Both companies sailing the Norwegian coastal route, Hurtigruten and Havila, offer a Northern Lights Promise. If the lights don't show up on your winter voyage, you get another trip for free. It's a nice safety net, but it isn't a money-back guarantee, and the two promises work differently. Here's what each one covers.
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The promise in 4 numbers
the shortest Hurtigruten voyage that qualifies
Havila voyage that qualifies, the full round trip from Bergen to Kirkenes and back
the free voyage you get from either company, in an inside cabin
to claim the Hurtigruten promise after you get home. Havila gives you one month
The short answer
A safety net, not a refund.
You don't get your money back. You get a shorter voyage the following winter, in an inside cabin, and you have to claim it quickly. Flights to and from the ship aren't mentioned in either set of terms, so plan on paying for those yourself.
And on a long winter voyage the odds are on your side anyway. Along the coast of Troms and Finnmark the lights show up on every other clear night or more. The ship counts a sighting even if it only lasts a few minutes.
How to make sure you see them on board
The promise only pays out if nothing is recorded. You'd rather see the lights. Here's how to give yourself the best chance.
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Switch on the alarm
In your cabinFirst eveningBoth ships announce the northern lights on board. With Havila, the promise is only valid if you have switched on the northern lights warning. With Hurtigruten, the announcements go to your cabin and can be turned on or off. Turn them on.
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Keep your clothes ready
Before bedEvery nightWhen the call comes, you have minutes, not half an hour. Leave warm layers, a hat and shoes by the door so you can be on deck fast.
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Get away from the deck lights
On deckWhen it's announcedFind the darkest corner of the outside deck and give your eyes a few minutes. Faint lights are easy to miss next to a lit window.
Hurtigruten or Havila?
| Hurtigruten | Havila | |
|---|---|---|
| Which voyages | Coastal voyages of 11 days or more | The full Round Voyage, Bergen to Kirkenes and back |
| Departures | 20 September to 31 March | 1 October to 31 March |
| Who decides | The deck officers record and announce it | The ship, regardless of weather and visibility |
| The alarm | Can be switched on or off in your cabin | Must be switched on for the promise to count |
| What you get | A 6- or 7-day voyage, inside cabin | A 6- or 7-day voyage, inside cabin |
| Claim within | 28 days of getting home | One month of getting home |
The ship is a good bet for the lights if
- You want to see the coast and the lights on the same trip
- You don't want to stand in a field at 1 am waiting
- You're happy to be woken by an announcement
A few nights on land is better if
- The lights are the main reason for the trip
- You want a guide who drives to wherever the sky is clear
- You'd like to photograph them without a moving deck
Only booking one thing? Make it this.
Northern lights tours in Tromsø
A night or two in Tromsø before or after the voyage doubles your chances. Chase tours drive to wherever the sky is clear, which the ship can't do.
Find a chase in TromsøBefore or after the voyage
Northern lights tours in Tromsø
Book it for a night on land, not on the day your ship leaves.
Find a chase in TromsøA night in Tromsø
Close to the Prostneset terminal, where the coastal ships dock.
The small print that matters
Both companies can change or withdraw the promise, and the terms are updated from season to season. With Hurtigruten, the free voyage for the 2027/28 season is a 6-day southbound trip only. With Havila, the free trip follows their SAVER fare rules and can't be changed or turned into cash. Read the current terms on the company's own page before you book.
Spending a night in Tromsø?
Many winter voyages stop in Tromsø, and plenty of people start or end their trip there. Our Tromsø page has the dark hours for this season and where to look without a tour.
Northern lights in TromsøLeaving Tromsø in the middle of the night?
Where to leave your bags, when the terminal is open and how to fill a long last day.
Your last day in TromsøPractical tips
- Check the terms the week you book. Both companies say the offer can change.
- Claim quickly. The deadline is counted from the day you get home, not from when you remember.
- Have your booking reference to hand when you claim. It makes the call shorter.
Keep reading
Lofoten
Lofoten in 3 days
Red cabins, white peaks, fish drying on racks, and a sky that sometimes turns green. Here's how to fit it into three days.
Lights, villages and stockfish racks
Oslo
Northern lights in Oslo?
Sometimes. Rarely. Usually when you're asleep. If the lights are the point of the trip, go north.
Sometimes, but don't count on it
Tromsø
Last day in Tromsø
Out of the room by eleven, ship at half past one in the morning. Here's how to fill the gap without dragging a suitcase round town.
Bags, the terminal and a long winter day
Tromsø
Tromsø in 3 days
Three days, two sleds, one very cold boat trip, and as many nights under the sky as the weather allows.
Huskies, whales and the lights
Last checked November 2026. Sources: Hurtigruten, Northern Lights Promise, Havila Voyages, Northern Lights Promise, Tromsø Geophysical Observatory (UiT), the northern lights.