Cruise liner to return to Pagan, Maug next year

The Silver Explorer cruise liner will be returning to the Northern Islands in June of 2016 and 2017, according to Northern Islands Mayor Jerome K. Aldan.

He said the cruise liner’s return trip is largely due to the “Discover Pagan” promotion and marketing effort.

The Silver Explorer first visited the Northern Islands in September last year and has chosen to visit Pagan and Maug next year and the year after.

Both trips will carry passengers from Europe, the United States, and Asia on a two-weeklong voyage, according to Aldan and Gordon Marciano of Pacific Development Inc. PDI is the local ground agent for Silver Explorer. Participants will be visiting the islands to bird watch.

“Unlike last year’s inaugural voyage to Pagan, next year’s cruise will feature a maiden stopover in Maug the next day after a ground tour on Pagan Island,” Aldan said.

The cruise vessel will also stop by Guam in 2016 and 2017, as it did in 2014.

“Guam’s former archaeologist Dave Lotz joined the 12-day inaugural voyage last September from Japan to Pagan, down to Saipan and Tinian, and then disembarked in Guam. He had to take a plane to Japan to take the cruise liner back to Guam,” he added.

Also interested in visiting the Northern Islands is Japan’s Seisa group of school.

Aldan said that Seisa college’s spokesperson, Kuniko Sasaki, recently expressed an interest in a summer study tour of Pagan, adding to the group’s annual education and cultural exchange program with Marianas High School on Saipan.

Others have also shown an interest in a safari adventure on the frontier islands, including the High Pointers climbers based in the U.S. This year the group made a successful climb atop the Agrigan peak, after its initial attempt was foiled the year before.

The group plans another ascent of the peak next year.

“More interested individuals include Oleg Tchernychenko, a Russian tour agent from Belka Tours, who personally visited my office in July this year to discuss the feasibility of an Anatahan tour,” Aldan said.

“Tchemychenko expressed interest in organizing and marketing individual or group tours to the Northern Islands of Anatahan,” he added. “There is really big interest in touring our Northern Islands and it is great for eco-tourism, sightseeing, and many other activities that a lot of tourists and visitors can enjoy.”