Luxury expedition brand, Atlas Ocean Voyages, has announced a special voyage from Iceland in 2026 designed to coincide with one of the celestial world’s most spectacular events – a total eclipse of the sun. And cabins are already selling quickly, with solar eclipse cruises rising in popularity worldwide.
The nine-night ‘Solar Eclipse Quest’ voyage in August, 2026, has been curated to ensure guests are at sea at the coordinates where the sun will be totally eclipsed by the moon for the longest duration of darkness – two minutes and 18 secs, off the western coast of Iceland, so guests can enjoy the spectacle of a total eclipse and the spectacular scenery of Iceland and Greenland in one unforgettable voyage.
Enhancing the allure of the voyage further is that, apart from the minutes of darkness from the eclipse, the itinerary will be bathed in almost permanent daylight 24 hours a day because of the high latitude effects of the midnight sun on the edge of the Arctic Circle.
Australians can book the special experience through Australian small ship cruise specialist, Cruise Traveller – the exclusive representative for Atlas Ocean Voyages here. Bookings as soon as possible are recommended to secure a cabin on the certain-to-sell-out voyage.
Formed only in 2019 and rapidly winning accolades and business for its unique brand of boutique, Atlas Ocean Voyages will begin its special solar eclipse expedition on August 11, 2026, when its luxury, 198-guest expedition ship World Navigator, departs the world’s most northerly capital city, Reykjavik, in Iceland, for a nine-night, round-trip voyage to Greenland.
World Navigator will be at sea with an unlimited, 360-degree view of the horizon off Iceland next day, August 12, 2026, when the moon totally blocks out the sun for the total eclipse that afternoon, with an onboard astronomy expert offering guidance and insights into the phenomenon and guests all enjoying a special celebration onboard to mark the rare occurrence. Astronomy workshops will also be held onboard during the voyage so guests can learn more about the stars and planets.
As a smaller ship, World Navigator will visit tiny and remote destinations on this journey that larger vessels cannot access such as tiny Icelandic hamlets like Patreksfjörður and Grundarfjörður, and also the wild, breathtaking island of Grímsey – home to only 100 people plus one million birds. Guests will be able to explore the rugged, untamed scenery of Iceland and also in Greenland, where calls will be made to the miniscule, rarely visited villages of Ittoqqortoormiit and Tasiiliq, with guests able to experience the colourful Inuiit native culture. The ship will also sail through the stunning fjords of Greenland with their huge icebergs and glaciers. The voyage ends back in Reykjavik.
The nine-night voyage is available from US$10,799 per person, twin-share, in an Oceanview stateroom. Fares include unlimited onboard beverages, specialty dining, a cultural immersion experience ashore, gratuities and deluxe L’Occitane bath amenities. Bookings available until December 31, 2024, unless old out earlier. Flights from Australia are additional.
* Call Cruise Traveller, on 1800 507 777, or visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au/
Formed in 2019 and based in the US, Atlas Ocean Voyages is a rapidly growing company offering year-round, five-star polar exploration journeys to wild and remote destinations in Antarctica and the Arctic as well as cultural and epicurean adventures in Europe. Atlas Ocean Voyages operates three, luxury, state-of-the-art expedition ships, each carrying up to 198 guests – World Voyager, World Traveller and World Navigator, with two more luxe ships on order.
The award-winning company has quickly established itself as a leader in luxury, boutique-ship expedition cruises, drawing discerning, inquisitive and spirited explorers on authentic, all-inclusive adventures to pristine, almost out of reach destinations which larger ships cannot access.
