Cruises Will Offer Front-Row Access to the Northern Lights

Holland America Line will sail a series of cruises later this year that will offer a front-row seat to see the Northern Lights when they are at their brightest.

These sailings on Rotterdam and Nieuw Statendam will depart in October and November and will give guests on board the best chances to see the Aurora Borealis.

Scientists say that the Earth is currently experiencing heightened solar activity that creates some of the strongest aurora displays in more than 10 years.

The cruises will travel above the Arctic Circle, where long nights and dark skies have minimal light pollution. This creates ideal viewing conditions to see the Northern Lights.

The four Holland America Line cruises that offer the best chance to see the Northern Lights are:

• Rotterdam — 14-Day Arctic Journey & Northern Lights, Rotterdam to Amsterdam, departs October 4, 2026
• Nieuw Statendam — 15-Day Arctic Journey & Northern Lights, Dover (London) to Rotterdam, departs October 16, 2026
• Nieuw Statendam — 14-Day Arctic Journey & Northern Lights, roundtrip Rotterdam, departs October 17, 2026
• Nieuw Statendam — 14-Day Arctic Journey & Northern Lights, roundtrip Rotterdam, departs November 7, 2026

Passengers on these four cruises can experience more than 30 hours of darkness while docked in Arctic Norway on October departures and nearly 60 hours on November sailings.

The total darkness on these cruises will be approximately 65 to 80 hours when combined with the time the ships are at sea.

Guests will be able to sign up for Northern Lights’ wake-up calls when the aurora is visible so they don’t miss seeing them when they appear.

Among the highlights of these cruises are extended calls and overnight stays in Tromsø and Alta, two of Norway’s premier northern lights destinations.

Depending on the itinerary, guests can spend up to 36 hours in Tromsø and 30 hours in Alta, creating exceptional opportunities to experience the aurora ashore through a variety of activities and excursions.

Adam Burgasser, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California San Diego. gave the following statement:

“We’re currently in a period of heightened solar activity, making this one of the best times in years to see the northern lights. The coming fall and winter seasons offer some of the best viewing opportunities in the Northern Hemisphere. A cruise is an especially rewarding way to experience the phenomenon, with wide-open views of the dark night sky and little interference from city lights. If seeing the northern lights is on your bucket list, now is the time. The next peak in solar activity won’t happen again until the mid-2030s.”