Astronomy Cruise on the Norwegian Coast
Experience a unique blend of natural beauty and astronomical exploration. Enjoy insightful lectures from astronomers and deepen your understanding of the universe. Observe star constellations and phenomena like the Northern Lights without the interference of light pollution with Havila Voyages.
Details
- Requires adding "Astronomy Sailing" addon when booking.
- Can be added to existing bookings via MyVoyage.
- All lectures are performed in english.
- 2026: From €330 / $353 / £275 per person.
- 2027-2028: From €342 / $398 / £285 per person.
Departure dates 2026:
9 Mar, 2 Oct, 4 Oct, 1 Nov, 1 Dec
Departure dates 2027:
31 Jan, 27 Feb, 22 Oct, 21 Nov
Departure dates 2028:
20 Jan, 18 Mar
Meet our experts from the Royal Astronomical Society and find your voyage
Get to know our experts and secure your spot for the departures listed below for each lecturer (each lecturer will be present on different sailings). Note that enrolling requires adding "Astronomy Sailing" addon to your voyage during the booking process. Can also be added to existing bookings via MyVoyage. Listed dates refer to departures from Bergen.
Ian Ridpath
Ian Ridpath is a internationally respected writer and lecturer.
Ian Ridpath serves as the editor of the esteemed Oxford Dictionary of Astronomy and has penned a widely popular series of night sky guides tailored for beginners. He is a valued member of the Royal Astronomical Society’s outreach team, and has been guiding astronomy enthusiasts from all over the world for a long time to witness the Northern Lights in Norway for over 15 years, since 2010.
Lecture subjects
- Welcome to Norway: Introduction to the voyage and insight into what lies ahead.
- Fantastic Northern Lights: Wonders of the auroras – exploring their visual splendor, associated legends, and the science behind them.
- Stories of the Stars: constellations, their significance in myths, art, and positions in the sky.
- When We Walked on the Moon: The Apollo missions.
- The Planets: Our neighbour worlds in space.
- Comets, the Ghostly Wanderers: Learn about comets and their voyages through the cosmos.
- Eclipses of the Sun and Moon: The dynamics and importance of both solar and lunar eclipses.
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John Maclean
John Maclean is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society.
He is also in the Royal Geographical Society as well as being an experienced Science Communicator in the fields of Astronomy and Astrophysics.John is also an award winning Astrophotographer and an experienced Northern Lights guide. His research field is Asteroids and Cometary science and he is a researcher and member of the UK Meteor Observation Network. He was part of the team who were joint winners of the 2022 RAS group award for Geophysics. John has held roles as Ambassador for NASA's OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, Co-ordinator of the Comet Investigation Comittee and is a BBC astronomy correspondent.
Lecture subjects
- Celestial Lights! - Aurora beautifully illustrated talk (images by aurora expert Andy Green) about the phenomena known as the "Celestial Lights". We will explore the source of these colourful, dancing lights and the mythology attributed to them as well as looking at how the aurora is driven by Space Weather.
- VIKING ASTRONOMY – FACT AND LEGEND In this talk we look at how the Viking explorers used the Sun and the night sky to free themselves from coastal waters. We will examine the Norse constellations and the myths attached to them. We will also look at how the Viking used the legendary “Sunstones” to navigate.
- Journey through the Solar System. A close look at our galactic address, how the Solar System was formed with a close look at the planets. An informative talk illustrated with the latest images of our Solar System and wonderful animations.
- Hello? Is anyone out there? ( Aliens and Exoplanets)The first question astronomers are asked is, "do you believe in aliens?" In this fun but enlightening talk we look at the possibilities of life in the Universe and the way aliens have been imagined by Hollywood and others. Be prepared for some intriguing questions and sensible answers with a large lump of "tongue in cheek."
- OMG! We're all going to die (Asteroids, Comets and Meteors)A scary and humorous talk about the dangers we face from Near Earth Objects. This talk will have you gasping and laughing in equal measure!
- BANG! There goes the Universe.The history of the Universe from beginning to end in just 45 minutes! What do we know about the birth of the Universe, how it expanded and evolved and how it will end. Learn bout Einsteins "greatest blunder" and the men and women who discovered the secrets our existence.
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Richard Holdaway
Prof. Holdaway is a space scientist, technologist, and entrepreneur with over 50 years of experience.
He has worked on numerous programmes with NASA, ESA, and partners in the UK, Brazil, Australia, China, Russia, and many others. He was appointed Director of RALSpace at Harwell in 1998 and now works as an independent space consultant. Richard is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Astronomical Society, and a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Southampton, Beijing, and Embry-Riddle. He has been Chairman and/or Director of seven start-up companies, a member of numerous national and international boards, and a regular invited speaker in over 30 countries around the world and on cruise ships.
Lecture subjects
- Background to the Global Space Programme – How we got to where we are today: 500 BC to 2025 AD: The first satellite launch was nearly 70 years ago, but the space programme is much older than that. This first talk on space goes right back to its very beginnings and takes us through the first rocket launch (in China!), then via Sputnik to the early crewed programmes of Gagarin and Shepard, the Apollo programme, the Space Shuttle and Space Station, Hubble, the launch of JWST, and more.
- The Universe – Exploring the stars, black holes, dark matter, dark energy, and answering the question: “Are we alone?” How big and old is the Universe? How many stars are there, and what techniques do we use to study them? What are black holes, dark matter, and dark energy? We will explore the question, “Are we alone?” These and other fundamental topics about the Universe will be discussed. Some of the answers may surprise you!
- The Aurora – Nature’s greatest natural movie: The aurora is on most people’s bucket list of things to see. What causes it, and how and when does it form over the Earth? When and where can you see it? What potential dangers are associated with the aurora, and why did the Apollo 16 and 17 astronauts nearly lose their lives? We will also look at one of the major challenges to be solved before astronauts can travel to Mars – and whether other planets have auroras. All will be revealed.
- The Solar System – Planets, moons, comets, and asteroids: Today we explore each of the eight (and a half) planets in our Solar System, examining how similar they are and how they differ. We take a closer look at the Moon and Mars to understand the growing interest in sending robots and humans there. We will also marvel at recent images of all the planets and explore what we know about other mysterious objects in our Solar System, including asteroids, comets, and other objects beyond Pluto.
- Looking down on planet Earth – What we have learned about our way of life: Satellite technology impacts our lives every day. This talk explores what we can observe on Earth from space; how satellites support emergency relief during disasters; how satellite imagery aids city planning, security, and marine safety; how satellites help monitor global weather; and even what James Bond could really see on Earth from space.
- The future of global space – What’s next? Two new space races and more: In this talk, we look to the future. We review early results from the James Webb Space Telescope, examine plans for the next human missions to the Moon and Mars, and explore what may lie further ahead – such as space elevators, space tourism, and even the possibility of travel to the stars.
- The impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on future space programmes: The AI revolution began over 50 years ago but has accelerated rapidly over the past decade. Like any powerful technology, it can be used for great benefit – or have negative and even destructive consequences. This talk explains what AI is, its potential advantages and risks, and the ethical questions it raises. It also explores current and future applications in astronomy, planetary exploration, spacecraft operations, detecting signs of life, Earth and climate monitoring, and developing new technologies in space such as medicines and ways of generating large amounts of power for planet Earth.
- Oops… that shouldn’t have happened – Things that have gone wrong in space: The global space programme involves some of the world’s brightest scientists and engineers, working at the very edge of what is possible. We have witnessed extraordinary successes in Apollo, planetary exploration, and monitoring of planet Earth – but sometimes things go wrong. In this talk, we examine a range of failures: some tragic, and some just plain dumb.
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