star gazing

[karen327]

We will be going on a cruise around the horn in Jan 2014 and are deciding between princess and celebrity, both who do this itenery. can anyone who has been on either of these ships tell me if there is a location on the ship where it is not too lit up, so we can see the stars without too much light polution? Do either of them have an organized star gazing activity?

[karen327]

No one can contribute to this? I really would like to know.

[dfb]

I have never been on either line that you are asking about, but I have been below the equator on long cruise on 4 different ships. I have never found aboard any ship a naturally darkened area where you could star gaze. Only once in my experiences was night star gazing announced and offered with a darkened area. We had an astrophysicist onboard as a lecturer and he arranged it. Once, you could sign up to be called if a clear night occurred and then you could go up top where someone would point things out from a darkened area. (We got the call the first night aboard at 2:15am and we still had jet lag from getting to the ship, so we went back to bed!) Once we asked at the Front desk and they asked someone on the bridge and we got a phone number to call him at night if it looked clear. We called him and he directed us to a spot on the aft of the top deck where he had turned off the lights for us and told us where to look for the Southern Cross. The last time, a junior officer from the bridge offered to take a group up top in the dark for stargazing, but again only after we requested it from the Front desk and CD and destinations lecturer.

My advice is pick the one you want and ask onboard early and often for star gazing, or pick one that has an astronomer onboard as a lecturer if possible. Good luck, Debbie

[RMLincoln]

We had a science/nature lecturer aboard Celebrity Constellation once who did a star gazing lecture one night on the aft but it wasn't really dark enough.

One some ships you can get to a deck below the bridge where they keep it dark for the bridge. Bring a flashlight. m--

[patrinka]

Princess itinerary includes a stop at the Falkland Islands and Celebrity does not. I did not want to miss the Falklands so chose Princess. Do not know about star gazing.