“Sailing above the Arctic Circle to see the Northern Lights for the very first time was incredible”

Ahead of our next 12-day Norwegian cruise with Carol Kirkwood, the weather presenter shares her best experiences from her pre-pandemic Arctic voyage

On my first night in Norway, I saw the Northern Lights. No one on the 11-day voyage down the mighty fjords had seen them before. I went out on deck, and there they were: the aurora borealis. They were something I’d always dreamed of seeing. I’d done TV shows on the aurora before, and not once had I been lucky enough to see the natural phenomenon – but that night I was. They looked amazing, and it wasn’t a one-off. We saw the lights on the next two days as well. Talk about spoilt! When we reached Tromsø, it looked like a Christmas card, with everything covered in snow and different-coloured wooden houses flanking the historic port. I remember the view from the back of the ship as I looked between two fjords at the shimmering water, with the moon shining above and snow falling. It was truly breathtaking.

A highlight was Snowhotel Kirkenes. Each year, 15 tonnes of ice is used to build this magical structure. The beds are ice, the reception desk is ice, the bar is ice. I’m shivering just thinking about it. We had a look around and drank wild berry juice in the bar. You could also have a deer hotdog – I didn’t because it made me think of

Bambi! We fed the reindeer and huskies, and we saw some puppies, too – they were just gorgeous. On the next trip, I’m going to book in advance to go husky sledding. Some guests went on snowmobiles and said they were brilliant fun.

Our trip to the North Cape was just as memorable. It felt like an adventure into the unknown as we motored through the wilderness, escorted by a snow plough, and headed to Europe’s most northerly point. The scenery was magical – a land of frozen white snow, with the bright sun beating down and colours reflecting all around. As we looked out from the clifftop, I felt that we’d reached the end of the earth.

During the trip, we ate our meals together as a group, so I was able to sit with different people each day and get to know everyone. I held a private talk and told the group funny stories about things that go wrong on TV, plus the talk I gave to the Queen at Sandringham. I also shared stories about Strictly. Everyone loves a Strictly secret! I explained the science behind the aurora, too. My talk was supposed to be 40 minutes long, but we carried on for an hour and a half ! Then, we had a photo session, which involved lots of selfies and autographs.

But the picture people will treasure is that of the mystical green and white lights dancing across the sky. I can’t wait to return and see them again. Why not join me?