Greenland Cruise Ports
Greenland is a gigantic country that is full of contrasts, starting from it been part of Denmark but located in North America.
From a cruising point of view, it is a popular destination for itineraries sailing from either the northwest of America or eastern Canada or for cruises setting sailing from northern Europe including Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom.
If you are looking to visit Greenland on a cruise this is the guide for you as we bring you n overview of cruising to the country and links for you to follow for full ports of call reviews based on our own experience of a Greenlandic cruise.
Cruises To Greenland
Cruise Holidays To Greenland
If you love to sunbath around the pool whilst at sea and explore big cities whilst on shore, a cruise to Greenland won’t be for you but if you love mountains, glaciers, waterfalls and experiencing some of the most remote towns in the world, then Greenland is for you.
As the least densely populated country on earth, it is no surprise that many of the ports you will visit will need you to tender and your ship may just have a bigger population that the port town.
For us, that is one of the great things about visiting the country as you can really experience what life is like in a region of the world that is so different from where most of us who visit their live but whilst the ports of call in Greenland all offer a different experience, they are not actually the highlight of a Greenlandic cruise for us.
That honour goes to the incredible Prince Christian Sound, which whilst not technically a fjords, offers all you would expect from sailing through a fjord including huge steeply sided mountains, narrow channels, waterfalls and glaciers as you sail between the Labrador Sea and the Irminger Sea.
Greenland Cruise Guide
If this guide, we take you through all that you need to know about visiting Greenland on a cruise holiday including the ports of call on offer in the country.
Greenlandic Turnaround Ports
Due to the remote nature of Greenland that makes it incredibly difficult for visitors to reach, aside from on a cruise ship of course, and the lack of infrastructure in the country, there are little to no cruises offered that start in the country.
From time to time, small ship expedition adventures may be offered but no mainstream line offer itineraries starting in Greenland.
Greenlandic Ports of Call
Just about every settlement in the country is located either on a small isnad just off of the mainland of Greenland or on its vast coastline which makes it easy to visit a variety of destinations on a cruise holiday.
Nanortalik is an incredible place to visit as it gives visitors the chance to experience an authentic Greenlandic town but also gain an understanding into its history.
The town welcome a wide range of ships, including mainstream lines, and offers a living museum as part of attraction to visitors.We were fortunate enough to visit the town on our trip to Greenland and despite been a cold and rainy day throughout our time on shore, it was still an enjoyable experience, and we would recommend visiting there.
Qaqortoq is one of the most visited cruise ports in Greenland and for good reasons.
Not only is it one of the largest settlements in the country that is ideally located in the southwest of the country, but it is also close to the island of Hvalsey, which is home to some of the worlds best preserved Norse ruins that are on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Nuuk is the capital city of Greenland, one of its main cruise ports of call and one of its best equipped.
It has one of the widest ranges of cruise ships calling in there from both mainstream and expedition companies.
Only a select number of luxury or expedition ships visit the port each cruising season with the aim to give their guests to chance to explore the beautiful fjords found close to the village.
Sisimiut is the 2nd largest city in Greenland but with a population of only around 6,000 people it still retains a small village charm.
There are a wide range of cruise ships that call into the port, including luxury lines and expeditions ships but a few mainstream ships also go there.
Narsarsuaq is one of the smallest towns that cruisers can visit but tis deepwater port makes it relatively straightforward for ships to visit.
There is a decent variety of mainstream and expeditions ships that allow cruisers to visit the town and explore all of the incredible natural beauty that surrounds it.
If you are visiting on an expedition ship or a smaller luxury cruise line, you may be able to visit the port of Ittoqqortoormiit which offers a truly unique opportunity to visit the only settlement In the Scoresby Sound.
Skjoldungen is a large, uninhabited island that sits between two fjords and that is visited by a small number of luxury cruise lines and expedition cruises looking to give their guests and adventurous day ashore.
Ilulissat is a small town around 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle that gives a truly arctic experience to those visiting.
There are arrange cruise lines including luxury ones, expedition ones and also mainstream lines that give their guests the chance to exploring the relatively large town or the surrounding area that includes Disco Bay.
Although the port normally only accepts smaller expedition style ships or small luxury ships, it is well worth visiting if you can.
The port sits at the head of the Kangerlussuaq Fjord, which houses some of the most impressive glaciers in the country.
Ummmannaq is one of the most northern settlements that cruise ships can visit as it lies just over 350 miles north of the Arctic Circle.
In some cultures, Santa Claus lives in the town, and it certainly plays up to that.
Qeqertarsuaq is located on Disko Island so as you my expect, that gives visitors access to Disco Bay and the incredible scenery it offers.
For those heading to Greenland on an expedition ship, the port of Qaanaaq gives the chance to experience one of the most historic settlements in the country and to take advantage of 24 hours of daylight.
Maniitsoq is a small fishing port that welcome smaller cruise and expeditions ships looking to give their guests the opportunity to visit several nearby glaciers and deepwater fjords.
Hvalsey is also known as Whale Island, and whilst its natural beauty and the wildlife found around are big draws to the island it is its world-famous Norse ruins that are the main attraction for the smaller cruise ships that visit there.
Taliilaq is the most populous settlements on the east coast of Greenland, which is perhaps best known for the nearby Mittivakkat glacier.
The town is one of the largest in Greenland and one of the fastest growing, but it still lacks key infrastructure, so ships will need to drop anchor and visitors will need to tender ashore.
The town is located on the Labrador Sea and was first established as a trading port before developing as a major whaling port.
Thankfully, things have changed and now those same whales still act a major part of the towns economy, but now it is in the tourists that visit there on cruise ships to see the Minke, Humpback and Fin whales that call the area around the town home.
Popular Cruise Lines
Despite not been a major cruse destination and the cruise season been only a short one in the North Atlantic, there is a still a decent range of cruise line who offer itineraries sailing there.
The majority of expedition cruise lines offer Greenlandic cruises and for more mainstream lines, it tends to be the more luxurious lines that offer the most options for sailing there, although mass-market lines also offer ships going there.
Amongst the lines to have the most itineraries sailing to the country are Oceania Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas, Silversea Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Celebrity Cruises and Seabourn Cruises.
Greenland
Location: North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans
Capital City: Nuuk
Currency: Danish Krone (DKK)
Language: Greenlandic (Danish and English also recognised)
Demonym(s): Greenlandic
Top Ports: Nuuk, Nanortalik, Qaqortoq
Greenland is an incredible country that sadly often gets overlooked by many. That is down to several different reasons including its remote location, its small population and the fact that it is cut of from most of the world for much of the year.
For those who are fortunate enough to visit, it is somewhere you will always remember as it is a destination that is unlike so many other places.
The country is the largest island in the world, one of the most northern populated countries in the world and from a cruising point of view, it is the almost the halfway point between Europe and North America.
Fascinatingly, the country itself is located in North America but as an overseas territory of Denmark it is more closely linked to Europe, with its citizens even been members of the European Union and gaining all of the benefits of that.
As a vast landmass with few people living there, it is somewhere that seems unspoilt by humans and that is its main draw for many visitors looking to take advantage of the incredible natural beauty found throughout its coastal settlements that welcome cruise ships.
Best Time To Visit Greenland
Due to the ports in the country becoming cut off from the world due to poor weather and ice for much of the year, the cruising season is very short.
The main season is May to September and whist some exploration ships will visit outside of those times, the vast majority of cruisers will visit during those months.
With the chance of storms throughout the year, we would recommend visiting during July or August for the best chance of having good weather and calm seas to really make the most of your time in Greenland.
Greenland Cruises From The UK
Whilst it may seem like the remoteness of Greenland makes it incredibly difficult to visit and some where only those on an adventure will ever get to experience, it is actually relatively straightforward to visit Greenland from the UK.
There are a number of different lines that offer direct journeys to Greenland direct from the UK, with most calling into Iceland along the way.
Greenlandic Cruises From Southampton
If you do want to visit the country directly from the United Kingdom, it is from the UK’s leading cruise port of Southampton that offers the most options of lines, ships and itineraries.
Here at CruiseHols.co.uk we bring you all of the information you will ever need to choose the right cruise destination for you and your family.
Our destination guides include everything from ports to attractions and excursion to the positives and negatives of the destination.
