Dog-man

We have spoken with our travel agent this afternoon and been told that a refund is our right and she has already submitted the refund request to Crystal.

Truly farcical. Our TA spoke with the Crystal (London) office at the end of last week to try and get an update and they said they had not been told anything. Probably like you, we are flying into Mumbai early as we had the intention of doing things before the cruise. All of these plans need to be reconsidered, but because Crystal won’t speak to their guests it can’t be done. If the Symphony Mumbai to Athens cruise is cancelled - Crystal, tell your guests. Itinerary amendments will most probably affect the Singapore - Mumbai cruise also, and those guests need to know what is happening. The message is simple - speak to your guests.

Perhaps we should run a sweepstake on the announcement date🤣

Looks like Crystal are now ‘the last man standing’. Confirmed earlier by ‘Bitob’ that Silversea have now officially cancelled their sailing from Mumbai on 20th March which was going through the Red Sea and will now be dead-heading Silver Whisper around Africa.

This is hardly a recent event. Other cruise companies were cancelling itineraries in this region as far back as November. As I have said on previous occasions the intelligence situation both open source and governmental for shipping in the region has also existed for a long period of time, hence the reason we now see so much shipping sailing around Africa. The president’s cruise, (part of the Mumbai to Athens voyage), shows as waitlisted, indicating some decision has already been made. The Crystal letter, (holding statement) has had no follow-up and there has certainly not been any dialogue with affected guests as alluded to. If Crystal have a communication strategy in relation to this issue then it can only be described as woeful. Other cruise companies have managed to make the necessary changes and give their passengers options. It really isn’t too much to ask that Crystal get their act together and do the same.

I think they would probably like to do it simultaneously, but as they appear to have already told Manfredi and Geoffrey Kent that their presidents cruise is cancelled (aka ‘waitlisted’), then it would be useful if they would tell their passengers on Symphony’s Mumbai to Athens sailing the same. Then we can all make whatever arrangements are necessary. The distinct lack of any communication is hardly the dialogue with their guests that they claimed when they issued the holding statement.

Considering the Red Sea situation I found it amazing they even offered them when other lines had already cancelled cruises. With only a few weeks to go before Symphony is due to sail from Mumbai we are still waiting to find out what Crystal intends to do. Many years ago I was taught the 7 P’s of planning, at the moment only the last 3 apply!

Or more like; how long do they keep guests waiting for the shoe to drop?

The Mumbai to Athens cruise continues to draw nearer, and of course Symphony was (is) due to transit the Gulf of Aden / Bab El Mandab Strait before Serenity. The O.S.I. picture has been clear for weeks and we know that no cruise ships will be going through there. As booked flights etc will no doubt need to be cancelled some communication would be wonderful.

Carnival have announced the rerouting of twelve ships as a result of the Red Sea crisis https://www.carnivalcorp.com/news-releases/news-release-details/carnival-corporation-plc-provides-update-strong-bookings Crystal must now be the only line left that aren’t saying anything to their guests !!!

In trying to actually find something out about this ongoing situation our travel agent called the Crystal Cruises representative in the U.K. on Friday. The representative was still saying as far as they knew the cruise was still going ahead and was going on to say which countries we would have to get visas for ourselves as the ship wouldn’t get them. As regards the press statement and communication with guests I would second what History & Wine above said, there has been no contact whatsoever by any means. Just in case the Crystal office aren’t aware of the latest news this weekend, one oil tanker attacked by ballistic missile causing damage and fire onboard, one US Navy vessel fired upon, and one Royal Navy vessel fired upon resulting in the deployment of a shipborne weapons system to shoot down the attacking drone. Still, will look forward to my ‘ongoing conversation’……….

Apparently Aida cruises announced today the cancellation of Red Sea Cruises for March and April. That will probably mean all lines under the Carnival Brand will be following suit.

This was posted by SaltyCroc on the Cunard world voyage thread QM2: The US Dept of Transportation has modified their no sail warning for the Red Sea / Gulf of Aden. There is now an explicit statement that the order is 'until further notice' and that it will 'not automatically expire'

Looks like we won’t be on a Mumbai to Athens cruise then! Something that was predictable weeks ago. The strikes that took place last night were to take out two missiles ready to be fired into Red Sea shipping. For any of you interested in open source intelligence on the situation I have placed a link below. The touch map feature is very interesting. https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/security-aviation/2024-01-15/ty-article-magazine/30-attacks-all-red-sea-ships-targeted-by-the-houthis/0000018c-5df7-d6f9-afbc-5dff7a430000

Not to sure how they think it can be too early to make a decision when other lines have already cancelled cruises and are taking the Africa option without passengers, plus numerous cargo carriers also going around Africa rather than sail through the Bab El Mandab strait. It’s interesting that whilst other lines were cancelling cruises Crystal was trying to sell a double chairman’s cruise and a five day cruise, especially when the likelihood of either taking place is almost zero. We are meant to be joining Symphony in Mumbai for Mumbai to Athens, but I have resigned myself to the fact that the cruise is not going to happen. If the intention is to deadhead from Singapore across towards Cape Town, and on to the Med, (because it’s a cheaper option than going up to Mumbai) then Crystal should at least give their passengers early warning that their cruise is cancelled because other plans and flights in and out have to be cancelled/sorted out.

I don’t disagree. I think they will sail around Africa and get Symphony into the Mediterranean as quickly as possible to pick up the rest of the season. From a passenger perspective Crystal need to tell their passengers now that the cruises are cancelled so that the flights, accommodation etc that have been booked can be cancelled, then people can also make alternative arrangements. At the moment the communication strategy is woeful.

We are sailing on Crystal, also Mumbai to Athens departing Mumbai a few days after you. Crystal are doing exactly the same, leaving us hanging with no information on what they are going to do. I think we all know that they are not going to run these cruises, they just treat the passengers as though we aren’t here!

This is part of a 17 night cruise from Mumbai to Athens which is meant to be going through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Bearing in mind that other companies are cancelling their cruises that go Red Sea/Suez because of the risk involved, (MSC has today cancelled cruises and are rerouting 3 ships around the Horn of Africa without passengers) I’m surprised Crystal are marketing something only 9 weeks away that may not happen. Silversea are also cancelling cruises in the same area. On the 15th Jan the US Maritime Administration issued a letter advising ships to avoid the area at present, Hapag Lloyd & Maersk are not going through the Red Sea, and Shell have just announced they are sending their ships around Africa. I think Crystal would be better off telling those of us booked Mumbai to Athens whether we have a cruise or not.

Ten weeks to go, but……. I’m wondering how many of you, like us are booked on the Crystal Symphony cruise from Mumbai to Athens sailing at the end of March? As the itinerary is scheduled as sailing into the Red Sea and through the Suez Canal are we now likely to be on a Mumbai to Horn of Africa (and beyond) cruise? I know a number of other lines have cancelled / are in the process of cancelling cruises in that area so with not long to go, and flights already booked what will be the plan? As the two chairmen were getting on halfway through the seventeen day cruise for a short Chairman’s cruise what is happening to that? Early information from Crystal would be very useful especially because of the flights situation.