Iceland and Norway

Your voyage begins in Southampton (for London), England. The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside - and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Aurora's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Aurora with a leisurely day at sea.

Your ship calls at Skjolden, Norway.

Your ship calls at Cruise in Lustrafjorden , Norway.

Your ship calls at Cruise in Sognefjord , Norway.

The island of Giske is the reputed birthplace of the great Viking Rollo, who laid siege to Paris and founded the Duchy of Normandy. William the Conqueror was his grandson.In 1904, a massive fire destroyed 800 buildings in this fishing port. Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II responded with immediate aid, and Ålesund was reborn. Not surprisingly, the town was rebuilt in the then-popular Art Nouveau style known as Jugendstil. The result is one of the prettiest ports in Norway. Buildings with elegant turrets and spires can be seen lining the streets of the city center. Today, the city is one of Norway's most important fishing harbors and the world's largest supplier of stockfish (Klippfisk) - dried cod. Alesund's major attractions are the surrounding fjords and the stunning Sunnmøre Alps.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

The town is your gateway to the famous "Land of Fire and Ice" - Iceland's dramatic landscape of volcanic craters, extinct lava lakes and majestic waterfalls.Visitors to Akureyri have a hard time grasping the fact that the town lies just below the Arctic Circle. The climate here is temperate: flower boxes fill the windows of houses, and trees line the neat, well-tended avenues. Thanks to that mild climate, Akureyri's Botanical Gardens provide a home for over 2,000 species of flora from around the world - all surviving without greenhouses. No wonder Icelanders refer to Akureyri as the most pleasant town on the entire island.Travel Tip - Akureyri rhymes with Tipperary.

Your ship calls at Cruise in Eyjafjordur , Iceland.

Your ship calls at Cruise by Hrisey Island , Iceland.

Your ship calls at Grundarfjordur, Iceland.

Iceland is a land of volcanoes and glaciers, lava fields and green pastures, boiling thermal springs and ice-cold rivers teeming with salmon. This unspoiled demi-paradise is also home to a very old and sophisticated culture. The northernmost capital in the world, Reykjavik was founded in 874 when Ingolfur Arnarson threw wood pillars into the sea, vowing to settle where the pillars washed ashore. Today, Iceland is an international center of commerce and home to one of the most technologically sophisticated societies in the world.Reykjavik is the gateway to Iceland's natural wonders, which range from ice fields to thermal pools. The island is in a continual process of transformation much like its society, which blends Nordic tradition with sophisticated technology.

A second day in Reykjavik, Iceland - time to explore at your own pace.

A full day at sea - time to enjoy Aurora's restaurants, pools and entertainment.

Continue your voyage aboard Aurora with a leisurely day at sea.

Your ship calls at Cork, Ireland.

Another day at sea to explore the ship at your own pace.

Your voyage concludes in Southampton (for London), England.