Review of a disappointing cruise with Rivages du Monde in Iceland and Greenland (page 6 of 8)

Thanks, Catherine, for this really interesting review to follow. It’s such a shame the mishaps shortened the cruise. Thanks for your analysis and conclusions.

Indeed, this is a company to avoid, and the itinerary was a bit disappointing.

Hi Sylvie,

No worries, there are so many other beautiful places to discover on our wonderful planet—why not Patagonia, New Zealand, Australia, or the gem... Antarctica, among my favorite destinations.

Hi Catherine, That’s exactly it.

It's clear that you really sold me on Antarctica... I'm still drooling after reading your account! 2019 is my "upgrade" year with Costa—I’ve spotted a few dates with what looks like 4 stops in Iceland... so instead of a road trip... I’m also tempted by St. Petersburg, but only on a cruise. I save road trips for "nature." 2020 will be for road trips or maybe an exceptional expedition cruise... I still have some time to think it over and decide...

Hi Catherine, A big thank you for the savings you helped me make—it’s a cruise I’d have regretted, especially now, at least with this cruise line. For ice, I’ll settle for what I’ll see in Alaska next year with Cunard. Them, I know 😛. Anyway, your trip reports are always such a pleasure to read, even when the news isn’t always great. See you soon for new adventures! 🙂

Thanks Pascal, your words mean a lot to me. Alaska with Cunard is an excellent choice—it’s so beautiful and vibrant, and the glaciers there are stunning.

I’m lucky enough to be heading back soon: New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia with HAL. I can’t wait…

Hi 4yne- Thanks for all your excellent cruise reports and beautiful photos from your trips (Antarctica and Greenland) that I’ve been following closely—luckily, we have quite a few cruise operators to choose from, both in the North and the South 😉 which puts us in a better position to compare the pros and cons of each company and weigh them fairly. After returning last June to the North Pole and the Russian Arctic’s Franz Josef Land on the Russian nuclear icebreaker *50 let Pobedy* (with, as fellow passengers, a Ponant team scouting for the icebreaker *Commandant Charcot* and its cruises: North Pole and Franz Josef Archipelago starting June 2021, for which paid pre-reservations for 2021 are almost closed), I’m switching regions for a departure from Honolulu on October 4th and all the way to Easter Island by November 7th, aboard Ponant’s *Le Boréal*! You may have followed the latest adventures of the *Boréal* (and the *Soléal*), which had to cancel their Northwest Passage crossings due to the impossibility of passing through the Bellot Strait, even with a Canadian icebreaker, because of the heavy ice in Canada’s Nunavut this year, 2018! Just goes to show that the weather always calls the shots for all companies, no matter where you are—North or South—and it’s something you should never forget, given how much it can directly impact the success or failure of an expedition cruise! Best regards.

Good evening Catherine,

Thanks for your review...

I’ll settle for the magnificent memory of Greenland I kept from the flyover on my way to Canada... I’m not at all tempted by the cruise you took, especially its second part. On the other hand, I really enjoyed the one in Iceland, even though MSC swapped our stops and forced us to do the Golden Circle with their excursion instead of on our own with a rental car as planned...

I hope your next cruise will live up to your expectations... and make up for the others.

Best regards, Claudine

Hi Joska,

I followed the updates on the *Soléal* and *Boréal* you shared—thanks for doing that. In their case, it was clearly a real reason imposed by Mother Nature, and fortunately, the crews on those ships are used to dealing with her. I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to manage, but they found solutions even if retreating was inevitable. For the passengers, I can imagine the disappointment, but they experienced a real adventure firsthand, and I think Ponant will know how to comfort them.

I agree that the weather decides, but when it comes to "non-expedition" cruise ships, the excuse of wind or rough seas is used so often—whether it’s justified or not—to hide something else or avoid responsibility that it’s no longer believable. At least, that’s been my experience with my last two trips, which had multiple cancellations.

True, Polynesia will be a big change for you, but it’s not a bad one either...

Hi Claudine,

It's true that Greenland is really beautiful from the sky. I think more and more people are going there in the spring (but not by boat) before the snow melts—maybe that’s better.

True, I’ve been there several times, a while ago now, and there were still very few tourists. The idea of "doing" Iceland on a cruise would never even cross my mind—like, not at all! You "do" Iceland on horseback, ...or by bike, on foot...maybe in a 4x4....

You "do" Iceland on horseback, ...but also by bike...or on foot...let's say by 4x4..

It’s a bit like the Auvergne—poorly served by cruises🙂

Yes, exactly, good comparison—Iceland isn’t somewhere you go primarily for its rivieras... so... by boat... maybe I sound negative... but when we went to Iceland 25 years ago, the only tourists were, like us, on horseback... and stayed in mountain huts. It was still pretty much Iceland as the Icelanders knew it. Nowadays, everyone wants to go everywhere... but with all their comforts... and, you know, the best is the enemy of the good. Iceland in a 3-star hotel or on a luxury cruise ship... it’s just not really Iceland anymore. (;-))...

You "do" Iceland on horseback, ...but also by bike...or on foot...let's say by 4x4..

It's a bit like the Auvergne, poorly served by cruises🙂

😎

Personally, I was thrilled to go to Iceland on a cruise. 3 days were enough for me. I got a great glimpse of the landscape, and that was perfectly sufficient. I won’t be going back because the climate is too harsh even in summer, and I’m craving sunshine. It can be perfectly suitable, though.

Hello, go where you like, but I don’t think you can truly get to know and appreciate Iceland and the Icelandic people just by passing through on a boat. Why did you even go there in the first place? I think you and I don’t travel in the same way at all, and we don’t have the same reasons for traveling.

The first time we went to Iceland was in 1992—there was almost no one there, and we thought, *here’s a great destination that won’t attract crowds*... well, it did... too bad!

Best regards.

I have no idea if we share the same travel style? We don’t know each other. Personally, I do all kinds of trips—cruise circuits, beach stays, city breaks... In short, in 3 days, we obviously didn’t see all of Iceland, but we got a good overview, and that was enough for this destination. On the other hand, for example, in the American West, we did a road trip for nearly 4 weeks, and we still dream of going back because we loved it so much... And finally, why did I go to Iceland? A short trip to discover new landscapes without spending too much time there—5°C in summer is fine in small doses. That didn’t stop us from having a great time, just like in Norway and the Faroe Islands, which were also part of the itinerary... To each their own tastes, but please don’t judge—you don’t know him.

..................... it was in 1992, there was almost no one, and we had said to ourselves, here's a great destination that wouldn't attract crowds... well, yes... too bad!......

Hello,

It seems reasonable to claim, then, that your judgments and predictions aren’t very reliable.

On the other hand, your conclusion, though brief, doesn’t seem to reveal... an approach free of a certain self-proclaimed superiority either. Could we assume that, in your words, a "crowd" at a site deserves a "rant" in writing?

Our contributor’s report, with multiple stories already appreciated here, remains critical while addressing societal changes—values you don’t seem to share.

Best regards,

Hello Sir, I chimed in because I happened to come across your friend’s message, who was very disappointed with her cruise to Svalbard. I took the liberty of mentioning that I’d been there on a small boat fitted for 12 people (and there were 10 of us, including a crew of 3). Even though we didn’t cover a huge distance, we were thrilled with everything we saw and did—whether it was the wildlife, landscapes, discoveries, remnants of whaling history, or the visits to the remains of 19th-century polar expeditions. We also went ashore several times a day. Personally, a ship with 200 or 300 people wouldn’t have suited us at all, but every way of traveling has its pros and cons. That said, reading: "I saw the coasts of Iceland—that’s enough for me," really leaves me baffled. But yes, Iceland *is* cold, damp, and windy, and you can experience all four seasons in a single day. When you’re on foot, horseback, or even in a vehicle, it can be unpleasant—or even worse at times. Yes, Iceland (among other places) is something you have to *earn*, but what a pleasure it is to dismount from your horse or step out of the car and go soak in hot springs... surrounded by volcanic ash landscapes... and those waterfalls... and the fumaroles... and the geysers... and the cascades... and...!! And if you’re interested in Icelandic history and the Icelandic people, you should read *Iceland’s Bell*...

Everything you describe can be experienced on a cruise layover! We also went to the Blue Lagoon, saw the fumaroles, geysers, the Golden Circle, waterfalls, and volcanic ash landscapes. No need to stay a whole month to see all that LOL!!