Solar eclipse: Cruise guests among first to experience 2024 eclipse

Author: Lucy Abbott

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Guests onboard Swan Hellenic's expedition cruise ship SH Diana were among the first to witness the 2024 total eclipse of the sun

Sailing down the Gulf of California, guests onboard Swan Hellenic's SH Diana witnessed the total eclipse, with the line stating the guests "were quite possibly the first people in the world to see it".

Paul D. Maley, from NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society, was onboard the cruise to offer insights to guests as well as Dr. Michael Shara, from the American Museum of Natural History.

Maley commented: “What a fantastic experience! I’ve now been privileged to see 84 eclipses of the sun, but this one was by far the longest and most awesome. Experiencing it from the sea put it in a class of its own!”

The eclipse occurred on the seventh day of an eight-night cultural expedition cruise from Acapulco to La Paz.

Guests onboard SH Diana witnessed the solar eclipse. Credit: Swan Hellenic

Measuring four minutes and 25 seconds, the eclipse was almost double that of the 'Great American Eclipse' of August 21, 2017.

Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito adds: “It’s been a pleasure to offer our guests this very special private eclipse experience in the waters of the Gulf of California.

And for them to have perhaps been the first in the world to see it! We always aim for Swan Hellenic guests to see what others don’t.”

Discover more about Swan Hellenic here.

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About Lucy Abbott

Lucy is a cruise journalist who has sailed on a variety of ships, from expedition to river – with her favourite being expedition cruising.

Lucy is interested in new sustainable ways to cruise as well as how cruising is becoming accessible for all.

She works together with Kaye Holland to keep the World of Cruising website up to date with all the latest cruise news.