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Research the best times to visit each destination and consult with your cruise operator for expert guidance on optimal viewing spots and excursion options. The northern lights— known to science enthusiasts as the aurora borealis— are like a colorful dance party in the sky. Your best bet for catching these magical lights are in locations close to the Arctic Circle. This is because the magnetic fields of Earth’s North and South Poles are consistently weak enough for the sun’s charged particles to enter our atmosphere at high speed. The Yukon, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay National Park — Alaskan cruises offer direct access to the last American frontier.
Go to Fairbanks and the Auroral Oval
These tours take you to destinations such as Fairbanks and other inland areas, which typically have clearer skies compared to the Inside Passage where cruise ships navigate. While it is possible to catch a glimpse of the lights from Denali National Park and Preserve during the viewing season, your chances improve significantly when you venture further north to Fairbanks and beyond. When planning to witness the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise, it's crucial to pick the right time. The best time to see these celestial wonders is during the transition from daylight to night, when the city below is embraced by darkened skies. While many visitors travel to the Great Land in anticipation of this cosmic spectacle, there are factors that can obstruct the view.
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Whether accommodating dietary restrictions, celebrating special occasions, or providing additional support during activities, the crew is dedicated to each adventurer’s needs. Add to that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness the awe-inspiring Northern Lights in their full glory, and the adventure possibilities are as varied as Alaska’s magnificent landscapes. Yet, the core mission remains unchanged—to provide transformative experiences and memorable adventures for guests.
Adventure Awaits on a Cruise to Québec, Newfoundland and New England
With the airport located just a short drive away, visitors can fly into Fairbanks and be at a world-class aurora-viewing venue in less than an hour. Begin planning your U.S. cruise adventure with American Cruise Lines today. From the coast of Maine, to the mighty Mississippi and Pacific Northwest, our Free Cruise Guide provides detailed information about all of our more than 50 U.S. itinerary options. You can also visit the Iñupiat Heritage Center to learn about bowhead whale hunting and traditional crafts.
How to Increase Your Chances of Seeing the Lights?
You’ll also have the chance to take advantage of the camps many winter activities like dogsledding, snowmachining, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking. The Borealis is composed of solar particles shooting into the magnetic field of the earth and appear more than 60 miles above the earth’s surface. Weather in Alaska in August may keep some cruisers away, but there are still many excursions and experiences to enjoy. Bridgett Quinn Weber, an advisor with Cruise Specialists who works with expedition cruises offered the advice below. Glimpsing the Northern Lights in all their mystical and sky-transforming glory is one of those bucket-list life experiences that many world travelers often wait years to see.
4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S. - AARP
4 Places to See the Northern Lights in the U.S..
Posted: Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]
The Northern Lights, also known as the aurora borealis, are the iconic lights that whimsically paint Alaska’s skies seafoam green, fluorescent yellow and bright notes of fuchsia. While they appear transcendental, they are actually caused by collisions between gases in the earth’s atmosphere and those in the sun’s atmosphere. The solar winds that circle the globe create unique arrangements that can appear as rippling currents or dancing rays. Beyond the rewards of seeing the northern lights, the bonuses of winter season Northern Lights cruises are the stunning contrasts of scenery and the variety of onshore activities.
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And in some ports, cruise guests may learn about and visit with some of Norway’s indigenous Sámi people who, under Norwegian law, are generally the only people in Norway who may own and herd reindeer. Iceland, Greenland, and polar regions around the Northwest Passage promote some of their active, adventurous cruises around the equinoxes in September and March as northern lights viewing opportunities as well. Lines cruising in these regions include Hurtigruten, Silversea, Lindblad Expeditions, Viking Cruises, Quark Expeditions, Adventure Canada, and others. When planning your Alaskan cruise, consider the ports of call that align with your desired Northern Lights viewing experience.
Multi-Day Winter Vacation
Select ships also offer an onboard viewing experience with the indoor planetarium located in the Princess Theater. Venture on a cosmic voyage with a Stargazing specialist and uncover the secrets of the skies above. The cruise season in Alaska is short (just May-September), but what this state lacks in winter tours it makes up for in stunning summer vistas, exciting wildlife and a travelogue of iconic land excursions.
If you’d rather cruise to Alaska in summer, don’t expect to see the northern lights, but do soak up that midnight sunshine. Alaska cruises from Princess can transport you to enchanting and intimate ports of call that boast culinary and cultural experiences for all. Whether or not you’re lucky enough to witness the aurora borealis, your adventure to the Great Land will be just as enlightening and colorful as Alaska’s iconic skies. Onshore activities for cruisers might range from museum and science center visits to dogsledding with huskies, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-fishing, and scenic helicopter rides. Some cruises offer guests opportunities to spend a night in a snow-ice hotel and visit wildlife sanctuaries where wolves, wolverines, musk oxen, elk, reindeer, and other Arctic mammals might be spotted.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Alaska? It Depends on Your Travel Plans. - AFAR Media
When Is the Best Time to Visit Alaska? It Depends on Your Travel Plans..
Posted: Sun, 24 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Spanning 13.2 million acres, this national park is the largest protected reserve in the United States. Travelers can bed down at the 14-person Ultima Thule Lodge for a wild adventure filled with glacier trekking, rafting, fishing in Tebay Lake, and (of course) waiting for the northern lights to flicker across the sky. The northern lights occur because of solar activity, so during the early part of the solar cycle, known as solar minimum, there is a smaller chance of experiencing a full-on auroral storm. As we move toward solar maximum, which returns in 2025, the odds of seeing the northern lights will increase. The Alaska cruise season winds down in October, with only a few ships setting sail. Just as in April and May, you’ll likely have the water to yourself, and even fewer people in the ports you call upon.
It’s easy when the inky night sky comes alive with an amazing light show like the aurora borealis. Braving the cold is nothing if you get a chance to see the lights dancing and waving overhead. Combine your aurora viewing trip with a few other highlights planned out by Salmon Berry Tours, and you’ll experience the best of winter in Alaska.
Guests enjoy unlimited access to a variety of meals throughout the day, including early-riser breakfasts, lunches, dinners with multiple entrée options, and snacks in between. The beverage selection is also unlimited, featuring fine wines, craft beers, and signature cocktails, ensuring guests can savor their favorite drinks or try something new without any additional charges. Cruisetours like the 13-Night Great Frontier Expedition (8A Northbound) and the 13-Night Grand Heartland Adventure (7A Northbound) show Alaska’s many majestic sides.
Because the northern lights often appear late at night or very early in the morning, some ships offer opt-in wake up calls for this purpose. Cunard’s Norway and Northern Lights cruise is a 12-day roundtrip along Norway’s coastline from Southampton, England on Queen Mary 2, or Queen Victoria ships. Guest speakers, astronomers and award-winning photographers are usually on board to join guests on deck to each evening to scan for and enjoy the northern lights show. Both Hurtigruten Expeditions and the Hurtigruten’s Norwegian Coastal Express, offer a good number of itineraries that showcase the Northern Lights. If you’re planning an Alaskan cruise specifically to see the Northern Lights, it’s important to choose the right time of year.
If you want to spot herds of caribou, book an Alaska cruise that puts you in range of Denali National Park. And with salmon runs in full force, you can catch fishing bears in the southeast. You will find local asparagus on some menus in southeast towns later in the month, and fiddlehead season also begins in Alaska in May. However, most of Alaska's tastiest fruits and vegetables aren't on offer until later in the summer.
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