{"id":1053,"date":"2025-04-16T15:34:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-16T15:34:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/?p=1053"},"modified":"2025-04-22T12:00:46","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T12:00:46","slug":"i-spent-5-days-on-a-northern-lights-cruise-every-hellish-obstacle-was-worth-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/16\/i-spent-5-days-on-a-northern-lights-cruise-every-hellish-obstacle-was-worth-it\/","title":{"rendered":"I spent 5 days on a Northern Lights cruise \u2014 every hellish obstacle was worth it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\"Hurtigruten's\t<\/div>
The icy wilderness of the Arctic is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights (Picture: Hurtigruten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fingertips burning, I can barely hold my phone<\/a> steady as Arctic<\/a> wind whips daggers across my cheeks. My thermal vest has dislodged from the waistband of my trousers, exposing naked skin to the biting polar breeze. My nose is running, my toes are aching, and my neck has seized from gazing upwards into the blackness of the night sky.<\/p>\n

And then, from the abyss, it appears: a white wisp swirling like script from a calligraphy pen. It twists and twirls in hypnotic dance, stretching this way and that until it spans the snowcapped horizon, bursting forth like a cosmic ballerina pirouetting across the stars.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no time to wait. Amid the howl of huskies, we bundle into the van, our driver Mili expertly navigating the icy roads until we reach a desolate stretch overlooking a fjord. And there, in the subzero darkness of northern Norway<\/a>, we are humbled by a solar substorm that has created a breathtaking display of the Northern Lights<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tears spill down my face as we witness an ethereal kaleidoscope of green and pink billowing out below the moon<\/a>. I know that it\u2019s not, but it\u2019s the closest thing to magic I\u2019ve ever seen. As a polar princess once said, the cold never bothered me anyway.<\/p>\n

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https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DF6GGc9scvE\/?hl=en&img_index=1<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

A rocky start<\/h2>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tSign up to The Getaway newsletter\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Fuel your wanderlust with our curated newsletter of travel deals, guides and inspiration.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

I was in Kirkenes, a remote mining town ten minutes drive from the Russian border that was once occupied by Nazi Germany. I had been invited to chase the elusive aurora borealis on a cruise with Hurtigruten<\/a>, and this was the final stop of the MS Nordkapp\u2019s voyage from Trondheim to the Arctic Circle.<\/p>\n

It had been anything but smooth sailing. Our expedition was thrown into chaos from the moment we landed in Oslo<\/a>, where a storm of 65mph winds cancelled our connecting flight and the first two days of planned excursions.<\/p>\n

Matters did not improve once we detoured to the ship. A powerful swell carried us along much of Norway\u2019s west coast, with eight-metre waves churning like a washing machine. Bottles smashed; port stops were skipped; people vomited on their dinner plates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"Alice\t<\/div>
Hurtigruten sails the most inhospitable parts of northern Norway (Picture: Alice Murphy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We retreated to our cabins. \u2018Keep one hand on the ship!\u2019 came the announcement over the tannoy as the contents of my bathroom shelf crashed to the floor. Clinging to the bed like a koala, I willed away the nausea and stared through the porthole; an ominous slate sky offered little hope of even a fleeting glimpse of the Northern Lights<\/a>. My first trip on a cruise ship was not going to plan.<\/p>\n

It will come as a surprise, then, that this misfortune-plagued journey turned out to be one of the best experiences of my life. And even if we hadn\u2019t been treated to a truly spectacular aurora on the final night, I think I would say the same.<\/p>\n

The people\u2019s cruise ship<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Hurtigruten is a cruise with a difference. Unlike traditional liners, it started life in 1893 as a post and cargo ferry carrying people between remote fishing villages.<\/p>\n

Today, passengers are split between international tourists on 12-day packages and locals going about their daily business. You\u2019re just as likely to see a German couple trying reindeer at Nordkapp\u2019s fine dining restaurant as you are a businessman in a Helly Hansen windbreaker, sitting at the bar on his commute between Ornes and Tromso.<\/p>\n

The staff are delightful and seem genuinely passionate about showing you the best of Norway. They\u2019re charming, and not in a saccharine \u2018have a nice day\u2019 way. Most come from towns dotted along the coast, and many are from families who have worked on Hurtigruten ships for generations.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\"I\t<\/div>
The MS Nordkapp sails along the northwestern coast of Norway (Picture: Metro)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The food is exquisite and quintessentially Nordic, from Arctic char at the main restaurant, Torget, to brown cheese ice cream at Multe bakery (don\u2019t knock it until you\u2019ve tried it). Since 2015, the ship has also treated guests to Nidelven Bla, a strong Scandinavian blue repeatedly voted the world\u2019s best cheese.<\/p>\n

But the crowning glory of Hurtigruten\u2019s culinary offering is Havets Bobler, the world\u2019s first Arctic-aged sparkling wine matured in the depths of a fjord off the north Norwegian coast. The location is kept under lock and key; after fruitless probing, I sat back and enjoyed the fizz.<\/p>\n

The Northern Lights promise<\/h2>\n

Interest in the Northern Lights has soared in the past year, driven by a solar maximum that has caused the most frequent and impressive displays in more than a decade. These cycles take roughly 11 years, which means the best chance of seeing aurora is in the next 12 months \u2014 after that, you\u2019ll be waiting until 2036.<\/p>\n

This is, of course, huge news for the \u2018noctourism\u2019 industry and experts like astronomer Tom Kerss, Hurtigruten\u2019s \u2018chief aurora chaser\u2019 who accompanies us on our voyage.<\/p>\n

I ask Tom what he thinks is driving interest in the Northern Lights, aside from the bumper sightings the UK and much of Europe were treated to in May and October.<\/p>\n

\u2018I think it\u2019s been a perfect storm,\u2019 he says. \u2018The solar maximum definitely piqued people\u2019s interest last year, but I think you\u2019ve also still got that post-Covid afterglow of people looking for experiential travel, combined with Norway as a destination just being really huge right now.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Aurora borealis, the elusive lights that have sparked countless stories (Picture: Hurtigruten)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There\u2019s that, for certain. Norwegian Air launched direct flights between London Gatwick and Harstad-Narvik Airport in Evenes in the Arctic Circle just in time for the peak winter season last year. Lofoten, a stunning chain of islands that offers the Northern Lights in the winter and midnight sun in summer, saw a 15% uptick in visitors from 2022 to 2023.<\/p>\n

But I also suspect there\u2019s something in the otherworldliness of the Lights, when our own world feels so bleak.<\/p>\n

\u2018They\u2019re very visual,\u2019 says Tom. \u2018Most travel trends are driven by Instagram, and what could be more visually arresting than a bunch of aurora photos?\u2019<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\tWhat causes an aurora?\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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Auroras, more commonly known as the Northern Lights, are caused by disturbances in the Earth\u2019s magnetosphere \u2013 above our atmosphere \u2013 caused by solar winds.<\/p>\n

Powerful displays are caused from strong winds from solar flares and something called coronal mass ejections, which are essentially bubbles of gas pushed from the Sun.<\/p>\n

The Northern Lights\u00a0covered parts of the UK last night<\/a>, sending thousands racing for their cameras.<\/p>\n

Images show the\u00a0aurora borealis geomagnetic storm<\/a>\u00a0lighting up the night sky, with conditions confirmed to be \u2018optimum\u2019 in most regions.<\/p>\n

People in the Isle of Sky and\u00a0Cumbria<\/a>\u00a0reported catching a glimpse of the phenomenon.<\/p>\n

The lights may well be visible again tonight, but it is unlikely to be as strong.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The nature of the Northern Lights also means no two photos are ever the same. Each is unique, a rarity in an increasingly oversaturated content space.<\/p>\n

\u2018If you go to a mountain range in Hawaii, or go to see the [hot air] balloons in Cappadocia, everyone\u2019s taking photos of essentially the same thing,\u2019 says Tom.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018But with aurora, you\u2019re kind of taking a gamble. You might get the most breathtaking image nobody else ever gets. The Northern Lights have a unique promise, and the promise is that you never know when the best display of your life is going to be. You only know that you don\u2019t want to miss it.\u2019<\/p>\n

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@aliceasks<\/a> <\/p>\n

My first cruise didn\u2019t go to plan #fyp<\/a> #cruise<\/a> #traveltok<\/a> #cruiselife<\/a> <\/p>\n

\u266c original sound \u2013 Alice Murphy<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

I tell Tom he should consider a career in PR for his nod to Hurtigruten\u2019s corporate promise, which gives anyone who does not see the Northern Lights on a 12-day voyage another seven-day trip, free of charge.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s an attractive pledge. Despite nights spent scouring the sky from the deck of the Nordkapp, it\u2019s not until we are on land in Kirkenes on the final night that we see \u2018Lady Aurora\u2019 in all her glory.<\/p>\n

From frozen pizza to fine dining<\/h2>\n

In recent years, the cruise industry has faced a reputational reckoning.<\/p>\n

Residents around the world have been rising up against what they see as a scourge on their communities. They fear the floating behemoths pollute their water, damage their local economy and flood their towns with overwhelming crowds.<\/p>\n

Destinations such as Amsterdam <\/a>and Venice<\/a> have banned cruise ships from anchoring in their historic centres, while Spanish hotspots like Palma<\/a> have rolled out restrictions.<\/p>\n

In Tromso, the Arctic capital on the frontline of northern Norway\u2019s tourism boom, I ask locals how they feel about a rise in cruise passengers.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

From shopkeepers, bartenders and tour guides, the answer is resoundingly the same: Hurtigruten is always welcome, other cruise ships are not.<\/p>\n

\u2018Hurtigruten is the lifeblood of our business and so many others,\u2019 says Milivoj Krzanic, head of international sales at the Snow Hotel in Kirkenes.<\/p>\n

\u2018Thirty years ago, guests on the ships were eating frozen pizza, now it\u2019s fine dining. But it will never become a Disneyland cruise, it will always be a postal ship at heart.\u2019<\/p>\n

Gambling for magic<\/h2>\n

Storms and seasickness cast a shadow over the start of our voyage, but if all we had experienced were those 20 minutes of Northern Lights magic, I would have left wishing to go back. <\/p>\n

And we saw so much more than that. I would barely be scratching the surface if I told you about the cliffs at Europe\u2019s most northerly point; the Arctic cathedral in Tromso; the king crab safari and songs from the indigenous Sami community that could draw tears from a stone.<\/p>\n

This is a place for people with adventure in their hearts. It\u2019s unpredictable, with mercurial weather and the kind of extremes you only find on the frontline of human existence.<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re willing to gamble, you might be rewarded with something that feels like magic.<\/p>\n

Alice Murphy was a guest of Hurtigruten, on a condensed version of the 12-day Astronomy Voyage from Bergen \u2013 Kirkenes \u2013 Bergen. <\/em><\/p>\n

Prices start from \u00a32,675 per person based on two guests sharing a Polar Outside Cabin, inclusive of international flights, full board dining, exclusive astronomy lectures and Wi-Fi. <\/em><\/p>\n

Flights operate from London Gatwick and return from Bergen, Norway. Optional excursions and drinks packages available.<\/em><\/p>\n

This article was originally published on 21 February 2025 and has been updated to reflect Northern Lights\u2019 visibility in the UK in April.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The icy wilderness of the Arctic is one of the best places to see the Northern Lights (Picture: Hurtigruten) Fingertips burning, I can barely hold my phone steady as Arctic wind whips daggers across my cheeks. My thermal vest has dislodged from the waistband of my trousers, exposing naked skin to the biting polar breeze. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1053","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1053"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1060,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1053\/revisions\/1060"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1053"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1053"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.mugfoundry.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1053"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}