The cruise vessel Pacific Venus called into Majuro last week, much to the delight of locals and the tourism sector. They were serenaded at RRE’s Shoreline area with Marshallese music and hospitality, as many local businesses and tourism-related businesses set up booths with products for sale.
MIHS students sang for passengers and MIVA’s General Manager Brenda Alik presents the Pacific Venus’ captain with a handicraft gift during the welcome ceremony.
The visit last week of the Pacific Venus cruise vessel to the Marshall Islands was marred by the drowning death of a 70-year-old visitor from the vessel. Japanese visitor Osamu Okuno was among 160 tourists who came ashore for the day-long visit.
Okuno signed up for an ocean tour as part of the visiting package offered by the cruise ship at Eneko island for swimming and snorkeling and lunch. Okuno apparently became separated from other snorkelers and was later found face down in the water. Attempts to revive him with CPR onshore proved unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on arrival later that afternoon at Majuro hospital.
Read more about this in the January 27, 2017 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.