Holland America Line has announced the addition of astronomy experts to its three 2026 solar eclipse cruises, offering guests lectures, presentations and tips on how to make the most of their eclipse viewing.
Boston University Professor Meers Oppenheim will be aboard the Zuiderdam’s 18-day “Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse” cruise.
University of California’s Professor Adam Burgasser will join guests on the Oosterdam for the 13-day “Mediterranean Solar Eclipse” cruise, and Tom Vassos, former professor at the University of Toronto, will be aboard the Nieuw Statendam’s 28-day “Legendary Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland” cruise.
Professor Meers Oppenheim
The Zuiderdam’s 35-day “Legendary Voyage of the Vikings: Solar Eclipse” cruise departs on July 18, 2026, and sails roundtrip from Boston, Massachusetts. An 18-day segment of the sailing is available to book, sailing from Rotterdam, the Netherlands, to Boston on August 4.
The ship will position off the coast of Iceland in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.
Oppenheim is a professor of astronomy at Boston University and is currently the associate director of the BU Center for Space Physics. He studies phenomena that occur within our solar systems and has expertise in ionospheric and solar plasmas, as well as the physics of meteors.
Professor Adam Burgasser
The 13-day “Mediterranean Solar Eclipse” cruise aboard the Oosterdam sails from Lisbon, Portugal, to Piraeus (Athens), Greece, departing August 9. The ship will sail off the coast of Spain in the path of totality for the solar eclipse.
Dr. Burgasser is an award-winning professor of physics at the University of California, San Diego, and an observational astrophysicist investigating the lowest-mass stars, coldest brown dwarfs and exoplanets.
The company said in a press release that guests will have the opportunity to hear about the latest astrophysics research and the connections between astronomy and Mediterranean history.
Tom Vassos
The Nieuw Statendam is sailing a 28-day “Legendary Solar Eclipse with Greenland and Scotland” cruise featuring the total solar eclipse. The roundtrip Dover, England, voyage departs June 24 and will be positioned off the coast of Iceland in the path of totality on August 12.
Vassos has taught courses at several universities around the world, including more than 35 years at the University of Toronto. He is an astronomer, author, member of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada and founder of Cosmologists Without Borders.
