Virgin Voyages Unveils Solar Eclipse Voyages

Virgin Voyages is getting in on the 2026 solar eclipse party, unveiling two special sailings aboard Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady in August 2026.

Part of the adults-only cruise line's Marvelous Collection, the sailings will feature NASA astronauts, astrophysicists, commercial spaceflight founders and science communicators.

​Valiant Lady will depart Portsmouth on 5 August 2026, setting sail on a 15-day roundtrip voyage from, with stops at in Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Siglufjordur, Isafjordur, Reykjavik and Edinburgh.

Scarlet Lady's Mediterranean solar eclipse itinerary set off from Barcelona on 10 August 2026, visiting Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Cannes, Ajaccio, Tuscany/Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast and Catania along the way.

The onboard programming on both cruises will include intimate talks, facilitated Q&As and side-by-side eclipse viewing. Special lectures range from eclipse photography masterclasses and dharma teachings on light and shadow, to "ask an astronaut" Q&A sessions and a solar eclipse 101 chat with a solar physicist.

To experience the solar eclipse itself, Virgin Voyages will set aside designated eclipse watch zones where passengers can experience the phenomenon in three ways: in silence, with a live musical score or with real-time expert narration as the sky goes dark.

"Everyone else is selling cabins. We're selling the two minutes the sky goes dark over the ocean, next to the people who've actually been up there. You can't stream this. You can't scroll it. You can't A/B test wonders. You either show up, or you spend the next couple of years explaining why you didn't," said Nathan Rosenberg, chief brand experience, marketing and momentum officer at Virgin Voyages.

Shore excursions in the itineraries' ports of call will also feature solar eclipse themes. In Belfast, cruisers can enjoy an immersive visit to the Armagh Observatory followed by a cider tasting. And in Mallorca, passengers can partake in a descent into the Genova Caves with an eclipse-savvy guide will mix astronomy with island lore, followed by a taste of Mallorcan culture.