Queen Mary 2 Solar Eclipse Voyage 2026: Norway, Iceland and the North Atlantic

From Southampton through the Norwegian Fjords and Iceland to New York

“Meditation and water are wedded for ever.”

Herman Melville, Moby-Dick

Recently we returned to and voyaged on one of our favourite ships, Cunard’s Queen Mary 2, for a fourteen-night voyage from Southampton to Belgium, through the Norwegian fjords and Iceland before crossing the North Atlantic to New York.

This journey, however, began somewhat differently from our previous voyages. After years spent walking long-distance trails, undertaking pilgrimages across Europe, travelling by rail,  and sailing across the Atlantic, we have increasingly come to appreciate the value of moving slowly through the world. Usually (though not always) our journeys are planned somewhat in advance. This voyage was certainly not.  It came together quickly during a difficult and unsettled period in our lives, when changing plans, responsibilities at home and the growing noise of the world around us had left both of us tired and uncertain about what came next. More than another destination, what we wanted was some time to reconnect with the ocean: to stand at the railings again, watch birds, scan the horizon for whales, feel the wind and allow the movement of a ship to dictate the rhythm of our days.

The decks and lounges of Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 seemed an ideal place to do exactly that.  We already knew the ship from previous eastbound and westbound transatlantic crossings between Southampton and New York, but no two voyages are ever quite the same. This time, rather than immediately heading across the Atlantic, on voyage M618 Queen Mary 2 would carry us north from Southampton to Zeebrugge, into the immense fjords of Norway, across the North Sea to Iceland and briefly beyond the Arctic Circle.

Along the way we hoped to explore coastal communities on foot, experience some of northern Europe’s remarkable landscapes, and spend as much time as possible outside on deck.  There was also something considerably less ordinary waiting for us in Iceland.  On August 12, Queen Mary 2 was scheduled to be positioned in Reykjavík during a total solar eclipse - an event that had drawn astronomers, eclipse chasers and travellers from around the world aboard the ship. From there, our voyage would turn west, leaving the ports behind for five days on the North Atlantic before eventually reaching New York.

Part northern voyage, part exploration of Norway and Iceland, part solar-eclipse journey and part traditional transatlantic crossing, this would be very different from our previous times aboard Queen Mary 2.  In addition to the natural wonders that awaited us en route, we also boarded hoping to find a little perspective.  What the voyage actually gave us would reveal itself over the next fourteen days.

Voyage Entries

The Perspective of a Field Mouse: Why We Needed to Go Back to Sea

A Journey into the Dark in Search of the Light  

Crossing a Continent, Crossing an Ocean: Vancouver to Southampton

Between Journeys: A Day in Southampton before Queen Mary 2

Boarding Queen Mary 2 in Southampton: Our Solar Eclipse Voyage Begins

Zeebrugge, Belgium: Waterways, Crowds and Medieval Streets

Northward Across the North Sea: Settling into Life Aboard Queen Mary 2

Into the Norwegian Fjords: Olden and Nordfjord

Skjolden and Sognefjord: At the End of the World's Longest Navigable Fjord

Leaving Norway Behind: A Gala Evening at Sea

Coastal Iceland and the Arctic Circle at Sea

Between Mountain and Sea: Walking Ísafjörður, Iceland

Whales, Puffins, and an Eclipse in the Clouds: Reykjavik, Iceland

Westward from Iceland: Beginning Our North Atlantic Crossing

Life Aboard Queen Mary 2: A Day on the Last Ocean Liner

Into the Fog: Queen Mary 2 off Newfoundland

At Sea: 50^th Birthday in the Middle of the North Atlantic

Spark Moments in Nature: Final Day at Sea on Queen Mary 2

Disembarking Queen Mary 2: Arrival in New York City

From Ocean Liners to Train Lines: The Long Journey Home

Nature Along the Way: Birds and Wildlife on Queen Mary 2’s Solar Eclipse Voyage

Citizen Science at Sea: Ocean Voyages and Connecting with Nature

Refit for the Future: Reflections on Our Queen Mary 2 Solar Eclipse Voyage

The Sun Also Rises: What We Found by Going Back to Sea

Continuing the Journey

Our Solar Eclipse Voyage on Queen Mary 2 now joins a growing collection of slow journeys by trail, sail, and rail.  Over the years we have walked thousands of kilometres across Canada and Europe, travelled across Canada aboard VIA Rail’s Canadian and Ocean, crossed the Atlantic eastbound from New York to Southampton and westbound from Southampton to New York aboard Queen Mary 2, sailed between the Caribbean and Europe aboard Wind Surf, explored Alaska aboard Queen Elizabeth, and voyaged beyond the Arctic Circle along the Norwegian coast aboard Ambience.

The mode of travel changes, but the reason for choosing it rarely does.  Moving slowly gives us time to explore the landscapes between destinations, the wildlife around us, the communities through which we pass and the innumerable small moments that would disappear if our only goal was to arrive at the next destination.

This voyage began as an attempt to get away for a little while.  Somewhere between Southampton and New York, between fjords and fog, whales and puffins, darkness and returning light, it became another reminder to keep looking outward and to remain curious about this extraordinary world.

Whether by trails, rails or sails - see you out there!