Click Here for COVID-19 Travel Updates from TravelQuest

Solar Eclipse Cruises

One of the most enjoyable ways to see the world and a total eclipse of the Sun is via ship with a travel group. Once you’re on board, you unpack in your cabin, and your floating hotel does all the moving for you—no constant packing and unpacking as you travel from place to place. Getting there, wherever ‘there’ is, is more than half the fun on a cruise ship. Numerous dining options are available. You can relax or participate in on board activities as much (or as little) as suits you. In most ports of call you can either explore on your own, join one of the cruise ship’s excursions, or book your own excursion with an in-port tour company. While all of these benefits apply to every cruise, an eclipse cruise embraces an extra feature.

Scroll down to learn more about solar eclipse cruises.

Explore this and other types of eclipse travel

What is an Eclipse Cruise?

An eclipse cruise is really just a normal cruise, but with a special purpose. Pretty much everything you’d expect to find on a regular cruise, you’ll find on a solar eclipse cruise: shore excursions, shipboard activities, dining options, and more. Most cruises not only provide entertainment and an opportunity to relax and unwind, they also have a good educational element. You can participate in a variety of classes and learn about the various ports of call. In addition, there are often experts on board who are knowledgeable about the regions through which the ship is sailing.

On a solar eclipse cruise, there is an additional commitment. At some point during the cruise, the ship will sail to a predetermined spot in the ocean where you can witness one of the most awe-inspiring sights in nature—a total eclipse of the Sun. To see totality, you need to be in the right place at the right time. With 70 percent of Earth’s surface covered by water, taking a solar eclipse cruise is often the only way to reach the path of totality—where you can watch as the Moon hides the face of the Sun.

Rendering of a standard suite on the Endurance. (Photo by Lindblad Expeditions)
Rendering of the Bistro Observation Lounge on the Endurance. (Photo by Lindblad Expeditions)

What to Expect

On a TravelQuest eclipse cruise, an astronomy component is added to the normal cruise activities. Our on-board astronomers discuss the latest discoveries in astronomy, explain the science of eclipses, and describe what to expect on eclipse day. This is particularly important if you have never seen a solar eclipse. Our astronomers have witnessed numerous totalities, and they will help you get the best images of this mind-bending event. Since they’re present during the entire cruise, you can pick their brains about the eclipse at meals, or after talks, or any time during our days at sea.

As a company specializing in solar eclipse travel, we voyage to specific locations where we can watch the Moon completely cover the Sun for a few exhilarating moments. As a result, our ship often sails through waters, and docks at ports that are sometimes off the beaten path. During a few of our South Pacific eclipse cruises, we have even reached a few islands that have never before been visited by a cruise ship.

At sea, the night sky is incredibly dark. Having so many astronomers on board—many of our clients are, themselves, amateur astronomers—means that stargazing is an evening activity not usually pursued on a regular cruise. From the decks of our eclipse cruise ship, TQ’s astronomers lead observing sessions of the spectacular night sky, weather permitting, of course. Away from city lights, we see the unspoiled splendor of our Milky Way galaxy, the amazing celestial dome of stars, and many remarkable sky sights that are too dim to be seen in light-polluted city skies.

Rendering of the National Geographic’s Endurance. (Photo by Lindblad Expeditions)

Join Us for Totality in Greenland

If you’ve never been on a voyage to totality, this unusual Greenland cruise, topped off by a total solar eclipse at sea, is an extraordinary way to start. If you have sailed previously, this amazing voyage will surely rank as one of the best you’ve ever experienced. And for those who have previously journeyed far and wide to stand in the Moon’s shadow, this is a rare opportunity to combine totality, a voyage on the National Geographic Endurance, a cruise to Greenland, and a visit to Iceland.

Extraordinary adventure is a guarantee every day of this solar eclipse cruise. If this journey appeals, check our 2026 Greenland & Iceland Total Solar Eclipse Cruise webpage or contact TravelQuest to learn more.

Explore our other destinations

Header image by Lindblad Expeditions