Hurtigruten celebrates 10 years of its pioneering Northern Lights promise with its cruises along the Norwegian coast.
September marks the start of the official Northern Lights season, and the coming months will offer some of the best viewing opportunities, as the Sun heads towards solar maximum in 2024/25, a peak of solar activity that only occurs every 11 years and results in a greater number of charged particles being released into space
“Although we have offered our guests Northern Lights cruises since 1893, the upcoming winter season will be one of the best for viewing this natural phenomenon due to the solar maximum. Hurtigruten truly offers one of the best opportunities in the world to see the Northern Lights, as our ships travel through the prime geographical area for the aurora borealis – Nordland, Tromsø, and Finnmark in northern Norway – for several days on each sailing. Furthermore, the chances of seeing the Northern Lights from a ship are significantly better than on land, especially with the minimal light pollution on board Hurtigruten ships. That is why we confidently introduced our unique Northern Lights Promise 10 years ago, and in recent years have added astronomy-guided itineraries, and starting this year, our Director of Northern Lights Chasers, giving guests a wide range of options to fulfill their desires,” said Hurtigruten CEO Hedda Felin.
Due to the exceptionally high visibility of the Northern Lights during its cruises, Hurtigruten pioneered the Northern Lights Promise 10 years ago. Earlier this year, the cruise line introduced the world's first Aurora Chaser Director, astronomer Tom Kerss, a highly regarded expert specializing in the aurora borealis. Kerss is one of several astronomers who collaborate with Hurtigruten, and this coming winter season 2024/25, Hurtigruten will offer nine astronomer-led itineraries following the great success of the astronomical voyages in the 2023/24 season. Meanwhile, Hurtigruten offers 266 itineraries this coming winter season where guests can expect to see the Northern Lights.
Astronomy-led tours provide travelers with an onboard expert on the Northern Lights, offering valuable insights into the aurora borealis phenomenon. They also enhance the guest experience by leading digital talks, webinars, and workshops, as well as organizing engaging and innovative guest-focused activities and events.
"Since Hurtigruten launched the Northern Lights Promise a decade ago, almost a full solar cycle has passed. Now we are approaching the solar maximum again, and all signs point to a magnificent season ahead, surpassing the performance of the last maximum in 2014. There will be plenty of opportunities to witness spectacular and mesmerizing displays of the Northern Lights, as the Sun's turbulent space weather frequently reaches Earth. With this in mind, now is the perfect time to plan an aurora-hunting adventure in Arctic Norway. Being constantly on the move, and with the onboard expertise to guide you, you'll most likely not only check the Northern Lights off your bucket list, but also add several unique aurora experiences and tick them all off in a single trip." "Now you have the opportunity to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Arctic sky, with the assurance that with the Northern Lights Promise, you really can't go wrong," said Tom Kerss, Hurtigruten's Chief Aurora Hunter.
Earlier this year, Hurtigruten also announced the extension of its Northern Lights Promise period to begin in mid-September, instead of October.
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