ONE of the world’s largest passenger luxury liners arrived yesterday on Saipan, with close to 2,000 tourists and crew members who spent a day here before sailing to Guam.
Regal Princess, an 811-ft. long cruise ship based in London, is the second largest vessel to have visited Saipan this year.
The ship’s management has already made arrangement for a second visit on Oct. 22.
Built in Monfalcone, Italy in 1991, the ship has several swimming pools, a state of the art gym, a youth center, a theater, and sauna and beauty center, bars and restaurants, a communication center and an international show lounge area. It also has a jogging and walking track, a library, a casino, a bridge, a medical center and the other amenities of a modern hotel.
Acting Gov. Diego Benavente, along with officials of the Marianas Visitors Authority, the Veterans Affairs Office, the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, the mayors of Tinian and Saipan and Pacific Development, Inc., welcomed the guests.
Ship Capt. Attilio Guerrini received a plaque of appreciation from CNMI officials.
The passengers are mostly British, Canadians, mainland Americans, French, Japanese, Filipinos and Italians.
The ship usually sails around the world for at least 30 days, according to Angel Querido and Francis Delazon, the ship’s Filipino waiters. The ship came from Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, China and Japan before arriving here, they said.
Their next destination is Guam where they would stay for at least two days before heading for Hawaii, Alaska and other parts of the U.S.
