Best chance to see the Lights

The Northern Lights are putting on one of their most spectacular displays this year, thanks to an increase in solar activity. And according to the BBC’s Professor Brian Cox, who presented Wonders of the Solar System, this is the best time of year to see them.
But you don’t need to tell cruise director Richard Sykes that – he saw the Aurora Borealis in all its glory yesterday, as this picture taken from the deck of Marco Polo near Alta, in northern Norway, vividly demonstrates.
Oda Kvaal-Tanguay, of the Tromsø Tourist Office, explains: “This winter season is looking to be the best for Northern Lights for many years, giving us indication that the sun has finally started acting like predicted and catching up on the lack of previous activity.
“The next two to three weeks are, with a combination of good sun activity, statistically better chances of clear sky and still enough darkness, the ideal time to go hunting the Northern Lights.”
For a last-minute chance to see the spectacle, Marco Polo sails from Tilbury on Monday March 21 on a 14-night cruise via Amsterdam then up to the stunning landscapes of the Norwegian coastline visiting Molde, Narvik, the Svartisen Glacier, and Svolvaer in the Lofoten Islands. Sailing further North within the Arctic Circle, the ship arrives at Tromsø and then Alta where the best opportunities to see the lights are likely to be. After a night on board in Alta the return journey calls at Ǻlesund and Bergen.
An almost identical 13-night voyage, without the visit to Amsterdam, is available on sister ship Ocean Countess, which leaves Hull on Sunday, March 20.
Fares are from as little as £599 for an inside cabin – you’ll be out on deck to see the lights – or £799 for an outside cabin. There’s an additional £6 a night to pay for fuel surcharge. Details from Cruise & Maritime Voyages, or call 0845 833 9798.