Egypt - Escalating Revolution - Uniworld Response?

[cruzerca]

WASHINGTON, D.C.-- The U.S. government on Friday issued a travel alert for Egypt, urging all U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to the African country. The alert comes amid massive anti-government protests, resulting in several fatalities and hundreds of injured.

 

According to Uniworld - everything is fine ?:mad:

 

Focus on $$$$ not guest safety.

[pjtraveler]

Cruzer,

 

I know how upset you are, but I'm sure all cruise companies that operate in Egypt are watching the situation closely. Things are happening very fast, and if the State Department has issued a nonessential travel warning, the cruise lines will have to pay attention to it. I hope their major focus at this point is the safety of their passengers currently in the country. The only communication open to them within Egypt is landlines.

 

When is (was?) your Egypt cruise scheduled?

[jacksonnh]

Delta has canceled their JFK-CAI for tonight per TA

[shoshona2]

Hi cruzerca,

 

I see that you are supposed to leave on Wednesday and that the U.S. government has issued an alert for non-essential travel to Egypt. There is no way that order in the country will be in force by then. Pour yourself a big drink and just wait out the weekend. If the U.S. declares "no travel to Egypt" or the airplanes don't fly, you should be able to cancel if your tour company doesn't do it first and get your money back. I know you are truly disappointed, but remember all those people who were stuck in Europe due to the Iceland volcano eruption last year. Things happen and the lives of all those people in Egypt are at risk right now. We had to cancel China one year due to the Bird Virus and we went several years later.

 

Sheila

[YoungDubFan]

From CNN's breaking news blog:

 

[updated 2:25 p.m. (2125 in Egypt)] Delta Airlines tells CNN it will have a flight departing Cairo on Saturday and then suspend service to the Egyptian capital indefinitely as a result of the civil unrest.

 

[updated 2:03 p.m. (2103 in Egypt)] The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert regarding the unrest in Egypt. It cites disrupted travel between cities and the government's interruption of internet and cell phone service. "Given this situation, the Department of State urges U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to Egypt at this time and advises U.S. citizens currently in Egypt to defer non-essential movement and to exercise caution," the alert states.

[cruzerca]

I'm mostly frustrated with the BS coming from Uniworld/TravCorp - obviously playing "games" by saying - everything's fine - it's safe to go - tours are on schedule.

 

So if you follow Uniworld's advice - go?

 

Or follow the US Gov implicit advice - don't go?

 

I would think Uniworld/Travcorp would be thinking in the best interest of their staff and guests - not their bottom line.

 

These are the facts - and who would choose such a company in the future for travel needs?

[Uniworld]

After further review of the situation in Egypt, our policy regarding this matter has been revised.

 

Effective immediately, for those guests booked to travel with us to Egypt between now and February 28, 2011, we will allow them to cancel and re-book on any 2011 Uniworld program. The full value of the canceled booking will be applied toward the new booking. Guests must re-book by March 31, 2011. For full details please contact your Travel Professional or Uniworld at 1-800-733-7820.

 

We continue to remain in contact with our ground operator in Egypt, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

 

With kind regards,

 

The Uniworld Team

[Windy56]

After further review of the situation in Egypt, our policy regarding this matter has been revised.

 

Effective immediately, for those guests booked to travel with us to Egypt between now and February 28, 2011, we will allow them to cancel and re-book on any 2011 Uniworld program. The full value of the canceled booking will be applied toward the new booking. Guests must re-book by March 31, 2011. For full details please contact your Travel Professional or Uniworld at 1-800-733-7820.

 

We continue to remain in contact with our ground operator in Egypt, and we will provide updates as more information becomes available.

 

With kind regards,

 

The Uniworld Team

 

Does anyone else find it interesting that as soon as Uniworld posted their policy regarding cancellations, the article posted on the homepage of Cruise Critic regarding all cruise line changes in itineraries and reimbursement policies for Egyptian cruises was removed. I wonder how the other cruise lines will respond and I can't help but wonder if Uniworld had any say in the removal of the article, which would have made it very easy for me to do a comparison of just how the companies rank in their compensation packages.

[pacmom]

Don

t know about the rest of you, but wouldn't think of travelling to anyplace in the Middle East with out goodtravel insurance. That way you can cancel and be reimbersed. We have travelled 5 times with Uniworld and one was to Egypt. Never felt that my safety was paramount. As you can see they are suspending travel, just as Avalon and others will folow suit. We are going on river cruise 15 this Dec., so we are not novice river cruisers. Pat

[Windy56]

It's also unclear to me whether Uniworld has cancelled its cruises or if it intends to go ahead with the scheduled cruises. It seems to me if Uniworld has cancelled the cruise, passengers should not be obliged to rebook in order to recoup their losses. On the other hand if Uniworld holds out and does not cancel the cruise, they are not obliged to compensate any passengers who decide not to go on the cruise, apart from allowing them to book another cruise.

 

It all sounds shady to me. The only way they can still make a profit is to proceed on the assumption that they will still offer the cruise. If they go ahead and offer the cruise they are gauranteed revenue by those passengers who must take an alternate cruise with them. If they cancel the cruise, they lose the revenue for the Egyptian cruise and any replacement cruise, which passengers are no longer obliged to take.

[Condocat]

Well, I'm not scheleduled to cruise with Uniworld on the River Tosca until April 9th and heaven knows what can happen by then, however, the State Dept this afternoon has placed a warning on non essential travel to Egypt through February 28th. I hope Uniworld is paying attention. In addition Delta has cancelled all flights indefinitely and Egpyt-Air had cancelled flights from the US for the next 7 days.

 

My heart goes out to all of you and your plans that have been thrown up-side-down and sideways!

 

For the rest of us, carefully read your insurance policies. I believe these policies are invalid during times the State Dept issues warnings, check with your travel agent! Also double check, some policies do not cover

"acts of war, declared or undeclared, civil disorder or unrest".

 

Hopefully all this will pass peacefully.

[chloes nana]

we were scheduled on the Jewels Of Egypt, the Nile, and Lake Nasser on September 16th, I just had my TA call Uniworld and change us to a 15 day Rhine River Cruise and we got it for less than the advertised price, and with no penalties!! Way to go Uniworld you get my vote!! Others should check and see what their options are. We were truly looking forward to this trip but those old pyramids have been there for thousands of years, and they will be there in a couple more! Instead we will cross off the Castles along the Rhine, the windmills in Amsterdam and many other sites.

[cormike1]

The Canadian gov't website has the same warning issued as the U.S. one about non-essential travel. We leave on Feb. 21st so I am hoping we won't have to cancel! I booked this trip almost a year ago. Switching to another river cruise at this time would not be an exciting way to spend my hard earned money lol. This was my dream trip..my husband got his Russian dream trip in 2009. I will be so disappointed but I am keeping an open mind so far. I can't do anything until Monday now so I am watching and waiting. I would be very nervous if I was in Egypt right now...can understand everyone's concerned postings. Let us keep our fingers crossed that the people of Egypt will find some peace soon.

[cormike1]

I was reading a new thread and they have said that Avalon has canceled it's 2 upcoming river cruises on Jan. 29th and Feb. 1st. I am sure more companies will follow suit.

[TravelingT]

This morning, Uniworld’s management team had a phone conversation with our ground operator in Cairo who confirmed for us that today, Thursday, all itineraries operated as per normal schedule, as has been the case all week. We have further confirmed that no demonstrations have taken place nearby the Marriott Hotel. News reports indicate there may be another demonstration in Cairo on Friday, though. We are monitoring that situation but remain optimistic that it will not interfere with our program or pose a risk to our guests. We’d also like to mention that the River Tosca has not been affected by the recent unrest. Cruises continue to operate normally, and our guests are enjoying the ship and the shore excursions.

 

We’d also like to note that no official Travel Warnings or Travel Alerts for Egypt have been issued by the U.S. State Department or the Canadian or Australian governments. A heightened level of caution is being recommended when traveling to Egypt, but these governmental agencies are not recommending that one curtail travel plans to Egypt at this time. Please see the links below:

 

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1108.html

 

http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=79000

 

http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Egypt

 

Uniworld’s cancellation policy remains in effect and we are being guided by reports from our ground operator in Egypt, information being provided by official government agencies and our interpretation of the news reports. We do however understand that each individual will react differently to the information being received about the unfolding situation in Egypt. We therefore suggest you consult with your travel insurance carrier to determine the benefits offered under your policy if you are considering curtailing your travel plans.

 

We will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as necessary. In the meantime, please feel free to contact your Travel Professional or Uniworld at customerservice@uniworld.com with any questions you may have.

 

With kind regards,

 

The Uniworld Team

 

In other words, if you cancel, we will stick it to you. I will be sure to never book with Uniworld!

[Windy56]

The Cruise Critic article which resurfaced, once again, has noted that Uniworld's position regarding a cancellation remains unclear. It was pretty clear that Uniworld is waffling on the decision, when I read the article a few minutes ago. Not very impressive.

 

Passengers should receive a full refund for a cancelled cruise resulting from widespread travel warnings originating in their departure country. They should not be forced to take the money intended for the cruise which has been justifiably cancelled and divert it to another cruise during that year, yet alone given a two month deadline to do so. It's appalling.

 

It's bizarre to think that this company would even consider going on a cruise to this location next week. This whole fiasco confirms my belief that this company is not one I ever want to deal with again. I expect a tepid response from them regarding my issues with our Christmas cruise and their position or lack thereof, today, confirms my prediction.

[gnome12]

TravelingT

 

I think that you are being unfair. This was posted on Thursday, and no one knew the extent of the violence. The state departments (U.S. and Canada) had no warnings out yet.

 

When the warnings came out, Uniworld changed their views.

 

At the time, they were most concerned, rightfully so, with the people on the ground in Egypt.

 

Do you really think that if the violence had ended after Thursday that Uniworld (or any other company for that matter) should let you cancel any future trip to that area? I think you are somewhat unreasonable. They needed some time to see what developed.

[cruzerca]

Uniworld has NOT canceled it's cruises. This is a way for them to keep their revenue on the books. They have offered a voluntary cancel and rebook with letter of credit towards any 2011 Uniworld cruise - which must be booked by 3/31/2011. Can't go in this timeframe? Sorry - no refunds. We didn't cancel your cruise - you did.....

This practice is highly unethical, given the situation. It is clear that given the circumstances a reasonable, guest concerned operator would CANCEL it's operations to ensure safety of guests and crew. This is called RISK MANAGEMENT not REVENUE RETENTION.

 

I hope Uniworld/Travcorp brands get the press here they deserve - to expose their unethical business practices - should you ever consider this company in the future - read this thread carefully - I think you will think twice about this company.

 

 

 

By the way Travcorp brands are :

 

Uniworld

Brendan Worldwide Vacations

Trafalgar

Insight Vacations

Red Carnation Hotel Collection

[Jesterscourt]

At the risk of sounding unpopular, I think it's time to cut Uniworld some slack. Each week they provide hours and days of pleasure overcoming lock delays, dock changes, low or high rivers, etc. smoothly. They manage to cater to North Americans and Australiaans and other nationalities with grace and sophistication week in and week out. I feel that we are using mob mentality and falling prey to media frenzy unnecessarily. We had a "tornado" in Florida last week and the media was warning us to jump into bathtubs and ditches, and to abandon our cars, etc. And it was just a severe thunderstorm (people from Kansas were laughing their heads off at our overreaction). I know the situation is serious in the Middle East, but stop blaming Uniworld. Flights have been cancelled and the Internet is suspended. Eventually, Uniworld and other travel companies will straighten things out with us, and we should stop being so paranoid about it. They will eventually do the right thing. I have no allegiance to Uniworld and have travelled with many cruise lines. I just don't like witch hunts. I am sorry if I have offended anyone. I just think we should put some perspective on the situation for the present time.

[waldgreen]

We traveled on the River Tosca in August with Uniworld. I have no complaints about the company. It was an amazing trip! Everything worked like clockwork, the staff of the Tosca was wonderful and our tour guide superb. I can understand the disappointment that many of you are experiencing, but think about what the people in Egypt are experiencing right now and in the near future. I am really worried about the wonderful, loving people that were the crew of our ship and what this means to them and their families. The majority of people in Egypt live in such poverty and the few that obtain jobs in the tourist industry will now join the ranks of the unemployed. Wait until the dust settles with Uniworld and in the meantime hope for a swift, peaceful and "democratic" turn of events. I hope you all get to marvel at the Egyptian attractions soon!

[franski]

What happens to the crew on the Uniworld boats if the cruise is cancelled?? Are they laid off?? Is this something that these employees can afford?? If Uniworld - or any other cruise line - decides to cancel all sailings through to February 28th (the time frame that Uniworld is offering refunds) - and the situation clears up a week or two before then - are people then going to post that Uniworld was too hasty, and complain that the cruises should not have been cancelled??

 

Reading the threads posted here - and the links posted earlier - it appears that the situation has been a slow but steady escalation. The one link posted earlier gave an in-depth account from someone close to the situation --> at the time that it was posted, it appears that the situation was not wide spread, and that some areas seemed not to be affected at all. This situation has (obviously) changed. there are now travel advisories from a number of governments - and flights are cancelled.

 

Lots of speculation here about who may or may not get refunds. One poster was able to switch her booking for next September.... I think that goes above and beyond what should be expected. Stating that this will expose Uniworld's "unethical business practices" - without knowing if people actually were denied a refund, or knowing if other companies are reacting the same way, seems a bit harsh. When there were +++ interruptions last year due to the volcanic ash, Uniworld was one company that garnered some kudos for the way they handled the situation. I think it would only be fair to see what *does* happen in this situation before throwing stones based on what we think may happen.

[cruzerca]

Empathy aside for the crew and for what people are going through in Egypt (I share these sentiments as well).

 

What I feel is unethical are these facts:

 

1. Other suppliers such as airlines are canceling service and providing full refunds because they do not want to put their clients at risk - who knows what can/may/happen. This is a prudent business decision that is based on their clients safety - not their bottom line.

 

2. There is a mandatory curfew nationwide - how can you say - everything including tours and activities are normal and everyone is having a good time.

 

3. Tourists in Cairo are being asked to remain in hotels and not to venture into the streets or public places. Tourists that do venture out are having their cameras confiscated and smashed in the streets by the military. But again, everything is normal and folks are having a great time.

 

3. The US government and the UK government and a few others have issued a policy - advising their citizens to not travel unnecessarily to Egypt. How can you advise your clients to keep their plans - since everything is operating normally - but hey, it's up to you if you don't want to come. This is a major disconnect. For those on here thinking I'm bashing or sour graping - if your name was on an airline ticket to Cairo tomorrow - would you go because Uniworld says - it's ok - or would you listen to your countries intelligence/CIA/state departments recommendation?

 

4. The current state of the Egyptian government is questionable. Who is in power today - what may happen tomorrow? Would you want to arrive there tomorrow only to find out - something shifted and there are new rules. Then Uniworld would say - well, sorry it was ok 2 days ago...

 

Look - I'm not sour graping about my dream vacation, nor am I being insensitive to what is happening socially, democratically. I just feel that in this case - there is more of a focus on REVENUE MANAGEMENT vs RISK MANAGEMENT and I believe this is unethical in this situation.

 

If you want my airline ticket - your welcome to it. Oh - by the way - it's on Delta and they have canceled their Cairo flights....

[Encinitas_Traveler]

This situation may take a bit of time to be resolved. Right now Uniworld has about 240 people in various tour stages scattered all across Egypt, and a like number will arrive and depart each week. Their first priority has to be the safety of these customers. Yet their HQ have no internet or cel phone communication with the onsite people and air transport there and back is in shambles. Can we expect a miracle?

 

My wife and I are booked on Egypt UniWorld two months hence and we have incurred quite a number of costs, not all of which are covered by travel insurance, so we are not just concerned but we are deeply involved. We are talking about "Plan B" but we are really hoping that our dream vacation will not be destroyed by this.

 

I recall the grace with which the fire on the Carnival Splendor was handled and expect (and demand) the same level of service from Uniworld. We are signed on for the adventure.

[nordski]

My understanding is that the travel warnings by the US and Canadian Govt.'s were not issued until Friday. Therefore, in the case of our usual travel insurance, for example, those warnings would allow cancellation insurance to kick in.

 

It is not surprising that Uniworld would be following those warnings rather than anticipating them. I would not expect them to be more prescient than diplomats in Cairo.

 

Many years ago now, I had arranged a large group to tour the Nile. we cancelled when Saddam Hussein undertook his adventure in Kuwait. As it turned out, our trip would most likely have been safe.

 

As Pacmom points out, given its volatile nature I simply wouldn't be considering tours of the Middle East without adequate cancellation coverage. And within the fluid nature of the present political storm, I would expect Uniworld to be as diligent as possible to meet the expectations of disappointed travellers.

[pacmom]

Remember the Iceland volcano. Cruises were not cancelled and there lines offering rebooking, not refunds. A gentleman from Kentucky posted here about his time at Cincy airport trying to get out to his cruise--company gave him credit for another trip. Disappointment yes, safety yes. Sleazy ops, no.

Hope the crew is being paid and cared for during thistime. Let's pray that this comes to a good end for the Egyptian people. Pat