Princess Cruise' 12 Nights Search for the Northern Lights cruise

[klouie2000]

Hello,

 

We recently returned from Sapphire Princess' 12-Night Search for the Northern Lights cruise from Southampton to Norway (Alesund, Tromso, Alta, and Stavanger) and back.  I scanned and uploaded the Princess Patters and other documents to Dropbox to help anyone traveling the same route in the future.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rwc898b9s8clqwi/AABGR0rWVtI_1HhWXsuQfxgOa?dl=0

 

Docked in Alta

 

Northern Lights Viewing in Alta

 

Alesund seen from Mt. Aksla

 

 

- Karen

 

 

 

[Ken the cruiser]

How was the cruise and, more specifically, how many nights (to include the dates if you remember) did you see the northern lights? We’re currently booked to go on the same cruise on the Island in Oct 2021. 

Edited November 9, 2019 by Ken the cruiser

[cherylandtk]

We very much enjoyed the crew and our fellow passengers, even running into some fellow travelers from prior cruises.  The captain was very thorough about announcing the reasons for our deviations and keeping us posted on the weather conditions.

 

Due to said weather conditions, the lights were only visible on one night, which was the second evening in Alta, Oct. 26.  But when they did finally appear, they were glorious.

[EllieinNJ]

How cold was it in October?  Were you uncomfortable wearing winter parkas for any excursions you did? 

[rocklinmom]

Thank you for posting the Patters and port brochures! We are booked for 2021 and will visit Alesund and Tromso so these are great for information. 🙂

[cherylandtk]

1 hour ago, EllieinNJ said:

How cold was it in October?  Were you uncomfortable wearing winter parkas for any excursions you did? 

It mostly depends on how much time your excursion spends outside.  Some are fully outdoors for 3 hours with bonfires to keep warm(er).  
 

We had checked the temps for the month the prior year and found lows of about 30.  This year it got colder sooner and we were glad we had brought the winter stuff (jacket, pants, balaclava, boots, etc.).  It was down to around 15 degrees at 7 pm on the 26th.  We had not brought our thick gloves, because we wanted to operate the cameras and phones. The touch sensitive gloves were not warm enough and I would recommend heat packs if you plan to be outside for any length of time.  Many others had to remove their gloves entirely to work their equipment and had to give up early.

We ended up going inside a lot to warm up the fingers and noses, but that may or may not be possible depending on where you are. Be aware that the port of Alta, where you will have the best chance of seeing the lights due to location and timing, is a tender port with NO facilities at the pier. No shelter, no seating, no toilets—nothing but a pier and a ramp and a parking lot.  If it is windy or snowing while you are waiting it can be miserable without proper gear, especially if the tenders run slow due to the wind issues.
 

 

[susancruzs]

It was an awesome cruise, enjoyed it very much.  You have to dress to your own comfort level, I wore layers plus a jacket with a fleece lining.  I've lived North all my life so cold isn't a problem.  I did not bring a winter jacket as layers work for me.  

 

I wore my short, leather winter boots, plastic bags inside, my feet stayed warm.  Hat, gloves, scarf a must.  I wore mittens, with a flip top so finger tips are exposed.  They are wool, very warm.  I lent them to a table mate who was taking pictures.  She loved them.  Mittens warmer than gloves, regular ones not handy for photos.

 

I recommend this cruise, it was great.  All in all, it went well, a new adventure for Princess and I thought it was fine.

[mnocket]

3 hours ago, cherylandtk said:

Be aware that the port of Alta, where you will have the best chance of seeing the lights due to location and timing, is a tender port with NO facilities at the pier. No shelter, no seating, no toilets—nothing but a pier and a ramp and a parking lot.  If it is windy or snowing while you are waiting it can be miserable without proper gear, especially if the tenders run slow due to the wind issues.

So, what is the advantage of going ashore?  Why not just stay on the ship?

[cherylandtk]

For pictures. It’s darker away from the ship and town so the Aurora lights can be seen and photographed better. And the land is stable while the ship moves slightly , but enough that the required long exposures don’t work very well on the ship.

[Sea Hag]

Very nice pics, and it looks like you had a very nice (although cold) cruise.