Why are we going to Lesbos

Why is Oceania taking us to Lesbos on Tuesday 8th Sept:confused: We are due to port at Mitilini. Lesbos for 9 hours. If you are not up to date with the current news or on holiday on Mars then you are excused but to be serious, Oceania is taking us to a refugee base for the migrants trying to leave the Island by whatever means to get to mainland Greece. The newspaper photos coming out of Mitilini (UK Daily Mail, dated 4 Sept) show migrants rioting on the port streets, throwing stones and rocks at police who are reported to be firing stun grenades into the crowds to disperse them. Not the quiet Greek Island we are expecting!!! I for one will be staying on board for the day and questions to Oceania are going to be asked:(

Maybe you will have a sea day instead

I just looked at your itinerary I am surprised the cruise was not cancelled as most of the ports are in Greece & Turkey where the refugees are heading

So sad

I suspect that the itinerary was set up long before the current crisis arose.

They might change the itinerary if they deem the port unsafe, as they have done for other ports (Egypt, Israel, etc).

Why is Oceania taking us to Lesbos on Tuesday 8th Sept:confused: We are due to port at Mitilini. Lesbos for 9 hours. If you are not up to date with the current news or on holiday on Mars then you are excused but to be serious, Oceania is taking us to a refugee base for the migrants trying to leave the Island by whatever means to get to mainland Greece. The newspaper photos coming out of Mitilini (UK Daily Mail, dated 4 Sept) show migrants rioting on the port streets, throwing stones and rocks at police who are reported to be firing stun grenades into the crowds to disperse them. Not the quiet Greek Island we are expecting!!! I for one will be staying on board for the day and questions to Oceania are going to be asked:(

Let's be realistic, Oceania probably isn't thrilled with the prospect of sending their hundred million dollar investment there either....:cool:

On the other hand, we were in Athens during the opening salvos of this "situation", and although the TV screens at home were filled with reports of rioting and looting, much of it supposedly taking place in the plaza just outside of our hotel (the Grand Bretagne) we never saw a single untoward thing.

It's at times like that when you can almost believe what all the movie stars say about "what you read in the papers".

ceejilly,

Your location brought back many memories. I played Luffenham Heath golf course for many years. Do you know it?

Barry

I seem to remember the Daily Mail photo report about migrants a while back on another Greek island (can't recall which one) being proven totally inaccurate and mostly staged), so can't take the paper as a reference too seriously.

If you're worried then stay on board.......

For non UK readers, the Daily Mail makes Fox News seem rather liberal as a news source, people forget that the Mail and the Rothermere empire have a pro fascist/Adolf H/Mussolini history.

This cruise was re jigged last year. The original cruise for this date was The Black Sea. This had to be changed as the majority of the Black Sea ports were no longer accessible.

Who knew that the replacement Greek and Turkish ports would become problematical?

We are just going to have to make the best of it, I am afraid. Hopefully the sun will be shining, something we have missed in the UK this summer, and we will be spending a lot more time on board than we planned. You never know, it might be possible for Captain to take Riviera somewhere else at the last minute. Where "somewhere else" might be goodness only knows. Or possibly this situation is being exaggerated by the Press? It is a dreadful, dreadful dilemma that Europe finds itself in and for the moment no-one is able to find a solution. J

I seem to remember the Daily Mail photo report about migrants a while back on another Greek island (can't recall which one) being proven totally inaccurate and mostly staged)' date=' so can't take the paper as a reference too seriously.

 

If you're worried then stay on board.......

 

For non UK readers, the Daily Mail makes Fox News seem rather liberal as a news source, people forget that the Mail and the Rothermere empire have a pro fascist/Adolf H/Mussolini history.[/quote']

 

I find your post rather offensive, I'm not interested in your political persuasion

just in the facts. The Rothermere empire (Lord Rothermere) had formed a friendship with Hitler, Mussolini and not forgetting Mosley long before the start of the Second World War. The modern Daily Mail is now a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper, second biggest selling newspaper with a circulation of over 1,500,000 copies and it's political stance is Conservative.

That is where the newspaper stands in the UK and a newspaper that writes honest reports.

If you think that the riots in Mitilini. Lesbos are Staged or Air-Brushed or PhotoShoped then you are mislead. With thanks to the next thread, it shows clearly the kind of activity being expressed at this moment in Lesbos. So please do not try and convince fellow cruisers that it's a figment of your imagination.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3222419/Riots-erupt-Greek-island-Lesbos-200-frustrated-refugees-throw-stones-police-coastguard-officials-blocked-getting-mainland-bound-ferry.html

Thankyou Christine for your thread, I do not know how you managed to embed the Daily Mail article, I tried but failed:confused: Pictures are worth a thousand words.:)

ceejilly,

Your location brought back many memories. I played Luffenham Heath golf course for many years. Do you know it?

Barry

We have lived in Rutland for over thirty years now and I am aware of Luffenham Heath golf course, though not as a golfer. My activity is being a sailing Instructor on Rutland Water, teaching the disabled how to sail. Whatever your sport Rutland and it's open places is a wonderful County to live in. Craig

I rang the UK office this morning, they don't seem to have watched the news this morning. There has been no change. No one in the office in the USA until Tuesday. Although the situation is critical there are also problems in bodrum. What are Oceania doing not keeping us informed.

Ll1234

Here is a quote from Islandhalls on the Regent board.

quote"Well, we made it to Izmir and we are now in Istanbul, but the stop in Lesbos was disturbing, according to those who went ashore (we did not.) We were told the town was unsanitary, with human excrement on the streets. There were refugees that had been rescued when their boat was sinking, and there were altercations with the local authorities. Many guests are quite upset they were not warned about the conditions ashore. We dined with an officer earlier in the cruise who told me the refugees would not be where we were going. We were in the Observation Lounge while we were sailing away and there was a small boat approaching Lesbos and filled with people, most agreed it was more refugees. I felt so .... I don't know, sad and uncomfortable being in such luxury. My husband and I agree we will find an appropriate charity to donate on our return home. The ship is scheduled to return on Monday, I will be staying on board."quote

Why would O even subject their passengers to this and make it a port stop??

i can't believe that they have not kept us informed to see the latest read this. Riots erupt on Lesbos as 200 refugees throw stones at police

via MailOnline for iPhone

The clashes erupted as EU officials visiting Greece promised more help to countries on the frontline of a refugee crisis that has seen hundreds of people, many fleeing war and poverty, arriving every day.

Read full article

Copy and paste it this in Google and it will give you the latest

Reading the story and looking at the pictures it looks like a very sad and chaotic time there. Sitting on a cruise ship eating and drinking in excess as we sailed past a half sinking boat filled with people fleeing a war would really make me feel rotten.

This cruise gets sadder by the day.

We have known for some time about the problems in Lesbos and Bodrum, and for the UK office to feign ignorance about this is very poor customer relations. I suppose they hope it will go away. Very, very sadly, it will not. Every day brings a new crisis.

I must admit, I thought if we stayed on board it would still be a nice holiday but now I am getting more concerned.

The Greeks need our euros, and if we do not go ashore neither does our money. It is a double wammy for them.

Maybe they will avoid all ports with the trouble & refugees

A cruise to no where

It is not like they can just pull up to another port & dock there so expect a change in your itinerary

It is a very sad situation in Europe right now

I agree so sad, such suffering. I would prefer if they didn't have to see an opulent cruise liner, why should they have to see people on holiday when they are in such turmoil.

I find your post rather offensive, I'm not interested in your political persuasion

just in the facts. The Rothermere empire (Lord Rothermere) had formed a friendship with Hitler, Mussolini and not forgetting Mosley long before the start of the Second World War. The modern Daily Mail is now a daily middle-market tabloid newspaper, second biggest selling newspaper with a circulation of over 1,500,000 copies and it's political stance is Conservative.

That is where the newspaper stands in the UK and a newspaper that writes honest reports.

If you think that the riots in Mitilini. Lesbos are Staged or Air-Brushed or PhotoShoped then you are mislead. With thanks to the next thread, it shows clearly the kind of activity being expressed at this moment in Lesbos. So please do not try and convince fellow cruisers that it's a figment of your imagination.

Committed Telegraph reader here....no political agenda in my post, will never trust anything written in a Rothermere rag.

We were there a little more than a year ago.

It was a lovely quiet island and we were there on a day of celebration. The residents were so proud of their island - it was an independence day type of celebration.

On a recent Azamara itinerary they did cancel that port.

Like Kos, it is receiving a very large number of refugees.

Thus the conditions on that island may necessitate special consideration.

Perhaps after the comments from passengers and crew that visited Lesbos on Regent's Mariner yesterday, they may rethink stopping in Lesbos on Oceania on the 8th and Regent on the 17th. I'll be watching this thread to learn what Oceania decides to do.

thanks for that 😀

There are now close to 25,000 refugees on the Island. Considering the population size of 80,000 and limited resources -- that is ripe for trouble.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/11848150/Refugee-crisis-Syria-and-foreign-aid-budget-David-Cameron-in-Parliament-live.html

Oh dear