Cairo Cruise

[cruisealert]

We are also on the June 17 Antiquities cruise and have some concerns.

 

Basically, we have about 6 weeks to decide whether to hang-in or cancel to stay within the period of the $200 "admin fee", which can be applied to a future cruise. Beyond 16 March, the penalties for cancellation begin to escalate.

 

I'm sure that Regent would not send us into a dangerous situation. The so-called "elections" are scheduled for September, if they are ever held. I suspect that the competition in the run-up to the "elections" may not be a civilized development.

 

If we just wait for a modification, the problem is that there are no other ports not already on the cruise that are comparable to Egypt except possibly Petra, which would involve sailing through some possibly contested Egyptian waters. Tunisia? ... I think not. Greek isles? ... not quite a good replacement.

 

We are going to have to discuss this with our TA.

We have similar concerns. We would be happy with Greek Isles or Petra/Jordan. Hope we have info from Regent by March 10 so we can work on a solution with our TA. We really want to stay on this cruise and our room.

[HappyInVan]

Travel to the region remains uncertain until a transition is successfully completed. A key test is the SEptember elections in Egypt.

 

I started a thread in the HAL forum ...

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1348792

[LOGHL]

My husband has a heart condition////and when things started in Cairo, he was quite distressed,,,,he as well as I are assuming that the entire middle east is very unstable.. so we cancelled our cruise starting May 4th.

We assumed that as long as it was 90 days out, we would just suffer a minor $$ cancellation fee (plus insurance premium) Well. we are being penalized over $6500! ! ! which I feel is grossly unfair.

 

We were afraid to wait till the last minute...plus the fact that we were unsure of where they would go if the itinerary were cancelled.

 

If they were to offer us the possibility of using that $$ for a future cruise.. we would certainly feel much better.

Hope no one else is in this horrible situation

[PaulaJK]

If your cruise included Egypt, I think you have a good argument for

having the penalty waved or credited. The State Dept has evacuated Americans from Egypt and was evacuating its own non-essential personnel.

 

So many companies have changed deposit amounts, payment due dates and penalty dates that I guess all of us need to be more vigilant and careful than we perhaps previously have been.

 

Please let us know how this works out for you.

[Travelcat2]

My husband has a heart condition////and when things started in Cairo, he was quite distressed,,,,he as well as I are assuming that the entire middle east is very unstable.. so we cancelled our cruise starting May 4th.

We assumed that as long as it was 90 days out, we would just suffer a minor $$ cancellation fee (plus insurance premium) Well. we are being penalized over $6500! ! ! which I feel is grossly unfair.

 

We were afraid to wait till the last minute...plus the fact that we were unsure of where they would go if the itinerary were cancelled.

 

If they were to offer us the possibility of using that $$ for a future cruise.. we would certainly feel much better.

Hope no one else is in this horrible situation

 

Your TA definitely should have explained the cancellation policy to you. I agree that this situation calls for some flexibility on the part of Regent. If your TA isn't capable of speaking to Regent, suggest you give them a call (again, assuming your itinerary included Egypt).

 

I am finding this thread interesting since November is so far off. There are a number of CC'ers on the June sailing that includes Egypt. . . . most of them have not cancelled. They have two weeks (approximately) to cancel without penalty. Their TA has made them aware of what port substitutions will be made if Egypt is not considered a safe port in which to stop.

[PaulaJK]

TC

 

I think LOGHL meant that her cruise was sailing 5/4. However, I'm interested in your statement that June sailors have not yet cancelled their cruise which includes Egypt and curious as to what ports Regent is planning to [possibly] substitute in that region. Between governments and pirates this might be a big challenge,no?

 

Of course I hope that Egypt regains her stability and, as a result, all get to sail or otherwise tour. We have friends who were leaving [land trip] on Feb 17th and have changed to a trip to South Africa. Paula

[mariners]

TC2, The November cruise is different than the June cruise as the focus of the November cruise is Egypt - 3 nights pre-cruise in Cairo and Luxor, boarding in Safaga, a day in each of Aqaba (Jordan), Sharm El Shiekh, Suez Canal (transit) and Alexandria. Significant changes have already been made to the itinerary in the deletion of Syria and Tunisia (understandable but part of the reason we booked the cruise). For those of us looking at our whole cruise/holiday changing, we have to decide if we want to cancel and, if so, the earlier we do will likely give us the most options for a substitute cruise in the cabin of our choice.

[Travelcat2]

TC2, The November cruise is different than the June cruise as the focus of the November cruise is Egypt - 3 nights pre-cruise in Cairo and Luxor, boarding in Safaga, a day in each of Aqaba (Jordan), Sharm El Shiekh, Suez Canal (transit) and Alexandria. Significant changes have already been made to the itinerary in the deletion of Syria and Tunisia (understandable but part of the reason we booked the cruise). For those of us looking at our whole cruise/holiday changing, we have to decide if we want to cancel and, if so, the earlier we do will likely give us the most options for a substitute cruise in the cabin of our choice.

 

Oh, I didn't realize that. The news from the area was a bit more positive today. Are you thinking of cancelling at this point?

[countflorida]

LOGHL, you should definitely contact Regent to see if they are giving any consideration to the substantial changes caused by the civil disruption in Egypt. Please update us here if and when you hear from them.

 

Like some others who've posted here, we're facing a Feb 17 escalation of our penalty situation, and many of us may well want to cancel before then if Regent doesn't provide some relief for you, such as allowing you to apply the penalty to another cruise within a reasonable period of time. It's particularly troublesome because you were into the new penalty period before the situation developed, and as I posted elsewhere, insurance doesn't generally cover "civil disturbance", in fact, it is specifically NOT COVERED in most policies.

 

The positive side of this is that Regent has usually been quite helpful to its clients in difficult situations such as the current Middle East crisis. I say, hope for the best, but be sure to ask!

[beachdaddy]

We will be cruising on the mid-August tour of Eastern Mediterranean with both port worries and wondering what if problems escalate to surrounding waters ... Went to the Regent web site... no news at all ... under their "news" section nothing new since 2010 ....

 

Doesn't it seem odd they are not being forthcoming on their website with some general information at the very least? Or proactively sending emails to booked guests of cruises that could be affected? I thought maybe it was just the length of time out till our particular cruise... but it doesn't seem like anyone else is hearing anything either and many of their cruises are much nearer.

[cruiseluv]

My husband has a heart condition////and when things started in Cairo, he was quite distressed,,,,he as well as I are assuming that the entire middle east is very unstable.. so we cancelled our cruise starting May 4th.

We assumed that as long as it was 90 days out, we would just suffer a minor $$ cancellation fee (plus insurance premium) Well. we are being penalized over $6500! ! ! which I feel is grossly unfair.

 

We were afraid to wait till the last minute...plus the fact that we were unsure of where they would go if the itinerary were cancelled.

 

If they were to offer us the possibility of using that $$ for a future cruise.. we would certainly feel much better.

Hope no one else is in this horrible situation

 

LOGHL, I'm so sorry, the shock of this cancelation fee can't be good for your husband's heart! Unfortunately Regent has increased their cancellation penalties and now if you cancel with less than 120 days (even if you cancel before final payment) they slap you with 15% of teh total cruise. I don't think they are publicizing this change enough, many people don't seem to be aware of this.

[Responder]

We booked our Egypt Nov 12 2011 trip back on Oct 25 2010. Our invoice still shows only $100pp if before 121 days.

 

Having spoken to our TA this afternoon, we have decided to wait it out until the 121 day cut-off.

2 reasons...if we bail out now and the cruise sails, we won't get the deal and cabin we have...and...if we bail out now and Regent ultimately cancels or makes significant changes, they are sure to offer some good credits to the booked passengers if they want to cancel or re-book on another cruise.

 

This has already happened once on this booking, as originally the first leg was as is, but after arriving in Barcelona, the ship was continuing on to Ft. Lauderdale. We had booked the back to back and when they canceled the second leg, they canceled the package and gave us $750 for compensation. With that, we simply re-booked the first leg again and now keep hoping that things will settle down and we will be able to go.

 

For us this is not too critical as we are long since retired and have flexibility. All that would be required to find another cruise would be to check and re-book our Doctor's appointments.:D

[JMARINER]

OK, something more to add to the mix.

 

Would travel insurance now even cover cancellation, since you could, at this time cancel without penalties (or minimum penalty).

 

I guess one could alway pay the extra premium and get a "cancel for any reason" policy.

 

j

[leese]

I got notice through my TA of an alternate itinerary for the may 4 Dubai to Rome on the Voyager. Don't have it in front of me, so I can't remember exactly, but Cyprus, Rhodes, Taormina, and extra day in Jordan is what I can remember.

[gdlamberth]

I got notice through my TA of an alternate itinerary for the may 4 Dubai to Rome on the Voyager. Don't have it in front of me, so I can't remember exactly, but Cyprus, Rhodes, Taormina, and extra day in Jordan is what I can remember.

 

So you lose an overnight in Safaga, Sharm-el-Sheikh and an overnight in Port Said but still transit the Suez? That really is (IMHO) a pretty major change. Can't be avoided safely; but still that would disappoint me a great deal. I am sorry for your missed (at least for now)opportunities:(.

Greg

[Responder]

This news article may be of interest to those going to Eqypt..

 

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/08/133596700/uprising-in-egypt-equals-downfall-in-tourism?ft=1&f=1001

[LOGHL]

My husband has a heart condition////and when things started in Cairo, he was quite distressed,,,,he as well as I are assuming that the entire middle east is very unstable.. so we cancelled our cruise starting May 4th.

We assumed that as long as it was 90 days out, we would just suffer a minor $$ cancellation fee (plus insurance premium) Well. we are being penalized over $6500! ! ! which I feel is grossly unfair.

 

We were afraid to wait till the last minute...plus the fact that we were unsure of where they would go if the itinerary were cancelled.

 

If they were to offer us the possibility of using that $$ for a future cruise.. we would certainly feel much better.

Hpe no one else is in this horrible situation

 

JUST RECEIVED CONFIRMATION FROM OUR TA.. THAT WE CAN USE OUR MONIES FOR ANOTHER CRUISE AS LONG AS IT IS BOOKED BY JANUARY 31, 2012

 

Needless to say we are very relieved, and will rebook with pleasure.. most

probably in the orient..thanks for all your caring notes & support..

[cruisealert]

Your TA definitely should have explained the cancellation policy to you. I agree that this situation calls for some flexibility on the part of Regent. If your TA isn't capable of speaking to Regent, suggest you give them a call (again, assuming your itinerary included Egypt).

 

I am finding this thread interesting since November is so far off. There are a number of CC'ers on the June sailing that includes Egypt. . . . most of them have not cancelled. They have two weeks (approximately) to cancel without penalty. Their TA has made them aware of what port substitutions will be made if Egypt is not considered a safe port in which to stop.

We are on the June 17 Athens/Istanbul cruise which includes two Egyptian port stops. We have not received any port substitutions from TA or Regent yet. We have not yet cancelled. Hope to hear from Regent next week.

[TedC]

Regent - or any line - will not be able to make decisions to go or not go to any place there's strife until the danger subsides.

 

 

I hope the crisis in Egypt ends soon - especially for the citizens - secondarily for us cruisers.

[Travelcat2]

We are on the June 17 Athens/Istanbul cruise which includes two Egyptian port stops. We have not received any port substitutions from TA or Regent yet. We have not yet cancelled. Hope to hear from Regent next week.

 

Sorry that your TA is not in the loop. While we cannot talk about our travel agents, I think it will be okay to post the itinerary and alternative itinerary they were given by Regent.

 

VOY110504 Original Itinerary

Dubai, UAE

Muscat, Oman

Sea

Salaah, OMan

Sea

Sea

Sea

Sea

Aqaba, Jordan

Safaga, Egypt

Safaga, Egypt

Sharm El Sheik, Egypt

Suez Canal Transit

Port Said, Egypt

Ashdod, Israel

Ashdod, Israel

Haifa, Israel

Sea

Sea

Sorrento, Italy

Civitavecchia, Italy

 

Alternative Itinerary

VOY110504 Original Itinerary

Dubai, UAE

Muscat, Oman

Sea

Salaah, OMan

Sea

Sea

Sea

Sea

Aqaba, Jordan

Sea

Suez Canal Transit

Ashdod, Israel

Ashdod, Israel

Haifa, Israel

Limassol, Cyprus

Rhodes, Greece

Sea

Taormina, Italy

Sorrento, Italy

Civitavecchia, Italy

 

While this is not final, this is what Regent was looking at about a week ago.

[ridolphi]

The above itineray and possible substitutions was for a cruise in May, not the June 17 cruise. Now, if they do the alternate for the May cruise, they may do something similar for the June 17 cruise, but Regent has not come out with anything as of yet regarding the June 17 cruise.

 

Cruisealert - we too are on the June 17 cruise and are waiting to hear if the itinerary will change or not. Hang in there.

[Kane]

The above itineray and possible substitutions was for a cruise in May, not the June 17 cruise. Now, if they do the alternate for the May cruise, they may do something similar for the June 17 cruise, but Regent has not come out with anything as of yet regarding the June 17 cruise.

 

Cruisealert - we too are on the June 17 cruise and are waiting to hear if the itinerary will change or not. Hang in there.

 

We were on the June 17 voyage and canceled with great reluctance.

 

I called Regent regarding itinerary changes that might be under consideration. They said that the voyage was too far in the future to make any changes but that they were carefully watching developments. I'm sure that they would not send their passengers into a dicey situation.

 

They heads-up is that the 15% penalty phase kicks-in on the 16th, this coming Wednesday. We canceled for this reason. I suspect we may not be the only folks that do this.

 

Looking at the geography, if Egypt is canceled, the replacement(s) would most likely be Greek isles, which I don't consider to be equivalent (not that equivalency is necessary). Aqaba/Petra would be nice, but this would involve sailing through the Suez Canal and around the Sinai (twice) ... unlikely. Malta? ... two sea days might be nice.

 

Oh well .....

[Travelcat2]

We were on the June 17 voyage and canceled with great reluctance.

 

I called Regent regarding itinerary changes that might be under consideration. They said that the voyage was too far in the future to make any changes but that they were carefully watching developments. I'm sure that they would not send their passengers into a dicey situation.

 

They heads-up is that the 15% penalty phase kicks-in on the 16th, this coming Wednesday. We canceled for this reason. I suspect we may not be the only folks that do this.

 

Looking at the geography, if Egypt is canceled, the replacement(s) would most likely be Greek isles, which I don't consider to be equivalent (not that equivalency is necessary). Aqaba/Petra would be nice, but this would involve sailing through the Suez Canal and around the Sinai (twice) ... unlikely. Malta? ... two sea days might be nice.

 

Oh well .....

 

You probably will ot be the only ones cancelling that itinerary. According to my TA, Cairo could be receiving tourists again in as little as a month. If that is true, there could people who want to cancel because they are concerned about going to Egypt. It seems that no matter what happens, there will be people cancelling. It is too bad as it is an interesting, historical city with much to see.

[Wendy The Wanderer]

Kane, I don't blame you for cancelling, I too would be hemming and hawing and quietly freaking if it was me. Too bad, hope they get their country working again soon--they need our business.

[mariners]

Kane, I totally understand. We have just cancelled our November Safaga to Cairo cruise for multiple reasons and one of those reasons is that there could be significant changes to the itinerary given world events. For us, we weighed everything and came to the conclusion that postponing this cruise/trip to a later date made sense.

We are 100% sure that Regent will not place passengers at risk and have seen that first hand on our sailing to Tanzania/Seychelles/Kenya. We understand that passengers must always be flexible when choosing cruises like this as ports can be and are changed. As we want specific ports and because we have specific times when we can travel, we have made the choice to take different cruises where we are more likely to make the ports on the cruise. It's been a really difficult decision but it is the right one for us. Happy sailings to all.