Holland America's new cruise itinerary will take you from Boston to Iceland and back
Want to visit Iceland without ever getting on an airplane?
If you're within driving distance of Boston, a new cruise itinerary from Holland America will let you do it.
The Seattle-based cruise line has announced plans for a new, 24-day voyage to Iceland out of Boston that will include a complete circumnavigation of the island nation -- a first for the line.
Scheduled to start on Aug. 3, 2022, the new sailing will take place on one of Holland America's newest ships, the 2,650-passenger Nieuw Statendam.
The trip will include six calls in Iceland at the ports of Reykjavík, Djúpivogur, Seydisfjörur, Akureyri, Isafjörour and Grundarfjörour.
In addition, on the way to and from Iceland, the ship will make stops at Bar Harbor, Maine; Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia; Saint-Pierre, St. John's, Red Bay, St. Anthony and Corner Brook, Newfoundland; and Qaqortoq (Julianehåb) and Nanortalik (Ilivileq), Greenland.
Circumnavigations of Iceland are a growing trend in the cruise industry, but most such trips begin and end in Iceland or another nearby country such as the U.K. or Norway. It's unusual for Iceland circumnavigations to begin and end in the U.S.
Iceland circumnavigations are a relatively new phenomenon in the cruise world. While adventure company Zegrahm Expeditions operated a complete circumnavigation of the island by ship as far back as 1999, it wasn't until 2013 that Iceland circumnavigations began to occur with some regularity.
Lindblad Expeditions and Norwegian cruise company Hurtigruten added Iceland circumnavigations in 2013, and Windstar Cruises began such trips in 2016. Ponant and Adventure Canada also have added Iceland circumnavigations since 2018.
In addition to sailing to Iceland out of Boston in 2022, Holland America has announced that Nieuw Statendam will operate a series of six- to eight-day "Canada & New England Discovery" voyages in 2022 between Boston and Québec City, with weekend departures. Port calls will include Bar Harbor, Charlottetown, Sydney and Halifax. The eight-day sailings add Saint John, New Brunswick.
Holland America also has said Nieuw Statendam would operate longer "Newfoundland & New England Discovery" cruises between Boston and Québec City. Ports on a 10-day itinerary include Baie-Comeau and Havre-Saint-Pierre, Québec; and Corner Brook, St. Anthony, St. John's, Halifax and Bar Harbor. An even longer 11-day departure brings calls at Portland, Maine; Saguenay, Québec; and Saint John, Halifax, Corner Brook, Charlottetown and Baie-Comeau.
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