What will happen for cruises leaving Haifa (Isreal)

[PBM13]

Has anyone heard what is going to happen with the cruises set to sail from Haifa Israel.  We have a cruise booked shortly and I am just concerned

[Sheila127]

1 hour ago, PBM13 said:

Has anyone heard what is going to happen with the cruises set to sail from Haifa Israel.  We have a cruise booked shortly and I am just concerned

I am due to sail from Haifa on 20th November on NCL Epic! The agent has advised that NCL has confirmed that  the cruise will definitely not commence from Israel  and we are just waiting on NCL to advise further!

[PBM13]

Thanks for the update on this.  This is the same cruise we are on

[PATRLR]

2 minutes ago, PBM13 said:

Thanks for the update on this.  This is the same cruise we are on

PBM13 - I suggest searching this forum for words like Isreal and Haifa.  There are other topics on this matter.  Once you find those other topics click on the "follow" button so you will be notified as other communication is shared.

[Cruise_Context]

Until NCL stops selling the cruises from Haifa (which they are still selling - check for yourself), everything else is either opinion, gossip, or misinformation from someone who is making an assumption.  NCL has not yet issued any official statement on itinerary changes for November cruises to/from Israel on the Epic, Gem, or Dawn.

[ontheweb]

14 minutes ago, Cruise_Context said:

Until NCL stops selling the cruises from Haifa (which they are still selling - check for yourself), everything else is either opinion, gossip, or misinformation from someone who is making an assumption.  NCL has not yet issued any official statement on itinerary changes for November cruises to/from Israel on the Epic, Gem, or Dawn.

Whether they have issued a statement or not before they find alternative ports, no cruise line in the near future is going to sail out of or into Israel. Just like no cruise ship has sailed into St. Petersburg, Russia for the last several years despite it was the main selling point of Baltic cruises and more often than not an overnight port.

[Cruise_Context]

3 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

Whether they have issued a statement or not before they find alternative ports, no cruise line in the near future is going to sail out of or into Israel. Just like no cruise ship has sailed into St. Petersburg, Russia for the last several years despite it was the main selling point of Baltic cruises and more often than not an overnight port.

... well, while it may seem like several years, that's a false statement (please see attached official letter).  RCCL and Celebrity (for example) cruised to Russia until spring 2022 (which was last year).  Notifications for the summer sailings were sent out on Feb 24, 2022

[*MoonLady*]

1 hour ago, Cruise_Context said:

Until NCL stops selling the cruises from Haifa (which they are still selling - check for yourself), everything else is either opinion, gossip, or misinformation from someone who is making an assumption.  NCL has not yet issued any official statement on itinerary changes for November cruises to/from Israel on the Epic, Gem, or Dawn.

Thanks for the level head. 

[RD64]

14 minutes ago, *MoonLady* said:

Thanks for the level head. 

Does anybody who actually watches the news believes that there will be cruises from Israeli ports this November?

[RD64]

1 hour ago, Cruise_Context said:

... well, while it may seem like several years, that's a false statement (please see attached official letter).  RCCL and Celebrity (for example) cruised to Russia until spring 2022 (which was last year).  Notifications for the summer sailings were sent out on Feb 24, 2022

So 2022 no cruises to St. Petersburg - that Feb. 24/2022 letter was before the start of the Baltic cruise season.

 

No St. Petersburg cruises in 2023.

 

No St. Petersburg cruises scheduled for 2024. So no cruises for three solid years. Shall we take wagers on 2025?

[kitkat343]

3 hours ago, Cruise_Context said:

Until NCL stops selling the cruises from Haifa (which they are still selling - check for yourself), everything else is either opinion, gossip, or misinformation from someone who is making an assumption.  NCL has not yet issued any official statement on itinerary changes for November cruises to/from Israel on the Epic, Gem, or Dawn.

NCL cancelled one port and the morning of another on my cruise last January after final payment to help the environment.  They continued to advertise and sell the original itinerary for the entire month leading up to the cruise, not letting anyone cancel or switch because they dropped ports after final payment, even people who called them to book directly after the cancellations (their phone reps didn't warn them before they purchased the cruise that the itinerary had changed).  Half the passengers on my cruise didn't receive the email notifying them of the cancellation and there were numerous pointless, stupid arguments on our roll call in which people who called NCL and were told that the original itinerary was still in place insisted NCL hadn't cancelled ports.    The fact that they haven't updated their website means nothing.

 

This is a war zone.  The RC cruises that were scheduled to leave from Haifa this week were cancelled and passengers received a full refund.  On cruises that originate elsewhere and just visit Israel during the cruise, hopefully alternative ports will be secured but if not they can switch to a sea day.   It will be more difficult logistically to figure out how to handle cruises that originate or end in Israel, since NCL needs to arrange alternative transportation for passengers who purchased airline tickets through them, and the other passengers need to rearrange their airline tickets.  Hopefully they will find alternative ports the cruises can originate from soon so people can get their transportation as soon as possible.

Edited October 11, 2023 by kitkat343

[Cruise_Context]

2 hours ago, kitkat343 said:

NCL cancelled one port and the morning of another on my cruise last January after final payment to help the environment.  They continued to advertise and sell the original itinerary for the entire month leading up to the cruise, not letting anyone cancel or switch because they dropped ports after final payment, even people who called them to book directly after the cancellations (their phone reps didn't warn them before they purchased the cruise that the itinerary had changed).  Half the passengers on my cruise didn't receive the email notifying them of the cancellation and there were numerous pointless, stupid arguments on our roll call in which people who called NCL and were told that the original itinerary was still in place insisted NCL hadn't cancelled ports.    The fact that they haven't updated their website means nothing.

 

This is a war zone.  The RC cruises that were scheduled to leave from Haifa this week were cancelled and passengers received a full refund.  On cruises that originate elsewhere and just visit Israel during the cruise, hopefully alternative ports will be secured but if not they can switch to a sea day.   It will be more difficult logistically to figure out how to handle cruises that originate or end in Israel, since NCL needs to arrange alternative transportation for passengers who purchased airline tickets through them, and the other passengers need to rearrange their airline tickets.  Hopefully they will find alternative ports the cruises can originate from soon so people can get their transportation as soon as possible.

 

I don't disagree with the desire to know what's what.  To actually know what the cruise line is thinking and the process they are going through would help a lot towards calming nerves, but as you have stated, that's not what typically happens. *sigh*

 

My point is single in that until NCL officially announces what they're doing about our disembarkation port (currently Haifa), there's nothing we can do about planning our trip home unless you want to purchase a refundable ticket from all possible destinations - Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Cyprus, etc, to cover all bases.  They may cancel the entire trip or change the itinerary, but until they do (which may be unfortunately a wait and see on their part too), we are all pretty much stuck.

 

Reading posts about what someone who heard from someone else who posted on another thread (etc) said is raising anxiety of those who just want to hear real honest to goodness actual facts so that they can respond appropriately... and those actual facts will only come from an official cruise line announcement whenever they choose to do so.  The best planning we can do right now is to keep calm, consider scenarios (and mine or yours may respectfully differ from anyone else's) and carry on knowing that no amount of angst will change the outcome.

 

Once the official announcement is made, we absolutely do want to have any tips, advice, and assistance that the well seasoned travelers in this forum can offer.

 

Cheers and be safe.

 

[richmke]

6 hours ago, Cruise_Context said:

Until NCL stops selling the cruises from Haifa (which they are still selling - check for yourself), everything else is either opinion, gossip, or misinformation from someone who is making an assumption.  NCL has not yet issued any official statement on itinerary changes for November cruises to/from Israel on the Epic, Gem, or Dawn.

I think it is a pretty good assumption that Haifa is off the list if NCL, in the travel summary,  has removed Tel Aviv from my air itinerary purchased as part of the cruise package. I take the change in the travel summary as an official itinerary change.

Edited October 11, 2023 by richmke

[allegrocontadino]

2 hours ago, Jetstreamer said:

This is Cruise Critic. We talk about cruises. 

 

I think most people are accepting of the situation but just want to know what NCL's plan is. 

 

I for one have enough mental capacity to both think about the implications for my cruise while showing concern and compassion for the people of Israel and Gaza. 

 

So let's get back to our guilt free discussion on cruises. 

Totally agree, In my case, I am booked on the B2B from Rome, therefore 8Nov-1Dec. But waiting to see how things are going to change. Fortunately I do not have flights to arrange/rearrange, yet I have a small concern the whole itinerary might get canceled... Let wait and see, hopefully the shortest possible time...

[PBM13]

My reason for asking is more based on the flights.  I see Lufthansa have already cancelled my munich to Tel Aviv section of the flight.

[ontheweb]

13 hours ago, Cruise_Context said:

... well, while it may seem like several years, that's a false statement (please see attached official letter).  RCCL and Celebrity (for example) cruised to Russia until spring 2022 (which was last year).  Notifications for the summer sailings were sent out on Feb 24, 2022

I stand by my statement that every cruise line stopped using St. Petersburg as a port after Russia invaded the Ukraine. They may have taken some time to officially cancel the port as they had to find alternative ports that could make the cruises feasible.

 

Do you really think that NCL or any other cruise line is going to Israel in the near future? They may be working on seeing what they can do to salvage itineraries, or they may have to cancel some entirely, but they are not going there. No official announcement just means that alternatives have not yet been worked out.

[DCGuy64]

I agree with @Cruise_Context. Until there's official word from the cruise line, everything on here is just speculation.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I agree with @Cruise_Context. Until there's official word from the cruise line, everything on here is just speculation.

You really think any cruise is going to or starting from Israel any time soon? You do realize, I hope, that it will take time for alternative plans to be made and that there will be no announcements until those plans are finalized.

[DCGuy64]

17 minutes ago, ontheweb said:

You really think any cruise is going to or starting from Israel any time soon?

That isn't what I said.

[ontheweb]

3 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

That isn't what I said.

I think it is more than speculation that no cruise is going to any Israeli port any time soon.

[schmoopie17]

1 hour ago, DCGuy64 said:

I agree with @Cruise_Context. Until there's official word from the cruise line, everything on here is just speculation.

But this is CC...speculation is one of the things we do best. (Or worst...)

[RD64]

I don’t believe it is speculation, but fact, that an insurance company will not insure a cruise ship sailing into a war zone.

 

Also, given that many countries - Canada being one of them - are sending emergency flights to evacuate their citizens, feel free to continue speculating as to how soon cruises will resume from Haifa.

Edited October 11, 2023 by RD64
Correction

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, schmoopie17 said:

But this is CC...speculation is one of the things we do best. (Or worst...)

Exactly. I'm just imagining how much money speculators would have lost had they bet money on cruise lines going bankrupt (as many predicted they would) in 2020. I remember lots of predictions about "no cruising for a long time, IF EVER!!" (scare quotes deliberate). Funny, very few if any of them came back to say they were wrong. MSC sailed the Grandiosa beginning August 16, 2020. Given that cruise lines stopped around March 2020, I'd say 5 months is pretty darned soon! Same with Israel. I don't see a major cruise line calling at Ashdod in the next month, but 2025, as someone has suggested? Give me a break. 🙄

[DCGuy64]

1 hour ago, ontheweb said:

I think it is more than speculation that no cruise is going to any Israeli port any time soon.

What's your definition of soon?

[ColeThornton]

5 minutes ago, DCGuy64 said:

What's your definition of soon?

 

Oh, stop it.