Northern Lights

[RICKAR]

Has anyone cruised late Aug or in Sept and have seen these? We are planning for 2012 Cruisetour and someone mentioned that you could see these while on the ship at night.

 

Just checking....:confused:

[Yukon]

If you get clear skies there's a chance of seeing the Northern Lights any time after about August 15th. After over 20 years living just north of Skagway I've never seen them between April 15 and Ausgust 15.

[Putterdude]

I have never seen them in Coastal Alaska, there are the occasional sightings of them but it is fairly unusual during the cruise season. But good luck!

[RICKAR]

So.......I was told a story in order to book during the late Aug or Sept period????? I thought that they were sight that could be seen over the tour portion and did not know if it was possible on the cruise portion.

 

If we are in Denali, is it possible to see the lights? I have read and I could be wrong, that you have to be away from the city lights in order to see the lights.

[Phoenix cruiser]

The Northern Lights are not like the Milky Way. The timing and intensity are not predictable. They have been seen as far south as the northern continental US and sometimes even in Norway they are not seen on late fall cruises. All you can do is hope for some great luck. I certainly hope you did not book Alaska just for this.

[Yukon]

So.......I was told a story in order to book during the late Aug or Sept period????? I thought that they were sight that could be seen over the tour portion and did not know if it was possible on the cruise portion.

 

If we are in Denali, is it possible to see the lights? I have read and I could be wrong, that you have to be away from the city lights in order to see the lights.

 

If you're up in the middle of the night on clear nights you may see them anywhere on the coast or in the Interior (people here who have outhouses see them the most often :D ). Viewings have been rare the past few years but the winter of 2011-2012 is the next Solar Maximum when conditions are best for frequent, strong auroral shows, so I have high hopes. The darker the place you are, whether on ship or land, the better the chance of seeingthem.

[Yukon]

So.......I was told a story in order to book during the late Aug or Sept period?????

 

Another point - while that's the only time during the cruise season that you have any chance of seeing the Northern Lights, it's also the period with the least chance of clear skies.

[mytime53]

If you're up in the middle of the night on clear nights you may see them anywhere on the coast or in the Interior (people here who have outhouses see them the most often :D ). .

 

So true! It's why we see them most often when camping!

[PennyAgain]

I have seen them at Denali but after the first week in Sept and when I was camping. They actually woke me up as I thought there was a wild fire. I stayed up and out all night watching them, making pot after pot of strong coffee. They were so strong and so wild it was as if they were IN my head.

 

I have spent a great deal of time in Alaska and mostly have seen them from Oct 1 on and when I wasn't waiting up late to see them. I've seen them when driving on lonely roads late at night and when sleeping in my own bed and was stirred awake by something unusual going on that bothered the animals.

[RICKAR]

I certainly hope you did not book Alaska just for this.

 

Still in the planning stages. Planning on doing a double Denali, but the cruisetour prices have not been posted for the 2012 season, that I have found so far.

 

We are looking to see Alaska and not just teh Northern Lights. DH wants to fish for halibut and we are trying to add this into the cruisetour. There is so much to see and not enough time for us to do in one trip, so we will more tha like do another land tour only trip.

 

Thanks for all the input.

[Yukon]

Planning on doing a double Denali, but the cruisetour prices have not been posted for the 2012 season, that I have found so far.

 

If you're looking at Princess, they're scheduled to be posted March 17th.