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Royal Caribbean made the first move, cancelling its homeporting season in Haifa, Israel aboard Rhapsody of the Seas, followed by several other cruise lines that had port calls scheduled for Haifa and Ashdod. In terms of its ocean cruises, Viking modified the remaining 2023 departures of its Cities of Antiquities & the Holy Land itinerary between Rome and Athens to drop a day in Ashdod and overnight in Haifa. Instead on the 14-night sailings on the 930-passenger Viking Venus, Viking Neptune, and Viking Saturn, between Rome and Athens, the company is subbing an overnight in Valletta, Malta, and expanding a visit to Cyprus into an overnight call.
With war, cruise ships may be away from Israel for extended period - Travel Weekly
With war, cruise ships may be away from Israel for extended period.
Posted: Tue, 10 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Red Sea Attacks and Ongoing War Lead to More Canceled Cruises in Middle East
Those booked on the May 5th cruise were notified via email that they will now have an extra hour in Chania (Souda), Crete, Greece. Additionally, the ship will call in Mykonos, Greece and Ephesus (Kusadasi), Turkey instead of visiting Israel. Those originally booked on Grandeur of the Seas will be able to select one of three different itineraries. The first departs on September 22, 2024 and visits Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John (Bay of Fundy), New Brunswick; and Portland, Maine. "Unfortunately, this means your upcoming October 7, 2024 sailing has been cancelled."
Why Cruise to Israel With Celebrity Cruises
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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"Firstly, as a business, our thoughts are with those impacted by the events in Israel," said Celestyal CEO Chris Theophilides in a statement provided to Cruise Critic. "We wish for the safety of all the souls affected and a rapid return of peace to the country. MSC says the changes were made due to the ongoing situation in Israel and uncertainty with countries in the surrounding area, as countries impose entry restrictions and governments issue travel warnings and advisories to various parts of the region. "The ship was originally scheduled to sail in the Middle East. We’ve postponed our launch in that region to begin in November 2024,” said Windstar Cruises President Christopher Prelog.
"No choice but to cancel"
Other cruise lines with departures cancelled due to the conflict include Mano Cruises. Serving the Israeli market, the company suspended all of its cruise operations in October. MSC Cruises also cancelled the upcoming winter seasons of two of its ships, the MSC Orchestra and the MSC Sinfonia. Cruises to Israel embark in the ancient cities of Athens or Rome and sail along the shores of the eastern Mediterranean sea. You’ll sail for 10, 11, or 12 nights and stop at ports like Ashdod, Alexandria, Kusadasi, Limassol, Haifa, and more, depending on your itinerary.
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.
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.
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.
Night Egypt & The Holy Land: Rhodes OvernightDetails
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.
According to them, the ship's captain addressed the crew over the PA system and explained that the crisis between Israel and Palestine had become too volatile and the ship would redeploy elsewhere. The program was replaced with a new series of itineraries in the Western Mediterranean. Introducing Valencia as a homeport, the seven-night cruises feature visits to destinations in Italy, Spain and France. Because the current situation is developing from hour to hour, it is not yet known whether other changes will be necessary to cruise ship itineraries that include Israel in the coming weeks. The remainder of the itinerary – which includes visits to Alexandria, Egypt and Kusadasi, Turkey – is also being adjusted to arrive in Egypt earlier than planned for a longer stay, giving guests the opportunity for more exploration of that vibrant destination.
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.
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.
Walk among ancient ruins in Athens or Rome, visit the Library of Alexandria, and in Israel, explore Old Jaffa and the long, golden beaches of Tel Aviv. No matter what you're looking for, Celebrity Cruises will show you the best of Israel and the Eastern Mediterranean in style and comfort. On a cruise to Israel, you will visit some of the world's most important religious sites in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. In Jerusalem, visit the Western Wall and Dome of the Rock, and walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Take time to see the profoundly moving Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center.
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.
Enjoy amenities like delicious dining, spacious all-suite accommodations at The Retreat, and plenty of sun and relaxation at the Rooftop Garden or Rooftop Terrace. Treat yourself to a one-of-a-kind experience on The Magic Carpet, Celebrity's groundbreaking moveable deck, cantilevered high over the sea as you cruise. Norwegian remains optimistic that the Israel conflict will be short term, company executives said on the earnings call, so the company is bullish about the ability to return to the Middle East soon. "Since Royal set Haifa to be a home port I fell in love with cruising and this was supposed to be my fourth time on Rhapsody." In addition to Jewel, Odyssey of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas have itineraries with planned stops in Israel.
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