Cruising Into The Arctic Circle to Find The Northern Lights

Normally when you embark a cruise you’ve got to make sure that you’ve packed your summer clothes for the beach and maybe some swimwear so that you can jump straight in the pool. That isn’t what happened on my last cruise though. When we embarked the ship I was hoping that I had remembered to pack enough pairs of thermal trousers and most importantly I hoped that I had packed enough seasickness pills.
On this cruise, I was heading up 1700 miles up into the arctic circle to the very top of Norway to try to find the ever mysterious Northern Lights. The place that I was cruising to is actually so far north that they have a continuous night for two months of the year where the sun never rises above the horizon. It’s safe to say that this wasn’t your regular cruise and that things didn’t always go smoothly. That’s an understatement.
I always thought that to see the northern lights you’d have to stand around for hours in the cold on a mountain or take a trip on a small postal boat so when I saw a mainstream cruise line that I recognised making the trip I knew that this was my chance. I’d heard that seeing the lights by ship was even better than on land, so I crossed my fingers as tightly as I could. I knew that there was a high chance that we wouldn’t see anything and that even if they did come out to play, I might not be able to capture them in a decent photo.
Checking in for the cruise was straightforward and as we embarked I started to wonder who else would be on a cruise line this. The cruise ship that I’d booked this cruise on was Fred Olsen’s Bolette and Fred Olsen are a traditional cruise line that tend to have an older-than-average passenger demographic.
I didn’t want to stand out being in my 20s but for me this cruise really was about the itinerary and if I liked the cruise line that would be a bonus. The cruise was 9 nights long so I really hoped that I would enjoy it, especially since our cruise had 4 sea days and I’d driven 330 miles to board the ship. I drove from the biggest cruise port in the UK may I add, all the way to the top of England to board this cruise.
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[@patsgarage8593]

I forget how lucky we are here in Saskatchewan to constantly see something so beautiful like the northern lights on a regular basis. A few nights ago they danced with multiple colors. So beautiful

[@christophergrace1085]

Living in Alaska, I'm lucky enough to have seen the lights multiple times now. Every time I get to see them, I turn into a kid and just stare at em. They are awe-inspiring and so far it doesn't get old seeing them.

[@petshopgirl39]

I was so lucky to see the Northern Lights 2 nights ago, at 35,000 ft on an Air Canada flight from Calgary to London. It turned out to be a 4 hour extravaganza from Hudson Bay all the way to just past Greenland. The Northern Lights have been on my bucket list for years. And all included in the air fare too!

[@YouTube]

the northern lights must be next level 🤯

[@middleagedcouchpotato677]

As someone who lives in a place where you see northern lights semi regularly, it’s interesting to me that there’s whole trips for people to see something so normal to me. When they pop up here we may stick our head out the door and have a quick look but then we just shrug and go back inside 😂 I’m sure people who live in beach towns, etc., feel similarly.

[@teresam2579]

I would ask 'can I pat your dog?'. Not 'pet' or 'stroke'. 🇦🇺

[@aingealstone8457]

I live in the Canadian sub-arctic and I can see the aurora from my backyard. It is an amazing experience even if it is common for me.

[@Meitti]

For any foreigners, you don't have to sail that north to see a night where sun doesn't come down. You can experience the same in Baltic Sea cruises and ferries. You can also experience Northern lights in Baltic Sea Cruises and ferries if you get lucky. If you book the Tallink- or Silja Lines Emma has visited during midsummer season, you can experience the summer night just the same.

[@victoriaguerin2851]

You might want to ask your doctor about narcotic seasickness medicine. It would probably knock you out, but it might avoid the vomiting. There's also non-narcotic prescription medicine for vertigo that might help. As much as you cruise, I hope you can find a better solution to this problem.

[@davidrle23]

Agree with your observations on Huskies. We went dog sledding in Whistler. The operator only ever made dogs that want to run pull us. Some dogs who weren't even attached to the sled decided to run alongside us anyway! One even decided to sit in with me 🤣

[@Sally-up8xe]

"This is what dogs smell like if you don't wash them. And they live outside. They smell. 🙁"

[@jn7812]

Despite the long drive north, extreme seasickness, freezing artic temperatures and care home like surroundings you managed to smile from start to finish. Well done. You did it!

[@beckyw9000]

Moved to tears. Not joking. So happy for you! Keep up the great work, Emma. You are a wonderful storyteller! Can’t wait to see where your travels take you next.

[@mango8918]

I've been a long-time subscriber to Emma's channel and am always impressed with her trip reviews. I'm envious of her adventures and wish I could be there with her.

[@madlorraine16]

I was blessed to see the Northern Lights in a winter Alaska trip. So beautiful.

[@lulucolby8882]

Beautiful photos of an amazing experience seeing the northern lights! I absolutely love what you said about seeking out the feeling of awe.

[@SinisterMD]

The signage for the bathrooms at

[@jjs2351]

Emma, your editing and presentation keeps getting better and better. Thanks from a long-time viewer.

[@gratefultube]

Thank you, Emma, for sharing these wondrous lights with us.

[@willatv3021]

Emma this video is so funny haha! I love all the jokes and silly graphics. Plus all the charm and articulated knowledge we always get from your videos