Northern Lights vs Northern Seas

[exlandlubber]

Hello everyone!

We have put a small ($1000) deposit down on the “Search for the Northern Lights” cruise from Bergen to London on Feb 17, 2024 and I am beginning to have second thoughts about the trip.  We are new to Viking, having sailed previously on Regent and Oceania but I was hoping to see the Northern Lights as it’s one of the things on my bucket list.  Recently, between the horrible rogue wave incident on the Polaris in the Antarctic and the subsequent link to what happened on the Viking Sky in March of 2019, I am wondering if the potential for seriously bad weather (and, good Lord, an airlift?) outweighs the potential for seeing the lights. Or am I just being a wimp?  I get that all trips have some inherent risk, but I try to be relatively cautious in most matters.  I would greatly appreciate opinions, especially from anyone who has been in the north seas in winter or in bad weather.

Thanks so much,

Kim

[donaldsc]

I am not going to comment on seeing aurora from a cruise ship as I have never taken a cruise with the goal of seeing them.  However if you are serious about seeing them it is best to do a land trip with the specific goal of seeing them.   What I did was take an almost 2 week trip to Fairbank in February times for no moon and the International Ice Carving festival.  As part of the trip I went to Chena Hot Springs with is outside of and north of Fairbanks for I think 4 days.  We had fantastic aurora every night.  There is always a chance of not seeing aurora on a trip but the odds of not seeing them on my trip were much lower than if you are on a cruise ship.

 

I will add that it was really cold up on the hill outside of Chena Hot Springs.
 

DON

[KBs mum]

It's the North sea in winter, then almost to the Bering sea. If course it could be rough. Be surprised if it wasn't some of the time. The ships are up to it, the engine problem has been rectified, and the usually Norwegian captains are well used to Norwegian conditions. 

Local boats and ferries sail year round, between the Scottish Islands and the Norwegian coastal. There are lots of cruise ships pottering around all year

I've seen a video of Sky crossing Biscay with seas over the bow and spray hitting the observer lounge windows. Apparently the only damage was loose items falling off shelves. 

Edited December 5, 2022 by KBs mum

[Heidi13]

1 hour ago, exlandlubber said:

Hello everyone!

We have put a small ($1000) deposit down on the “Search for the Northern Lights” cruise from Bergen to London on Feb 17, 2024 and I am beginning to have second thoughts about the trip.  We are new to Viking, having sailed previously on Regent and Oceania but I was hoping to see the Northern Lights as it’s one of the things on my bucket list.  Recently, between the horrible rogue wave incident on the Polaris in the Antarctic and the subsequent link to what happened on the Viking Sky in March of 2019, I am wondering if the potential for seriously bad weather (and, good Lord, an airlift?) outweighs the potential for seeing the lights. Or am I just being a wimp?  I get that all trips have some inherent risk, but I try to be relatively cautious in most matters.  I would greatly appreciate opinions, especially from anyone who has been in the north seas in winter or in bad weather.

Thanks so much,

Kim

 

Every cruise includes risks, with cruises to the Polar regions carrying additional risks - weather, remoteness, ice, etc. Many thousands of pax have taken these cruises without incident, so only you can determine if you are comfortable accepting the higher level of risk.

 

As the previous reply noted, if seeing the Northern Lights is your primary objective, then land based excursions are also available. However, those also have risks and compared to cruises will have positives and negatives.

 

Good luck with research and making your decision.

[LibertyBella]

 

Northern lights (the aurora borealis) were on my bucket list as well, but I did not even think about taking a cruise to see them, and I cruise a lot.

 

I just returned from a land-based vacation in Iceland over Thanksgiving, and we had some great lights displays and activity. 

 

The tour buses get reports of where the lights are showing up, and then drive all over the island to get there for the best view.  Clear skies and time of the year are most important.  

 

Yes, the cruise ship could have great views, but nothing is guaranteed.  

 

 Cold weather cruises are much lower in my satisfaction level, because outside time is so severely limited, and it seems more illnesses spread with everybody stuck inside. Rough seas could be an issue, but I do not get seasick, although I would not want all my plates to slide off the table during dinner (ha-ha, just teasing!).

[LindaS272]

I agree with others here. Land based trip is best way to have the greatest chance of seeing the aurorae. If you do the cruise, I personally wouldn’t worry about rough seas whether that happens or not. Viking is a great company, and despite naysayers on other threads, they are top-notch in the cruising business in tough conditions. I would urge you to be prepared that you might encounter socked in/cloudy/stormy weather for the entire cruise so decide whether you want to do an expensive trip, while delightful on a Viking ship, without meeting your goal of seeing the northern lights.

 

We lived in Anchorage, AK, for many years and saw NL regularly in winter. I agree that Fairbanks/Chena Hot Springs, for a tourist, is a good spot for a chance at seeing them.

[beavergal]

We did Northern Lights tour in Jan. 2019. It was really interesting. We did see the lights! 
Snow  flurries daily were pretty. The dog sled excursion was magical. It had snowed the night before. Remember it is dark a lot. So views from busses on excursions were  often limited. Take hand warmers !

beavergal

[exlandlubber]

Thank you to all who have responded. You have given us much to consider. Safe travels and Happy Holidays, everyone! We are so blessed to be able to travel.

 

[slewis7]

We were on the Sky on February 2019.  We did briefly have some very rough seas that caused some interior glass by the stairways to shatter in the Explorer Lounge (no one was hurt).  In general the seas were at times rough but not bad at all.  
 

We saw the Lights on the ship one evening, and even though we made the mistake of going in a low solar activity year, the cruise was magical and my favorite of the handful of Viking cruises I have been on.  
 

We loved Norway and look forward to doing Midnight Sun itinerary next year.  I would do the Northern Lights cruise again, even though I am not nearly as enthusiastic about cruising with Viking as I have been in the past.

[SoBaycruiser]

19 hours ago, exlandlubber said:

Thank you to all who have responded. You have given us much to consider. Safe travels and Happy Holidays, everyone! We are so blessed to be able to travel.

 

I just want to add that the northern lights itinerary changed from the 2022 cruises  to 2023. Last year a number of ports were missed due to the winter weather.  The new itinerary takes a southern route stopping at Amsterdam to avoid crossing the North Sea from the UK to Norway or reverse.  They also took a route through the Inland Passage which should have calmer waters.  We are booked on the March cruise.  We missed seeing the lights on our Alaska land base trip because of rain.  They saw the lights in Juneau and we were in Denali!  So there are no guarantees either way.  
 

[Earthworm Jim]

On 12/5/2022 at 3:01 PM, KBs mum said:

It's the North sea in winter, then almost to the Bering sea.

 I was confused until I realized you must have meant the Barents Sea.

[KBs mum]

6 hours ago, Earthworm Jim said:

 I was confused until I realized you must have meant the Barents Sea.

I meant the one just north of Norway, my brain is not reliable when it comes to names

[Heidi13]

37 minutes ago, KBs mum said:

I meant the one just north of Norway, my brain is not reliable when it comes to names

 

Just off the Norway coast is the Norwegian Sea.

[KBs mum]

4 hours ago, Heidi13 said:

 

Just off the Norway coast is the Norwegian Sea.

What's the one when you go up the Norwegian coast, then continue north, out of the Norwegian sea towards the Arctic? 

Or am I having a nautical brain fart? 🥴

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by KBs mum

[Heidi13]

4 hours ago, KBs mum said:

What's the one when you go up the Norwegian coast, then continue north, out of the Norwegian sea towards the Arctic? 

Or am I having a nautical brain fart? 🥴

 

 

The Norwegian Sea is bounded by the Barents Sea to the North East and Greenland Sea to the North West.

[KBs mum]

14 minutes ago, Heidi13 said:

 

The Norwegian Sea is bounded by the Barents Sea to the North East and Greenland Sea to the North West.

It was the Barents Sea I meant. Probably just as well the ship isn't going there, I'd likely somehow end up near the Falklands! 😁🤷‍♀️