Some say that the historic Italian Navy vessel currently in Hawaiʻi is the most beautiful ship in the world. You can judge for yourself.
The three-masted Amerigo Vespucci is docked at Honolulu Harbor to resupply as it makes its way around the globe. Starting Thursday afternoon, the public can tour the 93-year-old ship for free.
Amerigo Vespucci last visited Honolulu in 2002 during its first global tour. It's named after an Italian explorer who lived from 1451 to 1512.
The ship also trains cadets from the Italian Naval Academy. Capt. Giuseppe Lai is commanding about 400 crew members, including 115 cadets.
"At the end of the first year, they embark onboard Vespucci for the very first time in their life in order to have a sea baptism, we say. Besides that, Vespucci is also a floating embassy, it's an asset of naval diplomacy for Italy," Lai told HPR. "To have also this mission to spread the culture and the values and traditions of our country, which is really, it's an honor for me to be doing that."
Residents and visitors can tour the ship for free, no reservations necessary, at Pier 9 near Aloha Tower from Thursday to Sunday at various times. Click here for more information.
Upcoming stops on its 32-country tour include Tokyo, Singapore, India and more. It departed from Italy in July 2023 and plans to return in February 2025.
This interview aired on The Conversation on July 25, 2024. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.
