If you want a cruise that is off the beaten path, this is a good option. This is a trip for someone who wants exposure to wild areas, small towns, scientific education and doesn't mind changes in itinerary (or weather.
Embarkation
5 out of 5
Embarkation was very easy.
Ship experiences
Food and Dining
4 out of 5
The quality of the food was very good. The servers were far beyond excellent. They were very friendly and remembered our preferences, The main complaint was the hours which were inconsistent several times. The All Day Dining options is only from noon to 9 pm.
Onboard Activities
5 out of 5
The ship is on the smaller size, although it did not seem small by any means. There were outdoor hot tubs and an infinity pool. Most of the activities are educational in nature and are generally excellent. The weakness in the lectures was due to non-native English-speaking presenters who would sometimes stumble over the language. It was not an issue of their knowledge. There were many German and French speaking guests so there would be multiple sessions on a topic or interpreters.
Service and Staff
5 out of 5
The ship was spotless. We saw cleaning in progress many times. The waiters were amazing! They were very friendly and learned our preferences. The expedition and science staff were knowledgeable. We did encounter a couple instances when Reception members could be a little "snippy" when asked questions on the phone, but in person, they were all incredibly helpful and pleasant. Could it be that they had been presented by the same question multiple times on the phone?
Ship Quality
5 out of 5
The ship is great. It is only a couple years old. The layout is very good, with the assets- classrooms, reception, shops and dining all on one deck.
Cabin / Stateroom
5 out of 5
Our cabin was near the main elevators, a gathering area and the hydration station. It was very well designed.
Ship tip
Be prepared for changes in itinerary. Ice conditions caused us to miss ports at the start and end of the voyage, so we had 6 days at sea instead of 4. If you are open to flexibility, you'll have a great itime.
We'd been to Reykjavik several times before and have enjoyed it. We did not take a Hurtigruten excursion. We drove from Reykjavik ourselves. If you haven't been before, I expect you'd love a Hurtigruten excursion.
There is not a great deal to see or do in Maniitsoq. Unfortunately, our local guide was not very good. Her most frequent answer to questions was, "I don't know." There is a cute little museum and entry was included with the exursion.
We took the optional boat tour of the ice fjord. It was magical. The town is cute, with little shops, cafes and a wonderful museum. The museum has an interesting rooftop viewing platform and is at the head of a boardwalk leading to a vantage point by the fjord. Just remember that what goes down must come back up! We didn't realize how far the path descends until we started the climb back to the museum.
This was beautiful. We tendered to a beach where some people did a polar plunge. (We had more sense and didn't do that!) There was a nice hike to another beach where we saw a whale skeleton. The path between the two beaches was not easy, but worthwhile. We had the opportunity to see some of the few flowering plants in Greenland.
Nuuk is easy to navigate by foot. We visited the National Museum which was wonderful. The King of Denmark was visiting Nuuk the same day we were there, so some things were closed for his private visit. We adjusted...
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