From Scenic to Quark to Cunard, Cruise Ships Offered Stunning Eclipse Views

Cruise ships proved to be a great venue to witness the total solar eclipse of August 12, with passengers and crew of several vessels capturing amazing photos of the infrequent event.

One of those ships where guests had a great view was the aptly named Scenic Eclipse.  Positioned off the coast of East Greenland, the Discovery Yacht provided guests with a remarkable vantage point as the Moon passed directly between the Earth and Sun, temporarily transforming the Arctic sky above the dramatic Greenland landscape.

The moment was captured by Scenic’s Arctic videographer Tino Raimondi, with spectacular imagery documenting the eclipse.

The celestial event took place during Scenic Eclipse’s current 15-day Wonders of the High Arctic: Greenland & Iceland voyage from Oslo to Reykjavik. 

Polar specialist Quark Expeditions shared that guests aboard its expedition ships Ultramarine and Ocean Explorer witnessed the total solar eclipse from Harefjord, Greenland, placing them closer to the centre line of the path of totality than almost any other travellers on Earth. 

The eclipse lasted approximately two minutes and 15 seconds of totality, marking the first total solar eclipse visible from this region since 2015. Guests aboard both ships were accompanied by two leading eclipse experts, guided by Quark’s highly experienced expedition teams, and equipped with the right gear to experience the moment totality arrived. 

“Several guests described the moment as unlike anything they had witnessed, including those on their second or third total eclipse,” Quark said in a press release. “For several guests, the experience brought them to tears; others described a chill that had nothing to do with the Arctic air,” Quark added.

“We spent months planning for two minutes and it delivered. Harefjord gave our guests a clear view of totality from the deck, and the moment it occurred, you understood why people cross the world for this,” said Jake Morrison, Expedition Leader aboard Ultramarine. 

Cunard’s  Queen Anne also provided a dramatic setting for guests to witness the total solar eclipse, with striking images captured from on board as the eclipse unfolded over northwestern Spain.

The first total solar eclipse visible from parts of Europe since 1999 briefly transformed day into night across parts of the Northern Hemisphere. During her seven-night round-trip voyage from Southampton, Queen Anne was ideally placed to offer guests a memorable view of this rare natural phenomenon.

Looking ahead, two Cunard ships will be positioned in prime viewing locations for the next total solar eclipse on August 2, 2027. Queen Victoria will be in Tangier, Morocco, during her 14-night voyage to Portugal, Spain and Morocco, while Queen Elizabeth will be sailing from Valletta, Malta, to Split, Croatia, during her 14-night Mediterranean and Adriatic voyage.