Serenade of the “C’s” I Mean “I’s” – Ice Bergs, Iceland, Ice Caps and Ice Cream

[SailorJack]

We are in Reykjavik and before heading to the ship we want to check our email and have been told that the city hall has free wi-fi ( It did and connections were great).  City Hall sits in the middle of a lake and this first photo is from the bridge that leads out to city hall. 

 

 

 

City Hall.  Not much to look at from the outside, but it was very nice inside.

 

 

Looking out over the lake from inside City Hall.  City Hall was specifically designed to attract wild life to the town center - hence the setting.  That is rain drops (of course) on the window.

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Our last views of Iceland....

 

 

 

 

….And our first view of Greenland and the fabled Prince Christian Sound - which will turn out to be one of the stunning passages we have taken on a cruise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

We are entering the Prince Christian Sound - an event we have all been anticipating.

 

 

 

Our first iceberg!

 

 

The snow and ice cap in the background is a hint of what is to come.

 

 

 

[ecslady]

Prince Christian Sound is absolutely beautiful!  Can't wait for Sept 2020.

[SailorJack]

We are entering Prince Christian Sound and will be in it for a while as we have to go slow do to currents ( it is only 1,600 feet wide in spots) and icebergs. It is 60 miles long and separates the mainland from Christian IV Island.

 

 

It feels like everyone is up on deck to see the sights.  We are told that this is a glacier and we will see where it enters the ocean later on.

 

 

 

Lots of hills and shoreline areas are snow free,

 

 

 

 

 

[h20skibum]

Still following along here.  Great review. 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 8:18 AM, ecslady said:

Prince Christian Sound is absolutely beautiful!  Can't wait for Sept 2020.

 

 

We normally book a cruise a couple of months before sail date.  I can't imagine the anticipation of waiting more than a year. That has to be pretty exciting.  You have a lot to look forward to.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

Icebergs!  Many of the icebergs we will see on this passage come from glaciers calving. We actually were able to witness the creation of an iceberg when pieces of the glacier split off and fell into the sea. Jill was later able to get a video of one doing just that.

 

 

 

 

 

A couple of recently created icebergs that had not yet made it out to sea.

 

 

 

 

[stevea36]

21 hours ago, SailorJack said:

 

 

We normally book a cruise a couple of months before sail date.  I can't imagine the anticipation of waiting more than a year. That has to be pretty exciting.  You have a lot to look forward to.

 

Jack

Jack,

Between you and Bill (on the 2020 board), sharing all of your pictures I get very mixed feelings:  1- I see what is in store for me and can't wait; 2- Why do I need to spend my time and money when I can just live through your pictures 🙂     NO WAY !!! !  I'M GOING !!!

 

 

Steve

Edited January 16, 2019 by stevea36

[SailorJack]

Simply stunning scenery along the passage.  Note the snow covered mountains in the background.  We were told that the waters of the passage warm the coast and keep snow at a minimum.

 

 

 

 

Except for those places that are in perpetual shade.

 

 

 

Another iceberg makes its way out into the passage.

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎15‎/‎2019 at 9:05 AM, h20skibum said:

Still following along here.  Great review. 

 

 

Glad to have you along. Hope you are enjoying the photos.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

The birth of more icebergs.

 

 

This is a secret US weather station code named Bluie East One that was set up in WWII to provide weather updates to ships passing Greenland.

 

 

It was these towers attached to the weather station that picked up the distress call from the MS Hans Hedtoft in 1959.  The Hedtoft went down with 95 passengers and crew and was never found.  The only piece of wreckage ever found from the ship was a single life belt. As of this date it is the last known ship sunk by an iceberg with casualties.

 

 

 

What is really amazing that we are still in the entrance to Prince William Sound and have seen all of this already!

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

The rock formations were constantly changing and morphing into interesting shapes.

 

 

 

Another passing iceberg outlined in the early morning sun.

 

 

 

 

We passed a number of little inlets and bays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎16‎/‎2019 at 9:59 AM, stevea36 said:

Jack,

Between you and Bill (on the 2020 board), sharing all of your pictures I get very mixed feelings:  1- I see what is in store for me and can't wait; 2- Why do I need to spend my time and money when I can just live through your pictures 🙂     NO WAY !!! !  I'M GOING !!!

 

 

Steve

 

 

LOL Pictures can't capture the adventure you are going to have  - from seeing the geyser stream into the sky, the water plunging over the cliffs, or the ice breaking away from the glacier and falling into the sea to become an iceberg. That and a hundred other things you are going to see that is invisible to a camera. I am impressed that you can wait till next year to do it!

[SailorJack]

One of the more interesting facets of the scenery was the fact that there was no bushes, trees, or other vegetation.

 

 

 

 

Just occasional patches of lichen.

 

 

 

And the occasional sculpture.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

One of the more interesting questions asked of our narrator was "what are those little pebbles and rocks."  The answer  - those were carried there by the glacier and left behind when it melted.

 

 

 

 

The next question involved the red stains running down the rocks.  Probably iron deposits left from water as it ran down the cliffs.

 

 

 

The first of many small waterfalls from the melting snow and glaciers.

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

Our first Glacier!

 

 

 

Up close and personal.

 

 

Those of you who may remember my review of our cruise on Norwegian's Dream may recall what a disaster that cruise was (in a fun way).In an effort to offset some of the unfortunate occurrences on that cruise, the Captain pulled into a bay where a glacier was emptying into the sea and sent a boat out to capture a recently calved small iceberg.  They brought the iceberg aboard the ship and the drinks that night were cooled by thousand year old ice.  Ever since then I have had a "thing" about glaciers  - so, one more picture.

 

 

 

 

 

[BigNance]

Your pictures are awesome!  If I never make it there, this was a fun trip!  

 

[SailorJack]

4 hours ago, BigNance said:

Your pictures are awesome!  If I never make it there, this was a fun trip!  

 

 

Glad you are enjoying them  -but it is much better seeing them in person.  More and more cruise lines are offering this itinerary so you may make it there!

[SailorJack]

Sailing past the glacier we are once again looking at the spectacular cliffs along the shoreline.

 

 

A passing iceberg - one of the smaller ones.

 

 

 

A small waterfall - fed by the melting snow and glaciers.  Also, the thousands and thousands of small rocks and pebbles left behind as the glacier melted.

 

 

[SailorJack]

On ‎1‎/‎11‎/‎2019 at 1:29 PM, Baatman said:

Looks like a great tour.  If you don't mind my asking, what was the fee for the tour?

I

 

I finally found my receipt for the Golden Circle tour - it was $179 and I got a 10% discount by pre booking. Hope that helps.

 

Jack

[SailorJack]

Our narrator told us this was known as "Shark Mountain." When low hanging clouds are around, sometimes the only thing sticking out through the clouds is the tip of this mountain - looking just like a shark fin.

 

 

 

It really was an amazing mountain - look at all the colors.

 

 

Then ANOTHER glacier. And the hits just keep coming!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SailorJack]

The mysterious red lines again.  We couldn't figure out why they came down on an angle and not straight down.  Our only guess was that was the direction that some ancient glacier was moving.

 

 

 

Snow capped mountains in the interior.

 

 

 

I guess Nike paid to have their logo on the Sound.

 

 

 

[Baatman]

On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2019 at 12:35 PM, SailorJack said:

I

 

I finally found my receipt for the Golden Circle tour - it was $179 and I got a 10% discount by pre booking. Hope that helps.

 

Jack

 

 

Thanks for digging that out.  It helps when comparing prices from local vendors.

[SailorJack]

The geological formations and strata layers are constantly changing the deeper we get into the Sound.

 

 

 

So far we have seen the slanted lines go to the left.  Now we are seeing them slanting to the right. Can glaciers change direction?

 

 

Yet another glacier emptying into the sea.