Iceland Cruise on P&O Britannia: Our 14-Night Adventure
View from our balcony sailing into Isafjordur, Iceland
Iceland had been somewhere we’d wanted to visit for a long time, so when I spotted a 14-night P&O cruise aboard Britannia taking in several Icelandic ports, as well as stops in Ireland and Scotland, it felt like a wonderful way to see the country for the first time.
And Iceland did not disappoint.
Words can't really describe the beauty, magic and sheer scale of the Icelandic landscape, although I'm going to give it my best go! Even the photographs don't quite do it justice. Hopefully, though, they might inspire you to go and witness some of it for yourself…
Here’s a full review of our trip, including what we got up to at each port.
Our itinerary: Southampton → Cobh/Cork → Reykjavik → Ísafjörður → Akureyri → Kirkwall, Orkney → Invergordon → Southampton.
Relaxing in Britannia’s atrium
Sailing on P&O Britannia
This was our first time sailing on Britannia and we loved her.
She's a great-sized ship and, despite carrying thousands of passengers, rarely felt crowded. There were plenty of places where we could find a quiet spot to relax, read a book or simply stare out to sea - one of my favourite cruise activities!
The food was excellent, with plenty of vegetarian choices. I've written separately about eating vegetarian on P&O cruises, including photos of some of the meals we enjoyed.
There was plenty going on during the sea days too. I went along to a watercolour painting class, we played games and joined quizzes, and the evening entertainment was great. We particularly enjoyed the house band, Pulse, who we watched several times - usually accompanied by a bit of dancing. There were also silent discos, which are always entertaining even if you're just watching everyone else dancing around to music you can't hear!
There’s also the spa, cinema, theatre, deck games, swimming pools, walking around the ship, talks, quizzes, endless eating, coffees, ice creams… we really enjoyed just relaxing and reading in the Sunset Bar, in particular.
Britannia's crew were consistently friendly and helpful, and the ship ended up being a lovely base for what was quite an adventure-filled couple of weeks.
Cobh and Cork, Ireland
Our first port was Cobh, with easy access to Cork.
I'll be upfront: this wasn't a highlight for us. We decided not to book an excursion and instead caught the local train into Cork for a wander.
We spent about an hour there before deciding we'd seen enough and heading back to Cobh. But this comes with an important caveat: we aren't city or shopping people. If you enjoy exploring cities, shops, bars and restaurants, you may have a completely different experience.
The train also wasn't particularly frequent and was very busy. If we visited again, I'd probably either arrange an excursion that took us further afield or use a taxi to make better use of our time ashore.
And then it was time for Iceland...
Reykjavik and driving the Golden Circle
We hired a car from Blue Car Rental, who were excellent - friendly, efficient and had us on our way quickly.
Hiring a car turned out to be one of the best decisions we made on this cruise.
The roads were relatively quiet and easy to drive, and having our own car meant we could explore at our own pace rather than following a coach timetable.
Geysir eruption
We drove the famous Golden Circle, visiting three of Iceland's best-known natural attractions:
Geysir Geothermal Area
Our first major stop was the Geysir Geothermal Area.
It's a fascinating landscape of bubbling geothermal pools, steam and that unmistakable sulphur smell. The famous Great Geysir isn't particularly active these days, but nearby Strokkur erupts regularly - and standing there waiting for it to suddenly blast boiling water high into the air was a definite bucket-list moment for me.
You can wander around the geothermal area for free, although there are parking charges, and there's a visitor centre with toilets, a café and a gift shop.
It's strange, dramatic and completely unlike anywhere we'd been before.
Gullfoss Waterfall
Gullfoss Waterfall - a stunning view from every angle, well worth visiting.
Next came Gullfoss, and our first taste of just how spectacular Icelandic waterfalls can be.
A short walk from the car park takes you to several viewpoints overlooking the falls. You don't just see Gullfoss - you hear the thunder of the water and feel its spray in the air.
It's enormous, powerful and absolutely magnificent.
Þingvellir National Park
Our final main stop on the Golden Circle was Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are gradually pulling apart.
Walking through the rift valley between the plate boundaries is quite something when you stop to think about what you're actually looking at. The plates here move apart at an average rate of around 2cm per year.
Of course, the geology is only part of it. Þingvellir is also incredibly beautiful, with huge views across the landscape.
Þingvellir National Park - incredible place
One thing we noticed everywhere during our Iceland trip was the abundance of purple lupins, creating huge splashes of colour across the otherwise green and volcanic landscape.
We'd taken some food with us from the ship in sandwich bags, which made it easy to stop for lunch whenever we fancied.
It's one of several little things that made our cruise days easier, and I've included more ideas in my ‘things you might not think to pack for a cruise’ post >
We were originally supposed to spend two days in Reykjavik, but the itinerary was changed before our cruise.
In the end, that worked perfectly for us. We managed to see everything we'd particularly wanted to see around the Golden Circle in one day and weren't especially interested in spending time in the city itself.
Ísafjörður
After our busy Golden Circle day, we deliberately kept Ísafjörður much more relaxed.
The name means "ice fjord", and its setting is beautiful - surrounded by steep mountains and dramatic scenery.
We decided simply to get off the ship and have a wander rather than booking anything.
It's a lovely place to stroll around and soak up the views, although we found the town itself very quiet, with relatively few shops and restaurants. If we visited again, I think we'd probably use the opportunity to venture further afield, perhaps on a wildlife or whale-watching trip.
Sometimes, though, a slow day is exactly what's needed.
Isafjordur, Iceland
Enjoying the midnight sun in the arctic circle
Sailing into the Arctic Circle
That evening brought another bucket-list moment: we sailed into the Arctic Circle.
We went up on deck to experience the midnight sun and simply stood for a while breathing in the Arctic air.
There's something rather wonderful about being outside late at night with the sky still light, knowing exactly where you are on the planet.
It was quite mild, and we loved how light it was…
P&O also gave everyone a certificate confirming that we'd crossed into the Arctic Circle, which was a lovely little touch.
Akureyri and northern Iceland
Akureyri was probably my favourite day of the entire Iceland trip.
We loved having the opportunity to see northern Iceland. Most people we know who have visited Iceland have stayed around Reykjavik, so it felt quite special to be exploring much further north.
Once again, we hired a car - this time from Avis - and headed out on our own. And although the individual places we visited were spectacular, the drive itself was part of the experience.
We drove through huge green valleys, past mountains and volcanoes, alongside lakes and through landscapes that seemed to change constantly. There were moments when we simply had to stop, admire the view, and take it all in.
Driving around in Iceland
Goðafoss Waterfall
Our first stop was Goðafoss - the "Waterfall of the Gods". And what a waterfall.
We walked around the site to see it from several different viewpoints, watching the enormous volume of water rushing over the falls and continuing along the river below.
There's a café, shop and toilets nearby, but we'd bought a packed lunch on Britannia, so afterwards we drove a little higher and found a viewpoint where we could sit in the car, eat lunch and look out across the landscape.
Dimmuborgir Lava Fields
Next we headed to Dimmuborgir, an extraordinary landscape of lava formations created by ancient volcanic activity.
There are walking trails through huge pillars, caves and twisted formations of black volcanic rock, with information boards explaining how the landscape was created.
It's another of those places where Iceland seems to casually remind you that you're walking around on an extremely geologically active island.
Hverir / Námaskarð Geothermal Area
And then we reached somewhere that barely seemed to belong on Earth.
Hverir - also known as the Námaskarð geothermal area - is a landscape of boiling mud pools, steaming vents and ground stained vivid shades of orange, yellow and white by minerals.
And yes, the sulphur smell is strong.
The air itself was cool - you’ll see I'm wearing a coat and scarf in our photographs - yet the earth beneath us was warm. With volcanic heat so close beneath the surface, steam pours constantly from the ground.
Standing amongst the bubbling mud and hissing vents felt more like exploring another planet than northern Iceland.
It was absolutely incredible.
The combination of Goðafoss, Dimmuborgir and Hverir, plus the spectacular drive between them, made this my favourite day in Iceland.
Sea days, dolphins and the midnight sun
One of the things I loved about this itinerary was its pace.
Our busy exploring days were broken up by wonderfully lazy sea days aboard Britannia. We'd read, eat, watch the sea, join activities when we fancied them and generally enjoy having absolutely nowhere we needed to be.
We also spotted dolphins from the ship and had more opportunities to experience the wonderful light evenings.
Then, after Iceland, we headed towards another place I'd been looking forward to seeing: Orkney.
Kirkwall and exploring Orkney
I loved Orkney.
There's something about the islands that feels incredibly peaceful and calm. The landscape is wide and open, with relatively few trees - Orkney's exposed position and strong winds make it difficult for extensive woodland to establish - and there seems to be an enormous amount of sky.
I could happily return for a long weekend or even a week and explore more. For our one day there, though, we did what had clearly become our signature cruise excursion: We hired a car. We're really not coach-tour people, can you tell? Avis in Kirkwall sorted us out, and off we went.
Skara Brae
Our first major stop was Skara Brae, an extraordinarily well-preserved Neolithic settlement dating back around 5,000 years - older than Stonehenge and the Egyptian pyramids. It's difficult to comprehend that kind of age.
The remains include houses containing stone furniture, including beds and dressers, offering an incredible glimpse into how people lived thousands of years ago.
Its location is beautiful too, right beside the sweeping Bay of Skaill. History, archaeology and a gorgeous beach. Perfect.
Ring of Brodgar
From there we drove to the Ring of Brodgar, one of the largest prehistoric stone circles in Britain.
Its exact age isn't known, but it's thought to have been constructed sometime between around 2600 and 2400 BC.
This was somewhere I didn't want to rush. The stone circle sits within a huge landscape of lochs, hills and sky, and I found the whole place incredibly peaceful. I took some time simply to sit, ground myself and absorb the atmosphere.
Whatever your beliefs about ancient places and their energy, there's something undeniably special about standing somewhere humans have been gathering for thousands of years.
Yesnaby Cliffs
Then it was time to get windswept.
Yesnaby's coastline is all sweeping cliffs, sea stacks and rough Atlantic water crashing below. We walked along the cliffs, breathed in the sea air and admired yet another enormous view.
Afterwards, we simply drove.
We wanted to see as much of Orkney as we could, and roads and causeways connect several of the islands. Some are so small and open that you can see from one side to the other.
There was no particular destination - we just explored - and it turned into a really enjoyable day. Orkney is definitely somewhere I'd return to.
Invergordon, Scotland
Our final port was Invergordon.
We've spent a lot of time travelling around Scotland over the years, so we didn't feel any particular need to book an excursion here, and unfortunately we couldn't find a hire car.
If it's your first visit to this part of Scotland, however, you could use the stop to explore further afield, perhaps visiting Inverness, Loch Ness or one of the area's whisky distilleries.
We simply got off Britannia for a short wander around Invergordon before returning to the ship. There isn't a huge amount to see in the immediate port area, so we were quite happy to enjoy another relaxed afternoon onboard.
Would I recommend an Iceland cruise?
Absolutely.
This cruise gave us a wonderful combination of adventure and relaxation.
One day we could be standing beside a thundering waterfall, walking between tectonic plates or watching boiling mud bubble out of the earth; the next we could be curled up with a book aboard Britannia, watching the ocean through the window.
I also loved the freedom that hiring cars gave us. Organised cruise excursions are ideal for lots of people, but we much prefer being able to decide where we're going, how long we're staying and when we're ready to move on.
It made Iceland feel less like a series of organised port stops and more like several little road trips.
Fourteen nights also gave us time to properly enjoy the ship. We saw dolphins, experienced the midnight sun, crossed into the Arctic Circle, danced to live music, painted, read, ate extremely well, and saw some of the most extraordinary landscapes we've ever encountered.
Iceland itself exceeded my expectations. The waterfalls, volcanic landscapes, geothermal areas, mountains, huge skies and almost otherworldly scenery have stayed with me - and this cruise only made us want to see more.
Would we go back? Definitely. In fact, we'd love to return one day, hire a car and drive right around Iceland.
Something tells me we haven't finished with this beautiful, strange and magical island yet.