To view the total solar eclipse on Dec. 4, 2021, passengers  on the ice-strengthened ship Akademik Ioffe will sail to the South Orkney Islands, just northeast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Chartered by Eclipse Travel (Sydney, NSW, Australia; phone +61 2 9016 2930, eclipsetravel.com), the ship leaves Ushuaia, Argentina, on Nov. 23 (cruise end date had not been announced), also visiting the Falkland Islands and South Georgia.

Ioffe holds only 100 passengers. Cabins (not yet...

In Rome, visitors can take a 2-hour tour of parts of what was Nero’s palace, the Domus Aurea, visiting rooms with impressive architecture and frescoes and then, in the Octagonal Hall, donning virtual-reality glasses that overlay computer-generated images onto physical spaces. The 200-room Domus, which was destroyed after Nero’s death and had its ruins built over, lies under portions of Palatine Hill. 

Tours, held each Saturday and Sunday, must be booked in advance....

Swiss chocolatier Camille Bloch, makers of the Ragusa and Torino brands of chocolates, opened a visitor center and museum at its factory in Courtelary, Switzerland, in October 2017.

Visitors to CHEZ Camille Bloch (Grand-Rue 21, 2608 Courtelary, Switzerland; phone +41 32 945 13 13, chezcamillebloch.swiss/en) can take the discovery tour and learn about the company, from its founding in 1929 to the present, and its products. Included are interactive chocolate experiences and the chance...