Cancellation of cruise in the Middle East

[Harry Lake]

7 minutes ago, Elless100 said:

It’s ridiculous that anyone should spend $20000-30000 snd more on a vacation snd have to deal with piracy drill. At the minimum Oceania should have let people get full cruise credit snd been a hero of goodwill.   I have heard of some who got full credits on their credit cards, others on claims through insurance that covers terrorism , but everyone has left this experience thinking they will cruise a different line next time 

No one could have said this better. Thanks.

[RetiredLifer]

10 hours ago, Harry Lake said:

It’s ridiculous that anyone should spend $20000-30000 snd more on a vacation snd have to deal with piracy drill

We have been dealing with piracy drills for years.  Nothing new.

[Vallesan]

18 hours ago, Elless100 said:

It’s ridiculous that anyone should spend $20000-30000 snd more on a vacation snd have to deal with piracy drill. At the minimum Oceania should have let people get full cruise credit snd been a hero of goodwill.   I have heard of some who got full credits on their credit cards, others on claims through insurance that covers terrorism , but everyone has left this experience thinking they will cruise a different line next time 

Piracy had been an issue for many years in the Red Sea and Straights of Hormuz although the threat seems to have lessened in recent years.

In all truth, if you have any fears of piracy or sudden outbreaks of hostility you shouldn’t plan cruises in such an unpredictable area! 
 

[tigerfan75]

9 hours ago, RetiredLifer said:

We have been dealing with piracy drills for years.  Nothing new.

+1.  Was on a Cunard queen more than a decade ago, and we did piracy drill off the horn of Africa (Somali)....

[ruthnlarry]

2 hours ago, Vallesan said:

Piracy had been an issue for many years in the Red Sea and Straights of Hormuz although the threat seems to have lessened in recent years.

In all truth, if you have any fears of piracy or sudden outbreaks of hostility you shouldn’t plan cruises in such an unpredictable area! 
 

In 2013, we cruised on Nautica from Dubai to Rome.  We had 2 piracy drills, no outdoor lights, and all curtains closed at night.  We were also informed that there were other safety measures in place.  However, for security reasons, they could not be revealed.

[Harry Lake]

1 minute ago, ruthnlarry said:

In 2013, we cruised on Nautica from Dubai to Rome.  We had 2 piracy drills, no outdoor lights, and all curtains closed at night.  We were also informed that there were other safety measures in place.  However, for security reasons, they could not be revealed.

That sounds like more than just a "drill." Wow I had no idea.

 

[Queen of DaNile]

10 hours ago, RetiredLifer said:

We have been dealing with piracy drills for years.  Nothing new.

+1

Apparently many on here are unaware of the incident in 2008 when shots were fired at Nautica by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia. She outran them without incident. Cruise lines have had security measures in place for many years for passing through these waters. 

[Queen of DaNile]

21 hours ago, Elless100 said:

I would love to know if that piracy still is a fact 

 

Google it. There are lots of articles on it involving everything from personal yachts to merchant vessels.

[Harry Lake]

14 minutes ago, Queen of DaNile said:

+1

Apparently many on here are unaware of the incident in 2008 when shots were fired at Nautica by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, between Yemen and Somalia. She outran them without incident. Cruise lines have had security measures in place for many years for passing through these waters. 

I love ANY day I learn something new. This wins the prize!!!

[LHT28]

1 hour ago, Harry Lake said:

That sounds like more than just a "drill." Wow I had no idea.
 

Lots of things go on behind the scenes that  pax are unaware of

[Hlitner]

5 hours ago, Harry Lake said:

I love ANY day I learn something new. This wins the prize!!!

No, the prize would go to the Seabourn Spirit.  Back in 2005, while off the coast of Somalia, that ship was attacked by pirates who fired two ss rocket propelled granades (RPG) one of which smashed through a cabin window.  Fortunately, the RPG did not explode and was later removed by US Navy ordinance experts.

 

It is a dangerous world.

 

Hank

[GeezerCouple]

52 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

No, the prize would go to the Seabourn Spirit.  Back in 2005, while off the coast of Somalia, that ship was attacked by pirates who fired two ss rocket propelled granades (RPG) one of which smashed through a cabin window.  Fortunately, the RPG did not explode and was later removed by US Navy ordinance experts.

 

It is a dangerous world.

 

Hank

 

Yikes.  I had not heard about that.

How long did it take for those Navy experts to arrive on the ship?

Gasp!

 

GC

[CurlerRob]

During our 2019 transit (not on O) of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, we had a piracy drill that consisted of a special horn signal - when heard, we were to move into the hallways so as not to be visible through the windows.

 

It was clear that multiple precautions and installations of special gear had been done on the outer decks (I have redacted them from the onboard letter and won't describe them) and I was certain that there were other, not revealed precautions in place.

 

That said, there has not been a serious incident involving a cruise ship for many years, so most of us treated the exercise as simply one more intelligent precaution. 🍺🥌

 

 

[Vallesan]

3 hours ago, CurlerRob said:

During our 2019 transit (not on O) of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, we had a piracy drill that consisted of a special horn signal - when heard, we were to move into the hallways so as not to be visible through the windows.

 

It was clear that multiple precautions and installations of special gear had been done on the outer decks (I have redacted them from the onboard letter and won't describe them) and I was certain that there were other, not revealed precautions in place.

 

That said, there has not been a serious incident involving a cruise ship for many years, so most of us treated the exercise as simply one more intelligent precaution. 🍺🥌

 

 

So clearly, whilst piracy may not be an immediate threat, ships are still, sensibly, taking  precautions. 
It amazes me sometimes that people book cruises having no idea of the dangers in an area. I choose not to travel from west to east purely because of the safety issues.

 

[Harry Lake]

11 hours ago, Vallesan said:

It amazes me sometimes that people book cruises having no idea of the dangers in an area. I choose not to travel from west to east purely because of the safety issues.

:

Like NYC to UK???

[Jancruz]

45 minutes ago, Harry Lake said:

Like NYC to UK???

I was sitting with the concierge on Regatta many years ago when pirates were chasing Nautica..Oceania had Mossad agents on board, high power hoses and horns that mad awful noises..they did not board her but it was scary for the two of us  that were listening 

Everyone was in their cabins..I hope someone may talk about it now as it was a full ship..

Jancruz1

[Vallesan]

1 hour ago, Harry Lake said:

Like NYC to UK???

Sorry don’t understand!

[Harry Lake]

4 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

Sorry don’t understand!

" I choose not to travel from west to east purely because of the safety issues."

 

A feeble attempt at humor.

[Vallesan]

1 minute ago, Harry Lake said:

" I choose not to travel from west to east purely because of the safety issues."

 

A feeble attempt at humor.

 
No not humour just fact.

Sorry just reread your post. Obviously not NYC to UK.

I thought it was obvious …Western  Europe ie. Istanbul to Eastern ports ie. Dubai via Red Sea etc.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Vallesan

[Harry Lake]

2 minutes ago, Vallesan said:

 
No not humour just fact.

Oh for heaven's sake it was MY feeble attempt at humor. You know like you choose not to travel from west to east. Enough.

[Vallesan]

2 minutes ago, Harry Lake said:

Oh for heaven's sake it was MY feeble attempt at humor. You know like you choose not to travel from west to east. Enough.  Maybe ‘humor’ of as we say ‘humour’ just doesn’t travel well!

Maybe ‘humor’ or as we say ‘humour’ just doesn’t travel well.

Let’s just be friends!

[Laura Macky]

We were just on a month long cruise on Oceania and got off in Barcelona.  The next leg of the cruise was through the Suez Canal to Dubai with 8 days at Red Sea after cancelling Jordan, Israel, etc.   People are very upset about Oceania offering them almost nothing to compensate.  They wouldn’t refund and gave them a free drink package.  It’s almost laughable.  I can’t believe they’re going to sail through the Red Sea when rockets were launched from a US warship to take down attack drones.  Is Oceania nuts?!!  

[kathy49]

57 minutes ago, Laura Macky said:

We were just on a month long cruise on Oceania and got off in Barcelona.  The next leg of the cruise was through the Suez Canal to Dubai with 8 days at Red Sea after cancelling Jordan, Israel, etc.   People are very upset about Oceania offering them almost nothing to compensate.  They wouldn’t refund and gave them a free drink package.  It’s almost laughable.  I can’t believe they’re going to sail through the Red Sea when rockets were launched from a US warship to take down attack drones.  Is Oceania nuts?!!  

They simply don't care...need to reposition the ship. I hope everyone on that ship files a cc dispute.

[Laura Macky]

2 minutes ago, kathy49 said:

They simply don't care...need to reposition the ship. I hope everyone on that ship files a cc dispute.

It’s sad.  While we had a wonderful cruise for three weeks, hearing passengers who were going onto this next segment and how they were treated is enough for us to never sail with Oceania again.  I will say they screwed up our flights initially and my husband spent a lot of time sorting it out.  It did get sorted out but it was a huge hassle.  

[PhD-iva]

5 hours ago, kathy49 said:

They simply don't care...need to reposition the ship. I hope everyone on that ship files a cc dispute.

I expect that anyone who sails on the itinerary cannot then file a dispute with their cc company.