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MSC Cruises has gone a step further by suspending its operations in the region altogether, canceling several sailings of MSC Musica and MSC Sinfonia until October 26, 2023. The Celebrity Apex has rerouted its calls from Israel and Egypt to Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes for the October 6 and October 16 sailings. "So if a passenger felt unsafe, you could approach the cruise company and see if you can amend the booking rather than cancel the booking, so for example to a later date, but their rights will be subject to the terms and conditions in the cruise contract." The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said its members "adjust itineraries as needed in the best interest of passengers and crew". "Nearly all cruise lines have in their terms and conditions that they can make changes at any time," she said.
Which Cruise Lines Have Suspended Operations in Israel? - Cruise Hive
Which Cruise Lines Have Suspended Operations in Israel?.
Posted: Tue, 17 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
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The company said in a statement Thursday it “revamped” its 2024 schedule to replace ports of call in Israel, Egypt and Jordan. Silversea Cruises, one of five brands owned by Royal Caribbean Group and based in Monaco, also offers trips to Israel in several Mediterranean itineraries, according to the cruise line’s website. It is not immediately clear whether Silversea Cruises has changed or will change upcoming itineraries.
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In an emailed statement Friday afternoon, Royal Caribbean International said all calls to Israel on the Celebrity Infinity are canceled through April 2024 while itineraries have been changed for three ships in summer and fall of 2024. All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee. MSC is Europe's biggest cruise line and a major player in Eastern Mediterranean sailings.
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Guests will receive a 100% refund, including taxes and fees, pre-paid packages and gratuities, amenities, shore excursions, any flights purchased through Royal Caribbean, and pre-purchased Royal Caribbean Travel Protection. "As you may be aware already, the geopolitical situation in Israel is escalating," Royal Caribbean wrote in an email to guests booked on these sailings. Even if you're traveling in the summer, you never know when you may come across a breezy day or chilly evening so it's best to be prepared with a light sweater or jacket. If you choose to cruise during the winter in Israel, expect heavy rain and bring an umbrella and waterproof jacket. When visiting religious sites, dress modestly and for women especially, wear sleeves below the elbow and skirts below the knees.
Windstar Cruises
Destination-focused, port-intensive European line Celestyal Cruises has canceled port visits in Israel through the end of November. A port call in Ashdod, for day trips to Jerusalem, had been part of the line’s seven-night Three Continents itinerary on the 1,260-passenger Celestyal Journey. The itinerary also includes Alexandria, Egypt, and calls in Cyprus, Greece, and Türkiye.
On October 24, Windstar announced Star Legend would instead be deployed to the Mediterranean, offering cruises from Rome (Civitavecchia) to Barcelona or reverse between December 2023 and April 2024. Ports of call include Nice, Monte Carlo, Florence (Livorno) and Cannes on select voyages. Cruise lines have begun canceling itineraries scheduled to call on the Middle East as the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip escalates.
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We are notifying guests and travel advisors of changes directly,” the cruise line said in a statement shared with Cruise Critic. "Our global security team is closely watching the evolving situation in Israel," read a short statement sent by the spokesperson, Jonathon Fishman. "For the safety and security of our guests, we're adjusting several itineraries in the area. Impacted guests are being notified directly."
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Cruises detouring away from war-torn Israel - CBS News
Cruises detouring away from war-torn Israel.
Posted: Wed, 11 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The line becomes the third cruise operator to fully pull its ships out of the region due to the ongoing conflict. “The safety of passengers and crew is the number one priority and as there was no viable alternative itinerary, the Company has regrettably had to cancel the voyages. “The safety of our guests, crew, and the communities we visit is always our top priority. Our Global Security teams continue to monitor the evolving situation in the Red Sea. In an abundance of caution, we have adjusted select itineraries of Silver Moon, Silver Spirit, and Silver Whisper.
Cruising in the Red Sea, the Orchestra was scheduled to offer a series of cruises to Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia between November 2023 and April 2024. As the conflict in Israel continues to impact the cruise market, there are a handful of cancellations and redeployments. As of press time, Viking is continuing its 2023 Nile River departures in Egypt as scheduled. Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings has cancelled Israel calls not only for the remainder of 2023, but for all of 2024.
“It will be a while before people are comfortable going back to Israel which is why we are canceling all Israel calls in 2024,” said Harry Sommer, president and CEO, speaking on the company’s third quarter earnings call. As for next year, he quipped about the chances for a better cruise season to come, "Hopefully next season on Jewel will happen as planned, and there will come a moment again when our biggest concern will be 'is the deluxe package worth it'". Leeor Plotkin is an Israeli that had a cruise booked on Rhapsody of the Seas for the November 1st sailing and sees more important priorities at the moment than a cruise.
Windstar Cruises is the only cruise line to have cancelled cruises to or from Dubai thus far. Dubai is the primary cruise port in the Arabian Gulf and widely considered to be the most stable, secure and safe city in the Middle East, and one of the safest in the world. Royal Caribbean’s cancellation of its cruise season in Israel is also reminiscent of a similar move made in 2021 during the last bout of fighting when Odyssey of the Seas was pulled out of Israel.
Others, like Costa, have elected to sail ships empty through the Suez Canal en-route to their spring European cruise seasons. For the most part, the lines canceling calls in Israel are substituting extra sea days or stops in additional ports in Greece or Turkey. Norwegian Jade replaced planned visits to Ashdod and Haifa on Wednesday and Thursday with stops in Bodrum on Tuesday and Marmaris on Wednesday. The ship, which is on a weeklong round-trip sailing from Athens, will spend a day at sea Thursday. If choosing not to rebook, Royal Caribbean will provide a full refund of the paid portion of the cruise fare (including non-refundable deposits), as well as any pre-paid amenities to the original form of payment. After suspending all of its remaining sailings from Haifa in 2023, the U.S.-based company also cancelled its 2024 program out of the port.
Jewel of the Seas was slated to be homeported in Haifa, Israel from August to October 2024, with itineraries ranging from 3- to 10-nights. Royal Caribbean is asking those who had booked reservations for the expedition and are looking for a refund to call customer service or check their email for more information. Cruising to Israel with Celebrity offers you the chance to explore one of the world's oldest and most historic countries in luxury.
The 65,542-gross ton MSC Sinfonia is a Lirica-class ship, able to welcome 2,087 guests aboard at double occupancy, or up to 2,679 passengers when fully booked, with more than 700 crew members aboard. Haifa, Rhodes, and Limassol have all been removed from the itineraries to accommodate different sailing routes and port schedules. Now, the ship will set sail from Genoa and call on Rome, Messina, Athens (Piraeus), Izmir, and Heraklion before returning to Genoa. These changes follow the already cancelled cruises and adjusted itineraries for each vessel, a decision the cruise line made immediately after the escalation of tensions in Israel. A total of 11 sailings have been revised with new ports of call that will help keep guests safe from the conflict while still enjoying amazing destinations in the eastern Mediterranean.
