Turkey (Kusadasi) dropped October

Just received an email from HAL that our September 28th sailing on Oosterdam has had the expected itinerary change.

Kusadasi (October 6th)has been dropped and two days (October 3rd and 4th overnight) in Athens has been reduced to one day.

Sarande, Albania and Iraklion, Creta have been added.

I am really pleased with this change.

Albania is a somewhere different and I love Crete!

Just received an email from HAL that our September 28th sailing on Oosterdam has had the expected itinerary change.

 

Kusadasi (October 6th)has been dropped and two days (October 3rd and 4th overnight) in Athens has been reduced to one day.

Sarande, Albania and Iraklion, Creta have been added.

 

I am really pleased with this change.

Albania is a somewhere different and I love Crete!

Yes, we're on the same cruise and got the same e-mail. Probably a good decision on HAL's part, although I was so looking forward to seeing Ephesus. Gives me an excuse to try again I suppose.

Now to figure out what to do in Albania and Crete!

Just received an email from HAL that our September 28th sailing on Oosterdam has had the expected itinerary change.

 

Kusadasi (October 6th)has been dropped and two days (October 3rd and 4th overnight) in Athens has been reduced to one day.

Sarande, Albania and Iraklion, Creta have been added.

 

I am really pleased with this change.

Albania is a somewhere different and I love Crete!

Got the same, all ports in Turkey cancelled for the remainder of the year, replaced by Santorini and Rhodos

Interesting to see that HAL has made this adjustment. During the Arab spring, they stuck to the scheduled stops in Tunisia despite it undergoing regime change.

While the risk to tourists is small, and the loss to the local economy is tremendous from such a change, it is understandable. HAL must put passenger safety as its first priority, notwithstanding the fact that Kusadasi is far removed from the areas where terror attacks have occurred..

I am so glad we did an Adriatic cruise last year. Kusadasi was a vibrant, modern port with warm and friendly people, and the ruins of Ephesus were spectacular and bucket list worthy.

I am on the Eurodam Sept. 27 onwards and seen Kusadasi replaced by Albany. Need to find a nice company and plan a tour, since I've never been there before. :confused:

For those going to Crete for the first time: you should love it. Although Iraklion is basically a large city (and not very pretty in that sense) it has a lot to offer. Knossos is nice, the new archeological museum is FINALLY finished and within port's reach without difficulty. A cab should not be expensive and there is a Venetian fort next to the harbor (closed last june when I was there). If you fancy a Starbucks you can find one too. :cool:

A day does not give you the time to get far as Crete is large. I would stick to Iraklion if this is your first time. Rethimnon if you are looking for an alternative. About an hour's drive per way, maybe a little more.

Yes, we're on the same cruise and got the same e-mail. Probably a good decision on HAL's part, although I was so looking forward to seeing Ephesus. Gives me an excuse to try again I suppose.

 

Now to figure out what to do in Albania and Crete!

If you are going to Heraklion (Iraklion) Crete, Knossos is a good trip. Its in good condition and not far away. Further afield is Rethymnon and Chania but its a day trip from Heraklion.

We are on Eurodam at end september and we have also been given Sarande in Albania as a replacement. I believe there is a place called Butrint which is medieval ruins. But I am yet to find out how to get there. I think I read its about 18 miles away.

If you are going to Heraklion (Iraklion) Crete, Knossos is a good trip. Its in good condition and not far away. Further afield is Rethymnon and Chania but its a day trip from Heraklion.

 

We are on Eurodam at end september and we have also been given Sarande in Albania as a replacement. I believe there is a place called Butrint which is medieval ruins. But I am yet to find out how to get there. I think I read its about 18 miles away.

Yes, have been looking at Butrint as well. Looks interesting. Thanks for the tip on Knossos - would like to go out that way also.

Butrint is a lovely site outside Sarande, with mainly Roman/Byzantine ruins dating from Late Antiquity (not medieval).

It has been excavated nicely and it is well worth a visit, if only to get out of Sarande (a not very pretty city, to be polite) and see some of the countryside surrounding. There is a good road there, which was just completed a few years ago. HAL will almost certainly offer an excursion there, but there is also a local bus and/or the possibility to arrange a private guide.