Join the Navy and see the pope via battleship

Those planning to see Pope Francis in Philadelphia next month will also have the opportunity to join the Navy for a night, should they book a bunk on the Battleship New Jersey in Camden.

The Delaware River waterfront attraction is offering $75-per-person overnight stays on the World War II battleship, with 400 bunks available. The fee includes breakfast and dinner.

The ship hosts special encampments throughout the year, including New Year's Eve, normally a sellout. About 17,000 visitors stay overnight on the ship each year, said Jack Willard, a spokesman for the battleship.

"It's a really cool experience. It's literally spending one night in the Navy," he said.

With a crush of visitors coming to the Philadelphia area in September, and hotels and motels filled to capacity and residents renting out their homes, battleship officials decided to schedule the ship's special event for the pope's visit from Sept. 22 to 26.

The $75 includes a tour of the ship, and dinner and breakfast in the "chow line." Visitors also will have time in the flight simulator.

It creates the experience of a prop plane launch from the battleship's deck, a dogfight with an enemy plane, and a flyover of Iwo Jima.

The Battleship New Jersey, the most decorated battleship and surviving warship in U.S. history, was built in the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard.

It was launched Dec. 7, 1942, on the one-year anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack.

Overnight guests can visit the ship's turrets, with numerous 16-inch guns, and simulate firing from an analog computer.

Battleship officials are still coordinating what all of the options will be to access Philadelphia from Camden, in addition to walking.

Across from Penn's Landing, there is a brick promenade along the Delaware that connects the battleship to the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.

"It allows guests to walk across the bridge as part of their pilgrimage to see Pope Francis," Willard said.

It is unclear whether the ferry that crosses the Delaware will be operational for the pope's visit.

Since the announcement of the encampment, Willard said, there has been a lot of interest. He said he was unsure Tuesday how many tickets had been sold. Typically, the ship hosts one overnight stay per person, but Willard said guests have been accommodated for more than one night in the past, and tour coordinators will work with groups to meet their needs.

For more information, check the battleship's website, www.battleshipnew

jersey.org, or call 866-877-6262, Ext. 203.

856-779-3838@BBBoyer