Holland America Line announced two exciting new itineraries that will take place during the 2027 solar eclipse putting guests directly in the line of totality on August 2, 2027 which crosses mainly over Northern Africa.
“The excitement around viewing a total solar eclipse the past few years has been palpable, and we jumped at the chance to create more itineraries that give our guests the incomparable opportunity of viewing the eclipse at sea,” said Paul Grigsby, vice president of deployment for Holland America Line. “When you’re at sea, there is a greater opportunity to witness an eclipse in the clear because the ship can attempt to position itself away from cloud cover — and the view on the horizon means you get more of the shadow coming in and going out. Because of that, these cruises are extremely popular: for everyone from professional astronomers to travelers looking to check an eclipse off their bucket list.”
Guests have two voyages from which to choose to have the best view of the solar eclipse. Guests will also interact with scientific experts, enjoy themed activities, receive eclipse glasses for safety and more. While in port, guests will have the opportunity to learn more about past civilizations and the way life was designed around occurrences in the sky.
“For millennia, civilizations have studied celestial happenings, and that impact is seen even now in many famous landmarks and monuments,” said Grigsby. “We took care to add ports into the itinerary that have some connection to the study of the sun and stars: on the 28-day, one example includes Portland, England, within close proximity to famous Stonehenge, long believed to be built with the solstice in mind. And on the 14-day, guests can visit the world’s largest and most complex astronomical clock in Messina, Italy.”
Nieuw Statendam will offer a 28-day Legendary Solar Eclipse & Cosmic Port Explorer roundtrip voyage which departs on July 10, 2027 from Rotterdam, the Netherlands or Dover, England. Guests will enjoy 13 ports of call in Denmark, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar and Morocco which includes overnight calls in London and Barcelona. The ship will position off the coast of Morocco for the solar eclipse on August 2, 2027, before returning to Rotterdam.
Oosterdam will offer a 14-day Solar Eclipse & Astronomical Discovery roundtrip voyage which departs on July 31, 2027 from Athens, Greece. Oosterdam will sail toward Tunisia to view the eclipse on August 2, 2027, before making ports of call in Tunisia, Malta, Italy and Greece. Guests can look forward to an extended call in Valletta, Malta where they can visit the Royal Malta Observatory.
These sailings are available for booking now with special bonuses for booking early.