Right. That’s how I view it.
The Vikings were looking for plunder, but all resources to build ships, and despite their stereotypes, the were looking for trade. They may have got as far as “vine land” or northern parts of North America, but it was mostly to collect some pelts and get wood for ship repair/building, and also trying to find precious minerals or rare materials for crafts and smithing. That’s it. They had no interest in permanent settlement and colonization. Mostly just bases/ports to use for travel. If I recall correctly, Normandy is the only place they ever truly stopped permanently.
Also, I think of Phoenicians more as traders in a more traditional sense than the Vikings, although I haven’t read up on them at all. While they may have explored, looking for new sources of trade, they probably had absolutely no interest in untamed territory.
Columbus and the Europeans of his era were all about colonization and expansion. The big material score would be gold, but most European powers look at land as power, and they wanted to take it before their rivals did.
The Vikings established permanent settlements in what is now Russia-and other parts of Eastern Europe-before 750 AD-the word “rus” refers to the Vikings’ rowing ships-but the Viking age did not get into high gear until after 800. Normandy was an early colony because they had the upper hand in an alliance with the Franks...
I can’t find the original story but am quite sure it was a YouTube video from several years ago.
In a nutshell everything was going well for the Vikings at L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland.
Then one high ranking woman had an argument over who gets which house. Her husband was a grand pooh bah and built her a nice house but she wanted someone else’s.
To avoid costly infighting and possibly risking their lives in the wilderness they headed back to Greenland.
The upshot was how history would have been very different had Native Americans had access to all the technology of the Old World via the Vikings but their fate was sealed by one woman having a hissy-fit.