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As you embark from these ports, the promise of the dancing Northern Lights on the horizon adds to the allure of the Great White North’s vast and varied landscapes. Beyond the Northern Lights, cruises often sail to exotic polar destinations, offering a comprehensive experience. The huge Beerenberg volcano is the world’s northernmost active volcano, last erupting in 1985. The northern part of the island is a great place to look for whales and dolphins, and contains impressive glaciers, some of which reach the sea.
Why Join a Northern Lights Cruise with Aurora Expeditions?
You’ll sail past natural wonders and beautiful medieval towns as well as spotting reindeer and huskies while you step out to hopefully view the Northern Lights, with a base in a cosy cabin and enjoying delicious regional meals. Some local initiatives protesting against cruise travel have also gathered momentum, so cruisers should be aware of these issues before setting foot ashore. Layered clothing accommodates the region's variable weather, while specialized gear might be necessary for specific excursions. Scandinavia—and Norway in particular—is an expensive place to travel around, so a cruise can make financial sense for those seeking an introduction to the region. For one price, you get your travel, accommodation, meals, and entertainment covered. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into the culture of the Vikings or explore what makes people in the Nordic region the so-called happiest on earth, you could do a lot worse than book a Scandinavian cruise.
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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. 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. Dedicated trips in search of the aurora borealis include a 13-night round-trip expedition cruise from Amsterdam on MS Maud.
Viking River Cruises
It features a day on Senja, one of the most ruggedly beautiful and lesser-visited Norwegian islands. Considering the cruise line is named after the atmospheric phenomenon, it should come as no surprise that it offers a northern lights itinerary. At 19 to 22 days long, depending on the departure, there is plenty of time to hope for a northern lights appearance — or two, or three, or more. The longer itinerary continues with a visit to the Faroe Islands and disembarkation in Bergen, Norway. Shorter days in the high latitudes means darkening evening skies, so on this voyage we stay close to the coastlines of the Arctic Circle, skirting around the Norwegian and Greenland seas, and exploring remote islands and villages of the region. This spectacular natural phenomenon offers a surreal light display as vibrant hues of blue, green, pink and violet dance across the night sky.
Hurtigruten is something of an outlier in this group because it doesn't offer specific northern lights itineraries. But the routes of this coastal ferry company in Norway just happen to traverse the perfect latitudes to see the aurora. In fact, Hurtigruten is so confident you'll see the northern lights during the auroral season (Sept. 26 through March 31) that if they don't show up on a sailing of 11 days or more, the company will give you a free six- or seven-day cruise to try again. For the best odds of seeing the northern lights, we suggest the 12-day round-trip itinerary from Bergen up the coast of Norway and back.
That means Viking will alert you at any hour of the day – including the middle of the night – if the Aurora Borealis makes an appearance. A Northern Lights cruise, however, is different, in that it heads directly into the harsh cold of northern Norway, trading warm beaches and pool drinks for heavy parkas and hot toddies. As mentioned, the lights like to appear in the wee hours — particularly between 11 p.m. An advantage in Norway is that it's dark enough to see them for a longer period as you get into the fall and winter. Being an awe-inspiring sight, it’s only natural that the Northern Lights would play a large role in a wide variety of cultures.
FAQs on Northern Lights Cruises
We will then head south along the coast of Liverpool Land, with our passage dependent on ice conditions. After a leisurely breakfast, check-out of your room before commencing an excursion of Kirkenes and surrounds. Transfer to the pier for embarkation in the late afternoon, when you will have time to settle into your cabin before attending our mandatory safety briefings, and enjoy the thrill of departure as we ‘throw the lines’ and set sail. The mesmerising and otherworldly spectacle of the aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, has captivated humanity for centuries. You’re also more likely to see them if you visit in colder months, as the most brilliant displays occur both in dark and cold environments. Because it’s a scientific phenomenon beyond the comprehension of modern science, you can only truly predict occurrences of the Northern Lights roughly two hours before they happen.
These Arctic regions, located near the magnetic poles, offer optimal conditions for observing the Northern Lights. Aurora Expeditions carefully plans itineraries to position their vessels in prime locations, away from light pollution, providing passengers with the best chances of witnessing the spectacular light display. 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.
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]
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There’s a chance of seeing the Northern Lights anywhere within the auroral zone – a 1,500-mile radius of the magnetic north pole. Based right at the heart of this zone is the Norwegian city of Tromsø, which is widely regarded as the world’s best place to see the Northern Lights when the conditions are right. And with stops at this dramatic destination on a Northern Lights holiday with P&O Cruises, you can go in search of the aurora borealis as you sail along the stunning Norwegian coastline.
If you’re travelling on a cruise holiday to see the Northern Lights in Norway, be sure to bring enough krone for the amount of time you’ll be there. Experience the true side of Greenland’s west coast with our partner Arctic Umiaq Line. Like us, they have a long history of serving local passengers and communities, and sail to places that most visitors to Greenland never see. Havila Voyages is so confident guests will see the Northern Lights on Nordic sailings between October and March, it offers a guarantee.
With longer hours with dark skies and clear night skies, the Westfjords and North Iceland are the best regions to head to if you want to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights. There are many fantastic remote locations in South Iceland where you can witness the aurora, including the popular Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. The Seltjarnarnes peninsula is a prime viewing area as there is minimal light pollution. There are also plenty of places near Reykjavík you can head to if you’re short on time, including Thingvellir National Park. While Greenland is one of the best countries in the world for witnessing the Northern Lights, getting there can be challenging and often what holds people back.
Embark on a nostalgic summertime voyage along the Norwegian coast up to the Svalbard archipelago at the edge of the world. For the first time, we sail to or from the capital Oslo, journeying between Norway’s southernmost point and its northernmost. 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.
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