Norwegian Cruise Line Dropping Tunisia After Discrimination

[LauraS]

Check out the latest Norwegian Cruise Line news from Cruise Critic:

 

Norwegian Cruise Line Dropping Tunisia After Discrimination

[8675309Jenny]

Kind of a misleading title to your link

[happy trailer]

Kudos and a big thank you to NCL for taking a strong stand against discrimination!

[sacooper34]

I loves this.. Good for ncl....

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[newmexicoNita]

good for them. There are lots of other places to cruise.

[$hip$hape]

Kind of a misleading title to your link

Yes, you wonder why this is a "sticky"?

[CruisinGirl777]

Great news! Glad that they took a stand.

[8675309Jenny]

Yes, you wonder why this is a "sticky"?

 

especially when they say that political posts are not allowed. goose/gander.

[$hip$hape]

especially when they say that political posts are not allowed. goose/gander.

For our NCL Jade cruise in April, our ports have already been changed on our e-docs.

Instead of being in Tunis on Easter Sunday, we will be in CAGLIARI, SARDINIA, ITALY

[clivep]

I've just looked at visa requirements on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. They state that Israelis going to Tunisia need a visa and that Tunisians going to Israel need a visa.

 

Would this have made the headlines if a Tunisian cruise passenger was denied entry to an Israeli port of call because they didn't have a visa? I don't think so.

 

According to NCL:

'you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country/countries to or through which you are intending to travel'.

 

The Israeli passengers were lucky to have been allowed to board the cruise at all if they did not hold valid visas for all the ports of call that required them.

 

Citizens of other countries such as New Zealand also need visa sto enter Tunisia in just the same way as many visitors to the US need them. I know I need to get one for St Petersburg if not on an organised excursion but does that mean I'm being discriminated against or that the cruise lines should stop going to St Petersburg?

[happy trailer]

I've just looked at visa requirements on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. They state that Israelis going to Tunisia need a visa and that Tunisians going to Israel need a visa.

 

Would this have made the headlines if a Tunisian cruise passenger was denied entry to an Israeli port of call because they didn't have a visa? I don't think so.

 

According to NCL:

'you must check passport and visa requirements with the Embassy or Consulate of the country/countries to or through which you are intending to travel'.

 

The Israeli passengers were lucky to have been allowed to board the cruise at all if they did not hold valid visas for all the ports of call that required them.

 

Citizens of other countries such as New Zealand also need visa sto enter Tunisia in just the same way as many visitors to the US need them. I know I need to get one for St Petersburg if not on an organised excursion but does that mean I'm being discriminated against or that the cruise lines should stop going to St Petersburg?

 

Where have you read that the Israelis didn't have visas? I've read several articles on the incident, and from all indications neither the cruise line nor the Israelis had any indication that they would not be allowed off the ship in Tunis. It was a last minute decision by the Tunisian government relayed to the ship shortly before its arrival, and NCL says it took them by surprise. I'm sure if it was a matter that the Israelis had neglected to get the proper visas, that even if NCL had allowed them to board the ship, the cruise line would not have felt the need to take the action it has.

 

Why do you think NCL has responded the way it has?

[$hip$hape]

Where have you read that the Israelis didn't have visas? I've read several articles on the incident, and from all indications neither the cruise line nor the Israelis had any indication that they would not be allowed off the ship in Tunis. It was a last minute decision by the Tunisian government relayed to the ship shortly before its arrival, and NCL says it took them by surprise. I'm sure if it was a matter that the Israelis had neglected to get the proper visas, that even if NCL had allowed them to board the ship, the cruise line would not have felt the need to take the action it has.

 

Why do you think NCL has responded the way it has?

 

 

a different slant from Tunisia News:

http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/03/...stop-in-tunis/

 

"It is unclear, however, if the Israelis had obtained a visa before arriving.

Israeli citizens have been allowed into Tunisia, although a previously-obtained visa is required.

Israel and Tunisia do not have formal diplomatic relations."

“There was no visa requirement that we are aware of,” AnnMarie Mathews, vice president of public relations for Norwegian Cruise Lines

told Tunisia Live in an email Tuesday.

I think NCL screwed up.

Edited March 12, 2014 by $hip$hape

[happy trailer]

a different slant from Tunisia News:

http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/03/...stop-in-tunis/

 

"It is unclear, however, if the Israelis had obtained a visa before arriving.

Israeli citizens have been allowed into Tunisia, although a previously-obtained visa is required.

Israel and Tunisia do not have formal diplomatic relations."

“There was no visa requirement that we are aware of,” AnnMarie Mathews, vice president of public relations for Norwegian Cruise Lines

told Tunisia Live in an email Tuesday.

I think NCL screwed up.

 

So you really think NCL would have reacted the way it has if this was simply a matter of the Israelis not having visas?

[$hip$hape]

So you really think NCL would have reacted the way it has if this was simply a matter of the Israelis not having visas?

Yes.

IMHO, NCL was looking for an excuse to drop this unstable port.

[happy trailer]

Yes.

IMHO, NCL was looking for an excuse to drop this unstable port.

 

So you think they planted the Israelis, let them on without visas, didn't inform them upon boarding that they wouldn't be allowed to leave the ship in Tunis because they had no visas- and then sat back and waited for the Tunisian government to refuse the Israelis entry? And then congratulated themselves that their plan worked, and sent out the press announcement that they were immediately dropping Tunis from their itineraries? Wow!

[$hip$hape]

So you think they planted the Israelis,

let them on without visas, didn't inform them upon boarding that they wouldn't be allowed to leave the ship in Tunis because they had no visas- and then sat back and waited for the Tunisian government to refuse the Israelis entry? And then congratulated themselves that their plan worked, and sent out the press announcement that they were immediately dropping Tunis from their itineraries? Wow!

I think NCL let them on without visas.

When the Israelis were denied entry, and went to the press, NCL blamed the Tunisian government.

[jlajr]

especially when they say that political posts are not allowed. goose/gander.

 

How is the title of the thread or link misleading if it is exactly the same as the Cruise Critic headline?!?!

 

The post was not political, it simply provided a link to the news item.

 

Sent from my Asus Fonepad using the Cruise Critic Forums app.

Edited March 15, 2014 by jlajr

[emcelh]

Great news! Glad that they took a stand.

 

Yes.

IMHO, NCL was looking for an excuse to drop this unstable port.

 

Why would they need an excuse? Unstable ports are dropped by cruise lines all the time.

[graphicguy]

Good for NCL. I applaud them.

[david_sobe]

Good for NCL. I was unable to open the link with the Tunisia slant. But NCL would have never pulled the plug on a port without due cause. So they definitely saw something unjust. Now Tunisia is going to lose millions of dollars in tourist money. Pay back is a b**tch.

[Winchester Ranger]

When anti-Semitism becomes official government policy you know that you are dealing with a diseased nation.

 

I've never understood it, never will.

 

Decent Tunisians should hang their heads in shame.

[jannandjohn]

I think NCL let them on without visas.

When the Israelis were denied entry, and went to the press, NCL blamed the Tunisian government.

It seems there is always more to the story, and it makes it easier to understand why NCL did not know beforehand.

This was on a French site..

 

Tunisie Maritime, the agency that manages cruise ship arrivals in Tunis, says that cruise ship passengers do not require a visa, no matter what country they come from, and that up until last weekend, Israelis were admitted without a visa along with everyone else, no problem.

Then...Saturday 8 March, Tunisie Maritime got a call from the chief of police of the port of La Goulette saying that Israeli passengers were no longer permitted to disembark in Tunisia.

With no explanation.

Tunisie Maritime immediately contacted NCL and MSC.

 

The Tunisian Ministry of the Interior released a statement this week simply saying that 14 cruise ship passengers were prohibited from entering Tunisian territory on March 9 because they did not satisfy the legal requirements for entry.

[RJ2002]

Kudos to NCL.

 

Here is their own statement:

 

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/pressroom/pressRelease.html?storyCode=PR_031114A