The Splendid Ferry to Iceland from Denmark

A sensory review.

Hirtshals, Denmark, where the ferry begins. © Rose Ernst 2023.

Let’s start with an important fact:

Despite growing up in an Alaskan fishing town, I get seasick. So taking a North Atlantic Ocean ferry to Iceland from Denmark seems foolhardy.

But it was the right choice.

Read on to find out why.

The Premise: Smyril Line Round-Trip

Smyril Line runs a seasonal ferry to Iceland from the northern tip of Denmark (Hirtshals) to the Faroe Islands (Tórshavn) and on through to the eastern edge of Iceland (Seyðisfjörður).

MS Norröna ferry. Made with Canva. © Rose Ernst 2023.

We took this round-trip ferry to Iceland from Denmark via the Faroe Islands on the MS Norröna at the end of May 2023. As far as I know, it is the only ferry to Iceland from Europe.

Is the Smyril Line a Ferry or a Cruise?

The view of our ferry from Tórshavn, Faroe Islands. © Rose Ernst 2023.

Many passengers travel from Hirtshals to Tórshavn (and back) as they would on a ferry. One…