Northern Lights Cruise with Fred. Olsen Cruises and Go Stargazing
Tuesday 19th March 2024 to Thursday 28th March 2024
Departing from Newcastle Cruise Terminal
Port of Tyne, Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, NE29 6EE
Witness the immense beauty of the Northern Lights aboard this Fred. Olsen cruise to the tip of Norway.
Enjoy immersive winter activities like dog sledging and ice fishing with a Tromsø local. Cruise through scenic highlights, including the Seven Sisters mountain range and Torghatten. Take a picturesque shortcut through the Tjeldsundet Strait on your ship, Balmoral.
On this Northern Lights Cruise, you’ll be joined by an experienced astronomer from Go Stargazing for guided night sky tours under light pollution-free skies as part of Fred. Olsen’s Sky at Sea signature experience.
- Learn how our ancestors interpreted the sky with a laser-guided tour of the stars and their patterns – the constellations.
- With the Sun approaching solar maximum and peak activity, viewing the Northern Lights is statistically more likely and displays more intense. This is especially so towards the end of the cruise when we are farther north, the Moon is lower in the sky (darker). The lights are more common around the time of the equinoxes – March 21st for spring – which is when we will be there!
- On this cruise, we will be accompanied by our nearest celestial neighbour – the Moon. We will see how it changes shape (phase) from night to night – growing from a half Moon as we leave to a Full Moon in Norway.
- We should notice that the stars in the northern part of the sky get higher up as we cruise north – by observing the famous pole star (which would be directly overhead at the north pole), we can work out our latitude!
- Before Jupiter sets mid-evening, its 4 Galilean Moons can be observed with binoculars, and we may see their positions change with the planet during the cruise.
- The elusive planet Mercury – the closest to the Sun – may be glimpsed, setting in the west just after sunset.
- Shooting stars or meteors are always a possibility if the sky is clear!
Please note that this has already taken place on 19/03/2024
The map plots the course of this cruise. As you travel away from light pollution, a breathtaking canvas of stars unfolds above. The sky becomes a sanctuary of twinkling constellations, captivating stargazers with its celestial wonders. Guided by a Go Stargazing astronomer, you'll learn to navigate the skies and immerse yourself in their beauty.
Cruise organiser
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is organising this cruise
Please contact Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines directly for more details regarding this cruise.
Email: [email protected]
Website: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Twitter: @FredOlsenCruise
Facebook: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
Cruise booking
For full details on how to attend this cruise, including how to book, please see the cruise's official website.
Visit cruise websiteCruise darkness
The below chart shows if and when the skies will be at their darkest during this cruise. Moonlight is shown in light yellow and the Sun's twilight in light blue. Midnight on the date shown is shown as a white line with sunset to the left and sunrise the next morning to the right. A black background with stars shows the best times for stargazing.
Tue 19th Mar
Wed 20th Mar
Thu 21st Mar
Fri 22nd Mar
Sat 23rd Mar
Sun 24th Mar
Mon 25th Mar
Tue 26th Mar
Wed 27th Mar
