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The comfort pick

The heated all-inclusive ship: the easiest Arctic whale day

A warm ship, a civilised 08:00 start, drinks and snacks included, max. 50 passengers. For anyone who wants the whales without the endurance test.

Top picks
Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise
Polar Adventures Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise
★ 4.6 (1,724) from €217
Book now
Small-Boat Whale Watching
Njord Adventures Small-Boat Whale Watching
★ 4.8 (74) from €226
Book now
Compare all 8 tours

See which whale tours still have places on your dates

Between the budget-friendly catamarans and the intense RIB safaris sits one tour built around comfort: Polar Adventures’ all-inclusive cruise on a heated ship. It leaves Tromsø’s Front Pier at 08:00 (no 5 am bus), sails the whole way to the whale grounds, includes hot drinks, baguettes and snacks and caps the passenger list at 50.

Whale days with food on board

Each boat with the same facts: duration, time with the whales, what is included. Open a card for the full tour details.

Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise
Polar Adventures

Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise

Heated ship, max. 50 passengers · drinks and snacks included · departs Front Pier 08:00.

  • Duration: 8 hours, entirely by boat from Tromsø (departure 08:00)
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
from €217 ★ 4.6 (1,724 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Heated ship with indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks, max. 50 passengers
  • All-inclusive format: drinks, baguettes and snacks included; lunch on board costs extra
  • The whole trip by boat from Tromsø: no bus transfer, civilised 08:00 start

About this tour

The comfort pick: Polar Adventures sails a heated ship with an indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks, capped at 50 passengers, on an 8-hour round trip entirely by boat from Tromsø's Front Pier. Departure at a civilised 08:00; drinks, baguettes and snacks are included, lunch on board costs extra according to the booking page. You trade the up-close intensity of a RIB for warmth, space and an easier day, a sensible trade for families, for anyone worried about the cold, and for anyone who wants to be able to step inside whenever they like.

Two restrictions to know before booking: the tour is not open to people over 70, and the listing names people prone to seasickness as not suitable. And as everywhere here, sightings follow the herring, not the brochure: likely in season, guaranteed never.

What's included

  • Hot and cold drinks: coffee, tea, hot chocolate, water
  • Freshly made baguettes, snacks and biscuits
  • Warm thermal suits
  • Heated indoor lounge and open-air decks

Not included

  • Lunch on board (available for purchase)
  • Transport to the meeting point

Meeting point

Front Pier, Tromsø, departure at 08:00

Not suitable for

  • Children under 4
  • People over 70
  • Wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments
  • People prone to seasickness or motion sickness
  • People with recent surgeries

Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.

Small-Boat Whale Watching
Njord Adventures

Small-Boat Whale Watching

Max. 36 passengers · soup lunch, coffee, tea and biscuits included · 08:30 from the harbour by the Scandic Ishavshotel.

  • Duration: About 7 hours according to the description (8 hours on the booking page), depending on the weather and where the whales are; departure 08:30
  • ✓ Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
from €226 ★ 4.8 (74 reviews)
Book on GetYourGuide
Full tour details

Highlights

  • Fast boat with max. 36 passengers
  • About 2.5 hours out to the whales, including the crossing of the Lyngenfjord
  • No fixed timetable at the whales: weather and animals set the pace
  • Light lunch with warm soup, coffee, tea and biscuits included

About this tour

Njord Adventures takes at most 36 passengers on a fast boat from the harbour by the Scandic Ishavshotel. Departure is at 08:30, and the run out to the whales takes about two and a half hours, first through sheltered water and then across the Lyngenfjord. At the whales the boat slows down and there is no fixed timetable.

Coffee, tea, biscuits and a light lunch with warm soup are included; beer, wine and soft drinks are for sale. Reviewers mention the heated cabin, being close enough to the crew to ask questions, and on clear January afternoons northern lights on the way back. Some also found the sea hard going, so bring seasickness tablets if you need them.

What's included

  • Full-day guided whale watching trip
  • Guiding in English
  • Light lunch with warm soup
  • Coffee, tea and biscuits

Not included

  • Beer, wine, soft drinks and souvenirs (for sale on board)

Meeting point

Harbour next to the Scandic Ishavshotel (Killengreens gate 8, Tromsø); check-in 08:00–08:15

What to bring

  • Warm clothing
  • Rain gear
  • Warm shoes

Know before you go

  • Season according to the operator: mid to late October until January
  • Not suitable for babies under one year
  • The route passes from sheltered water to the open crossing of the Lyngenfjord; some reviewers found the ride hard going

Content taken from the operator's product page on the booking platform.

The ship against the alternatives

All whale tours side by side. Sorted by review count; tap the price header to sort by price.

Photo Tour Boat Getting there Duration Price ↕ Book
Whale Watching by Hybrid-Electric Boat Whale Watching by Hybrid-Electric Boat
Brim Explorer
★ 4.5 (6,779 reviews) 		Hybrid-electric catamaran All by boat from Tromsø 8–9 h €164 per person Book now
Whale Watching by High-Speed Catamaran Whale Watching by High-Speed Catamaran
Arctic Resorts
★ 4.7 (3,747 reviews) 		High-speed catamaran All by boat from Tromsø 8 h · ~2.5 h with whales €171 per person Book now
Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise Whale & Orca All-Inclusive Cruise
Polar Adventures
★ 4.6 (1,724 reviews) 		Heated ship All by boat from Tromsø 8 h · departs 08:00 €217 per person Book now
Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari (full day) Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari (full day)
Arctic Adventure Tours
★ 4.8 (1,291 reviews) 		RIB (open 10-m boat) Bus to Skjervøy, RIB from there ~12 h · ≈3 h at sea €308 per person Book now
Magic Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari Magic Skjervøy RIB Whale Safari
Green Gold of Norway
★ 4.7 (1,215 reviews) 		RIB (max. 12 guests) Bus to Skjervøy, RIB from there ~12 h · 2.5–3 h on boat €327 per person Book now
Whale Watching by Fast Catamaran from the Waterfront Whale Watching by Fast Catamaran from the Waterfront
Helgøy Skyssbåt
★ 4.7 (689 reviews) 		Fast catamaran (max. 90) All by boat from Tromsø 7.5 h €201 per person Book now
Small-Boat Whale Watching Small-Boat Whale Watching
Njord Adventures
★ 4.8 (74 reviews) 		Fast boat (max. 36) All by boat from Tromsø ~7 h · departs 08:30 €226 per person Book now
Whale Watching on the MS Alba Whale Watching on the MS Alba
Arctic Whale Tours
★ 4.7 (53 reviews) 		Catamaran MS Alba All by boat from Tromsø ~8 h · ~2 h with whales €155 per person Book now

Seat prices for each whale trip come live from GetYourGuide and include taxes and booking fees, so checkout shows the same amount.

What the all-inclusive format actually buys you

The ship has a heated indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks, so you choose your own ratio of comfort to cold: step out when whales surface, step back in when your fingers protest. Hot and cold drinks, baguettes and snacks are included; according to the booking page, lunch on board costs extra. On the catamarans, food is for purchase. And the schedule is easy on you: departure from Tromsø’s Front Pier at 08:00, back after an 8-hour round trip, with no bus and no 5 am alarm.

08:00Departure from the Front Pier, Tromsø, with no early bus
8 hRound trip, entirely by boat, no bus transfer
50Maximum passengers: capped, but not a small-group trip
SnacksDrinks, baguettes and snacks included; lunch on board costs extra

What you give up

The other side of that comfort: the ship has neither the hybrid catamaran’s near-silent electric approach nor the RIB’s water-level closeness. You watch from a higher deck, which some people prefer for the overview. Like every Tromsø-departure boat, it spends most of the day in transit to the Skjervøy grounds and back. And it carries one restriction the others don’t: the tour is not open to guests over 70. If that rules you or a travel companion out, the catamarans have no such limit.

Who this tour fits

Families with children from age 4 (warm room to retreat to, snacks included, no height limits like the RIBs), anyone worried about the cold, and anyone who wants the day to feel like a cruise rather than an expedition. One caution: the listing says the tour is not suitable for people prone to seasickness or motion sickness, so read our seasickness guide first if that applies to you. If budget is the deciding factor, the high-speed catamaran usually undercuts it; if closeness is, the RIB safari is the other end of the scale.

A smaller boat with soup for lunch

If 50 passengers already feels like a crowd, Njord Adventures takes at most 36 on a fast boat. It leaves the harbour next to the Scandic Ishavshotel at 08:30, needs about two and a half hours to the whales including the crossing of the Lyngenfjord, and keeps no fixed timetable once the whales are found. Coffee, tea, biscuits and a light lunch with warm soup are included. Reviewers mention a heated cabin and, on some January days, northern lights on the way back; others found the sea hard going.

Whale sightings on the ship

Same rules as every boat in the region: orcas and humpbacks follow the herring into the fjords around Skjervøy from roughly mid-October to the end of January, sightings are likely in season and guaranteed by no operator. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure means a grim weather forecast does not have to become a wasted booking.

FAQ

What is included on the all-inclusive whale cruise?

Hot and cold drinks, baguettes, snacks and biscuits are included, as are warm thermal suits. According to the booking page, lunch is available for purchase on board. The ship has a heated indoor lounge and outdoor viewing decks. The exact inclusions are always listed on the booking page.

When does the tour start and how long is it?

Departure is at 08:00 from the Front Pier in Tromsø, the most civilised start among the whale tours, and the round trip takes about 8 hours, entirely by boat with no bus transfer.

Is the heated ship a good choice if I get seasick?

The listing says the tour is not suitable for people prone to seasickness or motion sickness. If you get seasick easily, look at the catamarans instead, and on any boat take seasickness medication before departure.

Are there age limits?

Yes. According to the listing, the tour is not suitable for children under 4, guests over 70 or wheelchair users. There are no height limits like on the RIB safaris. Check the booking page for the current policy.

Can I cancel if the weather looks bad?

Yes, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure (verified September 2026). Arctic boat days depend on the weather, so that flexibility helps.

Related on this site

Catamaran vs. RIB

The full boat-type trade-off and where the ship sits between the two.

Catamaran tours

The catamarans: silent hybrid-electric and high-speed.

Season & timing

When the whales are actually there, month by month.

The ship next to the other tours

Check the current price and compare it with the alternatives.

Back to the boat comparison