Norway's Enchanting Northern Lights

Seeing the aurora borealis aboard Hurtigruten's Coastal Express was a thrill!

Go North, young man!

Our main objective for visiting Norway during winter was so Larry could finally see the Northern Lights. I’ve seen them many times, having grown up in Washington State. Even so, it’s always a thrill, plus I had a feeling Norway’s aurora borealis would outshine the rest.

We were not disappointed!

Northern Lights Alerts

For those eager to see the Northern Lights, the Hurtigruten ferry offers a convenient alert system. Passengers can enable an alarm on their cabin’s phone to notify them of sightings. These can occur at any hour during the Polar Night, when the sun neither rises nor sets.

The alert system began with a phone beep, followed by an in-cabin intercom announcement telling us which side of the ship offered the best view.

These announcements were delivered in Norwegian, English, German and French, which annoyed some passengers.

I love languages, though, so I didn’t mind.

Each night before bed, I ensured my shoes, socks, winter hat, scarf, and coat were within reach—just enough to keep me warm against the stinging winds out on deck.

Thankfully, the ship often served hot beverages out on the deck, such as a spicy mulled wine called gløgg.

The brilliance of the Northern Lights exceeded my expectations. We even managed to capture selfies with the dazzling display!

Northern Lights Guarantee

Hurtigruten offers a unique Northern Lights Promise: if the aurora isn't sighted during your trip, they provide a complimentary trip so you can try again.

According to the crew, we were fortunate; this time of year can bring stormy weather, leading to cloud cover that diminishes the spectacle.

In fact, we witnessed the Northern Lights so frequently that some passengers began to complain about the in-room announcements!

When we reminded them that they could disable the alerts if they wanted to, one lady replied, “I know, but then we might miss out on seeing the lights.”

There’s just no pleasing some folks, I guess.

As for us, even when the alarm went off at 3 a.m., Larry and I groggily scrambled out onto the deck. Sometimes the wind and waves made it impossible to take photos, but it was the experience we were after. I can highly recommend a trip about Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express.

What about you? Have you ever seen the Northern Lights?