On Jan 30, 2024 we docked at Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa. American Samoa consists of five main islands and two coral atolls. The population of American Samoa is approximately 45,000. It was first inhabited by Europeans in the 18th century. The United States took possession of American Samoa in the 19th century, developing it into a major naval outpost. Its strategic value was reinforced by World War II and the subsequest Cold War.

We began our day with an excursion along the coast that took us to some beautiful beach areas. We visited the Leone Healing Garden which is a memorial garden dedicated to those who lost their lives when a major tsunami hit the islands in Sep 2009 destroying many areas.

We then visited a small living community where members showed us how coconuts are shelled and broken open to get the milk and edible fruit, which is a major part of Samoan meals. We also were entertained with Samoan dancing by some of the local girls.

When we returned to our ship, we were greeted by giant turtles that were eating the barnacles off the bottom of our ship.

When we got back to our suite, we received a letter from Seabourn telling us that they had made the decision that due to turmoil in that area, they would need to cancel all transits through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Accordingly, our cruise was cut by 35 days, and rarher than debarking in Athens on Jun 5, we would be debarking in Singapore on May 2, 2024. Disappointing, but not unexpected news.