Trouble in the Middle East we Re going on a cruise to the Holy land in Septmber visit

Thompsons cruise celebration

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I am wondering the exact same thing we are travelling on 29th September are you too? It dosent look good when you see news reports😱

You'll be lucky. We go in two weeks on celebration to the Greek Islands and Black Sea. Thomsons have kicked off Ukraine and we now go to Bulgaria instead. The only reason I know is that I looked at the latest itinerary on line. My TA confirmed it after contacting Thomson on my behalf. We have had no notification from Thomson at all. I am sure they made the right call, but as a paying customer it would have been nice to have the courtesy of a letter or call.

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This sounds exactly like ours we were originally doing Egypt but was take off no letter no nothing they're customer services is terrible have little faith I will be told if we don't go to Israel either...

This sounds exactly like ours we were originally doing Egypt but was take off no letter no nothing they're customer services is terrible have little faith I will be told if we don't go to Israel either...

A little update for you :eek::eek: Read .. Missiles and cruise ship

Hope they sort you out soon :)

That is just crazy I rung thomson but they say there is no word on it and that it is still 2 months away yes I hope it gets sorted was really looking forward to seeing Israel

This sounds exactly like ours we were originally doing Egypt but was take off no letter no nothing they're customer services is terrible have little faith I will be told if we don't go to Israel either...

We were advised that Egypt was cancelled via email. Do they have your email details? Not saying them not informing you by other means is right, but it might be worth looking into.

There has also been another mailing recently about the Visa system in Turkey having changed. Cruise passengers are no longer waived. You have to pay £20 when you arrive in Dalaman (new notes) but you can pre-visa via their website. I have attached the email content below, but obviously removed our personal bits ;)

Turkey Visa Information

Thank you for choosing to travel with Thomson Cruises. We’re writing to give you some important information about your cruise.

You may be aware that Turkey have recently changed their visa requirements, introducing an E-visa for purchase before travel.

Previously we’ve had an arrangement with the local authorities in Marmaris and Dalaman that meant cruise-only customers were exempt from needing entry visas – as cruise-only customers are classed as ‘in-transit’.

Unfortunately the new regulations don’t currently have the option to implement a visa waiver scheme. The local authorities are still working with the Turkish government to resolve this but have advised us, in the meantime, to let you know that you will now need a visa to enter Turkey.

All Cruise & Stay or Stay & Cruise customers already need to buy the visa, as well as anyone on a beach holiday.

You can buy your visa for $20 online before you travel by visiting www.evisa.gov.tr

Or, you can purchase it on arrival at Dalaman Airport for £20 UK Sterling cash.

If you’d like any more information about visas, go online to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – www.mfa.gov.tr – or the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/turkey/entry-requirements

We hope we’ve explained that clearly but if you’ve got any questions you can visit your local travel agent, chat to us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thomsoncruises or give us a call on 0800 009 3870.

We hope you have a fantastic time onboard.

I would still check My Thomson to make sure they have your email details.

Hi

Yes I got the turkey visa via email but nothing about the port changes my mother booked on a seperate reference received nothing either you would imagine if I received one I should have received the port change but no the shop couldn't even give me a copy of the letter supposedly sent either.

has anyone contacted thomson yet as it seems to be getting worse, we are on the eastern venture on the spirit in oct

Thompsons cruise celebration

 

 

 

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We are going on celebrations on the 8th September to the Ageon and the holy Land I wonder if it will be cancelled it's the Holy Land I most wanted to go to

I will contact Thompsons this week to enquire if there is a change

I have just checked on the foreign office web site and it advising against travel including Ashnood

My patience with Thomson's is wearing extremely thin. You'd think they'd have the decency to let customers know if a significant aspect of their holiday had changed or was about to. They could divert some of the staff who pester you to upgrade onto this.

I'm seriously, seriously thinking of moving to another cruise line.

If the Foreign Office says to avoid specific areas then you can be 100% assured Thomsons will follow that advice to the letter.

It looks as if the IDF are embarking on a ground offensive against militants - and that could escalate into wider operations in the area.

I suspect tourist travel in that part of the world is going to have to be cancelled in the foreseeable future.

thoms wont inform anyone until it is nearer the time and they have made a firm decision (they will follow fo advice)

tbh...most likely it will be the israelis who will probably suspend cruise ships from visiting the port of ashdod (possibly haifa/eilat too) imo

they have already closed some border crossings and sea entry points

the situation could be all over by september (or there could be an escalation....no-one knows?)

it has been well documented for some time that this part of the world is very volatile

appart from the red sea resorts, thomsons are the only airline flying into egypt (into luxor, one flight a week, under cover of darkness)

just one small aircraft a week....half full with a few sturdy brits (and a handful of germans who make the trip overland from sharm)

hotel occupancy is down to 10% in luxor, over 300 nile cruisers are mothballed and not working (just 2 or 3 boats working)....egypt is basically empty of tourists and for a town that its very existence is to service the turist industry.....the people of luxor are trully suffering and to a slightly lesser degree the people of cairo too

yet more suffering in israel/syria/iraq/palestine...........

lets spare a thought for them and not dwell too much on how this may/might be affecting our travel plans

If the Foreign Office says to avoid specific areas then you can be 100% assured Thomsons will follow that advice to the letter.

 

It looks as if the IDF are embarking on a ground offensive against militants - and that could escalate into wider operations in the area.

 

I suspect tourist travel in that part of the world is going to have to be cancelled in the foreseeable future.

Absolutely the case. They are not going to risk passengers' safety in those circumstances. Anyway it's almost certain your personal travel insurance would be invalid - clauses relating to war, civil unrest and travelling against Foreign Office advice. In fact, Thomson's own insurance would probably be invalid in that situation too!!!!!

However they should keep passengers informed - that just isn't on although as geo says by September it could be a different picture.

called thomson this morning the person aked her manager who said they were aware of the fco advise and are reviewing evrything and will let people know what is happen as soon as they know, also called my ta who is calling them to see what they say soon, gonna call me back monday

My patience with Thomson's is wearing extremely thin. You'd think they'd have the decency to let customers know if a significant aspect of their holiday had changed or was about to. They could divert some of the staff who pester you to upgrade onto this.

 

I'm seriously, seriously thinking of moving to another cruise line.

I have. Look at Celebrity. At least they treat their customers with respect.

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I've also rung them but they really are useless in knowing anything they just said since it's not til September they would let me know.... But sure I was never informed about Egypt being taken off so hold little hope of finding out. My question is what happens in this case if it's not going yo Israel I have little interest in goin as my original cruise was called Egypt and the holylands where else would it go? Would you be entitled to a refund? Or transfer?

guys guys...we cant really blame thoms for a lack of respect?...thoms know as little about the ashdod/anywhere else situation as we do?

they cant really be expected to inform passengers of a change when they dont know if there will be a change or not especially when dealing with conflict situations which are usually very fast moving

yes itinerary changes can be very disappointing but we are on a form of transport travelling on the open/international oceans in parts of the world that may or may not be stable....itinerary changes and curtailment can happen at the drop of a hat on any cruise line/ship, for a myriad of reasons? we have to accept that……plus, it is written in the conditions when we book

its a holiday...its leisure time....we dont crucially have to be at a certain place at a certain time as a matter of any urgency...there is always another time

sometimes itinerary changes turn out to be a bonus? thomsons will try and make the best of it for passengers

I usually post on the P and O board, but started reading this one.

No cruise co this far in advance will say they are cancelling. As others have posted it could all of gone quiet by then, and they will be able to go there safely.

I guess they assume people read the news and will know that the possibility of changes may occur.

They would be forever sending out letters etc if it changed, then it didn't change, then it did again.

If you wish to cancel then now is the time to do it, and transfer your booking to another cruise going somewhere less volatile.

We booked a cruise to the holy land just before Christmas a couple of years ago with Pand o. " weeks before missiles started being thrown, so I knew then that we would not be going there.

They handed out letters at the terminal explaining the changes-an overnight in Instanbul.

What amazed me was the no of people who thought it bad that we were not still going there!!!!!

I do agree geo........... they need to keep the situation under review and no need to declare too soon what they will do especially since things can change. And in this circumstance I can accept some delay in giving a decision or information.

However, our experience was certainly poor in anyone's book. We booked in April one year for a cruise for the following year and found out via friends who read the Sept brochure that our cruise had changed by 60% in one week. No conflict, no volcanoes, no political issues - just Thomson changing for their own reasons. (Had to be financial or organisational - but clearly to their advantage whatever.) How come I'd not been informed? They had changed the itinerary beyond recognition, no reason, no explanation, no letter but enough time to reschedule the berthing, send a new itinerary to print and publish a new brochure. Plenty of time methinks to notify those who had booked this cruise. That wasn't showing us much respect especially as they weren't too keen to allow me to change without penalty (I did lose the AI though!) :rolleyes:

We are going October 13 and due to pay on Monday so we'll see what the ta has to say then. I can't see them making any decision at such an early date but I bet they won't defer the payment until they do.

We are going October 13 and due to pay on Monday so we'll see what the ta has to say then. I can't see them making any decision at such an early date but I bet they won't defer the payment until they do.

we are on this too, paid the balnce before the trouble statrted, i remember our cruise which was meant to call in egypt in 2011 when trouble first started over there was only charged within the month before and we got a letter to advise, it must have took a while as they had to change the ports around we missed out egypt, messina and barcelona, went to rhodes, limasol and had an overnight in naples instead, i can imagine it will be the same for this due to where the early ports of the cruise are with isreal being he last 2 days, i imagine we will get an extra sea day though