The essentials
- Two hulls give a wide, level platform that rolls far less than a single hull, which is the main reason a long winter whale trip feels manageable.
- A warm saloon with windows and a bench to sit on lets you thaw out between spells on deck while the boat works its way north.
- Marine toilets on small passenger boats are compact and often down a short stair. Ask the operator before you book if a toilet on board matters to you.
- Take medication before you board, sit low and central, keep the horizon in view and step out of a hot saloon if you start to feel queasy.
- The catamaran safari from Tromsø is listed as wheelchair accessible, and a level deck with indoor seating makes the trip easier with children.[3]
| High-speed catamaran | RIB safari | Hybrid-electric boat | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$220[3] | from US$251[4] | from US$209[5] |
| Trip length | 8 hours[3] | 3 - 12 hours[4] | 9 hours[5] |
| On board feel | Warm saloon, deck space | Limited to 12 participants[4] | Silent in electric mode[6] |
| Suits | Cold, choppy days and families | Fast rides close to the water | Long days with less engine noise |
| Rating | 4.61 from 3,768 reviews[3] | 4.78 from 136 reviews[4] | 4.48 from 6,644 reviews[5] |
Unlike traditional vessels, our boats are designed for Arctic whale watching, operating silently in electric mode to ensure minimal disturbance to the ocean and its inhabitants.
Verdict: a catamaran is the comfortable way to spend a whale day
Before you board
- Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure[3]
- Tromsø's average winter temperature is around -4°C. Pack layers, a hat, gloves and a windproof shell.[7]
- Polar Night Season in Tromsø runs from November 27th to January 15th. Expect twilight rather than bright daylight.[8]
- Take seasickness medication well before you step aboard, not once the boat is already moving
On board
- Sit low and central for the steadiest ride, and keep your day bag under your seat rather than in the aisle
- Listen to the safety briefing, note where life jackets are stowed and keep one hand for the boat on stairs
- Carry a card and a little cash for the drinks counter, and bring your own flask and snacks as backup
- The safari is listed as wheelchair accessible. Ask at booking about boarding and saloon access.[3]
How a catamaran feels underfoot on a fjord day
Two hulls instead of one change the way a boat behaves in cold water. A catamaran of the sort used on the whale routes out of Tromsø sits on a wide platform, so it does not heel over the way a single-hulled boat does when the wind presses on it. What you feel instead is a steady up and down and a sideways shuffle when the boat turns. Wind across the deck is usually the first thing people notice, and it is sharper and colder than the air back in town. Down below, the saloon stays level enough that you can carry a mug from one side to the other without watching it.
The safari booked through this site is listed at 8 hours, with a live tour guide in English, and its route is given as Catamaran > Skjervoy > Catamaran.[3] That is a long day afloat. Set your own routine early: find your seat, work out where the toilet and the hot drinks are, then alternate spells on deck with spells in the warm. The whales have not been right outside town for years. Since around 2017 they have usually gathered in the Kvænangen fjords near Skjervøy rather than the waters closer to Tromsø, and the 2025-2026 season followed the same pattern.[9]
Finding them is a mix of local knowledge and electronics. On its silent whale watching tour, the crew at Brim Explorer watch for birds flying overhead, where humpback whales push herring to the surface, and use modern technology such as radar and sonar to detect large obstacles in open water.[6] Much of the day is simply travelling, with a long run in open water, fjord walls sliding past and time to doze, read or stand at the rail.
Indoor spaces and seating through the day
The saloon is the reason many people choose a catamaran for a winter whale trip. It gives you a warm, level place to sit, windows to look through, and somewhere to drop a bag and a pair of gloves while you eat. Having an inside base means you can watch for blows for a while, thaw out, and go back for more. Tromsø's Polar Night Season begins on November 27th and lasts until January 15th, which for most of those weeks means a deep blue dusk rather than full daylight through the windows.[8]
Where you sit matters more than you might expect. The middle of the boat, low down and near the centre line, moves least, and that is where anyone unsure about their stomach should aim to sit. Seats by the windows let you keep watching while you rest; seats near the door are handy if you plan to spend most of the day outside. Claim a spot early, keep your day bag under your seat rather than in the aisle, and keep your outer layers loose enough to pull on and off without a struggle when the boat slows.
Deck time on a winter whale safari: cold hands, long horizons and a warm saloon behind you.
Toilets and facilities: what to check before you sail
This is the question that comes up most often about a long day on the water, and it is best treated as a booking question rather than something to solve once you are afloat. Marine toilets on small passenger boats are compact, often down a short stair from the saloon, and they work on a pump or a vacuum system rather than a household flush. Facilities vary from vessel to vessel, so ask the operator what is on board before you pay: where the toilet is, whether it is open for the whole trip, and whether it is reachable for anyone with limited mobility.
The etiquette on board is simple. Sit down, keep one hand on the grab rail, use only what the crew tell you to use, and put nothing in the bowl that has not been through you. Paper goes in the bin if one is provided. The calmest moment to go is while the boat is running steadily on a long crossing, not while it is manoeuvring to watch a pod. Beyond the toilet, the facilities on these boats are practical rather than plush: hooks for wet jackets, a bench, a bin and a counter for hot drinks.
The kiosk, hot drinks and food to bring
Most whale boats along this coast run a small kiosk or counter selling coffee, tea and something sweet, and a hot drink in your hands is worth a great deal when the air is well below freezing. Stock and opening times vary, and so does the payment setup, so carry a card and a little cash and do not build your lunch plans around the counter. For the shape of the day, Rødne Fjord Cruise describes its whale watching safari from Tromsø as a 7-8 hour round trip with a modern catamaran and no disembarkation during the trip.[10]
Pack as if for a long train journey rather than a restaurant meal. A flask of coffee or soup, a water bottle, nuts, chocolate, a sandwich and a couple of bananas see most people comfortably through many hours at sea. Eat lightly before boarding if you are at all prone to seasickness, and save the big meal for Tromsø afterwards. Bring a small bag for your own rubbish, and remember that strong smells carry a long way inside a closed saloon.
from US$220
The high-speed catamaran safari from Tromsø is listed at 8 hours with a live tour guide in English, and it is wheelchair accessible.[3]
Managing seasickness on open water
Seasickness happens when your inner ear reports movement that your eyes do not confirm, and a small boat crossing open water is a classic trigger. A catamaran helps because it rolls much less than a single-hulled boat, though no vessel is completely still in a winter swell. The useful habits are boring and well known: take medication before you step aboard rather than after you start to feel bad, sit low and central, stay on deck with the horizon in view, keep your head still, go easy on alcohol the night before, and eat something plain rather than nothing at all.
If it does hit, do not suffer alone below deck. Cold fresh air and a fixed point on the horizon help most people, and the crew have seen it all many times before. Sip water, skip the coffee, and try to stay in the middle of the boat rather than at the bow. Ginger sweets and acupressure bands work for some and do nothing for others, so treat them as extras. Being overheated inside a saloon is a common trigger, so step out, unzip and take a few slow breaths.
Safety briefing, life jackets and cold weather gear
Every commercial trip begins with a briefing, and it is worth listening rather than texting through it. You will be shown where life jackets are stowed and how to put one on, where the exits and the muster point are, and how to move around a deck that is never quite still. The rules are the familiar ones: one hand for yourself and one for the boat, hold the rails on stairs, keep your weight low, and wear shoes with grip rather than smooth soles. When whales are close, the boat slows right down, and the guidelines used around Tromsø say to approach whales slowly, at less than 5 knots when within 300m, at constant speed, from the side and slightly to the rear.[11]
The cold is the other thing to plan for. Tromsø's average winter temperature is around -4°C, though temperatures can vary considerably, particularly inland.[7] On deck the wind adds to that, so the winning combination is a thermal base layer, a fleece, a windproof and waterproof outer shell, a hat, a neck gaiter and gloves you can still work a camera in. On RIB whale watching tours, operators provide full-length flotation suits, often called drysuits or immersion suits, to wear over passengers' own clothing.[12]
Families, wheelchair users and limited mobility
The From Tromsø: Whale Watching Safari on High-Speed Catamaran is listed as wheelchair accessible.[3] If you use a wheelchair or have limited mobility, ask about boarding when you book, along with the width of the saloon doorway, where you would sit, and whether the toilet is reachable for you. A catamaran's level deck and wide saloon make life easier than an open boat, but the gangway or ramp at the quay is the part that varies most from harbour to harbour.
Children tend to do well on catamarans, because there is somewhere warm to sit and plenty to watch. Age rules are not the same everywhere: on Arctic Whale Tours' winter whale watching cruise from Tromsø aboard MS Alba, children can take part from the age of 1, and anyone under 16 must be accompanied by an adult.[13] In practice, the parents who have the easiest day bring snacks, a spare pair of gloves, a book or a tablet, and a plan for who stays inside with the little ones while the other goes out on deck.
Listed trip length from Tromsø, in hours
Each bar is the duration printed in that tour's own listing:[3],[14],[5],[15].
What a whale day from Tromsø costs, in US dollars
These are US dollar from-prices for one adult, taken from the listings themselves:[3],[4],[16],[5],[17]. No child prices are given.
When to book and when to sail
Getting ready to sail
Book the safari
Reserve the catamaran safari from Tromsø and check the start time when you book. Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours in advance.[3]
Layers and medication
Take seasickness tablets before you leave the hotel, not on the boat. Dress in thermal layers, a windproof shell, a hat and gloves.
At the quay
Arrive early, keep your booking reference handy, and ask the crew about the toilet, seating and where to leave wet gear.
On the crossing
Settle into a seat low and central, keep a bottle of water with you, and go out on deck when you want cold air and a horizon.
Watching whales
When the boat slows, watch for blows and dorsal fins. Guidelines near Tromsø ask boats to stay under 5 knots within 300m of whales.[11]
Reserve your seat on the Tromsø whale watching catamaran safari
from US$220Reserve now & pay later
