Fall for Iceland
Forge your own saga by enjoying the finest natural wonders the land of fire and ice has to offer — and all from the comfort of a luxury cruise
Iceland’s cinematic landscapes of thundering waterfalls, gushing geysers and snow-capped volcanoes are worthy of a place on any must-see list.
And how better to experience the glories of the land of fire and ice than on the Wild About Iceland cruise aboard the award-winning Saga Sapphire luxury ship?
After witnessing the mighty forces that shape the Earth, knowing there would always be a warm welcome back on Sapphire, made it doubly thrilling for my wife Deborah and me.
We would wind down from these once-in-a-lifetime, wow-moments by sipping drinks while gazing out to sea, enjoying fine- dining and then watching West End-style shows in a grand theatre.
There are simply so many things to love about an all-inclusive Saga cruise. Their whole sea programme is “no-fly” so there’s no faffing around at airports, and pretty much everything is included – meals, standard alcoholic drinks, tips, excursions, even the price of a car to and from the port. And the exciting, well-organised excursions make seeing the best of the sights a breeze.
Sapphire’s 16-night trip left from Dover and sailed along the Channel, up the Irish Sea via Dublin then anticlockwise around Iceland.
It stopped for trips to the natural wonders before returning to Kent via Holyhead in Wales Wales. One highlight was a spectacular excursion to the Golden Circle, a tourist route in south-west Iceland with three stunning locations.
The Thingvellir National Park, about 25 miles east of the capital Reykjavik, straddles two worlds.
This immense fissured rift valley, caused by the clash of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, has rivers and waterfalls. It’s the country’s first national park and, amazingly, its only UnescoWorld Unesco World Heritage Site. Site One of the best walks runs between the edge of the North American plate, where part of the wall has collapsed.
Known as the Almannagja gorge, the whole valley has an alien feel with lava fields stretching wide across the dramatic landscape. The park also has huge historical importance – it was where the world’s first democratic parliament was established in AD 930.
From there we went to the Geysir H Hot Spring Area. Although it was r raining when we arrived, it didn’t p put a dampener on seeing the b boiling mud pits and more than a d dozen hot water blow holes.
The most active geyser these da days is the Strokkur, which spouts water w about 100ft into the air every few minutes. We couldn’t resist joining joi in with the other tourists trying try to predict the exact timing of the t next eruption.
Next N was the stunning Gullfoss falls. fall Known as the Golden Waterfall, fall it plunges down a series of cascades cas before reaching the gorge of the th Hvita river. We also squeezed in a final stop before the evening sailaway to the rotating domed Perlan building, a world-class museum with amazing views over Reykjavik.
It was an eye-popping adventure, but it was a joy to return to our luxury cabin aboard – especially as it had an actual bath. That evening we had a splendid three-course dinner in the Pole to Pole restaurant, the main
dining room. For those seeking more informal dining, the Verandah was a fine alternative.
In glorious sunshine the following morning, we sailed down the breathtaking fjord to the fishing village of Grundarfjorour.
The mountain range of Helgrindur, which rather unfairly means the Gates of Hell, forms the backdrop to a village with waterfalls plunging down the hillsides.
From there we took the intriguingly-titled Viking Sushi Adventure, a brilliant boat tour around the islands off the shore of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
They teem with bird life, including puffins, black guillemots, kittiwakes and fulmars. Many of the islands also have extraordinary rock formations and basalt columns, which make great nesting places. The boat managed to get right up close to give a bird’s eye view.
The sea here is so full of marine life that when a crew member retrieved a large bucket he threw overboard minutes earlier it was full of creatures.
I’m not a big fan of scallops but I couldn’t resist one served straight from the sea. Deborah was braver and went for a serving of sea urchin as well, which has a peachy flavour. Who knew?
Back on board, we dined at East to West, a more formal fusion restaurant, where the waiting staff performed a synchronised service.
This is the only meal you have to pay extra for but, as a treat, it is certainly worth it. We were joined by Captain Kim Tanner who, due to his mannered eccentricities, including keeping his pet parrot on the bridge, is a huge hit with passengers.
We loved his rather unorthodox Tannoy announcements, particularly his hilarious mispronunciation of every Icelandic name. For the captain, crew and many repeat passengers, the imminent retirement of the Saga Sapphire caused sadness
– she sails for last time in March 2020. But there was also a lot of excitement about her replacement, Spirit of Adventure, a slightly larger ship whose maiden voyage is in August 2020. Many passengers have already booked.
Later that night we headed off out for a rather romantic- sounding excursion – Whale Watching Under the Midnight Sun. On this fourhour mini-cruise around Reykjavik harbour,
there’s usually the chance to see 11 different species of sea mammal. Sadly, the whales and dolphins weren’t out when we were there but the sunset, just before midnight, was incredible.
Sapphire passengers also had the chance to listen to talks from celeb guests, such as TV’s survival expert Ray Mears and ex Corrie star Sean Wilson, who played Martin Platt, and who was a big hit with his insights into cheesemaking.
There were also plenty of other traditional cruise activities. We enjoyed a fabulous evening in the Britannia Lounge, where the ship’s cast of singers and dancers put on a hugely entertaining jukeboxstyle show to the music of Burt Bacharach.
After docking at Siglufjorour the next day, we took quite a lengthy coach trip, past the almost lunar landscapes, to the Myvatn Nature Baths. The geothermal water for the baths arrives at more than120C – fortunately it is cooled down to a more comfortable 36C when it reaches the lagoon.
The healing waters are supposed to be good for skin and spirit – and if it hadn’t have been for the rigid schedule of the coach trip we would have floated about there for hours.
On the return leg we stopped at Godafoss – Waterfall of the Gods. Then, for us, the last port of call was Seydisfjorour, a beautiful town which has the best-preserved collection of wooden buildings on the island. And, of course, no town here would be complete without a stunning set of falls – in this case the River Fjardara plummets over 25 waterfalls to reach the fjord – a dramatic finale to our epic Icelandic adventure.