After a smooth and quick embarkation and lifeboat drill we were informed by the captain that we would unfortunately have to sail 24hrs late due to bad weather so we would miss the Faroe Isles. Since we had an extra day in Newcastle shuttle buses were provided to take people into the centre of Newcastle should they want to do so. It was definitely the best decision to delay sailing as we still had a day and half of rough stormy seas to contend with en route to Iceland; an interesting experience no one onboard will ever forget!

Akureyri is a lovely port in northern Iceland, the weather was cool and overcast but thankfully dry. The ship docks only a 10 minute walk from the centre which is really handy. Despite being the second largest city in Iceland it is still fairly small and quiet, but it is a nice port to wander round. Alot of people do the whale watching tour here but we found it rather expensive.

Skagafjörður is a small village in the north-west of Iceland, but it is situated in some of the most amazing scenery I've ever seen. The town is about a 15min walk from where the ship docks. There's not many shops and alot of people chose to do a tour in this port. We did the Hesteyri Island excursion which we thought was worth the money. The boat trip to Hesteyri was lovely and the island itself was beautiful, beware of the flies though, there were hundreds of them on the island! After a tour round Hesteyri village you stop off at the doctor's residence for some afternoon tea of Icelandic pancakes. Read more