Ultimate World Cruise: Qaqortoq, Greenland, Sip. Tour. Brunch. and Pirate Night

Day 08/22 – Arriving to Qaqortoq, Greenland

Never I would have imagined to be arriving to this unknown port, at least for me until I checked the Ultimate World Cruise itinerary a year ago. And it’s that our second port of this mini segment, part also of my own Round the World Trip 2024, was this little town in Greenland. And by arriving to this territory (country?) I was reaching my Country #79. Only one left for 80 countries ever visited yay.

Greenland is the world’s largest island. It is an autonomous territory of Denmark, with its own government, though Denmark manages its foreign affairs and defense. Greenland is known for its vast ice sheet, which covers about 80% of its land, and its stunning natural landscapes, including fjords, glaciers, and tundra. The majority of its population, predominantly Inuit, lives along the ice-free coastal areas. Its capital is Nuuk, and its economy relies on fishing, hunting, and increasingly, tourism and mining.

We had not booked any excursions here, we were just gonna go with the day. This was a tender port, meaning they would use these boats to get us from the cruise to the port. For that, we had to get a tender ticket the day before, but we had no idea what this meant. All this people had had tender ports in all the many cities they visited before, so the newbies like us had no idea about this system. We ended up asking Guest Services and they provided a ticket for us, we were almost last to be called.

We went to get breakfast, got ready and joined the line. The tenders had not started yet, there was a thick fog covering the bay, and all of the sudden it dissipated. Thank goodness.

The fog had fully receded and a beautiful sunny day was waiting for us in Qaqortoq. The colorful buildings looked so amazing from the cruise.

We boarded the tender. It was definitely an odd experience for us, but the calm waters allowed this to happen.

We made it to the land finally, after a few stormy days, and Serenade of the Seas looked just so amazing from here. And yes, by stepping foot, Greenland had become my country #79. More tenders continued to happen back and forth.

Day 08/22 – Exploring Qaqortoq, Greenland

Being on the second week of this adventure, and only having visiting 2 ports tells you the long distances we were navigating, and Qaqortoq in Greenland was not exactly what I had in mind for a Transatlantic cruise.

Qaqortoq is known for its colorful houses, scenic fjords, and rich history. It is the largest town in southern Greenland, with a population of around 3,000 people. Qaqortoq serves as a cultural hub, featuring landmarks like the “Stone and Man” art project, which integrates sculptures into the town’s natural environment. The town is a gateway to exploring Norse ruins, including those in Hvalsey, and is popular for activities like hiking, fishing, and boat tours. Its charm lies in its blend of traditional Greenlandic culture and modern life.

Time to explore the town and you really need to be really to hike. The view of the houses and the nature around is just stunning.

So much greenery but really not huge trees, which made the environment a bit odd but still very beautiful.

We were very lucky with the weather, and one of the recommendations during yesterday’s Enrichment was to go to the Panoramic Stairs, and we did. The view from up there was just amazing.

The lake on the back of the town gave an ominous end to the civilization. No other urban areas were located north of here in this island, although there were several smaller towns further in other islands that form the coast of Greenland.

Flies, flies and flies! This was the biggest complaint everyone had. Even having to wear nets around their heads to protect. The abundance of flies in Qaqortoq, and other parts of Greenland during the summer, is primarily due to the region’s unique environment. During the warmer months, melting snow and ice create wetlands and small pools, which are ideal breeding grounds for flies and other insects. Additionally:

1. Lack of Predators: Greenland’s ecosystem has fewer insect predators compared to other regions, allowing fly populations to thrive.
2. Short Summers: The flies’ life cycle is compressed into the short Arctic summer, making their presence especially noticeable during this time.
3. Low Winds in Fjords: Qaqortoq’s location within a fjord can shield the area from strong winds that might otherwise disperse or reduce fly activity.

Despite their abundance, these flies are a natural part of the Arctic ecosystem and are an important food source for birds and other wildlife.

But Greenland can be very green!

We walk to the very end of the east of the town and came back down to the main plaza, where most guests were hanging.

Time for lunch, and we decided to do Brasserie Hotel Qaqortoq. The fish and chips were super fresh and crispy. Always loved to eat some food out of the ship.

Day 08/22 – Leaving Qaqortoq, Greenland

The last tenders were at 5:00 pm, but we had a schedule couples massage at 5:15 pm, so we started to do the line to come back into the cruise.

We got back into the cruise, got ready in our stateroom and went to the Couples Deep Tissue Massage. It was so good. Loved every minute of it. The price tho is not good. I would recommend it to get it in land on one of the ports visiting, but if you have the means do it on the cruise and kill some time.

The cruise departed and some icebergs were on sight.

Day 08/22 – A relaxing evening

Day 8 ended with a nice meal at the Main Dining Room….

Followed by a show at the Tropical Theatre, of 2 real legends: Mark Preston and Michelle Murlin.

Day 09/22 – Sip. Tour. Brunch.

The massage was not the only Onboard Activity I had booked for this cruise. On Day 09, we also had Sip. Tour. Brunch.: Catch a glimpse of the magic that happens in the kitchen on an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the galley with the Chef. Then take your taste buds on an exceptional brunch in a dining room, where you can indulge in spectacular eats paired with unlimited sparkling wine.

On the way to the tour, we saw that today was Pirate’s Night and the decorations were up.

We met very early in the Main Dining Room, and were given instructions about the back of the house rules. A chef then joined us and started explaining all the minimum details of the entire logistics of preparing food for thousands and thousands of guests onboard.

The tour was really cool, a little bit too long in my opinion, but I guess that’s actually good for many. He answered every question, and it was nice seeing the behind the curtains stuff happening in real time.

Followed by that, we were taken back into the Main Dining Room and were given the special menu for this activity.

I think this was once of the most difficult menus to choose from. Everything sounded so good. I guess it paid off. For the appetizer I got the salmon.

For the main dish, I got the steak, because why not lol. I promise I would not eat that much later.

And dessert was the Crema Catalana, which was good itself. I think everything was great, but having unlimited drinks, including sparkling wine was the best part lol. The experience was amazing, and I am glad I was able to do it. I would probably would not do another tour but specialty dining is always on the list.

Day 09/22 – Ultimate World Cruise Pirate Party

We were far from the Caribbean but it did not mean we could have a Pirate Party, just like Disney does in their cruises. But first, as promised I was having a nice, smaller, dinner at the Main Dining Room.

The brownie was delicious tho.

After a show at the Tropical Theatre of juggler Niels Duinker, the Pirate Party started, and it was kind of a success.

Cool night to party, although no fireworks at sea like Disney does it.

Day 10/22 – Day at Sea

Day 10 was another Day at Sea since we were approaching Canada, specifically St. John’s of Newfoundland, so after gym, breakfast and getting ready, we went to the Enrichment to learn about this little town.

Time flies when you are in the Ultimate World Cruise, and just like we were already in the middle of this adventure, Day 10 ended unapologetically and faster than all the previous ones. Fortunately that night we had 2 shows in the Tropical Theatre: first, a nice potpourri of songs from the singers of the Ultimate World Cruise, and later that night, we had the Late Night Adult Comedy with Robbie Printz.

But do not miss the arrival to the Americas and the completion of the Ultimate World Cruise.