Fred. Olsen cruise delivers Arctic adventures from whales to Northern Lights

The early sunset of near polar night is staining the sea fuchsia pink when we see the first humpback breach. There’s a sharp intake of breath as its submarine-shaped body crests, spurts water from its blowhole, and descends back into the depths.

A quick succession of whale sightings follows – more humpbacks, a Fin, and an Orca dorsal that windmills out of the water a few feet from the boat. Each glimpse is made all the more memorable by the dusk and the snow-slicked mountains of Norway’s Altafjord fjord in the background.

On any other trip, this Whale Safari excursion experience would be the standout highlight, but it has serious competition on Fred. Olsen’s In Search of the Northern Lights cruise, which sails round-trip from Southampton, calling in at Leknes, Alta, Tromsø, Narvik, and Ålesund.

Thrilling arctic excursions

From Tromsø, our group takes a twilight excursion into the snow-lacquered landscapes of Kvaløya, where we find ourselves hand-feeding orphaned reindeer at a traditional Sámi camp (the Sámi are a semi-nomadic people indigenous to Norway, Sweden, and Finland who make their living from coastal fishing and herding).

The reindeer muzzles feel soft as felt as they gently scoop food pellets from my palm. When the feed is gone, we funnel into a fire-warmed, lantern-lit tipi to learn more about the lives of these antlered animals and their importance in Sami culture. Cups of hot chocolates thaw our frost-nipped hands as our local guide speaks.

In Narvik, we take a ride on the Arctic Train, a single-track, 27-mile railway line that follows the contours of Ofotfjord, shunting up to elevations of 1,683 feet for far-reaching fjord views. Entombed in shin-deep snow, the landscape along the line resembles a Christmas card cover.

We see forests of frosted fir trees. Icicles hang from the eaves of the wooden station buildings where we stop for photo ops. The surrounding mountains look like peaks of pavlova.

Outside of organised excursion time, our group members visit Tromsø’s Toblerone-shaped Arctic Cathedral, amble around the Art Deco town of Ålesund, and visit the sobering Narvik War Museum, where exhibits of uniforms, maps, medals, and scale models outline the role northern Norway played in World War Two, and the naval battles of Narvik in particular.

Life on board

On scenic sailing days, meanwhile, we glide by the pyramidal peaks of the Seven Sisters mountain range, which legend says are seven troll maidens turned to stone, and the giant granite dome of Torghatten, which is meant to be the petrified hat of troll king Sømna.

As we look out at the scenery, a crew member rattles across the deck with a trolley of yet more hot chocolate and Kahlúa.

With room for just 1,250 passengers, Balmoral is a homely ship. Time onboard is all about jigsaw puzzling, reading, doing the crossword in Fred. Olsen’s Daily Times newsletter, and attending insightful expert talks on topics like the solar system and Norwegian myths and legends.

On top of this, groups can arrange a raft of private experiences. Our party takes a wine and cheese pairing session with onboard sommelier Ivan, whose motto for life is ‘just keep drinking’, and an Aquavit experience, in which we taste the Scandinavian spirit known as ‘The Water of Life’ and have a go at cocktail flaring.

The food onboard Balmoral is some of the best I’ve had at sea. Fulfilling breakfasts, ever-changing lunches, afternoon teas, and five-course evening meals are included in the cost of a cruise. My top evening meal choices include flaky cod with a mustard crust and an immaculately cooked beef wellington.

There are also two swimming pools and four hot tubs on Balmoral, which you might not expect to get much use on winter sailings when temperatures can drop to minus ten degrees. Yet they’re generously heated and well attended during my cruise, especially those located on the top deck.

The standout moment

It’s from this deck of the ship that my group has another experience that vies for the title of standout moment of the trip – witnessing the illusive Aurora Borealis.

It’s 11.35pm, somewhere between the Norwegian and Barents Sea, and the sky is bitumen black until a streamer of faint green appears in the sky. The light brightens before curtains and cascades of neon green and pink appear, and the quest of our cruise – the search for the Northern Lights – is complete.