9 Biggest Pros and Cons Of Cruising To Iceland

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Should you cruise to Iceland? If you want to visit Iceland what are the pros and cons of cruising over doing a land-based visit. There are many good things about taking a cruise, and I explore the 6 best pros of cruising to Iceland before looking at the 3 top things you need to consider that may make a land-based trip a better option for you.
Note: I travelled as a guest of Saga Cruises on a round Iceland cruise when making this video. A lot of the footage and tips also draw on my Voyages To Antiquity cruise to Iceland last year too.
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Gary Bembridge's Tips For Travellers aims to help you make more of your precious travel time and money on land and when cruising the oceans or rivers of the world. To help you, in every video I draw on my first-hand tips and advice from travelling every month for over 20 years and 60+ cruises.
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#IcelandCruise #CruisingIceland #IcelandTips

Опубликовано:

13 июл 2024

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Комментарии : 119

@davidbajomilazar8771 3 года назад

I live in Iceland and I work as a tour guide. I definitely recommend to go on a land based tour. The most beautiful part of Iceland is the South Coast where you can see Seljanlandsfoss (waterfall), Eyjafjallajökull (volcano and icecap), Skógafoss (waterfall), Dyrholaey (promontory), Reynisfjara (black sand beach), Vík (small seaside town), Eldraun (lava field) and Jökulsárlón (glacier lagoon with icebergs). This part of Iceland is almost never offered as an excursion from the cruise ships.

@emilyhicks1769 2 года назад

How long of a road trip would you recommend for this area? We are considering using our cruise credit for a cruise from London to Reykjavik and then rent a car to see even more.

@cathysmith997 2 года назад

Thanks! I appreciate this list very much. We are on our way!

@annkelly7643 Год назад

Have took notes,planning a trip for my partners 60th secretly,,what time of year would you recommend David?

@davidbajomi-lazar5111 Год назад

@@annkelly7643 May and June are the best months.

@yolandakarraa5546 Год назад

What if i rent a car my day in Reykyavik Port (9 am - 11pm)?

@davewhetton8932 3 года назад

Gary, your tip regarding land based costs is invaluable information. Having visited Iceland three times, I can attest that food and drink are extremely expensive. One bottle of beer is around 9 US dollars. The price of gas/petrol was 9 dollars per gallon (although they use liters). I filled our rental car one time, filling an 11 gallon tank. Cost over $100! Having said all this, it is my favorite place on the planet and well worth a visit.

@texasboy5117 4 года назад

We did a driving trip (rental car) of Iceland two years ago. It far more beautiful than the pictures show. Prices are like NYC or London. You will go way over on your budget. Our GPS only worked part time as the spelling of roads was different for the GPS and the local spelling. Lot of traffic and road construction and detours. We want to back but will cruise next time.

@adelarsen9776 4 года назад

For authentic Iceland cruiser choose Smyril Line and MS Norrøna. Get from DK to Iceland in just 39 pints of Carlsberg.

@theeverydayprepper7673 4 года назад

The footage is stunning! I had never seriously considered an Iceland cruise, but you have convinced me

@littledragon658 4 года назад

I can't like Gary enough. I give him ten stars out of five.

@kays749 4 года назад

We did a cruise in Iceland with Princess some years ago. We called at four ports. I found it was much colder than I had expected (I packed as if for Alaska) and bought some hats, etc. in port. I had to miss an excursion at Reykjavik but spent the day exploring the city. It is small, but so interesting, and the people I met were just lovely.

@mysterytrip4751 4 года назад

Absolutely loved your new Travel video. Very nice. Just clicked subscribe. Putting together our Mystery trips with the kids reminds me of all the advance work necessary.

@eppsislike 4 года назад

I visited all of these places through dedicated tours with the cruise. Sulfur bath's smell gave me one hell of a headache - but I wasn't even mad, all worthwhile. One of my best trips I've ever done.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

The smell is pretty bad!!!!

@upholdsanity3759 4 года назад

Detoxing will give a headache.

@eppsislike 4 года назад

@@upholdsanity3759 this aint a normal headache, I will tell you that.

@tammy_oh_nevermind 4 года назад

Thanks for this one! Hopefully I'll get there in the next couple years. ☺

@barbaraboudreau8801 4 года назад

The vacation I've been dreaming of. Need to work on making it real! Thanks for this video.

@jeffross5424 4 года назад

i loved iceland and will go back for geological reasons, but it was expensive to eat and drink (beer was introduced back in 89)...the fermented shark will be passed next time too

@cluckcluck2001 4 года назад

Extremely informative - Thank You

@justhavingfunadk 2 года назад

Great video! We cannot wait to go to ICELAND! So beautiful!

@patrickmooney4135 4 года назад

Agreed. Iceland is awesome! And a cruise make perfect sense for all the reasons you have stated. I'd do that circumnavigation of the island in a heartbeat if I lived in Britain or had local access to a cruise line that did round trips. Still, I'm going to add that itinerary on my list. Next year, I'm making it to Greenland via Princess out of New York. That should be awesome too... I love a good old fishing village. :-) Thanks, Gary!!

@GreaterTorontoTV 4 года назад

We sailed from Tower Bridge in London to Iceland - a great adventure!

@marchiolle 4 года назад

Than you for sharing info and your experience. I like all of your videos!

@PuenteAJ 2 года назад

Good information as usual Gary,thank you

@lisamorice4701 4 года назад

Iceland is on my radar for the future and your footage was gorgeous. You struck some perfect cruising weather by the look of it. Thanks for this list of pros and cons to consider. Definitely more pros in my book.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

It is a great place. The weather can be hot and miss for sure...

@breabanm 4 года назад

I went two times to Iceland and planned the trips myself. The first time I flew to Reykjavik and stayed there for a week and only travelled little to the outskirts. The second time I actually took my car by ferry and did a tour of the island. And it was absolutely amazing. I can say the best sights of Iceland lie way beyond the crowded touristy areas. There are also some very enjoyable sections on the Ringroad if you like driving. Also if you ever go to Iceland, do not miss Isafjordur in the Westfjords and DRIVE there. It's a long drive from Reykjavik for sure but the views are stunning and the road seems deserted for literally hundreds of miles. I did my driving tour in October 2018 and we also had a snowstorm which added to the stress but also to the adventure (thankfully nothing bad happened, we did not get stuck or anything similar).

@CP140405 4 года назад

You make some very valid points... my wife and I visited Iceland for two weeks the summer of 2018. It was her first time, but I had been to Iceland many times before... way back when the US maintained a naval air station at Keflavik, so this was my first trip as a tourist. We stayed in self-catering cottages and drove a lot. While driving to see something can be tiresome, there is nothing like buying groceries in a foreign country to immerse yourself in the culture. Also, being on your own agenda allows you to rearrange the itinerary to suit your mood or the weather or even stop for a hotdog at a gas(petrol) station. The ring road can be slow, but drivers are usually quite courteous and it is not much of a challenge... except for those long one lane bridges! The true magic is hiring a 4x4 vehicle and going through the middle of the country on one of the mountain roads. As always, careful planning and planning in advance are the keys to an enjoyable trip.

@aussiejohn5835 4 года назад

You did a great job with this video. I need to look into this cruise and save, save, save!!!!

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Thanks :-)

@bjmurray1842 4 года назад

Thank you for your honesty. Really good to know how to see and experience Iceland. Even in your video, one can see that all of the sites are fairly crowded, and that driving about isn't necessarily going to give one a personal experience. I'd love to see Iceland. Hate to fly (in general, and because of carbon footprint) so it is great to have an alternative.

@thrasherx9319 4 года назад

Wow Gary, you nailed this one. I am veteran cruiser who never thought about Iceland and I am very interested. Thanks.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Cool, thanks :-)

@life107familyfitnessboxing8 2 года назад

Thanks for sharing. Subscribed

@robert5140 4 года назад

Having just returned a short time ago from a cruise on Cunard's Queen Victoria, I would certainly agree with your comments. We first visited Lerwick, in the Shetland Islands, and then three stops in Iceland, overnighting in Reykijavik. The cost of living in Iceland was quite high; in some cases double the cost one would pay in the UK, or Canada.

@debbiedebsp.8064 4 года назад

Visited in 2018 and loved it. Thanks for the cruise info.. that sounds great as well!

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Thanks for watching. It is great to hear you found Iceland enjoyable! Please keep watching !

@benitobueno3373 4 года назад

Many thanks for a very informative review; i have Iceland high up on my travel list unfortunately the one variable no one can control is the weather and I am constantly seeing wind and rain through their summer which is not surprising re its geographical location but not good for photos

@billgreer870 3 года назад

Great video Gray , still 1 place i have to visit . Like Sicily but was it fun Thanks

@littledragon658 4 года назад

Dude this slays me. I wanna. Added to bucket.

@ontheroadagainwithvinny931 4 года назад

For the more adventurous, do both. Take your own vehicle to Iceland and get the best of both worlds. The ferry travels from Hirtshals, Denmark via the Faroes to Seydisfjordur in Eastern Iceland. It takes three nights either way and then drive the ring road. The ferry has limited entertainment though! I love cruising and have been many times on a cruise but this was definitely a more rewarding trip.

@achevres Год назад

People have told me, and I’ve read many times, about the incredibly expensive food in Iceland, so that would be another plus for the cruise, and specific to Iceland. Iceland has been on my list for so many years. This year or the next I’ll go for sure.

@darkmenagerie3749 Год назад

In 2021 we did Iceland by land…we’ve just booked a Viking cruise Iceland, Greenland, Canada for 2025. After watching your video I’m even more happy with our decision

@stuartdavis798 2 года назад

Taking a cruise to Greenland and Island this August. Will follow with a land tour. Best or worst of both worlds!

@amybradley5821 4 года назад

Just got back from Iceland and love to cruise but glad I did a land tour. I think you will miss a lot of you cruise. From Reykjavík it’s a 12 hour bus tour for the western peninsula and another 8-9 hour bus trip to see the south/east part. You will miss some gorgeous things if take a cruise.

@marielang9552 11 месяцев назад

Thank you!

@InnocentsAbroad 4 года назад

Another excellent video, Gary. We were just there in June on a cruise ship and it was an amazing method of travel.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Thanks! Great to hear you had a good time. Who did you cruise with?

@InnocentsAbroad 4 года назад

Tips For Travellers Celebrity Reflection

@ConnemaraHeather1 4 года назад

@@InnocentsAbroad I'm going to Iceland on the Reflection next July ... can't wait!

@InnocentsAbroad 4 года назад

Angela C. Murphy Angela, have an awesome time!

@karenvonbargen4472 Год назад

One thing I never see anyone mention is the sheer crush of humanity at the tourist spots in the golden circle. Like angry people trying to fight us for a parking spot, thousands lined up to see a waterfall, rudeness, trashed trails, and not a moment of peace if you go some place during the day. Otherwise, loved Iceland, going back next summer.

@Viperbob 4 года назад

Another great video. Trying to go there from the U.S. buts it’s rather expensive with it being 14 days an flying back. Oh well working on it I guess.

@upholdsanity3759 4 года назад

Gorgeous

@Hispandinavian 4 года назад

I'm thinking of taking the ferry boat that has a final port of call in Copenhagen. It's a chance to see the Faroe Islands on the way. After the end of the line I'd take the train to Sweden, and ferry to Finland.

@russellmcmahon2739 4 года назад

Did a Celebrity Cruise out of Dublin, travelled from Perth Australia so a completely different landscape. A great place to Visit will go again . The furthest place from Perth but worth the long haul to be there.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Sounds great. I’m a big fan of Perth. Went last year for Christmas and New Year. Enjoyed so much going again this year for Christmas. The beaches are great. Rottnest Island is fab.

@patspadd8243 4 года назад

Hello Gary of Tips For Travellers firstly I’d like to congratulate you on surpassing 90,000 subscribers then the video is very good as like your videos I’ve seen and listened to and as for Iceland it’s one of those countries I’d love to visit at sometime in my life as it’s a place that I’ve been impressed by since the 1980s/1990s though I must admit that I’ve not travelled abroad since 1992 as I’d lost interest in travelling though I’d like to start to get up and go travelling again at a given time as soon as whenever and I must say that’s it’s a very good method of going to Iceland by means of cruising and then go another time to do and inland tour on road by car or coach so that’s it for now and hope your enjoying/ed your cruise time to Iceland so until then take and cheerio

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Thanks! Great you enjoyed the video. Appreciate you watching and leaving your comments and feedback 😀

@DanetteSWhite 10 месяцев назад

Thanks for the review.

@tipsfortravellers 10 месяцев назад

My pleasure!

@matthannah4621 4 года назад

Do a video on all the cruises you've been on

@tomsinsky5548 2 года назад

At 4:04 the ship sails in the painting behind Gary look live devil horns.

@jeanettecarpenter4437 4 года назад

We went to Iceland 3 months ago on Cunard we did our research before we went and were told everything would be ok as I am in a wheelchair. That was not true it was extremely disapointing. The problems were caused by other very rude travellers that made life very difficult. Please if you see someone in a wheelchair don't expect them to be able to get up and walk the lengthy of a 70 seater coach and to sit on a broken seat with no seatbelt.

@ConnemaraHeather1 4 года назад

I'm going to Iceland next July with Celebrity. Looking forward to it so many thanks for your video! Just wondering, is it ok to bring snacks from the ship on my excursions around the island?

@markruby240 2 года назад

Having been to Iceland, I would strongly recommend that you invest 10 days and see the island by land. It is extremely accessible.

@kathyb1011 Год назад

I was on Azamara last year for Greece, Turkey and also for Croatia. I asked for information at the desk and they had no idea about anything.

@sarahh4105 Год назад

Hi. We are going on our first Icelandic cruise this summer. From your experience, were you able to wander straight off the boat to find things to do or did you feel like the port was far away from the towns and would require transportation into town. We have some excursions planned but would like a day to just wander.

@kalozakos 4 года назад

Thank you for the video, I think that many of your pros and cons apply to all cruises, not just Iceland. I have visited Iceland many times and it is a magical place. If you have an overnight in Reykjavik, a golden circle tour can be booked in advance from the BSI bus station for half the cost. It is easy to get to on a local bus, or you can be picked up by the excursion company from downtown. I also recommend a local pool at a fraction of the cost of the Blue Lagoon, for immersion into Icelandic culture.

@zetaofife 4 года назад

As you have stated, almost all food is imported. Most of it comes from Scandinavia which is not only a long way away, but is also expensive. There are very few farms in Iceland, and tourists appear to be expected to live on fish and endless proccessed food. At least on a cruise you can eat "real" food. It may work out cheaper than budgeting about £60 a day for cafe food plus £100 a night for cheaper hotels. The other point is that I thought that The Northern Lights are likely to be more visible at sea where you can try to keep away from obvious light pollution. However, please do your own research first!

@sallykan9919 3 месяца назад

Hi thanks for sharing. May I ask while cruising Iceland & Greenland do you have to prepare for motion sickness seeing the ship is small? Thanks in advance.

@clement2780 3 года назад

would you recommend taking public transit or sticking with cruise line excursions, or are there third party tours offered on shore? is English widely spoken in Iceland? speak icelandic

@oceanside88 4 года назад

Hamburg return looks good. Is it possible?

@notnamed8926 4 года назад

How was the transit from the UK to Iceland? Rough?

@life107familyfitnessboxing8 2 года назад

I heard that ferries don't sail to Faroe Islands or Iceland from the UK anymore

@stevebartley8594 2 года назад

You are right about Iceland being expensive. We have spent 7 days in Reykjavik over 3 visits breaking up the flight from Frankfurt to Denver. We have only eaten at a restaurant once and that must have been with cheaper early dining. I looked at eating there on a next trip and it would have been well over $100 for a pretty minimal meal. The only reasonable food are the hot dogs - around $5each. Everytime we got food for meals in a convenience store, it ended up coating about $75 ! Renting an apartment there was 3-4 times more expensive than Germany

@karenvonbargen4472 Год назад

Go to the food hall near the bus station in Reykjavik, good food for cheap

@shachar2 4 года назад

eating in excursions isn't part of the price of cruising I remember that. is taking some food from the ship considered rude (and more or less socially unacceptable) or are there places on the ship where you can buy sandwiches and the like to eat later on? and are they on your experience worth if financially or is it better to experience the local foods? This is meant as a general question, not to a specific place.

@eah8185 3 года назад

Gary - have you circumnavigated Iceland on Lindblad, or have insights from others who have done so? Comments?

@glynismccartneyintricatesc5281 2 года назад

🇨🇦❤️🎅🏻🎄🎅🏻

@nielskjr5432 2 года назад

I like the ship. Is it still sailing?

@gpan62 4 года назад

I thing there's a regular schedule ferry to Iceland from Europe. There you go...cruise AND land tour. Problem solved. 😉

@simplyatsea6779 4 года назад

Excellent video. Do you have one for the Norwegian fjords?

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Thanks! I have one made but not posted it yet. Will be out in next week

@simplyatsea6779 4 года назад

Tips For Travellers awesome can’t wait!

@skchan2940 Год назад

Gary, is there any cruise that will bring you to see Norrhern Light? Cannot find any by myself. THX.

@pierreheider4581 Месяц назад

Many. For Northern Lights you need darkness, a clear sky and patience. Just look who sails north during the winter. Or to Antarctica in June.

@suzettecalleja3122 4 года назад

You can do it Cheaply by staying at Airbnb"s where you can get a breakfast, go to grocery stores and get lunch supplies, and then for dinner order something you can split with the other person. We rented a beater Suzuki from a rental Co. who picked us up to their site and then returned us back to the Airport after our week there. Stay away from the blue Lagoon and go Local to community facilities. the car was our biggest expense. without the car each one spent 600 dollars with the car 1000. the car cost 800 for the week. the Co was called Sad Cars no joke.

@upholdsanity3759 4 года назад

Good tips. I like grocery stores everywhere I go. Can get more authentic foods sometimes too. Cheers

@donkiml5805 2 года назад

We took a 2 week Northern Isles cruise with Holland America in 2019, and loved it! It was a loop tour starting and ending in Copenhagen, 2 ports Norway, 4 ports/ 5 days in Iceland, Shetland Island and 1 port Scotland. Great Viking heritage cruise. Iceland was one of the reasons we took the cruise. Gary did a great job explaining and showing highlights. The excursions from HAL were expensive. We took a couple but the did local tours that were fabulous. The towns are small so easy to walk around. A couple days we did a 2-4 hour local tour, ate in town and explored on our own in town/went to museums etc. One of my favorite cruises! 🛳🥰 (PS…Copenhagen is fabulous) I forgot to say that Iceland is cold even in the summer so be prepared, we saw many people that were not.

@TravisOutlaw674 4 года назад

I think Iceland should be called, "Priceland" because it is so expensive to visit.

@eppsislike 4 года назад

Hence why you should go on a cruise.

@fitfrog65 4 года назад

I always visit the blue lagoon.

@cliffnorman178 4 года назад

In our opinion you are the best cruise reviewer on RU-vid so we can only surmise that you got the cruise on Saga for free as we cannot comprehend you actually choosing Saga on purpose. This is the VERY worst cruise line we have ever been on. It is supposed to be a 3 star cruise line but in our opinion it should be a 2 star cruise line. It is only for people over 50. We are in our mid sixties but feel that Saga should rather be only for people with very low expectations. On top of this is that it is not a low cost cruise line but definitely is a "cheap" cruise line. Avoid at all cost.

@canuzzi 2 года назад

It is not true, that the only attractions are on the cost and you can only go on the ringroad (you nead a real 4x4 or go by bus if you go into the highlands 6 co). On of the many inland spots would be Landmannalaugar.

@canuzzi 2 года назад

Also if you don't want to fly, you can take regular ferries to Iceland.

@joannmay-anthony1076 4 года назад

I think viking includes excursions in the main cost. Also, the horses in the vid, where not Icelandic and that is the only breed allowed in Iceland.

@tipsfortravellers 4 года назад

Yes good point as they do include excursions. The horses are from Iceland as I filmed them just close to the ship. You are right about the breed in Iceland being distinctive and a big business too for them

@joannmay-anthony1076 4 года назад

@@tipsfortravellers They must have changed their policy because before, they would not let any other horse breed in, not even icelandics from other countries.

@tonivandyke9170 4 года назад

Viking Ocean does include a free tour in every port

@paulsehstedt6275 4 года назад

Iceland is overcrowded - but the idea, to see the island from a cruise ship is great, if you don't mind being surrounded by many tourists. Anyway, thanks for a good video!

@pierreheider4581 Месяц назад

At 2:51 and 7:49 you showed the wrong country. That bus company doesn't operate in Iceland. I guess you filmed that in Norway.

@AZD2169 Год назад

Gary I’ve heard that the Norwegian people don’t like cruisers, or the cruise ship companies? I would hate to think that’s true.

@pierreheider4581 Месяц назад

Nope they bring money, so all fine. Except you come with Costa, then it's a different story. Costa brings only chaos and cheap Italians.

@hazelbaldwin798 3 года назад

While on the cruise could you see the aurora borealis?

@pierreheider4581 Месяц назад

In the summer, while having the midnight sun? 😵‍💫 For Northern Lights you need darkness, a clear sky and patience. No darkness, no borealis! ☝

@Metis1337 3 года назад

Cons - environmental impact, locals despise cruises, limited time. You missed those.

@LindaLee-ft6wj Год назад

Just don't cruise to Iceland on Princess. All our ports were canceled. Our ship (Sky Princess) then headed out for the open ocean. We later turned around because I guess they had to drop off contracted entertainers or something. They decided to let us off, taking hours for the tender to unload 4,000 people. Several suitcases came off also. It looked like people were fed up with just floating around in the open sea. They were able to get land transportation to Reykjavik. Our compensation...$300.00 off our next cruise if taken within a year. I had saved up for several years for this cruise. How was I supposed to earn enough money for another cruise in one year?

@kalaman32 25 дней назад

I do love your videos a lot, but on this one I do have to disagree with your "pros" about cruising to Iceland. In one month we're leaving to Iceland for the 7th time and must say that Iceland is the last country that I would recommend visiting with a cruise. The most beautiful parts of Iceland are simply not accessible with a cruise because of being way too far from a port. The places you're mentioning in your video as being the "hot spots" are indeed hot spots for first travelers and for those who don't mind visiting those places while they are overcrowded with tourists all coming off the cruise ship together. Iceland is THE place to visit with a land based tour (also cost wise), in my opinion.

@YovilleBossy 4 года назад

He says geyser like geezer... #sad

@vlee3880 7 месяцев назад

Have to say - calling all the middle of Iceland a “wasteland” ?? You lost me there.

@gingermarie1760 2 года назад

God loves you so much that He sent His Holy Son Jesus from heaven to earth, to be born of a virgin, to grow up and die on a cross for our sins, and to be put into a tomb 3 days and rise from the dead the third day, and He (Jesus) went back up to heaven. We must receive Sinless Jesus sincerely to be God's child(John 1:12).After we get saved by grace through faith in Christ, if we truly love the Lord Jesus Christ, then we will obey Jesus(John 14:15). Mark 1:15 "And saying, the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Jesus said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments. "There's a real hell. It says in Revelation 21:8 "But for the cowardly, & unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers,& immoral persons -&- sorcerers & idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone..." Please sincerely receive Holy Jesus and put your true faith and trust in Him today and please repent. Will you have a Real encounter with Holy Lord Jesus and stay in a Genuine relationship with Him daily please?

@mikatu 4 года назад

So, basically, the cost is a pro and a con.... nice! It's easy to make videos like this, using the same situation as pro and as con. Basically cruising to Iceland is good for useless people who can't do anything on their own, because for everyone else it is better to go and see it like a normal person. Even better is to rent a car and during a week to circle the island and see everything... and I mean everything, not just the touristic places the cruise will take you to.