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The inflatable landing boats are the heart of an expedition cruise. Here is a calm walk-through for first-timers.
If you have never stepped from a ship into a small inflatable boat, the idea can seem a little daunting. It is much simpler than it looks, and by the end of the first outing most guests are asking when the next one is.
Before you board
You will be given a lifejacket that is fitted by a crew member. It is bulky but light, and it is not negotiable. Waterproof trousers and boots go on in the changing area, usually near the gangway.
Leave anything you do not need in the cabin. Keep your camera in a dry bag, and carry only what you can manage with one hand.
Getting in
At the gangway, two crew members will guide you using what we call the sailor's grip: you grasp their forearm, they grasp yours, and you step down together onto the boat. It feels secure because it is. Take your time, and never jump.
Sit along the side tubes facing inward. The driver will tell you where to place your hands and feet.
The ride
Landing boats move at a gentle pace through sheltered water. In rougher conditions you may get spray, so a hood is useful. The driver will describe what you are passing, and often stops so the group can watch wildlife or ice.
If you feel nervous, sit near the middle of the boat where movement is gentlest.
Stepping ashore
At the beach the driver will bring the bow to the shoreline, and a guide will help you out. You step onto wet stones or sand in your boots. Move up the beach promptly, so the next person has space.
Coming back
The return follows the same routine in reverse. Sit down, hold on, and enjoy the ride. Many guests find the trip back, with a low sun on the water, the best part.
Common questions
Is it safe for people with limited mobility? Often yes, with assistance. Please tell us in advance so we can plan.
Can I bring a walking stick? Yes, and some guides carry spares.
What if the water is too rough? Then we do not go. The expedition leader decides, and the choice is never taken lightly.
Your first outing will probably be the one you talk about at home.
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Ice fools cameras. These five habits, collected from our photography workshops, will give you cleaner images and fewer disappointments.
Ice is among the most photogenic things you will ever see from a ship, and among the hardest to photograph well. The brightness confuses exposure meters, the colours change by the minute, and the scale is almost impossible to convey. A few simple habits help a great deal.
1. Expose for the whites
Cameras tend to treat a bright scene as too bright and darken it, which turns white ice grey. Dial in a little extra exposure, usually between one and two stops over, and check the preview. If the brightest areas show as a flat patch on your histogram, pull back slightly.
2. Include something for scale
A towering berg looks like a small lump without a reference. A boat, a bird, or even a stretch of dark water at the base gives the eye something to measure against. Our guides will often position a landing boat in the corner of the frame for exactly this reason.
3. Shoot in the soft hours
Midday sun flattens ice into a glare. The hours around sunrise and sunset bring warm tones to the highlights and deep blue to the shadows. Overcast days are surprisingly good as well, because the soft light reveals the texture inside the ice.
4. Look for the blue
The deepest blue appears where ice is old and compressed, and where it has recently rolled. A polarising filter helps cut surface reflections and saturates the colour. If you do not have one, simply changing your angle can make a big difference.
5. Slow down
The best ice photographs rarely come from the first glance. Spend ten minutes watching one berg. Notice how the light moves across it, how the water laps at the base, and how birds use the ledges. Then take the picture.
A short kit list
- A body with a lens that covers wide to medium zoom
- Spare batteries, kept in an inner pocket to stay warm
- A lens cloth, because spray lands on glass constantly
- A rain cover for the camera
One last thing
Put the camera down for part of every sighting. The most vivid memory is usually the one you took in with your own eyes, and the photographs will be better for the rest.
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Nobody can promise an aurora, but you can stack the odds in your favour. This is how our naturalists plan a night on deck.
Every autumn voyage on the Halden Sound has the same conversation in the lounge: will we see the lights? The honest answer is that nobody knows until the sky decides. What the team can do is make sure you are in the right place, dressed properly, and ready when it happens.
Understand what you are looking for
The aurora is caused by charged particles from the sun meeting the upper atmosphere. Forecasters measure that activity on a scale that runs from quiet to stormy. A strong forecast helps, but even a modest night can produce a soft green arc low on the horizon.
To the eye, a faint aurora can look like a pale cloud. A camera often shows more colour than you see, which surprises many first-time watchers.
Dark skies and clear skies
Two things matter above all: darkness and cloud cover. Your cabin lights, the deck lights, and the moon all reduce what you can see. On aurora nights the bridge dims the deck lighting and asks guests to keep cabin curtains drawn, so the sky stays as dark as possible.
Cloud is the one factor we cannot change. The captain will sometimes move the ship to find a gap in the weather, which is one more reason a small vessel is handy.
Dress for standing still
Standing on deck at midnight is colder than walking around a village at noon. Wear your warmest layers, a hat, and good gloves. A hot drink makes a surprising difference, and the galley keeps a flask going on watch nights.
A simple camera setup
If you want photographs, here is the starting point we share with guests:
- Use a tripod, or brace the camera on the rail
- Set a wide lens at its widest opening
- Try an exposure of about ten seconds, then adjust
- Turn off the flash and any screen brightness you do not need
Ship movement will blur long exposures, so take several frames and keep the sharpest.
Be patient, and look up
Auroras come and go in waves. Many guests go inside after twenty minutes, just before the sky brightens. Give yourself an hour, and take turns on the warm side of the deck.
If the night is cloudy, you still will not have lost the evening. The same dark sky usually delivers a field of stars that few people from a city ever see.
Our autumn itineraries leave time for several watch nights, and the expedition leader will wake you personally if the lights appear.
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- Category: Guides
A cabin on a small ship has less storage than most people expect. Here is the short list our guests keep thanking us for.
Shoulder season is the sweet spot on the Skerry Coast. The crowds are gone, the light is long and low, and the weather changes its mind about four times a day. That is wonderful for photographs and awkward for luggage.
Over many departures, the Northlight crew has watched what guests actually wear and what stays folded in the suitcase. The pattern is very consistent.
Layers beat bulk
A single heavy coat is the most common mistake. Three thin layers give you far more control: a close-fitting base layer, a warm mid layer, and a waterproof shell that keeps the wind out. On deck at dawn you will wear all three. Walking around a fishing village at noon you may wear one.
Wool or synthetic fabrics dry quickly and stay warm when damp. Cotton does neither, so leave the cotton hoodie at home.
Footwear is the real decision
Landings are often wet. A pair of waterproof boots with a grippy sole, tall enough to handle a few centimetres of surf, is the single most useful item you can bring. We keep a rack of loan boots aboard, but a pair that already fits your feet will always be better.
Bring a light pair of indoor shoes as well. The ship is a shoes-off environment in the lounge, and your feet will appreciate it.
Small things that matter
- A dry bag for your camera and phone on landing days
- Sunglasses with a strap, because glare off water is stronger than it looks
- A refillable bottle, since the ship supplies filtered water
- Gloves thin enough to use a touchscreen
- A soft hat that fits under a hood
What you can leave behind
Formal clothes, a second pair of jeans, and a hairdryer. Dinner aboard is relaxed, cabins are warm, and every one of those items takes space you will want for souvenirs.
A word on photography gear
One camera body and one versatile lens is plenty for most guests. If you want to bring more, keep it in a padded bag that closes completely. Spray gets everywhere, and a camera that survived the crossing deserves a proper cover.
Pack a little less than you think you need. Every guest who followed that advice told us they were glad of the space on the way home.
The packing list above is a starting point rather than a rulebook. Your expedition leader will send a tailored version once your departure is confirmed, and the team is happy to answer questions by email before you travel.