The AstroCruisers astronomy club is a not-for-profit organization that supports, promotes and sponsors recreational and educational astronomy activities aboard passenger ships worldwide as well as ashore in its Princeton-Trenton (Mercer County, New Jersey USA) "home port."

Since 2000 AstroCruisers has met on six of the seven continents and five of the "Seven Seas," from the Cape of Good Hope (latitude 34° South) to Skagway, Alaska (latitude 59° North). The 2004 meeting schedule is below.

Benefits of membership in AstroCruisers astronomy club include:

• support worthy causes!
• save money!
• earn awards!

Support Worthy Causes!

• Astronomical League. AstroCruisers is a Member Society of the world's largest federation of amateur astronomers. All AstroCruisers automatically receive free membership in the League, including a subscription to its quarterly newsletter Reflector and other perks.
  
• International Dark-Sky Association. AstroCruisers is an Organizational Member of this non-profit, membership-based organization that seeks to preserve and protect the nighttime environment and our heritage of dark skies through quality outdoor lighting. AstroCruisers's Dark-Sky Committee sponsored the creation of IDA's Passenger Ship Working Group.
  
• New Jersey State Museum Planetarium. AstroCruisers donates time and material to State Museum activities.
  
• Princeton University OSETI Group. AstroCruisers supports Friends of Fitz-Randolph Observatory in the Optical Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence project at Princeton University, which searches nearby stars in an effort to detect brief, high-powered laserlike pulses that might signify the existence of extra-terrestrial life in other solar systems.
  
• Princeton University Public Starwatches. AstroCruisers supports the monthly informal open houses held by students from the Department of Astrophysical Sciences at the university's Peyton Hall Observatory.
  
• Project Astro Nova. AstroCruisers is a Coalition Member of Project Astro Nova, a program to form partnerships between astronomers and school and youth group leaders of kids in the 2nd-through-12th grades.
  
• United Astronomy Clubs of New Jersey, Inc. Despite the fact that AstroCruisers has complied with all requirements published on the UACNJ Web site, we are not and never have been a UACNJ member astronomy club. We'd tell you why, but we've never been given a valid reason. We'll be glad to give the UACNJ space here to explain their position.
  

Save Money!

• Discounts, premiums and other special offers from EYE ON THE SKY® AstroCruises and First Interplanetary Trading Company.
  
• Save 10 percent on any astronomy-related book purchased through the Astronomical League Book Service.
  

Earn Awards!

• AstroCruisers 21 Club award. AstroCruisers are eligible to win our club's award for observing all 21 first-magnitude stars during a single cruise.
  
• Astronomical League Observing Club awards . AstroCruisers are eligible to earn pins and certificates from the League's Observing Clubs, which offer encouragement and awards for demonstrating observing skills with a variety of instruments and objects. Current Observing Clubs include the Arp Peculiar Galaxy Club, Asteroid Observing Club, Binocular Messier Club, Caldwell Club, Comet Observers Club, Deep Sky Binocular Club, Double Star Club, Earth Orbiting Satellite Club, Galaxy Groups & Clusters Club, Herschel 400 Club, Herschel II Club, Lunar Club, Master Observer Club, Messier Club, Meteor Club, Planetary Observers Club, Sky Puppy Club, Southern Skies Binocular Club, Sunspotters Club, Universe Sampler Club and Urban Observing Club.
  

All for the bargain price of $10 per year!

• Free membership to passengers who book an AstroCruise through EYE ON THE SKY® AstroCruises!
  

2004 Scheduled Meetings

• January. Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala (Oceania's Regatta).
  
• February. Tortola, British Virgin Islands (Celebrity's Horizon).
  
• April. Cape Town, South Africa (Crystal's Serenity).
  
• May. La Goulette, Tunisia (Seabourn's Legend).
  
• July. Rhodes, Greece (Celebrity's Galaxy).
  
• August. Gibraltar (Cunard's QE2).
  
• October. Hilo, Hawaii (Celebrity's Infinity).
  
• November. Tenerife, Canary Islands (Oceania's Regatta).
  
• December. Willemstad, Curacao (Cunard's QM2).