Has anyone taken a trip to Iceland? A cruise. Is it a nice trip? Worth going? Thinking about August of next year.
Has anyone taken a trip to Iceland? A cruise. Is it a nice trip? Worth going? Thinking about August of next year.
I haven't, but one of my tax clients came back from 3 years there. He said that the mid-summer high temperatures were usually in the 50-60°F range. He wasn't allowed to say where in Iceland.
He said that the mid-summer high temperatures were usually in the 50-60°F range.
I know. I'd be getting out of 105–120°F. I was also told not to take an umbrella. When it rains there, it's too windy for an umbrella.
But is it basically a scenery trip? Like visiting the parks in the U.S. Of course, different scenery.
"Today is expected to be light winds and clear weather across most of the country. Temperature records were broken across the country yesterday, and Reykjavik residents enjoyed temperatures above 20 degrees for the first time in two years." RÚV English July 15 2025
https://www.ruv.is/english/2025-07-15-up-to-28-degrees-today-and-heat-records-yesterday-448594
I've been reading a couple of Icelandic English language news sites since the last series of volcano eruptions started.
I was there two years ago. Great people, good food, and plenty to see and do. The healthier you are, the more there is to do. Avoid the cruises because they experience little of the people or the culture. The cheapest way to get there from the U.S. and from Europe is Play Airlines. The ground costs are high because most of the food is imported. Everyone speaks English and only locals can speak Icelandic. Most of the tourist staffing comes from Europe.
Avoid the cruises
At our age, we now only do tours, lately by boat. This is a large yacht (about 300 people).
We've spoken to a few people and they all said not to go.
It's probably because of the cruise ship, as I've always felt like Fick Suck, I prefer interacting with the locals rather than being surrounded by tourists and limited in how I react. Thus, at my age, I prefer NOT being led around like a young child, chasing what and where I prefer to go.
Every time I travel to Paris—though not for some time—I'd avoid the typical tourist sites and just start walking until I couldn't see a single sign printed in English, and then I'd start exploring and interacting with the locals.
I've never been a fan of 'tourist sites' as you can see the exact thing online or even on a frigging post card (anyone recall those?). I prefer lived experiences instead and actually getting to know the local inhabitants. As all I need is to hang up with MORE obnoxious Americans! ;)
Still, a lot of that depends on your health—which is why I haven't been back in so long. That said, I've long been a walker, and most places I go, I'll walk the entire length and breadth of any major city, exploring the unseen treasures. But with chronic Type-1 Diabetes for the last half-decades, compounded by a wide variety of complicating factors, I'm rather limited in just what I can do anymore.
I still walk, I just have to be much more careful about it.
In fact, on the few cruises I did take (in one of many trips to the Caribbean), when the cruise ship pulled into port, I get off the frigging ship and walk to the ship's next destination, giving me plenty of time to explore the region and it's people without all those trying to control, corral and curtail me.
But hey, that's just me, as a lot of people like being led around, Bah! ;)
That said, there are still a LOT of places I'd love to visit—including Iceland, Greenland and the rest of Scandinavia I haven't, yet that's no longer a realistic possibility. Because, frankly, if I could, I likely wouldn't return.
Look at Overseas Adventure Travel tours. They specialize in tours for the over 60 set.
Not a cruise, but a layover flying Iceland Air from Dulles to Hamburg. We spent a day and a night and took the Golden Circle bus tour, to see Gullfoss (breathtaking waterfall), the Stokkur Geysir and a place where you see the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plate juxtaposed. Quite nice for a day trip.
On the other hand, back in 2005, Iceland was crazy expensive (no idea where they stand now) and the tap water smells and tastes of sulphur.
If you can combine a cruise to Iceland with one to Northern Norway, i.e. the Lofot Islands and the West-Norwegian Fjords, that would be really worth the trip. I would advise against travelling in August: no midnight sun, no sunny weather. Best time of the year is May to early July.
Of course, that's me, traveling by motorcycle.
Best greetings from Lake Grytsjö, Kyrkhult, Sweden!
If you can combine a cruise to Iceland with one to Northern Norway
Actually, we wanted to go to Scandinavia but they were sold out. I think we'll do that in 2027.
We are late making plans because after my trip to the French wine country last year, we decided no more travel because I couldn't see. We ended up canceling the trip planned for this year. But I had two eye surgeries a couple of months ago and can now see in one eye so we will be traveling again. But where we want to go next year is already sold out. Iceland wasn't so we were considering it.
Thanks for the info.
Friends toured Iceland last year, relatively small group by bus, and loved it. Highly recommended.
I went many years ago when I was 25-ish. Great place for a single guy. Iceland has the most beautiful women in the world, IMHO. So today, as a 70 year old married guy, it wouldn't hold much appeal. But if you're into scenery and nature, it's a great place to visit. Try the sheep's eyeball.
Has anyone taken a trip to Iceland?
I keep meaning to revisit my local Iceland. Allegedly there's an old person's discount on Wednesdays. But I've always found their food quality, and usually their pricing too, to be uncompetitive - Aldi and Lidl beat them at both. :-)
AJ
(Iceland is a UK chain of supermarkets specialising in frozen food)
I've been to Iceland a couple of times, with the US armed forces. I didn't get far from Keflavik, or the civilian airport in Reykjavik. The people seemed stand-off-ish (but that may have been because I was obviously a soldier in the US Army. (But I have heard similar comments from those who traveled there and spoke passible Danish, and weren't in the armed services.
The scenery is spectacular!
I found the weather pleasant, but then I was born and raised in western Washington state, where it is often overcast, rains quite a bit, and has a similar climate to southern Norway or Sweden...
I have been told the fishing is a real pleasure (I am not inclined to fishing) so, YMMV.