2010 Solar Eclipse Cruise?? (Easter Island)

OK, this is a loooooong way off. But since I really don't want to go to China in 2008 or 2009, this will be my first chance for a total solar eclipse.

Has anybody heard any plans yet for a Cruise to Easter Island to see this total eclipse? :cool:

I don't have any info for you on it, but my friend and I are looking. The two of us, and our husbands, went to Mexico on the Carnival Jubilee in 1991 for the "big one" as it was called. Spectactular! That's the only total eclipse of the sun that I've seen, but I find it hard to imagine a better way to see it than from a ship.

We're looking at the one you're looking at and also the November 2012, which cuts across the South Pacific passing through Australia.

The cruises that are sold as eclipse cruises seem to be pretty expensive. We lucked out big time in 1991, since the Jubilee just happened to right smack dab in the middle of the eclipse path. She was supposed to be in Mazatlan that day, but it was overcast there. We put into shore and they announced that everybody who wanted to get off and take their chances on land should do so. Then the ship cast off again, went back out to sea and found a hole in the clouds. We cruised around in circles all day, following the hole in the clouds and got a great view of the whole thing. Not so, the people who got off in Mazatlan. It stayed overcast there, and they missed out. I consider myself to be a very, very lucky person.

If you find any info on a cruise for this eclipse, please post it back here. I'm very interested!

Will do. I'm hoping that the m/v Paul Gaugain might be sailing then, but we'll have to wait and see.

Hi there,

My husband and I are also really hoping to find a cruise for the 2010 solar eclipse. If anyone hears anything please post it here. Even though it will be expensive, I'm sure that it will sell out quickly.

Linda

DH and I were on the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' Fantome for the February 1998 solar eclipse in the Caribbean. What a treat you will have being on the sea during a total eclipse. I'll never forget our experience.

And we booked 3, yes 3, years in advance as did most of the people on the ship.

Tks, Scotland.

I'll check them out. I've already put out feelers for the Paul Gaugain and Tahitian Princess. I expect most will start announcing about this time next year, but hopefully we can find something sooner. Would love to do Tahiti again.

We're definately thinking of the 2010 cruise. Only have so much time off, so a 7 day (plus 2 days travel each way) would be much better for us.

Same here. The 2009 cruise is just too expensive. It is nice to know that they have a shorter cruise planned for 2010. Once they finish working out the details and they start taking bookings, we need to book quickly. It's not a big ship, and I'm sure it will fill up fast.

We experienced the 1999 eclipse aboard ship in the Black Sea ... an unforgettable experience. I've been looking for another, without great success.

The 2009 cruise aboard the Paul Gaugain actually catches the last part of the eclipse. The "max" occurs in the Western Pacific SE of Japan. Maybe some other cruise line will schedule something.

If anyone sees any announcements, please post to this thread.

Here's a graphic of eclipses thru 2025.

A Solar Eclipse cruise sounds like QUITE the event!

Looking forward hearing about future booking possibilities!!

Tom

I too would like to hear about any cruises being planned for the July 11, 2010 solar eclipse in the French Polynesia or Easter Island area.

I jsut received an email that a 48 hr trip into China is still for Aug 1, available. However, this is not a cruise. Still looking for that for 2010.

As time gets closer to 2010 you will certainly see more cruises. Most companies (it is typical for astro-related tour groups to get ships chartered for eclipses) are only focusing on 2009 for now.

The Costa Classica has also been chartered for the 2009 eclipse, and they are going near maximum eclipse SE of Japan. Same goes from the SuperStar Libra.

I am about to head to Russia for August 1 :-)

Any other ships plan to be along the 2009 eclipse path?

I am only aware of those three right now, but if I do see more I will post here. There are also some Yangtze river cruisetours, but those are only for a few days.

I'd sure love to see that French Polynesian eclipse! Not doable for us, since DH has a bad back and can't fly that far. Right now, we're doing our planning for land-based in 2017.

Interesting - though I can't quite picture a casino, lounges, or formal dining on that ship, so... lol

 

No - I am not quite the windjammer/barefoot cruise kind of person.

 

Perhaps the NEXT eclipse!!

 

Thanks for the information though.

 

OH well!!

 

Tom

DH and I were on the Windjammer Barefoot Cruises' Fantome in the Caribbean during the total solar eclipse in February 1998. We booked 3 years in advance, and there was such demand WBC put two of its other ships in the path of the eclipse.

There was something magical about being on a ship that was totally silent during the eclipse. I wouldn't trade that experience for the world.

http://xjubier.free.fr/download/TOTALITY/TOTALITY_Issue_7.pdf has an extensive directory of eclipse tours for 2009, and a few for 2010 on pp 31-32.

I'm on the Solar Eclipse Mailing List, was on a Silk Road Tour in China July 24 - Aug. 6 and saw my 4th since 1999. Short report here: http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=6951

I'm signed up for Costa Classica for 2009 because I want to avoid the oppressive humidity (and high cloud chances) in coastal China.

I intend to go on that Paul Gauguin cruise for 2010, and I will call them soon since that website hasn't been updated.

I expect all of the options for 2010 to be expensive, and somewhat limited in number. Easter Island is constrained by the limited number of flights in. Cruise lines already in a region will modify itineraries for an eclipse (Caribbean Feb 1998, Black Sea August 1999 and a couple Mediterranean March 2006).

But no cruise line will reposition a ship from another region as cost of the 2 repositioning cruises would be prohibitive. The Far East has several mainstream cruise ships in winter and spring but virtually none in summer. Costa brought one into the local Taiwan market for summer 2008, and since it has sold well it's bringing in the larger Classica for 2009. When eclipse specialist travel agent Roy Mayhugh saw this, he chartered Costa Classica for the 12-day eclipse cruise in July 2009.

So I would expect no cruise ships out of Tahiti in July 2010 other than the 2 already announced. Tahitian Princess will be in Alaska in summer starting 2009. Easter Island is so remote that no cruise ships call there regularly. A handful of expedition and around-the-world ships stop at Easter, but none are in the eclipse timeframe.

I would be more optimistic about the mainstream cruise lines for Nov. 13, 2012. That is about the start of the regular cruise season for Australia/New Zealand. The path of that eclipse passes over Cairns about 6:40AM and later that morning about 400 miles north of Auckland.

FYI the 4-day Nile cruise in 2006 was part of a 14-day trip to Egypt that included the March 29 eclipse near Saloum and the Libyan border.

Tony,

You said your on the Costa Classica? How did you book this? And do you know if they'll have any eclipse relate programs on board?

There are several groups planning trips to Easter Island for the total eclipse of the sun on July 11, 2010. However, these are all air trips to the island as far as I know. The path of the total eclipse on July 11, 2010 begins in the Western South Pacific and ends in Tierra del Fuego. The path of totality passes near, but not over, Tahiti. Totality will pass over Mangaia in the Cook Islands, a few isolated atolls in the Tuamotos, and Easter Island. But the best cruising trips will probably be in Tahiti. The path of totality will come within about 250 km of Papeete - to the south. Easter Island might be a fantastic place to see the eclipse becauseof the opportunity to see the Moai and the eclipse together. And the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to photograph a full eclipse with Moai in the foreground. But the cloud cover over Easter Island in July is not optimum for viewing the eclipse. Tahiti should offer better viewing probability. On land you are stuck with whatever weather you get. On a ship you can at least move some slight amount to get the maximum probability of clear skies within the path of totality. I am going, but I haven't decided where yet. It will be Mangaia, a ship out of Tahiti, or Easter Island.

Enjoy!

Thanks for the good post, Charley! Lots of good thoughts and information.

I was on a professional group tour in 1994 in Brazil, and none of us realized until we were there that we would be in Iguassu Falls during a total eclipse. It was a wonderful experience. EM

Wow Charley this sounds amazing please keep us updated as to where you ultimately decide to go!

Just a Community Guidelines reminder: You can discuss which cruise lines offer these cruises, but you cannot post the names or website addresses of travel agencies or tour operators who are offering such sailings. Any posts including the latter information will be removed.

Karen

HostKaren@CruiseCritic.com

Hello,

My husband is interested in a cruise to see this. So far I have found this one web site, but the for this cruise has not been added. I bookmarked it so at a later time they may have the info. I will check back on this thread to see if you have found any other info you can share.