This unforgettable journey takes you from the emerald shores of Ireland to the rugged beauty of Iceland, the untamed wilderness of Greenland, and finally, to the vibrant United States. Embark on an extraordinary adventure across the vast Atlantic Ocean, as you traverse the realms of enchanting landscapes and captivating cultures on a thrilling trans-Atlantic cruise.

As well as encompassing some of the great cities of the world, we visit some of the most remote locations on the planet – little known and rarely visited but some of the most beautiful places on Earth. The tour commences with a stopover in Singapore, before heading to Amsterdam for a 2-night stay. Continuing on, we join our cruise in Rotterdam, which will take us via Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland across the North Atlantic to Boston, where we will travel by coach to New York.

Highlights Include

• Amsterdam
• Cork and Dublin (Ireland)
• Djupivogur (Iceland)
• Reykjavik (Iceland)
• Prince Christian Sound
• Qaqortoq (Greenland)
• St Anthony & St Johns, Newfoundland
• Halifax, Nova Scotia
• Boston, USA
• New York, USA

Our Floating Hotel for 18 nights – MS Zuiderdam

With her multi-million-dollar art and antique collection, wide teak decks and classic lines, Zuiderdam evokes nautical tradition while delivering state-of-the-art amenities. While on board, enjoy regional cooking demonstrations and food and wine tastings, or explore the world’s wonders with BBC Earth Experiences presentations and activities. Accommodation available on-board ranges from Ocean View to Staterooms with Balcony. Sit back, relax and enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery anywhere as you sail across the planet in absolute comfort.

Friday 02 August                                Home – Singapore     

Early this afternoon, we join our flight to Singapore. On arrival this evening, we are met and transferred to our hotel.

Saturday 03 August                            Singapore – Amsterdam                                                         (B,D)

Our Singapore tour offers something different this morning. We start with an aerial view from the world’s largest giant observation wheel – the Singapore Flyer. Standing at a stunning 165m from the ground, the Flyer offers you breath-taking, panoramic views of Marina Bay, towering skyscrapers, tropical greenery and even the hills of neighbouring Malaysia and Indonesia in the 30-minute “flight”. Afterwards, we visit Singapore’s latest National Garden – Gardens by the Bay. Visit the Flower Dome and Cloud Forest cooled conservatories; the vertical gardens of our Supertrees and relax and wander around the outdoor themed gardens. The afternoon is at leisure with our hotel rooms held for late checkout. This evening, we return to Singapore Airport (with dinner enroute) and report for our overnight flight to Amsterdam.

Sunday 04 August                               Arrive Amsterdam                                                                 (B,D)

We arrive in Amsterdam early this morning and are met by our coach and local guide. We transfer to our hotel where there is time to rest after our long flight. In the afternoon, we will meet up for a coach orientation tour of the city – famous for its three rings of canals lined by elaborately decorated merchants’ residences and warehouses built during the 17th century. We see Dam Square, the Royal Palace, Skinny Bridge and much more, before we enjoy dinner together at a local restaurant.

Monday 05 August                                         Amsterdam                                                                             (B)

A full day at leisure to explore your own interests. Perhaps take a day trip to Zaanse Schans or visit the historic Anne Frank House. Art lovers, be sure to stop in at the Rijksmuseum or the Van Gogh Museum. Alternatively, you may wish to visit the Flower Market on the Singel Canal – the only floating flower market in the world.

Tuesday 06 August                             Amsterdam – Holland America Viking Passage Cruise         (B,L,D)

After a leisurely breakfast, we travel to Delft to visit an impressive ceramics factory and then continue to Rotterdam, the dynamic and unique city which surrounds one of the busiest ports in the world. From here we board our floating home-away-from-home for the next 18 nights, the Holland America ship MS Zuiderdam as we commence our Viking Passage across the northern Atlantic to Boston. We set sail at 5.00pm.

Wednesday 07 August                        At Sea                                                                                     (B,L,D)

A chance to settle into the cruising regime with a full day at sea. Maybe take part in some of the activities available on sea-days – there are a range of activities offered in the course of the cruise which may include cooking demonstrations, destination lectures, dancing lessons, health spa treatments, quiz shows, movies, photography sessions and much more. Or maybe you just want to take time to relax with a good book in the library or in the privacy of your outdoor balcony watching the world go by.

Thursday 08 August                           Cork, Ireland                                                                          (B,L,D)

Corkonians are fiercely proud of their hometown, so much so that it’s jokingly referred to as the People’s Republic of Cork. And there is a lot to love about Ireland’s second city. Hugging the banks of the River Lee, it takes its name from corcaigh, the Gaelic word for “marshy.” With its origins in the 7th century, Cork enjoyed a flourishing period as a merchant center in the 18th and 19th centuries, with grand buildings like the elegant Cork City Hall bearing testimony to this status. On the north bank of the River Lee is the quaint neighborhood of Shandon with its landmark clock tower of St. Anne’s Church. The city’s heart is set on an island sandwiched between two channels of the Lee that open out into one of Europe’s largest natural harbors at Cobh. Arrive 8.00am, Depart 6.00pm.

Friday 09 August                                Dublin, Ireland                                                                       (B,L,D)

Ireland’s capital and largest city, Dublin is an historical and contemporary center for the arts, education, administration and industry, and was home to Yeats, Shaw, Wilde and other literary giants. Arrive 8.00am, Depart 10.00pm.

Saturday 10 August                            Belfast, Northern Ireland                                                       (B,L,D)

Belfast has emerged from decades of conflict to become one of Ireland’s most intriguing cities. In the 19th century, its location on the banks of the River Lagan made it an industrial center for ropemaking, shipbuilding, tobacco and textiles. And this legacy shaped much of its architecture: Grand Edwardian and Victorian municipal buildings and warehouses are found throughout the city alongside telltale scars of its more recent past.

Arrive 8.00am, Depart 5.00pm.

Sunday 11 August                               At Sea                                                                                     (B,L,D)

Another full day to enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Monday 12 August                             Djupivogur, Iceland                                                               (B,L,D)

Djúpivogur, a quiet fishing village with fewer than 500 residents, sits on the eastern coast of Iceland and dates back to the days of the Vikings. Despite the fearsome reputation of those who first established Djúpivogur, today what draws visitors to this remote corner of the country is its dramatic natural setting. Located on Berufjörður, it is near stunning natural wonders like the Hofellsjökull Glacier and the Valley of Waterfalls. Wherever you journey in the region, you’ll come upon stunning vistas and a landscape shaped by glaciers and geothermal activity. The village itself is home to intriguing sites like Langabúð, a log house built in 1790 that now houses artifacts related to Iceland’s long-held folk traditions. (These include a belief in “hidden folk” who live in the ancient windswept landscapes of rock, glacier and lava.) You can also journey to nearby Papey Island and meet some of eastern Iceland’s seabird population including cute and quirky puffins. These birds are so beloved in Iceland that they were long the symbol of the national airline and actually outnumber the country’s human population by some 25 to 1.

Arrive 8.00am, Depart 3.00pm.

Tuesday 13 – Wednesday 14 August                          Reykjavik, Iceland                                         (B,L,D)

Almost every visitor to Iceland spends some time in the vibrant capital Reykjavik. The world’s northern most city is just as much a part of Icelandic experience as the ‘Midnight Sun’ or the magical moonlike landscapes. Reykjavik, meaning “smoky bay”, gets its name from the misty geothermal steam rising from the ground. It heats homes throughout the city and provides a pollution-free energy source that leaves the air outstandingly free, clean and clear.

Arrive 11.00am, Depart 11.00pm.

Thursday 15 August                           At Sea                                                                                     (B,L,D)

Another full day to enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Friday 16 August                                Cruising Prince Christian Sound, Greenland                        (B,L,D)

Prince Christian Sound is located on the south eastern tip of Greenland, a 55-mile-long glacial cut channel that spans up to a mile across with mountains rising out of the water to a staggering 6000 feet above sea level. The ship spends much of the day cruising the sound. The views are spectacular with large glaciers and wonderful mountain peaks and maybe large icebergs.

Saturday 17 August                            Qaqortoq, Greenland                                                 (B,L,D)

Located near Cape Thorvaldsen, the town of Qaqortoq is the most populous town in southern Greenland. The area has a rich history, as it has been inhabited continuously since prehistoric times. You can still see traces of Thule and Norse cultures throughout the region, starting with the ruins of the 14th-century Hvalsey Church at the nearby Hvalsey Fjord. The town of Qaqortoq is home to the oldest fountain in Greenland; completed in 1932, it depicts whales spouting water out of their blowholes. Most of the city’s main attractions, including restaurants and the Qaqortoq Museum, are located on or close to the main square.

Nearby sites of interest include Uunartoq Hot Springs—the only heated outdoor spa in Greenland—as well as Lake Tasersuaq and the permanent art installation Stone and Man, a series of 40 stone carvings by contemporary Nordic artists that is embedded into the landscape in and around Qaqortoq. Arrive 8.00am, Depart 5.00pm

Sunday 18 August                               At Sea                                                                                     (B,L,D)

Another full day to enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Monday 19 August                             St. Anthony, Newfoundland                                                 (B,L,D)

St. Anthony is a town on the northern reaches of the Great Northern Peninsula of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. St. Anthony serves as a main service centre for northern Newfoundland and southern Labrador. The history of European settlement of St. Anthony reaches back to the early 16th century, when French and Basque fishermen used the well-sheltered harbour as a seasonal fishing station. By the time explorer Jacques Cartier came across the settlement in 1534, he reported it was named St. Anthony Haven.

Arrive 7.00am, Depart 4.00pm.

Tuesday 20 August                             St. Johns, Newfoundland                                                       (B.L.D)

North America’s oldest city located in the northeast of the Canadian Maritime Province of Newfoundland, St John’s is a mixture of colourful wooden houses, stately brick churches and colonial buildings. A visit to St Johns is said to “experience a love affair with the past, a happy marriage with the present and a flirtation with the future”.

Arrive 10.00am, Depart 11.00pm.

Wednesday 21 August                                    At Sea                                                                         (B,L,D)

Another full day to enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Thursday 22 August                           Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada                                               (B,L,D)

For ocean scenery at its best, nothing rivals Nova Scotia’s south shore. Atlantic Canada’s largest city, Halifax offers the vivacity of city living but with the charms of a small-town life and the pristine beauty of nature. The Halifax Citadel National Historic site is the most visited historic site in Canada. Out of the city, the fishing village of Peggys Cove and Canada’s prettiest town, Lunenburg, are both worthy of visits.

Arrive 8.00am, Depart 11.00pm.

Friday 23 August                    At Sea                                                                                                 (B,L,D)

Another full day to enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Saturday 24 August                Boston                                                                                                 (B)

Sadly, our cruise comes to an end this morning as we arrive into Boston. After disembarking, we take part in a sightseeing tour showing us the highlights of Boston City, the capital of Massachusetts and the most liveable large city in the USA. It is the cradle of independence, rich in history and culture, and it still retains much of the charm from an earlier age. We visit North Church, associated with the immortal Paul Revere and the Freedom Trail, and visit areas that in the past we have only read and heard about – “The Boston Tea Party”, Bunker Hill, Boston Pops Symphony Hall, Boston Common, and Beacon Hill. We overnight in Boston.

Sunday 25 August                   Boston – New York                                                                            (B,D)

After a leisurely breakfast this morning, we board our coach and make our way to one of our last stops on tour.

We arrive in New York late afternoon and are transferred to our hotel.

Monday 26 August                 New York – Auckland                                                                                    (B)

Today, we enjoy a full day of sightseeing in New York. There is plenty to see – Times Square, Central Park, Harlem, lower Manhattan, Greenwich Village, Wall Street, Empire State building, United Nations, Central Park. We will even have time for a harbour cruise which will take up past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

We have our rooms reserved until late afternoon before we head to the airport and join our direct flight home.

Wednesday 28 August            Arrive Auckland

Arrival time is early morning.

 

 

 

Images Courtesy of Maher Tours

 

Maher – 2024