Itinerary/Ship opinion needed/Iceland/Norway

[Nataliea621]

Hi!

So I am researching and trying to come up with the best itinerary and ship for my solo 45th birthday in June of 2025. I am limited to NCL because I have credit there. The ships are Prima and Star. I am okay with smaller ships and I have heard mixed reviews on the Prima. But do like the Itinerary. Here are the 2 I am looking at. 

Thanks!

Prima- June 12-22

Reykjavik Iceland

Isafjordur Iceland

Akureyri Iceland

Alesund Norway

Flåm Norway

Bergen Norway

Amsterdam Netherlands

Brussels / Bruges (Zeebrugge) Belgium

London (Southampton) United Kingdom

 

Star June 9-20

Tromsø Norway

Leknes (Lofoten Islands) Norway

Alta Norway

Hammerfest Norway

Honningsvåg Norway

Longyearbyen (Spitzbergen) Norway

Akureyri Iceland

Isafjordur Iceland

Reykjavik Iceland

 

I have read about these ports etc and definitely know there are definitely positives and negatives to both. But just want some honest feedback for a solo traveler. I also live on the east coast of the United States so I am okay with travel. 

 

Natalie

[CCJack]

It looks like the big difference is if you want to see Northern Norway or the traditional Fjords (Flam) plus coastal cities like Bergen.   I have not been to these Northern ports (but they look like fun!), but it seems many people would want to see one of the long fjords like Flam on a trip to Norway.

 

Also, I would guess flying to Tromso / Reykjavik  would be a more expensive airfare than the Reykjavik / London option. 

 

This decision may also depend on if you have been to London or want to spend time there.

 

Have fun... ! 

[Nataliea621]

3 minutes ago, CCJack said:

It looks like the big difference is if you want to see Northern Norway or the traditional Fjords (Flam) plus coastal cities like Bergen.   I have not been to these Northern ports (but they look like fun!), but it seems many people would want to see one of the long fjords like Flam on a trip to Norway.

 

Also, I would guess flying to Tromso / Reykjavik  would be a more expensive airfare than the Reykjavik / London option. 

 

This decision may also depend on if you have been to London or want to spend time there.

 

Have fun... ! 

Thanks! Those are good points. I am leaning towards the Northern Norway also because of my ancestral roots in that part of the world. I think the price point of being in London would add up too. But I am currently really just researching the ports and comparing them. I know I would definitely wish I could see Flam but the North Cape also would be bucket list worthy. So many decisions. Thanks again for your input. 

Natalie

[ontheweb]

We sailed the Prima, actually on the London (Southampton) to Reykjavik itinerary. Read all the reviews, not everyone hated the ship; we loved it though I will concede that it some of the features would work much better in a warmer environment. This past summer Isafjordur on the Prima was skipped on every cruise since their dock was not finished and either the ship's lifeboats were not certified to tender or the Captain refused to tender given the amount of passengers. None of us know if that dock will be finished by this summer.

 

OTOH, I have read that the Star has had propulsion issues and has missed more ports than any other NCL ship. They did, however, successfully tender in Isafjordur this past summer.

 

Both great itineraries, so you really cannot go wrong whichever you choose.

[Nataliea621]

1 minute ago, ontheweb said:

We sailed the Prima, actually on the London (Southampton) to Reykjavik itinerary. Read all the reviews, not everyone hated the ship; we loved it though I will concede that it some of the features would work much better in a warmer environment. This past summer Isafjordur on the Prima was skipped on every cruise since their dock was not finished and either the ship's lifeboats were not certified to tender or the Captain refused to tender given the amount of passengers. None of us know if that dock will be finished by this summer.

 

OTOH, I have read that the Star has had propulsion issues and has missed more ports than any other NCL ship. They did, however, successfully tender in Isafjordur this past summer.

 

Both great itineraries, so you really cannot go wrong whichever you choose.

Oh this is very helpful. One of the reasons I am sticking with Norway and Iceland itineraries because unfortunately I also read how many ports were skipped due to weather etc in Greenland. While I would love to visit those and do one of those itineraries I prefer Norway. I hope the Star doesn't have any issues. I will be actively watching the roll calls this upcoming year. Thanks again,

Natalie

[kaisatsu]

If you’re looking for the Norwegian scenery you usually see in pictures, then the Prima sailing would be the one to choose.

 

The Star sailing is very much an Arctic-focused trip, which is quite different. Tromsø is probably the only port that resembles a traditional Norwegian coastal cruise, and it’s a lovely little city with beautiful surrounding mountains. The Lofoten Islands are also stunning scenery with their dramatic mountain-to-sea juxtaposition. Both places have fjords (though neither are easily in visited in a port day), but they are not the iconic fjords of the southern coast.

 

Longyearbyen is an exceptionally different cruise port. My first visit was on the QE2, and the ship didn’t offer any excursions, leaving most people disappointedly wandering around the tiny town (since it’s illegal to leave town without an armed guide). We had thankfully booked a kayaking trip across Adventfjord (again, geographically a fjord, but not the scenery most people think of) with a local company. Svalbard is a fantastically interesting place, but it’s a challenging place to visit on a port call and is much better seen on a multi-day visit or expedition cruise.

 

Alta and Hammerfest are typical Arctic cities and can be a bit underwhelming. And Honningsvåg may be overrated on this itinerary. Nordkapp is considered the northernmost spot in continental Europe (the actual northernmost spot is a kilometer or so away from the monument), but if you’re visiting Longyearbyen, you’re traveling hundreds of km farther north, making Nordkapp seem a bit silly.

 

While that probably sounds super negative, I personally love the polar regions and the Arctic. But it’s not always the most beautiful scenery and I’ve encountered plenty of people who were disappointed. If you’re genuinely interested in the area and its subtleties, then I think the Star has a potentially interesting itinerary. But if you’re looking for postcard Norway, I’d choose the other.

 

Edited February 18 by kaisatsu

[Nataliea621]

2 minutes ago, kaisatsu said:

If you’re looking for the Norwegian scenery you usually see in pictures, then the Prima sailing would be the one to choose.

 

The Star sailing is very much an Arctic-focused trip, which is quite different. Tromsø is probably the only port that resembles a traditional Norwegian coastal cruise, and it’s a lovely little city with beautiful surrounding mountains. The Lofoten Islands are also stunning scenery with their dramatic mountain-to-sea juxtaposition. Both places have fjords (though neither are easily in visited in a port day), but they are not the iconic fjords of the southern coast.

 

Longyearbyen is an exceptionally different cruise port. My first visit was on the QE2, and the ship didn’t offer any excursions, leaving most people disappointedly wandering around the tiny town (since it’s illegal to leave town without an armed guide). We had thankfully booked a kayaking trip across Adventfjord (again, geographically a fjord, but not the scenery most people think of) with a local company. Svalbard is a fantastically interesting place, but it’s a challenging place to visit on a port call and is much better seen on a multi-day visit or expedition cruise.

 

Alta and Hammerfest are typical Arctic cities and can be a bit underwhelming. And Honningsvåg may be overrated on this itinerary. Nordkapp is considered the northernmost spot in continental Europe (the actual northernmost spot is a kilometer or so away from the monument), but if you’re visiting Longyearbyen, you’re traveling hundreds of km farther north, making Nordkapp seem a bit silly.

 

While that probably sounds super negative, I personally love the polar regions and the Arctic. But it’s not always the most beautiful scenery and I’ve encountered plenty of people who were disappointed. If you’re genuinely interested in the area and its subtleties, then I think the Star has a potentially interesting itinerary. But if you’re looking for postcard Norway, I’d choose the other.

 

Actually this wasn't negative at all. It is probably what is pushing me to pick that itinerary. I have ancestral roots and am of Sami/Indigenous peoples so this is part of why I want to visit that part of Norway. Thank you for your honesty. I really appreciate it!

Natalie

[ljandgb]

FWIW, Iceland is really best seen as a land trip.  If there's a Norway only itinerary that goes where you'd like, you can just add a quick stopover in Iceland, and honestly you'd see more of Iceland.

[Nataliea621]

13 hours ago, ljandgb said:

FWIW, Iceland is really best seen as a land trip.  If there's a Norway only itinerary that goes where you'd like, you can just add a quick stopover in Iceland, and honestly you'd see more of Iceland.

Thank you! I appreciate your input. I am leaning towards the Star itinerary because I definitely have more interest in Norway. However I am only able to do this on Norwegian because I have cruise credit with them. I know other cruise lines have very good itineraries. And maybe someday I will get to go on them. 

Thanks again.

[kitkat343]

You might also want to keep an eye on this forum:  

 .  There's some speculation about the cause of NCL changing the sail by ports in Antartica, and dropping the sail by time from 2 days to 4 hours.  I truly. have no idea why this happened (some people are speculating it was to comply with local regulations, others are saying it is caused by the propulsion issues).  But something to keep an eye on if you are considering the Star.  

 

For the Prima, you'd need to keep an eye on the construction in  Isafjordur.  It has been reported that the Prima's lifeboats cannot be used to tender, and. until that harbor is deepened the Prima cannot stop there.  Construction was scheduled to be completed prior to last year's season, so hopefully it will be completed by this year's season.  Last year all Prima stops in  Isafjordur were cancelled.  Some were replace by overnights in the capital, but some were converted to sea days.

[Nataliea621]

3 minutes ago, kitkat343 said:

You might also want to keep an eye on this forum:  

 .  There's some speculation about the cause of NCL changing the sail by ports in Antartica, and dropping the sail by time from 2 days to 4 hours.  I truly. have no idea why this happened (some people are speculating it was to comply with local regulations, others are saying it is caused by the propulsion issues).  But something to keep an eye on if you are considering the Star.  

 

For the Prima, you'd need to keep an eye on the construction in  Isafjordur.  It has been reported that the Prima's lifeboats cannot be used to tender, and. until that harbor is deepened the Prima cannot stop there.  Construction was scheduled to be completed prior to last year's season, so hopefully it will be completed by this year's season.  Last year all Prima stops in  Isafjordur were cancelled.  Some were replace by overnights in the capital, but some were converted to sea days.

Thanks, 

I have seen and heard this but will keep my options and mind open. I think that is all I can do.

Natalie