Day 3 – Copenhagen to Nuuk August 24, 2026

After two active days, I guess we’re due a slacker day, and that’s pretty much what we’ve had. Briefly, our day went like this:

-              Awake at 4:30 AM, on the bus at 5:30. One hour to the airport and to the gate.

-              9 AM Flight from Copenhagen to Nuuk, Greenland. A 4.5 hour/2 nap trip on a wide-body Airbus 330neo. I figured we’d be on a small-sized 737, given that Nuuk doesn’t seem to be a high-demand destination. But the flight was pretty much full, including all us Viking sailors. Smooth flight, no issues, except the fog bank on arrival seemed quite low to me. I guess our alternative might be Reykjavik, Iceland.

-              A couple of hours to get from the plane to the ship and through the welcome ceremonies and procedures.

-              Lunch (burgers) at 1 PM.

-              Unpacking at 3 PM. Our Viking red coats and waterproof pants were waiting in our cabin.

-              A talk with Customer Service rep to confirm our expedition bookings and get wait listed for more Special Operations Boat trips.

-              A stroll around the ship, culminating in mojitos on Deck 4 forward, the same vantage point we frequently used in Antarctica to view whales and icebergs.

-              Now it’s 5:30 and time to go for our first port briefing, where we learn what there is to see and learn in Nuuk tomorrow.

-              The port briefing introduced the two dozen naturalists who are on the ship, several of whom are from Greenland. I talked with a few before the briefing and asked if our friend the whale naturalist Judith was on this trip. Sadly no, but the ones we have should do fine. I told them that they are the reason we booked a second expedition voyage. They were pleased.

-              Dinner – lobster tail and steak – was good although I’m missing a Smørrebrød and a cold Carlsbad. I’ll get over it.

-              We ate with a couple from California, mostly trading grandkid brags. They have eight but I wouldn’t trade our four for eighty. They had recently done the Great Lakes on this same Polaris ship. Another one for the future.

Judy is booked on two activities in Nuuk tomorrow and I’m on one but waitlisted for hers. If I don’t clear the list, I’m going to hoof it into town and see what I can see.