Reykjavik to Halifax: Canada & Greenland Expedition Cruise

Description

Lined with picturesque fishing villages, dramatic fjords and mountains, and sweeping sea vistas framed by a rocky coastline, the route of the Norse is exceptional. Experience the beauty of the fjords, the majesty of the marine wildlife not to mention the incomparable scenery and learn a life lesson provided by Mother Nature. Zodiac trips and expert leaders make this voyage a fully immersive experience.

Skjoldungen Fjord, Greenland
Skjoldungen on Greenland’s east coast offers a spectacular ship’s cruise and (weather permitting) a Zodiac cruise to approach Thrym Glacier. Whales are often seen at the entrance to Skjoldungen.

Prince Christian Sund, Greenland
The ship’s cruise through one of Greenland’s most dramatic natural features, the waterway connecting the east and west coast of Greenland, will take several hours and will go past stark, steep mountains, waterfalls and glaciers.

Uunartoq Island, Greenland
Enjoy the opportunity to relax in hot springs and watch icebergs go by.

Qaqortoq, Greenland
Stroll through the picturesque harbour town of Qaqortoq, its colourful houses painted in bright primary shades. The modest Qaqortoq Museum houses a superb collection of Inuit artefacts associated with hunting and fishing, and a collection of contemporary artwork. The town is also famous for the open-air exhibition “Stone and Man”.

Hvalsey, Greenland
At Hvalsey you will find Greenland’s best preserved ruins of a Norse church dating back to the 1300s.

Woody Point, Newfoundland, Canada
Gros Morne National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both exceptional natural scenery and distinctive geological history. Gros Morne National Park provides some of our planet’s great geology lessons. Step on the earth’s mantle and experience the harsh landform – the Tablelands – that gave the park its World Heritage status. Learn about the park and Newfoundland’s geology, plant and animal life, marine story and human history at Gros Morne’s Discovery Centre, the primary interpretation centre.

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada
With special permission, we land our Zodiacs directly at the Fortress of Louisbourg, the crown jewel of Canada’s national park service. In the early 1700s, the port of Louisbourg was established by the French, who made extensive fortifications. The fortress was all but destroyed after several battles for control between the French and the British, with the British finally winning out. Today, mounds of grass-covered stone from original foundation walls have been painstakingly transformed to their former 18th-century splendour. The largest historical reconstruction in the nation’s history is now a Canadian National Historic Site.

Trip Name

Reykjavik to Halifax: Canada & Greenland Expedition Cruise

Days

Overview

Vessel Type: Luxury Expedition Length: 108 metres Passenger Capacity: 144 Built / refurbished: 1989 / 2008 / 2018 Silversea’s purpose-built luxury Silver Explorer expedition cruise ship has been designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the world’s most remote destinations, including both of earth’s polar regions. A strengthened hull with a Lloyd’s Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger vessels enables the Silver Explorer Expedition Cruise Ship to safely push through ice floes with ease. A fleet of 12 Zodiac boats allows Silversea Expedition guests to visit even the most off-the-beaten path locations and an expert Expedition Team provides insight and understanding to each unforgettable Silver Explorer luxury cruise adventure.

Itinerary

Day 1 - Day 1 REYKJAVIK

Sprawling Reykjavík, the nation's nerve center and government seat, is home to half the island's population. On a bay overlooked by proud Mt. Esja (pronounced eh-shyuh), with its ever-changing hues, Reykjavík presents a colorful sight, its concrete houses painted in light colors and topped by vibrant red, blue, and green roofs. In contrast to the almost treeless countryside, Reykjavík has many tall, native birches, rowans, and willows, as well as imported aspen, pines, and spruces.Reykjavík's name comes from the Icelandic words for smoke, reykur, and bay, vík.

Day 2 - Day 2 DAY AT SEA

Days at sea are the perfect opportunity to relax, unwind and catch up with what you’ve been meaning to do. So whether that is whale watching from the Observatory Lounge, writing home to your loved ones or simply topping up your tan by the pool, these blue sea days are the perfect balance to busy days spent exploring shore side.

Day 3 - Day 3 SKJOLDUNGEN

Located on Greenland’s relatively rarely visited rugged east coast, Skoldungen Fjord has enchanting scenery with towering mountains tipped with snow, ice-scraped valley sides and sculptured icebergs in shades of white and blue. At the top of the fjord one can easily see the retreating state of the Thrym Glacier. The U-shaped fjord offers spectacular scenery and as an extra perk, it is not uncommon to see whales in the fjord.

Day 4 - Day 4 CRUISE PRINCE CHRISTIAN SOUND & AAPPILATTOQ (KUJALLEQ)

Connecting the Denmark Strait with Davis Strait, Prins Christian Sund offers a protected course from southeastern to southwestern Greenland, and is one of South Greenland’s most dramatic natural features. The water is generally placid and the crisp scent of ice fills the air. On either side of the Sund, waterfalls stream down sharp, wrinkled mountainsides. Depending on weather conditions, icebergs that glitter in the sun may be constant companions during the passage.Aapilattoq is a small settlement near the western end of Prins Christian Sund in southwestern Greenland. In the local Greenlandic language the name means, "sea anemone". This small village of 130 inhabitants, hidden behind a prominent rock, offers a good insight into the life of Greenlandic Inuit. A stroll through the village will reveal a small school and a church, along with the likely possibility of seeing a polar bear skin drying in the wind behind a local dwelling. People have lived off the land in the area around Aapilattoq since the 19th century.

Day 5 - Day 5 NANORTALIK (KUJALLEK) & UUNARTOQ ISLAND

Nanortalik lies in a scenic area surrounded by steep mountainsides and is Greenland’s tenth-largest and most southerly town with less than 1500 inhabitants. The town’s name means the “place of polar bears”, which refers to the polar bears that used to be seen floating offshore on summer’s ice floes. Nanortalik has an excellent open-air museum that gives a broad picture of the region from Inuit times to today. Part of the exhibition is a summer hunting camp, where Inuit in traditional clothing describe aspects of their ancestor’s customs and lifestyle.Uunartoq is a small island in South Greenland a short distance east of what once was considered the largest settlement in Greenland. The island has hot springs that were renowned as far back as the days of the Norse for their healing effects. Three naturally heated streams have been channeled to flow into a knee-deep and stone-lined pool. While one unwinds by soaking in the steaming waters, one can watch icebergs that either clog the fjord to the north or come floating by.

Day 6 - Day 6 QAQORTOQ (JULIANEHAAB) & HVALSEY

The largest town in southern Greenland, Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Upon arrival in this charming southern Greenland enclave, it's easy to see why. Qaqortoq rises quite steeply over the fjord system around the city, offering breath-taking panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, deep, blue sea, Lake Tasersuag, icebergs in the bay, and pastoral backcountry.Northeast of Qaqortoq and at the end of a fjord, Hvalsey is one of the best examples of South Greenland’s many scattered ruins from the Norse period. Today the area is used for sheep-grazing, but until the 15th century the settlement at Hvalsey, and specifically Hvalsey’s church, played an important part. Christianity had spread its influence throughout Europe and eventually had reached remote Greenland, where it established itself in the country in 1000 AD. Hvalsey Church was built in the 14th century and is the best preserved of the churches in Greenland from that period.

Day 7 - Days 7 - 8 AT SEA

Day 8 - Day 9 ST ANTHONY (NEWFOUNDLAND)

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Day 9 - Day 10 WOODY POINT (NEWFOUNDLAND)

Acclaimed for its unearthly landscape, Woody Point is probably as close to Mars as you will ever get in this lifetime. Situated on the west coast of the island, the Tablelands behind Woody Point in the Gros Morne National Park are composed of peridotite — like much of the surface of Mars — and NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, plus others are studying this unique land form searching for insights into possible bacterial life on the red planet.

Day 10 - Day 11 DAY AT SEA

Day 11 - Day 12 BADDECK

Baddeck is the most highly developed tourist center in Cape Breton. Situated at the start of the famous Cabot Trail, the town of 1,064 inhabitants enjoys an international reputation as a fine resort. Baddeck has long been associated with the great inventor Alexander Graham Bell, who built a home here in 1885; it is still owned by his family. While traveling by steamer through the Bras d’Or Lakes, Bell was captivated by the region’s scenic beauty.

Day 12 - Day 13 LOUISBOURG (NOVA SCOTIA)

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, is a thriving seaport located on the eastern tip of Cape Breton Island. French settlers first arrived in Louisbourg in 1713, using the island as a base for their lucrative cod fishery. Soon, the town became one of the busiest harbours in North America and an important trading outpost and military hub. They named it Louisbourg, in honour of King Louis XIV. The fortress was built to defend against the threat of a British invasion. After two major attacks, the fortress was destroyed in the 1760’s.

Day 13 - Day 14 HALIFAX (NOVA SCOTIA)

Surrounded by natural treasures and glorious seascapes, Halifax is an attractive and vibrant hub with noteworthy historic and modern architecture, great dining and shopping, and a lively nightlife and festival scene. The old city manages to feel both hip and historic. Previous generations had the foresight to preserve the cultural and architectural integrity of the city, yet students from five local universities keep it lively and current.

Day 14 - Please Note:

Expedition highlights and itinerary listed here are possible experiences only and cannot be guaranteed. Your Expedition Leader and Captain will work together to ensure opportunities for adventure and exploration are the best possible, taking into account the prevailing weather, wildlife activity and ice conditions. Expedition Team members scheduled for this voyage are subject to change or cancellation.

Trip Dates

Start	End	Price From	Room Type

Inclusions

Discover Skjoldungen Fjord, Prince Christian Sund, Uunartoq Island, Qaqortoq, Hvalsey, Woody Point, Louisbourg
Retrace the route taken by the Norse and see the remains of Norse manors and churches in Greenland
Visit a small village in Southwest Greenland to see how the actual Inuit live
See the outstanding pieces of Inuit art of the open-air “Man and Stone” exhibition in Qaqortoq
Wildlife Watch List: Humpback whales, minke whales, fin whales and orcas, Seabirds of note: Black-legged Kittiwakes, Northern Fulmars, Great Shearwater, Great Skua, Great Cormorant, Black Guillemot, Common Guillemot and Brünnich’s Guillemot, Glaucous Gull, and Great Black-backed Gull