- Holland America is launching three new voyages through Norway, with ample opportunities to view the northern lights.
- The 14-day journeys are aboard ships outfitted with vessel-wide aurora alerts to tell passengers when the northern lights are visible.
- Other sights along the way include Norwegian fjords and small fishing villages.
If you’ve always dreamed of seeing the northern lights in the Arctic from a cruise ship, get ready for three new options to make that a reality.
Holland America is launching three new arctic journeys that span 14 days and allow cruisers to spot the northern lights, with ship-wide aurora alerts that let everyone know when the lights are visible. The cruises leave from Rotterdam, Netherlands, with one offering the option to depart a day earlier from Dover, England.
The initial cruise departs from Rotterdam, and cruisers can take time before departure to explore the historical city with its idiosyncratic modern architecture and impressive art museums. After two days at sea, the cruise ship will stop in Ålesund, a quaint fishing village in western Norway. Known for its colorful, ornate buildings and stunning fjords, this stop will have opportunities for both cultural exploration and hiking. Tours organized by the cruise ship are available.
The ship continues on to Trondheim, Norway, with its easy-to-explore city center and sites that include Nidaros Cathedral and the Trondelag Open-Air Folk Museum. After this stop, the ship will cross over into the Arctic Circle, where the many hours of winter darkness are most conducive to spotting the northern lights.
The next stop is Tromso, Norway, the “Gateway to the Arctic,” followed by two days at Alta on the Alta Fjord in the north of Norway. This is one of the best places to spot the aurora, and there will be shuttles and taxis to take visitors into town to experience the culture of this arctic village.
As the trip comes into the home stretch, travelers will go to Leknes on the Norwegian Lofoten archipelago, which serves as a gateway to a series of sheltered fishing hamlets with traditional houses. Next are the waterfalls and natural wonders of Åndalsnes, followed by a stop in Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. Then, the cruise detours to Lerwick on the Shetland Islands in the United Kingdom to explore its Norse heritage, before spending a day at sea en route back to Rotterdam.
Later cruises also stop at Kristiansund, a charming town on the Norwegian coast.
The three itineraries depart in autumn 2027. Fares start at €2,599 (about $3,000) for the voyage from Oct. 3 to Oct. 17, 2027. The second trip, which spans Oct. 16 to Oct. 30, 2027, starts at €2,499 ($2,884), while the option with an earlier departure day in Dover starts at €2,719 ($3,138). The final cruise from Nov. 6 to Nov. 20, 2027, starts at €2,349 ($2,711).
All cruises can be booked at hollandamerica.com.