Northern lights on Alaskan cruise?

[Vera/Lee]

What are the chances of seeing the Northern lights on an Alaskan cruise to Skagway/Inside passage in late September? Thanks!

[RobInMN]

A quick Google search says, pretty good. The equinox months of September and March have the highest chances.

https://www.google.com/search?q=northern+light+activity+by+month&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS786US786&oq=northern+light+activity+by+month&aqs=chrome..69i57.7559j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

 

[reallyitsmema]

22 minutes ago, Vera/Lee said:

What are the chances of seeing the Northern lights on an Alaskan cruise to Skagway/Inside passage in late September? Thanks!

 

Seeing the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise is pretty rare because it doesn't get dark enough.  We were on a land tour in May and sunset was at 11pm. 

[RobInMN]

13 minutes ago, reallyitsmema said:

 

Seeing the Northern Lights on an Alaska cruise is pretty rare because it doesn't get dark enough.  We were on a land tour in May and sunset was at 11pm. 

May is a completely different situation than September, especially if it's late September. Late May to early August would be very difficult due to the amount of daylight (as you noted).

The Alaska cruise season (Apr-Sept) largely overlaps the worst months to see the Northern Lights, but if you are at the front or back end of the season, the search results would say the chances are pretty good. Hopefully someone who's done Alaska in September can confirm either way.

We did an Alaska cruise in July '17, there was no chance for us.

[reallyitsmema]

19 minutes ago, RobInMN said:

May is a completely different situation than September, especially if it's late September. Late May to early August would be very difficult due to the amount of daylight (as you noted).

The Alaska cruise season (Apr-Sept) largely overlaps the worst months to see the Northern Lights, but if you are at the front or back end of the season, the search results would say the chances are pretty good. Hopefully someone who's done Alaska in September can confirm either way.

We did an Alaska cruise in July '17, there was no chance for us.

 

I didn't say May was like September.  I shared our experience.  As far as "the search results", no idea what results you are speaking of as all research we did for our Alaska cruises said it is very rare to see Northern Lights from a cruise ship in Alaska.

[crzndeb]

Occasionally we see them in the Seattle area. I never have, because I always find out after the fact, and when it happens, I’m sleeping. In Alaska, it is also going to depend on the cloud cover. I use an app, and plug in a city, for you Skagway. It will give you the likelihood of whether you have a chance to see them or not. I use the app, My Aurora Forecasts and Alerts. If you click on Forecasts at the bottom, it will give you some good info.

[John&LaLa]

Depends how much you've been drinking 😉

[Jimbo]

11 minutes ago, crzndeb said:

Occasionally we see them in the Seattle area. I never have, because I always find out after the fact, and when it happens, I’m sleeping. In Alaska, it is also going to depend on the cloud cover. I use an app, and plug in a city, for you Skagway. It will give you the likelihood of whether you have a chance to see them or not. I use the app, My Aurora Forecasts and Alerts. If you click on Forecasts at the bottom, it will give you some good info.

Deb, Are our chances in Greenland better in September then Alaska's chances in September in your opinion of seeing the Norther Lights?

[Jimbo]

3 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

Depends how much you've been drinking 😉

Comedian in the house. 😉  and no cover charge.

Edited March 3, 2023 by Jimbo

[Teeter2U]

My experience last year....we cruised from Vancouver on 8/27 and after our 7 nights cruise did a 3 night land tour.  We ended up renting a car in Fairbanks and drove out away from town and were able to see the northern lights.  I was on a FB group from our cruise ship and several cruisers reported in that group that they had seen the northern lights from the ship around 1 to 2 a.m.  That would have been over Labor Day weekend after the ship left Whittier going southbound.    

[crzndeb]

3 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Deb, Are our chances in Greenland better in September then Alaska's chances in September in your opinion of seeing the Norther Lights?

Again, it really depends on cloud cover and KP. That’s why I like the app. Right now I have Nuuk plugged in as city.

Also, as someone who saw them on an Alaska cruise I was on in Oct/2021, the green color you see in pictures, will look like mist to the naked eye. A picture will pick up the green. The Captain did announce the possibility on that cruise, so usually they are  pretty good letting people know. A little bit earlier at night. 1130-midnight…and of course, I was asleep again. I really need to change my sleep habits of getting up at 4-5am and being asleep at 9…LOL

[Sigyn]

Where are you going? Is Skagway the farthest point north you'll be? I was in Alaska in mid-September many years ago and saw the northern lights as we were driving from Anchorage to Denali. The farther south you are, the less likely you are to see them. 

[chazzinator8]

Check this site for Aurora Borealis forecasts. We saw the Northern Lights 1 night on our cruise in Sep 2022. Aurora Forecast | Geophysical Institute (alaska.edu)

[Vera/Lee]

25 minutes ago, njsmom said:

Where are you going? Is Skagway the farthest point north you'll be? I was in Alaska in mid-September many years ago and saw the northern lights as we were driving from Anchorage to Denali. The farther south you are, the less likely you are to see them. 

Yes, Skagway is the farthest point north on the cruise I'm thinking about and that's my concern. Seeing the Northern Lights are #1 on my bucket list. Thanks!

[cruisequeen4ever]

I saw a minor display of them on ours in July one year. We live in Alaska, and I finally saw a full display of them in person last week. 
 

[Cruise5life]

I was on a cruise last Aug/sept.   And didn’t see them.   But the same cruise a week later the captain woke up the ship at 2 am and announced that they were out and able to see.      
a lot of pissed of people.  And. A lot of thankful people.    Lolol.   
missed them by 1 week.     

[voyager70]

54 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

I just know booze helps you see the 'green flash' at sunset 

Been there, done that 😁

[fishiecrackers]

1 hour ago, Vera/Lee said:

Yes, Skagway is the farthest point north on the cruise I'm thinking about and that's my concern. Seeing the Northern Lights are #1 on my bucket list. Thanks!

It's dark enough in September, depending on how late you're up. We've seen them in Seward in late August, but I was with my sister and we had stayed up all night talking so it was basically the middle of the night. It's just random chance of whether the conditions will be right, so obviously the more days you're in Alaska, the better chance you have. We live in Anchorage and really only see them once or twice a year, but there is lots of light pollution here.

 

If seeing them is super high on your bucket list, maybe take some extra days on one end of the cruise and fly up to Fairbanks while you are already in Alaska? That's the best place for viewing, and they have lots of tours, hotels that will call your room if they're out, etc. We're trying this next week with a friend who is here from California, but only going for one night, sooooo.... wish me luck on that, haha! 

[Vera/Lee]

6 minutes ago, fishiecrackers said:

It's dark enough in September, depending on how late you're up. We've seen them in Seward in late August, but I was with my sister and we had stayed up all night talking so it was basically the middle of the night. It's just random chance of whether the conditions will be right, so obviously the more days you're in Alaska, the better chance you have. We live in Anchorage and really only see them once or twice a year, but there is lots of light pollution here.

 

If seeing them is super high on your bucket list, maybe take some extra days on one end of the cruise and fly up to Fairbanks while you are already in Alaska? That's the best place for viewing, and they have lots of tours, hotels that will call your room if they're out, etc. We're trying this next week with a friend who is here from California, but only going for one night, sooooo.... wish me luck on that, haha! 

Best of luck and thank you for the advice!

[Sigyn]

2 hours ago, Vera/Lee said:

Yes, Skagway is the farthest point north on the cruise I'm thinking about and that's my concern. Seeing the Northern Lights are #1 on my bucket list. Thanks!

ah, yes, I see your reason for concern. I agree with the others who recommended driving inland and heading north. it's definitely worth it if it's a bucket list item. I was in Alaska from Labor Day weekend until mid-September - 2-1/2 weeks - and the only time we saw them was that night, driving north, heading up to Denali. The rest of the time we were in Homer, Alaska and around Anchorage. It really took heading up that way, getting closer to Fairbanks and Denali, to see them. 

Edited March 3, 2023 by njsmom

[Vera/Lee]

2 hours ago, Cruise5life said:

I was on a cruise last Aug/sept.   And didn’t see them.   But the same cruise a week later the captain woke up the ship at 2 am and announced that they were out and able to see.      
a lot of pissed of people.  And. A lot of thankful people.    Lolol.   
missed them by 1 week.     

Where was the ship when they were visible? North of Skagway? Thanks!

[bonsai3s]

4 hours ago, Vera/Lee said:

Yes, Skagway is the farthest point north on the cruise I'm thinking about and that's my concern. Seeing the Northern Lights are #1 on my bucket list. Thanks!

Same here...we've been chasing the Northern Lights for a few years.

 

We sail to Alaska every year hoping to see it...no luck.

 

We sailed the "TransArctic" last fall, b3b, from Copenhagen to Boston...with stops in Iceland and Greenland...no luck. Nothing but cloudy skies and fog.

 

* We'll just keep trying. My DW really wants to see it...I've seen it many times as a child...visiting Northern Alberta, Canada.

[Ret MP]

I've spent some time in the Arctic Circle, Northern Norway, a few hundred miles north of the Circle while on a NATO Exercise.  It was mid-winter and the Arora Borealis (Northern Lights) was so vivid it looked like I could reach up and grab them.  If you get a chance to see them at the ultimate time, do it, they are great. 

[Ret MP]

31 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Drink about 5 of the green Long Island Teas

Can also make you bark at the moon, too.  Don't ask how I know!

[gmerick]

Like everything else RCCL does, they offer a Premium Northern Lights excursion.  For just $149.95 you can get a guided tour of the sun deck at 11:30PM with an experienced Atmospheric Scientist guide, and guaranteed viewing of Aurora Borealis.  Experience the wonders of cascading light sheets, brilliant green, blue, and pink discharges.  Enjoy champagne cocktails under the crisp night skies while the captain dims all navigation lights, and the cabin stewards close all balcony drapes to enhance your viewing experience.

And then there will be the CC members who compare the pitiful viewing on RCCL as compared to Viking or Celebrity.