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Iceland Pro Cruises


NorthernPineLover
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Thank you for the review! We are on the August 24th trip circumventing Iceland and cannot wait to go. We have been on many cruises but this will be our first expedition cruise and we are very excited to see Iceland.

 

If any one else is on trip let me know and we can meet in person.

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Hello hallelujacruiser,

I can confirm nearly all of the points you have written - a great summary of the great days!

For us it was the first expedition cruise, too. The first time we did zodiac-tours.

We enjoyed very much that we were only a few people - on the bridge there was written 117 but the excursion-team and lecturers were included, they were 15 or 16, so only about 100 passengers. Thats why we could go on zodiactours all together.

And the other great thing was the open bridge.

And of course the weather.

 

We had some small things that should have been better - but all peanuts. Two times the fish was terrible - the other times excellent!

What was not good was the increasing price from last year to this year, and the discrepance between the price on Deck 3 and the prices on high decks.

 

And: I liked your sun hat:). Need a similar one for any cruises into the sun.

You might have had the longest way to the ship.;)

Regards

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  • 2 weeks later...

Adding to the prior excellent review of the Iceland to Greenland-- we just came back from the Greenland to Iceland portion. Here are some observations, both positive and negative:

1) Air charter on Icelandair to Greenland was on-time and coordinated nicely at Keflavik airport. It was on a 757 with the center seat left open so it was roomy with great views from the plane on the clear day of the eastern Greenland coast. WARNING: ARRIVE TO AIRPORT AT LEAST 2 1/2 HOURS BEFORE DEPARTURE IN THE SUMMER!

2) Cabins are showing their age. Only the two floors (I believe the top two floors) were remodeled and the others are in dire need of a retrofit. Staterooms would be quite warm when in port. Excellent cabin stewards and dining staff. Various main dishes were way too salty or peppered so needed to order something else several times. End of cruise lacked fresh fruit and vegetables which would be expected since it was about three weeks since the ship was provisioned.

3) Itinerary added a few extra stops (NOT MENTIONED IN THE BROUCHURE) for 1/2 day sightseeing and hiking which was nice. We had GREAT weather except for last three days causing a missed port of Westman Island due to story seas and winds. Take sea sick patch for the Icelandic Straight crossing!

4) Days at sea were boring so bring lots of reading materials and your OWN DVD's to play on the DVD player in each stateroom but they don't offer any to actually borrow on the ship.

5) We had about 75% German/25% non-German on this ship with about 130 passengers. so everything was presented in both languages at different times of the day.

6) MAIN POINT: This was a majestic sightseeing opportunity and if you have the right exceptions for an "expedition ship" and ready to accept "you get what you pay for" with the staterooms, you will have a memorable experience.

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Hello Oren,

thank you for your review. I followed you by marinetraffic.com and webcams if possible. You confirm our observations regarding the ship.

We had a great holiday!!! On Deck 3 with a good price in comparison to other companies.

The price for the higher renovated decks is tooo high!

 

Hello HawaiiIslandgirl,

we didn't see any northern lights, because it wasn't dark very often...

If you want to see northern lights you should not go in mid of summer. If there is any darkness it is only a few hours when you are in deepest sleep. Don't take June/July.

On our cruise end of July we could write ourselves on a list, if we want to be waked up. Two nights there was a chance of northern lights because of clear sky. But nearly all cabins were written on that list, so they had to telephone a lot if there had been any green... We didn't receive a call.

 

If you want fine wheather, then take July, the chance is best then. And nearly never dark.

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  • 2 months later...

Still early and it's a small ship, but I wondered if anyone new or not yet posting on this thread will be on the July 9, 2017 Iceland Circumnavigation cruise? Looking for another couple to join us for a really interesting 2 day custom tour from Akureyri and Husavik with a professional photographer as guide at a per-person rate lower than the cruise ship offering. email me at xtxhoward@bellsouth.net and I'll send you the details.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Has anyone who has been on an IPC cruise done the boat trip to Papey Island

while in Djupivigur? This is NOT an IPC sponsored excursion.

 

The timing is tight with a 5PM return and a 6PM Ocean Diamond departure. Although only a kilometer distance away from each, just curious.

 

Thanks

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  • 2 weeks later...

anyone booked on either the 7/27/17 or 9/2/17 Greenland cruise?

 

definitely under consideration....and will look into further post-holidays!

 

will read further posts/reviews - appreciate the great reviews to date. will surely have more questions to those who've done this cruise, either Iceland-Greenland or vv.

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anyone booked on either the 7/27/17 or 9/2/17 Greenland cruise?

 

definitely under consideration....and will look into further post-holidays!

 

will read further posts/reviews - appreciate the great reviews to date. will surely have more questions to those who've done this cruise, either Iceland-Greenland or vv.

Theampres, please write an email to meinedritte1@web.de , I want to send you private informations.

Regards

Christina

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  • 4 weeks later...

This string of messages is in the Cruise Critic "Cruise Lines/Other Cruise Lines" category. Optimist that I am, I just started a new "roll call" string specific to the departure we're on -- July 9, 2017. You can find it under "Roll Calls/All other Cruise Lines Roll Calls" -- use "Search this Forum" and just enter "Iceland Pro" -- you'll find mine and another one for a previous cruise.

 

Hope to hear from others on the same departure.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 months later...

We are leaving for Iceland in a couple of weeks, and will be going on the same circumnavigation tour as you did last year. In the materials sent to us from Iceland Pro Cruises, they said to bring waterproof walking/hiking boots and that low walking shoes are not suitable. I have low waterproof hiking shoes. Was there an actual need for above the ankle boots?

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  • 2 weeks later...
We are leaving for Iceland in a couple of weeks, and will be going on the same circumnavigation tour as you did last year. In the materials sent to us from Iceland Pro Cruises, they said to bring waterproof walking/hiking boots and that low walking shoes are not suitable. I have low waterproof hiking shoes. Was there an actual need for above the ankle boots?

 

dinaleah; look at our rollcall for the cruise leaving on July 9th. Someone who is currently on board posted great information including the need for boots in her opinion.

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dinaleah; look at our rollcall for the cruise leaving on July 9th. Someone who is currently on board posted great information including the need for boots in her opinion.

 

Echoing Paradiselivin1's suggestion: LadyVol1 has been posting a LOT of great information on our roll-call including photos, menus, helpful tips about dining, wine lists, WiFi, the fitness center - here's a link. Her comments start on page 1 and extend to page 3. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2442330

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  • 2 weeks later...

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2516653

 

On a side note: bring water proof boots, thermal underwear, wool socks, wool cap if you plan on doing glacier walks (you will need boots for the crampons), water fall walks and even general hiking in and around the mountains. We also brought snow pants and should have brought water proof gloves. you have to dress for wind, rain and temps from 40 F to 60 F. When the wind and rain blow it can easily get to below 40F with the wind chill. When we did the glacier walk with the wind and rain we were chilled even though we had 5 layers of clothes and wind and water proof jackets, sweaters. You have to be prepared for all types of weather. but all in all we had so much fun the memories will last us for a life time.

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  • 1 month later...

IcelandPro Ocean Diamond: Iceland Circumnavigation Cruise July 9-18,2017

The ship: In goodcondition. Our room on deck 6 was comfortable with adequate drawer and closetspace. Hot on boarding day, but cooled off once the ship departed. Bathroom wassmall but functional. We were blessed with good weather for the entire trip,and felt little motion and no vibration. The pool deck is wasted space. A goodenhancement would be to partially enclose some of it and add a hot tub or two.

The bar/lounge is a nice bright place with a decentassortment of beer and the usual hard liquor. Prices were in-line with or evenslightly less than other cruise ships. Wine by the glass was another story.Must have been the stuff Chilean wineries couldn’t sell anywhere else …. Undrinkable.We stuck with full bottles which the staff would keep for us from meal to meal.A piano player was competent, if unexciting, and lacked rapport withpassengers.

The food: Reallynice buffet on boarding day (4 PM boarding.) Breakfast buffet had a goodassortment including various cheeses, pastries, baked goods, smoked and curedfish, and the usual eggs, meats, potatoes, etc. Service was attentive.

We were in port during lunch most days, but the two we hadon board were very good. The ship provides a basic boxed lunch for those offthe ship, but I agree with an earlier reviewer who suggested picking up someextra cold cuts and cheeses at breakfast to augment the minimal sandwichoffered with the box lunch. (Knowing that ahead of time, we brought plasticsandwich bags along.)

Dinners are full-service. Three main course offerings daily –usually a fish, a meat, and a vegetarian item, with a few “always available:items like broiled salmon (good but needs a sauce) and a burger. I thoughtalmost everything was good to very good. Portions are not over-large.

There’s a second (smaller) dining room on deck 4 which wasmuch in demand. It’s quieter than the main dining room on deck 3 and lesscrowded. Service was always friendly and (usually) prompt. It’s first comefirst served (with only one seating) so get there as they open (nominally 7 PM,but we often got in earlier than that.) A few nights the 4th floordining room was reserved for the Roads Scholars group (re-branded Elderhostel.)

The crew andservices: On boarding day, you can drop your bags at the pier startingaround 7 AM and spend the rest of the day sightseeing in Reykjavik. They’ll bein your room when you board. Had nothing but good experiences with diningstaff, hotel/purser people, and expedition staff – all well-trained and eagerto be of service. Disembarkation was very efficient. They’ll call a cab if you’retravelling independently. Entertainment was minimal .. a few of the crew didsome singing, but people tended to call it a night right after dinner becauseof the early tour departures, so I can’t say entertainment was an issue

Other Passengers: About50% Germans (parent company, I was told, is based in Germany although I dealtwith office staff in Reykjavik for booking and questions prior to thecruise.) After the first day withsequential announcements in German and English, things like port talks andbriefings were done separately. The adult “continuing education” group, RoadsScholars does an all-inclusive booking for these cruises. Their lectures tie upthe top deck observation lounge – often when the ship is leaving port andothers would otherwise be there. Generated a bit of resentment (just sayin’.)

Clothing: Youreally want to bring WATERPROOF hiking shoes. Boots might be better if you’regoing to do serious hiking or glacier walking, but otherwise hiking shoes werefine for us. Waterproof jacket with hood – absolutely! Rain pants? I used mineseveral times, and was glad I had them – and we had really good weather. If we’dhave had more rain, I think my wife would have wished she brought a pair, too.

Gloves? During our ice lagoon cruise some folks wore them. Ijust kept my hands in my pockets, but was glad I had a ski-band for my ears.

Might be a good idea to bring a backpack or small day-bag.Depending on the day and even the hour, we were adding or taking off layers.

The Port Stops andTours:

Stykkisholmur: Wetook the ship’s bus tour around the peninsula – lucky to have a beautiful dayso scenery really stood out. Saw the volcano/glacier featured in Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. Anothertour took passengers to the top of the glacier on a snow-cat. The Shark Museumintroduced us to two Icelandic specialties … fermented shark, and a liquorknown affectionately as “the black death.” The shark smelled like ammonia …once was enough.But the liquor was interesting … strong caraway flavor like an amped up versionof Danish aquavit.

Isafjordur: DynjandiWaterfall tour – a fairly long bus ride to see a stunning waterfall. If youwant the best views, hike up to the top. Helped to have hiking poles,especially coming down. A few other stops coming and going, but the waterfall’sthe only reason to take this tour (and I recommend it.) Got back to town withenough time to do a little exploring on my own. The ultra-modern church isbeautiful – and best viewed from the side street heading back to town, in myopinion. I also walked across the causeway at the end of the harbor and climbedthe steps to the top of a hill that gives you a different view of the harborand the town …. Worth the effort if you’re okay with steps.

Siglufjordur andGrimsey Island: Wandered around Siglufjordur – little to do and notparticularly scenic. We skipped a fishing/canning museum ship’s tour. Surprisedthat with a ship in port, not much was open. Grimsey was a great stop, though.Ship took us in on Zodiac boats. We walked a path to a location where theArctic Circle runs right across the island – got the requisite photo straddlingthe line. But the real treat was the bird-life. Grimsely’s got about 200full-time residents and about 2 million birds. Arctic terns will dive-bomb youas you walk the path near their nests on the ground (wave a hiking stick overyour head to discourage them.) And if you want to see Puffins – you’ll see themby the hundreds at close range. Terrific photo opportunity.

Akureyri and Husavik: Twostops on two consecutive days. Lots of ship tour options, but we hired IcelandPhoto Travel owned by Benedikt, a professional photographer/guide who took usto all the best places for photographic stops. Amazing variety – waterfalls,lava field still smoking after eruptions in the ‘70s and ‘80s, a geothermal “park,”a giant volcanic crater lake, “pseudo-craters” formed when steam exploded outof the ground, Lake Myvatn – ringed by lava formations, Dimmuborgur – a maze ofstrangely shaped “fortress-like” lava deposits, and the spectacular AsbyrgiCanyon.

Seydisfjordur: Wetook a pass on the ship’s tour in favor of two hikes. Started the morning witha walk to Tvsongir – five domes up in the hills – each tuned to one note of thepentatonic scale. Sing inside if you’re so-inclined and hear your voice resonate(or cheat and play your iPod really loud.) Very scenic location, but a steepwalk up hill so be fit or skip it.

This town is known for its great hiking trails. After lunch,we did the waterfall trail. Most people (the ones with better judgement) startin town and walk about 50% of it then go back. Not 4 of us. We took a taxi to aplateau about 1000 feet above town and about 9 km away. It’s where you get anincredible view of the town and the fjord and where the biggest/best waterfallsare located. We were assured by the local visitor’s center that it was “an easywalk down-hill.” Yeah, if you’re amountain goat! Icelanders evidently don’t believe in improving their trails, andthere were a number of steep, rocky, muddy descents that we had to take verycarefully. And, where there are waterfalls, there are streams …. with rocks …. andno bridges … that you have to cross at your peril. The walk itself wasbeautiful, but it took us (ages 68 and 70) about 5 hours. Exhausting, but nowwe have bragging rights … and some great photos.

Djupivogur: Didthe ship’s tour to the ice lagoon. A long bus ride but a great pay-off (we hada spectacular clear day.) Cruise on the lagoon gave us lots of angles for shotsof the chunks of ice on the lagoon with the mountains and the glaciers in thebackground. We moved to the Atlantic Ocean beach side to watch waves crashinginto and polishing ice that had escaped the lagoon. Gorgeous.

Vestmannaeyjar: Islandoff Iceland’s south coast. Site of massive volcanic eruption in 1973 that forcedthe total evacuation of the island, buried the town in ash, and wiped out morethan 2000 homes. Did two tours on our own: A Volcanos and Puffins tour with Eyja Tours and a high-speed boat ride around the waters surrounding theisland with Ribsafari. Both were well-worth it.

So – in summary: A well-run ship with a great itinerary andsurprisingly good food and service. Amazed how little-known it is in the US.

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