Virgin Voyages has revealed the onboard programme for its two Solar Eclipse Voyages taking place in August 2026.
The adults-only cruise line will operate European itineraries on Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady, with both ships positioned in the path of totality for the solar eclipse on 12 August.
The sailings are:
* Solar Eclipse: Iceland & British Isles: A 15-night voyage roundtrip from Portsmouth onboard Valiant Lady, departing August 5. The itinerary calls at Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Siglufjörður, Ísafjörður, Reykjavik and Edinburgh. Prices start from £2,052 per person.
* Solar Eclipse: Barcelona to Rome: A 12-night voyage onboard Scarlet Lady, departing Barcelona on 10 August. The itinerary calls at Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Cannes, Ajaccio, La Spezia for Tuscany / Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast, Catania and Rome. Prices start from £2,016 per person.
Both voyages will offer Sailors (guests) the opportunity to experience around two minutes of totality from the open ocean, accompanied by expert astronauts, astrophysicists, photographers and scientists.
The speakers, including physicist, comedian and TV presenter Dara Ó Briain, will host talks, presentations and Q&A sessions throughout the voyages.
Examples include:
* Out of This World: Living in Orbit – From building the International Space Station to spacewalking to the overview effect (a change in perspective astronauts describe after seeing Earth from space), NASA astronauts open up about life in orbit.
* Virgin Galactic: Ask an Astronaut – Will Whitehorn, architect of Virgin's commercial spaceflight programme, and Virgin Galactic astronauts come together for an open Q&A on the process of leaving the atmosphere.
* Solar Eclipse 101 – A solar physicist explains what happens during totality and how to watch it safely.
* Eclipse Photography Masterclass – A cosmic photographer covers how to capture the corona, Baily's beads and the diamond ring effect on a phone.
