Cruising Greenland breaks through all stereotypes for taking a cruise. Instead of tropical beaches and pina coladas, you get glaciers, icebergs and noncommercial villages. Plus, you probably will be on the only cruise ship in town for the day. As an Acupuncturist-at-Sea, I spent many port days visiting southwestern Greenland Ports. I love sharing tips from visiting Qaqortoq, Nanortalik, Paamiut and cruising Prince Christian Sound. So, read on and discover how to plan for southwest Greenland cruise ports and Prince Christian Sound.
Greenland Cruise Port Guides
& Prince Christian Sound
This article is an overview. For more information, check out my 4 blogs/videos on main ports and Prince Christian Sound:
Colorful Qaqortaq, Greenland Walking Tour & Top Things to Do
Charming Nanortalik, Greenland Walking Tour Highlights – Wildflowers, Icebergs & Music
Unique Paamiut, Greenland Walking Tour Highlights
Cruising Greenland’s Prince Christian Sound Highlights
About Greenland
Greenland is the world’s largest island in North America and is a part of the Kingdom of Denmark or Danish Realm. The capital and largest city in Greenland is Nuuk. It was supposedly named Greenland by the Norseman, Erik the Red, to attract more people to live there. Southern Greenland lies south of its neighboring country, Iceland. So, the southern tip near the coastlines is surprisingly mild.
Most of the residents in Greenland are Inuit people that migrated from Canada. Hopefully, the Greenlanders remain part of Denmark. This way, they can maintain their free universal health care from Denmark and independent way of life.
The Greenland Ice Sheet is the world’s second largest, covering 80% of the island. The Antarctic Sheet is the largest. The Greenland glaciers naturally calve off icebergs, that float on the Labrador Current south for 2 – 3 years to their melting demise along the shores of Newfoundland.
How to Prepare for Weather and Packing
The good news is that the summer weather in Southern Greenland is a lot milder and warmer than most people would think. Keep in mind that Greenland extends south from the Arctic to the southern tip. Iceland is actually north of southern Greenland cruise ports. The ports on the southwestern coast remain ice-free all year round due to the Gulf stream.
Temperatures in the south Greenland in summer range from 40’s to 60’s degree F. After being there many times during the summer months, I rarely experienced rain. My best advice is to dress in layers, being prepared for temperatures from the 40’s to 60’s with unpredictable rain. Always bring a raingear, just in case.
Iceberg Tours
During the cruise you will see icebergs, with the most lingering at the Prince Christian Sound entrances. There are icebergs near the southwest Greenland cruise ports. If this is really important to you, it’s best to schedule an iceberg excursion in ports with the ship beforehand. These tours do fill up.
Wildflowers and Whales
No need to worry about polar bears in southern Greenland, as they are in the Arctic Circle. But, there are many opportunities to see whales, especially the humpbacks.
Greenland’s wildflowers are in full bloom June to August. You can expect to see vibrant swaths of fireweed, bluebells, orchids, buttercups, heather, cottongrass, stonecrop, Arctic poppy, dandelion, chamomile and harebells. Small trees include the Arctic Willow and Dwarf Birch. Also, edibles found are blueberries, lingonberries and foxberries.
Greenland’s Colorful Homes and Buildings
The first thing you notice in Greenland’s ports is the colorful buildings. This tradition dates back to the 18th century when Scandinavia sent wooden house kits. All buildings were painted the 5 base colors: black, red, yellow, green and blue. Each color had a meaning. Today, everyone can choose any color they wish.
Black: Police Stations
Red: Schools, churches, ministers and teachers’ homes
Yellow: Hospitals and doctors’ homes
Green: Radio and telecommunications
Blue: Fish Factories
Cruising Prince Christian Sound
Prince Christian Sound separates the mainland from Cape Farewell Archipelago, the southernmost tip of Greenland. The sound connects the Labrador Sea on the west with the Irminger Sea on the east. Overall, its long, narrow fjord system of 100 km (60 miles), at times as narrow as 500 m (1500 ft) wide, flows through steep canyons of granite over 1200 feet.
At least 6 fjords offshoot from the sound. Asppilattoq, an Inuit town, is the only settlement along the sound. There are many glaciers’ endcaps going straight up to the water’s edge, calving icebergs. Consequently, these giant chunks of ice drift randomly throughout the waters. Also, there are strong tidal currents, limiting the formation of ice.
The explorer, John Cabot described the sound as ‘a river of melted snow.’ Overall, it is much warmer and dryer than expectations of Greenland. However, it is at the southernmost tip, at roughly the same latitude as Anchorage Alaska.
Read More: Cruising Greenland’s Prince Christian Sound Highlights
Enjoy Greenland!
I find the Greenland Cruise so refreshing and unique. It is so nice to get off these ships and explore remote places with no other ships. Truly, you don’t need a tour. I loved creating my own self-guided walking tours. If your travels bring you to Greenland, feel free to leave comments and tips below.
Many Greenland Cruises include Iceland.
Read More!
Colorful Reykjavik, Iceland Travel Guide and Highlights
Amazing Akureyri Travel Guide – Capital of Northern Iceland
