Costa Cancels All Cruise Calls to Egypt and Tunisia Indefinately

More details here....

http://www.travelpulse.com/costa-cancels-all-cruise-calls-to-egypt-and-tunisia.html

Hi Ally

This is so sad - and dreadful really - I wonder how it will affect anyone who has already made their own arrangments in relation to flights? it doesn't bare thinking about - though I suppose this is where insurance comes in - or does it?

some insurance covers civil unrest, some do not. the detials are in the fine print.

HI Ally

How awful for everyone on cruises. Thank goodness we did it last year!!

Thanks for sharing. We are on the Magica in a couple weeks and were wondering.

A month or so down the line, it could all be settled again...Costa are playing it safe and who can blame them?

Thomsons, Kristina, MSC...they are all cutting Eqyptian ports right now and since it is a pretty fast moving situation, no-one can really say when it will all end.

According to Inchcape though, the Suez Canal is operating as normal despite the ports being closed in Egypt, so even if you are on a ship due to pass through the canal, you should be OK for the time being at least.

Nadia...I agree, good job we did the trip last year....might well be doing it again next year, not sure yet ;)

As I stated on the rant about the forthcoming Luminosa repositioning back from Dubai, no itinerary is ever set in stone...especially if there are safety concerns. Cruise lines are not in the habit of playing Russian Roulette with their passengers.

So glad we didn't book for this period, we were there in December. Be interesting to know if they are letting future pasengers know about this, as a large percentage of people don't browse these boards. I would expect (like) a refund or Future Cruise Credit if i was booked to go to Egypt, after all that is a highlight of any cruise booking. I certainly wouldn't be satisfied with an alternative destination, such as Turkey as that is usually included in the itenerary anyway

Does anyone agree?

Costa have added this to their website homepage via a clickable link....

Costa Cruises announces that all its cruise itineraries calling in Egypt and Tunisia have been modified, cancelling the calls in these two countries and offering alternative port of calls as follows.

 

In particular:

• for the scheduled Red Sea cruises on the Costa Allegra and Costa Marina, the itinerary will now concentrate on calls in Jordan and Israel, with turnaround operations taking place from Aqaba (Jordan); in order to cater for customers who have already booked on these cruises, Costa Cruises will also offer alternative itineraries and date of departures;

• on Mediterranean cruises on the Costa Pacifica, Costa Allegra, Costa Mediterranea and Costa Atlantica including a one day call at Alexandria, this call has replaced by one day calls in Greece or Israel;

• on Mediterranean 7-day cruises including a one day call at Tunis (Tunisia), this call has been replaced by a one day call at Palma de Mallorca (Spain) Malta or Cagliari (Italy);

 

Accordingly, the Company confirms that all its cruises are operating normally and running to schedule, the only changes to the itineraries being those due to force majeure mentioned above.

 

Costa Cruises will resume its original scheduled programmes and reinstate the port of calls in Egypt and Tunisia when in both Countries the relevant authorities in charge declare the restoration of stability and safety conditions.

 

Costa Cruises considers the safety of its Guests and crew members as a key priority and it is constantly in contact with the local and international Authorities to guarantee the safety of its operations and to carefully monitor the situation evolution in Egypt and Tunisia.

Costa posted the new schedules for Marina and Allegra 7 day cruises in the Red Sea.

Day 1 : Aqaba Boarding

Day 2: Aqaba

Day 3: Aqaba, Departure at 22h

Day 4: Day art Sea

Day 5: Eilat, arrival at 13h

Day 6: Eilat

Day 7: Eilat

Day 8: Aqaba Departure

I´m glad I´m not booked on these cruises and anxiously waiting for the changed schedule for our cruise.

Costa posted the new schedules for Marina and Allegra 7 day cruises in the Red Sea.

 

Day 1 : Aqaba Boarding

Day 2: Aqaba

Day 3: Aqaba, Departure at 22h

Day 4: Day art Sea

Day 5: Eilat, arrival at 13h

Day 6: Eilat

Day 7: Eilat

Day 8: Aqaba Departure

 

I´m glad I´m not booked on these cruises and anxiously waiting for the changed schedule for our cruise.

As much as the new itinerary isn't what people booked, it does make the best of what is going on. Ulike the Med, the Red Sea has very few port choices outside Egypt....Jeddah in Saudi Arabia is a busy ferry port but is not suited to cruise ships, mainly on security issues...two other Red Sea countries are Ethiopia & Sudan but they have no facilities for cruise ships at all and again there are security issues.

At least Costa have given those booked on the Red Sea cruises that have been chopped about the option to cancel & rebook later in the year....

They are doing their best IMHO in what is an awful situation.

Hi Kasi1979. Where did you find Costa's annoucement of this new itinerary for Marina and Allegra? I've been keeping an eye on Costa's site but nothing to indicate the changes there as yet. Thanks.

Hi Kasi1979. Where did you find Costa's annoucement of this new itinerary for Marina and Allegra? I've been keeping an eye on Costa's site but nothing to indicate the changes there as yet. Thanks.

The information is from costa´s italian website:

costacrociere.it

I noticed that news are posted on that site up to a day ahead of the international sites so I keep an eye on what posted there.

Updated information from Costa

Costa Crociere confirms that for Costa Allegra Red Sea Grand Cruise, Costa Luminosa and Costa Deliziosa Grand Cruise from United Arab Emirates, Costa Romantica Grand Cruise from Indian Ocean, the one day calls at Sharm el Sheik, Safaga and Alexandria (Egypt) have been cancelled and replaced by a two-days call at the renowned Israeli city of Eilat. This call will allow passengers to visit Jerusalem as well as the ancient Masada fortress and the Dead Sea.

 

Any renunciation or cancellation for the above listed Grand Cruises will be regulated as per contractual conditions.

Costa Marina....

Red Sea cruises departing on 10 February 2011, 17 February 2011 and Red Sea Grand Cruise departing on 24 February 2011 are cancelled.

 

All guests booked on the 10 and 17 February Red Sea cruises ,may receive reprotection for the same amount paid, on the following departures:

 

- Costa Allegra, 14 or 21 February 2001, as per new itinerary (Jordan, Israel).

- Costa Pacifica, 19 February, 2 March, 13 March, 24 March 2011, 10-days Mediterranean itinerary (Israel, Greece, Turkey).

 

All the guests booked on 24 February 2011 Red Sea Grand Cruise may receive reprotection for the same amount piad, on the following departures:

 

- Costa Allegra Red Sea Grand Cruise, 28 March 2011, departing from Aqaba (Jordan);

- Costa Luminosa Grand Cruise from United Arab Emirates, 21 March 2011, departing from Dubai (UAE);

- Costa Deliziosa Grand Cruise from United Arab Emirates, 3 April 2011, departing from Dubai (UAE);

- Costa Romantica Grand Cruise from Indian Ocean, 3 April 2011, departing from Port Louis (Mauritius);

- Other available spring 2011 departures for Mediterranean itineraries of Costa Concordia, Costa Magica or Costa Serena.

Costa posted the new schedules for Marina and Allegra 7 day cruises in the Red Sea.

 

Day 1 : Aqaba Boarding

Day 2: Aqaba

Day 3: Aqaba, Departure at 22h

Day 4: Day art Sea

Day 5: Eilat, arrival at 13h

Day 6: Eilat

Day 7: Eilat

Day 8: Aqaba Departure

 

I´m glad I´m not booked on these cruises and anxiously waiting for the changed schedule for our cruise.

Kasi...I hope that you have been able to replace your cruise without too many problems...really sorry that you have to be on the cruise that got chopped. Do please let us know what you have decided upon....:o

Hi Ally,

thanks for your kind words.

Unfortunately we are unable to change our vacation time to march or april, so that we have to take the full refund offered and see, if we can take another cruise this fall.

As the interesting med cruises are already booked, we are now looking into a land based vacation.

Hi Ally,

 

thanks for your kind words.

Unfortunately we are unable to change our vacation time to march or april, so that we have to take the full refund offered and see, if we can take another cruise this fall.

As the interesting med cruises are already booked, we are now looking into a land based vacation.

Ute,

Sorry to see that your Marina cruise has been cancelled.

How about a cruise down the Rhine or Danube, or keeping the cruising in the family with Aida?

Ron

Hi everyone, thanks for your kind words and advice.

We are quite unhappy that the cruise was cancelled on such a short notice and that costa offers no compensation of any kind.

As stated on costa´s website:

IMPORTANT: BY AND NO LATER than Thursday 10 February 2011 (h. 7 pm) all Guests booked for the above mentioned Costa Marina Red Sea cruises have to express their choice to their Travel Agency either for a reprotection to one of the proposed departures or the possible use of a voucher for another 2011 cruise. Alternatively Guests can ask for a refund of the amount paid.

Well, pretty short notice, you have to keep in mind, that my ta does not have any official info from costa as of today.

How do other cruiselines handle cancellation on short notice?

Hi everyone, thanks for your kind words and advice.

 

We are quite unhappy that the cruise was cancelled on such a short notice and that costa offers no compensation of any kind.

 

As stated on costa´s website:

IMPORTANT: BY AND NO LATER than Thursday 10 February 2011 (h. 7 pm) all Guests booked for the above mentioned Costa Marina Red Sea cruises have to express their choice to their Travel Agency either for a reprotection to one of the proposed departures or the possible use of a voucher for another 2011 cruise. Alternatively Guests can ask for a refund of the amount paid.

Well, pretty short notice, you have to keep in mind, that my ta does not have any official info from costa as of today.

How do other cruiselines handle cancellation on short notice?

Personally Kasi, I would sit on the phone to your TA...or go to their office if possible...and get them to contact Costa at 9am tomorrow morning and have the TA press them for some sort of decision.

Since you cannot use one of the other cruise dates stated due to committments, your two alternatives would be a replacement cruise later this year or a full refund (as per advice given in your quote).

Being a weekend, getting an answer would be nigh on impossible anyway...but go for it tomorrow and even if the TA tells you they will sort it, stay on their backs.

If you paid with a credit card, you might be able to get them to chase a refund....certainly no harm in asking the bank for advice on that as it could be a quicker way to get the refund should you decide that way to go.

You have 4 days from today til the deadline, that should be ample time for the TA to get in touch and for you to decide which option you want to go for......another cruise later in the year or the refund.

Hi Ally,

as far as I understand Costa already offers the full refund. Unfortunately this will not cover all the costs in all cases. Some persons might have booked the flights on their own, others cannot change the holiday in their company and are therefore forced to look for another vacation with the same or at least a very similar schedule. Costa already changed the ports for the Costa Marina cruises from Egypt to Jordan, so from my point of view it is difficult to base this cancellation on the political situation in Egypt. Costas German regulations say that Costa might cancel a cruise until 30 days before the cruise - but this notification was issued only 13 days or 20 days (depending on the cruise) in advance. I personally doubt that the political situation is the true reason for the cancellation as for example the Costa Allegra is not cancelled altough it is operating in the same area during the same time. Besides this, the next cruise on the Marina, that can be booked after February, is now in August. As this period is to long for a standard drydock time, one might think that Costa uses the political situation as a tool to change the schedule in a way that is economically more interesting.

Considering this it is from my point of view not enough to give only a full refund. I am quite sure that other cruise lines would at least offer a special deal on a future cruise or an obc for a future cruise in addition - as a compensation for this "last-minute-cancellation".

Arno

The Marina only has two more cruises in the Red Sea, 10th. & 17th. February then a repro cruise on the 24th.

After these cruises the Marina has been sold / charted to a Thai company:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1314298

Compensation is normally paid by cruise lines if the cruise is postponed or cut short due to mechanical or electrical problems, but not for acts of God.

In the T&C (Costa Germany ref 7.1 - 7.3) Costa may only cancel a contract / cruise up to 30 days before sailing is only for the case where the minimum number of passengers, to make the cruise profitable, has not been reached.

In such cases Travel Insurance can be a godsend, so long as the policy covers acts of God.

Ron

I have the distinct feeling that since both ships were doing the same itinerary and many passengers may have cancelled due to the Egypt problem & the port changes, Costa have combined the loads of both ships onto the larger Allegra and taken Marina out of the area on purely economic reasons.

Afterall, what point is there in running two ships on exactly the same itinerary on partial loads, might just as well cut one ship out.

Granted that does not make it any easier for those on Marina's now cancelled trips, but as Ron says, if there are any incidental expenses such as independent flights to/from the ship, travel insurance will likely be the best course of action...if covered by force majeure which is the case with Egypt.

Anyone with flights booked through Costa will inevitably get that refunded along with the cruise cost.

Eithe way, this will not have been an easy decision for Costa to make...but with so many cancellations due to Egypt right now, they are not going to be alone in facing upset passengers. Uniworld, A&K, Viking...all have cancelled Nile cruises with literally hours notice.

When countries get choppy, and there is no idea how long it will last, sacrifices have to be made by holiday companies.

Ally,

I share your feeling about the economic aspects. Especially if the Marina is due to arrive in Thailand later it is probably a better idea to cancel these cruises.

Ron,

it is difficult to decide whether this happens due to an act of god or not. From my point of view, Costa changed the schedule a couple of days before due to the crisis. So know the Costa Marina was not travelling to Egypt any longer. If there were economic reasons to combine the journeys of the Marina and Allegra this is for me no longer due to an act of god.

Arno

As I have said all along, the Red Sea is extremely limited in regards to alternate ports...even moreso when one country that has 3-4 ports (like Egypt) explodes into political problems.

The calls to Tunis & Alexandria were easy to replace, the Med has a variety of ports to choose from, and they are generally bigger (thus better equipped) for several ships to be diverted to them.

Thomson are virtually following the itinerary that Costa is now using, Kristina Cruises have pulled their ship out early - cancelling the rest of their season in the Red Sea.

Apart from Aqaba & Eilat...there is no other port suitable for cruise ships. Jeddah is a big port but there is not enough there for passengers and there is a visa problem too for some nationalities, so that is a non-starter.

It is such a shame that this has happened...the Egyptian Red Sea ports are a vital source of income in the winter months and the 3 main ones...Safaga, Sokhna & Sharm are all out of bounds - despite the troubles not really affecting the local towns attached to the ports as badly as Cairo & Alexandria.

Costa and all the other cruise lines are literally jammed tween a rock & a hard place...not an enviable position at all.

Under the circumstances I think Costa is in a very difficult situation (none of which is their own making) and have done what they can.

We are booked on Deliziosa ex Dubai 3 April and are obviously disappointed that it appears, at this stage, that the Egyptian ports will be cancelled. Yemen was quietly removed some months ago with no advice from Costa. So, as it stands, out of the original 9 ports, 4 have been removed and seemingly replaced with 1 (Eliat). Like a lot of people (I would think) we have made arrangements both pre and post cruise which are not refundable so cancelling (if indeed this was offered) is not an option. Obviously Costa has acted prudently in avoiding places of conflict but I think the net loss of a third of the original ports could be better compensated. Costa may save a lot of money on port charges etc for the cancelled stops. As a goodwill gesture, how about giving some of this back to passengers? What about complimentary port excursions as a start?