A cruise from the UK to Russia provided veteran travelers John and Janet Croft a cost effective way of visiting Iceland and Norway while delving deep into some little-known history of the Second World War.The Nordic countries are expensive to visit as land-based tourists, but the spectacular landscapes are essential to see for serious travellers.“The ship offered us the chance to learn a lot of history and see lots of fascinating geography – particularly in Iceland – at a reasonable cost,” explains Janet.It took five days to circumnavigate Iceland, during which time the Crofts saw spectacular and varied geographies dotted with towns, hot springs, glaciers, geysers, and an assortment of birdlife including puffins and eider ducks.The second leg of the cruise took the travellers north along the coast of Norway, and then east into Russia.On the summer solstice, the cruise sailed the Barents Sea past North Cape under a midnight sunrise.Next, Russian port of Murmansk, into the White Sea –...