Watching the dazzle aboard the Hurtigruten ship

By Eileen Ogintz with Andy Yemma

FINALLY! A week into our voyage chasing the Northern Lights aboard Hurtigruten’s MS Trollfjord the dark sky is clear enough for the spectacular show in the sky—green, faint purple and orange.

“I get why it is such a big deal now,” one guest said.

In fact, for most aboard this ship, the Northern Lights were the impetus for this trip from as far away as Korea, Malaysia and Australia—18 countries in all, though we have had plenty of other amazing experiences. Those included dogsledding, snowshoeing under the moon, visiting the northern most place in Europe accessible by road, and stopping for King Crab along the way.

“We wanted to see the Northern Lights and It is a bonding experience too, making memories together, said Jace Lyn.

So anxious are guests to get photographs that the ship makes announcements—even in the middle of the night—when the Northern Lights are visible.

The sun is expected to reach the peak of its 11-year activity cycle this winter, which means more intense and frequent Northern Lights, prompting many to make this trip now.

But for Norwegians who live above the Arctic Circle where the sun doesn’t get above the horizon from November into mid-January, the  Northern Lights are no big deal. “Honestly, we get more excited about thunderstorms that are rare here,” said Kira Caurp, one of our guides as we went dog sledding in Tromso, which boasts the world’s most northern university, big hospital, and  is a hip, urban city whose history as a market center dates back to the late 18^th Century.

“We see them all the time,” shrugged Claes Rusall, the manager of Rost, the fine dining restaurant aboard the MS Trollfjord who does all he can to make our journey pleasant.  “But it is different every time,” he added.

Visitors don’t always appreciate that the Northern Lights can appear and disappear in moments, noted Ada Jerzyk, our Expedition Leader for  the first half of our journey. “They can go from nothing to spectacular in moments.” That’s why she suggests guests keep their jackets handy and be willing to jump out of bed in the middle of the night.

Lyn explained they have mostly traveled around Asia and are finding this experience “amazing,” especially for her daughter Isabelle, 9, who is having the most fun playing in the snow, despite the Arctic Cold. “I’ve never seen snow,” she said. “I made snow angels and threw snowballs at my mom.”

The Plummer daughters, who range from 16 to 21, here with their parents, boyfriends and friend from Melbourne, Australia, are also having a lot of fun in the snow, even climbing  a mountain called Nordkapptrapp in Tromso  in deep snow and then shimmying part way down the snow covered slopes on their butts. 

This is a bucket list trip for their mom Kim, who is being treated for breast cancer and the family is making the most of every stop—including heading to the mall in Alta, at 70 degrees north far above the Arctic Circle and a shopping hub for those who live in small villages.

A family crosses the globe for a bucket list experience

For many, it is a culinary journey as well.  The MS Trollfjord does a spectacular job showcasing Norwegian dishes available from local providers, whether fish (Halibut! Herring! Cod!), local cheeses, dry-aged meats — complete with wine Pairings (over 50 choices available in Rost, the fine dining room on the ship. Twenty-five are available in Flora and Brasserie Arran, inspired by the indigenous Sami people where the menu includes dry aged beef, reindeer stew, and dry-aged halibut. Arran, where you can also get a burger, is the Sami word for the fire at the heart of the teepee, like Lavvo, the temporary dwelling used by the Sami people for thousands of years. It’s storytelling through food, suggested the Food and Beverage Manager Eindride Lauritzen, noting that every menu details the history of the dishes being served at that meal.

As for the Northern Lights, we are hoping for more clear skies –so we can see them again. Just perhaps not in the middle of the night.

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