Iceland as a pre-cruise extension???
 

Four of us will be taking a Baltic cruise out of Bergen, Norway in June of 2016. The cruise line is offering a 3 or 4 night extension to Iceland before the beginning of our cruise. I have been weighing the pros and cons of such an extension, and would appreciate any input offered.

Pros:
- A chance to visit part of the world that we would not visit otherwise
- Reykjavik sounds like a very interesting city
- The Golden Circle offers some amazing sight-seeing

Cons:
- Very expensive
- High probability of unpleasant weather
- Packing extra warm clothing that would not be required for the rest of our trip

I look forward to any thoughts and suggestions regarding this extension. In addition, any suggestions for any other pre-cruise extension other than Iceland would also be welcomed.

Thank you all so much!

I encourage you to do the pre cruise extension in Iceland. It's a great way to see the country - especially if it hasn't been on your radar for a visit. There's almost all daylight that time of the year, too.

I was in Iceland for a 2 day stopover the end of last July on my way to Paris. The highs in Iceland were mid 50's so I had the issue of what clothes to wear while there because it was going to be hot in Paris. I ended up wearing jeans and layering while in Iceland and had a packable windbreaker. That worked out fine. Yes, it's not optimal to have to take clothes for different types of weather but I made it work.

I'm not sure why you say a high probability of unpleasant weather for June 2016. You never know about the weather.

I had no idea I would love Iceland as much as I did. The Golden Cirlce tour was amazing. I don't think you would regret taking the pre cruise extension.

We went to Iceland just couple months ago and absolutely loved it! I would absolutely take the opportunity to go!

Yes, it is expensive, but you can also do it for a reasonable cost.

Another vote for the Golden Circle tour. We enjoyed it so much that when our kids go soon, we made sure they had this arranged.

We have stopped in Iceland for a few days on our last two trips from the USA to France. I would highly recommend you do so. It's fascinating.

We did not find it expensive. We had one of the nicest, largest hotel rooms we've ever had in Europe in the center of downtown Reykyavik on the main shopping street for 50 euros a night. Lovely, lovely hotel. Food was definitely expensive and uninspiring for the most part, so we just picked up things to munch on at the local supermarket and had meals at the only Turkish place in town, which had small plates at very affordable prices. We took free student-led tours of the city. We went to public hotspring baths instead of the schlocky, expensive Blue Lagoon. We do not consider it to be an expensive country, but we did our research ahead of time and didn't get snookered into tourist spots.

I don't know why you would think the weather would be unpleasant in June. It's a cold country, but no one can predict what the weather will be like. Last time we were there was the first days of the Icelandic summer, starting April 23. It was frigid, but sunny, and we had the right clothing.

I would go - how hard is it to pack gloves, hat, scarf, wool socks, and a warm windbreaker?

I didn't find Iceland very expensive, back before 2007 it was, but not since.

It's June so not very cold, yes do a tour for a day but use a small bus so you can spend time talking to the driver, do get to a local spa, great fun.

We've spent two holidays in Iceland and have been bowled over by the place. I'm not sure what you mean by 'unpleasant weather'. The first holiday was in Mid May. It had been a very cold spring and we did have one day when temperatures fluctuated around zero with snow. Another day temperatures were around 20˚. The second visit was in June and it was warm. We were in shirt sleeves all the time.

The temperatures for this June can be seen here:
http://www.accuweather.com/en/is/rey...weather/190390

Historical data is here:
https://weatherspark.com/averages/27...Region-Iceland

If you have the chance to go, it seems foolish to miss up on it. Go prepared with layers you can add or take off and a waterproof windproof jacket.

The Golden Circle tour is well worth doing. We did this with a taxi which was great as we could spend as long as we likes at the various attractions. We probably spend nearly 90minutes watching Stokkur - much longer than the average tour has.

Reykjavik is small enough to be able to wander round by yoursel and has plenty to fill a day.

There are whale watching boat trips and don't forget the Blue Lagoon either, the highlight of most peoples visit.

Our pictures for two dys in http://wasleys.org.uk/Grnld%20Iceld%...and/index.html are here:
http://wasleys.org.uk/Grnld%20Iceld%...and/index.html

Iceland has always been regarded as expensive, but then most of the Nordic countries are.

I would definitely go if you possibly can. it has wonderful sights, amazing 24 hour daylight, and a real "other world" feel.

go for it!

By all means go. June is a wonderful month to visit As far as weather, Icelandic weather is variable - one could experience all 4 seasons in a day - but in June it will not get particularly cold. A good sweater and waterproof windbreaker should do the trick. Even better, buy an Icelandic sweater when you get there. They are fantastic, warm and last for years. As was mentioned above, Iceland once was expensive but now it is in line with other places in Europe.