Ambassador Cruise Line are launching a total solar eclipse cruise from Dundee next month
- Andrew Batchelor
- Jul 14
- 2 min read
Cruise passengers will have the chance to witness one of the world’s rarest natural spectacles next month as Ambassador Cruise Line sets sail from Dundee on a special voyage to experience the 2026 total solar eclipse.
Departing from the Port of Dundee on 8 August, the 13-night expedition aboard Ambition will take passengers into the remote waters off Greenland, placing guests directly beneath the path of totality for one of the most anticipated astronomical events of the decade.
Will the eclipse be visible from Dundee?
While people across Dundee will also be able to enjoy the eclipse, around 90% of the Sun will be obscured from the city during the event.
You’ll have wait until October 7, 2135 before you see a total solar eclipse over the city - and the last time that happened was in the 1550s.
One of the best places to watch locally will be The Dundee Law, which offers an elevated, unobstructed view towards the western horizon.
Although Mills Observatory is traditionally a popular destination for astronomical events, the low position of the Sun and surrounding trees mean views from the observatory’s balcony are expected to be significantly obstructed on this occasion.
Eclipse ‘only one part of the journey’
For those aboard Ambition, however, the experience will be even more remarkable. The voyage has been designed around the eclipse itself, allowing passengers to witness totality from the ship’s open decks.
If weather conditions are favourable, they will see the Moon completely cover the Sun before its spectacular corona appears, turning daylight into an eerie Arctic twilight.
The eclipse is only one part of what promises to be an unforgettable journey.
The cruise also coincides with the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower, one of the year’s most active meteor displays. Under ideal conditions, as many as 120 meteors per hour can streak across the night sky, with organisers even highlighting the rare possibility of bright meteors becoming visible during the eclipse itself as the daytime sky dramatically darkens.
As Ambition heads further south later in the voyage, passengers may also have the opportunity to witness the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights, should solar activity and weather conditions align.
Seeing a total solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower and the Northern Lights on the same expedition is an exceptionally rare combination, making the sailing one of the most unique cruises ever to depart from Dundee.
The itinerary includes visits to Runavík in the Faroe Islands, the waters off Greenland for eclipse day, Reykjavík, Grundarfjörður and Seyðisfjörður in Iceland, before calling at Lerwick in Shetland and returning to Dundee on 21 August.
Prices for the voyage start from £1,994 per person, with Ambassador Cruise Lines also offering promotional discounts and drinks packages for guests booking the sailing.
Ambassador Cruise Lines has emphasised that viewing the total solar eclipse, Perseid meteor shower and Aurora Borealis cannot be guaranteed, as all three phenomena remain dependent on weather and atmospheric conditions.
