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Best time and itinerary to see Northern Lights


delphis98
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Hi all,

I wonder when is the best time of year, and the best itinerary, to see the Northern Lights? If that could be combined with not being absolutely freezing 24/7, it would be ideal, but of course one can't have everything :)

many many thanks,

delphis

Edited by delphis98
typo
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October, February and March should be the best months. But any month from October to March should be fine when above the Artic Circle- Northern Light is during the Arctic winter and always late evening or early night will definitely be freezing cold.

 

 

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Thank you so much for replying. I'm sure this question is asked often, and I appreciate that you didn't just tell me to search the forum! lol. :-) now i'm spending some time on the hurtigruten website enjoying the webcams :)

thanks again,

delphis

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  • 2 weeks later...
October, February and March should be the best months. But any month from October to March should be fine when above the Artic Circle- Northern Light is during the Arctic winter and always late evening or early night will definitely be freezing cold.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

 

And it gets better and better Hurtigruten has a special offer, If you sail October 1 to April 1 and do not see the northern lights you can take a 7 day cruise free the next season !!!! They also offer a single traveler a special deal you only pay 25% over a single fare for a double cabin.... Where is the phone.... this is way too good to pass up

.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There are also "Astronomy Voyages" marketed by Hurtigruten UK with professional astronomers aboard who do lectures plus ondeck star & aurora spotting.

 

I'd recommend these because:

they are timed for best times (in lunar cycle) for seeing auroras and stars

the lectures and on deck gatherings are interesting & enjoyable

they take place on the larger ships which are most stable & with best outdoor viewing areas (& crew more likely to turn deck lights off if there's a good display).

 

I'd recommend picking one with Dr John Mason.

 

Fair winds & Weather

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There are also "Astronomy Voyages" marketed by Hurtigruten UK with professional astronomers aboard who do lectures plus ondeck star & aurora spotting.

 

I'd recommend these because:

they are timed for best times (in lunar cycle) for seeing auroras and stars

the lectures and on deck gatherings are interesting & enjoyable

they take place on the larger ships which are most stable & with best outdoor viewing areas (& crew more likely to turn deck lights off if there's a good display).

 

I'd recommend picking one with Dr John Mason.

 

Fair winds & Weather

 

We agree about choosing one with John Mason.

 

He was one of the most enthusiastic lecturers we've ever had.

 

It was also nice being in the Astronomy Group at dinner, where we were all seated in one large area. The other meals were open seating, but having the group together at dinner, in a single seating in one area, made it fun to discuss astronomy/the lights/etc... just another way to break the ice with others.

 

Our cruise was mid-March (two months ago), on the Trollfjord.

We loved the ship.

(We weren't quite sure what to expect, and tried to downplay our expectations. Perhaps due to that, we were delighted with everything... the space, the crew, even the food... and I'm a fussy eater...)

 

We were lucky in that there was an unexpected solar storm that sent extra activity earthbound during two nights. The first night was cloudy, but the second night was the best of the Northern Lights that we saw. They were very impressive that night! :D

 

As for timing/itinerary, we chose March, because "on average" (which isn't what actually happens, of course!), March was the least cloudy month for Northern Lights. Also, because it wasn't dead winter, we'd have a fair amount of daylight to see the landscape - and it was *beautiful*!

We did the RT rather than one way, because we wanted to maximize the amount of time spent above the Arctic Circle.

Even so, when the cruise ended, we were very sorry to have to get off.

 

GC

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  • 1 month later...

I saw the Northern Lights in mid March 2013 on a 12 night RT out of Bergen. We saw them briefly as we headed north but had good view one night on the way south.

 

And, yes, it was still very, very cold, but my friend and I loved the cruise and all the snow. We were part of a 40 person group tour so had daily sessions with our tour guide which was very helpful in learning about Norwegian history and culture. We also had some excursions included in the tour price. However, one excursion I would encourage you to take even in the cold is to North Cape. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

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