The Ultimate Guide To A Northern Lights Cruise: How To See The Stunning Natural Phenomenon

Table Of Content

• Frequently asked questions about Northern Lights cruises
• Roundtrip Voyage from Bergen Explore Norway’s Coastline
• Tips and Tricks for Northern Lights Cruises
• The North Cape Express: Full Voyage from Oslo to Bergen 2024-2025
• Explore Northern Lights Shore Experiences
• Night Iceland and Ireland Cruise to See the Northern Lights

Witnessing Mother Nature’s ethereal light show, popularly known as the Northern Lights, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The famous Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei named it “Aurora Borealis” after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and the Greek god of the north wind, Boreas, to represent dancing lights in the sky. Since then, the Northern Lights have influenced the evolution of history, arts, and culture.

Frequently asked questions about Northern Lights cruises

By day, you’ll visit some of Norway’s most enchanting coastal towns, discovering the region’s rich culture and scenery. While at night the prospect of the Northern Lights is enough to tempt you from your stateroom into the crisp, still, darkness beyond. See The Northern Lights with Aurora Expeditions and our Expedition Team will take you on excursions unique to the High Arctic, fully included in the cost of your expedition.

Roundtrip Voyage from Bergen Explore Norway’s Coastline

If you don't have two or three weeks to take off work to go northern lights watching, consider Oceanwide Expeditions' eight-day aurora borealis sailings from Iceland to Greenland and back. The adventure begins in Akureyri, the unofficial capital of north Iceland, before heading for Greenland's breathtaking Scoresby Sund, the largest fjord system in the world. If you do have a little more time, you can opt for the 13-day Spitsbergen - Northeast Greenland - Aurora Borealis itinerary, which embarks in the Svalbard archipelago before sailing to Greenland and down to Iceland. Both take place in the late summer into early fall, as darkness returns to the skies in the Arctic. Known as the aurora season, the best time for taking a cruise holiday to see the Northern Lights is between September and April.

Tips and Tricks for Northern Lights Cruises

The Aurora Borealis is often visible – powerfully so – during the winter months when temperatures drop and skies are clear. And that electric frisson of anticipation ran powerfully through passengers at every step of the voyage. More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. Enjoy additional days to explore your embarkation or disembarkation city, or see a new destination altogether with a choice of exciting cities.Pre & Post Cruise Extensions vary by itinerary and are subject to change. Traveling to different parts of the Norwegian coast on the ship increases your chances of seeing the aurora not just once but multiple times. A Hurtigruten voyage along Norway’s coast is one of the best ways to see a life-defining display of the aurora borealis.

This spectacular natural phenomenon offers a surreal light display as vibrant hues of blue, green, pink and violet dance across the night sky. Places located near the Arctic Circle such as northern Norway, Iceland and Greenland, are some of the best places in the world to witness this stunning light show. The optimal time to witness the Northern Lights during Aurora Expeditions’ cruises and expeditions is typically during the winter months when the polar night prevails. This period, from late September to early April, offers extended darkness and clearer skies, enhancing the visibility of the Aurora Borealis. The absence of sunlight allows passengers to fully immerse themselves in the captivating light displays against the Arctic or sub-Arctic landscapes.

This Cruise Line Just Appointed Its First-ever 'Chief Aurora Chaser' — and Has a Northern Lights Guarantee - Travel + Leisure

This Cruise Line Just Appointed Its First-ever 'Chief Aurora Chaser' — and Has a Northern Lights Guarantee.

Posted: Thu, 28 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

These cruises navigate to prime viewing locations near the Arctic Circle, offering passengers a unique vantage point to experience the dazzling spectacle of the Aurora Borealis. The expedition vessels are strategically positioned in areas with minimal light pollution, maximizing the chances of observing the vibrant colours and dancing lights of the Northern Lights against the Arctic night sky. Passengers will enjoy the magical display from the comfort of the ship, creating a truly extraordinary and unforgettable experience.

For those interested in a little extra excitement, there are optional activities designed to get you closer to the action. Our Northern Lights expeditions provide a mix of comfort and adventure; for those willing to explore the Arctic the memories will last a lifetime. While seeing the Northern Lights isn’t guaranteed, cruises to Alaska and Iceland make for unforgettable vacations. Whether you’re traversing the wild terrain of the Last Frontier or spending your days exploring cities like Bergen and Alesund, we have an ideal itinerary for you. Get up close to beautiful, picturesque landscapes on an Iceland and Ireland cruise from Southampton, England, which offers 14 nights of pure bliss on Celebrity Silhouette.

Explore the Arctic Circle

For KrisTina Kramer, few things in life give her as much of a thrill as sailing with us along the Norwegian coast, chasing the Northern Lights. Our ships sail the Norwegian coast, above the Arctic Circle at 66°N, and directly beneath the Auroral Oval, an area of consistently active displays. Havila Voyages and HX both offer a Northern Lights promise on cruises that depart from the scenic town of Bergen, Norway. However, most Northern Lights cruises visit just Norway, Iceland, and Greenland because those countries have open waterways that aren’t frozen over.

Aurora Expeditions carefully schedules these voyages to coincide with peak Northern Lights activity, ensuring passengers have the best chances of experiencing this celestial spectacle in its full splendour. Over the course of 13 days, a luxurious Viking ocean ship transports guests from London to Amsterdam, then all the way up the coast of Norway and north of the Arctic Circle, before returning back south to the Norwegian city of Bergen. (Although some sailings operate in reverse.) The Norwegian fjords themselves are a sight to behold — and if they're paired with the northern lights, that's all the better! The sailings run from January to March when daylight is limited in the Arctic Circle, making for prime aurora opportunities. Rates start from $4,999 per person in 2023, and it should be noted that Viking is an adults-only cruise line. As well as the chance to view the northern lights, Viking’s sailings offer exciting excursions to experience local culture and traditions.

You might be surprised to learn that the Northern Lights are happening all the time – yes, even right now. While this phenomenon happens constantly, they’re only really visible mostly between September and April in the best places to see the Northern Lights. And this is especially true in the Nordic region when the nights are at their longest. You can also see the lights in Canada's Yukon, including in the gold rush town of Dawson City, which is visited on some Holland America cruisetours. This well-documented phenomenon, caused by electrically charged particles from the sun entering the Earth’s atmosphere, is a truly incredible sight, with brightly coloured trails and swirling patterns engulfing the night sky.

No tall buildings, no cityscape to block your vision—just you, the dark canvas of the night sky, and the vibrant colors of the auroras. In the cold, clear nights of the polar regions, the sky often erupts in a spectral ballet of lights, dancing and weaving their magic. Our ships act as floating, mobile observatories that move between areas where there is a lot of cloud cover to places where it’s clear skies and perfect conditions to see the aurora when it appears.

Excursions may give you the opportunity to be transported to northern lights viewing spots by everything from buses and minivans to small boats and dogsleds. The best northern lights cruises provide plenty of opportunities for passengers to learn about, celebrate and, of course, see the northern lights. But there will also be activities geared to exploring parts of the world filled with many other natural, cultural, and man-made wonders. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and the Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express, offer a good number of itineraries that showcase the Northern Lights. The Coastal Express serves as both a passenger cruise line and a lifeline for Norwegian coastal residents and these working ships transport locals’ cars, fjord towns’ freight and up to 1,000 total passengers on any given day. Remember that seeing these lights doesn't involve a cruise director flipping on a switch.

Sailings from Southampton are also available on Cunard’s ocean liner and flagship Queen Mary 2. The most affordable option on this list, British cruise line P&O operates 12-day sailings to Norway year-round, but during the auroral season, there's a strong chance you'll see the northern lights while onboard. Guests embark in Southampton, England, before sailing north to Norway, traveling as far north as Tromsø, well north of the Arctic Circle. We recommend splurging on a room with windows for the best northern lights viewing options.

And for many people, a winter cruise offers the ability to escape the cold and snow of the winter months and head somewhere warmer for some relaxation out in the sun. Relax in the knowledge that our unmatchable Northern Lights Promise means you’ll get another chance to see the aurora if they don’t make an appearance on your voyage of 11 days or more. After departing Southampton, the first stop on this cruise will be in Ålesund, Norway, to spend a day exploring its art nouveau architecture. After another day at sea, guests will reach Tromsø, a city 250 miles inside the Arctic Circle with famously consistent Northern Lights displays.

A highlight is a visit to the Inuit village of Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated and northernmost permanent settlement in the region, with approximately 450 inhabitants. The community has an excellent museum, gift shop, an abundance of Greenlandic sled dogs and provides the opportunity to meet the friendly locals. Over the next few days we explore parts of Norway’s remarkable 1,000-kilometre (600-mile) coastline.