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Vikings of the North Sea

Vikings of the North Sea

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Description

Expedition voyage following in the wake of the Vikings from Denmark to Scotland.

Join us on this expedition cruise across the North Sea, embarking from a pier in central Copenhagen. We will visit the small scenic town of Skagen, at the pointed ‘top’ of Denmark where many famous Danish artists once resided together in an artists’ colony. Continuing into open sea, we make a call to the west coast of Norway, a stronghold for fierce Viking warlords over a thousand years ago. The Viking Sagas tell us that Haugesund was the burial place of Harald, the first Viking king. We will make a visit to his monument in this quaint seaside town. We continue in the historical Viking slipstream across the sea towards the British Isles, whilst imagining how these brilliant skippers braved and navigated the same waters towards the unknown.

The Shetland Islands, like neighbouring Orkney, was once ruled by Vikings. They came across the North Sea with a reputation as fearsome warriors, but surprisingly they settled down and became farmers for the next 500-600 years, leaving a lasting imprint of Norse placenames, daily expressions, and traditions.

Our new expedition vessel Ocean Albatros will be our home for this unique cruise. She is a revolutionary and stylish small ship that combines exquisite comfort with modern technology as well as unique stability in rough seas. Ocean Albatros can accommodate 188 guests in 93 cabins/staterooms. The elaborate design, together with fantastic service from the staff, provides an intimate atmosphere on board.

Trip Name
Vikings of the North Sea
Days
6
Overview
Vessel Type: Luxury Expedition Passenger Capacity: ~190 (95 cabins) Built: 2022 The Ocean Albatros, sistership to the Ocean Victory, will join the fleet of Albatros Expeditions in November 2022. The Ocean Albatros will be deployed to a large selection of expedition cruise destinations, Antarctica, the Arctic, any various exciting new destinations in between. With a total of 95 comfortable staterooms and suites, all with unobstructed sea view, most with their own balcony, the Ocean Albatros will definitely become one of the most popular expedition cruise vessels in the world. Like it's sistership the Ocean Victory it offers two restaurants, a wellness area, an Albatros Nordic Bar, an open deck dining facility, a modern lecture lounge, and other state-of-the-art amenities.  The vessel will have more than a 50% lower carbon footprint than traditional expedition vessels and be one of the most environmentally friendly, implementing the Green Initiative Program, ensuring both absolute comfort and sustainability for our guests. Unlike the Ocean Victory, the Ocean Albatros will also offer a unique panorama sauna, and a total of 12 dedicated solo travel cabins without a single-supplement. BRIDGE Due to its important role as a control center for all nautical and technical processes, the ship's bridge is a vital, sensitive place. Therefore, the bridge may not be accessible to the public at all times. Conditions permitting, we will be happy to welcome you into the bridge for a visit. Guests must be accompanied by the master or our expedition leader. STATEROOM SERVICE Your stateroom is serviced daily. We provide a turn-down service. We provide meal to room only for serious cases of guest being sick. Our suites will have VIP services. ZODIAC LANDINGS One feature of our expedition cruises includes landings and excursions aboard Ocean Albatros's fleet of 18 inflatable, motorized rubber "Zodiac" boats. The Zodiac brand has earned a well-deserved reputation as the sturdiest and safest small watercraft available. These boats have a low draft and great stability. Zodiacs are constructed for professional use and are outfitted with a top-quality outboard engine, yet their design minimally impacts the environment. The Zodiacs are designed to provide unrestricted access to the world’s last great frontier. Their versatility enables us to make landfall on remote shores, cruise along awe-inspiring coastlines and share breathtakingly close encounters with whales, seals, penguins, seabirds and more. We will come within arm’s reach of icebergs and set foot on land discovered by pioneering explorers just over a century ago. Your safety and comfort are our #1 priority, and your expedition leader will carefully plan for as many Zodiac excursions as possible, dependent upon the local weather and prevailing conditions. In each case, the expedition leader makes the final decision if the landing is possible or not. Safety regulations apply on landings. All guests receive a mandatory instruction of the safety guidelines. Life jackets are mandatory to wear. Please note, we highly recommend the use of waterproof bags in order to protect your personal camera or binoculars, as both hands must be free of everything during boarding. Participation is fairly easy and comfortable for able-bodied guests but can be more challenging for those with physical handicaps. GRATUITIES Following international standards in the service industry, it is customary to leave gratuity for the ship’s crew at the end of the voyage. All gratuities will be divided among the crew. Typically, a recommended amount is approximately 13.5 USD per person per day. Gratuity is, of course, not required and any gratuity payments are voluntary. DRESS CODE The dress code on board is casual. Ties, jackets and evening dresses you may leave at home. It is rather more important to wear the right clothes in order to adapt to the different weather conditions. We recommend comfortable, breathable, waterproof and windproof clothing. Also, you should have a pair of gloves, thermal underwear and sturdy footwear in your luggage. For the captains and farewell cocktail, we recommend a smart casual dress style. INTERNET / PHONE Keep in mind, we will be cruising in a very remote region of the world. Where accessible, internet access is available for an extra charge. Mobile phone reception may be possible in select regions along our route. For further details please contact your mobile phone operator. Prices can be found in the information folder in your state room. Please ensure that your ‘Data Roaming’ function is switched off. RECEPTION The daily office hours of the board reception are from 06:00 until 23:00. ALBATROS OCEAN SHOP The selection of items available for purchase varies by ship, and may include a range of warm and practical clothing, as well as souvenirs, local arts and postcards at reasonable prices. A small selection of soap, toothpaste and other personal effects are also sold. HEALTH / MEDICAL EMERGENCY Each of our vessels has a small medical facility equipped with the necessary equipment and medicine to handle small emergencies. The infirmary is always staffed by a professionally licensed, English-speaking physician and nurse. Should a serious incident occur, the nearest hospital will be contacted. All guests must have personal travel/health insurance. Although we do not have an official requirement regarding personal fitness, you should be able to move on board and ashore without the help of others. Please be aware that the ship does not provide wheelchair accessible state rooms. Due to safety reasons a cruise is only possible for pregnant women until the 24th week of pregnancy. The state of pregnancy must be presented by a medical certificate. PHYSICAL DISABILITIES / WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY Guests with physical disabilities are recommended to travel with an accompanying person. The processes on board should be handled without external help. The gangway can be – depending on the individual disability – a challenge. The angle of inclination of the gangway varies due to tide and different circumstances in the respective port. Please note that the guest’s participation in shore excursions as well as the (dis-)embarkation by Zodiac can be denied by the expedition leader due to security reasons. The instructions of the expedition leader must be followed. The ship is not suitable for wheelchairs. SEASICKNESS / STABILISATORS The ship is equipped with stabilizers in order to reduce the ship’s roll. However, these expeditions are hosted in remote regions, and it is possible to periodically encounter changing environments and climate patterns, including rough seas and large swells. Seasickness patches (Scopoderm or similar) work solely or in part to help cure nausea for most people. These medicines can cause sleepiness. If you are prone to motion sickness, consult with your doctor prior to departure to help ensure your comfort while travelling. SPECIAL DIETARY REQUESTS All meals on board the vessel is chef-prepared. If you have special dietary requirements (food allergies, intolerances, health conditions or religious preferences), please inform us as early as possible - ideally, no later than 2 weeks before departure. In order to ensure efficient service, please re-confirm your requirements with the crew upon boarding the ship. LAUNDRY If you wish to have some laundry done while aboard the ship, laundry service is available for an additional fee.

Itinerary



Day 1 - DAY 1 COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, EMBARKATION AND DEPARTURE FROM CENTRAL COPENHAGEN
The cruise begins in the heart of Copenhagen, where Ocean Albatros is moored. After embarkation and mandatory safety procedures the lines are cast and the captain sets a northbound course out of the Sound. You will be shown to your cabin, and the mandatory security procedures are carried out. While dinner is served in the elegant restaurant, we will pass the castle of Kronborg, made famous by a certain Hamlet!
Day 2 - DAY 2 SKAGEN, DENMARK. NORTHERNMOST POINT OF JUTLAND, LIVELY FISHING TOWN AND PAINTERS COLONY
Ocean Albatros will moor in the important fishing port of beautiful Skagen. Skagen is known for its fantastic sunlight, vibrant city life, characteristic yellow houses and white sandy beaches.We start the day with a coach tour to Grenen, the pointed peninsular marking the northernmost point of Denmark. Join the tractor-bus called ‘Sandormen’ and see where the waters of Skagerrak and Kattegat meet in culminating waves. Always a popular excursion for Skagen visitors.After the visit, we take a leisurely city walk, which includes Skagen Art Museum, where visitors will see the permanent collection of works by the famous Danish painters, Anna Ancher, P.S. Krøyer, Holger Drachmann and others. In the 19th century, these world-renowned artists created works of art in the artists' colony, which primarily consisted of Scandinavian painters, known as “the Skagen Painters”.After experiencing the "top" of Denmark, we return to the port of Skagen to re-embark our ship for a late lunch – and for the continuation into the North Sea onwards to Norway.The seafarers known today as Vikings, consisted of people from the Nordic countries of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Their expeditions aboard the famed longships took them all over the known world, where Viking settlements were established and thus impacted on the history of western Europe quite profoundly. As we brave some of the routes the Vikings sailed, we delve into their history and quite possibly debunk some romanticized views of these folk along the way.
Day 3 - DAY 3 HAUGESUND, NORWAY. A TOWN OF HERRING AND VIKINGS
The home of the first Norwegian Viking king Harald Fairhair, Haugesund is located between Bergen and Stavanger in southwestern Norway. Here, nestled among small islands and mountains is where this wonderful old town by Kamsundet can be experienced. The strait itself, which protected the passing ship traffic, was also a source of massive herring fishing, which was the city's growth engine.“Sildebyen” (literally translates into “Herringtown”) also offers a distinctive pink town hall from 1931. The history of shipping and shipbuilding is clearly seen and manifested itself as Norway's 4th largest shipping town back in 1913. The waterway also gave many of the inhabitants the opportunity to explore the world, and many captains and sailors have embarked from here on their first long voyages around the globe. Norway is still a great seafaring nation, with hundreds of thousands of Norwegians working on the oceans every day (Ocean industries count for about 70% of Norway’s export earnings).Many Icelandic sagas tell us stories of the first Viking king, where the Orkneyinga and Heimskringla sagas specifically recount a military voyage to the Hebrides. Here the king fought to clear the islands of dissident pirate Vikings, who were raiding the Norwegian coasts. The expedition later continued to Scotland, much in the same way as our route takes us.
Day 4 - DAY 4 SHETLAND ISLANDS, SCOTLAND. LERWICK: IRON AGE DWELLINGS, PEAT FUEL AND QUAINT FISHING VILLAGE
We are set to approach Lerwick near the "Main Land" of the Shetlands in the morning. The Shetland Islands consist of more than 100 islands, of which only 15 are inhabited year-round. The islands form the northernmost part of the United Kingdom, located approximately 300 km north of the mainland of Scotland. This "central" location in the North Atlantic has through the ages led many to the islands, and the Scandinavian heritage still shines through dialects, folklore and place names. Most famously the Shetland coat of arms still bears the old Norse words “Með lögum skal land byggja”, roughly translating into “using the law, we shall build the land”.Once securely docked at the port, we depart through Lerwick towards Scalloway for a short scenic drive. From the elevated position we can enjoy the view of the charming village and the imposing Scalloway Castle. After a short photo stop, we continue eastwards through the area that is locally known as the “Black Gates” – an area where peat is still cut and used as fuel.Following the road northwards our main destination of Clickimin Broch is only a short drive. There will be free time to discover this well preserved and restored Broch and learn more about life in the Iron Age. (The coach excursion is part of the excursion package and is not included in the price of the trip).Afterwards, we will return to Lerwick and the ship in the middle of the day. The rest of the day is for enjoying at leisure before departing in the early afternoon.
Day 5 - DAY 5 ORKNEY ISLANDS, SCOTLAND. HISTORIC KIRKWALL - POSSIBILITY OF VISITING SKARA BRAE
During the night we’ll have sailed out into the waters between the Northern Isles of Scotland and in the morning we’ll reach the town of Kirkwall on windy Orkney off the mainland of Scotland. Orkney is old Norse for the "Seal Islands", and, like the other North Atlantic islands, Orkney has a rich Viking heritage.We depart Kirkwall and head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island. Along the way we will pass through rolling gentle landscapes into the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney, an area designated as a World Heritage Site due to its wealth of pre-historic archaeology. Passing the Standing Stones of Stenness, we will stop at the 5000 year old ceremonial circle: the Ring of Brodgar. From here we continue our journey back in time to one of the oldest European civilizations. Skara Brae, Northern Europe's Pompeii, which lay hidden for almost 5000 years before a massive storm (150 years ago) revealed the ancient settlement. The 10 small homes are almost ready for moving into, fully furnished and with sanitation - all made of stone.Back in Kirkwall, we will visit one of the local distilleries for a tasting of some of the northernmost drops in Scotland. A fitting end to an excursion with such an amazing historical backdrop.(The excursion is part of the excursion package and is not included in the price of the trip).In the afternoon we departure south to Aberdeen.
Day 6 - DAY 6 ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND. DISEMBARKATION AFTER A WONDERFUL VOYAGE
The captain will lead the ship southwards along the east coast of Scotland, and we’ll arrive in Aberdeen, the Granite City, which is Scotland's third-largest city. At this point we’ll say farewell to the ship and its crew before departing for the airport to begin the journey home.
Day 7 - Please Note:
Itineraries are subject to change.

Trip Dates

StartEndPrice FromRoom Type
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array3,490Category C
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array3,890Category B2
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category E
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category D
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category B1
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category A
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category G
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Premium Suite
18-05-202323-05-2023Array Array0Category F

Inclusions

    • BUS EXCURSIONS
    • We now offer a variety of outings filled with stunning sights and interesting activities that will keep you wanting to come back for more
    • LECTURES
    • Our primary focus is knowledge, and we apply this to every aspect of a journey. From the staff that forms our expedition team, to the routes our ship follows, and of course, the program onboard
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
    • We always have a dedicated expedition photographer onboard to document the voyage and share their passion for photography through lectures and during landings and zodiac cruises
    • TASTINGS
    • A feast for your senses!

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