PLEASURE CRUISE

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1930, Page 2

PLEASURE CRUISE

AMERICAN TOURISTS ARRIVE,

WELLINGTON, November 2S.

“A cross section of the great 'American public,” is how Mr Louis _ P. Stone, cruise director of the American Express Company, describes the tourists on the Malolo, which arrived at Wellington -to-day from Sydney on a Pacific .pleasure cruise; Mr Stone made it clear that those on board were not millionaires. They did not like to be labelled as such when their incomes in many cases -were what one might call modest. .. «

“Retired business men and widows enjoying their life’s savings are■ among our travellers,” said Mr Stone, “and the fact that Indies predominate to Bueh'an extent'may he ascribed to the fact that women have more leisure than men. It is so. on any cruise, and now" in' these times of business depression the husbands find it' more necessary than ever to be close to their business,. The. cruise, is limited to ninety days, covering 24,000 miles. In every port there is the same trouble the limited .stay. The cruise has to be worked on a plan that is, best for everybody, and next year the itinerary may be different. It is hoped that the cruise on the Pacific will become an annual event.”

Mr Stone said that, because of the depression, other tourist cruises were beine cancelled, but bis company and the Matson Company, although there were only 174 passengers, on board, decided to carry on feeling that it was better to operate even at a loss than to cancel the cruise than at a later date try to regain their position in the world tours.