A cruise that links Iceland's volcanic south coast, the Faroe Islands and Edinburgh might sound like a geography lesson, but Holland America Line's Viking Trails and Celtic Origins itinerary is really a story about movement — how 9th-century Norwegian settlers hopped from island to island, sometimes bringing Celtic wives and slaves from Ireland and Scotland, and left their mark on the languages and sagas of both nations.
The journey sails from Reykjavik aboard Rotterdam, the largest ship in the Holland America fleet, carrying up to 2,680 guests. First stop is Heimaey in the Westman Islands, a fishing community dubbed the 'Pompeii of the North' after a 1973 eruption buried homes under ten metres of lava. You can walk the lava fields, now softened by purple lupins, climb the Eldfell crater, or catch a bus to the puffin cliffs. Next comes Djupivogur, a village of around 500 people in south-east Iceland, where a harbour road is lined with 34 giant sculptures of native birds' eggs — odd, but charming.
The Faroes leg docks at Runavik on Eysturoy, where local volunteers in hi-vis jackets greet arrivals. Independent walkers can follow a nature trail straight from the harbour, while guided excursions climb through mountain roads above Funningur, the first Viking settlement in the islands. The village of Gjogv, with its coloured houses stacked above a tiny gorge harbour, is the highlight — and the cliff opposite is reportedly where James Bond met his end in No Time to Die.
The finale is Edinburgh, approached by tender under the UNESCO-listed Forth Bridge to South Queensferry, complete with drums and bagpipes on the quay. From there it's a short hop into the city for the Castle, the Royal Mile or simply a waterside pint.
On board, the food programme is genuinely a draw: included dining in the main restaurant, plus for-fee speciality venues — Pinnacle Grill for steak and seafood, Sel de Mer for Mediterranean, Tamarind for Pan-Asian. Chef Darren Yardley-Salisbury runs a team of 200, with bakers and fruit prep staff working through the night; backstage galley tours are available if you're curious. The main pool has a retractable roof, useful given North Atlantic weather, and evenings bring World Stage shows and live music.
Similar itineraries return in 2027, with fares from £1,049 for an inside cabin on the 29 May departure. A 'Have It All' package at $100 per person per day bundles shore excursion credit, drinks, one speciality dinner and Wi-Fi. For travellers with Norse or Celtic roots — or anyone who wants dramatic coastlines without packing and unpacking — this route packs a lot of story into one sailing.
