There’s something undeniably magical about a solar eclipse. This is when the moon completely covers the sun and plunges us into darkness for a few minutes, making the sun’s faint corona visible to the naked eye.

Such a rare event is one that needs to be celebrated in style. Enter P&O Cruises who has announced plans for an extraordinary cruise that will give you the chance to see one of nature’s most spectacular events – a solar eclipse in Western Australia.

Sailing from Fremantle on April 17 2023 (don’t say we didn’t give you enough warning), P&O will set off on a once-in-a-lifetime five-night cruise that tracks over the North West Cape of Western Australia near Exmouth – the only location on mainland Australia where the event can be viewed as a total solar eclipse.

Related story: Ready your sea legs, this cruise line is launching a floating gin distillery

What makes this eclipse special is the fact that there were only five total solar eclipses visible from Australia last century and it has been almost 50 years since Western Australia has experienced one.

P&O has partnered with the Astronomical Society of Australia, the professional body representing astronomers in Australia. The society’s vice president John Lattanzio said he was thrilled that P&O Cruises Australia was offering an experience for seasoned or budding umbraphiles (that’s people that love eclipses and travel to see them).

Related story: Australia is getting its first beer hotel, and it’s ale we ever hopped for

“The 2023 Ningaloo King of Eclipse will be a unique spectacle and to view it from a cruise ship will be a magnificent experience,” he says. “Our members look forward to sharing their expertise on the subject of eclipses and astronomy with P&O’s guests while they sail the west coast.”

While the eclipse will only last a little over a minute, there’s still plenty to do on the cruise which takes in the dramatic red ochre coastline and unspoilt beaches of Western Australia.

And you never know, this beautiful experience in Western Australia might just steal your heart.

So, it would be … a total eclipse of your heart.

Related story: Why now is the time to book a holiday