Will I see the northern lights on an Alaskan cruise?

Seeing the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise is pretty rare because it doesn't get dark enough. We were on a land tour in May and sunset was at 11pm. May is a completely different situation than September, especially if it's late September.



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What are the best places to see the Northern Lights?
  1. Tromso, Norway. Based in the heart of the aurora zone in the Norwegian Arctic, the city is widely regarded as one of the world's best places to see the Northern Lights. ...
  2. Swedish Lapland. ...
  3. Reykjavik, Iceland. ...
  4. Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland. ...
  5. Ilulissat, Greenland. ...
  6. Svalbard, Norway.


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Fairbanks does offer statistically better weather for aurora viewing: It has clear skies more often than Reykjavik, particularly in March when the Alaskan city experiences them around 45 percent of the time (compared to about 25 percent for Reykjavik). But you'll have to be able to tolerate the cold.

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Northbound Alaska cruises sail up the coastline through the Inside Passage and along Hubbard Glacier, so your best view of Alaska's scenic landmasses are likely on the starboard side of the ship. Southbound Alaska cruises are the opposite.

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Alaska Cruises Can Be Bumpy in the Gulf of Alaska Rough Waters: The majority of sailing on an Alaska cruise is done in the protected waters of the Inside Passage, but ships sailing to Seward, Whittier or Anchorage must cross the Gulf of Alaska, which is much rougher.

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The Alaska cruise season typically runs from late April to late September, and the cheapest months to cruise to Alaska are during the shoulder season months of April, May, and September.

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