Greenland Shore Excursions

[drlee]

We are booked on a transatlantic cruise this August from Copenhagen to New York. There are stops in Iceland, Canada, and Greenland. However, the two stops in Greenland have no available shore excursions. What might we expect in the way of excursions? I think the name of the cruise is 17 day Viking Passage on the Zuiderdam. Thanks

[dockman]

I did the voyage of the vikings several years ago....as best as i can remember there were NO shore excursions on our Greenland stops and everyone just got off and walked around the small towns/villages. Not a lot of roads as villages are pretty remote.

[Fouremco]

First hit on Google search of "greenland shore excursions":

 

http://www.icelandprocruises.com/pages/excursions/shore-excursions-greenland/

 

There are many other links for you to explore. I hope you find something you'll enjoy. :)

[Sir PMP]

We are booked on a transatlantic cruise this August from Copenhagen to New York. There are stops in Iceland, Canada, and Greenland. However, the two stops in Greenland have no available shore excursions. What might we expect in the way of excursions? I think the name of the cruise is 17 day Viking Passage on the Zuiderdam. Thanks

 

No, there aren't any, just to get in will be a challenge, 2 years ago we didn't make Quagartoc, just Nenartalik on the way back from Amsterdam. If Christiansund is open you will make it, the 2 small towns are just good to walk around, you'll find a nice (expensive) Danish Supermarket and a souvenir shop

[RuthC]

What are your ports. It would help to know if we're to say anything to do while there.

 

I'm going to assume that Qaqortoq is one of the ports, and mention a couple of things to see/do there.

When you come off the tender dock, turn left and head down the street. In a fairly short distance there's a museum on the left side. Nice little place to explore, with a sod hut out back. Go in and explore the hut, and try to imagine living in there. Yikes! :eek: It's hard enough trying to breathe even for a few minutes.

 

Back near the tender dock there's a rise, with some stones in the wall. Those stones have some interesting carvings, and are worth checking out.

 

The "olde kirk" is a little further on from the museum, while the "new kirk" is up the hill by the nearby road.

 

You can make a circle around starting or ending with the stone carvings.

[rkacruiser]

Keep your fingers crossed that you will be able to cruise Prins Christian Sund. It is a delightful experience and you will see the internal forces of the Earth that have been at work in the cliffs along the Sund.

 

No formal shore excurisons, but at Nanortalik, the citizens will provide a cultural show along with coffee and cake at their cultural center. Tickets for this can be purchased on shore before you get there or at the door as well. It is well worth the time to do and I plan on doing it again on the VOV in August. There is an open air museum to visit as well as a church. I liked Greenland far better than anything I saw in Iceland. (I realize that I am in the minority on this point.)

[ICUQT]

Did the Viking Passage last September 2015. Like the year before us (2014) there were many issues and everything ended being canceled at the last minute. I suggest you read the 2015 reviews from CC members. IMHO I would not waste my time planning an excursion in Greenland. Wasted effort.

 

bob

[Bowie MeMe]

Keep your fingers crossed that you will be able to cruise Prins Christian Sund. It is a delightful experience and you will see the internal forces of the Earth that have been at work in the cliffs along the Sund.

 

No formal shore excurisons, but at Nanortalik, the citizens will provide a cultural show along with coffee and cake at their cultural center. Tickets for this can be purchased on shore before you get there or at the door as well. It is well worth the time to do and I plan on doing it again on the VOV in August. There is an open air museum to visit as well as a church. I liked Greenland far better than anything I saw in Iceland. (I realize that I am in the minority on this point.)

 

We are on Holland American Rotterdam July 2 sailing Rotterdam to Boston. We will stop in Nanortalik and they have offered this cultural program that looks very interesting. I believe it is 20 Euro or $20 dollars (both currency maybe) and $5 for museum. Choir and dancing and coffee/cake offered. In Reykjavik we are using Gray Line with pick-up from the port (says across the street and then van takes you to downtown bus depot). We are doing a Delicious Golden Circle Food Tour -- lunch at a farm table restaurant and wine/snacks and ancient turf farm for tea and cakes added to a regular Golden Circle tour. 2nd day a highlights tour for the city. Gray Line cheaper than the cruise line for the tours. Have a great time.

[jtl513]

No formal shore excurisons, but at Nanortalik, the citizens will provide a cultural show along with coffee and cake at their cultural center.

We really enjoyed this choir singing! We could recognize the tunes (like Amazing Grace) but not the words! :)

 

Edited June 13, 2016 by jtl513

[Queen of DaNile]

You might want to join the roll call for the 8/21/16 sailing. It's not a very active thread but it might give you an idea what others on this trip are doing in Greenland as well as the other ports.

[Bowie MeMe]

Several people have posted on You Tube videos of the ports in Greenland and Iceland. Particularly good was one from last year by a young college student traveling with his parents on voyage of the Vikings. (HAL ship) probably can use search for finding this. Shows how tiny and remote these ports are. Canada on the other hand have many tourist opportunities and a variety of activities and price ranges. Check out Trip Advisor (town name) and Cruise Critic ports section (one faithful commentator who answers questions on Iceland). Google for tourism office (some have most don't) and even the port guides on lines other than yours to see what has been offered.

[Broadway99354]

On the 2015 Voyage of the Vikings 16 of us had a private tour in 2 boats with Blue Ice to a tidewater glacier out of Qaqortoq. It was fantastic.

[PJLoveToTravel]

You might want to join the roll call for the 8/21/16 sailing. It's not a very active thread but it might give you an idea what others on this trip are doing in Greenland as well as the other ports.

 

 

There are also 8/11 and 8/23 roll calls for the Zuiderdam for this trip. There are some of us on the 8/11 continuing onto the 8/23.

[2Fltravelers]

There are also 8/11 and 8/23 roll calls for the Zuiderdam for this trip. There are some of us on the 8/11 continuing onto the 8/23.

 

 

 

I will check out your roll calls since we are doing this cruise in 2018. Thanks.

 

 

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[Turtles06]

I will check out your roll calls since we are doing this cruise in 2018. Thanks.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

Assuming you are on the Aug. 24, 2018 Viking Passage on the Zuiderdam, please come over and join the Roll Call:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2444130

[knittinggirl]

We stayed aboard on the port stops in Greenland. I'd planned to attend the cultural show, but it was cancelled.

 

I second the Prince Christian Sund. We got to cruise it in both directions!

[iflyrc5]

If you do some searches you should find a private tour that is available in Qaqortoq, Greenland. We did a private tour (12 of us in a boat) there where we took a small boat out through the bays and close and personal to icebergs, glaciers and also got up close to a couple of whales. I did not setup the tour so don't have the contact information.

[drowelf]

I will check out your roll calls since we are doing this cruise in 2018. Thanks.

Also check out the Prinsendam rollcall for the August 18th cruise this year. Its making a couple of stops in Greenland and has some private tour info.

[rkacruiser]

We stayed aboard on the port stops in Greenland. I'd planned to attend the cultural show, but it was cancelled.

 

I second the Prince Christian Sund. We got to cruise it in both directions!

 

knittinggirl,

 

We were told that the cultural show had been cancelled. I don't remember whether it was shortly before I left the ship or after ashore, many of us learned that it would be held. I went, enjoyed what I experienced, but it was not as well done in comparison with the show that was provided on an earlier visit.

[bcummin]

This might be helpful.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2473820&highlight=greenland

 

Barbara

[knittinggirl]

knittinggirl,

 

We were told that the cultural show had been cancelled. I don't remember whether it was shortly before I left the ship or after ashore, many of us learned that it would be held. I went, enjoyed what I experienced, but it was not as well done in comparison with the show that was provided on an earlier visit.

Hi rkacruiser,

 

Glad you got to see the cultural show. We hope to get on another VOTV cruise in the next few years. But I may need to get my hip fixed first. Europe isn't very handicap accessible. We missed both Greenland ports because they're both tender rides. But I did manage to get some pretty good panoramas from the ship. I have a framed panorama of Reykjavik on my wall.

 

We're considering VOTV more seriously with the threat of a laptop ban. Ken would hate to be in Europe only to discover Kelly enforced a laptop ban, then have to figure out how to get my DSLR home.