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Since the ships sail this itinerary from October to November, the skies will be dark enough to see the northern lights, should they decide to appear. In 2023, the voyage will be undertaken by Queen Victoria, while next season, the Queen Mary 2 and the upcoming Queen Anne will take the reins. Popular regions for Northern Lights cruises and expeditions with Aurora Expeditions include Arctic destinations like Norway, Iceland and the Canadian Arctic. 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.
day Norwegian Fjords cruise from Bergen
From the ship, you can admire the diverse terrains, including towering cliffs, crystalline glaciers, and tranquil Arctic waters. The main thing you need to consider when you pack for your Northern Lights holiday is, of course, the weather. It’ll probably come as no surprise to learn that Norway can be quite chilly in the winter months when the Northern Lights are at their peak.
In Search of the Northern Lights
It is most frequently visible in high-latitude regions in the Arctic and Antarctica, but most accessible between 10° and 20° of the North Pole in a band called the ‘auroral zone’. It’s important to understand that this oval-shaped halo can shift slightly, and there are many factors at play that affect how bright the lights appear or if it’s possible to see them at all. A Northern Lights cruise through Iceland and the Norwegian Fjords is more than a voyage; it's an immersion into the enchanting Arctic world.
Similar to Arctic Circle (Cruising), Norway
Right now, the sun is approaching the peak of its 11-year solar cycle, meaning magnetic activity is very high. As a bonus, auroral activity tends to increase around solar maximum and intensify in the few years after. To maximise your chances of a rare Northern Lights sighting, you’ll need to head for locations with the latitude to host nature’s best performance, and chances of a successful sighting soar on the remote Arctic Ocean. Famously, orchestrating a glimpse of the elusive celestial ballet requires that a lot of factors fall into place. Clear viewing conditions, a great vantage point and a lot of patience are a must to watch the lights dance at their most visible between September and March.
In Search of the Northern Lights at Christmas
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. 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. The ‘auroral zone’ starts in Northern Norway just above the Lofoten Islands and extends up the coast to the North Cape (Nordkapp) and beyond. You will observe the same light display from anywhere in this region, but from a different angle.
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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.
Norway's Land of the Northern Lights
Norway is perhaps the most popular country for a Northern Lights cruise, though Iceland is also a good choice. Cunard offers cruises within the Arctic Circle visiting the Norwegian city of Tromsø, which is a known place to view the aurora borealis. Yet with winter weather and likely bone-chilling temperatures, there’s a lot to understand about northern lights cruises before you hand over your credit card. Planning a northern lights cruise to Norway in 2024 is expected to offer some of the best opportunities in years to witness one of nature's most spectacular displays.
This means that to experience the aurora at its best, you’ll need to be prepared to wrap up warm and spend a long time outside in the dark. Meanwhile, passengers can enjoy sightings of hardy winter wildlife and snow-dusted landscapes, providing a stark yet beautiful contrast to the delicate dance overhead. Of course, the hope is that on these expertly designed trips you'll get to see the famed lights - but it is nice to know that a cruise line has got you covered.
Aurora Expeditions’ Northern Lights cruises offer flexibility in challenging environments in a way that puts you amongst the action to see and do as much as possible. Our Northern Lights adventures will take you across the seas, seeking out the Northern Lights in multiple countries and landscapes. To increase your chances of seeing the lights we move to different locations around the Arctic Circle, ensuring all bases are covered. There are several things you can do to increase the odds of a sighting, starting with the time of year. Or cruise to the beautiful and unspoilt island of Iceland, with its colourful, cosmopolitan capital of Reykjavik, in search of this fabled phenomenon.
4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S. - AARP
4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S..
Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Each issue brings you destination inspiration and the travel tips you've been looking for to book your dream holiday. Excursion excellent As you may have gathered we really enjoyed the holiday We booked through Blue Water and were very impressed with management. It passes through remote parts of eight countries—the U.S. (Alaska), Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia—but it's frozen at 65 degrees north. If you have a UK passport, you don’t need a visa to go on a cruise to see the Northern Lights in Norway (or anywhere else in Scandinavia). But please remember you must have a passport that’s valid for at least three months longer than the date you plan to leave this region. Copyright 2024 Ambassador Cruise Line is a trading name of Ambassador Cruise Holidays Limited.
However, those in interior cabins can always run up on deck — which you should do anyway to witness the full grandeur of the atmospheric phenomenon. Each fall, one or two of the ships in Cunard's legendary fleet head north for Norway, where guests are treated to scenic cruising along the coast. The 12-day itineraries depart from Southampton, England, before traveling to Alesund, Tromsø, Narvik, and Haugesund, sailing through majestic fjords along the way.
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. Our Scenic Discoveries are designed to allow you to enjoy seeing the world from a unique perspective of our ship. An on-deck sauna, comfortable cabins and an open-plan observation lounge primed for photographing the Northern Lights complete the intimate adventure. Float to the northern wilderness in September, when there is little light pollution and the best chance of being mesmerised by the vivid aurora.
The Northern Lights, or the aurora borealis, are natural light displays across the Arctic sky, caused by collisions between electrically charged particles from the Sun entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Experiencing these beautiful waves of light on a Northern Lights cruise holiday is at the top of many travellers’ wish lists and it’s easy to see why. This atmospheric phenomenon in which undulating waves of green, purple and red lights dance across the sky is truly breathtaking. Specializing in polar voyages, Quark Expeditions knows a thing or two about the northern lights, which is why the company offers aurora sailings each fall. These 14-day itineraries cruise from Iceland to Greenland and back from September into early October.
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