Queen Victoria pays Sunday visit

By Adel Fruean 17 February 2019, 12:00AM

The sleepy streets of Apia on a Sunday afternoon came alive with passengers from the MS Queen Victoria Vista-class cruise ship that docked at the Matautu Wharf yesterday.

The vessel, operated by Cunard Line, has the capacity to host 2,081 passengers, including 900 crewmembers. 

They came from as far as Europe, America, Asia and other places in the world.

Tour busses were present to provide tours around the island for some tourists while others decided to relax and walk around Apia, despite most places being closed for Sunday.

Stalls and other small businesses selling handicrafts were set-up at the port. 

One of the passengers, Pamela Simms, from America said this was her second time in Samoa.

“I visited Samoa two years ago, being here on a Sunday impressed me when I saw the people of Samoa dressed in white to attend church,” she said.

“It is very nice to see that this tradition is still alive in some countries. 

“We got on the ship from San Francisco towards Hawaii and then straight to Samoa.”

The cruise will head straight for New Zealand after Samoa.

“We will get off in Auckland and a few weeks there but this ship is doing an around the world trip and it started from Hamburg, Germany and it will probably go back to England.

“The length of travel for us from America to Samoa was ten days starting from February the sixth this year,” said the 69-year-old from Pennsylvania.

The MS Queen Victoria was named after the British Monarch Queen Victoria and its facilities include seven restaurants, thirteen bars, three swimming pools, a ballroom, and a theatre. 

By Adel Fruean 17 February 2019, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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