IN our thick Arctic suits, heavy boots and crash helmets we looked like we were about to blast off into space instead of just looking to the stars.
The good ship Aurora of the P&O fleet has carried us 250 miles into the Arctic Circle to the Norwegian town of Alta. Snow lies thick on the ground and further blizzards drift in before sneaking out as quickly as they had arrived.
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It is minus ten outside and the wind is whirling the thick snow around us.
We had just toured the splendid ice hotel at Sorrisnova, some 30 minutes’ drive from where Aurora is safely berthed.
Outside the hotel, built entirely from snow and ice and including a bar and a chapel, five snowmobiles are lined up for us. It’s two to each machine and my wife Siobhan and I climb aboard after a short safety briefing.
Minutes later we are whizzing into the evening darkness, along paths that carve their way through the Norwegian woodland.
After 20 minutes we stop, switch off our engines and stare at the dark sky desperate for a sight of the Northern Lights but there is nothing thanks to a thick bank of cloud.
On we go, deeper and deeper, into the forest before our guide peels off into a small clearing and engines are switched off again.
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We look to the skies and the cloud parts like the opening of a curtain as we are treated to our very own Northern Lights show.
Great vibrant clouds of green and blue flicker and dance above us. It is exhilarating – almost emotional. We tumble through the thick snow to get a better view, the only noise the delighted hopes and hollers of my new group of friends.
Aurora had set off from Southampton and spent the first two days of our 12-day expedition heading up the North Sea to our first port of call — the sleepy town of Andalsnes.
This is the mountain climbing capital of Norway, home to Europe’s tallest vertical rock face, the Trollveggen or Troll Wall, and the base camp for the Romsdalen Gondola, a cable car to the 1,679m summit of the Nesaksla mountain.
By the time you reach the top the wind is whistling and the icy snow blows into your face, stinging your cheeks. The views are breathtaking – the Aurora looking like a kid’s toy as she lies at the quayside far below.
Romsdalsfjord stretches out below you, walled on each side by sloping Norwegian peaks. In summer the patchwork valleys are a vibrant green but in March the steep-sided slopes are blanketed with snow so deep in places that there is blueness as you dig into it or, as we did, perform snow angels like kids in winter.
After a sumptuous dinner in Aurora’s Sindhu restaurant, she slips silently on towards Tromso just as we are enjoying the entertainment in the ship’s Curzon Theatre.
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The journey is a test of character as Aurora meets stormy seas on the long trip north. At one point I sneaked a look out of my cabin window, the lights illuminating the crashing waves and decided to hide under the duvet again.
Still, when all had settled, our arrival into Tromso was a sedate affair as we tip-toed past mountainous snow-covered islands that wouldn’t have looked out of place in an Alistair McLean adventure novel.
We disembark Aurora and board a bus with driver Kjell and guide Juan who informs us that the area had been hit by a significant weather event just days before, dumping such a vast amount of snow that even the locals are surprised.
We have to detour to avoid the risk of avalanches but Kjell and Juan are desperate to get us to Harkin Husky Farm. I will forever be grateful for their determination.
It was her shiny fur coat and the glint in her eye that first had me hooked – and the fact that she wasn’t howling at the setting sun like all the others.
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Pop, an Alaskan husky, sat quietly, happy for me to stroke her as she stood at the head of the team that was to pull our sledge.
Alongside her was Pjoppin and behind her three more dogs who would take the next hour in their stride as we raced through the Norwegian wilderness.
I had assumed that Siobhan and I would be in the safe hands of a rugged, weather-ravaged Norwegian dog sledding expert.
As it turned out we were on our own – the brief safety instructions telling us that if we fall, don’t let go of the sled – the dogs won’t stop.
What followed was an hour of my life I will never forget as Pop, Pjoppin and the rest of the team pulled us through the Norwegian wilderness along a snow-covered valley surrounded by ragged peaks.
The only sound was from our sled sailing over the snow – even the dogs were quiet as they pulled us along. We stopped only for Siobhan to take over the driving, careful not to take a foot of the brake.
Siobhan, as it turned out, is quite the natural.
We dined well on our return to Aurora in another of her specialty restaurants, The Glasshouse, but there is such a variety of venues on board that we are spoiled for choice.
The main dining room, Medina, offers splendid fare and the staff throughout the ship are smiling and attentive as they cater for your every need.
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The Crow’s Nest bar situated high at the bow of the ship is the perfect place to unwind after our Arctic adventures – the only ice to be found is floating in our cocktails.
Captain Robson slips Aurora out of Tromso under cover of darkness and by the time we awake we have travelled further north and are safely berthed in Alta, relaxed and reinvigorated for our snowmobile journey to see the Northern Lights.
After all the excitement of the previous few days, our next trip is a more sedate affair as we visit a family of Norway’s indigenous Sami people.
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We are treated to a relaxing reindeer sleigh ride before father and son, both dressed in colourful traditional costume, talk proudly of their lives and their culture.
As we sit around a roaring fire in their huge tent, comfortable on a vast carpet of reindeer skins, I am taken by the warmth of their welcome.
The long journey south to our final stop of Stavanger allows us to enjoy more of what Aurora has to offer.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
Black tie nights add a touch of glamour but soon we are reminded that this is still the Arctic Circle in March. Despite the sunshine, high winds and a force nine gale means it is not safe for Aurora to berth in Stavanger.
While it is disappointing, it does not dampen the mood as we recount tales of our exhilarating adventure on our experience of a lifetime.
GO: NORWAY
GO: P&O CRUISING
P&O Cruises has a 12-night cruise on Aurora (R602) from £1399PP for an inside cabin. Departing from Southampton on March 19, 2026, it includes full board meals and entertainment. Ports of call are Andalsnes, Alta (overnight), Tromso (overnight) and Stavanger. See pocruises.com or call 0345 356 9999.