Quest, Icelandic & Scottish Adventure ex Reykjavik to Southampton

Details

30 Night cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Southampton onboard Seabourn Quest.

30 Night cruise sailing from Reykjavik to Southampton onboard Seabourn Quest.

Seabourn Quest is the third iteration of the vessel design that has been called “a game-changer for the luxury segment.” True to her Seabourn bloodlines, wherever she sails around the world, Seabourn Quest carries with her a bevy of award-winning dining venues that are comparable to the finest restaurants to be found anywhere. Seabourn Quest offers a variety of dining options to suit every taste and every mood, with never an extra charge.

Highlights of this cruise:

Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik, Iceland’s capital, is the northern-most national capital in the world. Its name translates as ‘smoky bay’, referencing the geothermal nature of the surrounding area. The city benefits from astonishing landscapes shaped by glaciers, earthquakes, and volcanic activity throughout the centuries. An amphitheater of mountains encircles the greater Reykjavik area, a coastline indented with coves, peninsulas and islands. Most of city’s growth came during the early 20th century, and the majority of its architecture is typical of that era. Colorful rooftops and the elegant spire of Hallgrímskirkja Church dominate Reykjaviks’s skyline. Known for its arts, Reykjavik hosts a number of internationally recognized festivals, most notably the Iceland Air music festival, Reykjavik Arts Festival and the Reykjavik International Film Festival.

Tasiilaq, Greenland
In Greenland, nature is big and almost overwhelming! You will be awed by towering mountains, huge distances, epic adventures, harsh weather and challenges that loom and beckon even in summer. The people of the Saqqaq culture arrived here from the north, the first to reach this part of Greenland. The Viking Norse first became familiar with this area when they made it their first landfall on the voyage from Iceland's Snæfellsnes peninsula to Greenland. Today that location is known as Tassilaq, and it is the largest town in Eastern Greenland with 2,000 inhabitants. The island where Tasiilaq is located was formerly known as Angmagssalik in Greenlandic, meaning ‘the place with capelin.’

Skjoldungen Fjord, Greenland
Imagine a narrow fjord bordered by rugged peaks, vertical rock walls and serpentine rivers of ice plunging into the sea. This is Skjoldungen Fjord, named by Wilhelm August Graah after the honorific title Skjoldungen which, according to Norse mythology, was given to successors of legendary King Skjold to the Danish throne.

Isafjordur, Iceland
The Westfjords in northwest Iceland is a remote and sparsely populated peninsula of steep, tall mountains cut by dozens of fjords. The lack of flat lowlands suitable for farming played a key role in keeping this region wild and sparsely populated. The raw and untamed natural landscape around Ísafjörður is characterized by a subarctic environment. A colorful show of blooming tundra wildflowers carpets the mountain slopes and valleys during the short, cool summer.

Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Unfathomably beautiful and mysteriously tucked away, Tórshavn is a quaint and pleasant town. Serving as the gateway to the Faroe archipelago, it has been called ‘Europe’s best kept secret.’ The 18 jagged, volcanic Faroe Islands are an idyllic escape, peacefully furnished with lush green valleys, imposing basalt cliffs, grand treeless moorlands and waterfalls plunging directly into the wind-crested ocean. Norse settlers established their parliament here in AD 850, ensuring Tórshavn as the capital of the Faroe Islands. By the outbreak of WW1 the cod fishing grounds off the coast of Iceland saw regular visits by Faroese fishermen.

Lerwick, Shetland Islands, United Kingdom
Lerwick, Britain's most northerly town, and is a small, bustling, cosmopolitan seaport with a population of over 7,000 people and fine architecture. Shetland Museum, located on Hay's Dock, is an award- winning attraction. Discover the island’s many secrets through its exhibits, and take a look in the boat shed, where you can see demonstrations of traditional boat building. Also of interest is the stone-walled town hall, built in 1884, displaying an impressive array of beautifully intricate stained glass. Towering St. Magnus Cathedral, constructed in 1863, is likewise well worth a visit.

Scrabster, Scotland, United Kingdom
Scrabster is a wee settlement situated on Thurso Bay only a stone’s throw away from the much larger town of Thurso. Here one can find a wide variety of traditional shops, lovely cafes, spirited bars and restaurants. An important harbor for the fishing industry, the town of Scabster is set at the base of a small hill and its harbor holds a colorful array of fishing boats.

Newcastle Upon Tyne, England, United Kingdom
Newcastle upon Tyne, clinging to the north bank of the River Tyne, grew around the Roman settlement Pons Aelius and was named after the castle built here in 1080 by William the Conqueror's eldest son, Robert Curthose. The port developed in the 16th century, quickly becoming one of the world's largest shipbuilding centers. Newcastle harbors a spirited mix of heritage and urban sophistication.

Southampton (London), England
The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline which encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downland and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton, the United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, and home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear, has a rich and varied heritage. The remains of the medieval town walls are among the best preserved in the country and fascinating monuments can be found all around the city.

Portland, England, United Kingdom
Portland Island and the resort town of Weymouth are connected by a 5-mile (8 km) long neck of white sand known as Chesil Beach. Renowned as the finest example of a barrier-type beach in Europe, Chesil Beach was formed 10,000 years ago as glaciers receded and sea levels rose.

Bantry, Ireland
Bantry Bay, framed by the Sheep's Head Hills and the Caha Mountains, offers one of the Ireland’s most magnificent seascapes and picturesque harbors. As with other areas on Ireland's south-west coast, Bantry claims an ancient connection to the sixth-century Saint Breandán the Navigator, who was, in Irish folklore, the first person to discover America.

Foynes (Limerick), Ireland
The village of Foynes has a population of 600. It is situated on the southern bank of the legendary River Shannon Estuary and is surrounded by the lush, green hills of County Limerick. Foynes is best known for its aviation history, especially from 1937-1945 when it became one of the world’s aviation hubs. Land-based aircraft lacked sufficient range for Atlantic crossings, so it was here that they would stop and refuel. The Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum tells the exciting story of how seaplanes would use Foynes as their last port of call before crossing to North America. Within the museum is a full-size replica of a Boeing 314 flying boat. Walk in the footsteps of JFK, Bob Hope, Eleanor Roosevelt and other dignitaries, movie stars and refugees who landed at Foynes during the Second World War.

Galway, Ireland
An historic Irish castle built along the River Corrib in 1121 grew rapidly into the city of Galway. There are two main squares in the city, Eyre Square and the Spanish Parade. At the center of Eyre Square is John F. Kennedy Park, erected in honor of U.S. President Kennedy’s visit here in 1963. A carved bust of the president was affectionately placed by the people of Galway at the exact spot where Kennedy stood to deliver his speech. Spanish Parade is the site of the Spanish Arches, two stone arches that made up the historic wall that once surrounded Galway. Remnants of medieval town walls lie between shops selling handcrafted rings, books and musical instruments. In addition to the many traditional Irish pubs, are the picturesque ancient neighborhoods of The Claddagh and Salthill. The Cathedral of Our Lady Assumed into Heaven, built in 1965 in the Renaissance-style, is the last great stone-walled cathedral to be built in Europe, while Galway Cathedral is much older, dating back to 1320.

Killybegs, Donegal, Ireland
Killybegs is a center of the Irish offshore fishing industry and is Ireland’s largest fishing port. Located in the County of Donegal, it is also renowned for its tapestries and carpets known as ‘Donegals.’ Produced on the world’s largest loom, some 42’ (13 m) long, each one is hand-fashioned by 12 workers. Killybeg’s ‘Donegals’ can be found all over the world in some of the finest and most prestigious private and public collections. Hand-knotted in the Turkish style, these floor coverings are true works of art, everything being done by hand, and no two are identical.

Staffa, Scotland, UK
The tiny island of Staffa, part of the Inner Hebrides, is celebrated for its stunning geology. Vikings named it Stafyi-øy meaning ‘stave island,’ as its rock formations reminded them of the vertically placed logs used to construct their houses. Staffa is made up completely of hexagonal columnar basalt. Sixty-five million years ago, erupting lava cooled quickly, forming these distinctive shapes. Hexagons are most often associated with honeycombs in beehives, however, they are also characteristic in volcanic formations. Over time, a weakness in the rock was eroded by fierce Atlantic waves, creating legendary Fingal’s Cave. It was once known as ‘The Musical Cave’ for the wonderful sounds of the sea water reverberating against the sides of its large cavern.

Rothesay, Isle Of Bute, Scotland, United Kingdom
Rothesay, standing along the Firth of Clyde, presents the visitor with a combination of illustrious gardens and grand architecture. The magnificent ruins of Rothesay Castle, which date from the 13th century, are what most people visualize when they think of a medieval castle. With a drawbridge, encircling moat, immense circular curtain wall and tall stone towers, Rothesay is unique in Scotland for its circular plan. The ruins of St Blane's Chapel, a 6th century monastery, sit atop a hill with views over the Sound of Bute. For true elegance, visit the country estate of Mount Stuart House with its colonnaded Marble Hall and extraordinary Marble Chapel. Built in the late 1870’s in the Gothic Revivalist style, it was constructed of reddish-brown stone and houses a library of 25,000 books.

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Belfast is Northern Ireland’s fun-loving and cosmopolitan capital. Its seat of government is Stormont Castle, a beautiful baronial mansion. There is something of interest here for everyone: Victorian architecture, a glittering waterfront, modern art, and over 90 Irish pubs. The Giant's Ring, a 5,000-year- old stone ‘henge’ shows occupation here since the Bronze Age. The magnificent copper dome of Belfast City Hall dominates the city centre. Belfast is also the site of the memorial statue for R.M.S Titanic, because it was here that the ship was built in 1909. Mixing the traditional with the ultra-modern, the Titanic Belfast Museum commemorates the fate of Titanic in its architecture. Shaped like the great prow of the ocean liner, the museum’s exhibits tell the story of the ill-fated vessel.

Dunmore East (Waterford), Ireland
The fine crystal industry is to Waterford what whiskey is to the Scottish Highlands. After 100 years of dormancy, Waterford crystal was reborn with the opening of a new factory in 1951. While Waterford is charming in its own right, it is the fine crystal of the same name that has really put the city on the map.

St Marys, Isles Of Scilly, United Kingdom
The largest of the Isles of Scilly has packed a lot of history onto its shores. The RNLI lifeboat service has maintained a station here since 1837, saving numerous lives along the Cornish Coast. The Star Castle at the Garrison was ordered by Queen Elizabeth I after the attack of the Spanish Armada. Harry’s Wall is the remains of a fortification built in 1551 to defend against an expected French assault. The beacon of the island’s 14-meter metal lighthouse is visible for 17 miles. The round Telegraph Tower is where Guglielmo Marconi picked up the wireless signal from 30 miles away, and British Prime Minster Harold Wilson retired here and is buried here.