Our first port was Cork (from Cobh), Ireland’s second largest city. With a day and an evening ashore, we had plenty of time to take the train into Cork to have a good look around the city. Next stop was Dublin’s fair city, where you can see where Swift and Wilde studied at historic Trinity College. Shop along elegant O’Connell Street, or drop into any one of a thousand pubs for a pint of Guinness. As we sailed into the remote port of Qaqortoq, Greenland, we were greeted by spectacular rocky mountain peaks. Whales and icebergs. Lying at the foot of the mountains is the pretty harbour with colourful wooden houses. During the stay we visited the Town Museum, the striking Saviour’s Church and Qaqortoq's unique chiselled granite sculptures. Next is Godthab, also in Greenland, the world’s smallest capital city, and better known by its Inuit name, Nuuk. The National Museum covers 4,500 years of Greenland history and includes an unforgettable display of 500-year-old freeze-dried mummies from Qilakitsoq.

Cruising through magnificent fjords, we reached the Icelandic capital, Reykjavik, the first permanent settlement in Iceland. Due to mechanical problems with the ship we spent an evening and a full day in Reykjavik. The capital of northern Iceland, Akureyri, is a friendly town, colourfully framed by mountains and sea and offering many sights. By travelling a little further inland you can visit the magnificent Godafoss Waterfall and some spectacular volcanic landscapes. Closer by are Akureyri Church, the Botanical Gardens and what remains of the old town.

Alesund was due to be our next port of call, however, because of the propulsion motor problem and the knock on effect it caused it was necessary cancel the call to this port. After cruising through Nordfjord we arrived in Olden. Unspoiled, quaint and so peaceful you can almost hear the silence. Here we enjoyed the thrilling sightseeing opportunities on a walk to Floen Lake.  The following day saw us at Bergen, a major port and historic centre. Painted wooden houses and winding cobbled streets hark back to a more charming era. The market is a riot of colourful flowers and glistening fresh fish. Out final port was the beautiful thriving city of Stavanger, we visited the magnificent 12th century cathedral, explored the magnificently preserved 18th century houses of the old town and as people tend to say, we also hit the shops.