rain we got caught in was in the afternoon in Bergen and then in Reykjavic. I couldn't believe the weather in Belfast, I don't think I have ever been there when it has been that warm.

[Phyljim]

Hemi001

 

Thank you. I am reading every word...making notes, doing a little copying to remember for our trip. So appreciate you taking the time to do this.

[Hemi001]

Phyljim - my pleasure, it was a trip well worth remembering.

 

Ken

[Shogun]

HI Hemi001

 

So nice to see Norway again thanks for photos,

 

if you are doing nothing towards the end of Oct and want to do my

 

photos and live post from Quebec to the Caribbean then

 

just sneak into one of my bags at the airport and I will understand why it

 

is so heavy, or is that just all the extra clothes my DW she is packing for

 

Polar to Solar weather.

 

yours Shogun

[NorcalGuy]

Ken,

Wonderful WONDERFUL pictures!

I'm going to go back to the beginning and read every word.

I have only been to Oslo, and liked that, so can only imagine how wonderful these ports were.

Thanks for posting this.

[Hemi001]

Hi Shogun - break out the old 29" pullman and I will be there, I'll also chip in for the extra baggage charge. If you do need any help with the live photos just let me know.

 

Ken

[Hemi001]

Cruising around Iceland from Akureryri to Reykjavic we were reminded of how far north we were as we passed by two large icebergs. The good captain gave them a wide berth and we arrived safely in Reykjavic.

 

Reykjavic did not seem as pretty as our previous stops and the weather had turned decidedly wetter but we were determined to have a great time. We had decided that this was to be our "wildlife port" and so had booked two different boat trips, one for whale watching and one for puffin watching. As it turned out, the whale watching boat saw as many puffins as the the other one so I would advise people just to book on the whale watching boat.

 

There is a shuttle from the pier to down town, unlike our other ports there was a $4 charge each way for it, I thought this was chintsy of the people of Reykjavic but 4 bucks is cheap enough. We didn't have to use the shuttle into town as Elding, the whale watching people, picked us up at the pier and delivered us to our tour boat. It was quite cold, windy and raining but this was no problem as Elding provides insulated, waterproof jump suites for all who need them and they keep you toasty warm. The boat was comfortable, it had a small snack bar for coffee or hot chocolate and they delivered with the wildlife as well. We saw several Minke whales, you have to be quick to see them and even quicker to get a photo. There were also many puffin and other seabirds on display so we really enjoyed ourselves despite the rain.

 

Once back on dry land we walked into town to search for a place to eat lunch. We found a delightful little restaurant and had a very relaxing meal before heading out to catch the puffin watching boat which was good but didn't show us anything more than the first boat trip.

 

We didn't have much time to catch the last shuttle from down town to the ship so we hurried along toi the bus stop which is in front of the down town pier. As it turned out we could have taken our time as the shuttles were delayed by the crowds of people who had turned out for the Gay Pride rally being held in Reykjavic on the very day we were there. There were many thousands of people there for the rally and it was odd to see crowds that weren't associated with having many cruise ships it port, the Athena was sharing Reykjavic with us today.

 

As it turned out the Gay Pride rally delayed the Crown's departure a little but we had a nice sailaway on our balcony with a couple of Icelandic brews that went down well. On to Belfast.

 

 

A view of Reykjavic from the Crown.

 

 

One of the Elding whale watching boats with the Crown in the background.

 

 

We did spot some whales but they were very quick so we just got glimpses of them.

 

 

The puffins were a delight to see.

 

 

Can't get enough of the puffins.

 

 

Quite a crowd for the GP rally.

[Hemi001]

After Reykjavic we had a nice relaxing sea day to get ready for Belfast. For us, Belfast was the jewel of this itinerary, it is the reason I chose this particular cruise. My Dad is from Belfast so we were planning on meeting family and just catchimg up on old times.

 

The sail in down Belfast Lough was breathtaking, there was just so much to see and the ship was travelling very slowly so we got to see it all. The Crown berthed at the Stormont Pier which is directly opposite the famous Harland and Wolfe shipyards where they built the Titanic. We backed into the berth so the view from our balcony was a superb look at downtown Belfast and a couple of the tall ships that were in port. My brother and his wife were there to wave us in, it was very special having someone actually there when the ship arrives.

 

There were free shuttles into town from the pier (In your face Reykjavic) which was just as well as it would have been quite a long walk. The shuttle stopped right in the middle of the City, from there you can explore on foot if you like, or do as we did and take an open top tourist bus around the City.

 

There is much to see in Belfast itself, you can easily walk around for hours just taking it all in. I have been to Belfast and Ireland many times so I wasn't worried about getting out into the countryside. If it is your first visit they I would recommend a tour that takes in the Antrim Coast road, the Giants Causeway, the Carrickarede Rope Bridge and Possibly Londonderry. That would be a full day worth of trip. Closer to Belfast I would recommend the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum that is located in Cultra, just 7 miles east of Belfast. This is easily accessible by road, train or bus, you will not be dissapointed.

 

After our open top bus tour we met up with my Dad's sisters and went to a cafe for tea and reminiscing, it was a wonderful time. We saw the sisters off home and then just walked around the downtown area taking it all in. There was a brief stop at Fibber Mcgee's for the obligatory pint (or two) of that nectar of the gods, Guinness. It is true what they say, it does taste much better in Ireland.

 

The shuttle deposited us safely back at the ship where we watched the lights of Belfast come on prior to our departure which was a little late due to the water level in the Lough, slow tide or something.

 

There was another sea day after Belfast so we were able to decompress a bit before getting off in Southampton.

 

Disembarkation - Disembarkation was a snap. We received our colour and number coded luggage tags in good time along with information on when to set out aour bags. There were also instructions as to where to wait for disembarkation and the approximate time we would be called, we were to be in the Casino for an 8:30 departure. As it was we were off the ship at 8:15, found our luggage very easily and were picked up by Enterprise shortly after that.

 

As you may have guessed reading the review, we had a great time. It was a wonderful cruise and we can't wait for our next one, all we have to do is find one that will be just as good.

 

 

A nice view of Carrickfergus Castle on our way up the Lough.

 

 

One of the many Wall Murals you will see all around Belfast. This one is of Bobby Sands and it is on the end of the Sinn Fein Headquarters Building on the Falls Road.

 

 

Belfast's very own leaning tower, the Albert Memorial Clock Tower. It has a bit of a lean to it due to ground subsidence after it was built.

 

 

An interesting sculpture that stands in Lagenside at the Queen Elizabeth Bridge. It is called the Beacon of Hope but the locals have nicknamed it "The Thing With The Ring" among other things.

 

 

The Crown berthed at Stormont Pier. In the forground you can see part of the dry dock where they built the Titanic.

 

 

City Hall and the Belfast Eye.

[Hemi001]

 

A shot of Belfst as the lights came on before we left, you can see a couple of the tall ships in the harbour.

[SeaTheWorldBySea]

Terrific review and the addition of your fantastaic photos is a special bonus. Love the shots you got of the puffins. Thank you for taking the time to share. You have enhanced our excitement about our B2B Norwegian Fjords and British Isles cruises next July.

 

I think we did the SA/Antarctica cruise on the Regal together in January '06. Lots of bumpy ocean on that one! I was posting with juliejoe as my user name at that time.

 

Julie

[dutchess43]

I want thank you for spending the time & writing such a glorious review. I felt I was on the journey with you thanks for taking me a long.

[dforeigner]

Thanks for taking time to write an awesome review.

[Hemi001]

Thanks everyone for the comments, it was my pleasure. Julie - you are going to have a blast, the best of both worlds, Norway and Britain. If you have any specific questions just let me know.

 

Ken

[azalice]

Hemi001, we were on the cruise with you. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Gorgeous scenery in Norway, and fascinating scenery in Iceland. We did the Golden Circle tour from Reykjavik with a small group of Cruise Critic members and had a wonderful time.

 

One thing I would add about the Princess organization. They did a great job of organizing and getting people onto their shore excursions. We did several that were organized by Princess and they were handled very efficiently. I can't say that the Crown is my favorite ship but it handles its large number of passengers well.

 

The production and individual shows/entertainment were excellent. We saw most of them and they were as good as any we have seen.

 

Alice

[Hemi001]

Alice - thanks for your comments, I agree with you about the Crown, it is not my favourite ship, I lean to the smaller ones but it is well run, the staff were friendly and attentive and my cabin was great. They did handle the large numbers well especially on the two excursions I took with them. I appreciate your input on the production shows as they are not my thing and we didn't see any of them.

 

I am glad you enjoyed your cruise, I haven't heard from anyone who did not enjoy the cruise which says a lot about Princess, the Crown and of course the Itinerary.

 

Ken

[Paulchili]

Hemi001,

Thanks for the great review - it brought back many memories.

We did several trips this summer that combined, included all your ports and thus it was nice to go back in time.

We did a Discovery cruise in June that made a couple of stops in Norway before going to the Faroes and 3 stops in Iceland, then finally the Orkneys before returning to England. That was followed by a July 7th cruise on the Crown to the fjords and North Cape.

After the cruise we traveled in Ireland for two weeks - including Northern Ireland (very little sun though).

So between these trips we did cover all the spots you mentioned.

Thank you for bringing back the memories.

BTW, we did enjoy the Crown a lot (more than I expected to, as we prefer smaller ships).