Virgin Voyages has revealed the programming for its two upcoming Solar Eclipse Voyages. 

Sailing in August, the two voyages aboard the Valiant Lady and Scarlet Lady form part of the brand’s Marvelous Collection. The first will sail through northern Europe and the second through Mediterranean ports. 

They will feature NASA astronauts, astrophysicists, commercial spaceflight founders and science communicators, Virgin shared in a press release. 

“Everyone else is selling cabins. We’re selling the two minutes the sky goes dark over the ocean, next to the people who’ve actually been up there,” said Nathan Rosenberg, chief brand experience, marketing and momentum officer, Virgin Voyages. 

“You can’t stream this. You can’t scroll it. You can’t A/B test wonders. You either show up, or you spend the next couple of years explaining why you didn’t.”  

Solar Eclipse: Iceland & British Isles (Valiant Lady, Aug. 5-20) 

This sailing takes guests to Portsmouth, Dublin, Glasgow, Liverpool, Belfast, Siglufjordur, Isafjordur, Reykjavik, Edinburgh and back to Portsmouth. 

Solar Eclipse: Barcelona to Rome (Scarlet Lady, Aug. 10-22) 

This sailing takes guests from Barcelona to Rome, sailing to Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Cannes, Ajaccio, Tuscany/Cinque Terre, the Amalfi Coast, Catania and Rome. 

Programming spans talks, Q&As and side-by-side eclipse viewing. 

Onshore Events (Shore Things) 

• Eclipse Countdown: Stars & Cider (Belfast, Northern Ireland) – An immersive visit to the Armagh Observatory followed by a cider tasting at Long Meadow among the orchards. 
• Mallorca Caves: Eclipse Countdown (Mallorca, Spain) – A guided descent into the Genova Caves followed by a taste of Mallorcan culture. 
• Eclipse Afterglow: Ibiza Sound & Soul (In Ibiza, Spain) – Yoga in the gardens of Jardines de Palermo, followed by a sound bath. 
• Eclipse Afterglow: Troll Peninsula Drive & Soak (Isafjordur, Iceland) – A scenic coastal drive along the Troll Peninsula, past waterfalls and historic fishing huts, ending in a geothermal swim. 

 

Moments Aboard 

• Out of This World: Living in Orbit – NASA astronauts talk about life in orbit. 
• Virgin Galactic: Ask an Astronaut – Will Whitehorn, architect of Virgin’s commercial spaceflight program, and Virgin Galactic astronauts come together for an open Q&A on what it takes to leave the atmosphere. 
• Solar Eclipse 101 – A solar physicist walks through what happens during totality and how to watch safely. 
• Eclipse Photography Masterclass – A cosmic photographer covers how to capture the corona, Baily’s beads and the diamond ring effect on a phone. 
• Cosmic Pause: Eclipse Energy Session – A dharma teaching on light and shadow followed by an energy transmission session, timed to the eclipse. 
• Designated Eclipse Watch Zones – Totality experienced three ways: in silence, with a live musical score or with real-time expert narration as the sky goes dark.