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There are holidays, and then there are holidays that make the heavens stand still.

Princess Cruises, never one to shy away from showmanship on the high seas, has added a third dazzling chapter to its celestial trilogy of 2026 solar eclipse voyages—this time entrusting the elegant Enchanted Princess with a Mediterranean and Adriatic odyssey that promises history below and the cosmos above.

Sailing round-trip from Rome’s fabled port of Civitavecchia on 4 August 2026, this 14-day journey is no ordinary cruise. It’s an open invitation to chase a rare total solar eclipse—an astronomical encore that will cast the Spanish coast in shadow for precisely two minutes and 18 seconds on 12 August. And what better way to watch the skies darken than from the polished teak decks of a Princess liner, drink in hand, a telescope to the stars, and Gaudí’s Barcelona just over the horizon?

“This isn’t just another itinerary. It’s a moment in time,” said Terry Thornton, Chief Commercial Officer of Princess Cruises, clearly relishing the theatricality of it all. “We wanted to give guests another way to be part of this remarkable celestial event—and the Enchanted Princess is the perfect stage.”

He’s not wrong. Princess Cruises already had two vessels in hot pursuit of the eclipse—Sky Princess, departing Southampton, and Sun Princess, taking off from Barcelona and Athens. But demand for star-studded sailings has been so astronomical that a third ship was called to duty.

And she’s a beauty.

Ports, Pastels and Planetary Wonders

Now, before you think this is all about staring into the sun (safely, of course), let’s talk about the Enchanted Princess’s supporting cast. This voyage is a veritable Mediterranean mixtape: Roman ruins, Sicilian markets, Grecian harbours and Croatian ramparts, with just the right amount of baroque and bacalao in between.

Here’s a taste of the lineup:

Naples – For those who dream of Pompeii or sipping limoncello on Capri.
Kotor – Montenegro’s secret fjord, cradled by the Dinaric Alps.
Dubrovnik – Medieval majesty with a Game of Thrones twist.
Corfu – An Ionian island where the olives are older than most empires.
Messina & Palermo – Where Sicily delivers its fiery charm and gelato-fuelled chaos.
Gibraltar – Monkeys, red phone boxes and a view straight to Africa.
Alicante – A Costa Blanca retreat with Moorish whispers and seafood dreams.
Barcelona – Gaudí, cava, and a good dose of Catalan soul.

It’s a route that reads like a love letter to southern Europe. The kind of itinerary where sunburn is inevitable, history feels alive, and every port promises a postcard moment.

A Deck Party Like No Other

Come eclipse day, guests will gather atop the Enchanted Princess in eclipse-themed finery, peering skyward through specially crafted viewing glasses. There’ll be solar lectures, astronomy chats, themed cocktails (hopefully not named Dark Side of the Moon, but who could resist?), and even a sprinkle of stargazing trivia to keep the ship’s bar buzzing long after the sun’s dramatic exit.

Not every day do you get to toast the cosmos, with a glass of Prosecco in one hand, a telescope in the other, and the warm hush of the Mediterranean all around. And for the romantics—those who still believe in old-world travel, in stories scribbled on postcards, in serendipity and stars—this cruise is a floating dream.

The Golden Age, Revisited

There’s something endearingly nostalgic about this entire affair. It refers to an era when cruising meant elegance and curiosity, dinner jackets met evening lectures, and travellers weren’t in a race but a waltz with the world.

Princess Cruises hasn’t just scheduled a trip—they’ve choreographed an experience. A blend of science and soul, leisure and lore. The kind of journey your grandchildren will hear about, whether they want to or not.

Book Now or Forever Hold Your Spyglass

The Enchanted Princess is calling if you’ve ever wanted to see the stars take centre stage—or if you fancy a bloody good holiday through some of Europe’s most sun-drenched ports. The 14-day Mediterranean & Adriatic Total Solar Eclipse cruise is now available for booking via your trusted travel agent or directly at www.princess.com.

But fair warning: space will disappear faster than the sun behind the moon. And like any good eclipse, you won’t want to blink and miss it.