Jump to content

Any sign of a cruise to the solar eclipse?


Recommended Posts

36 minutes ago, cruisestitch said:

☀️🌑☀️

Watch for them to be released this Nov / Dec with the other summer  2026 itineraries and expect them to be priced higher.  I've already seen one cruise line specifically advertising it as an eclipse cruise.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Royal Caribbean just released one Aug 2026 total eclipse sailing: Aug 7th 9 night Southampton round trip sailing on Liberty of the Seas.

 

image.png.47216d263e3620b73927e8deeb57e966.png

 

It will be at sea on eclipse day (Aug 12th) along the north coast of Spain after having spent the day before at La Coruna.  Liberty will likely see just under two minutes of totality.  Based on past weather history, the north coast of Spain has an average of 60% cloud cover but being on a mobile ship greatly improves your chances of getting clear skies when the sun is fully eclipsed.

 

The total eclipse occurs in an area during its peak tourism season so a lot of cruise lines are sending their ships to see it.  I have compiled a list of ships that are scheduled to see the event (may they all have clear skies).

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well it looks like Royal Caribbean has taken the listing down as the first link in my prior post no longer works and I cannot find the sailing through the website search engine.  I suspect that it will return soon.  Here is the last screen shot I have of the sailing (click or tap on the image if you need it to be larger for easier reading).  Here is the link to that webpage (the URL still works).

 

image.thumb.png.3b1a0422d4e54c3b56ddcca54eb89afc.png

Edited by mahdnc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

Well it looks like Royal Caribbean has taken the listing down as the first link in my prior post no longer works and I cannot find the sailing through the website search engine.  I suspect that it will return soon.  Here is the last screen shot I have of the sailing (click or tap on the image if you need it to be larger for easier reading).  Here is the link to that webpage (the URL still works).

 

image.thumb.png.3b1a0422d4e54c3b56ddcca54eb89afc.png


It was just a test load.

 

European sailings in summer 26 go on sale in a couple of weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, gumshoe958 said:


It was just a test load.

 

European sailings in summer 26 go on sale in a couple of weeks.

I see. Well I guess we can consider it as advanced information on one eclipse cruise. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Questions about the timings in this one…eclipse passes directly over La Coruña - she is at sea on eclipse day which ends at 8.30p and then somehow she has to be docked 380nm away in Lisbon by 7am the following morning!!! Impossible. Unless she already has sailed out of the direct path of the eclipse which kinda defeats the whole object…. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, little britain said:

Questions about the timings in this one…eclipse passes directly over La Coruña - she is at sea on eclipse day which ends at 8.30p and then somehow she has to be docked 380nm away in Lisbon by 7am the following morning!!! Impossible. Unless she already has sailed out of the direct path of the eclipse which kinda defeats the whole object…. 

Now that you point that out and I have had a chance to look at it, I very much agree with you.  It sounds like the itinerary will have to be adjusted in a way that will affect Lisbon.

image.thumb.png.590bba3d312316114b220ae7df9be8ba.png

 

 

Edited by mahdnc
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They have not promised you are seeing totality… this could be like the virgin trip to Iceland to see the eclipse that is docked somewhere you only see a partial eclipse. 
 

If that’s what they do they will have lot of upset passengers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 minutes ago, beardedladies said:

They have not promised you are seeing totality… this could be like the virgin trip to Iceland to see the eclipse that is docked somewhere you only see a partial eclipse. 
 

If that’s what they do they will have lot of upset passengers!

 

That is a possibility, I suppose since the word "total" is missing.  So you could be right, but I hope you are wrong.

 

Virgin was very careful with the advertising of the Aug 5 Valiant Lady sailing:

1. They don't ever use the word "total" when you look at the sailing on their website: link

2. In their solar eclipse information page, Virgin says that their ship that visits Ibiza will see "100% totality" while the ship that visits Iceland will see "98.5% totality".  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

while the ship that visits Iceland will see "98.5% totality". 

So.... 0% totality for this one!! For a TSE it either is or it isn't; no in betweens.

Edited by d9704011
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 minutes ago, beardedladies said:

They have not promised you are seeing totality… this could be like the virgin trip to Iceland to see the eclipse that is docked somewhere you only see a partial eclipse. 
 

If that’s what they do they will have lot of upset passengers!

 

The more I think about your comment, the more I think you are right--that Liberty will not see a total solar eclipse--based on the lack of the word of "totality" in the sailing description (my oversight) and the fact that she can't reach the path of totality anywhere on the north coast of Spain and still make her scheduled stop at Lisbon at 7am on the day after the eclipse (pointed out by @little britain).

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

What if it's cloudy? I bet they're not offering a money-back guarantee. 😬

 

No eclipse trip--land or sea--offers a guarantee.  The closest thing you will get to a guarantee is going to Luxor, Egypt to see the Aug 2, 2027 total solar eclipse.  99.9% chance of clear skies based on historical data.  Political unrest and sandstorms are your only enemy.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

So.... 0% totality for this one!! For a TSE it either is or it isn't; no in betweens.

 

For people that are new to eclipses, they will be mislead by the "98.5% totality" that Valiant Lady will see at Akureyi.  That sailing should be booked only because you really really like the itinerary.  That's actually quite true for any of the Iceland total eclipse cruises--book the sailing only if you really really like the itinerary because their is a very high chance of being clouded out.

Edited by mahdnc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

No eclipse trip--land or sea--offers a guarantee.  The closest thing you will get to a guarantee is going to Luxor, Egypt to see the Aug 2, 2027 total solar eclipse.  99.9% chance of clear skies based on historical data.  Political unrest and sandstorms are your only enemy.

Yes, I understand that. I guess what I don't understand is why somebody would pay inflated prices purely on the basis of it being an eclipse cruise. If you were going to do that cruise anyway because it happened to be the one that worked for you, as you said about the Valiant Lady one, then fair enough. But otherwise it seems to me to be kind of a risky investment.

 

Anyway, I really hope that anyone who does book to see the eclipse is lucky enough to get an amazing view of it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

35 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

That is a possibility, I suppose since the word "total" is missing.  So you could be right, but I hope you are wrong.

 

Virgin was very careful with the advertising of the Aug 5 Valiant Lady sailing:

1. They don't ever use the word "total" when you look at the sailing on their website: link

2. In their solar eclipse information page, Virgin says that their ship that visits Ibiza will see "100% totality" while the ship that visits Iceland will see "98.5% totality".  

 

Although Ibiza will see totality, it’s for only 1min 9secs. We were really lucky earlier this year to see the one in April near Waco, Texas. That was over 4 mins totality and absolutely stunning. The best of the 3 we’ve seen. I think that’s spoiled us, so I’m not bothering going to Spain!!

 

Simon

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 minutes ago, FionaMG said:

Yes, I understand that. I guess what I don't understand is why somebody would pay inflated prices purely on the basis of it being an eclipse cruise.

 

I understand--however the demand is real.  Over 30 cruise ships are already scheduled to see the Aug 2026 eclipse.  I read that the Viking river cruise set to see the total eclipse in Egypt in 2027 sold out in hours.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

 

I understand--however the demand is real.  Over 30 cruise ships are already scheduled to see the Aug 2026 eclipse.  I read that the Viking river cruise set to see the total eclipse in Egypt in 2027 sold out in hours.

 

 

Wow, that is amazing! I had no idea.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 minutes ago, sddsddean said:

Although Ibiza will see totality, it’s for only 1min 9secs. We were really lucky earlier this year to see the one in April near Waco, Texas. That was over 4 mins totality and absolutely stunning. The best of the 3 we’ve seen. I think that’s spoiled us, so I’m not bothering going to Spain!!

 

Simon

 

Many in Texas were not as lucky as you in April.

 

The 2026 solar eclipse does not have the best physics going for it.  It is one of the shorter duration eclipses (although you can do much better than Ibiza if you get closer to the center line) and the eclipse will be very low on the horizon.  Photographically it could be impressive.

 

On the other hand, the one in Egypt will be over 6 minutes long at the centerline and totality occurs directly overhead.

Edited by mahdnc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now
 Share

  • Set sail with your next reads

  • Forum Jump
    • Categories
      • Welcome to Cruise Critic
      • ANNOUNCEMENT: Save $2,000 & Sail Away to Australia’s Kimberley
      • Hurricane Zone 2024
      • New Cruisers
      • Cruise Lines “A – O”
      • Cruise Lines “P – Z”
      • River Cruising
      • ROLL CALLS
      • Cruise Critic News & Features
      • Digital Photography & Cruise Technology
      • Special Interest Cruising
      • Cruise Discussion Topics
      • UK Cruising
      • Australia & New Zealand Cruisers
      • Canadian Cruisers
      • North American Homeports
      • Ports of Call
      • Cruise Conversations
×
×
  • Create New...

If you are already a Cruise Critic member, please log in with your existing account information or your email address and password.