Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Of the 2,600 multinational tourists that made landfall into Pago Pago Harbor in American Samoa yesterday morning, with 700 of them took advantage of the Cultural Bus tours of the island of Tutuila; while taxi drivers were also there to take advantage of extra dollars and had gone out on private tours.

One of the taxi drivers, Mr Afioa’e Siumalae of Tafuna, picked up four Europeans by the main gate to the wharf. The two couples would rather ride a taxi than the bus and were heading west first.

A couple from Germany, Freddy and Maria Strass, were looking forward to their tour of the island by taxi, following a sail from Tahiti and Hawaii.

Ms Strass says they’d like to spend as much time in American Samoa, before going out to sea again on a four-day sail to New Zealand.

The couple is still working in Germany they said but are taking a holiday to the Pacific, with plans to jump ship in Australia.

“We’ll leave this boat in Australia to see some friends in Cairn then to Brisbane and to see the blue mountains, the forest then to Sydney to visit other friends before flying to Singapore for Germany.”

Several tourists were greeted by two local women, each waving a large Israeli flag.

They stood about 100 meters from the wharf’s main gate at the same time announcing the coming of Jesus. 

 When asked about their feelings of the war between Israel and the Hamas, Mr Strass from Germany wasn’t happy about it, saying, “I hope Israel will win, it’s their right to make an effort to dismantle those Hamas, and finish them for once and forever.”

And, while the cruise ship, Grand Princess, is in American Samoa, the local small business owners were up on the street by 4am to install tents, and get their handicraft products on display.

Ms Tiola of Tiola’s Store at Fagagoto, says the tourists from the cruise ship that came in last month were spending.  However most of them brought foreign money and it was hard to make business. They hoped this ship would bring the US dollars.

However, passengers on the Grand Princess were a mix of nationalities from Europe and the US.

The only contracted tour operator for this fleet, Ms Genevieve Gregg, owner of Pago Pago Tradewinds Tours said, some 700 of them were divided into groups for rides to the usual sites that are of historical importance in American Samoa.

However, there was something new this time for them, that is the inclusion of an Ava Ceremony for the first time to be held in the village of Fagasa, while the umu remains at Pava’ia’i.

The Grand Princess brought in 3,750 people to Tuituila, which includes a crew of 1,150  .

 According to the cruise ship’s information, the 949 ft long Grand Princess is a sister to the Golden Princess and Star Princess.

The Grand Princess generally cruises the Atlantic and offers itineraries in Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and Caribbean depending on the time of year.

She was last refurbished in 2019, built in 1998,  with 17 decks. 

She is registered in Bermuda, with a cross tonnage of 107,517.

Officers on board Grand Princess are British, Italian with international crew members.

Passengers were seen enjoying the sun and the trade winds at Utulei Beach and along the walkways through to Fata ma Futi.

American Samoa will receive another cruise Ship on Thursday next week, while this one won't be coming back here until sometime next year.

She departed Pago Pago at 6 pm yesterday for New Zealand.