This 11-day Cruise Is One of the Best Ways to See the Northern Lights This Year
The voyages are protected by Havila Voyages' Northern Lights Promise. / Havila Voyages will sail three astronomy-themed cruises in Norway in 2024.
Marius Beck Dahle/Courtesy of Havila Kystruten
If you've ever wanted to see the northern lights, this might be your year. The sun is approaching a phase called solar maximum, which means the northern lights will likely be more active than usual — and right now, scientists predict the peak of activity will happen sometime in 2024. So what better time than now to book an astronomy-themed cruise?
Havila Voyages, a family-owned cruise line in Norway with a fleet of energy-efficient ships, announced three astronomy-themed sailings, taking place in February, March, and October this year.
Courtesy of Havila Kystruten
Onboard activities will include lectures by distinguished guests. Ian Ridpath, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and a member of the Royal Astronomical Society’s outreach team, will sail in February and October, while space scientist John Zarnecki, the former president of the Royal Astronomical Society, will join the March departure. Topics vary from astronomy to rocket science to the search for extraterrestrial life.
The itinerary for all three astronomy sailings is an 11-night voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back — in other words, a round-trip journey along nearly the entire Norwegian coast. Havila Voyages isn't just a cruise line, but also a ferry company, serving as a means of transportation between remote towns. As such, the ship will call at multiple ports per day, staying anywhere from just a few minutes to a few hours.
Ronny M. Olsen/Courtesy of Havila Kystruten
Courtesy of Havila Kystruten
Guests can, however, book excursions to enjoy the best of Norway along the route, from e-biking and dogsledding to food tours and wildlife viewing. In some cases, you might depart for your excursion from one port and meet up with the ship in another — it's a bit of a different system from regular cruising.
And, of course, there's always a chance to see the northern lights. If the northern lights don't appear during the sailing, guests are protected by Havila Voyages' Northern Lights Promise, which guarantees them a free six- or seven-day cruise the following year, including all meals, to try again.
Rates for Havila Voyages' 11-night astronomy sailings start at $1,200 per person; book your trip at havilavoyages.com.
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