Israel dropped for the rest of 2011 by Costa

[Goldryder]

Al Jazzera is reporting the following today:

 

"A series of rockets have slammed into the Israeli port city of Ashdod, just south of Tel Aviv, shortly after Israeli aircraft pounded targets in Gaza, in an escalating conflict that has raised fears of a new war.

Israeli police said on Thursday that long-range Grad rockets fired from the Gaza Strip hit Ashdod and an area north of the Mediterranean port. There were no immediate reports of casualties.

The Israeli army has just confirmed that a total of nine rockets have been fired from the Gaza Strip," Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh, reporting from Jerusalem, said.

Two of them were Grad rockets, one of them landed in Ashdod, the other one just north of Ashdod - that one is the farthest these rockets have reached since the cross border tension started eight days ago," she said.

Violence along the Gaza border has worsened in recent days."

 

Let's hope there weren't any cruise ships at the port of Ashdod today!

 

Scary stuff....looks like things are getting worse over there. Cruise lines would be stark raving mad to send ships there now, the lawsuits for taking passengers into a warzone would be lined up on the doormat.

 

Damn shame but I think most of us could see this coming....it had to come with all the other protests in Jordan, Syria, Gaza, West Bank.....it was inevitable that things would escalate and with the best will in the world the peaceful citizens of Israel have absolutely no say or control over what is going on...they are effectively bystanders as usual.

 

Very sad state of affairs across the entire region.

[Capricruiser]

Ally, I'm sorry that you had to take so much flak from a few unhappy posters who became obnoxious whiners as the days rolled by. Whatever caused Costa to come to their decision to drop Haifa and Ashdod, it was the right decision as events yesterday and today have proved.

Better to enjoy some safe Greek and Turkish ports rather than have to dodge bombs and rockets in Israel. Let's hope that peace returns rapidly.

[Goldryder]

Ally, I'm sorry that you had to take so much flak from a few unhappy posters who became obnoxious whiners as the days rolled by. Whatever caused Costa to come to their decision to drop Haifa and Ashdod, it was the right decision as events yesterday and today have proved.

Better to enjoy some safe Greek and Turkish ports rather than have to dodge bombs and rockets in Israel. Let's hope that peace returns rapidly.

 

Hmmmm......well t'is a good job I have a thick skin, eh? ;)

 

Have you noticed the deafening silence from those very whiners now that things have gone so badly awry in Israel?

 

All up in arms, indignant & dare I say, plain insulting when they refused to believe that anyone other than Costa doing some cost cutting was the reason for dropping Israel......

 

I hate to say I told them so, but hey....maybe in future people will actually wait til the facts are in before jumping up & down and lobbing teddybears & insults around, eh?

 

We can but hope :rolleyes:

[vakmom]

Hmmmm......well t'is a good job I have a thick skin, eh? ;)

 

Have you noticed the deafening silence from those very whiners now that things have gone so badly awry in Israel?

 

All up in arms, indignant & dare I say, plain insulting when they refused to believe that anyone other than Costa doing some cost cutting was the reason for dropping Israel......

 

I hate to say I told them so, but hey....maybe in future people will actually wait til the facts are in before jumping up & down and lobbing teddybears & insults around, eh?

 

We can but hope :rolleyes:

 

If it was for safety why didn't Costa cancel the March stops in Israel? The bombing happened in March. Please provide a thoughtful answer not insults.

[Goldryder]

If it was for safety why didn't Costa cancel the March stops in Israel? The bombing happened in March. Please provide a thoughtful answer not insults.

 

Excuse me?

 

Pacifica was in Israel several days BEFORE the bomb went off in Jerusalem, she has been in Civitavecchia all day today after running in from Izmir.

 

As for insults...they ain't been coming from me sunshine.

 

If you want to take your chances in Israel right now, you go ahead, but do not expect ANY cruise line to help you.....

[G.M.T.]

I personally think Costa's decision to cancel the Haifa and Ashdod visits was in the first place purely based on economic and logistics reasons. But with hindsight they made the correct decision (with all the killings and escalation of violence) also changing the itinerary for a long time (rest of the year) which will give future passengers the chance to plan their tours accordingly.

 

Ron

[nezbleu]

please can costa give me 6 numbers for saturday night!

 

im afraid seems israel would be same as egypt now - definitely off now...not that they knew. really would have loved those trips - will go again one day. shame the world has too many bad people in it - im sure most of us could all get on if we had thought for ourselves.

 

as for insults - well if whiners - teddy bear throwers in first paragraph etc isnt -then its cause i have such a thin skin!! and insinuating that posters would be/ are bullies to crew etc... insults.. didn't really hit back myself - far too level headed and above that - especially to elders! i really shouldn't have taken this bait again - but you really do love it don't you,....

 

(also israel has innocent citizens and innocent bystanders as has gaza and palestine iraq iran etc - but not all peaceful on both sides - as many british have died in israel throughout the years -if you know your post war history -over 800- but we really dont need to go into that just remember the innocent)

[G.M.T.]

Things have certainly gone quiet here (but alass not in the cancelled ports).

 

I can understand if someone is sad, uptight or whatever when a much longed for port of call is cancelled but to keep going on and on - instead of using that energy in con tacting their TA / Costa.

 

I think I have more than most to "hate" Costa:

 

The bathroom door atacking me

Missed ports of call Fujairah (probably a Godsend in missing it) Muscat day at hospital

Ten days with my arm in a sling DW had to help me dress, undress ;) and cut up my food.

DW ending up being ill and being wrongly diagnosed by the quack

Cancelled privately arranged tours

All the paperwork when we got back

Two court cases

 

Did all of that put me of cruiseing and Costa NO (well maybe for a year or so).

 

Hell life is so short and there so much to do and see.

 

Laugh and the world laughs with you - cry and Costa will cancel another port of call.

 

Ron

[dizzy1948]

For all that has been said and done on this topic - I wish everyone well with their cruise.

[vakmom]

I personally think Costa's decision to cancel the Haifa and Ashdod visits was in the first place purely based on economic and logistics reasons. But with hindsight they made the correct decision (with all the killings and escalation of violence) also changing the itinerary for a long time (rest of the year) which will give future passengers the chance to plan their tours accordingly.

 

Ron

 

Thank you for your insight. Your post seems to make the most sense to me. Why couldn't Costa just say this? I'm not a Costa hater-i'm actually excited about my upcoming cruise. we've always had a blast with Italians when we've visited italy. I am just disappointed and a bit confused about Costa's handling of this.

 

Your Cruise novice,

Sunshine:D

[Capricruiser]

And wherever those big white ships with the yellow smokestacks carry us, I wish for us all the happiest of cruises - and for all the peoples of the Earth, peace!

[TravelerThom]

...Maybe Israel is objecting to Costa not dropping (yet) the ports in Libya...afterall, you are not welcome mutually in either country if you have the other's stamp in the passport...

Libya definitely denys admission to persons with an Israeli stamp in their passport, but are you sure that Israel denies admission to those with a Libyian stamp? I have no personal experience, but everything I read says Israel will let you in even with a Libyian stamp. Note that Israeli CITIZENS may not visit "Enemy countries" without a special permit issued by the Israeli minister of the interior.

 

Thom

[Marian Paroo]

Last I heard was that Israel let a tourist in if s/he had a stamp from a "hostile nation" in her/his passport, but that was a while ago.

 

Check with the nearest Israeli Embassy or Consulate for an update.

[Barry Shaw]

If this is correct then passengers have been badly let down by Costa.

Israel has its problems but there is absolutely no internal strife that has been affecting a number of neighbouring countries. Therefore, security cannot be given as an excuse for cutting out Israel. Other cruiseships are visiting both Haifa and Ashdod so there are no port problems to use as an excuse either.

If anyone has booked because of the Israel/Holy Land experience they should demand their money back from Costa. Our experience is that Costa's big achievement is their refusal to refund money to passengers but it is worth going after them if you have been let down by them not visiting Israel this year.

I live in Israel and I know when there is a security or safety issue. We have had periods when it would be unwise to visit. This Spring is not one of them.

[G.M.T.]

I live in Israel and I know when there is a security or safety issue. We have had periods when it would be unwise to visit. This Spring is not one of them.

 

Tell that to the relations of the British woman that was killed in the bomb blast at the bus station in Jersuelem recently.

 

Ron

[Capricruiser]

If this is correct then passengers have been badly let down by Costa.

Israel has its problems but there is absolutely no internal strife that has been affecting a number of neighbouring countries. Therefore, security cannot be given as an excuse for cutting out Israel. Other cruiseships are visiting both Haifa and Ashdod so there are no port problems to use as an excuse either.

If anyone has booked because of the Israel/Holy Land experience they should demand their money back from Costa. Our experience is that Costa's big achievement is their refusal to refund money to passengers but it is worth going after them if you have been let down by them not visiting Israel this year.

I live in Israel and I know when there is a security or safety issue. We have had periods when it would be unwise to visit. This Spring is not one of them.

 

Dear Barry Shaw: While you were cruising in the Indian Ocean, rockets from Gaza were falling on Ashdod. What if a tour bus full of Costa excursionists was passing by at that moment??? Costa made the right decision.

[cokj72]

Dear Barry Shaw: While you were cruising in the Indian Ocean, rockets from Gaza were falling on Ashdod. What if a tour bus full of Costa excursionists was passing by at that moment??? Costa made the right decision.

 

We hope that the missiles did not hit the "my bus" "Royal Caribbean" :D