Cruise Lines Plan 2027 Solar Eclipse Sailings in Mediterranean and North Africa

• Several cruise lines are planning 2027 sailings specifically to place guests in the eclipse's path of totality, including Mediterranean and North Africa itineraries.
• Carnival Cruise Line has two eclipse voyages, one on Carnival Sunshine from Barcelona and another round-trip on Carnival Miracle from Dover.
• Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will be at sea for the total solar eclipse on August 2 during a seven-night Spain and Morocco sailing.
• Holland America's Nieuw Statendam and Oosterdam will be positioned off Morocco and Tunisia, with longer itineraries that include overnight calls in London, Barcelona or Valletta.
• Princess and Celebrity also offer eclipse-focused cruises, and the source notes themed programming or dedicated eclipse days on some sailings.

(5:45 p.m.) — On Aug. 12, passengers aboard several cruise lines — including Holland America, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess, Virgin Voyages and Cunard — witnessed the most recent solar eclipse. If you missed out, fear not: 2027 will offer yet more opportunities to watch the celestial phenomenon.

With totality expected to last up to 6 minutes in some locations, one of the best places to enjoy next year's event will be aboard a ship.

From Mediterranean crossings to sailings positioned off North Africa, cruise lines are planning special itineraries designed to put travelers in the path of totality.

Here are some of the special 2027 eclipse cruises passengers can choose from.

Eclipse chasers can look forward to two eclipse sailings with Carnival Cruise Line.

Carnival Sunshine will set sail July 25, 2027, from Barcelona, Spain, positioning the ship along the path of maximum visibility for the celestial event on Aug. 2, 2027. The itinerary includes visits to Marseilles, France; Genoa, Salerno, and Catania, Italy; Valletta, Malta; and La Goulette, Tunisia. Themed programming and activities celebrating the eclipse will also be included.

Meanwhile, Carnival Miracle will offer the 11-day Eclipse, Spain, Portugal & France voyage, sailing round-trip from Dover, with a dedicated "Solar Eclipse Scenic Cruising" day, along with visits to destinations such as Lisbon and Le Havre (Paris). The voyage departs July 29, 2027.

Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas will operate a seven-night Spain & Morocco Solar Eclipse sailing from Lisbon, departing July 30, 2027. On August 2, the ship is scheduled to be at sea specifically for the total solar eclipse. The voyage ends in Barcelona, Spain on August 6.

Two Holland America Line ships — Nieuw Statendam and Oosterdam — will be positioned off the western coast of Morocco and eastern coast of Tunisia, respectively, for the solar eclipse in 2027.

Nieuw Statendam will sail the 28-day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer, departing on July 10, 2027, sailing round-trip from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, or Dover, England. Guests will visit 13 ports in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco, with overnight calls in Tilbury (London) and Barcelona.

Travelers can also witness the eclipse aboard Oosterdam during its 14-day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery voyage. The journey sails round-trip from Piraeus (Athens), Greece, departing on July 31. In addition to witnessing the solar eclipse at sea, guests will visit Palermo, Corfu and Crete, with an overnight call in Valletta.

Princess Cruises guests eager to witness the eclipse at sea will have several options to choose from. The 14-day Mediterranean with Total Solar Eclipse cruise aboard Enchanted Princess sails round-trip from Civitavecchia (for Rome), departing July 24, 2027 and visiting 11 ports along the way, including Livorno, Genoa, Malaga and Gibraltar.

On the same day, Sky Princess will set sail from Southampton for its 14-day Spain, France & Portugal with Total Solar Eclipse voyage. Guests will visit seven ports, including Vigo, Cartagena and Barcelona in Spain, and Toulon in France.

Celebrity Cruises guests can board Celebrity Xcel for a seven-night Spain and Morocco Solar Eclipse cruise, departing from Barcelona on July 31, 2027. Travelers will experience the solar eclipse on day 3 of their cruise. Ports of call include Palma de Mallorca, Tangier, Seville, Malaga and Ibiza.