Silver Cloud Falkland ports cancelled V1232

[Keith1010]

Let me tell you what SS management should do.

1 This problem is being caused by Argentina denying freedom of Navigation to ships sailing under international flags.Is that OK ? Lessons of history and even the school yard will tell us that aggression and bullying must be resisted otherwise it will persist and escalate.Appeasement should not be an option.

2 So the Cruise industry must speak with one voice and make it clear it will not be tolerated.

3Untill freedom of navigation is restored to cruise lines who wish to visit the Falklands No cruise ships should use Argentinian ports.

4 To simply roll over as SS appear to have done will just give these folk encouragement.

 

its not too difficult to do the right thing and as someone once said"a principle is not a principle until it costs you something"

 

It's not going to happen.

 

Keith

[newlondon]

Unfortunately, Keith, You are so right. Imo this is a very difficult problem; but, there are many more passengers that wish to visit Argentina than the Falklands. We took a wonderful VPO-BA cruise on SS and tbh couldn't have cared less that the Falklands weren't on the itinerary. In fact with the stories of missed ports because of weather DW was glad it wasn't on the schedule.

This is not to say that bullying should be condoned. And to call a spade a spade that's exactly what it is.

Let's be realistic, however, in today's world commerce is king-for a number of reasons. Several thousand going to the Falklands does not=tens of thousands visiting mainland Argentina and BA.

What a sad conflict:mad:

[Keith1010]

newlondon you are absolutely right.

 

There are so many cruises that go around South America and they are not going to be cancelled because of the action in the Falklands. And yes, often stops at the Falklands don't go as planned. As such, I do not recommend booking a cruise for that port stop.

 

In fact, history tells us not to book a cruise for just one port stop anywhere because you just never know if some event will prevent the stop from taking place.

 

I do not condone what has happened but this is not the first time that countries have done things that many would deem wrong and inhumane but the cruise ships still stopped there. China has had some issues yet cruise lines stop there. Russia invaded another country yet cruise lines continued to stop in St. Petersburg.

 

Now we all have choices. If some don't care for what has taken place then they can cancel their cruise and choose another itinerary assuming they are outside the cancellation period.

 

Sometimes I try to separate the government from the people though. We will be visiting Argentina in February as part of a World Cruise on another line and look forward to it. On a personal level our daughter in-laws and our son in law who have been residents of the USA for many years are from Argentina so we know the warmth of the people. We have visited there several times before and the people are wonderful.

 

A few years ago our cruise included stops in various Middle East countries some that people would think was terrible that a cruise line stopped there but for those of us on the cruise we learned so very much.

 

Cruising is part of discovery.

 

Again, we are fortunate that we have choices.

 

There are others from around the world that certainly questioned the action of our own country but like us many separated the two issues and many still visited here. They too had a choice.

 

But at this point in time it is unrealistic to expect the entire cruising industry to stop visiting the ports of call in Argentina.

 

I also think it is unrealistic to count on a stop in Punta Arenas. This is another port that can be very iffy because of the rough seas and the winds.

 

Again, each person has choice but at this point I have not seen lots of people saying they are going to cancel their South America cruises.

 

Keith

[newlondon]

Keith, We're on the same page.

Just as an aside and a different topic but the same principle. The NYT blasts guns etc. in their editorials; and yet reviews the most violent video games in their Arts section-many favorably:confused:

[adoctor]

It is that very"Choice" that you espouse that is being denied(by illegal action) to those folk who wish to visit the Falklands.

[TLCOhio]

Excellent, realistic points made by both Keith and newlondon. The Falklands/UK fans might not like to hear it, but sometimes "politics" does get involved in these things. Sad, but true. Argentina has the "leverage" now and is using it. Those "things" might not be right, just or fair, but it does happen in this challenging and changing world. There are other parts of the world where these frustrating things happen to not make our travel plans perfect. Just have to adjust and deal with "it".

 

Yes, as noted by newlondon on "Just as an aside and a different topic but the same principle. The NYT blasts guns etc. in their editorials; and yet reviews the most violent video games in their Arts section-many favorably", there are many cases where institutions, countries speak out of various sides of their mouths and brains. It doesn't all make total sense.

 

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

 

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 89,844 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

[Silver Spectre]

Interesting articles in the UK press today about the release of documents relating to the liberation of the Falklands from the Argentine invaders, perhaps the most telling being the duplicitous nature of Jeane Kirkpatrick and her 'soft spot' for General Leopoldi Galtieri (Agentine Dictator and runner of Death Squads for political opponents).

 

With apologies for those who have no interest in these posts, they are a little political as some people seem to forget that bullying is something that all should stand up against, and not just when it suits them.

[57 varieties]

http://timespentatsea.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/cruise-cowards.html?m=1

A well written article about Silversea's decision.

[pres]

We were on the December 2012 - January 2013 cruise on Silversea's Silver Cloud from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Valparaiso, Chile. Upon arriving in our suite, we were immediately disappointed to learn that the scheduled port of call in Stanley in the Falkland Islands had been cancelled due to the Argentine government's enforcement of the so-called gaucho law. There was a pre-printed letter from the captain, and a revised shore excursion menu, as well as an offer of a $500 "gesture of goodwill" on a FUTURE cruise. We were informally advised by cruise staff that Silversea knew of the itinerary change at least a couple days prior to embarkation in Buenos Aires. Yet, Silversea made no effort to let us know of the change until we boarded, although they are perfectly capable of contacting us by E-mail with their repeated advertisements.

If we had known of the itinerary change even a day in advance of boarding, we could have used the high-speed Internet at our hotel in Buenos Aires to cancel our private guide in the Falklands, and try to research and schedule an alternative private guide in the substitute port. Yet Silversea seemed more interested in marketing their own shore excursions, and selling future cruises, than in informing passengers in advance of the changed itinerary, or accommodating the needs of those passengers who arrange private guides. I found it galling that Silversea would offer the $500 "goodwill" credit only on a future cruise, rather than the cruise then underway, since the harm was to the existing passengers on that cruise.

A senior staff member on the ship expressed surprise to me that the Silversea home office (in Ft. Lauderdale) had not E-mailed passengers about the changed itinerary. Due to the very poor Internet connections on the ship, we spent countless hours trying without success to arrange a guide at the substitute port, and had difficulty reaching the guide we had scheduled in the Falklands. Our arrangement with the Falklands private guide had been that if we cancelled less than 72 hours in advance, unless the port of call was cancelled due to weather, we would be liable for the pre-paid private shore excursion in Stanley. If Silversea had had the decency and common courtesy to notify us even a day in advance by E-mail, we would not have had a problem.

[newlondon]

pres, As you can see from the previous posts on this thread, this is not new news. I responded to your review which I believe you have basically copied on the Cloud mdr thread. Politics affects all and we cruisers are no different. I do not wish to offend you but, you could have found out this unfortunate situation well in advance.