Halifax, Nova Scotia To Southampton Cruise

Day 1 - Halifax

Arrive: Sat 14 May 2022 / Depart: Sat 14 May 2022 at 17:00

A city that thrives on a diet of music, outdoor events and ocean-faring history, Nova Scotia's capital - and Atlantic Canada's largest conurbation - oozes salt-licked charm. The star-shaped fortress of Halifax Citadel sits above the city, while down below, Halifax revolves around its bustling harbour. Here, jet-skis skid across the water and heritage ships jaunt out to scenic offshore islands. Music carries on the waterfront's breeze as summer’s events play out, while a hefty population of pubs and restaurants provides all the space required for sitting back and relaxing. View less The shorefront boardwalk invites you on a gentle stroll along the waves, wandering back through Halifax's history. The Canadian Museum of Immigration waits at Pier 21 and was the doorway to a country of opportunity for so many - with over a million immigrants taking their first footsteps into Canada here. The pier's wooden boards are dotted with cafes, craft shops and artist studios. Sail deeper into seafaring heritage at the maritime museum. As the closest city to the sinking of the Titanic, recovered victims were transported to - and many were buried - in Halifax. The story, and items from the doomed vessel, are displayed in the museum's collection. Peggy's Cove lighthouse is nearby, and this immaculate little lighthouse is one of Canada's favourite, watching out stoically over the Atlantic's waves. With rich pickings available from its coastal location, the fruits of the sea are served up in the fryers of Halifax's varied restaurants - try seared scallops and juicy mussels. Round off any meal with a buttery blueberry grunt dessert – delicious when served up warm with a dollop of melting vanilla ice cream.

Day 2 - Louisbourg

Arrive: Sun 15 May 2022 at 08:00 / Depart: Sun 15 May 2022 at 17:00

Day 3 - Iles de la Madeleine, Quebec

Arrive: Mon 16 May 2022 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 16 May 2022 at 15:00

Rising in the heart of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, the archipelago of Iles-de-la-Madeleine offers diverse wildlife and sweeping coastal scenery. The somewhat precarious location of these 12 islands, in the middle of the world's most immense estuary, means they have historically been something of a ship graveyard. The craggy red rocks that emerge suddenly from the waves here have gashed the hulls of countless ships in times gone by. View less A gang of six pretty lighthouses share the task of warning of the islands' treacherous waters, while simultaneously providing a scenic twinkle amid the copper-coloured cliffs and coastal archways. Acadian French accents ring out on the shores and, despite their location, the Iles-de-la-Madeleine form part of Quebec's province. Historically cut off by thick ice, they have developed a distinct culture and character of their own. The 55 mile-long stretch of Route 199 provides the backbone of the island, tying the seven inhabited landforms together, along with a chain of undulating sand dunes. Each of the islands has its own character and profile to explore – offering everything from windswept beaches to sheltered lagoons and rolling emerald hills. Whales cruise through the deep waters offshore, and you can sail up close and personal to the marine mammals, as well as the seals who are occasionally spotted lounging around on floating chunks of ice. Port du Millerand's flotilla of fishing boats reap the rewards of the location, bringing home vast hauls so local restaurants can serve up the freshest lobster, mussels and crab. With bird watching, coastal golf courses, water-sports and diving opportunities among the many recreations on offer here - this clutch of estuary islands has something for everyone.

Day 4 - Woody Point, Newfoundland

Arrive: Tue 17 May 2022 at 12:30 / Depart: Tue 17 May 2022 at 20:00

Day 5 - L'Anse aux Meadows

Arrive: Wed 18 May 2022 at 10:00 / Depart: Wed 18 May 2022 at 16:30

L’Anse aux Meadows is a National Historic Site in Newfoundland and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Found at the very northern end of the Great Northern Peninsula, the area shows archaeological evidence of eight timber-framed turf structures, a complete Norse settlement established more than 1,000 years ago similar to those found in Greenland and Iceland. It still is the only authenticated Norse site in North America and indicates the first European presence in the New World. The original site has been reburied after excavations to ensure protection from deterioration. View less Replicas of Norse houses, a workshop, a boat shed and an old Norse ship have been set up at Norstead a few hundred meters northeast of the original site.

Day 6 - At Sea

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Nanortalik

Arrive: Sat 21 May 2022 at 06:30 / Depart: Sat 21 May 2022 at 18:00

There is a wonderful legend that the Vikings named Greenland Green and Iceland Ice in order to confuse potential attackers. Because it is quite the opposite; if Iceland is full of emerald forest, then expect ice in Greenland. Lots and lots of ice. Thus one shouldn’t be too surprised to learn that the name Nanortalik means “place of polar bears”. Although, as Nanortalik is Greenland’s most southerly town, don’t be too disappointed if you don’t see any. In truth, Greenland’s polar bears typically live much further north. View less What you will see however is Mother Nature at her finest. Vertical cliff walls, sheets of floating sea ice and a plethora of Arctic wildlife that amount to an adventurer’s wonderland. As Nanortalik itself is located on a small island in the southern tip of Greenland, nature is never far away, wherever you find yourself. The optimistically named city centre is surrounded by the pristine waters of Tasermiut Fjord and dotted with the colourful houses you would expect this far north. Traditionally, artisans’ houses were painted different colours to showcase what they did, i.e. commercial houses were red; hospitals were yellow; police stations were black; the telephone company was green and fish factories were blue. Today it is more a case of anything goes! Nanortalik locals are warm and welcoming, and are known to extent the art of Kaffe-Mik to its visitors. This old tradition is where a family invites guests into their home to drink coffee and taste their famous Greenlandic cake.

Day 9 - Qassiarsuq (Brattalihd)

Arrive: Sun 22 May 2022 at 07:30 / Depart: Sun 22 May 2022 at 13:00

Green fields, farms and sheep are not the first thing people usually think of as typically Greenlandic, but in Qassiarsuk, agriculture has been the way of life for over a thousand years. Qassiarsuk is one of several settlements in Southern Greenland which subsist by sheep farming since the 1960s, and the rolling meadows could easily evoke Scotland or Norway, if not for the icebergs drifting past. View less Qassiarsuk lies in the heart of Norse Greenland, home of one of the most famous Norsemen of all, Eric the Red, who founded the colony in Southern Greenland around 985. Eric was fiercely pagan, but his wife Thjodhild was a devout Christian. The Sagas say that she demanded her husband build her a church; Eric refused, but Thjodhild refused to share his bed until he relented, unwittingly constructing the first church in North America, on the condition that it be out of view of his hall. Today, Eric's house and Thjodhilds church are outlines in the turf of the modern town, but extensive archaeological investigations have shown a once thriving community centred around the church. Today, one can visit faithful reconstructions of Eric's hall and Thjodhild's church, and gain a stunning view over the fjord from the bronze statue of their son Leif Ericson (the first European to visit the North American Mainland), as well as enjoying the hospitality of the locals, who are proud of their idyllic town and its epic history. Several sites in Norse Greenland including Brattahlíð are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Day 9 - Itilleq

Arrive: Sun 22 May 2022 at 15:00 / Depart: Sun 22 May 2022 at 22:00

Three kilometers off Yukon’s north coast, only Workboat Passage separates Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk from Ivvavik National Park. The low-lying treeless island of 116 k2 was Yukon’s first territorial park. Herschel Island-Qikiqtaruk has been declared a National Historic Site of Canada in 1972, was classified as a Nature Preserve in 1987, designated a Natural Environment Park in 2002 and as an example of the technologies and techniques used for living and construction over the past several millennia. View less It is now also on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site list! Itilleq is an important area for Ice Age fossils. Normally snow-covered during winter, the island shows abundant and diverse wildlife, with many migratory birds, including the largest colony of Black Guillemots in the Western Arctic, caribou, muskox, polar bear, and brown bear on land and bowhead and beluga whales, ringed and bearded seals, and occasionally walrus in its surrounding waters. The Inuvialuit community has used the area for hundreds of years. When Franklin arrived in 1826 he saw three of their camps. Remains of their old dwellings are still visible near Simpson Point. This is where in the late 1800s, American whalers established a now abandoned station. At the height of the Beaufort Sea whale hunting period there were 1,500 residents. Several of the historic buildings by whalers, and later missionaries, traders and the RCMP are still standing – although some had to be moved further inland to escape the rising sea level.

Day 10 - Qaqortoq

Arrive: Mon 23 May 2022 at 07:00 / Depart: Mon 23 May 2022 at 13:30

The largest town in southern Greenland, Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Upon arrival in this charming southern Greenland enclave, it's easy to see why. Qaqortoq rises quite steeply over the fjord system around the city, offering breath-taking panoramic vistas of the surrounding mountains, deep, blue sea, Lake Tasersuag, icebergs in the bay, and pastoral backcountry. View less Although the earliest signs of ancient civilization in Qaqortoq date back 4,300 years, Qaqortoq is known to have been inhabited by Norse and Inuit settlers in the 10th and 12th centuries, and the present-day town was founded in 1774. In the years since, Qaqortoq has evolved into a seaport and trading hub for fish and shrimp processing, tanning, fur production, and ship maintenance and repair.

Day 10 - Hvalsey

Arrive: Mon 23 May 2022 at 15:30 / Depart: Mon 23 May 2022 at 19:30

18 kilometers northeast of Qaqortoq, Hvalsey is part of Qaqortukulooq, one of the five sites of the UNESCO World Heritage Arctic farming complex Kujataa. Between Eriksfjord to the north and Einarsfjord to the south, the Hvalseyfjord branches off from Einarsfjord. Although Hvalsey is better known for the well-preserved ruins of one of the sixteen churches in the Norse’s Eastern Settlement, the church was in a farmstead known as Thjodhild’s Stead. View less This farmstead at the northeastern end of the fjord included a large building with living quarters, a hall and livestock pens, as well as other livestock pens, a storage building and a warehouse –the ruins of which can still be seen. The Norse farming laid the foundation for the Inuit farming in later centuries, leading to the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2017. In the 14th century account “Descriptions of Greenland” the abundant fish, a reindeer farm on Reindeer Island and Hvalsey’s name “Whale Island” clearly indicate that the Norse had ample food sources at that time. The church was built in the Anglo-Norwegian style of the 13th century, but is known to have been built over an older graveyard. The farmstead is mentioned in the Icelandic “Book of Settlements” as property of the Kings of Norway, and the last documented event of the Norse in Greenland is a wedding which took place in the church in September 1408. After almost 600 years of abandonment, conservation work had to be done to prevent the seaward wall from collapsing.

Day 11 - At Sea

Day 12 - At Sea

Day 13 - At Sea

Day 14 - St. Kilda, Outer Hebrides

Arrive: Fri 27 May 2022 at 10:30 / Depart: Fri 27 May 2022 at 17:00

UK

Day 15 - Fort William, Scotland

Arrive: Sat 28 May 2022 at 06:30 / Depart: Sat 28 May 2022 at 22:30

Flanked by the UK’s tallest mountain on one side and Loch Linnae on the other, Fort William – or “Bill” to the locals – is what you imagine when it comes to Scottish Highland towns. Verdant moors stretch as far as the eye can see, pastel painted houses front the water and it is not unusual to see pipers in kilts on street corners. But while Fort William may play to certain critics’ idea of a cliché, the pretty town goes far beyond tartan cushions and wee drams of Scotch (although there is a fair amount of this too!). Fort William has everything you could possibly want while in the Highlands. The High Street has plenty to keep you occupied with its good range of shops, cafes and restaurants - a lunch of locally caught seafood or the iconic haggis, neeps and tatties is a must. Because of its privileged location sitting in the shadow of the mighty Ben Nevis (standing a proud 1,345 metres high) outdoor enthusiasts are especially well catered for. Unsurprisingly so, as Fort William is considered the UK’s outdoor capital. But it’s not all high adrenaline sports. Certainly, those who want to climb up a rock or hurtle down white water rapids will find their nirvana, but if gentle fishing, a quiet county walk or curling up in cosy pubs warmed by an open fire are more your glass of whiskey then you’re catered for. The West Highland Museum in the centre of the town is excellent, while St Andrew's Church, towards the north end of the main street, has a very attractive interior. Also well worth a look is St Mary's Catholic Church, on Belford Road, and no visit should be considered complete without a look at the Old Fort, almost invisible to passing traffic. Add a wildlife cruise amid stunning scenery and the steam train that took Harry to Hogwarts and you can easily spend a day in this lovely port.

Day 16 - Lunga, Trishnish Island

Arrive: Sun 29 May 2022 at 06:30 / Depart: Sun 29 May 2022 at 12:00

The stunning Isle of Lunga is the largest island in the Treshnish archipelago. With volcanic origin the isle was populated until the 19th Century, and remains of black houses can be seen around this magnificent coastal jewel. Abundant plant life and exotic birdlife are now the main inhabitants of the area. Fortunate visitors view the magnificent array of birds, especially the great puffins that breed on the islands plateau. One can sit within just a few feet away without disturbing the avian ambassador’s peace. View less The 81 hectare island is home to many rare and endangered plants such as, primroses and orchids. Views over the landscape and across the ocean can be seen from the 300 foot high cliffs.

Day 16 - Iona

Arrive: Sun 29 May 2022 at 14:00 / Depart: Sun 29 May 2022 at 18:00

If tiny islands that resonate with peace and tranquillity are your idea of travel heaven, then welcome to Iona. Almost 200 miles east of Edinburgh, set in Scotland’s Inner Hebrides, this magical island has a spiritual reputation that precedes it. And luckily, more than lives up to. The island is miniscule. Just three miles long and only one and a half miles wide, this is not a place that hums with urban attractions. View less 120 people call Iona home (this number rises significantly if the gull, tern and Kittiwake population is added), although residential numbers do go up (to a whopping 175) in summer. The beautiful coastline is lapped by the gulf stream and gives the island a warm climate with sandy beaches that look more Mediterranean than Scottish! Add to that a green field landscape that is just beautiful, and you’ll find that Iona is a place that stays with you long after you leave. Iona’s main attraction is of course its abbey. Built in 563 by Saint Columbia and his monks, the abbey is the reason why Iona is called the cradle of Christianity. Not only is the abbey (today an ecumenical church) one of the best – if not the best – example of ecclesiastical architecture dating from the Middle Ages, but it also serves as an important site of spiritual pilgrimage. St. Martin’s Cross, a 9th century Celtic cross that stands outside the abbey, is considered as the finest example of Celtic crosses in the British Isles. Rèilig Odhrain, or the cemetery, allegedly contains the remains of many Scottish kings.

Day 17 - St Mary’s, Scilly Isles

Arrive: Mon 30 May 2022 at 06:30 / Depart: Mon 30 May 2022 at 14:30

Scattered 30 miles offshore from England’s most south-westerly point – Land’s End – the Isles of Scilly are home to rich wildlife, and green land sloping to powdery white beaches. The Isles of Scilly’s biggest island harbours around 1,600 people – roughly three-quarters of the total population - and is one of five occupied islands. Isolated and serene, life here hums along at its own pace in this archipelago's bubble, which enjoys the UK’s mildest climate, and some of its most spectacular beaches. View less Hugh Town is the centre of St Mary’s, and you’ll be warmly welcomed by the incredibly tight-knit local community. A peaceful place, watch out when the waters are suddenly parted by the competition of gig racing – the island’s sporting pride and joy - which sees teams competing in colourful rowboats. Elsewhere, catch sight of Atlantic seals and seabirds like puffins and fulmars, along nine miles of coastline. You can also spot the ghostly shipwrecks strewn around the island’s waters, and the 140 islands and skerries that have made treacherous sailing historically. There's a dense collection of historical sites that belies the islands’ small size – from a former prime minster’s grave to star-shaped fortresses. Tresco Abbey Garden is one of the UK’s most vibrant gardens, with diverse plants bathing in the warmer climate and over 300 species on display. Taste the rewards of the mild weather with a glass of wine from England’s most south-westerly vineyard.

Day 18 - Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Arrive: Tue 31 May 2022 at 09:00 / Depart: Tue 31 May 2022 at 13:00

For many visitors Tresco is the most attractive of the Isles of Scilly. This is especially due to its Abbey Garden, which is home to thousands of exotic plant species from around 80 different countries. Plant collector Augustus Smith began the gardens in the 1830s on the site of an old Benedictine Abbey by channelling the weather up and over a network of walled enclosures built around the Priory ruins. He had three terraces carved from the rocky south slope and maximised Tresco’s mild Gulf Stream climate. View less Even in mid-winter there still are hundreds of plants flowering here. Another surprising attraction at the Abbey Garden is the collection of figureheads from ships that wrecked among the Isles of Scilly.

Day 19 - Southampton

Arrive: Wed 01 June 2022 at 07:00 / Depart: Wed 01 June 2022

Standing on a triangular peninsula formed at the place where the rivers Itchen and Test flow into an eight-mile inlet from the Solent, Southampton has figured in numerous stirring events and for centuries has been of strategic maritime importance. It was from here that the Pilgrim Fathers departed for America in the tiny Mayflower in 1620 and many great ocean liners, such as the Queen Mary and the Titanic have followed since. The image of the thousand-year-old city was greatly blemished by the bombing during World War II and postwar planning caused changes almost beyond recognition.