OnTheJourney

2 hours ago, broberts said:

Check that you have View signatures?

Yes...have that turned on. I can see some, but apparently not all.

2 hours ago, gnome12 said:

You can see signatures on iPhone. 

Not mine. Tried it again this morning.

In conversing with someone who is a member it became apparent that I can’t see her signature which lists pasts and future cruises.  Why is that? I get the same result whether using my iPhone or MacBook.  

Another reply on Trip Advisor: 

"A cruise ship will be fairly constrained by its port schedule, and it can't, on a whim, just sail from the Westfjords to, say, the Reykjanes peninsula on short notice. Where we were -- in Hamilton, Ontario, people hopped in their cars and drove to where the radar predicted the clearest skies."

25 minutes ago, JDincalif said:

According to this table the path of totality around Isafjordur will be roughly 300km/186 miles wide.

 

Interesting. The recent one was 115 wide. 186 is a large area for sure. Well, with any luck. A longer-range trip to look forward to and get excited about anyway. Always seems, when first booking a few years out, that it's so far away, and then as it approaches I always find I'm not quite ready for it.

Latest response to my inquiry on Trip Advisor - this first one from a destination expert in Iceland: 

"I cannot imagine trying to see anything from Isafjordur. When we were there last summer, our kayaking guide said flights in/out of there are cancelled all the time due to weather. So for this summer, I made sure to have several days buffer for the trip for this reason alone, to give you an idea. I agree with the others that a cruise for Iceland is the worst way to see the country."

And the other one....

"When the onland tour companies take people out to chase the Northern Lights, they are in contact with each other and can fairly get to a new location. For the eclipse, I am sure that they will have the latest sky conditions when they leave Reykjavik and know if there are clear areas. I simply do not believe that a huge cruise ship can move faster than a vehicle."

So, my final word on it (from where I sit anyway), if I wanted to do this just for the cruise - which is surely attractive - I'd go (and might if it wasn't in summer), but I've ruled it out as an eclipse chase. The idea was exciting for awhile at least. That said, there's always a chance. Mother Nature ultimately rules.

19 minutes ago, May B said:

And btw, after I drove 900 miles to reach totality,

That's the way to do it - really drive to wherever the weather sounds the best. I didn't have the time nor the inclination to invest that much in it, and actually hadn't thought much about the eclipse until just a few weeks ago. Too many other things happened between Christmastime and over the winter that needed full attention. Then, however, when my daughter started talking about her driving from CA to AR to see it, that got me thinking that I should make at least some sort of marginal attempt. We did, I and feel it was a worthy one with it being only 300 miles to a location either right outside or else right inside the path. We got what we got. I'll always remember it. The best way was to remain flexible with the travel plans. I saw people interviewed on the news who live in FL and decided, almost on the spur of the moment, to drive to ME since it started to look like (and turned out to be) some of the best weather in the east.

5 hours ago, Goosebear Mum said:

This is why I’m surprised Viking doesn’t have a cruise in the southern track of the Eclipse (e.g. Portugal/ Med)  All the med cruises are not within the 100% track 

Maybe they will yet. Call 'em up.

That was actually my original intention in starting the thread, thinking more along the lines of something in the Med for viewing in Spain.

5 hours ago, Goosebear Mum said:

Exactly, I would never go to Iceland for a full solar Eclipse

...based on your experience or otherwise knowledge of the general weather patterns there during summer? Just curious.

I got several replies on trip advisor relative to a question I asked about doing this:

1)Go on the cruise because you want to do that. Don’t go solely to see the eclipse as there wil be a strong chance it will be cloudy. No one can second guess what the weather may be. Iceland sits in the North Atlantic just below the Arctic Circle. It’s a maritime climate which is not stable.

Cruises are not ideal way to see Iceland. There is little infrastructure in small ports to support passengers. IMHO they are a rip off.Go to Iceland by land to see this amazing country & manage expectations regards the eclipse.

2) Do *not* book a cruise to try and watch an eclipse. You lose the ability to chase the clear weather. This past eclipse, a lot of people went to Niagara Falls, paid exorbitant costs for hotel rooms, and were disappointed by cloudy skies. However, if you could drive out of Niagara Falls, there were beautiful views only about an hour away (where we were). Cruises aren't the best way to view Iceland anyway. You're much better off driving.

For what it's worth anyway. I replied that I had read the exact opposite relative to chasing eclipses via cruise - that the ship (unlike on land) can maneuver to places for better viewing, which would make sense, but then I have no experience with such. I know a Princess ship got great views of the recent eclipse during a Mexican Riviera cruise. Point well taken though, especially confirming the weather issues. The one person who replied lives in the UK.

4 minutes ago, Frisky070802 said:

was thinking the same to some extent, that even if the eclipse didn't work out, it should be a great cruise.

For sure..

4 minutes ago, Frisky070802 said:

if we can do something with a much better chance of seeing the full eclipse, we should.  That might just mean staying on land 🙂.  

I tend to believe it based on everything I've been reading. I was really quite taken with the idea of this cruise, and actually still am - if for no other reason than having never been to any of the places that it's going - but logistically, for several reasons, it presents some difficulties. Fall or early spring, different story. Good luck!

13 minutes ago, Frisky070802 said:

So we're thinking Spain (even if it's not a cruise).  

That'd be my pick. Here's one:  https://www.eclipsetours.com/tour/eclipse-tour-55-total-solar-eclipse-spain/

Eclipse day is in Burgos. What I don't like about this guy's programs is the amount of nonrefundable money invested up front. I'd advise a good CFAR travel policy.

4 minutes ago, Frisky070802 said:

I wasn't really finding much in the way of cruises that-a-way. 

My apologies! I see the ones I came across at the start of the thread are all Iceland / Greenland. Maybe they know something we don't (?)  I don't know. I got sort of snookered just traveling 300 hundred miles only to have totally overcast skies this past Monday (although still an amazing experience at 99.5% magnitude and right outside the totality path). Not sure I want to invest the money, time and especially the hassles I'd need to go through to have someone manage my property during the hottest part of the year and wind up possibly (again!) getting denied a viewing experience. But, hey, even WITHOUT the eclipse it looks like a great cruise, and one I've admittedly considered to use my vouchers from the Mississippi cruise...if it wasn't in August. I can't see doing it without an extension at the end, having never been in Reykjavik, but that'd complicate things even moreso for me with being away a few extra days. It's just not a good fit overall.

2 minutes ago, Frisky070802 said:

So we're thinking Spain (even if it's not a cruise).  

 

Hate to be a party-pooper, but I don't think I'd hedge too many bets on good visibility in Iceland. All the other cruises I came across - that are especially eclipse oriented - are banking on Spain.

You can all be glad I started this thread! Go and enjoy. Dates just don't work for me for a number of reasons. No point trying to convince myself they would.

8 hours ago, wine-wine-wine said:

But it’s in August! 🥵

Yep...that's my problem.  Please keep in mind some of what is said here, especially in the beginning section. https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/

Mallorca sounds like the better bet. Luck of the draw either location.

9 minutes ago, May B said:

We love to get out of hot Florida in the summer!

LOL...you have a good point there! I'm seeing average August temps of 50s-60s in Iceland. I just hate to leave my pool during the swimming season - spent 33 years of only being able to travel in summer while DW and I were teaching. Promised myself, after retiring, that I will stay home during summers. This cruise is very tempting. We've never been to Iceland or Greenland.

3 minutes ago, May B said:

Next stop, convincing Mr B this is a good idea.

Yeah I hear you on that one. Not sure I'd be able to sell this one to DW. Admittedly, if it weren't for the attraction of it coinciding with the eclipse, I'd have no interest in it being in August. I try to avoid traveling anywhere in summer. Long story.

5 hours ago, Mark_K said:

you get to see a near total eclipse fade into the sunset.

Well, again, weather permitting. Like I mentioned on another thread, millions got to see it, but also millions didn't.

On 4/9/2024 at 12:02 PM, safarigal said:

it seems like it will be quite late in the day - unlike yesterday's one which was great because the sun was overhead and everyone on the Emerald Princess got a great view

Exactly. The issue for '26 is how low the sun will be. Sounds like neither location - Iceland (often cloudy in August from what I read), or Spain will be near as high a degree of certainty as this one over the US. We took the chance (without really wanting to go very far) but lost out on the direct viewing due to cloudy weather. Millions saw it, but also millions didn't. Missed it - weather-wise, by ONE day, since this past Sunday was not a cloud in the sky all day. Would have been spectacular.  

You are all so very fortunate to have had great viewing. If I never get another chance, I'll always remember the amazing change to relative darkness and the drop in temperature. Also, we were in one of our favorite travel spots, so that made it nice also. Sometimes you get what you get and have to be satisfied with it.

18 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

He did not want the eclipse to conflict with lunch service.

Love it!!!  Hey, what's more important on a cruise ship?  A celestial event, or food!!!!  😁

Do you have a link to the 2026 Cunard cruise? Can't find anything on their website.

If Princess can do it, why not Viking? 

41 minutes ago, HaveDogWillTravel said:

We received this great letter on nice cardstock

That's really nice of them to do that! What a great keepsake for the photo albums! Only thing I'm reading is that, for various reasons, the weather is especially unpredictable for both Iceland and Spain due to the locations and other factors. https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/

So cool that all of you got to see it. Thanks for the links and pictures!

26 minutes ago, Goosebear Mum said:

none are in the region of the full eclipse

Maybe they'll come up with something if we bug 'em!  Came across several others though:  https://www.cunard.com/en-us/cunard-stories/see-the-solar-eclipse-in-2026

https://travelquesttours.com/2026-greenland-iceland-total-solar-eclipse-cruise/

https://www.travelandleisure.com/greenland-cruise-2026-total-solar-eclipse-albatros-expeditions-8426436

Also, Holland America indicates they might be putting something together. Thing is, weather could be dicey based on this site:  https://eclipsophile.com/tse2026/  

I missed out on seeing the one this past Monday. Drove up to Keuka Lake, NY (love the Finger Lakes region) hoping for the 99.5% since they were quite near the edge of the path, and then had the weather cooperated better we were going to drive the extra 30 minutes up to  Penn Yan, which was in the path - just over the edge and so also a bit dicey. I had a room booked in Geneva but then canceled it thinking that the crowds and traffic might have been bad as you get closer to the Rochester, NY area, and so opted to stay a bit farther down. Even without actually seeing it, it was an amazing experience with how dark it got during the deepest portion - as well as the temperature really dropped. I'll never forget that but would love to get another chance! 2044 is pushing the envelope quite a bit for me!

Let's email Viking and tell 'em to get moving on 2026 😉

I'd be curious to read them as well as any forthcoming news about a 2026 eclipse cruise. Path goes through areas of Iceland, Greenland, and Spain, among others.

The path goes through areas of Iceland, Greenland, and Spain - among a few other areas. Unfortunately the weather and chances of visibility could play a significant factor at most of the locations the way I'm reading. Princess passengers got to see the recent total eclipse near the start of the path in Mexico.