Any "Midnight Sun" Alums care to share your experience?

[russg140]

If you've traveled on a previous "Into the Midnight Sun" voyage here's a question for you:

 

How did the fact that the sun was out almost continuously affect you, if at all? Other guests? How was sleeping and were accommodations/alterations made to the window treatments accordingly?

 

TIA!

[Capt_BJ]

[Heidi13]

Never done the midnight sun cruise, but worked on ships for too many years. Never had any issues sleeping during the day.

 

I have seen some chaps cover the window/porthole with black garbage bags.

 

A few adult beverages also helps.

[fairbourne]

Living in the north of Scotland, we are very used to "daylight" almost 24hours but heading to the very north of Norway the sun never sets mid-summer, which we certainly don't have. I remember we sat outside on our balcony enjoying the midnight sun around 1am and we were sailing back down through Tromso and the Norwegians were outside enjoying barbecues and plenty of drinking was going on to celebrate mid-summer! Most of the ship was asleep and they were very excited when someone returned their waving!

 

However, to answer your question, we found the drapes and blackouts worked very well to provide darkness for sleeping if that is what you need. If you are at all sensitive to maybe a teeny sliver of light peeping through, then maybe what Capt BJ suggested. I don't recall any grumblings about the light nights and lack of sleep, but then you know that's what you're going to get before you go! But funnily enough we did hear lots of grumblings when we did an Alaska cruise with the light nights but that was on another cruise line.

 

 

If you have a window table in the Restaurant (or outside or inside Windows), it is quite magical dining whilst sailing through the fjords with the sun still shining. Oh and there is just one more thing, because we stayed up later we naturally enjoyed the bar later!:');):cool: ``

[katlew]

We haven't done the Midnight Sun cruise yet, we leave July 21st, but have been in Sweden close to Summer Solstice. The hotels all had blackout curtains and that was enough to let us sleep and I've read the boat has very good shades as well. What we did find is that we wanted to stay out later because it didn't feel like night yet! I've also done the opposite where it is almost 24 hours dark in Iceland and that just made us feel like sleeping more :)

[Peregrina651]

If you've traveled on a previous "Into the Midnight Sun" voyage here's a question for you:

 

How did the fact that the sun was out almost continuously affect you, if at all? Other guests? How was sleeping and were accommodations/alterations made to the window treatments accordingly?

 

TIA!

 

We did the cruise in 2016. It will be daylight or twilight for most of your cruise and the sun will not set at all for the few days that your above the Arctic Circle. Sunrise and sunset times can be found on a the timeanddate.com website.

 

The Viking cabins are permanently fitted with blackout curtains and while it will never be 100% dark in your cabin (because of light seepage at the edges) at the same time, you will not have to worry about needing a night-light to find the bathroom. If you must have your sleeping quarters 100% dark, then I go with CaptBJ's suggestion--and that goes for whatever time of year you are cruising. It was cloudy and overcast most of the nights of our cruise and this helped, along with the fact that the cabin windows are pretty much in the shadow of the balcony.

 

I took this picture at midnight as we sailed south from Tromso; we were still north of the Arctic Circle.

 

[Capt_BJ]

btw ..... I worked in the Bering Sea for a couple of years .....

 

daylight for 23 hours is nicer than daylight for ONE!!

 

IME, most of us function better in daylight ......

Edited May 31, 2018 by Capt_BJ

[russg140]

OMG! Thank you all for the quick and GREAT information. I LOVE the time and date website - what fun!

 

While we certainly will be making use of our Silver Spirits package ;p;p;p;pI am also going to bring an herbal sleep inducer I use at home when I'm having trouble sleeping. Don't know if I'll need it, but I'll have it just in case.

 

But I guess this means that I can have a bloody mary at 2:00 in the morning and not look TOO terribly desperate - LOL!

[Peregrina651]

But I guess this means that I can have a bloody mary at 2:00 in the morning and not look TOO terribly desperate - LOL!

 

Only if you make it yourself. The bars close up around midnight and don't open again until 6 am for the where's my coffee crowd.

[Annarundel]

We haven't done the Midnight Sun cruise yet, we leave July 21st, but have been in Sweden close to Summer Solstice. The hotels all had blackout curtains and that was enough to let us sleep and I've read the boat has very good shades as well. What we did find is that we wanted to stay out later because it didn't feel like night yet! I've also done the opposite where it is almost 24 hours dark in Iceland and that just made us feel like sleeping more :)

 

 

I am new to these boards so I am not sure I am doing this right but I just wanted to say "hey" and let you know that we are going to be sailing on the July 21st cruise with you!

[jrweber55]

We did this cruise in 2017 and the drapes did an amazing job of blocking the light. I was having some physical problems which made sleeping difficult and it was nice to go out on the balcony at 3am and enjoy the scenery.

 

 

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[Peregrina651]

I am new to these boards so I am not sure I am doing this right but I just wanted to say "hey" and let you know that we are going to be sailing on the July 21st cruise with you!

 

Welcome to Cruise Critic. Check out the roll call for your sailing here Viking Ocean Roll Calls. Find your ship, then scroll down until you find your sail date. Also, sign up for the Meet and Mingle party using the link at the top of this page. You must sign up in advance in order to receive an invitation with date time and location.

[roothy123]

We did Midnight Sun cruise last year. Sun didn't bother us. Cabin was very dark when the heavy blinds were closed. Fabulous cruise. Pictures from first port are here http://www.pbase.com/roothy123/london__greenwich_&page=all If you want to see Lofoten and the other ports, you'll have to hit the "All Galleries" tab afterwards and look back maybe 6 or 6 galleries from the first one I've posted.