Amongst the several guest speakers, was Graham Archer, a former British High Commissioner for Malta. As a diplomat he specialised in international relations and conflict resolution.
Archer and his wife went on tour in both Bejaïa and Algiers and were ‘pleasantly surprised’ with the archaeological remains dating back to the Roman Empire. ‘Passengers also very much appreciated the hospitality of the Algerian café owners who kindly provided mint tea, coffee and pastries and all commented on the efficiency of the local traffic police to manoeuvre the buses through the traffic,’ he added.
From Bejaïa, three expert guides, one of whom is the BBC correspondent, another Algeria’s top archaeologist and the other knowledgeable on culture were invited to sail on board to Algiers. That evening they participated in a Q&A session.
In Algiers, most guests visited the archaeological site of Tipasa and the Mausoleum of Mauretania, the Casbah, the National Monument, La Grande Poste, and the French Quarters in the centre of Algiers. In the afternoon, a limited number opted for a unique tour which included a visit to the heritage Hotel El Djazaïr formerly known as the Saint George where Winston Churchill famously met with General Eisenhower in 1943.
A visibly pleased Ivan Mifsud and Mourad Larbi, joint managing directors of Algeria Cruise Services said, ‘it is always a great personal satisfaction for us to see the positive reaction of guests after their Algeria experience.’
