There’s a sudden chill in the air as the temperature noticeably drops and a frisson of excitement runs through me as I realise the light is starting to fade. This is it, the moment we’ve been waiting for, and a palpable buzz ripples across the open decks as the crowd gazes skywards in expectation.

Our ship, Emerald Princess, is 200 miles off Mexico’s Pacific Coast, putting us in prime position to be among the first in the world to witness the much-heralded Great North American Eclipse. Anticipation has been growing all morning, and there’s a carnival-like atmosphere with passengers chatting and gazing up at the sky through special protective glasses we’ve been issued with.

An hour before totality, when the sun will be completely obscured by the moon, it looks as though a large bite has been taken out of the sun’s orb as the moon makes its presence felt.

As the seconds to totality tick away, some jokers break into a chorus of howls, which dissolves into laughter and cheers as totality takes over. At once, an eerie dusk descends and we take our glasses off to look up with the naked eye spotting Venus and Jupiter shining like stars.

This suspended sense of twilight lasts for around four-and-a-half minutes, giving us perfect views of the sun’s corona gleaming around the moon’s outline until the first dazzling beams of sunlight burst through in what is called the “diamond ring”.

Witnessing this, and enjoying the sense of camaraderie with other passengers is undoubtedly the highlight of this cruise. In the lead-up to the big event itself, there have been well-attended talks from astronomy experts, trivia contests and challenges, and an astrology-themed party with eclipse cookies and a signature cocktail.

Emerald Princess’s relieved captain, Steven Lewis, confesses that he had sleepless nights in the run-up to the eclipse, which involved considerable forward planning.

“There was so much riding on it, I did feel the heat,” he tells me. “If this had been a washout, it wouldn’t have mattered what happened for the rest of the cruise, I would have had 3,000 very disgruntled guests and my name would have been mud! My two concerns were cloud cover and the swell of the ocean, but in the end there was only high cloud, the swell wasn’t too big and there wasn’t much wind at all.”

A relief for the captain, as well as his expectant passengers…

STAR-STUDDED ITINERARY

A natural marvel is followed by a man-made one when, a few days later, we turn into the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal. It’s a magical scene as we approach the Bridge of the Americas, while in the distance the skyline of Panama City is backlit by the sun’s early-morning rays.

It takes most of the day to cruise this 50-mile short cut linking the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, and our entry into the Caribbean Sea signals the final part of this 15-night voyage from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale.

Along the way, my 21-year-old daughter Dani and I are wowed by playful humpbacks on a whale-watching adventure in the tourist playground of Cabo San Lucas on the Baja California peninsula.

Yet it’s a sloth sanctuary near the Costa Rican city of Puntarenas that captures our hearts, where we spy these sleepy critters among leafy tree branches alongside squawking macaws.

Nine sea days provide ample opportunity to explore the ship, whether it is relaxing by one of the four pools, taking afternoon tea in the Sanctuary VIP deck area or watching live acts in the Piazza, the ship’s buzzing hub.

Notable foodie treats include a gastronomic blowout at Chef’s Table, starting with champagne and nibbles in the galley before moving into the restaurant for a multi-course feast, and an exquisite dinner in the private dining area of Sabatini’s Trattoria complemented with the wines of the Caymus Vineyard in California’s Napa Valley.

Yet the main draw for many passengers is witnessing the eclipse from the sea, and while Princess Cruises’ ships have encountered such phenomena before, this was the line’s first official eclipse programme.

PLANNING AHEAD

The next total solar eclipse in Europe on 12 August 2026 will be mainly visible in Spain, parts of Portugal, Greenland, Iceland and Russia. This has already attracted the attention of P&O Cruises and Scenic along with specialists including Atlas Ocean Voyages and Albatros Expeditions which, along with Princess, have released sailings.

Cunard has announced three eclipse departures which it said were attracting 40 per cent more demand than other voyages at a similar time. “Our most popular accommodation for these voyages are Balconies and Grill Suites, which both present an excellent earning opportunity for our travel agent partners,” says UK sales director Tom Mahoney. “So now really is the best time to be promoting these, particularly with the two-year countdown.”

He advised agents to harness the excitement of customers while they are in holiday-planning mode and to also encourage those with forthcoming Cunard cruises to book while onboard to get the best advice from the ship team, while knowing their commission will be protected.

Scenic says its recently released High Arctic voyage to Greenland and Iceland departing Oslo on 4 August will be a highlight of its 2026/27 programme and is receiving a significant amount of interest.

Sales, strategy and partnership director Nick Hughes says agents should highlight the one-off appeal of this voyage, especially as Scenic Eclipse will be in an ideal position to provide uninterrupted views of the phenomenon.

“The next total solar eclipse will not be visible in the UK until 2090, which makes this voyage a truly once-in-a-lifetime experience for our British guests,” he adds. “A spectacle such as this can be experienced in comfort onboard Scenic Eclipse, and there will be opportunities to spot wildlife including polar bears, whales and puffins.”

As more and more cruise lines jump on the bandwagon by announcing dedicated departures (see box below), it seems there’s no dimming the industry’s passion for these cosmic cruises.

Book it: Princess Cruises is offering a 14-night solar eclipse voyage on Sky Princess to Spain, France and Portugal. Departing 8 August 2026, the round-trip Southampton voyage includes calls at Cherbourg, Bilbao and Gibraltar and costs from £3,999pp; princess.com