It may have been the best view of a stellar event – guests on board Sapphire Princess sailing the Straits of Malacca got to view the rare solar eclipse that occurred early in the afternoon of Boxing Day.
More than 2,600 guests from around the world embarked Sapphire Princess in Singapore on 17 December for an 11-day voyage around Southeast Asia, visiting ports including Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Sihanoukville (Cambodia), Bangkok, Koh Samui and Port Klang before arriving in Singapore on 28 December.
The eclipse was a highlight, the passengers and crew were given solar filter glasses to safely view the phenomenon. Hundreds gathered on the upper deck of the ship to witness the event.
An annular solar eclipse happens when the moon covers the sun’s centre, leaving the sun’s visible outer edges to form a “ring of fire”. The last solar eclipse visible from Singapore shores was more than 20 years ago in 1998, and the next will be seen from Singapore in 2063.
“Guests onboard were delighted to witness the once-in-a-lifetime ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse onboard Sapphire Princess while celebrating Christmas and Boxing Day,“ said Farriek Tawfik, Director Southeast Asia, Princess Cruises.
