Luxury restaurants, a race track, advanced technology and endless peace in front of the endless sea. We boarded Norwegian Cruise Line’s PRIMA for a voyage from Iceland to the Netherlands, passing through wild landscapes, natural phenomena, medieval alleyways and bustling cities, and it was not easy to get off
We walk on the transparent bridge, below us the ripples of the waves, grab a cocktail from the bar, enter the pool, and rest in the heart of the ocean. Endless blue around us, silence except for the noise of the water. You can feel the silence and surrender to peace. After maybe 20 minutes you can finally see land on the horizon. The blue is broken by splashes of green and brown, and I think I also saw a windmill. Holland is coming.
But this story begins a week before, when we boarded the ship, which is almost 300 meters long, neat and tidy. We got a room with a balcony, which includes a wide double bed, sofa, TV, closet and of course a bathroom and shower. The rooms on the ship are carefully designed and are certainly spacious and meet all needs. But staying in a room when you’re inside a ship like this is always accompanied by a feeling of missing out, so we hurried out of it, when our first destination, of course – is a restaurant. A quick look at the information leaflet in our possession revealed to us that throughout the ship there are no less than five free restaurants that are open to all passengers and another eight themed restaurants that involve an additional fee, including a steakhouse and a Japanese, French, Italian and Mexican restaurant.
As the first course of the cruise we decided to try the “Indulge”, a restaurant that includes 11 culinary complexes to choose from. With the help of the tablet on the tables we could choose from the menu salads, tapas, main dishes, Asian dishes, seafood, soups and of course drinks of all kinds. The portions are very tasty, but small. On the other hand, you can order without limit, so it doesn’t really interfere, what’s more, it allows you to taste everything that comes next to you.
Carefully designed. A room with a balcony on the ship (Photo: Walla! system, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL))
“The Golden Circle”
The next morning we got up early to be on time for the trip to Iceland. And we did it well, most of the trips are ticking like a Swiss watch, and those who don’t arrive on time may lose them. A trip to Iceland alone is worth the entire cruise. The entire road is lined with wild greenery, and the eyes can’t get enough of the picturesque scenery in the background – rivers, streams and lakes, and cows, sheep, geese and horses dipping in bushes higher than them. A friendly guide accompanies the trip and explains about the history, culture, nature, politics and life in the country.
We chose the popular tourist route “The Golden Circle”, which leaves from the capital city of Reykjavík. The first stop was geysers in an active geothermal valley. However, while we were staring at the magic, a painful realization dawned on us that would accompany us throughout the voyage – the tour time is limited and very measured, and it is not always enough to see everything you want. In most cases, like in Iceland, you leave the trip with a taste for more. But, in some cases the short taste of the amazing trip includes an aftertaste of missing out, and the thought that another hour or two of the trip could have completely changed the experience.
However, in Iceland there is not much time to be disappointed because immediately afterwards we went to the rare and beautiful “Gulfus” waterfall and Thingvellir National Park, a fascinating site that is considered the best place in the world to see the separation of tectonic plates. With this mesmerizing sight we effectively ended our Iceland trip and returned to the ship. Then, the real show began.