Cruising to see the Northern Lights

[DnDNerdGirl]

My mom and I want to see the Northern Lights, and I would like to take her on a cruise, so I thought that going on an Alaskan cruise would be a fun way to do both.

 

When would be a good time of year to go? What cruise line would y'all recommend? Any other advice?

[Glaciers]

Highly unlikely you will be able to see them on a cruise although there were a few posts from some that saw them this fall. Although the skies are normally a bit clearer in May, there is also too much light as the days grow longer. September would probably be the best month for a slight chance as the days are much shorter. September also has the best chance for cloudy skies though too. The odds of seeing the northern lights on an Alaska cruise may be a tad better than winning the lottery. If the northern lights are the priority, visit Alaska around January.

[knbcruisers]

From all of my research I dont believe you will see the Northern Lights on a cruise. You would need to go further north and inland for that. That said, a cruise combined with land tour before or after is recommended by many on this board.

[MommaBear55]

It is rare to see northern lights except during the winter. There is a slim chance you will see the northern lights on an Alaskan cruise as they cruise in the summer. You could increase your odds by sailing in June or September but still the odds are not good.

[hawkeyetlse]

Maybe consider Hurtigruten (cruises up and down the coast of Norway).

[Haribofan]

Impossible to predict seeing the northern lights I'm afraid . We were on the adventure of the seas in October from Southampton to Iceland and then Norway's and we saw them for a total of 15 minutes at 2 o'clock in the morning as we entered the Arctic circle . Amazing sight and apparently the first time in 10 years of on this cruise that it had been seen . Even in Iceland there was a nightime tour to see the northern lights but they saw nothing because of the cloud . Even a Fred Olsen northern lights cruise from the UK last week never saw them once so I would really stick to things you want to see on the earth and book for those and not things you may see above us ! If you do see the northern lights then it will be a real bonus .

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Forums mobile app

[Glaciers]

This site shows the daily auroral forecast. We usually need a 4 or better to have a chance at seeing them in Anchorage. The lights were seen in Arizona this year on September 12.

http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast

 

I should probably add that even with a high number there is no guarantee that they'll be out.

Edited December 10, 2014 by Glaciers

[DnDNerdGirl]

Highly unlikely you will be able to see them on a cruise although there were a few posts from some that saw them this fall. Although the skies are normally a bit clearer in May, there is also too much light as the days grow longer. September would probably be the best month for a slight chance as the days are much shorter. September also has the best chance for cloudy skies though too. The odds of seeing the northern lights on an Alaska cruise may be a tad better than winning the lottery. If the northern lights are the priority, visit Alaska around January.

 

That's unfortunate, but good to know. I guess I'll have to re-think our travel plans.

Thanks, all!

[AKStafford]

You need three things to see Northern Lights:

Aurora Activity

Clear Skies

Dark Skies

 

The aurora activity is random luck. The link was provided for short term aurora forecasts...

 

Clear skies is also mostly random luck. Fairbanks is a popular destination for seeing the Northern Lights since it typically has more clear weather.

 

To have dark skies, you need to consider a couple of things. During the popular cruising months (June, July, August) the sky usually doesn't really get dark enough. Late August, early September is the when we starting getting dark enough. You also have to be away from other light sources, which means getting out of town.

[gottagoacruzn]

Hi, first time I went to Alaska was in Sept, the weather in Haines was clear, and the driver got back on the bus to tell us, that we could see the Northern lights, and yup we saw them, had the camcorder with me, tried to video tape them, but couldn't see anything, but heard people talkin. A lot of people after the ship set sail, were watchin them. Haven't seen the northern lights since.

 

Virginia

[Northern Aurora]

One possibility would be to book a late one way northbound cruise (i.e., the last cruise of the season on the preferred cruise line) to Seward or Whittier, to be followed by a land portion including Denali and then up to Fairbanks. In Fairbanks spend a night or two at the Chena Hot Springs Resort, which is located about 60 miles from Fairbanks and so has limited light pollution.

 

In Interior Alaska we can start seeing auroras some years in late August, but the best viewing is generally late September/early October through March.

[donaldsc]

My mom and I want to see the Northern Lights, and I would like to take her on a cruise, so I thought that going on an Alaskan cruise would be a fun way to do both.

 

When would be a good time of year to go? What cruise line would y'all recommend? Any other advice?

 

The best time to pick a cruise with a good chance of seeing aurora would be January to March. You could do a cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway. They run all year.

 

Alternatively, fly to Fairbanks in January to March with all the cold weather clothes that you have and head north. That is what I did and I had almost a full week of glorious northern lights. I froze all parts of my body but it was worth it.

 

DON

Edited December 11, 2014 by donaldsc

[AKStafford]

The best time to pick a cruise with a good chance of seeing aurora would be January to March. You could do a cruise on the Alaska Marine Highway. They run all year.

 

DON

 

Not to disagree, but I would like the point out that the Alaska Marine Highway isn't a cruise. It's a ferry system designed to get people around Southeast Alaska. It's a bus that floats. Yes, the mainline ferries have staterooms and dining facilities, so it works for touring around the panhandle. I just wouldn't want someone to book ferry travel and expect to get a full luxury cruise experience.

And for what its worth, I love being on the ferry. It's a great way to see the inside passage.

[donaldsc]

Not to disagree, but I would like the point out that the Alaska Marine Highway isn't a cruise. It's a ferry system designed to get people around Southeast Alaska. It's a bus that floats. Yes, the mainline ferries have staterooms and dining facilities, so it works for touring around the panhandle. I just wouldn't want someone to book ferry travel and expect to get a full luxury cruise experience.

And for what its worth, I love being on the ferry. It's a great way to see the inside passage.

 

I was just being slightly factitious about the Alaska Marine Highway although I too have been on the ferries and loved them. You could consider them a cruise w/o any of the cruise perks except for the scenery.

 

When we did our extended driving trip in AK, we took the ferry from Haines to Prince Rupert on the way back stopping in places on the way down. I considered taking the ferry all the way back to Seattle but we also wanted to hit Hyder and it would have beein impossible if we went all the way to Seattle. We have also done short ferry trips. One of the things on my bucket list is to do the Aleutian run on the ferry although I suspect that I will never end up doing it.

 

DON

[rockdoctor]

My mom and I want to see the Northern Lights, and I would like to take her on a cruise, so I thought that going on an Alaskan cruise would be a fun way to do both.

 

When would be a good time of year to go? What cruise line would y'all recommend? Any other advice?

 

To see the Northern Light, go to Whitehorse in the winter. Otherwise it's hit or miss. We saw them in Tok once in September but never from a ship, even in September.

[SightCRR]

I have read many reviews and this is one of my favorites. They saw northern lights near Fairbanks before heading south to catch the cruise. Sept 2014.

Great writing style and great photos including some of the northern lights.

 

http://kellylikestotravel.blogspot.ca/2014/09/north-to-fairbanks.html

 

sightcrr

[plumie]

We were the ones who traveled in September of 2014 to Fairbanks and saw the lights (hi SightCRR! Glad you enjoyed the trip report).

 

We were lucky enough to see it in early September, but if I were to do it again, I would've done a NB cruise to Alaska, then a land tour traveling north to Fairbanks so it's a little later in the season (probably mid-late September at this point) to have a bit more darkness to catch the lights. Even in September it didn't get dark enough to see the lights (if they were out) until around midnight - so if you want to cruise Alaska AND see the Lights, you'd have to wait until very late into the season for it to be dark enough to see them. But it CAN be done :)

 

good luck and have fun planning!

[Glaciers]

The lights are cyclic and we have had a good showing the last couple years. You can increase your chances of seeing them during the cruise season by doing what others have, although very unlikely. Even though it may get dark with clear skies, it doesn’t mean the lights will be out. I’ve been here for 34 years and have gone many years without seeing them at all. It wouldn’t be worth planning a trip to Alaska in the summer around seeing the lights but if you happen to stumble upon them it’s fantastic.

[Budget Queen]

I've done two trips in March, parking myself in Fairbanks extended. Aurora was my priority but , I had add on snow "machining" and dog sledding in addition, along with the Ice Sculpting Championships. My minimum recommended time with this priority would be 2 weeks. Taking the last northbound sailing could be a great option. Be sure to time your activities, as for example, Denali Park shuttles end midmonth. Time is your friend, go for as long as you can afford.