Last night, at about 10.30 Eastern Time, we experienced the winter solstice (do you feel any different?). Yep… today will have a little more daylight than yesterday… we’re over the hump.
The longer nights do, however, make it much easier to see the Northern Lights, and many of you have been asking about this recently, so I thought I’d offer some perspectives.
- The best conditions to see the Aurora Borealis are dark, clear skies, and the further north, the better. But occasionally mother nature lets us see them further south, and in twilight conditions.
- They are most visible between October and March.
- A common question is whether you will see them on an Alaskan Cruise. The Alaskan cruise ship season runs from May to September, so it would be extraordinarily rare to see them from a cruise ship in Alaska.
- Likewise, you won’t see the Auroras on an Antarctic Cruise… because it’s the Southern Hemisphere’s summer.
- Many people prefer to see them from a cruise ship because the logistics are easier: you can usually embark and disembark from places easier to get to/from. Ships can also adjust course to find better places to see the Northern Lights (the big impediment is usually clouds).
- There are some land-based locations where seeing them is fairly reliable. Bob worked in the Oil Patch in Northern Canada for a couple years, and reports seeing them frequently. However… I don’t think you’d be all that excited if I sent you to Fort McMurray, Alberta. Luckily Alaska, Iceland, and Scandinavia all have properties from which you have a reasonable chance to see the Northern Lights.
- Some of you worry about the cold… I’m afraid I can’t solve that problem for you, but can tell you that most cruise lines and land resorts will provide some winter clothing for you, so you don’t have to buy an entirely new wardrobe if you’re chasing the Northern Lights.
Here are a few ways to experience the Northern Lights:
Viking Ocean for 13-days between London and Bergen
- Visit London, Amsterdam, Narvik, Tromso (overnight), Alta (overnight), Bergen (overnight).
- 2024 is mostly sold out, but you can go in January through March 2025 in a Veranda starting at $4999 per person.
- For those that love Viking, or prefer a small-ship luxury experience, this trip fits the bill.
Northern Lights Promise with Hurtigruten for 12-days round-trip from Bergen.
- Hurtigruten offers the “Northern Lights Promise”. They are confident enough that you’ll see the Northern Lights, that if they don’t appear, they’ll offer you another cruise free.
- This ship also doubles as a Norwegian Coastal ferry and makes several stops a day. You won’t find a more authentic way to see these remote parts of Norway, but it’s not a traditional cruise experience.
- Window rooms with a Queen Bed from $4820 per person in March, or $3688 in November.
If you’d prefer to see the Northern Lights from Land, here are some suggestions:
Alaska Northern Lights for 7-days with Collette.
- Visit Fairbanks, Talkeetna, and Anchorage. Travel by Alaska Rail, go dog sledding, and a Winter Glacier cruise in Prince William Sound.
- Depart March 25 or 30 from $3899
Churchill, Manitoba for 7-days with Natural Habitat Adventures
- Churchill is in the northernmost part of the Canadian Province of Manitoba, on Hudson’s Bay. It’s about a 3 hour flight north from Winnipeg. Churchill has some of the most intense Auroral activity on earth, and you can see it from their 360 glass Aurora Pod.
- Churchill’s other claim to fame is that it’s where people go to see Polar Bears in the wild.
- You can visit January through March for 7-days from $7395 per person. They provide all the parkas and other cold weather gear for you.
- This location is much closer and easier to get to than Alaska or Norway.
Merry Christmas if that is what you’re celebrating this week. If you’ve just finished your Hanukkah celebration, then Crag Sameach. If there are other festivities in your plans for the next week, then I hope you are able to enjoy a peaceful and happy holiday with those most important to you.
Today’s Travel Opportunities
In the event you’re looking for something different than the Northern Lights, here are a few things that came across my desk this week:
Oceania Happiest Holiday Sale
Our friends at Oceania are pretty good at letting us know when they’re going to raise prices, and that will happen on January 1, 2024, so you may want to take a look now – particularly at those cruises they’ve included in their holiday sale: https://www.oceaniacruises.com/special-offers/holiday. Here are a few examples, and due to our exclusive arrangement with them, we can get you free prepaid gratuities on these cruises:
Vancouver to LA departing September 14 for 12-days
- Visit Ketchikan, Sitka, Wrangell, Prince Rupert, Victoria, Astoria
- Verandas from $4599 with a $400 shore excursion credit and prepaid gratuities.
Dubai to Trieste (Italy) departing May 14 for 15 days
- Visit Dubai, Fujairah (UAE), Cephalonia (Greece), Corfu, Kotor, Dubrovnik, Split, Venice (Trieste).
- Verandas from $4299 with a $500 shore excursion credit, and free prepaid gratuities.
London to Barcelona departing September 22 for 10-days.
- Visit Bordeaux (overnight), Bilbao, La Coruna, Oporto, Lisbon, Valencia, Barcelona
- Verandas from $4199 with a $400 shore excursion credit and free prepaid gratuities.
Uniworld Early Booking Bonus 10% off
If you’re looking ahead to 2025, then Uniworld is offering 10% as an early booking bonus on many cruises: https://pamperedcruiser.uniworld.com/us/current-offers/2025-early-booking-savings. Here’s two examples:
Portugal & Spain departing April 6 or April 13, 2025 for 7-nights
- Portugal is mostly sold out in 2024, so you may want to look at 2025.
- Round-trip from Porto. Experience wineries, scenic cruising, roman ruins, and the Moorish influence of this corner of Europe.
- Fares starting at $4899 LESS 10% early booking discount
Amsterdam to Bucharest for 24 days departing April through July
- Explore 10 different countries from the Atlantic to the Black Sea, and only have to unpack once on Uniworld’s Boutique riverboat.
- Visit the Netherlands, France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria.
- Fares starting at $10,199 LESS 10% early booking discount.
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If you’re planning a trip, I’d love to help! Click here or call 800-876-0168 to get in touch today.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Sue Bradley
Sue Bradley
