Astrotourism at Sea: Why Cruises Are Ideal for Admiring the Cosmos

When Tom Kerss first started guiding northern lights trips nearly two decades ago, “astrotourism” wasn’t even a word yet.

These days, however, it’s one of the hottest trends in travel, as more and more people seek out deep, meaningful connections with the natural world. 

“It's remarkable how highly astronomy scores on people's bucket lists,” says Kerss, a 39-year-old astronomer and author who serves as the “chief aurora chaser" for Hurtigruten. “People just want something new, something that’s far away.”

You might think you have to trek to the middle of a remote desert or climb to the top of a mountain to get a good view of the sky. But there’s a much more comfortable way to admire the cosmos or experience unique celestial spectacles like the aurora borealis or a solar eclipse: taking a cruise. 

Tom Kerss is the 'chief aurora chaser' for Hurtigruten (Photo Credit: Hurtigruten)

Cruises may be best known for their buffets and casinos, but they’re also uniquely well-suited for skygazing. Offering prime positioning, limited light pollution and panoramic horizon views, a ship is an ideal platform for taking in heavenly displays.

Intrigued by astronomy? Here’s why you should book a cruise for your next stargazing vacation.

1. Limited Light Pollution

One of the biggest obstacles to skygazing is artificial light. Even small towns cast a glow that can wash out faint stars and dim auroras. But on the open ocean, miles away from the nearest cities, that glow tends to fade, leaving only an inky-black sky dotted with angular constellations and swirling northern lights. 

With fewer competing light sources, your eyes can fully adjust to the dark as you stand on the deck of a cruise ship. You may be able to catch a glimpse of the Milky Way or see a shooting star streak across the sky during a meteor shower.

Many cruise lines further enhance the experience by dimming most of their exterior deck lights at night. Hurtigruten, for instance, recently installed red lights on the top deck of MS Trollfjord so travelers don’t ruin their night vision while admiring the aurora borealis in northern Norway.

“We’ve been under a dark, clear night sky for around 300,000 years,” says Kerss, who has been working with Hurtigruten since 2023. “It’s only really in the last 150 years that we’ve basically blanked-out the sky in light pollution and, now, satellite pollution. So people are feeling that very human experience [of the dark sky] just kind of disappearing, and now they’re grasping to get back to it.” 

2. Prime Positioning

Beyond light pollution, clouds can also put a damper on cosmic experiences. And while clouds definitely can and do form over the ocean, cruise ships often give you an advantage because they’re nearly always on the move. There’s a good chance you’ll be sailing into clearer conditions soon, so set your alarm for a few hours later or try again the next night. 

Many cruise lines offer solar eclipse sailings. (Photo Credit: Adobe Stock)

When Kerss leads Hurtigruten northern lights cruises, for instance, he encourages travelers not to get too discouraged by heavy cloud cover. “The clouds just break up here and there,” he says. “Very often, I'm just out on deck on my own looking at the sky, and then a hole starts to appear.”

For solar eclipses, ships can sail directly into the path of totality, where the moon appears to completely cover the sun. Outside that slice, you’ll see only a partial eclipse—which is still impressive, but less impactful. Plus, the Earth is large, and sometimes the path of totality doesn’t touch any major landmasses—making a cruise an especially ideal way to see one.

“Cruises are uniquely suited for celestial travel as they give access to remote regions with minimal light pollution and position travelers in the right place at the right time,” says travel advisor Jonathan Alder, who owns Jonathan’s Travels in Winter Park, Florida. 

Princess Cruises is offering several upcoming solar eclipse cruises. (Photo Credit: Princess Cruises)

These days, many cruise lines are mapping out their routes specifically to reach the path of totality for upcoming eclipses. Princess Cruises, Azamara Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Quark Expeditions, National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions, HX Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions, Oceania Cruises, Cunard, Royal Caribbean, Virgin Voyages, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line, PONANT EXPLORATIONS and Smithsonian Journeys are all hosting upcoming solar eclipse sailings, just to name a few. 

“Our travelers tell us they seek destinations where they can experience the cosmos away from the day-to-day light pollution,” says Angela Ferragamo, vice president of marketing for Smithsonian Journeys. “Also, phenomena like solar eclipses and aurora borealis are once-in-a-lifetime experiences that drive demand.”

4. Wide-Open Skies

Mountains, trees and buildings can all block the sky at critical moments. But, at sea, the horizon is usually a flat expanse with panoramic views in many directions. 

Additionally, while cruise ships do have a tendency to rock and roll, modern vessels are surprisingly stable. This stability—combined with the unobstructed views of the horizon and a sturdy tripod—can make astrophotography a breeze. 

5. Historic Connections

Long before GPS and radar, seafarers relied on the night sky to find their way. Standing on a ship’s deck, looking up at the sky, you’re tapping into that historic—and very human—lineage, even if you're not using the stars for navigation. 

Similarly, humans have been admiring the aurora borealis for thousands of years, so witnessing them is a bit like traveling back in time. The Romans were terrified of the northern lights, for instance, while ancient people living in the Arctic took a more “creaturely view,” says Kerss. 

“They either described the aurora as like a spirit in the sky, or as an animal, or as some sort of transcendental plane of existence,” he adds. “It does look like someone painting in the sky, like an intentional piece of artwork in the sky. That has given it a totally unique quality for so long.” 

Hurtigruten offers a Northern Lights Promise on seasonal coastal Norway voyages (Photo Credit: Hurtigruten)

6. Experts and Programming

Many astronomy-themed cruises bring knowledgeable experts onboard for lectures, workshops and guided viewing sessions, which makes the ship feel like a floating classroom. Instead of simply looking up and wondering what you’re seeing, you can get real-time context and information on many cruises—the history and science behind solar eclipses, auroras, meteor showers, planetary alignments and more.

7. Built-In Comfort and Stress-Free Logistics

For the best chances of seeing the northern lights, you’ll want to sail to high latitudes in the middle of winter, which means you’re probably going to be cold. Watching from a ship means you can step out on deck to view the lights, then retreat indoors to one of the many cozy spaces on the vessel for a hot drink. Once you've warmed up a bit, you can head back out for even more skygazing.

The same goes for eclipse-viewing in remote regions. When you sail aboard a cruise ship, there's no scrambling for bathrooms or jockeying for position—the infrastructure is already there.

On a related note, major celestial events like solar eclipses have a tendency to overwhelm destinations on land—think: traffic jams, sold-out lodging and packed viewing sites. This can make planning a bit of a logistical nightmare. But, on a cruise, your transportation, accommodations and meals are bundled together. Once you book your voyage and flights, that's it—no more stress. 

You might catch a glimpse of the Milky Way. (Photo Credit: Pexels)

8. Diverse Experiences

Celestial spectacles rarely last long—total solar eclipses typically only last a few minutes, while auroras can flicker in and out in short bursts. But a cruise builds a broader itinerary around skygazing. You might pair an eclipse with cultural stops along the coast, or chase the northern lights while exploring Arctic fjords and port towns. The sky may be your primary focus but, with a cruise vacation, you can also enjoy other enriching activities along the way.

9. Shared, Communal Moments

There’s something powerful about experiencing a rare celestial event collectively. On a ship, hundreds of passengers may gather on deck as the aurora sweeps across the sky. When totality hits during a solar eclipse, you can feel the collective gasp.

That shared awe can amplify the emotional impact in a way that solitary viewing usually doesn’t. You'll also likely encounter like-minded people—with similar interests and hobbies–when you book an astronomy-themed cruise.

“You just feel, at some level, ‘This is good for me,’ because this is what being a human and interacting with people and having shared interests is all about really,” says Kerss. “And that shared interest will further deepen your own interest because it will push you to think about things in a different way or see things through someone else's eyes, which just really enriches the experience.”

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