Photo Tour: Seabourn Venture Cruise in Iceland and Greenland

After a charter flight from Reykjavík, Iceland, to a former World War II air base in Kangerlussauq, Greenland, we boarded Seabourn Venture and then spend a day cruising Baffin Bay before docking in Nuuk, Greenland. It’s a beautiful but far-from-bustling capital city of just 20,000 people. The people in the yellow-orange jackets are Seabourn guests wearing the complimentary parkas to protect against the elements – overall, temperatures were in the 40s and 50s in late June in Greenland, quite comfortable when the sun was shining, although the wind was fierce in Nuuk.

Seabourn Venture is believed to be the first cruise ship ever to navigate past icebergs and craggy cliffs to Camp Kangiusaq, a glamping site deep in the Nuuk Fjord, with 15 luxury tents. Passengers took motorized Zodiac rafts to shore to hike, kayak and explore the tundra and Norse ruins.

It may be hard to believe, but Sisimut is the second-largest city in Greenland, with about 6,000 residents. Its Royal Greenland plant is the country’s largest seafood processing plant. Seabourn offered walking tours, which included a church dating to 1926 and a museum complex, as well as tastings of some Arctic staples like seal meat and whale blubber. Also on this day, June 22, 2023, Seabourn Venture crossed into the Arctic Circle, a momentous occasion passengers will remember thanks to a certificate delivered to our suites. 

A Zodiac ride took us past flocks of kittiwake birds, chunks of ice and the beautiful glacier.

I unfortunately missed them, but whales put on a show every now and then in Greenland. Whales return to the polar waters in the summer when there is plenty of food.

Kayak and walking tours took Seabourn guests to Kangerluarsoruseq, Greenland, an eerie former fishing settlement abandoned in late 2009.

It stayed light out late into the evening. The moon was visible amid soft light at 11:30 p.m. June 24 outside Kangerluarsoruseq, Greenland. The sun rose about 3 a.m. Seabourn Venture’s suites have black-out drapes so passengers can get some sleep.

One of Seabourn’s signature events in warm climes is Caviar in the Surf. In Greenland, it’s Caviar on Ice on the pool deck during sail-away. It was a beautiful, sunny day with great scenery for the event.

Of course, Champagne and vodka were available to go with the caviar on deck! 

Seabourn Venture’s crew brought big chunks of glacial ice onboard to mix into drinks. The ice is said to be great for cocktails because it’s dense, clean-tasting and long-lasting.

The stunning formations and icy blue colors of glacier and icebergs in Prince Christian Sound. 

Some lucky Seabourn Venture passengers captured close-up views and photos of a seal napping on an ice floe while on a Zodiac tour.

The Hraunfossar waterfalls emerge from the edge of the lava fields and flow into the Hyita River near Akranes, Iceland. The waterfalls were included on a complimentary tour offered by Seabourn, which also included a steep walk up to the Grabok volcanic crater.

The views from Perlan, an interactive nature museum in Reykjavik. It’s a great place to spend a few hours or a day if you have a late flight after disembarking your cruise ship.