1. Norwegian Cruise Line

£££ | Family-friendly | Best suited to all ages

If you’re after a family-friendly sailing, Norwegian Cruise Line fits the bill. The 2,348-passenger Norwegian Star was the line’s first ship custom-built for its trademark “Freestyle Cruising”, with no formal dining times or dress codes, plus a wide variety of entertainment options. The ship visits the northern lights hotspots of Tromso and Alta on a 12-night round-trip sailing from Southampton — ideal if you’ve got young children and want to avoid airport hassle.

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2. Princess Cruises

££ | Family-friendly | Best suited to all ages

Choose how you hunt for the northern lights through a variety of shore excursion options on this 13-night round trip from Southampton aboard the 3,080-passenger Emerald Princess. While staying overnight in Alta, Norway, head to the Paeskatun centre at the top of a slate quarry. This high plateau close to the city has sweeping views over the dark winter sky, where you can watch a film presentation on the myths, history and science behind the lights and warm up in cosy cottages with hot drinks and cakes. The alternative viewing spot is a longer trip to the Alta Northern Lights Camp, a 30-minute drive from the city, to watch the northern lights.

3. Ambassador Cruise Line

£ | Best suited to the over 50s

Take a leisurely two-week cruise to seek out the aurora with Ambassador, which offers convenient value-for-money round-trip voyages from Tilbury. The line’s two ships – the 1,200-passenger Ambition and 1,400-passenger Ambience – both visit Tromso, which lies 220 miles north of the Arctic Circle and is known as the “Gateway to the Arctic” because of the historic polar expeditions that departed from here.

4. Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

££ | Best suited to the over 50s

Create a very personal souvenir as you go in search of the northern lights with an art session in the onboard studios on the line’s flagship Bolette and sister ship Borealis. Watercolour classes to help you capture the awe-inspiring night-time display are held in the well-equipped Olsen Art Studio. You can book a nine-night sailing on Balmoral out of Newcastle. Depending on where you live, there are also longer sailings from Southampton, Portsmouth and Newcastle.

5. P&O Cruises

££ | Best suited to the over 21s

Sailing to and from Southampton, P&O runs dedicated northern lights cruises on its adults-only ship Aurora. During these 12-night sailings, you’ll sail along the dramatic coastline of Norway to the fringes of the Arctic Circle. You’ll also get the chance to visit Norway’s beautiful fjords, including the 550m-deep Romsdalsfjord. On a shore tour in Alta you’ll meet a northern lights expert, who monitors the skies and aurora borealis forecast beforehand to help pick the best location to hunt for the lights.

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6. Cunard

£££ | Family-friendly | Best suited to the over 12s

Search for the northern lights in style aboard Cunard’s stylish Queen Anne — the line’s first new ship in 12 years — which launched in May 2024. The 12-night, round-trip from Southampton includes several days at sea, giving you enough time to explore the 3,000-passenger ship — make sure to try the signature afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters. You’ll visit Narvik, one of the world’s northernmost towns located above the Arctic Circle in Norway’s Nordland region, where a ride on the cable car is the best way to experience breathtaking views over the 48-mile long Ofotfjord and Arctic landscape. Sailings from Southampton are also available on Cunard’s ocean liner and flagship Queen Mary 2.

7. Hurtigruten

££ | Best suited to the over 14s

Although sightings of the northern lights can never be 100 per cent guaranteed, Norwegian cruise specialist Hurtigruten is so confident you’ll see them that it has a “northern lights promise” on selected sailings — if the lights don’t put on a show, you’ll enjoy a future Classic Voyage sailing free of charge. The line offers sailings on its coastal cruises hugging the Norwegian mainland and voyages to Norway and further afield on its HX-branded expedition vessels.

8. Viking

££ | Best suited to the over 21s

As well as the chance to view the northern lights, Viking’s adults-only sailings offer exciting excursions to experience local culture and traditions. On its 12-night northern lights itinerary, which sails from London Tilbury to Bergen (or in reverse), these could include Polar Park — the world’s northernmost wildlife park, where you’ll meet wolves on an extraordinary tour led by a wildlife biologist. Other activities include a snowshoe hike above Bergen and learning the winter sport of curling.

9. Saga

££ | Best suited to the over 50s

Cross the Arctic Circle on a 15-night itinerary available on Saga’s 999-passenger ship Spirit of Discovery. The cruise sails to and from Portsmouth and to increase your odds of seeing the light show there’s an overnight stay in Tromso, Norway, where you can visit the Polar Museum or embark on an exhilarating husky or reindeer sledding ride. You’ll be joined by experts from the conservation charity Orca, who will be out on deck to host seabird and wildlife spotting sessions.

10. Quark Expeditions

£££ | Best suited to the over 21s

Explore Iceland and Greenland, two of the last unspoilt wildernesses on the planet, with Quark Expeditions. Sailing round-trip from Reykjavik on the 128-passenger ice-class ship Ocean Adventurer, the 13-night Under the Northern Lights: Exploring Iceland & East Greenland itinerary takes in Iceland’s mountainous Westfjords and Greenland’s rugged and isolated northeast coast, home to the largest fjord system in the world. The ship sails to Ittoqqortoormiit — the most remote inhabited community in the western hemisphere — where polar bears are frequently seen and there’s a good chance of seeing the northern lights.

11. Ponant

£££ | Best suited to the over 21s

In 2024 luxury line Ponant debuts its Norway cruises. These include the ten-night Nordic Discoveries & Traditions itinerary, also available on dates in 2025, on which you’ll sail to and from Tromso on the elegant 184-passenger Le Bellot or Le Champlain ships. Timed to coincide with the best chance of viewing the northern lights, the cruise will also highlight the region’s cultural traditions, with shore tours to meet the indigenous Sami people, who have been reindeer herders since the 17th century. There’s also the chance to try your hand at dog sledding, ice fishing and snowshoeing.

12. Havila Voyages

££ | Best suited to the over 14s

The newest line in the region is Havila Voyages, which launched in 2022 and now has four eco-friendly ships which can operate solely on battery power for up to four hours. The line has options to sail part or all of the way along the classic route from Bergen to Kirkenes, in northeastern Norway close to the Finnish border, and back. Observation lounges have glass roofs and reclining chairs to view the Arctic sky and you can push a button on the cabin telephone to be woken up in the night if the lights appear. Havila also has a northern lights promise — if the phenomenon doesn’t appear during its longest 11-night sailing, passengers get a free week-long voyage.

havilavoyages.com

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Additional reporting by Siobhan Grogan