Princess Cruises Reveals 2026 ‘Total Eclipse Voyage’

Just weeks after millions were enthralled by the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, Princess Cruises is looking ahead to the next one, which will occur in August of 2026, and will position Sky Princess in Europe to take full advantage of the celestial event. 

The line’s “Total Eclipse Sky Princess Voyage” will place the ship off the coast of northern Spain on August 12, 2026, and provide guests with the opportunity to experience the 2-minute, 18-second total solar eclipse.

The 3,660-guest Royal-class ship will sail roundtrip from Southampton on August 8, 2026, and operate a 14-day Mediterranean cruise that will take full viewing advantage of the eclipse. While Sky Princess guests will see the spectacle from the ship’s location off Spain, the total eclipse also will be visible in Greenland, Iceland, Russia, and in a small area of Portugal.

A partial eclipse will be visible in Europe, Africa, and North America, and from the Atlantic, Arctic, and Pacific oceans, according to NASA.

Bookings on the special Sky Princess voyage will open for sale on May 23, 2024, and rates will start at $2,199 per person, double. During the event, guests will be provided with safety glasses and will gather on the ship’s upper decks to watch the eclipse.

The voyage will feature talks by astronomy professionals, eclipse-themed drinks, stargazing activities at night, trivia games about the solar system, and other fun experiences.

Similar events were held aboard Emerald Princess and Discovery Princess during the April 2024 eclipse, as the ships were positioned off the coast of Mexico, the prime spot for viewing the full eclipse.

“The best way to see a total solar eclipse is via cruise ship, and our guests who recently experienced this rare occurrence on Discovery Princess and Emerald Princess were simply blown away,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. 

“We make it easy for guests to come aboard, relax and meet other eclipse enthusiasts. It’s truly a special opportunity,” Padgett added.

Ports of call on Sky Princess’s 2026 eclipse voyage include Cherbourg, France; Bilbao, Malaga, La Coruna, and Cartagena, Spain; Gibraltar; and Lisbon, Portugal.

Sky Princess Boasts a Longtime Connection to Space

The 141,000-gross ton Sky Princess entered service in 2019, and her ties to cosmic forces began at her December 3, 2019 naming ceremony in Fort Lauderdale. Princess Cruises selected two NASA professionals to serve as godmothers to the ship — Captain Kay Hire and engineer Poppy Northcutt.

Captain Hire first served as a NASA engineer and then became an astronaut, logging 700 hours in space, flying more than 12 million miles, and orbiting the Earth 475 times. Northcutt was NASA’s first female mission control engineer, and it was her team that helped bring the crippled Apollo 13 safely back to earth in 1970.

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Aboard Sky Princess, guests will find nine stateroom and suite categories, and specialty dining venues, including The Catch By Rudi; Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria; Crown Grill; and Chef’s Table Lumiere.

Other dining options feature the main dining room; Alfredo’s Pizzeria; World Fresh Marketplace buffet; Salty Dog Grill; International Cafe; and Ocean Terrace Sushi Bar.

Guests can enjoy a range of entertainment in the Princess Theatre; Princess Live Cafe; Vines Wine Bar; and Vista Show Lounge. The ship also has three pools, Sportscourt, the Lotus Spa, and a casino.

Princess Cruises is not the only cruise line to announce plans for the 2026 eclipse. Cunard recently revealed that three of its ships, Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria, and the just-launched Queen Anne, also will sail itineraries along the path of totality.