Constellation Cruise - Black Sea - 2016

[lud016]

We have two cruises booked for September 2016 on Celebrity Constellation -

1. 8N Italy & Greece (Rome - Istanbul)

2. 12N Black Sea & Greek Isles (Istanbul - Istanbul)

 

We have noticed that these two cruises are no longer showing on the Celebrity Web site, on making an enquiry they told me they are sold out!

 

This seems highly unlikely that a cruise that only went on sale late 2014 and do not sale for 20+ months is sold out.

 

Does anyone know if these cruises are actually sold out or cancelled?

Edited January 16, 2015 by lud016

[Project_gal]

From past experience and from reading cruise critic, it is very likely that there is going to be some major change to the cruises. It is possible that Celebrity are considering chartering the ship during this period [or the periods leading up to your cruises or following your cruises]. However, as the cruises include the Black Sea, they may also be considering changing the itineraries to avoid areas of potential unrest - but that seems unlikely given that the cruise has only recently been released and the cruise is so far off.

 

Unfortunately, you are extremely unlikely to get any answers about the true reason for the cruises being "sold out" for a very long time. A search of Cruise Critic for "chartered" is likely to find a number of previous threads where similar things have happened.

[barneyboy]

Is that the 8 night from Sep 10 and the 12 night from Sep 18? They are still showing in the UK website. We are on the Rome to Istanbul cruise and have just booked our flights, so hoping it won't be cancelled!

[Project_gal]

Is that the 8 night from Sep 10 and the 12 night from Sep 18? They are still showing in the UK website. We are on the Rome to Istanbul cruise and have just booked our flights, so hoping it won't be cancelled!

 

The OP was referring to cruises in 2016. Few, if any flights, that far ahead are available yet from the UK. Is your cruise in 2015?

[barneyboy]

The OP was referring to cruises in 2016. Few, if any flights, that far ahead are available yet from the UK. Is your cruise in 2015?

 

Yes sorry didn't notice is was 2016!

[grayjay]

I looked up the cruises you mentioned. They really are "sold out" - but for me that reeks of the same deal as had on our (cancelled) Black Sea cruise in October 2014. Celebrity Cruises changed the itinerary so much because of the unrest in the Ukraine that we cancelled the cruise because it left out the most interesting posts like Yalta and Odessa.

I think the same thing is happening right now - the cruise line is re-considering and by calling the cruises "sold out" effectively stopping people from booking all of these four cruises in September 2016.

If the situation doesn't change soon it will be very unlikely that the Black Sea cruises will really take place in the near or farer future. Right now the Ukraine is calling up Army Reserves so the fights in the East of Ukraine will surely intensify come spring. So Odessa which is still listed as a port for 2016 will be very near to the war zones.

And the European Community (EU) has forbidden any European ships to dock at Crimean ports . I think American cruise lines will comply, too. I also noticed that a lot of the ships of all cruise lines that offer "Black Sea" cruises are re-directing their ships toward ports in Turkey or different smaller Greek islands. So obviously they are already looking at alternatives .

[CarolynAustralia]

This cruise is now listed as departing from Venice and finishing in Istanbul. It doesn't go to the Black Sea but does the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. I assume the unrest in the Black Sea area has meant an itinerary change????

[lud016]

This cruise is now listed as departing from Venice and finishing in Istanbul. It doesn't go to the Black Sea but does the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia. I assume the unrest in the Black Sea area has meant an itinerary change????

 

Yes, I have noticed they have put up several new itineraries.

As yet Celebrity have not contacted me about the changes, they have changed one of my bookings to show as being on the new itinerary, the second booking still shows against the old itinerary regardless that it is no longer for sale.

 

I'm not rushing, guess they will contact me eventually, I'll be interested to see what they have to say............most of the ports now available we visited last year on our Adriatic Coast cruise, Venice to Rome on Silhouette.

[cruisestitch]

Please see this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157569

 

It contains important information you should have received by now, but since you haven't I would not wait for Celebrity to contact you, you'll need to get in touch with them if you are not happy with the changes they have made, and there is a time limit for this.

[lud016]

Please see this thread:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2157569

 

It contains important information you should have received by now, but since you haven't I would not wait for Celebrity to contact you, you'll need to get in touch with them if you are not happy with the changes they have made, and there is a time limit for this.

 

Thanks for the heads up on this Cruisestitch - I have just sent an email off to my TA