Solar Eclipse Cruise for 2024- somebody should do this

[bladerunner6]

There is going to be a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024.

 

Path of eclipse.

 

I have done eclipse cruises in 1991 and 1998.  And of course Bonnie Tyler sang “Total Eclipse of the Heart”  aboard the Oasis of the Seas for the eclipse in 2017.

I love the idea of mobility for an eclipse so you can avoid clouds- I was rained on for my first one in 1984.

 

RCCL and others have itineraries that travel through the path of totality.

 

Someone should book a ship for this, it will be a way to print money.

 

I hope a travel agent sees this and starts planning one.

 

Thanks.

[CruiserBruce]

It is a little early for 2024 cruises. I am willing to bet there are several cruise lines aware of this, and planning to have ship in the area. I wouldn't expect this is a surprise to anyone. 

[MJC]

We've done three eclipse cruises and we would love to do a west coast itinerary that would include this one off the coast of Mexico. Being mobile is key for getting to where there are clear skies for viewing.

[Byglandsfjord]

I hope some cruise line does as well! I've been on 4 Total solar eclipse cruise & all of them were fun and successful! There is nothing like being on a cruise ship to avoid the clouds! I look about once a month for one and nothing yet except outrageously expensive small ships...

 

I've seen them on everything from Celebrity, Royal Olympic (remember them?) Paul Gaugain & MSC. MSC was fun; we were in the desert in Libya. Spent the night in a tent! And all of them were fairly reasonable except the Paul Gaugain.

 

Hopefully soon. Carnival Panorama won't be in the Mazatlan area...  at least as of March '22 as the schedule stands. Hopefully some other ship will be. A nice middle of the road cruise ship is a plus, but seeing the eclipse is what matters. And Mexico & Central America would be fun.

 

And don't forget about Iceland,Greenland & Spain in 2026 (2 min 18 sec max)

 

And Aug 2 2027  Spain, N. Africa & Mid-East. Hopefully MSC will send some ships...  I know, I know they're an Italian line, so things can be a bit fun & spur of the moment... But who cares for 6 minutes & 23 seconds of total eclipse time!

 

And July 22, 2028 Oz, & NZ for 5 minutes 10 seconds; what's not to love?

 

Finally, Nov 25, 2030 So Africa, Botswana & Oz for 3 minutes & 44 seconds.

 

Hopefully I'll be around to see a few of them!  Unlike Royal Olympic... But hey, the ships were old, the food pretty good & incredible cruise ports. I even won money on a slot machine in the ship's casino. How often does that happen? And they nailed it as far as the weather! They had 3 Cruise ships right on the center-line in the middle of the Black sea without any clouds!  Ted Pedas was the man!!

 

 

[MJC]

Feel free to copy the letter I wrote to Princess. I took out personal details but this is the important part. If we can't find an eclipse cruise, odds are we'll be headed to Texas

 

Dear Princess Cruises,

 

I am writing to request that you schedule a west coast cruise that includes viewing the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024, whose path will pass roughly 190 miles South of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at Lat. 20° 19.2′ N, Lon. 108° 45.8′ W.  

 

            We have done two prior eclipse cruises on Princess, one in the Baltic and one from Australia, and we heartily endorse being on the water, and especially on a cruise ship, as THE best place for viewing an eclipse. The mobility of location a ship at sea provides can vastly increases the odds for a successful viewing by skirting bad weather to find clear skies. Our prior Princess eclipse experiences bore this out, and hearing the cheers of the thousands of passengers as the eclipse happened was an unforgettable experience.

 

Our Princess eclipse cruises featured a large number of tour companies, scientists, and hobbyists who spent significant money to seek out the best viewing location. The eclipse viewing community in the United States alone is quite large and would be a big draw for a Princess eclipse cruise.

 

Thank you for considering my request.

 

Sincerely,

Me

[Sea Hag]

Carnival has Mexican Riviera cruises available on both sides of the right date for this eclipse but nothing for the right date. Nothing is available yet under specialty cruises for that location and date, but I'm betting that's where it's going to show up when the put it out for bookings. I'm checking this daily.

[SpaceRanger]

My wife and I were on the Carnival Jubilee for the 1991 eclipse off Baja.  The Cruise Director had some Commemorative buttons made to celebrate the eclipse but I don't think Carnival Cruises planned ANYTHING else for the eclipse.  As I remember it, representatives from tour groups from JPL, USC, and UCLA met with the Captain of the ship and convinced him to sail out of Mazatlan to search for clear skies to view the eclipse. We were all fortunate that they were successful because the port was clouded over but the Captain found us the clear skies needed for viewing. 

 

I still remember the 100 or so dolphins playing in the wake of the ship as it turned to go back for Mazatlan for the rest of the afternoon/

 

I hope Carnival does a better job planning for the eclipse this time around

[MJC]

I've never heard of Atlas Cruises or the World Navigator. Unfortunately its fully booked. I'll keep hunting though!

 

https://eclipsetours.com/2024-baja-california-total-solar-eclipse-cruise/

[Sea Hag]

On 4/8/2022 at 9:24 PM, SpaceRanger said:

My wife and I were on the Carnival Jubilee for the 1991 eclipse off Baja.  The Cruise Director had some Commemorative buttons made to celebrate the eclipse but I don't think Carnival Cruises planned ANYTHING else for the eclipse.  As I remember it, representatives from tour groups from JPL, USC, and UCLA met with the Captain of the ship and convinced him to sail out of Mazatlan to search for clear skies to view the eclipse. We were all fortunate that they were successful because the port was clouded over but the Captain found us the clear skies needed for viewing. 

 

I still remember the 100 or so dolphins playing in the wake of the ship as it turned to go back for Mazatlan for the rest of the afternoon/

 

I hope Carnival does a better job planning for the eclipse this time around

My hubby and I were on that cruise too, and what you say is what I remember - complete with dolphins.  I spent most of the morning, while the ship was sailing around trying to find clear skies, worried that I was going to melt down and sob if I missed the eclipse. I'm still really glad I didn't have to find out on that. 

[MJC]

I don't know if the letter I wrote helped at all, but we just booked the solar eclipse cruise on Princess!  So excited.

 

https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details?voyageCode=X415

 

 

[Jools2]

Thanks for posting this, we’ve just booked too 😃

On 8/10/2022 at 3:48 PM, MJC said:

I don't know if the letter I wrote helped at all, but we just booked the solar eclipse cruise on Princess!  So excited.

 

https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details?voyageCode=X415

 

 

 

[MJC]

See you on board!

[scottsol]

Holland added an eclipse cruise. Unlike Princess the ship will be at sea during the eclipse. On the other hand it’s a twenty year old vessel.

https://www.hollandamerica.com/en_US/find-a-cruise/M4R14A/X423.html

Edited October 21, 2022 by scottsol

[help32250]

Princess just changed the itinerary of The Emerald Princess's cruise from Los Angeles (San Pedro) to Fort Lauderdale to include seeing the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse At Sea.  And because its itinerary to witness the TSE was just changed, most people don't know about it.  Worse yet, if you do a Google search on it you won't find it!

 

But click on this link and you can book almost any type of stateroom you like AND transit the New Section of the Panama Canal Locks as well as see the TSE At Sea:

      https://www.princess.com/cruise-search/details/?voyageCode=E408

 

And for you elite types, this will probably be the only cruise that will see that TSE as well as transit the New Section of the Panama Canal Locks on the same voyage ... a history maker that will neve be broken.

[Arachnotron]

Any idea on whether balcony or suites can still be purchased anywhere, either for Princess or for HAL?

[MJC]

We are on the Emerald Princess and there are only guarantees available to book. Insides and Obstructeds. I believe the Discovery is fully booked with a long waitlist.

 

 

[MJC]

We had an amazing eclipse day on the Emerald Princess with her sister Discovery within sight to our aft as well. Weather couldn't have been better and our captain did an amazing job of keeping the decks as steady as possible for photos. What a great day!

 

We're already setting our sights on 2026 and have booked Queen Anne out of Southampton to see the eclipse from northern Spain.  Princess will be adding eclipse cruises on the Sky, but I've heard the itineraries won't be available until May.

 

Time to start an eclipse 2026 thread...