Cruising Iceland at a glance
- Season
- Late May to early September for circumnavigations
- Typical length
- 8 to 12 days, usually roundtrip Reykjavík
- Ship size
- Under 200 guests matters for Zodiac operations
- Our voyage
- Ocean Diamond, Iceland ProCruises, 27 May to 5 June 2022
- Roadless access
- Hornstrandir, Grímsey, Vigur, outer bird cliffs
- No permit body
- Iceland has no IAATO or AECO equivalent
Which Cruise Lines Sail Iceland?
Iceland ProCruises for dedicated circumnavigations, HX and Aurora Expeditions for active small-ship sailing, Lindblad for naturalist-led voyages, and Ponant, Seabourn, Scenic and Silversea at the luxury end. Quark and Atlas also run Iceland and Iceland–Greenland routes.
We sailed one of them. In May and June 2022 we circumnavigated Iceland aboard the Ocean Diamond with Iceland ProCruises, roundtrip from Reykjavík over ten days, and we have land-toured the island twice besides, including ten days in April 2023. Iceland is the only region on this site where we can speak to both the ship and the road.
That is why this page names one line differently from the rest. Everything we say about the Ocean Diamond and Iceland ProCruises is firsthand. Everything we say about the other operators comes from their specifications, from clients we have booked, and from ships we have toured elsewhere.
What Was the Ocean Diamond Circumnavigation Like?
Ten days, roundtrip Reykjavík, a genuine full loop of the island. Around 200 guests, an unfussy ship chartered by Iceland ProCruises, Icelandic guides, and a route that put us into the Westfjords, along the north coast and out to the Westman Islands rather than at the well-known road stops.
The thing that justified the ship over the car was access. We were ashore in places that have no road to them and no pier, put there by Zodiac, with seabird cliffs directly overhead and nobody else on the beach. Húsavík for whales was better from a ship than it would have been as a driving stop, because we arrived with the whole day rather than the afternoon.
The trade was equally clear, and we say it on Ring Road or cruise?: you give up the interior. No highland F-roads, no glacier lagoon on your own timetable, no stopping when the light turns. The ship decides.
Ship detail is on the Ocean Diamond's page, and the operator on Iceland ProCruises.
How Do the Operators Differ?
By what the day is built around. Iceland ProCruises runs Iceland specifically. HX and Aurora lean active, with Zodiacs, kayaking and science programming. Lindblad leans interpretive. Ponant, Seabourn, Scenic and Silversea lean comfort, with suites, fine dining and — on some ships — helicopters and submersibles.
| Operator | Representative ships | Character | Strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iceland ProCruises — the line we sailed | Ocean Diamond | Iceland-focused, unfussy, Icelandic guiding | Dedicated full circumnavigations; the one line on this list we have firsthand experience of |
| HX | MS Maud, MS Fridtjof Nansen | Scandinavian, informal, science centre aboard | Citizen science, regional history, hybrid propulsion |
| Lindblad Expeditions | National Geographic Explorer, Resolution | Naturalist-led and interpretive | Photography instruction and undersea equipment |
| Aurora Expeditions | Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle | Active, small-group | Sea kayaking, longer hikes, Zodiac safaris |
| Ponant | Le Bellot, Le Boréal | French luxury, gastronomy | Small harbours with a luxury service ratio |
| Seabourn | Seabourn Venture, Seabourn Pursuit | Ultra-luxury, all-veranda suites | Large expedition team, submersibles on some sailings |
| Scenic | Scenic Eclipse I and II | Ultra-luxury all-suite yacht | Helicopters and a submarine on board |
| Silversea | Silver Endeavour, Silver Cloud | Ultra-luxury, butler service | High space ratio and expert lecture programme |
| Quark Expeditions | Ultramarine | Adventure-forward polar vessel | Helicopter access and remote landings |
| Atlas Ocean Voyages | World Navigator, World Traveller | Yacht-style, under 200 guests | Small-port dockage and cultural calls |
Specifications follow each operator's published material. Only the Iceland ProCruises line reflects our own voyage; the rest we have not sailed in Iceland.
One correction worth stating plainly: HX is now simply HX. HX and Hurtigruten separated into distinct companies in February 2025, and material still calling it "HX Expeditions" or conflating the two is out of date. Both have pages here: HX and Hurtigruten.
We do not link out to operator booking pages from destination guides. Our own pages for each line carry what we know about them, including where we have sailed or toured their ships.
Does Ship Size Matter in Iceland?
More than in most regions. Under roughly 200 guests, everyone can go ashore in one Zodiac operation, which is what makes a landing at Hornstrandir or Vigur worth the morning. Above that, landings become rotations, and the roadless sites are where the rotation costs you most.
Our own ship sat right at that line, and it worked. On a larger vessel the same call becomes a shorter turn ashore for everyone.
Iceland also has no membership body dictating landing numbers — there is no IAATO or AECO here — so the constraint is the operator's own practice and the site itself rather than a rulebook.
What Routes Do the Ships Run?
Three shapes: a full circumnavigation of 10 to 11 days, a regional Westfjords and north coast voyage of 7 to 9 days, and a 12 to 14-day Iceland and East Greenland crossing over the Denmark Strait. The circumnavigation is the one that shows you how different the coasts are.
Route-by-route detail, including the ports we called at, is in Iceland cruise itineraries. If Greenland is the draw, Greenland or Iceland? makes that argument rather than this page repeating it.
What Does It Cost?
Broadly $6,000 to $11,500 per person for the active tier, $7,500 to $14,000 for luxury expedition, and $9,000 to $22,000 and above for ultra-luxury, before flights. Over an 8 to 12-day voyage that puts most Iceland sailings at or a little below $1,000 per person per night.
Fare detail, what we paid, and the ship-versus-road arithmetic are in what an Iceland trip costs.
Iceland cruise questions
Which line did you sail in Iceland?
Iceland ProCruises, aboard the Ocean Diamond, on a full circumnavigation roundtrip from Reykjavík from 27 May to 5 June 2022. It is the only Iceland operator we can speak to firsthand.
Is it HX or Hurtigruten?
HX. The two separated into distinct companies in February 2025, and HX is the expedition side. Anything still calling it "HX Expeditions" or treating them as one company is out of date.
Does a ship really reach places a car cannot?
Yes, and that is the main argument for it. Hornstrandir has no roads and no pier, Grímsey sits on the Arctic Circle offshore, and the outer bird cliffs are effectively sea access only.
How big should the ship be?
Under about 200 guests. That is the threshold where everyone can go ashore in a single Zodiac operation instead of rotating, which matters most at exactly the roadless sites you came for.
Are there landing permits or a membership body in Iceland?
No. Iceland has no IAATO or AECO equivalent governing landings. Practice is set by the operator and by the site, which is one reason the operator's own standards matter here.