(KTLA) — Princess Cruises is tweaking the route of a 2024 voyage to give passengers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a solar eclipse at sea.
An April 2024 voyage aboard the cruise company’s Emerald Princess will alter its planned itinerary to coincide with the last solar eclipse to cross North America for the next 20 years.
The cruise, which departs Los Angeles on April 5, will take a brief detour from its 15-day Panama Canal tour to catch the eclipse on April 8, 2024, while sailing between Cabo San Lucas and Huatulco, Mexico.
“Guests will gather on the top decks and be given special glasses they can wear to safely view the eclipse as astronomy and space exploration enthusiast Fred Cink helps guide their viewing experience,” Princess said in a news release.
Passengers will also have the opportunity to partake in eclipse-themed drinks and snacks during the event.
After traveling along the Mexican Riviera, the cruise will then voyage through the Panama Canal and across the western Caribbean before completing its journey in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
This is the second Princess ship to offer the solar eclipse viewing experience. Tickets aboard the Discovery Princess, which will be sailing the Mexican Riviera for a 10-day cruise during the eclipse, have already sold out.
“This rare occurrence in the cosmos is sure to wow millions, but only the smallest fraction will ever experience this phenomenon via the ocean aboard an amazing cruise ship,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises.
The total solar eclipse is expected to last around 4 minutes and 28 seconds as the moon’s shadow is cast across much of North America. It will be one of three total solar eclipses across the world this decade, but the last one visible from North America until 2044.
Tickets for the Panama Canal cruise with the solar eclipse viewing experience are on sale now with starting rates of $1,699 per person. More information on pricing and purchasing is available at Princess.com.
