The adventures of Erik the Red are the inspiration for another epic new itinerary from Holland America.
The Seattle-based cruise line on Tuesday revealed plans for a nearly monthlong sailing to the Arctic inspired by the routes that the famed Norse explorer followed a thousand years ago.
The 28-night voyage on the 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam will stop at some of the most scenic parts of Iceland — Erik the Red’s original home. It’ll also stop in Greenland, which he explored, and the Arctic portion of Norway.
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Erik the Red is credited for establishing the first European settlement on Greenland after being exiled from Iceland and setting out to explore westward. He’s also credited with giving Greenland its current name. He was the father of Leif Erikson, one of the first Europeans to reach North America.
The new Arctic itinerary — dubbed the Arctic Circle Crossing: Greenland and Iceland — will kick off in Rotterdam in the Netherlands on June 29, 2025. It’ll bring calls at 15 ports across five countries.
The trip will start with travel up the coast of Norway to Alesund and Trondheim before crossing the Arctic Circle on the way to Honningsvag and Tromso. From there, it’ll continue with a westward ocean crossing to Ittoqqortoormiit on the east coast of Greenland.
In addition to being well above the Arctic Circle, Honningsvag is, notably, the northernmost city in mainland Norway and the gateway to North Cape — the northernmost point in Europe accessible by car.
On the way to Ittoqqortoormiit, Nieuw Statendam will sail around rarely visited Jan Mayen, a volcanic island in the Arctic Ocean known for its active volcano — the northernmost active volcano in the world.
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From Ittoqqortoormiit, Nieuw Statendam will head southward to Iceland for stops at Akureyri and Isafjordur before traveling westward to the western side of Greenland. Stops will include Nuuk, Sisimiut, Ilulissat and Nanortalik. This leg of the trip will include three more crossings of the Arctic Circle (two southbound and one northbound).
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After sailing along the west coast of Greenland, Nieuw Statendam will return eastward to Iceland for an overnight stay in the capital city of Reykjavik.
The voyage will end with stops at Stornoway on the Scottish isle of Lewis; Invergordon, Scotland; and Dover, England.
Four of the stops on the itinerary — Nuuk, Ittoqqortoormiit, Sisimiut and Ilulissat — will be maiden calls for Holland America.
A ‘legendary voyage’ for Holland America
The new Arctic itinerary is the latest addition to a new series of so-called Legendary Voyages that Holland America unveiled earlier this year. The extra-long sailings, scheduled to take place over the next three years, focus on a single region and range from 25 to 59 nights in length. They also have special programming.
The recently announced Legendary Voyages lineup includes both previously offered routings and some all-new routes — the latter including an epic itinerary focused on Japan that will last more than 50 days.
In general, the Legendary Voyages will focus on far-off destinations, including Australia and New Zealand, the Amazon and South America, the South Pacific and Hawaii, Greenland and Iceland, Asia, Alaska and the Arctic Circle. However, in a twist, many of the sailings are designed to begin and end in a North American port. This means North American passengers can reach distant places without ever getting on an international flight.
Related: Inside Passage to Arctic Circle: Cruise Alaska for a month with this epic new itinerary
The new lineup of long trips is designed to augment Holland America’s collection of even longer Grand Voyages — far-ranging, often world-circling sailings typically 70 nights or more.
The initial grouping of Legendary Voyages announced earlier this year included 17 specific departures between late this year and early 2025.
Fares for the new 28-night Arctic itinerary start at $4,719 per person, not including taxes, fees and port charges.
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