Flying to Iceland from the U.S. is no picnic. Most flights are overnight, and while the jet lag wouldn’t be all that bad (it’s only a four-hour time difference from Eastern Time Zone), a sleepless redeye huddled in economy can sure put a damper on your first day. How great would Iceland cruises from New York be instead?
You're in luck because there are indeed cruises to Iceland from New York ports. And there’s a cruise perfect for every type of traveler, whether you’re looking for a way to cruise to Iceland with your kids or are considering exploring the land of fire and ice as a solo cruiser.
It’s an exclusive list, as few itineraries cruise from New York to Iceland, so start planning now with our list of the five best Iceland cruises from New York for every traveler.
Check Celebrity Cruises’ schedule before you book any other cruise line. Sailing from Bayonne, New Jersey to Reykjavik, the line can get you to Iceland in the shortest sailing possible, with Canada stops in Halifax and St. Johns, plus Greenland. A twelve-day itinerary stops at two Icelandic ports yet leaves you time to spend a couple of nights in Reykjavik before catching a flight home. Reasonable cruise fares make this ideal for almost anyone.
Sister ships Celebrity Eclipse and Silhouette offer enough entertainment, dining options and stateroom choices to please everyone. And while Celebrity doesn’t have the top-deck water features of its sister line, Royal Caribbean, they do have youth programs to help with the entertainment, especially on sea days. The ships both have indoor adult pools in the solarium and ships carry fewer than 3,000 guests.
Celebrity ships always have plenty of balcony cabins, so wildlife and scenery watching are a breeze on these ships. There are also adjoining staterooms, and some suited for third and fourth guests. For those looking for a step up, these ships also have a nice selection of suites that come with Wi-Fi and beverage packages included and access to Luminae, a suites-only exclusive restaurant.
Viking Ocean cruises offer adventurous adults-only (18 and up) cruises between the port of Brooklyn and Reykjavik on a 14-night itinerary. Stops include Canada and Greenland before arriving in Iceland where it circles the island with a whopping five Icelandic ports of call before arriving in Reykjavik. There are only three sea days and one scenic cruising day on the itinerary.
All Viking Ocean ships are almost identical, so it doesn’t matter which ship you are on. Current ships to check include Viking Sky, Viking Neptune and Viking Vela. Viking Ocean ships carry only 930 passengers.
All Viking staterooms have balconies, tons of space and even heated bathroom floors. There are suites for those who want larger, more luxurious accommodations, too. The ship’s main pool has a retractable roof, and all guests have access to the ship’s thermal suite, complete with a pool, sauna, steam room and snow room.
Viking fares for cruises to Iceland from New York are not modest, but include all dining onboard, including a chef’s table experience and Manfredi’s, one of the best Italian specialty restaurants at sea. Meals are served with complimentary beer, wine and soft drinks. Wi-Fi is included, as is at least one excursion per port. These are typically a basic tour of the town or village, some by bus, others on foot.
And if 14 nights isn’t enough, you can book a fourteen-night extension. The ship sails northward, visiting seven ports in Norway, ending in Bergen.
If taking the family to Iceland is your dream cruise, look no further than Norwegian Star. Carrying roughly 2,300 passengers, this is a ship that is Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) through and through. You’ll find entertainment and dining to suit everyone, and a dynamic kids’ club to keep all ages entertained.
The itinerary is fourteen nights long, sailing from Manhattan. It stops in Canada and Greenland before visiting two ports in Iceland then Reykjavik. There are five sea days. Cruise fares are family friendly, as are most staterooms onboard. Norwegian often has special offers with perks included with the cruise fare. Those include Wi-Fi, drink packages and even some shore excursion credit.
For those who want a more luxurious cruise, Norwegian’s suite-exclusive area The Haven provides all the feel of cruising on a luxury line, but with all the fun of cruising mainstream. And solo cruisers shouldn’t rule out cruising to Iceland with Norwegian. The line is known for its solo studios, but Norwegian Star has 12 solo balcony cabins.
If you’re looking for a New York to Iceland round-trip, Norwegian Star can be booked back-to-back to accomplish that in 28 nights.
Solo cruisers must deal with what’s known as a single supplement on all but a few cruise lines. Solo cabins eliminate that problem and Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 has 15 single ocean view staterooms. In addition to that, Cunard often lowers the single supplement. We found single supplements on cruises to Iceland from New York (Brooklyn) lowered to 75 percent.
The QM2 itinerary is one of the few easy round trip cruises we found between New York and Iceland. It’s a leisurely 21-night cruise, visiting only two ports in Iceland. The ship stays overnight in Reykjavik.
Unlike most other cruises to Iceland from New York, this route skips Canada and Greenland, heading straight for Southampton, England. It makes one stop in Belgium, cruises three Norwegian fjords, makes a port of call in Norway, then heads to Iceland. There are a total of 13 sea days onboard.
The cruise fares are what we consider moderate, averaging over $200 per person per night for a balcony stateroom. The lower single supplement makes any stateroom almost a bargain for solo travelers.
This is an unusual itinerary on a ship that features an elegant style of cruising not found on many lines. Guests enjoy afternoon tea, guest lecturers and what Cunard calls “White Star” service. The ship carries fewer than 3,000 guests.
Regent Seven Seas' Mariner has an intriguing 18-night itinerary that visits New England, Canada, and three ports in Greenland before arriving in Iceland. It makes one stop in Isafjordur before overnighting in Reykjavik. The cruise is pricey, but you’ll have almost all the caviar you can eat, while traveling on an all-inclusive luxury vessel.
If a much longer cruise is more your speed, Mariner offers an 83-night itinerary that continues to two additional ports in Iceland before European destinations that include Ireland and Germany. The cruise ends in Barcelona.
Mariner carries only 700 guests and boasts a passenger to crew ratio of only 1.57. Regent Seven Seas cruises include everything from unlimited beverage service to unlimited shore excursions.