If seeing the Northern Lights is on your travel bucket list, you'll doubtless be intrigued by Hurtigruten's Northern Lights Promise, applicable to its cruises along the scenic Norwegian coast during the 'auroral season' (September 26 -March 31).
Guests who sail on select Hurtigruten Norway itineraries lasting 11 days or longer are promised this: if the Northern Lights do not appear within sight of the ship during their voyage, the cruise line will give passengers one of its signature Coastal Express Classic voyages for free-either a six-day southbound or seven-day northbound cruise between Kirkenes and Bergen.
Of course, the guarantee is subject to a set of specific terms and conditions you'll want to familiarize yourself with. Whether or not there has officially been an Occurrence is determined by deck officers on each sailing, who will announce the aurora's appearance to passengers so that they can step outside to see the Arctic sky alight with the dancing green and purple ribbons.
Moreover, while the cruise line can't guarantee that every passenger will witness the aurora firsthand, it does promise that, if a Northern Lights occurrence does not happen during the voyage, it will give guests a free six- or seven-day cruise in an inside cabin (which can be upgraded for a cost) during the subsequent sailing season.
"The Northern Lights Promise reflects our mission to inspire adventure and deliver memorable experiences. Travelers from around the world choose Hurtigruten Norway to fulfill a lifelong dream, and we don't take the responsibility lightly," Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway, told Travel + Leisure.
Wintertime cruises covered under the Northern Lights Promise include the 11-day Voyage of Discovery, and the 12-day Roundtrip Voyage, both of which visit 34 ports twice, once on the way up the coast and again on the way back, as they sail past more than 100 spectacular fjords and 1,000 mountains. The policy also applies to Hurtigruten's newest itinerary, the North Cape Express, which traces Norway's coastline northward from Oslo and back down to Bergen; as well as the Northern Lights Expedition cruise from London.
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