Iceland Pro Cruises
Expedition Cruising
This is the specialist pick for Iceland — a small company run by Icelanders who genuinely know every fjord, hot spring, and fishing village on the circumnavigation route. The ship is modest but the guiding is exceptional, and you visit tiny ports that the bigger expedition lines skip entirely. It is the closest thing to a local's tour of Iceland by sea.
Iceland Pro Cruises — now also known as Arctic ProCruises — is a specialist operator that does one thing exceptionally well: small-ship cruises around Iceland and Greenland. Founded as a division of Iceland Pro Travel, a company established in 2003 by Icelandic native Gudmundur Kjartansson, it brings the kind of deep local knowledge that generalist expedition lines simply cannot match. From June through August, the company operates 9-day circumnavigation voyages of Iceland aboard the chartered MS Seaventure, a 164-passenger expedition vessel with ice-class certification.
The MS Seaventure is not a glamorous ship — she was built in Japan in 1990 and renovated in 2021 — but she is perfectly suited to the task. Her ice-strengthened hull and small size allow access to narrow fjords, tiny harbours, and remote anchorages that larger vessels cannot reach. Cabins are compact but comfortable with exterior views throughout, and public spaces are surprisingly bright and roomy for an expedition ship, centred on the Seabreeze Lounge with its panoramic windows and baby grand piano. In winter, the Seaventure heads south to Antarctica under charter to Polar Latitudes.
What truly distinguishes Iceland Pro Cruises is the guiding. The expedition team is composed entirely of native Icelanders who share first-hand stories about their culture, traditions, saga history, and folklore. Shore excursions — offered as optional extras with three to four choices daily — include signature experiences unique to the company: traditional fish soup in the hamlet of Thingeyri, a visit with modern-day “Herring Girls” in Siglufjordur, thermal bathing in Seydisfjordur, and tastings of fermented shark and local craft beer. The onboard chef is also Icelandic, ensuring meals feature authentic local flavours rather than generic cruise fare.
The guest mix typically splits between English speakers (often travelling with Road Scholar) and German speakers, creating an international but intimate atmosphere. With nearly one crew member for every three passengers, the service is attentive and personal. For travellers who want to understand Iceland rather than simply photograph it from a passing ship, this specialist operator delivers an authenticity that the larger expedition brands struggle to replicate.
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