DAY 44 - DAY 38 CRYSTAL SERENITY

WELCOME TO PAGO PAGO

Linda..We will be sure to give your parent's a hug for you.

Doris...Glad you enjoyed our post.  Hope you can find a Crystal Cruise sometime out of New York which works for you.

Carol...Thank you for your very kind comments.  At the conclusion of the cruise we will provide some summaries about packing.  In the past I could get a sense of counties people are from when they provided a passenger book.  World Cruises tend to have a higher age group given the time of year they sail and the length of each segment.  With that said on this first segment we do have some younger people and a few children.  We've met people from several different countries around the world.  Very happy to hear about your hotel choice and hope that you enjoy it as much as we did. Wishing you a wonderful trip.

Bob...I will be sure to pass along your greetings to our friends.

Janie...Glad you have viewed our Blog. The comment form you used is a great way to make comments.  If you have questions if you look at the top tab on the far right hand side it will say contact us and you could use that for questions.

Sophie...Glad you are enjoying the Blog.  The purse has a photo of one of the USA States highlighting places to visit.

We began last evening by attending the Captain's Quarters Reception.  It was a Black Tie Optional (BTO) evening.  They hold this one or more times depending on the length of the voyage.  With this voyage being 26 days in length they have already held it a few times.  It provides a nice opportunity to chat with senior officers and senior staff and fellow guests.  They serve various drinks along with Canapés.  Captain Giske and Crystal Society Hostess Alissa welcomed each guest to the Captain's Quarters.  

It was a full house with many guests at the quarters and a fun event.

Photos with World Cruise Hostess Alissa and Captain Giske.

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These are the dinner menus from Waterside.

We dined at Waterside for the first of the next two nights.

We had Ahi Tuna (Keith) and Shrimp Cocktail (Anne Marie) for the appetizer, followed by an appetizer size salad of the Salad Entree.  The appetizer for Keith was the tastiest of the dished.  We both had Pan Seared Char fish for the entree.  It was one of the less creative entrees we have had.

We enjoyed some Chablis wine which is part of inclusive and we also sent a bottle of Merlot for dinner which is not part of inclusive.  Both wines were terrific.

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After dinner we listened to Carlos Rayan play guitar at the Crystal Cove.  From time-to-time Keith plays Paddle Tennis with him.

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We went to a cocktail party at Al and Jeff's suite.  It was very well attended and we spoke with  guests and members of team Serenity.  It was a lot of fun and we very much appreciate the invitation.  We had seen Al and Jeff the night before for drinks and canapés.  

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The main entertainment for the evening featured Cruise Director Gary Hunter.  In addition to being a Cruise Director Gary is a Ventriloquist.  Gary had been a Cruise Director on another cruise line and before coming to Crystal Cruises he would perform on Crystal as a Ventriloquist.  When Serenity made its debut, Gary was selected to be one of the two Cruise Directors.  Also performing is the very talented Violinist Irina Guskova.  They performed at Stardust providing a very intimate venue for their performances.

Once again, we slept well as we sailed to Pago Pago of American Samoa.  The seas were relatively calm.  We stayed with our same routine which included an early morning workout for Keith followed by breakfast in our room.

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States. It consists of seven main islands and two coral atolls.  

We arrived to Pago Pago at 9:00 AM.  It is the capital of American Samoa It is covered with ferns, breadfruit and pandanus trees and has been populated by Polynesians for 2,500 plus years.  

The town is a ten-minute walk from the Cruise Ship pier.

Major attractions include:

The Cause P.F. Sunai Ocean Center which includes a Marine Sanctuary.

The Jean P Haydon Museum which was contructed in 1913.  The museum is dedicated to the culture and history of American Samoa.

Church of the Sacred Hearth which was built in the year 2001.  

Fagatogo Market which includes fruits and vegetables and fresh fish.

National Part of American Samoa.

Some views from the ship.

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We didn't select a tour.  Lack of Air Conditioning on the buses would have been an issue for Anne Marie.  It would have been a nice way to see the scenic part of the island.  We walked into town.  Since it was Sunday only a couple of places were open.  It was hot because of the combination of the temperature and humidity.  

We passed two churches holding services.  The locals we spoke with were not pushy and friendly. We purchased one shirt for Keith.  

Other than Honolulu we don't have any tours on this segment of the World Cruise.  We have two tours planned for the next segment and a total of twelve tours while sailing Serenity.  We have pre-cruise tours planned for the River Cruise along with several from the Mozart River Cruise Vessel.

Once on the ship we enjoyed lunch at Marketplace followed by a one hour walk for Anne Marie and more Paddle Tennis for Keith.  We enjoyed conversations with guests and crew and read and wrote.

This evening we return to Waterside for dinner and plan to go to the special show.

We cross the International Dateline and have two days at sea before our next port-of-call.

The daily Reflections Program follows.

​Anne Marie & Keith

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