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June 11, 2025
Nuuk, Greenland


Nuuk, the capital and largest city in Greenland

Greenland is the world’s largest island and the location of the northernmost point of land in the world. It is also the least densely populated country in the world, and most of its 57,000 residents are Inuit.

Greenland is notoriously difficult to get to in a cruise ship without icebreaking abilities. If the weather is too cold, the frozen icecap will prevent entry. If the weather is too warm, the loose ice bergs will prevent entry. We have sailed here a number of times, and we have actually made it into port about half of those times.


Sailing from Iceland to Greenland, we have seen ice floes and ice bergs!

Our original itinerary called for us to do a scenic sail through Prince Christian Sound, then visit the two southern ports of Nanortalik and Qaqortoq. On June 8, the captain informed us that weather conditions were too rough. Instead, we would have an extra sea day and visit the port of Paamiut instead.

On June 10, the captain announced that there was a medical emergency on board (possibly due to the rough weather the night before. Instead of going to Paamiut, we would need to travel farther north to Nuuk, where the injured passenger could be taken to better medical facilities.

(If you are keeping track, we have now missed five ports on this 14-day itinerary.)


A map showing the locations we missed (Prince Christian Sound, Nanortalik and Qaqortoq), the revised location we missed (Paamiut), and the port we finally made (Nuuk)


Maps showing the location of Viking Sky and the conditions around Greenland. Note the winds of almost 50 mph.


A satellite image showing the ice in Prince Christian Sound. We could not risk a scenic sail there without getting ice bound.


As late as last evening, the ship map still showed us headed toward Paamiut

It was actually good news to visit Nuuk instead of Paamiut. Paamiut is a tiny village with not much to do. Nuuk is the capital and largest city Greenland. Its population of 20,000 accounts for a third of Greenland’s total population.

The bad news is that due to the last-minute change, there would be no time to schedule any excursions or tours. Instead, we would simply walk off the ship and visit the city for the day.

Gail has caught a cold that has been circulating around the ship. (She had to cancel a needle-felting class she was going to teach to the crew.) While Gail stayed aboard ship to rest and get well, Russell walked off an explored the city.

Nuuk is a great walking city, with a maze-like structure of streets and a combination of old and new architecture. A persistent fog gave everything an eerie feeling of remoteness and mystery, adding to the allure.


The Viking Sky was docked at a very industrial port


The walk into town. And old wooden stairway takes you up the hill into town.


The signs are all in Greenlandic. No idea what this says.


There are two old cemeteries in town. You can barely read any of the inscriptions.


Nuuk is a calm and quiet city. The residents must have thought they have been invaded by Vikings!


A group of boys asked Russell to take their picture


Some city art. The left sculpture is seals. The right sculpture is anybody’s guess.


This modern building is a huge multi-level shopping mall


The old church and the new church


Many Vikings headed toward Colony Harbor in Old Nuuk (Nuutoqaq), where there is a statue of Hans Eged (a Dano-Norwegian Lutheran missionary) on top of a hill


Some views of Colony Harbor and Old Nuuk (Nuutoqaq) from the top of the hill. Note the juxtaposition of old and new architecture, and how colorful the houses are.

Because we had to travel farther to reach port, we disembarked at 11:00 am (Nuuk) instead of 8:00 am (Paamiut). Russell gave a last-minute lecture at 9:30 am this morning. (Fortunately, he had another back-up lecture that is relevant to the region.) With this second extra lecture, Russell is now presenting nine lectures over this 14-day itinerary.

Leaving Greenland, the Viking Sky will now head west below the Arctic Circle and make its way toward North America.


Leaving Nuuk, we headed out into the fog… and more ice


Here’s what we’ve been up to aboard ship the past few days. We caught up and shared a couple of meals with guest entertainers Christine Andreas and her husband Martin Silvestri. Christine is a Broadway performer twice nominated for a Tony Award. Marty is a composer/arranger twice nominated for a Grammy Award. They are a hoot.


Russell caught up with his “cousin,” guest entertainer Wendy Law. (All Asians are cousins.) Wendy is a cellist with a 200-year-old instrument named “Sebastian.” She is a hoot.


We had a group dinner with our fellow lecturers for this segment. Left to right: Gordon (Angela’s husband), Foreign Affairs expert Jeffrey Morton, Florence (Jeffrey's wife), Russell, Viking Resident Historian Robert Cribb, Bridge Instructor Angela Taylor, Susan (Robert's wife), Charlotte (John's wife), Historian John Haywood, Gail.


Gail taught the first of two needle-felting workshops to a class of 30 guests. The project for this itinerary: baby harp seals!


Gail also needle felted a pair of slippers for our room steward, Anjali

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