Spectacular Svalbard, North Iceland & Scottish Isl Cruise

Day 1 - Longyearbyen

Arrive: Fri 06 June 2025

Longyearbyen, the seat of the Governor of Svalbard, is located in a narrow valley along the shores of Adventfjorden a small tributary of Isfjord, the largest fjord system in Svalbard. It extends 100 kilometers (60 miles) into the island of Spitsbergen. Nine large tidewater glaciers, with a combined ice-front of 21 kilometers (13 miles), as well as dozens hanging glaciers drain into the fjord. The town’s 2,100 inhabitants exist in one of the most northern settlements on Earth, making their living by a combination of coal mining, education and tourism. Because of the town’s extreme isolation, proximity to wildlife, and Svalbard’s pristine environment, unique laws exist that are found in few other places. All individuals venturing outside of town are required to carry a rifle for protection against polar bears, possessing a cat is illegal, no one is allowed to be buried here and how much alcohol can be purchased each month is restricted. Longyearbyen was named after the American industrialist John Longyear whose Arctic Coal Company began mining here in 1906.

Day 2 - Longyearbyen

Depart: Sat 07 June 2025

Longyearbyen, the seat of the Governor of Svalbard, is located in a narrow valley along the shores of Adventfjorden a small tributary of Isfjord, the largest fjord system in Svalbard. It extends 100 kilometers (60 miles) into the island of Spitsbergen. Nine large tidewater glaciers, with a combined ice-front of 21 kilometers (13 miles), as well as dozens hanging glaciers drain into the fjord. The town’s 2,100 inhabitants exist in one of the most northern settlements on Earth, making their living by a combination of coal mining, education and tourism. Because of the town’s extreme isolation, proximity to wildlife, and Svalbard’s pristine environment, unique laws exist that are found in few other places. All individuals venturing outside of town are required to carry a rifle for protection against polar bears, possessing a cat is illegal, no one is allowed to be buried here and how much alcohol can be purchased each month is restricted. Longyearbyen was named after the American industrialist John Longyear whose Arctic Coal Company began mining here in 1906.

Day 3 - The Svalbard Experience

Day 4 - The Svalbard Experience

Day 5 - The Svalbard Experience

Day 6 - The Svalbard Experience

Day 7 - The Svalbard Experience

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - East Greenland Experience

Day 10 - Jan Mayen

Arrive: Sun 15 June 2025 at 12:00 / Depart: Sun 15 June 2025 at 19:00

Remote and isolated, Jan Mayen is dominated by 2,277 meter (7,470’) high Beerenberg Volcano and its large ice cap. The island has two parts: larger northeast Nord-Jan and smaller southwest Sør-Jan, linked by a 2.5 kilometer (1.6 mile) wide isthmus. The League of Nations gave jurisdiction of Jan Mayen to the Kingdom of Norway in 1921. Except for being used as a meteorological, radio and navigation aid for shipping in the Atlantic, the island has remained untouched, its only inhabitants are 18 military personnel. In 2010 Jan Mayen was declared a nature reserve for the protection of its wildlife and is recognized as one of the most important breeding sites for over 250,000 seabirds in the North Atlantic. It supports large colonies of northern fulmars, little auks and thick-billed guillemots. Polar bears found here are genetically distinguishable from those found elsewhere. Although ‘officially’ discovered by the Dutch whaling captain Fopp Gerritsz in 1614, it may have been sighted by exploring Irish monks as early as A.D. 400.

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - Akureyri

Arrive: Tue 17 June 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 17 June 2025 at 18:00

Akureyri is the second largest urban area in Iceland with a population of around 18,000. Nicknamed ‘The Capital of the North,’ it is situated at the head of Eyjafjörður, the longest fjord in Iceland, only 62 miles (100 km) from the Arctic Circle. Surrounded by snow-streaked mountains, the Akureyri hills flourish in summer with a profusion of arctic wildflowers. Mt. Kerling is the highest peak visible from town, at 5,064’ (1,538 m). Often cloudy, with a mild climate, Akureyri has much less precipitation than its southern counterpart Reykjavik. It is a cultured city, with a university, numerous galleries, museums, art exhibitions, and live theater performances. Nearby Hrísey Island is a spectacularly beautiful and peaceful island often called ‘The Pearl of Eyjafjörður,’ with an atmosphere of calm and settled tranquility. Numerous Atlantic puffins fly overhead, and the occasional whale is seen traversing the fjord.

Day 13 - Flatey Island, Iceland

Arrive: Wed 18 June 2025 at 13:00 / Depart: Wed 18 June 2025 at 19:00

Day 14 - Reykjavik, Iceland

Arrive: Thu 19 June 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 19 June 2025

Warmed by the Gulf Stream as well as by highly active thermal hot springs and volcanoes, Iceland is somewhat misnamed. While it is a stark and barren country with three huge areas of glaciers, one theory is that early Norsemen sought to mislead other potential settlers by giving a pleasant name to fierce, inhospitable Greenland, and a forbidding name to the imminently habitable Iceland. Irish monks and hermits established themselves here in the 8th century, but left a century later when the pagan Norsemen arrived. Europe's first Parliament of General Assembly, the Althing, was established in the year 930 and still functions as the legislative body, although it was suspended by the Danes at the end of the 18th century and not reconvened until 1843. Reykjavik was the site picked by the island's first permanent resident, Ingolfur Arnarson in 874, and is home to more than half of the island's total population. The world's northernmost capital, Reykjavik is proud of its virtual lack of air pollution. Both electrical power and home heating are derived from the geothermal activity on the island. The city's large swimming pools are always warm, and in the countryside exotic fruits such as grapes and bananas are cultivated in greenhouses made cozy with the help of underground hot springs.

Day 15 - Grundarfjordur, Iceland

Arrive: Fri 20 June 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Fri 20 June 2025 at 17:00

The charming small fishing village of Grundarfjörður is located in the middle of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and thus provides easy access to Stykkishólmur, Snæfellsbær and the Snæfellsnes National Park. Its best-known landmark is undoubtedly the peak of Mt. Kirkjufell. Translated as ‘church mountain,’ Kirkjufell is the most easily recognizable peak, and one of the most photographed mountains in Iceland. During summer months a Viking Village is built in the center of town where Viking re-enactments occur quite regularly. During the Á góðri stund town festival in July, the town’s 900 residents decorate their houses in red, blue, yellow, and green, transforming the town into a spinning kaleidoscope of color. The town first began trade in 1786, and around 1800, French merchants came to Iceland and settled in Grundarfjörður, where they constructed a church and a hospital. The town has prospered through the fishing industry for a long time. The surrounding sea is rich with birdlife & marine life throughout the year.

Day 16 - Flatey Island, Iceland

Arrive: Sat 21 June 2025 at 08:00 / Depart: Sat 21 June 2025 at 20:00

Day 16 - Dynjandi, Iceland

Arrive: Sat 21 June 2025 at 06:30 / Depart: Sat 21 June 2025 at 21:00

Day 17 - Siglufjordur

Arrive: Sun 22 June 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Sun 22 June 2025 at 17:00

Siglufjörður is the northernmost town on the Icelandic mainland, a small fishing village of some 1,200 people. Founded in 1918, it was in the past the capital of the North Atlantic herring fishing industry. The Síldarminjasafnið Herring Era Museum, one of Iceland's largest seafaring and industrial museums, houses three different areas where one can learn about both the traditional and the modern herring industry. A collection of many historic fishing vessels and artifacts is proudly displayed by the people of Siglufjörður, detailing how herring was salted, processed and collected. The small harbor with its colorful fishing boats and the red-roofed steeple of the Lutheran church dominate the village-scape. The natural beauty of the area includes high mountains that rim the fjord, freshwater lakes, the Hólsá river, black sand beaches, and a wealth of birdlife all around. This northernmost region of Iceland is renowned for some of the largest and most dramatic waterfalls in the country.

Day 18 - Grimsey Island

Arrive: Mon 23 June 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 23 June 2025 at 19:00

Day 19 - Husavik

Arrive: Tue 24 June 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 24 June 2025 at 17:00

Day 20 - Papey Island, Iceland

Day 21 - Thorshaven

Arrive: Thu 26 June 2025 at 09:00 / Depart: Thu 26 June 2025 at 21:00

A distant outpost of Denmark, the Faroe Islands suddenly appear out of the misty North Atlantic, nearly 200 miles from the nearest landfall. Of the twenty-two islands in the group, seventeen are inhabited, with a population of 17,000 residing in the capital city of Torshavn. Irish monks discovered the islands in the 8th century and became the first settlers, only to be driven out by Viking explorers a century later. The traditions and legends of their Viking forefathers are kept alive in a language so close to old Norse that Faroe Islanders can still read the ancient texts inscribed centuries ago. The name Faroe comes from faereyjar, the Old Norse word meaning "Sheep Islands." With thousands of sheep dotting the hillsides, the name remains apt today. While sheep are important to the economy, the real wealth of the islands comes from the fishing industry. A fleet of over 300 trawlers and line-fishing boats bring in an average annual haul of 245,000 tons of cod and herring. Ultra-modern processing and freezing plants do the job of getting the product to market in the most efficient manner.

Day 22 - At Sea

Day 23 - Isle of Noss

Arrive: Sat 28 June 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Sat 28 June 2025 at 23:00

Day 24 - Lerwick, Scotland

Arrive: Sun 29 June 2025 at 13:00 / Depart: Sun 29 June 2025 at 17:00

Lerwick, Britain's most northerly town, and is a small, bustling, cosmopolitan seaport with a population of over 7,000 people and fine architecture. Shetland Museum, located on Hay's Dock, is an award- winning attraction. Discover the island’s many secrets through its exhibits, and take a look in the boat shed, where you can see demonstrations of traditional boat building. Also of interest is the stone-walled town hall, built in 1884, displaying an impressive array of beautifully intricate stained glass. Towering St. Magnus Cathedral, constructed in 1863, is likewise well worth a visit. People have lived and prospered here since Neolithic times. The site of Clickimin Broch, a hollow-stone-walled structure, was a Late Bronze Age farmstead of the 7th century BCE. Historic Fort Charlotte, built in 1653, is a five-sided fortress, with cannon batteries pointing out to sea. The Shetland Textile Museum, with its fine weaving, and the quaint Crofters Museum will detail life in a much gentler time. The name Lerwick is derived from Norse and means ‘bay of clay.’

Day 24 - Mousa, Shetland Islands

Arrive: Sun 29 June 2025 / Depart: Sun 29 June 2025

Mousa is a small island in Shetland, Scotland, uninhabited since the nineteenth century. The island is known for the Broch of Mousa, an Iron Age round tower, and is designated as a Special Protection Area for storm-petrel breeding colonies.

Day 24 - Fair Isle

Arrive: Sun 29 June 2025 / Depart: Sun 29 June 2025

Fair Isle is an island in Shetland, in northern Scotland. It lies about halfway between mainland Shetland and Orkney. It is known for its bird observatory and a traditional style of knitting. The island has been owned by the National Trust for Scotland since 1954.

Day 25 - Kirkwall

Arrive: Mon 30 June 2025 at 08:00

Kirkwall is the largest town of Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvágr, which later changed to Kirkvoe, Kirkwaa and Kirkwall.

Day 26 - Kirkwall

Depart: Tue 01 July 2025

Kirkwall is the largest town of Orkney, an archipelago to the north of mainland Scotland. The name Kirkwall comes from the Norse name Kirkjuvágr, which later changed to Kirkvoe, Kirkwaa and Kirkwall.

Day 26 - Copinsay Island, Scotland

Arrive: Tue 01 July 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Tue 01 July 2025 at 12:00

Day 27 - At Sea

Day 28 - London

Arrive: Thu 03 July 2025 at 07:00 / Depart: Thu 03 July 2025

London is one of the great entertainment, financial and fashion centers of the world. It dates back to ancient times when the Romans made it a hub of their road system and built the first London Bridge. There are actually two separate cities - the City of London and the City of Westminster - and they function side by side. The City of London is mostly a place of business and finance, while Westminster (the West End) is the locale of the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace, as well as theaters, clubs, parks and myriad shops. *Please note that embarkation and/or disembarkation in London, United Kingdom requires the use of a tender.