Extraordinary 2025-2026 cruises to follow celestial events and see the magnificence of the skies
From the dawn of time, humans have stared up at the skies in wonder. No matter your age, there is still a sense of awe and wonder, inspiring poets, storytellers, scientists, and epic sagas. If you love the that sense of wonder and love staring up at the night skies, these dates are the places to be in the coming years. The next total solar eclipse in the USA will be August 12, 2045, so you have to wait a while for that one. In the meantime, these areas are great places to position yourself if you want to see a total eclipse or other celestial experience:
Total Solar Eclipse:
10/02/24 in South America (Easter Island, Argentina, Chile) – Annular eclipse
02/17/26 in Antarctica – Annular eclipse
08/12/26 in Greenland, Iceland, Spain, a small area of Portugal – Total eclipse
Total Lunar Eclipse:
03/14/25 Pacific, North America, South America, Western Europe, Western Africa
03/03/26 USA, Australia, East Asia
TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE
Atlas Ocean Voyages is putting together several select departures focused on being at the right place at the right time. Two special voyages highlighting the total solar eclipse are scheduled on August 12, 2026:
The World Navigator will be positioned in the Arctic region off Patreksfjordur, Iceland
the World Traveller will be positioned in the Mediterranean off Palma de Mallorca, Spain, ensuring optimal viewing locations centered in the path of totality for each location. Both journeys will feature expert astronomers serving as expedition guides. They will share their knowledge of the solar eclipse and detailed descriptions of the uninterrupted views of the stars above. Guests will enjoy special lectures, advanced telescopes on deck, and engaging conversations about the cosmos with fellow explorers. These expeditions are expected to be popular and anticipated to sell out quickly.
- Reykjavik, Iceland round trip (9 nights) Departure August 9, 2026 aboard the World Navigator
- Barcelona to Monte Carlo (7 nights) Departure August 11, 2026 aboard the World Traveller
Scenic Luxury Cruises offers a special cruise sailing Greenland and Iceland putting you in one of the top places to see the total solar eclipse
- Oslo to Reykjavik (15-nights) – departure August 04, 2026 aboard the Scenic Eclipse
STARGAZING AND ASTRONOMY WORKSHOPS
Atlas Ocean Voyages is introducing Stargazing and Astronomy workshops on select 2024 and 2025 expeditions. Throughout each Stargazing and Astronomy Workshop, guests will engage in conversations about the cosmos with fellow explorers while viewing the galaxy with advanced telescopes on deck. Talks and lectures will cover topics ranging from the birth of the universe to the latest astronomical discoveries, leaving guests with a greater appreciation for the sky above. Featured on three expeditions in 2024 aboard World Navigator, guests will have the opportunity to enrich their journey with enlightening talks led by Astronomer Jonathan H. Ward.
- Reykjavik to Amsterdam (8-Nights) Departure September 12, 2024
- Amsterdam to Lisbon (10-Nights) Departure September 20, 2024
- Las Palmas to Rio De Janeiro (13-Nights) Departure October 14, 2024
Astronomer Charles Barclay will lead the World Voyager expedition in 2025
- Edinburgh to Trondheim, Norway (12 nights) Departure June 10, 2025
NORTHERN LIGHTS
You won’t have to wait years to see these awe-inspiring seasonal lightshows. Late fall to early spring is the best time for viewing the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights. You have to be near the Arctic Circle, and a great place to be is aboard a Hurtigruten cruise ship off the coast of Norway. They are the specialists in knowing where and when to be positioned to see the spectacular light show. These lights have fascinated and mesmerized viewers for eons and where magic and science intermingle in a jaw-dropping show. Hurtigruten is based in Norway and offers a unique Northern Lights Promise. If you sail with them for more than 11 days and don’t see the aurora borealis during peak season at least once, they promise you a free voyage to try again. That is just how confident they are that they can find guests great views. At sea, the ship can quickly sail clear of cloud cover that might block your view of a Northern Lights display. Being at sea also avoids the air pollution and ambient city light pollution which can dull the colors and vibrancy of Northern Lights you would experience on shore. They also sail directly under the Auroral Oval, known as an area of consistently active displays with its location above the Arctic Circle at 66 degrees N.
- 14-day Bergen to Oslo departures in December 2024 – April 2025
- 14 days – Oslo to Bergen departures in December 2024 – May 2025
- 15 days – Oslo round trip departures in September 2025 – April 2026
The best time to see the northern lights in Alaska is between mid-August and mid-April, when less daylight leads to darker night skies. Fairbanks is one of the best places to view the northern lights in Alaska due to its location, hours of darkness in winter, and auroral activity. One of the latest small ship cruises in August to this area is:
- 14-night cruise Alaska National Parks aboard the American Constellation departing mid-August between Fairbanks and Juneau.
You may also enjoy this cruise with Viking Cruises – call and ask for details:
- 12-night cruise In Search of Northern Lights aboard the Viking Vela departing in January-March 2025 and 2026.
ASTRONOMY VOYAGES
Follow the stars and learn with an expert astronomer on board a Hurtigruten ship to help you learn and understand what you are seeing when you look up at the brilliantly clear night skies off the coast of Norway. These specialty cruises with Hurtigruten are available on multiple ships and on several dates on their Coastal Express cruise. Contact us for a brochure.
- 12 day Bergen roundtrip – departures in September 2024-March 2026
- 17 day Oslo to Helsinki – departures in September 2025-March 2026 on the Follow the Northern Lights itinerary
SOLAR MAXIMUM
The Solar Maximum occurs halfway through the sun’s cycle. It’s a time of intense solar activity – and dramatically more auroral displays. Scientists predict the Solar Maximum in 2024-25 will result in the most frequent and impressive Northern Lights in more than a decade. The next solar maximum is expected in July 2025 with a peak of 15 sunspots. The next Solar Maximum after 2024-25 won’t be for another 11 years until 2036.
TOTAL LUNAR ECLIPSE
Lunar eclipses are perhaps a bit less dramatic, but still a sight to behold as they may last longer than solar eclipses and can have an eerie reddish glow covering the moon. To see the next coming total lunar eclipse shows:
October 2, 2024 will be visible south of the equator in Easter Island, Argentina, and Chile.
March 14, 2025 This “Blood Moon” lasts about 1 hour and will be visible in all of the USA and Canada, as well as South America. Small ship cruises sailing in March within the USA include:
- 7-night Historic South & Golden Isles aboard the American Liberty
- 7 night Mississippi Delta Explorer aboard the Viking Mississippi
March 3, 2026 will have an eclipse lasting about 1 hour and will be visible in all of the USA, Australia, and East Asia. Small ship cruises sailing in early March within the USA include:
- 7-night Lower Mississippi River Cruise aboard the American Serenade
- 7-night Great Rivers of Florida cruise aboard the American Eagle
