The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis as they are otherwise known, are a huge draw for many visitors to Alaska. Good news for cruisers -they can take part in this majestic experience as well.
For those heading north on an Alaska cruise, there are a few places to spot the Northern Lights, and when and where you cruise can play a major role in increasing the odds of seeing them. In particular, heading inland, away from cruise ports and lights, is a good start. Cruise lines have a number of excursions and land tours to take cruisers to these locations.
For those looking at cruises next year, 2025 is forecasted to be a great year for the Northern Lights. Thanks to ongoing solar activity, there will be even more chances to take in the vibrant green rays dancing across the nighttime skies.
Here are our top tips for planning a trip to The Last Frontier, including the best ways to see the Northern Lights and all their beauty.
What are the Northern Lights?
What exactly causes this special nighttime show in northern climates? A little science helps explain this wonder of nature. In basic terms, the Northern Lights are the result of the clash between electrically charged particulars from the sun as they collide with gases in the Earth’s atmosphere. During this process, molecules release small bits of energy in the form of light.
The lights tend to be most visible at the poles because the magnetic fields of Earth’s North and South Poles are consistently weak enough for the sun’s charged particles to enter the atmosphere at high speed. Luckily for cruisers, Alaska is one of the best places in the world to see them.
The often vibrant green and yellow tones of light are the result of particles interacting with oxygen. On the other hand, interactions with nitrogen produce blue, red, and pink colors. Northern Lights can come in a variety of shapes and forms, including vertical and horizontal patterns, which scientists are still trying to understand. Regardless of the why, they make some of the most stunning natural wonders in the world, a giant abstract painting in the sky.
Where to see Northern Lights on a cruise to Alaska
There are a number of ways to catch the epic spectacle of the Northern Lights from a cruise ship. Although many of the best locations are inland from cruise ports, there are a number of opportunities to seek them out, and cruising is an easy way to do this.
It is even possible to see them from a cruise ship itself. This has happened on a number of occasions this year, as increased activity has made the lights visible much farther south than usual. A moonless, dark sky is the best opportunity to spot them which tends to be late in the night or very early in the morning.
Most often, cruise lines offer add-tours, especially on one-way cruises starting or ending in Alaska. Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, and Princess Cruises all offer a number of options to extend your time in Alaska to see the Northern Lights. Princess Cruises even has five of its own lodges for seamless travel planning to the interior region.
Whether you do it on your own or arrange it through the cruise line, spending a little extra time in Alaska before or after your cruise is a great way to increase your chances of seeing the Northern Lights. Some of the top suggestions and popular locations to seek out them out include:
- Fairbanks, Alaska’s second biggest city, is known as one of the best places in the world to see the Northern Lights. Northeast of Anchorage, it is the go-to spot for sightings and is a featured destination on many cruise line add-on tours.
- Anchorage is another popular spot, although you will need to head out of the city to get away from the lights. This, again, would be best on a pre- or post-cruise ship tour. Cruises usually stop in Whittier or Seward, the closest ports to Anchorage.
- Lastly, Denali National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Alaska, and it is also a great place to see the Northern Lights. Its remote surroundings and clear skies can make it an ideal place to see the light show. Again, this would be an add-on tour to a cruise.
When is the best time to see the Northern Lights on a cruise?
What month you cruise to Alaska is almost as important as where you go if you want to improve your odds of seeing the Northern Lights. 2024 has been a bit of an anomaly, with epic views being seen much farther south than usual, even in the spring. Normally, the winter months are the best time of the year to see the Northern Lights. Winter isn't an option for a traditional cruise ship as they don’t run that late in the year. Most cruise lines start running Alaska itineraries in late April, with most ending in early fall, October at the latest.
For your best bet, September is the ideal time of year to see the Northern Lights on a cruise to Alaska. The eternal sun of the summer has passed to some degree, and the skies will be darker for more of the day. Alternatively, early in spring, such as April, is another option. Some of the major cruise lines, like Norwegian Cruise Line, have cruises that start in late April. The earlier, the better.
Also, 2025 will be the height of solar activity in the changing cycle of the sun. This means that the upcoming cruise season will have some of the best opportunities to see them, although, of course, there are no guarantees. Northern Lights are generally most easily seen on moonless nights between the hours of 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. You may need some extra caffeine to stretch through the night, but it will be well worth it to catch this once-in-a-lifetime experience. In this case, a balcony cabin may be worth the splurge as you patiently wait to see the lights in the middle of the night.
Word of caution, though, cruisers will definitely want to stay clear of June cruises close to the summer equinox. During this time of year, Alaska can see 20+ hours of sun, making it hard to see the lights, as the sky is never very dark.
