Exploring Iceland by sea on Norwegian Prima’s Northern Europe cruise

“This is eiderdown,” intoned our guide with the gravity of someone revealing the lost city of Atlantis, yet in his hand was what looked suspiciously like the contents of a vacuum cleaner bag, albeit fluffier. “We harvest and process this from eiders that nest on Vigur island.”

Vigur, for the uninitiated, is a speck of land in Iceland's far-flung Westfjords, accessible after a 90-minute boat ride that gives you ample time to marvel at the dual rainbows that stretch across the Greenland sea between the fjords and whether you packed enough layers.

The island itself is an avian metropolis, teeming with birds that seem either comically aloof (puffins), serenely indifferent (eider ducks), or downright hostile (arctic terns). The latter, I am convinced, train year-round for their swooping sorties at hapless visitors. Here, farmers collect the treasured eiderdown — worth a jaw-dropping €1,000 (US$1,170; S$1,513) per kilo, our guide cheerfully informed us — though that’s just for what’s plucked from the ground and unceremoniously dumped in trash bags. Once cleaned and destined for luxury jackets, it fetches a sum that could probably buy you a small car in Reykjavik.

Eiderdown, it turns out, is free of quills and all things prickly, making it a sort of unicorn in the realm of insulation. Unlike its goosey cousin, which may flatten with the despair of a Monday morning, eiderdown bounces back with the tenacity of a toddler on a sugar rush.

BOARDING THE NORWEGIAN PRIMA — MORE HOTEL THAN VESSEL

We arrived at Isafjordur, Iceland’s largest town in the Westfjords, our first port of call on Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) grandly named “Northern Europe” cruise aboard the Norwegian Prima. Embarkation was orderly, if not a little surreal, as there was nary a whiff of chaos. Vigur was just one of several excursions; the ship, it turns out, is a veritable buffet of options for the peripatetic and the sedentary alike.

But back to the birds — beyond the much-appreciated eider ducks, Vigur is home to puffins. These are the penguins of the North, except they can fly, which makes them infinitely cooler in my book. In summer, they dig tunnels like escape artists, and after laying a single egg, promptly vanish to spend most of their lives bobbing about at sea. We were so charmed that we purchased beanies with puffin motifs, reasoning that if you can’t take a puffin home, the next best thing is to wear one on your head.

FROM SINGAPORE TO THE ARCTIC — JET LAG, FJORDS, AND HIGH HOPES

Our odyssey began with a 15-hour marathon flight from steamy Singapore to Reykjavik via Copenhagen — a route that makes you appreciate the invention of the trouser press and question your life choices. Still, the reward was a 10-day cruise through places that, until now, existed only as mysterious shapes in our school geography books: Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Akureyri, Alesund, Maloy, Geiranger, Amsterdam, Bruges, and finally Southampton, with a healthy dose of the Arctic Sea thrown in for good measure.

We were first-time cruisers, and the Norwegian Prima did much to allay our fears of seasickness, claustrophobia (having a portside balcony helped), and being herded like cattle. At 294m-long (that’s three football pitches for those who measure things in Premier League), the ship accommodates 3,100 guests and 1,500 crew members enough people to start a small city but with a space ratio that would make even the most crowd-averse traveller sigh with relief. There’s also The Haven, a swanky, keycard-only enclave for the lucky few with a taste for exclusivity (you’ll need to pony up a bit more is what I’ve heard).

Pop icon Katy Perry is the ship’s current godmother, which is apparently a thing in cruising circles, joining luminaries like Kelly Clarkson and others. There are no stiff formal nights here — shorts, T-shirts, and even flip-flops are welcome, making it the sort of place where you can go from pool to dinner without anyone batting an eyelid, except in the specialty restaurants

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD — AND A LOT OF IT

Food is something of a religion on board. Norwegian Prima is a rolling food court, with 35 dining and lounge venues — seven of them new. Our favourite haunt was Los Lobos, a Mexican restaurant where guacamole is prepared tableside with the kind of fanfare usually reserved for fireworks night. The grilled fish was extraordinary, and the spectacle almost justified a second helping.

For moments of quiet reflection, we retreated to the Observation Lounge — a high-altitude sanctuary with telescopes, plush alcoves, and sweeping views. It’s the sort of place where you can pretend you’re in a Bond film, all while sipping a coffee from Starbucks, which appears to have secured a beachhead in both the three-story Penrose Atrium and The Local Bar & Grill. You can even buy a branded mug, presumably to remind yourself of those caffeinated moments at sea.

Elsewhere, you can sample craft cocktails, gorge on snacks a la minute at Surfside Cafe, or lounge in outdoor cabanas. The predominantly Asian service crew were unfailingly cheerful, offering the kind of warmth that makes you forget you’re somewhere in the North Atlantic.

ACTIVITIES: FROM GO-KARTS TO INFINITY POOLS (AND EVERYTHING IN-BETWEEN)

Entertainment on board is delightfully eclectic. For the adrenaline inclined, The Rush and The Drop claim the title of fastest slides at sea. The Prima Speedway — three decks high and 420 metres of go-kart mayhem — lets you channel your inner Lewis Hamilton, while those who prefer a more sedate pace can stroll along Ocean Boulevard or bask at Infinity Beach, cold citrus-flavoured ‘66 beer in hand (named for the company’s founding year, in case you were wondering). There’s ‘66 gin too, served at the Metropolitan Bar, which focuses on sustainable drinks. You can post bragging rights to your social media using Starlink — it provides fast Internet service at sea and is available on Norwegian Prima (yay for SpaceX!).

If virtual worlds are more your thing, The Galaxy Pavilion boasts escape rooms and a Topgolf Swing Suite, perfect for reminding yourself why you never went pro. For peace and quiet, there’s the adults-only Vibe Beach Club, complete with infinity hot tubs and a horizon view that will make you forget the existence of emails.

Evenings are for music lovers, with Syd Norman’s Pour House offering classic rock and a house band that covers everything from Fleetwood Mac to Journey (they know their audience!). Meanwhile, the Mandara Spa is the sort of place where time stands still — 20 treatment rooms, advanced saunas, a two-storey waterfall, and queues that form before you’ve even sailed. Determined not to return home with a cruise-induced waistline, I braved the Pulse Fitness Centre every other day, where equipment is so advanced it practically does the workout for you.

And picture this: a floating gallery somewhere on the North Atlantic, where Park West’s art auction transforms the ship’s lounge into a hybrid of Sotheby’s and a reality TV show. Champagne fizzes, paddles wave with alarming zeal, and bids bounce around like loose change in a tumble dryer. Lured by the promise of high culture (and free bubbly), we threw our hats into the ring, only to be stylishly outbid by guests who actually knew what a lithograph was. For one sparkling interval, we mingled with the on-board art cognoscenti, all without endangering our savings or provoking pointed dinner-table interrogations. Call it a brush with the art world — no beret required.

EXCURSIONS: FJORDS, BIKING, AND THE JOY OF BEING SMALL IN BIG NATURE

The true star of the show, though, was the collection of shore excursions. You could book ahead with NCL’s helpful staff, and our top pick was the Sky to Fjord Downhill Biking tour in Geiranger. Think hairpin bends, snow-capped mountains, and fjords that look like someone painted them. The coach took us to Djupvasshytta Mountain Lodge, a chilly 1,030m above sea level. After a safety briefing (hello, bright yellow vests), we zipped down the mountain, the wind howling, waterfalls crashing, and fellow cyclists cackling with glee. Halfway down, our ship looked like a toy in the fjord — a reminder of just how small we are in the grand scheme of things.

LOOKING AHEAD: WHERE TO NEXT?

The Norwegian Prima will keep plying Northern Europe until October 2025, after which she’ll chase the sun in the Caribbean, then return to Europe for new itineraries in 2027. Think stops in Dubrovnik, Split, Kotor, and a few Baltic adventures out of Helsinki and Riga. For those who prefer something cosier, NCL will also have smaller ships sailing Northern Europe from April to October 2026, with departures from six ports and a trio of more intimate vessels — Norwegian Sky, Star, and Sun.

If you’re after Northern European experiences to amazing towns you’d never think of visiting in a single trip, this is your ship. Just watch out for those arctic terns.