Arabian Sunrise 2

[Sweetpea-1959]

3 hours ago, bishop84 said:

I believe that post is concerning anti-piracy measures such as razor wire and armed security. The current threat is mainly attack from ashore using missiles, rockets etc. This is why cruise and cargo operators have pulled their ships from that area and are diverting ships around southern Africa rather than the previously scheduled Red Sea and Suez Canal transits. AFAIK Marella appears to be the only cruise company still scheduling their ship via the Red Sea and still having the cruises on sale.

 

Well I hope that's the case, and they will cancel......meanwhile, they are clearly holding out for a ceasefire !! 

[Sweetpea-1959]

3 hours ago, bishop84 said:

 

Also the NHS website has health information including required vaccinations: India - Fit for Travel

Thank you for that, looks like there are a few required !!!

[Sweetpea-1959]

8 hours ago, Tizzy-Jo said:

Contact your GP practice. They will tell you what vaccinations you need. 

Cheers, need to do sooner than later. Was hanging off visas and injections think8ng it might get cancelled

[Tizzy-Jo]

15 minutes ago, Sweetpea-1959 said:

Cheers, need to do sooner than later. Was hanging off visas and injections think8ng it might get cancelled

Always better to get them checked out and be safe.

[pblack05]

Noticed yesterday that the P & O Arcadia is now being sold as Cape Town to Southampton on the 30th March. That cruise itinerary was planned to for the Red Sea and the Suez canal, and at quite a cheap price. So, it sounds like they are trying to fill cabins on the ship and others might be planning coming off. Checking out the Arcadia roll call - it has indeed been re-routed. Update on the "help line" - no response within 72 hours was well and truly not met - Will try again tonight. 

[bishop84]

Virgin and Silversea have now pulled their repositioning cruises via the Red Sea and the ships will sail around Africa without guests instead. 

It looks like Marella has 3 options:

1. Sail the cruise as scheduled and hope nothing happens. 

2. Debark guests, and possibly non-essential crew, at India or Muscat and

    a. sail empty via the Red Sea and picking up the schedule in Limassol or Palma.

    b. sail empty via Africa and pick up the schedule in Palma.

3. Divert the cruise around Africa with guests and possibly selling segments i.e. to Kenya/Seychelles, South Africa etc. and pick up the schedule in Palma. 

Edited February 10 by bishop84
spelling

[Vitalsign]

I would love to do a repositioning cruise from either India or Oman to Palma via South Africa so if this is offered nearer the leaving date I will be very upset that Ive cancelled the cruise from Aqaba to Palma and booked Bridgetown to Marmaris. Maybe I could switch without any charge - wishful thinking eh?

[cosytoes]

We did Marella Oman to Singapore Dec 2023, we had a great time. we like to book private tours rather than the ship and can recommend;

Sri Lanka, booked a private tour with Sri Lanka Tours - Sri Lanka Tailor-made Holidays | Blue Lanka Tours, they were very professional and had a bespoke tour.

Did Indian visa ourselves   India Visa Online (indianvisaonline.gov.in) top tip get a photo done at photo shop and ask them to size it for an Indian visa. Apply now if you haven't done already.

We booked a private tour for Mumbai and Goa with Introduction to Namaste City Tour, Mumbai so we didn't have to run the gauntlet of the many taxi drivers at the port gate. Be prepared to waiting round the steps before they even call you to get off, the bureaucracy and paperwork checking is beyond belief. 

Oman we booked with Land Tours In Oman | Luxury Holidays | Oman|wabar Tours | مسقط, we could have taken a walk into town but saw so much even stopped for a local tea drink. If you visit the mosque you need to be covered from shoulders to the ground.

Hope that helps.

[pblack05]

just had an e-mail - that cruise is now cancelled - Arabian Sunrise - April 24

 

[gramwold]

I have thought for a while now that the cruise on discovery 2 through the Red Sea  would be cancelled. we are booked on the 18 night discovery repo cruise Barbados to Turkey  on the 18th of April and i see that it has been removed from Tui web page for sale. It leads me to think that it may be being held back for people who may want to transfer to it from the Suez Canal cruise.  i will watch the Discovery 2 ship to see if it will sail all the way around Southern Africa without any passengers.

[bishop84]

20 hours ago, gramwold said:

I have thought for a while now that the cruise on discovery 2 through the Red Sea  would be cancelled. we are booked on the 18 night discovery repo cruise Barbados to Turkey  on the 18th of April and i see that it has been removed from Tui web page for sale. It leads me to think that it may be being held back for people who may want to transfer to it from the Suez Canal cruise.  i will watch the Discovery 2 ship to see if it will sail all the way around Southern Africa without any passengers.

It's still appears to be available as part of a 25 night cruise from 11 April, which is last 7-night Barbados roundtrip combined with the repositioning cruise.

[gramwold]

Yes the 25 night is still there and that has come down in price a lot. i think the one cancelled was a 14 or 16 night  cruise at almost the same date  as ours, so it would have been easier for people to transfer to that if people have work/holiday time to juggle. Maybe someone who is affected by this cancellation can comment when they receive the options from tui.

[Crusingnewby96]

We're thinking of changing to that Barbados one for the reason the dates match with my work, we are going into the branch tomorrow to see what they can do 

[Sweetpea-1959]

15 hours ago, gramwold said:

Yes the 25 night is still there and that has come down in price a lot. i think the one cancelled was a 14 or 16 night  cruise at almost the same date  as ours, so it would have been easier for people to transfer to that if people have work/holiday time to juggle. Maybe someone who is affected by this cancellation can comment when they receive the options from tui.

We were cancelled and offered 10% of another cruise. We needed to go the same dates so asked for refund. The refund doesn't include £250 + we spent on visas and the carry on getting them. We claim that on our holiday insurance or write complaint to TUI.....