Look for the incredible Northern Lights on a cruise around Norway
I AM decidedly underdressed as I gaze up at the Arctic night sky from the deck of the ship, dressed in my evening finery.
Everyone around me wears thick winter clothes. But what are you going to do when you finish dinner and the cry rings out: “Aurora borealis to starboard”? I don’t miss them for all the snow in Norway – and trust me there’s a lot.
I cruise along the Norwegian coast, looking for the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) on a Fred Olsen cruise ship, the aptly named Borealis.
This ship is a step up from the 50-year-old Black Watch it replaced.
Onboard, there are more than 150 balcony suites and restaurants serving everything from Sunday roasts and lamb chops to Indian and Asian specialties. There is also a life-size theater where we are entertained with song, dance and live comedy.
We depart from Liverpool, first sailing around Scotland before crossing the North Sea to the Norwegian city of Ålesund and beyond.
White-tailed eagles
“I have to warn you . . . the radio said there was a chance of the sun,” guide Liv said with a smile as we set off to see the city’s famous art deco architecture.
With snow and ice underfoot and temperatures struggling to reach zero, it’s a welcome prospect.
Turns out Ålesund is just to get us in the mood for the thrills to come. As we sail north the next day, past dramatic snow-capped mountains and across the Arctic Circle, the mercury dips to -10°C and continues to dip. We head to Tromsø and Alta, in the very north of Norway, before returning south via Bodø, Narvik and Trondheim.
And along the way, I learn about Vikings, fjords and magnetic shields while talking about Norway and astronomy on board the ship, hiking along a snowy coast and exploring ice-strewn beaches in search of white-tailed sea eagles.
It’s fascinating, and the coast is beautiful, so freezing.
But it is these elusive lights that I seek. So in Tromsø, I swapped my cozy bed aboard Borealis for a cozy cabin in the middle of nature, with glass walls and a glass roof that allowed me to see the lights without moving from the bed.
“You should have been here last week,” says our host Thomas, checking the aurora borealis app on his phone, watching the clouds roll in and shaking his head. At midnight, we give up and surrender.
But the next day, I’m back to try and spot them again, at a northern lights camp in the hills near Alta.
covid
NORWAY has dropped all Covid restrictions, so passengers only need to complete a locator form before traveling.
They must complete it before boarding the ship. Fred Olsen offers a Travel Ready service which will take care of all the paperwork for a fee of £29 per person.
Fred Olsen passengers must be fully immunized with two doses and a booster given at least seven days before departure.
They will be tested at the terminal (free) and given a “social bubble” for dinner. Masks must be worn when traveling on the ship and inside during tours.
Trace Safe wristbands, issued at check-in, must be worn at all times.
It’s called the City of the Northern Lights – even the quirky-looking cathedral is named in their honor – so this will surely be my lucky night.
Uh no. But the camp has a cozy Sami tent with a real fire where we can warm up after watching a guy with a hammer and chisel splitting a huge block of slate.
It’s more interesting than it looks. Honestly. Especially when he tells me I’m the first person to touch the inside of slate in 800 million years.
Alta is the northernmost calling point of the cruise, but as we return south, the best is yet to come.
The Norwegian fishing fleet is exhausted, as are hundreds of whales. There are beaks all around as we sail and many whales come to the surface, swimming alongside the ship.
The call for the Northern Lights arrives that evening. I run outside, pointing my camera at the dark sky – it can pick up colors the naked eye can’t – and take pictures. My photo shows a green mist with just a hint of orange. I mark this as mission accomplished.
GO: NORWAY
SSTAYING THERE: An 11-night cruise in search of the Northern Lights on Fred Olsen’s Borealis is from £1,499 pp, departing Liverpool on November 13, 2022 and calling at Belfast in Northern Ireland and Ålesund, Tromsø, Alta, Sortland and Bodø, all in Norway. See fredolsencruises.com or call 0800 0355 14