Princess Cruises Made A Difference In South Pacific Relief Efforts

While many people view cruise travel as simply fun in the sun (if not downright decadent), that's not always the reality. When Star Princess and Sun Princess called in Apia, Samoa and Pago Pago, American Samoa weekend before last, the ships brought along some much needed relief supplies and more than $10,000 in donations for the region that was recently hit with a powerful tsunami.

The ships off-loaded pallets of bottled water, sugar, flour, linens, and clothing donated by passengers and crew, plus treats of candy and chocolate for the children. In addition, in Pago Pago, both ships welcomed Red Cross relief workers onboard for some relief of their own, with hot showers, use of the ships’ laundries, phone calls home, and lunch.

The ship captains conveyed the heartfelt sympathy and support of Princess crew and passengers for the people of Samoa during this difficult time, and informed local officials that the Princess Cruises Community Foundation is donating $10,000 to the Red Cross for relief efforts in Samoa and American Samoa.

The ships also conducted their own fundraising for the relief efforts, including donations from their Crew Club funds, contributions received from passengers and crew, and money raised from auctions of the ships’ navigational charts used during the cruises.

In Apia, the Honorable Misa Telfoni, the minister of tourism and deputy prime minister, was touched by the generosity of Princess Cruises. He made particular mention of the Princess crew and their donation which he described as “random acts of kindness and love” which would greatly assist in the recovery and renewed growth of the area.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available on the company's website at Princess.com.