Viking Cruises will launch a new ocean cruise itinerary that will allow guests the rare opportunity to explore the far north in Norway’s winter, during a peak period for aurora borealis sightings. Sailing between London and Bergen starting in January 2019, In Search of the Northern Lights will establish Viking as one of the few cruise lines to offer a full-length itinerary in the Arctic Circle in the winter season.

As many as 50 vessels have been trapped in ice in the Baltic Sea, with a number of passenger ferries among those stranded. Some have been stranded for several days, with ice breaking vessels approaching to offer assistance.