Alaska Cruise Northern Lights: Can You See Them?

Mostly no. Alaska cruises sail in the light months. Only late-season sailings have a real chance, and even then it's rare.

Key takeaways

Holland America's Alaska cruise season runs May to September, but the aurora season in Alaska runs from late August to late April.
In June, Southeast Alaska and the Inside Passage get over 18 h of daylight, so the sky never gets dark enough to see the aurora.
Late September is the only real cruise window: nights are longer and it's close to the autumn equinox, when geomagnetic activity tends to run higher.
If the aurora is the goal, skip the cruise and fly to Fairbanks in late February or March, when nearly half of nights have a clear spell.

Why summer cruises miss it

The aurora is there all year. You just can't see it against a bright sky. Before late August, nights never get dark enough, which rules out the busy months of June, July and August.

Over 18 hJune daylight in Southeast Alaska and the Inside PassagePrincess

Mid-May – mid-JulyThe midnight-sun stretchHolland America

21 Aug – 21 AprRoughly, the viewing season in FairbanksUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks

A white cruise ship in daylight on the water off Skagway, low cloud hanging over the mountains — Skagway, Alaska. Photo: Robert Thiemann, Unsplash License

When a cruise does have a chance

Late September is the only real window. Nights are longer, and it's close to the autumn equinox, when geomagnetic activity tends to run higher. Holland America says early April or late September sailings increase your chances; Princess calls September the best month to see the lights while cruising.

Two things still work against you:

Cloud. The lights need a clear sky, and ships sail the coast. Fairbanks' visitor bureau credits its clear nights partly to being far from coastal weather.
Timing. Princess gives peak viewing hours of 12:30am to 4:30am. You'd need to be on deck, away from the ship's lights, in the middle of the night.

On a late-season cruise anyway?

Ask the ship whether it makes aurora announcements.
Check the forecast each evening.
Set an alarm.

Cruisetours help. Some lines pair the cruise with a land leg to Fairbanks or Denali. Fairbanks sits under the auroral oval, so a September land leg there gives better odds than the ship. It's still September, though, when Fairbanks has its cloudiest skies of the season: about a quarter of nights have a clear spell.

The trip that works better

If the aurora is the goal, skip the cruise and fly to Fairbanks in late February or March.

Better odds. Nearly half of nights have a clear spell; how many nights you need has the month-by-month odds.
Better days. A hot spring in the snow, an ice museum and sled dogs.
Start here. The Alaska guide, the best time to go, and, if your cruise starts or ends there, northern lights in Anchorage.

A green aurora curtain arching over a snowy trail and spruce forest near Chena Hot Springs, Alaska — Chena Hot Springs, Alaska. Photo: Analogick, CC BY 2.0 · **5-second exposure at high sensitivity: still brighter than the eye sees**

Alaska cruise and the northern lights: FAQs

What month is best to see the northern lights on an Alaska cruise?

Late September. Cruise lines point to late-September sailings, when nights are longer and it's close to the equinox. Even then a sighting is rare.

Can you see the northern lights on an Alaska cruise in August?

Very unlikely. The aurora season in Alaska starts around 21 August, and early nights are short. Late September is better.

Do Alaska cruises run in winter?

No. Holland America says the season runs May to September, with a few sailings in late April and early October.

What's the best way to see the northern lights in Alaska?

A winter trip to Fairbanks, ideally late February or March. There, three nights gives about even odds of a proper display, and eight to nine nights about four in five.

Plan an Alaska aurora trip instead

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