For security reason canceling ports of call

[hathaway42]

I'm sure we are all aware of the security concerns in Israel and several cruise lines have made the decision to not call on Ashodod, last week. I've read that one line choose to stay overnight in Hiffa which would be fine.

I will be on the Pacific Princess on June 20th and have arranged an independent tour for my family which includes an overnight off the ship.

Does anyone know how and when these decisions are made and how they are communicated?

[cruiserbryce]

if I remember reading the stories right the decisions were made during the sailings

[Colo Cruiser]

I'm sure we are all aware of the security concerns in Israel and several cruise lines have made the decision to not call on Ashodod, last week. I've read that one line choose to stay overnight in Hiffa which would be fine.

I will be on the Pacific Princess on June 20th and have arranged an independent tour for my family which includes an overnight off the ship.

Does anyone know how and when these decisions are made and how they are communicated?

 

As Princess says our world climate in these matters is everchanging and decisions are made as needed.

Nobody can predict issues such as these. :)

 

Here is the Princess news release....

 

News Article

 

 

6/8/2010

Statement on Cruise Calls to Israel

 

 

In response to recent inquiries, we would like to clarify why we cancelled the Pacific Princess' call to Ashdod, Israel on June 2. The ship did call at Haifa, Israel the previous day on June 1.

 

Just two days prior to our scheduled call to Ashdod, a violent incident occurred between the Israeli Defense Forces and a flotilla of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. This unfortunate event resulted in several fatalities.

Upon careful review of the situation and information provided by the US State Department and other sources, we were concerned about potential violence in reaction to the incident. Our decision, which was not politically motivated, was made in the best interest of the safety and security of our passengers and crew.

 

Pacific Princess is scheduled to call in Israel at the end of June, and we expect to maintain the published itinerary. However as with all of our ports of call, we continuously monitor information that may affect our ships' routings. Should a decision be made to make any adjustments, affected passengers would be advised as soon as possible.

[Toto2Kansas]

I am not too sure how good of a decision it would be to book a private tour in an area where ports have been cancelled lately. IMHO!

Especially an overnite. Good luck though, I hope everything works out well. Just keep in mind, these decisions are made by the cruise line depending on what is going on in that port, and can change at a moments notice if they feel it is unsafe.

[whale-watcher]

Can you change to two separate one day excursions instead? With the long port times and relatively short distances, you might not even need to cut anything from your itinerary.

[DanJ]

I would be concerned about booking an overnight off the ship, that if a situation arises and the ship doesn't come to the next port as scheduled. It doesn't have to be civil unrest either. I'm sure most of us have had situations where we were within sight of the port only to have the call cancelled. In my case it was high winds preventing the ship from being able to dock.

[caribill]

I would be concerned about booking an overnight off the ship, that if a situation arises and the ship doesn't come to the next port as scheduled. It doesn't have to be civil unrest either. I'm sure most of us have had situations where we were within sight of the port only to have the call cancelled. In my case it was high winds preventing the ship from being able to dock.

 

Princess has two day excursions such as this in Israel and in Eqypt as well as in Asia and Australia. If the 2nd port is not made due to weather, it will affect Princess overnight excursions as well.

[paul929207]

We were on the Ocean Princess last fall. Several people arranged to go on safari from one of the South African ports and rejoin the ship in Port Victoria in the Seychelles. Because of the danger of pirates, our captain decided to skip this port. The people on safari rejoined us 5 days later in Oman.

[dutchess43]

Packing requirement kevlar vests!

[DrivesLikeMario]

We were on the Ocean Princess last fall. Several people arranged to go on safari from one of the South African ports and rejoin the ship in Port Victoria in the Seychelles. Because of the danger of pirates, our captain decided to skip this port. The people on safari rejoined us 5 days later in Oman.

 

Wow! :eek: Can you imagine the expense these poor people had to incur? Also, probably the majority of their luggage was still on the ship. They probably had to pay for hotel, ground transportation and flight(s). What a costly incident!

[Pam in CA]

Wow! :eek: Can you imagine the expense these poor people had to incur? Also, probably the majority of their luggage was still on the ship. They probably had to pay for hotel, ground transportation and flight(s). What a costly incident!

Yup. But those are the chances you take when booking an independent tour.

 

A couple of years ago, we were on the Sapphire from Sydney to LA, and several people opted to take the Princess overnight tour from Fjordland National Park to Dunedin, New Zealand. We were unable to get into Dunedin due to wind and weather so they were flown to Auckland where they spent a couple of days until they could re-board the ship. Because it was a Princess tour, they were taken care of. :)

[whale-watcher]

Take your helmets, bullet proof vests, guns & lots of ammunition. :eek: Good Luck.

 

There are NO concerns about safety and security within Israel. There has been no civil unrest in the country. The concern is that princess would (over-react) and cancel the ashdod port stop, leaving pax stranded if they opted for an overnight private excursion. Other cruise lines opted to overnight in Haifa, giving pax two full port days in Israel.

 

I would have no concerns about planning a land tour to israel, and we will be sending our teenaged dd there later this summer as a graduation gift. NO Kevlar vest on the packing list :-)

[lombard18]

As Princess says our world climate in these matters is everchanging and decisions are made as needed.

Nobody can predict issues such as these. :)

 

Here is the Princess news release....

 

News Article

 

 

6/8/2010

Statement on Cruise Calls to Israel

 

 

In response to recent inquiries, we would like to clarify why we cancelled the Pacific Princess' call to Ashdod, Israel on June 2. The ship did call at Haifa, Israel the previous day on June 1.

 

Just two days prior to our scheduled call to Ashdod, a violent incident occurred between the Israeli Defense Forces and a flotilla of ships carrying aid to the Gaza Strip. This unfortunate event resulted in several fatalities.

Upon careful review of the situation and information provided by the US State Department and other sources, we were concerned about potential violence in reaction to the incident. Our decision, which was not politically motivated, was made in the best interest of the safety and security of our passengers and crew.

 

Pacific Princess is scheduled to call in Israel at the end of June, and we expect to maintain the published itinerary. However as with all of our ports of call, we continuously monitor information that may affect our ships' routings. Should a decision be made to make any adjustments, affected passengers would be advised as soon as possible.

 

time will tell whether the cancellation of the Port of Ashdod was politically motivated or not.....

[cruisemom42]

Take your helmets, bullet proof vests, guns & lots of ammunition. :eek: Good Luck.

 

 

Nice fearmongering. :rolleyes:

 

To the OP: I am on a cruise that stops in Haifa and Ashdod in late September. I am planning independent tours but I will return to the ship at the end of Day 1 rather than do an overnight. I would hope that Princess (or any line) would consider staying two days in Haifa if they cancel Ashdod. As someone else pointed out, distances in Israel are short and most of the sites could still be seen this way. A good guide will work with you.

[Katie333]

Overnights are a risky venture in any port of call. I personally wouldn't book one privately, just me. However, in light of the higher than average probability that it might be canceled, I'd suggest contacting your tour provider and asking about their cancellation policy. Many good tour companies will allow you to cancel penalty free if the ship does not make its scheduled stop.

[pris993]

There are NO concerns about safety and security within Israel. There has been no civil unrest in the country. The concern is that princess would (over-react) and cancel the ashdod port stop, leaving pax stranded if they opted for an overnight private excursion. Other cruise lines opted to overnight in Haifa, giving pax two full port days in Israel.

 

I would have no concerns about planning a land tour to israel, and we will be sending our teenaged dd there later this summer as a graduation gift. NO Kevlar vest on the packing list :-)

 

I agree no reason for concern about traveling in Israel. We have family who live in Israel and have travelled there many times. We talk to family all the time. That being said, if I was arranging an independent tour, I would contact the tour agency and discuss options if Princess cancels the port of Ashdod. I am sure the tour operator could easily keep up with any last minute port changes and meet you in Haifa instead. I would discuss the possibility and options up front before you leave the US.

[Viesczy]

I hope that no one misses out whatever their hopes were for going to the Eastern Med! It is unfortunate that as species the only sure thing we have going for us is tribal warfare!

Personally I wouldn't worry too much about security if booking through the line or a reputable company for any excursion.

Now staying in a 'hotter' area for an extended period of time, honestly the first thing I do is either tip the hotel's concierge a sizable sum to have him procure me something that will dissuade malefactors or I procure that dissuader myself--typically arranged to be provided upon my arrival. Far better to be safe than sorry when in a less than refined area of the world.

 

Derek

[California Native]

OP

It was Azamara that decided to overnight in Haifa

They called an executive meeting on Friday June 4th regarding the June 6th Israel arrival.

I will be sailing the HolyLand itinerary Nov. 3rd with Azamara.

I've been watching what both Princess and Azamara do, since they

are the same size ships, with essentially the same itinerary when it comes

to Egypt and Israel

We have private tours in Israel, however I did factor in the "what if"

and we decided NOT to overnight in a hotel in Israel.

I know I'm taking a chance with a private tour on the 2nd day..

based on our itinerary we will have 2 days to get ourselves to Egypt or if all else fails Sorrento or Rome.

IF need be our private 2nd day tour can be changed to a shorex as we approach the date of departure.

I wont be packing a kevlar vest...I don't even know where to buy

one...and I'm pretty sure it would cause my luggage to go over

the wieght limits required with my inter europe flights to get to the

cruise departure city.....

and most importantly it would really clash with the outfits I'm planning on bringing!!!!!

for the record if I needed to wear a kevlar vest to visit a place

I wouldn't go...even my adventurous spirit has limits

[Denny01]

I know we are focusing on Israel/Middle East, but we all should think through not only canceled ports but how to get to the next port when taking private tours.

 

Example: went on the S American cruise Buenos Aires to Chile. One stop was at Puerto Madyrn in Argentina. There is a great Paleo Museum about 70km away and I was going to get a taxi/rental and go over to see it. One tour went to it but it was obvious they would stay only for a short time and I would go crazy. So planned to do it on my own. Then I realized the next port was the Falkland Islands, and if I got stuck out in the Desert or whatever and missed the ship, getting from Argentina to the Falklands (Malvinas for Argentina) would be very hard - still very sinsitive issues after their War. So I cancelled the trip and just enjoyed the local area. I would have not only missed the Falklands, but the Cape and so on.

 

The point is, think through what the next port would be and how you'd get there if you are taking a priviate tour, especially an overnighter. Got to be ready. We've all heard the stories about missing the ship at embarkation, and that can ruin the cruise, or turn it into the only thing you talk about. Think about trying to get to a ship from one foreign port to another - basically on your own.

 

Denny

[cruisemom42]

I know we are focusing on Israel/Middle East, but we all should think through not only canceled ports but how to get to the next port when taking private tours.

 

Example: went on the S American cruise Buenos Aires to Chile. One stop was at Puerto Madyrn in Argentina. There is a great Paleo Museum about 70km away and I was going to get a taxi/rental and go over to see it. One tour went to it but it was obvious they would stay only for a short time and I would go crazy. So planned to do it on my own. Then I realized the next port was the Falkland Islands, and if I got stuck out in the Desert or whatever and missed the ship, getting from Argentina to the Falklands (Malvinas for Argentina) would be very hard - still very sinsitive issues after their War. So I cancelled the trip and just enjoyed the local area. I would have not only missed the Falklands, but the Cape and so on.

 

The point is, think through what the next port would be and how you'd get there if you are taking a priviate tour, especially an overnighter. Got to be ready. We've all heard the stories about missing the ship at embarkation, and that can ruin the cruise, or turn it into the only thing you talk about. Think about trying to get to a ship from one foreign port to another - basically on your own.

 

Denny

 

 

Good points. This is often mentioned on the Ports of Call boards as well -- think through all the "what ifs" and have a plan. I don't necessarily think that travel is that difficult from one port to another in most countries around the Mediterranean, including Israel.

 

However, I do want to note that the majority of stories you hear about people missing the ship have to do with Caribbean itineraries, and most involve over-imbibing. I can only recall reading about two first-hand incidents on the Med boards (on which I have participate almost daily for over 4 years) regarding folks missing the ship due to a private tour.

 

Paul's post (#8) is the only one I've read regarding an overnight private tour.

 

Private tours depend on references for their business. They make sure to have passengers back in time for their sailing.

 

If you go totally DIY, that's another issue and carries more risk.

[pris993]

One more consideration for an overnight, on your own, tours -- these require advance approval from the cruise line. I forgot to mention this, we have made such a requests in Israel and France on different trips. Anyone wishing to stay off the ship overnight needs to request a "trip deviation" approval from the cruise line. This can be done by a TA for you.

[pris993]

One more consideration for an overnight, on your own, tours -- these require advance approval from the cruise line. I forgot to mention this, we have made such a requests in Israel and France on different trips. Anyone wishing to stay off the ship overnight needs to request a "trip deviation" approval from the cruise line. This can be done by a TA for you.

 

The trip deviation request needs to be approved before you leave the US by the curise line.

[caribill]

In the same theme, Princess has announced that it will not be starting or ending cruises in Bangkok for 2010 or 2011:

 

PRINCESS CRUISES OFFERS NEW ITINERARIES FOR ASIA 2010-2011 SEASON

 

Due to the continuing political unrest in Thailand, the following voyages itineraries have been changed. This change in itinerary impacts the port of arrival or departure for each voyage below. We will no longer embark or disembark passengers at the port of Laem Chabang, Thailand; the port for Bangkok. Laem Chabang will continue to be a port of call on many of these voyages. Additional itinerary changes include some new ports and changes to the dates for some ports of call.

[kool kruiser]

So far as overnights are concerned, my feeling is that this should only be arranged with an independent operator (not on your own-too risky) and where the cruise line is also operating it's own similar overnight tour. In Israel, the usual tour leaves Haifa on day 1, overnights in Jerusalem and returns to Ashdod on day 2. If arrangements change, the independent tour just needs to mirror what the cruise line tour is doing. The local independent tour company should have the savvy to deal with this or the tour company could check with the port agent or cruise line. There is no way the ship will leave passengers on one of it's own tours stranded. Of course, ensure that the local tour company will not punish you financially for changes beyond your control. Threaten them, if needs be, with the appropriate publicity on these boards.

[hathaway42]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I failed to say in my original note that we are using a tour operator that had been highly recommended by Cruise Critic

members. I've contacted them and they said that we can be flexible at this point on going back to the ship at night or not.