Holland America running solar eclipse cruises in 2026

Holland America is looking to draw more umbraphiles with a trio of cruises that will sail in optimal viewing spots for the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse.

The sailings, unveiled this week, will each provide guests onboard the three ships the opportunity to watch the solar eclipse along its path of totality, where they will be able to catch the rare sight of the Moon completely hiding the sun.

For the Aug. 12, 2026, total solar eclipse, the totality is expected to be visible from parts of Greenland, Iceland, Portugal and northern Spain, the National Solar Observatory said. 

The three solar eclipse cruises that Holland America has planned will vary in length and have different views along the path of totality. They will have programming related to the solar eclipse and the special glasses required to safely look at it available to guests, the cruise line said.

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A 13-day cruise on the Oosterdam that starts Aug. 9, 2026, will be "off the coast of Spain between Alicante and Barcelona" during the total solar eclipse, per Holland America.

Meanwhile, a "Voyage of the Vikings" on the Zuiderdam will place itself "off the western coast of Iceland" in the path of totality, the cruise line said. Of the three, that cruise, the only one to depart from a U.S. city, runs the longest, at 35 days.

The other Holland America solar eclipse cruise will be 28 days long and give a view of the totality "off the northwest coast of Iceland," using the Nieuw Statendam vessel.

Each of those cruises makes stops in multiple countries over the course of their sailings.

ECLIPSE TOURISM EXPECTED TO BRING BIG BUCKS TO AREAS IN PATH OF TOTALITY

Holland America linked the decision to offer the new 2026 solar eclipse cruises to how well it said it did with the ones it operated earlier this year. The cruise line is capitalizing on people’s desire to see other phenomena too, scheduling cruises in 2026 to facilitate participating in the summer solstice above the Arctic Circle and seeing the Northern Lights.

"After the excitement and success around our 2024 eclipse cruises, we knew our guests were looking for additional opportunities to get a front-row seat for some of the world’s most special natural spectacles," Holland America Chief Commercial Officer Beth Bodensteiner said.

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The most recent total solar eclipse, which could be seen in places in Mexico, America and Canada, took place in early April, drumming up quite a bit of tourism. In addition to Holland America, Delta Air Lines also got in on the excitement for that one, flying two flights in the path of totality.

People won’t be able to view a total solar eclipse from America until August 2044, according to NASA.