Melo Villareal
One of the world’s most famous ships has arrived in Manila. The SS Oriana out of Southampton, England decided to ignore travel warnings from some of the most developed countries in the world so that the passengers could enjoy the beauty and hospitality of the Philippine Islands. In total more than 1800 guests from the ship, mostly American, Australian, and British paid the port call along with more than 800 crew which included 150 Philipppine Residents who were happy to step back on their home turf.
Oriana Cruise Ship
The passengers and crew debarked at 8:00 am Monday morning in South Harbor’s Pier 13 in Manila. There was a sense of excitement among the passengers and even the ships Polish captain spoke with media about the possibilities to be explored in Manila.
Manila with it’s wealth of cultural activities, shopping, sight seeing, and museums was a much anticipated stop for those on board the ship and when the warnings came from state departments around the world, the captain and crew weighed the options carefully. After some consideration, they decided that the stop was both safe and too important to miss. The passengers were relieved to make port and after the end of a day of fun ecstatic.
British World Cruise Ship Oriana arrives in Manila
From Corregidor and Tagaytay to historic sites and attractions in Manila, the day was a fun filled one with bus loads of tourists showing up at shopping malls and finding great shopping and more than a few surprised stares from the locals. It wasn’t all hedonism though, as nearly thirty of the passengers visited the SOS Children’s Village in Alabang. The cruise line, P & O Tours wants to encourage responsible tourism and this is one of the first measures they are taking to do so.
British Tourists in Manila
This was the biggest cruise group to ever visit the orphanage and one of the biggest cruise groups to ever make port in Manila. You can be sure, it won’t be the last one. Responsible tourism is becoming a major force in the world of tourism and more and more companies like P & O are focusing on getting involved now. The days of tourists simply exploiting those who they visit in foreign lands are quickly disappearing and these days companies and government agencies are working hard to make sure that the benefits of tourism are spread evenly in communities, especially to those who traditionally have been left out.
Through responsible tourism efforts and concepts like ‘Volunteerism’, travelers and travel companies are making a difference in the world – a positive difference.
As the SS Oriana left Pier 19 there were more than a few hugs and embraces exchanged between passengers and friends they had met while visiting in Manila.
