Crystal Cruises cancels Istanbul and Turkish Ports - Will Seabourn do the same?

News from January 12th:

A suspected member of the Islamic State (IS) group has killed 10 people, at least eight of them German tourists, in a suicide bomb attack in the Turkish city of Istanbul, officials say.

They say the Syrian national carried out the attack in the Sultanahmet district, near the famous Blue Mosque.

Fifteen people were wounded, many of them also German.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey was the "top target for all terrorist groups in the region".

_______________________________________________________________

With the recent killings of tourists in Istanbul- Crystal Cruises has responded this way:

CRYSTAL CRUISES REVISES 2016 CALLS TO TURKEY

Luxury cruise line announces revised itineraries for Crystal Symphony voyages previously planned to call in Istanbul and Kusadasi; offers rare intensive Greece sailing and allowances for booked travelers

LOS ANGELES, January 15, 2016 – In response to ongoing security concerns for travel within Istanbul, Crystal Cruises announced today that it will reroute two of its upcoming voyages set to call in Turkish ports. The world’s most awarded luxury cruise line has revised the itineraries for Crystal Symphony’s April 24 and May 1 sailings, previously planned to include visits to Istanbul and Kuşadasi, replacing those ports with Greek destinations.

“The safety and peace of mind of our guests are our primary concerns, and we do not take any risks with either,” says Crystal CEO & President, Edie Rodriguez. “The itinerary changes will allow our guests to continue with their planned vacations in the same standard of excellence and luxury, without the added worry of security in a particular destination.”

Turkish ports of call scheduled for April and November aboard Crystal’s new luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit, will also be changed, though the new itineraries have yet to be finalized. Effective immediately, the voyages will reflect the following itinerary changes (*=newly changed destination):

April 24 (7 days) – Athens/Piraeus, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, *Souda Bay/Chaina, *Navplion (overnight), *Hydra and *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), Greece.

May 1 (12 days) – *Athens/Piraeus (overnight), *Patmos, *Rhodes, Mykonos, Santorini, Navplion and Argostolios, Greece; Crotone, Sorrento and Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy.

___________________________________________________________

I think the problem is that Seabourn has about 24 cruises going to Istanbul or another Turkish port. Crystal only has 4 cruises.

I called Seabourn today and they said at present time they are not making any changes to their itineraries.

Celebrity and Disney has also just cancelled all Turkish Ports.

I read that Crystal is allowing passengers to cancel their cruises without any penalties.

You would think they may have to give allowances for passengers that have already booked their air- so definitely an expensive move for Crystal to do that.

What do you think Seabourn will do?

If they do decide to change the Ports, I certainly hope they hurry up and decide, as we have flights OUT of Istanbul booked......flying with Emirates, so would hopefully have time to book another flight from ~somewhere~ to Dubai to connect with our final flight......

We have booked for September with 4 Turkish ports on our itinerary.

We are loyal Cathay flyers so our major flights are in and out of Rome and we feel happy to retain those.

As for the Cruise – we will just sit and wait and see what happens but search for a back up plan just in case.

We arrived in LA shortly after the California shootings in December. Will USA ports be cancelled?

Isis are trying to drive tourists away so that the economies of Islamic countries fail and the destitute locals are driven into the arms of the extremists. Bookings for Egypt are down by 85% on last year so it seems to be working!

However, not matter how small the risk, do you take the chance on the life of your family that some brain washed idiot isn't going to walk into the hotel, shop, cafe with a gun and shoot you because you are Caucasian as happened in Burkina Faso yesterday, Jakarta a couple of days before or do you say to heck with you all - I could get run over by a bus tomorrow!

Food for thought perhaps. :(

However, not matter how small the risk, do you take the chance on the life of your family that some brain washed idiot isn't going to walk into the hotel, shop, cafe with a gun and shoot you...(

Yet American parents still send their children to school which, statistically, is more likely to be the object of a mass shooting than Istanbul or Ouagoudougou.

Is it legal to post false statements as fact on the Internet?

Is it legal to post false statements as fact on the Internet?

Probably - otherwise it would be a very tiny Internet.

Is it legal to post false statements as fact on the Internet?

At least as legal as to make them during presidential debates!

Cancel all ports! Cruise ships can just travel in circles and passengers can be helicoptered on board.

But what happens if someone puts a bomb on the helicopter?

Seriously, this whole thing of cancelling ports/not booking holidays to this region of the world is exactly what the extremist groups want to happen. There were many reports in the newspapers over the weekend on the awful effect this is having on the Egyptian tourist industry. The Egyptian government are putting in enhanced security to try to entice tourists back.

However, if we all go along with it and don't visit these places then they have won.

We worked in central London at the height of the IRA bombing campaign.

Some members of our family endured the London blitz in WW2.

You have to carry on and have a 'stiff upper lip' otherwise most countries would be off the list for travel.

Kind regards,

Tony

I come from Belfast so have some experience of living in the shadow or terrorism. Knee-jerk cancellation of ports in response to a terrorist incident is not only unnecessarily reactive, it is also illogical - particularly if the cancelling visitors are from somewhere that is, itself, a potential target (eg London, New York etc etc etc)

Clearly, you wouldn't want to have a long-weekend in Damascus right now but Istanbul and the Turkish ports are possibly safer now because of heightened security.

I love Istanbul and cannot imagine feeling unsafe there. I've wandered around alone (and not just in the tourist areas) and never felt uncomfortable - I just made sure, as in any city, to keep my wits about me.

Is it legal to post false statements as fact on the Internet?

To the original poster:

I am sure Seabourn is looking at this.

Will they cancel it is anyone's guess but these are the things that would cause them to cancel.

1. The insurance company tells them not to stop there. They do have a big voice.

2. They just decide based on what has happened to cancel the stop. If it is just a transit stop rather than a port of embarkation/disembarkation much easier decision to make.

3. Another attack occurs.

4. People cancel. Don't underestimate this. If people start to cancel then that is also a motivator.

While I believe in traveling and know things that happen no two attacks are the same. Yes, things happen but not all attacks or acts of violent are the same. For example, there have been occasions where in certain places tourists were targeted not once but more than once and cruise lines have pulled out.

Again, no one can predict for sure what will happen.

Keith

If they cancel the Turkish ports, I'd be on the watch for price drops as passengers pull out. I got a steal on a Black Sea 7-night in 2014 after Seabourn dropped Ukraine/Russia. I hadn't even planned on taking a vacation in that time period but I was hard to resist. Passengers who were already locked in to the sailing when the change occurred received lots of compensatory onboard credit - so much that it seemed the spa was bursting at the seams and shore excursions were more booked up than normal.

If they cancel the Turkish ports, I'd be on the watch for price drops as passengers pull out. I got a steal on a Black Sea 7-night in 2014 after Seabourn dropped Ukraine/Russia. I hadn't even planned on taking a vacation in that time period but I was hard to resist. Passengers who were already locked in to the sailing when the change occurred received lots of compensatory onboard credit - so much that it seemed the spa was bursting at the seams and shore excursions were more booked up than normal.

Me too. We got one week Black Sea for £1165 in 2014.

Keith,

Unfortunately, cruise lines have a nasty habit of cancelling ports after final payment so passengers don't always have the option of cancelling their cruises.

Oh dear. Just saw the article announcing NCL is canceling all Turkish ports for NCL, Oceania and Regent ships this season. I understand for. business reasons cruise lines must exercise caution but I do think this is an over reaction and keep my fingers crossed Seabourn does not follow suit.

My main reason for wanting to know is we have already booked our flights home from Istanbul unfortunately they cannot be swapped but if we need to book more flights home from somewhere else then I need to know sooner rather than later before I book transport to the airport and parking at my home airport and of course, flights only go one way and that is up!

Yes, I also have flight into Istanbul for our June cruise that I would need to change.

I rec'd a mailing from Seabourn today announcing excellent pricing on some eastern Med cruises this autumn & called them to place a tentative reservation. They are aware that other lines are cancelling Turkish ports & at this moment have no plans to cancel - however, their rep felt sure that an announcement one way or the other would be coming soon. In fact, she felt it would be made by mid-week (by Jan 27 or so...). The rep told me that they are encouraged to provide feedback on the sorts of fears we are all experiencing & doubtless this will be taken into account.

Hope that this info helps. I think the short info is that they're looking at it seriously.

I do think across the lines a lot of people were cancelling their cruises. If that happens with this voyage I suspect they will revise the itinerary accordingly. Either way I hope you all hear soon.

Keith

I am perfectly happy to visit the Turkish ports, however, if they are going to make changes they need to do it sooner rather than later so those of us without Seabourn air can get sorted.