South Quay Travel

SOUTH QUAY CRUISES
		Select a Cruise on the Marco Polo Baltic Cities and St Petersburg British Isles Discovery Celtic Explorer Icelandic Wonders and Northern Isles Majestic Fjordland Springtime Fjordland The North Cape Explorer Whitsun Fjords

m/s Marco Polo sails from London Tilbury
Cruise 27th June - 9th July

Our cruise to the legendary ‘Land of Ice and Fire’ and the rarely visited Northern Isles is a unique voyage of discovery traversing the Arctic Circle and circumnavigating Iceland, a remote island of vast ice caps, geothermal pools and bubbling hot springs, steaming geysers, lava fields and active volcanoes. Spectacular scenery, diverse natural wonders and abundant wildlife combine to make this wonderful cruising holiday a memorable experience to savour visiting four enthralling Icelandic ports of call.
First stop is a full day in Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands and home to the ancient Stone Age village of Skara Brae and the famous British naval base at Scapa Flow. Marco Polo then heads northbound en-route to the island of Heimaey in the Westmann Islands, scene of an immense volcanic eruption in 1973 followed by an evening circumnavigation of Surtsey named after the ‘giant of fire’ in Icelandic mythology. An extended full day visit to Reykjavik, the world’s northernmost capitals affords the chance to visit the amazing Blue Lagoon and the stunning Gulfoss Falls. Next stop is Grundafjordur in the Snaefellsjokull Peninsula. It is no wonder that its eerie volcanic terrain inspired Jules Verne to write ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’. Akureyri is our final Icelandic stop situated at the head of the country’s longest fjord and a snowball’s throw from the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’ at Godafoss and the Botanical Gardens. Marco Polo’s homeward leg of the cruise also provides rare opportunities for full day visits to the Torshavn in the Faroe Islands and then Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, both with striking Norse influences, en-route back to Tilbury.

ITINERARY Day Port Arrive Depart 1 London Tilbury - 1800 2 Cruising - - 3 Kirkwall 0730 1800 4 Cruising - - 5 Heimaey 0700 1600 5 Surtsey 1800 1900 6 Reykjavik 0600 2400 7 Grundafjordur 0700 1300 8 Akureyri 0900 1830 9 Cruising - - 10 Torshavn 0730 1700 11 Lerwick 0900 1800 12 Cruising - - 13 London Tilbury 0730 - Faroes Isles Gulfoss Falls		LONDON TILBURY   Day 1 Marco Polo departs at 1800hrs AT SEA   Day 2 Cruising at sea KIRKWALL (Orkney Islands)  Day 3 Arr 0730hrs Dep 1800hrs, stay 10.5hrs. The capital and administrative centre of the Orkney Islands, set on the principal island known as Mainland. The Orkneys comprise 70 or so islands, rocks and skerries that cover an area of 376 square miles. You can still detect the Norse influence and the Stone Age settlement at Skara Brae, older than either the Pyramids or Stonehenge, is fascinating. Optional Shore Excursions For Kirkwall: Tour C300 - Skara Brae and Skaill House Tour C301 - South Island and Distillery Tour C302 - Scenic Orkneys AT SEA   Day 4 Cruising at sea HEIMAEY (Iceland)  Day 5 Arr 0700hrs Dep 1600hrs, stay 9hrs. Your first port in the ‘Land of Ice & Fire’ is in the Westmann Islands, a collection of 15 islands and 30 reefs off the southern coast of the mainland. Heimaey has about 5,000 inhabitants and was the scene of an immense volcanic eruption by Mt Helgafell in 1973. A new landscape was created and the resultant lava mountain is still warm to the touch. Optional Shore Excursions For Heimaey: Tour C310A - Scenic Island Tour (0800h departure) Tour C311A - Boat Trip around Heimaey (0830h Departure) SURTSEY (Iceland)  Day 5 Circumnavigation of Surtsey In the early evening, Marco Polo will sail around the volcanic island of Surtsey, named after the ‘giant of fire’ in Icelandic mythology, which emerged spectacularly following a series of explosive eruptions between 1963 and 1966. The island is now a nature reserve. REYKJAVIK (Iceland)  Day 6 Arr 0600hrs Dep 2400hrs, stay 18hrs. Welcome to the world’s most northerly capital! A modern, smokeless city with an old town, lovingly preserved, Reykjavik lies close to an astonishing region of lava fields, spectacular geysers and steaming geothermal springs. Attractions abound, but the Blue Lagoon, with its warm mineral rich waters, and the magnificent Gulfoss Falls should not be missed. Optional Shore Excursions For Reykjavik: Tour C320 - The Golden Circle Tour C321 - Reykjavik Revealed Tour C322 - Introduction to Reykjavik Tour C323 - Reykjanes and the Blue Lagoon Tour C324 - Bathing in the Blue Lagoon Tour C325 - Glaciers and Volcanoes Flightseeing GRUNDAFJORDUR (Iceland)  Day 7 Arr 0700hrs Dep 1300hrs, stay 6hrs. One of Iceland’s oldest fishing villages, set in a fine natural harbour on the Snaefellsnes peninsula of the west coast, it was from here that the famed Erik the Red set off to discover Greenland in 985 AD. Many legends and sagas are connected with this area which is also a birdlover’s delight with puffins, arctic terns, kittiwakes, fulmars and razorbills much in evidence. Optional Shore Excursions For Grundafjordur: Tour C330 - Snaefellsnes Peninsula AKUREYRI (Iceland)  Day 8 Arr 0900hrs Dep 1830hrs, stay 9.5hrs. The second largest town in Iceland, at the head of the country’s longest fjord, the thriving Botanical Gardens and the fascinating museum are well worth seeing, but the real attraction is the awesome landscape of volcanoes, waterfalls, canyons and geysers. Take a polar flight across to Grimsey, watch for whales or visit Godafoss - the ‘Waterfall of the Gods’. Optional Shore Excursions For Akureyri: Tour C340 - Jewels of the North Tour C341 - Whales and Waterfalls Tour C342 - Godafoss and Laufás Tour C343 - Polar Flight to Grimsey Island AT SEA   Day 9 Cruising at sea TORSHAVN (Faroe Islands, Denmark)  Day 10 Arr 0730hrs Dep 1700hrs, stay 9.5hrs. Capital city of the Faroe Islands, “The harbour of the god Thor”, is a modern town that retains a unique character; although the islands - a green home to birds, sheep and about 46,000 people - would still be recognisable to the early Viking settlers who arrived on their transatlantic trail from Scandinavia to North America. Optional Shore Excursions For Torshavn: Tour C350 - Saksun Tour C352 - Kirkjubour and Nordic House Tour C353 - Kvivik and Kollafjoerdur Tour C354 - Kirkjubour and National Museum LERWICK (Shetland Islands)  Day 11 Arr 0900hrs Dep 1800hrs, stay 9hrs. Capital and county town of the Shetland Islands, Lerwick was settled by the Norsemen in the 9th century but has prehistoric sites going back thousands of years. Jarlshof, with its remains of Bronze Age, Viking and Medieval settlements is believed by some to be the most remarkable archaeological discovery in Britain. Optional Shore Excursions For Lerwick: Tour C360 - Scenic Shetlands Tour C361 - Shetland Contrasts AT SEA   Day 12 Cruising at sea LONDON TILBURY   Day 13 Marco Polo arrive at 0730hrs Fares in £'s Sterling Per Adult Cat Cabin Type Decks Fare DS Standard Twin Outer U 2799 JS Junior Suite Outer M 2399 DL De Luxe Twin Outer M 1999 12 Premium Twin Outer M 1799 11 Superior Plus Twin Outer M 1699 10 Single Outer M 2399 9 Superior Twin Outer P 1499 8 Standard Plus Twin Outer SA 1399 7 Standard Twin Outer SA 1299 6 Standard Twin Outer SA 1199 5 Single Inner SA 1799 4 Premium Twin Inner M 1199 3 Superior Twin Inner M 999 2 Standard Plus Twin Inner SA 899 1 Standard Twin Inner SA 849   Supplements Travel Insurance 45 Port Parking 84 Deposit Per Person 125 To book a cruise call us on 020 7510 2929