Day 23 – Djúpivogur, Iceland
It was rough seas today, so a number of people decided to stay on board. We braved the tender and took a cold walk around this small village. Originally occupied by Irish monks, it is now a thriving fishing village and an outdoor enthusiasts dream with many hiking trails across the peninsula. One captivating thing was an art installation of 34 larger-than-life granite eggs, Eggs of Merry Bay, installed in 2009 by local artist Sigurdur Gudmundsson. We enjoyed an Irish coffee in a quaint local café and toured a museum before our ride back.
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Day 24 & 25 – Reykjavik, Iceland
Another fabulous city with a plethora of things to see and do. I would love to have a birds-eye view of everyone leaving the ship to see where they all scatter to! There was a very handy free bus service into the city to the wonderful Harpa Concert Hall & Conference Centre. It is like a glass beehive and my favorite building in Reykjavik.
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Day 26 & 27 – A day at Sea
Once into Prince Christian Sound, we were in awe of the multitude of icebergs on either side of the ship. We all said (the captain included) that we have never experienced the sight of so many icebergs. Absolutely breathtaking! One looked like a castle, and we were told it was 2 miles tall (a lot of it underwater).
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During the night, some of us got up at 1am to witness the Northern Lights. The clouds were wispy and it was difficult to see the lights with the naked eye, but when you take a photo on night setting (even on a phone) – it was amazing what colors could be seen!
Day 28 – Qaqortoq, Greenland
Qaqortoq means white, reflecting the white granite landscape and it is reportedly the largest town in Southern Greenland. Originally settled by Vikings, it is now a tourist destination with the main employment being a seal skin facility.
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Before house numbering and street names were common, the buildings were painted in accordance with their use. Yellow for health care, hospitals and doctors. Black for police stations. Green for power works, mechanics and teleoperators. Red for commercial, churches and government. Blue for fish-related industries. The must-see here are the stone carvings known as Stone & Man. In 1993-1994, 18 artists from various countries created many carvings into the natural rock faces. It was fun coming across them during our hiking around this pretty but rugged town.
Day 29 – A day at Sea
We were busy today with Mariners lunches, presentations and our 3rd Cruise Specialists Cocktail Party. We had another great turnout, and everyone was sad that this wonderful cruise is nearly over. Our Cruise Specialists guests have been an absolute joy, and it was our honor to share our time with them all.
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Day 30 – St. Anthony, Newfoundland & Labrador
Another tiny town, reliant more on tourism than fish these days. Attractions included visiting the home of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell, a key medical missionary from early 1900s, or walking out to the lighthouse and Fishing Point Park.
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Day 31 – Corner Brook, Newfoundland
We were due to go to St. Johns, but the captain decided it safer to visit Corner Brook as there was a hurricane hitting the east coast. It started as a beautiful day. There is a free shuttle bus to town right at the port, but since we did that last time, we took a taxi out to Bartletts Point, about 6 miles along the coast with the intention of walking back. We thoroughly enjoyed the walk until about 1 hour from the port when the sky turned black, and the rain was instantly torrential! We called a cab to get back to the ship and dry out.
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Day 32 – The Penultimate Sea Day
Today, lots of people talked of onward travel plans, returning library books, packing and saying their goodbyes. The shops offered last minute sales, and we held a busy chat time. Keith enjoyed a lecture on hurricanes, and I spent an hour with our Cruise Specialists guests in the Mahjong group.
Day 33 – Halifax, Nova Scotia
I lived here back in the 80s and was really looking forward to this visit. It is a beautiful city that radiates charm with a perfect mix of old and new. One of those cities that you could spend a week in and not see everything. Lots of tours went out to famous tourist spots like Peggy’s Cove, Point Pleasant Park, and the Citadel. Along with friends, we took a cab to the outskirts of town on a mission to cover as much as possible working our way back!
We covered the fabulous murals of Quinpool Road, Halifax Common, Camp Hill Cemetery, the Public Gardens, the Citadel, the Old Town Hall Clock, the Ice Hockey Stadium, a rooftop terrace restaurant for fish & chips with a local beer, the Boardwalk with its vibrant cafes and sculptures and finally a beer at Alexander Keith’s brewery dating back to 1800, whereupon we met with a neighbor from 40 years ago!
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A truly awesome day that brought our fabulous Voyage of the Vikings to a close. It was a late departure, so we were able to walk along the boardwalk at dusk and reminisce about the trip – the wonderful sunsets, landscapes, icebergs, beaches, villages and cities that we had the privilege to see. Then as the sun set, we had the good fortune to find some wonderful sculptures depicting the 1.5 million immigrants who entered Canada right there at Pier 21. Back on the Zuiderdam, we sailed out past Georges Island, south towards Boston.
Day 35 – The Last Sea Day
Today was filled with lots of goodbyes, a ship presentation of “A City on the Sea”, an Ice Cream Social and one last Happy Hour before packing for disembarkation the following morning.
I have to say that the disembarkation was very smooth despite having a face-to-face immigration before any of us could leave the ship. We checked in on our guests that had ordered wheelchair assistance, and when we left, we found a nice surprise – a free shuttle service to Logan Airport which was much appreciated by all!
We had plenty of time to spare at the airport, so I took time to walk out to the sobering 9/11 memorial and sat in the sunshine thinking of the many thousands of lives that were changed that fateful day. May our gods keep us safe and all of us return home with memories of this wonderful time together.
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Part 1 of our voyage: Bar Harbor, Sydney, Corner Brook and Red Bay
Part 2 of our voyage: Norway, Greenland & Iceland
Part 3 of our voyage: Netherlands & United Kingdom
Affectionately,
Susie and Keith, Cruise Specialists Voyage Hosts
Join Cruise Specialists on these Voyage of the Vikings Cruises:
2025 Voyage of the Vikings | 2026 Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse