The 9 Best Northern Lights Alaska Cruises for 2024 & Beyond

Table Of Content

• What Do You Need to Know Before Booking a Northern Lights Cruise?
• Traveler Advice
• Northern Lights Cruise: How to See the Stunning Natural Phenomenon
• The Best Northern Lights Cruises for 2024 & Beyond
• Enhancing Your Northern Lights Viewing Experience
• Visit The Northern Lights & Aurora Borealis With Ideal Timing
• Glacier Adventures
• Aurora Expeditions: Northern Lights Explorer

There are several apps and websites with real-time updates for aurora tracking, including My Aurora Forecast & Alerts. If the skies are clear in the evening and the forecast looks promising, ask guest relations if there’s a sign-up sheet to get a call or a knock on the door in the event of aurora activity. This 14-day adventure includes scenic cruising of the Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and College Fjord, with stops in the ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Whittier and Seward.

What Do You Need to Know Before Booking a Northern Lights Cruise?

Guests also have the option to extend their trip with a few days in Reykjavík, where Northern Lights displays are common in the winter. Quark is running this itinerary once in 2024, from September 20 to October 1. Havila Voyages is so confident guests will see the Northern Lights on Nordic sailings between October and March, it offers a guarantee.

Traveler Advice

While you can see incredible light shows in Anchorage, consider an extended tour of Fairbanks or the Interior that takes you away from light pollution (such as to Denali National Park & Preserve). Bright moonlight can diminish the contrast of the aurora against the night sky, making them less vivid. However, the Northern Lights can still be enjoyed during a full moon, especially if the activity level is high.

Northern Lights Cruise: How to See the Stunning Natural Phenomenon

As you explore the ports of call on your Alaskan cruise, keep in mind that some destinations, such as Nome and Barrow, offer a higher probability of seeing the Northern Lights due to their proximity to the Arctic Circle. Research the best times to visit each port and consult with experts to ensure you make the most of your journey. Embrace the experience, immerse yourself in onboard activities, and capture breathtaking photos that will forever remind you of this awe-inspiring adventure.

It is possible to be lucky enough to see both aurora borealis and polar bears in one trip to the Arctic, but never guaranteed. For a higher likelihood of this happening we would recommend taking a Svalbard cruise when there are more hours of darkness. So if you want the full-package experience, an aurora borealis cruise offers the best of the region’s weather, wildlife and culture, with the bonus of seeking to see the night sky light up. Learn about timing it right to see the aurora borealis in the regions we sail below.

When planning your Alaskan cruise, consider the ports of call that align with your desired Northern Lights viewing experience. Research the best times to visit each destination and consult with your cruise operator for expert guidance on optimal viewing spots and excursion options. The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, are caused by electrically charged particles from the sun colliding with atoms and molecules in the Earth’s atmosphere. This collision releases energy in the form of vibrant, dancing lights that can be seen in the polar regions. Alaska’s northern location makes it an ideal destination to witness this natural wonder.

Visit The Northern Lights & Aurora Borealis With Ideal Timing

While the Northern Lights might be the star attraction, the state offers countless other wonders that resonate with its wild spirit and cultural richness. Your Alaskan adventure can be as diverse and enriching as you choose to make it. Understanding the science behind the Northern Lights and the ideal viewing conditions will help you plan your trip accordingly.

The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska - Cruise Blog

The surprising takeaway from a recent study on the best time to cruise to Alaska.

Posted: Tue, 02 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

For many travelers, catching a glimpse of the spectacular aurora borealis is the dream of a lifetime. Don’t miss out on the chance to see them this year as the sun’s cycle reaches solar maximum, ensuring the best viewing opportunities for the next 11 years, especially during the spring and fall. Plus, there’s no place better than Alaska for stargazing, where vast skies and minimal light pollution create the perfect setting for nature’s light show. Find the top northern lights cruises in 2024 and 2025 here on this page, narrowing down by your travel dates or price range.

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. The 10-Night Alaska Gold Rush Adventure Cruisetour (2A Northbound) will take you deep into the interior of Alaska, where you can explore Gold Rush history. You might lose track of time, since the sun shines late into the night.

The northern lights and aurora borealis are one and the same — most people call them northern lights, while the scientific name is aurora borealis. The northern lights happen when charged particles from the sun enter the atmosphere and collide with gas atoms in Earth's atmosphere. They occur all year long but are only visible when the sky is dark and clear. You’ve got your camera, a snack, and a heart full of patience, just in case you don’t see anything that night. The less-fun news is that there’s no guarantee you’ll see the lights— the show could easily be upstaged by a cloudy sky, a full moon, or even a weaker solar cycle. The fresh arctic air and the bright night sky alone will likely fill your cup.

With more darkness, it will give you more opportunities for the Northern Lights to aluminate the Alaskan sky. The Northern Lights paint the skies of Alaska fluorescent yellow, seafoam green, and bright fuchsia. 100+ combined years of experience, 7 continents explored, decades of expedition cruising around the world & here to help you find & book your dream trip. Cruise from Greenland to Iceland aboard 108-guest Plancius to experience ancient history and dazzling glaciers, and search for polar bears in aurora-lit southeast Greenland. While you may see the lights from Denali National Park and Preserve during the viewing season, Fairbanks and points farther north are where you can increase your odds. If you're interested in where to see the northern lights outside Alaska, the Arctic city of Alta, Norway, calls itself "The City of Northern Lights."

As you embark on this luminous journey, remember that while the Northern Lights may be the highlight, the stories you gather, the people you meet, and the landscapes you traverse will weave an unforgettable tapestry of memories. The dance of colors in the sky isn’t just a natural phenomenon; it’s a testament to the universe’s beauty and wonder. The Aurora Borealis, commonly known as the Northern Lights, is not just a beautiful display but also a complex natural phenomenon steeped in science and lore. At its core, this mesmerizing light show is the result of collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the Earth’s atmosphere. Next, we’ll delve into the ports of call and destinations that are popular for Alaskan cruises with Northern Lights viewing. When choosing an Alaska cruise route for Northern Lights viewing, it’s essential to research the itineraries and consult with cruise operators to ensure that Northern Lights sightings are a part of the planned experience.

While they appear transcendental, they are actually caused by collisions between gases in the earth’s atmosphere and those in the sun’s atmosphere. The solar winds that circle the globe create unique arrangements that can appear as rippling currents or dancing rays. When the northern lights do appear, "more than likely the ship will turn off most of the exterior lights," Weber says. "But you can prepare as soon as you board the ship by scouting out the darkest spot outside, and up top on the ship." That may be away from the ship stairways and public rooms. 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.

The problem with doing an Alaska cruise in September or October though, is that these months can also be the worst months to do an Alaska cruise in terms of weather. A high-quality camera is highly recommended to capture its beauty. To make your experience seamless, remember to bring replacement batteries and remote control. You need to be in the correct place at the correct time to witness them. It’s a sight for sore eyes, which is why so many people love taking an Alaska Northern Lights cruise. Captain Mike set the tone of the trip and the staff implemented it.

Even more rarely seen than the northern lights are the southern lights, best seen every 11 years in Antarctica. The southern lights are the most active and visible here during the months of March to September. Since the expedition cruise season winds down in March, it’s rare to find a trip with a focus on seeing the southern lights. But the conditions are lining up for southern lights cruises in 2025, and a special departure of the Polar Circle Cruise on March 21, 2025. Plus enjoy talks by a professor of astronomy and physics as well as a NASA scientist who are coming aboard.

Another bonus is that ships are mobile, and able to reach the northernmost latitudes of the Earth. The aurora borealis phenomenon typically occurs between 60 and 75 degrees latitude, which covers the northern parts of Alaska, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia; all of Iceland; and the southern part of Greenland. But the auroral oval constantly shifts, so small ships can sometimes vary their route to take advantage of optimum conditions. Cruisetours in Alaska can improve your odds of seeing the aurora because they get you to Fairbanks and other inland destinations in Alaska that tend to have more cloud-free skies than in the Inside Passage, where cruise ships sail.