PARIS ATTACKS-will River Cruises cancel?

[Alberta Quilter]

I'm currently in France on a river cruise. We were half an hour from Paris, in Conflans, when the attacks occurred. The impact to our cruise itinerary was minimal, thanks to the Viking crew. Yes, we didn't get back to Paris for the last night of the cruise and we missed touring Versailles. Our bus ride to the second cruise was half an hour longer. Big hairy deal.

 

I heard through the grapevine that some people did cancel the southern portion of the cruise at the last minute (although it seems like a full ship to me!). We even considered it, briefly, but we didn't have cancel for any reason insurance. And since we were already here, it made sense to us to continue with the cruise. For those of you who are scared, well, I don't blame you. But if you're sailing sometime next year, you have plenty of time to monitor the situation and make a decision later. If the situation escalates, then cancel the cruise. But I can assure you that life is just ticking along in southern France, and even in Paris. All I've been advised about is extra security. Others flew in from North America for this cruise and they made it just fine.

 

If you're sailing within a week or two, just allow extra time for security procedures. But really consider things before you decide to cancel, if that's the way you're leaning. This portion of our trip was on my DM's bucket list. It is probably the last overseas flight that she can manage. I'm really glad we stayed for the second cruise. I get that most situations will be different but I'm trying to say that you should consider all of the ramifications of cancelling before doing so.

 

Good luck with your decisions. It won't be easy. And don't worry about justifying your decision to anyone else. It's none of their business.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Alberta Quilter

[Canadian Sunset]

Glad to know that you were almost completely unaffected by what happened in Paris last week. Most people don't realize that Paris is a city of millions, and most were unaffected.

[orangebeach8]

For all of those who compared the safety of a small river cruise to an ocean going cruise with thousands of passengers please be advised there is no comparison. Security is totally non-existent on the river cruise. People get on and off at will and no one checks bags or anything else...no photo I.D. etc.

 

It also has been mentioned on various news sites that terrorists now seem to believe they are more effective attacking the smaller venues. I think the Russian plane was an exception due to Putin's bombing over Syria.

 

I don't mean this as a scare tactic...travel is your choice. However, you do need to know you shouldn't compare the 2 types of boat travel.

[Live4cruises]

Indeed. As mentioned in an earlier post, security on a river boat is similar to that in most Western hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, restaurants. All the things we do every day.

 

Even though there is no formal security screening, the staff is aware of who walks through in the door. Not to say anyone can't walk in the door, but no one without a boarding document (little cards they hand out while in port) is allowed to wander at will.

 

Any person's level of comfort is a personal matter. Try to make reasoned and logical decisions. It appears that terrorists aren't alone in trying to make people feel insecure.

[dcruisers]

Indeed. As mentioned in an earlier post, security on a river boat is similar to that in most Western hotels, shopping centers, movie theaters, restaurants. All the things we do every day.

 

Even though there is no formal security screening, the staff is aware of who walks through in the door. Not to say anyone can't walk in the door, but no one without a boarding document (little cards they hand out while in port) is allowed to wander at will.

 

Any person's level of comfort is a personal matter. Try to make reasoned and logical decisions. It appears that terrorists aren't alone in trying to make people feel insecure.

 

This is really not the case. When we were on our Grand European river cruise- some lady walked on and not one staff member said a word- they never noticed her!!! she just wanted to see the boat. I told one of the staff members- who told her she had to leave.

Also, when we were docked in Vienna in the evening, I could have easily walked on to a another river cruise without any trouble..,,. I got right up to the entrance -I really wanted to see the competitor's boat but reconsidered and left. There was no one around to stop me!

Sooooooo- unlike cruise ships who truly monitor who enters or leaves, there is NO true security monitoring on river cruises. That is a major concern for me but the and although I plan on going on a River cruise in April, I will not feel as secure as I would if they had security checks.

[RainyDay1]

For all of those who compared the safety of a small river cruise to an ocean going cruise with thousands of passengers please be advised there is no comparison. Security is totally non-existent on the river cruise. People get on and off at will and no one checks bags or anything else...no photo I.D. etc.

 

It also has been mentioned on various news sites that terrorists now seem to believe they are more effective attacking the smaller venues. I think the Russian plane was an exception due to Putin's bombing over Syria.

 

I don't mean this as a scare tactic...travel is your choice. However, you do need to know you shouldn't compare the 2 types of boat travel.

 

I agree that is impossible to compare a river cruise with an ocean cruise. But I will say that on the Ocean Cruises we have taken security was very secure. We had to show our room key to exit and re-enter the ship. Photo ID was required to board before the room key was issued. But, I don't know if bags were checked. Excellent point.

[JVilleGal]

Good grief!

[BarbRN]

Your cruise is in June. Save the panic phone calls for a few weeks until Viking has time to deal with their immediate clients who are right now impacted by this awful tragedy. They most likely have passengers who are either in Paris or on their way via boat/bus and probably passengers flying into Paris (and flying out) and they have to make immediate arrangements for them. Let them deal with these passengers before they deal with passengers cruising in June.

 

By the way - are you also calling the airlines checking with them about your flight in June also? ISIS also has targeted planes....

 

Any one with businesses in Paris right now are incredibly busy dealing with immediate issues.

 

You make a lot of sense. Give them a chance. I am paid in full for April travel Viking in Paris. I have had thoughts of not going. Maybe they will make alternate plans.

[BarbRN]

I'm a teacher too - Middle School -YIKES! I'm simply saying that people who are taking cruises in areas where there are serious concerns will have questions. If I go to the movies it will cost me about $7 (I live now in FL - haha) My cruise will cost about $5K+ and I have questions. Yes it is next summer, but I have to PAY in about 6 wks. I'm not panicking, and airlines are a concern too. I will weigh the possibilities and I realize it is unlikely that I will harmed. BUT, flight cancellations, itinerary changes are things I think I have a right to know about.

Also, I'm a transplanted New Yorker and am pretty savvy. That's why I'm asking questions.

My suggestion to you is to let the cruise line do your flights, that way they guarantee you will be taken care of.

[JVilleGal]

My suggestion to you is to let the cruise line do your flights, that way they guarantee you will be taken care of.

 

OMG!!! You must be living in an Alternative Universe! Yikes :0

Edited November 23, 2015 by JVilleGal

[kkmiausa]

Anyone else concerned about flying through Paris? We are Miami to Basel where cruise commences on Dec. 14. I have tried to book another airlines and cancel AirFrance but it is almost impossible to find anyone other than AF with decent flight times and cost. Anyone else afraid of flying the French airline in case it is targeted?

[kkmiausa]

I want to choose my seats and flight times. Also number of stops, etc.

[irishgirl]

We have decided to cancel our Viking River Cruise for June 2016. I have been uneasy ever since I booked it last March, it just never seemed right. I never even purchased my travel insurance which I usually do right away. It was just not meant to be. I'm out $100, but I can live with that.

 

Judy

[pinotlover]

For the first time in nearly a decade, we are not going to Europe in 2016. I had earlier wanted to do the Budapest to Istanbul cruise next fall, but my wife wanted to do a road trip through the Smokies and NC. Glad we're not going over now. Will wait and see what develops between now and next fall before booking anything there for 2017.

 

As far as security. Remember, multiple boats are often rafted together at certain docks, and it's difficult for any boat to provide sufficient security for all that pass through.

[id4elizabeth]

Although I totally get that the ships in port could be a target, and that there's virtually no security while embarking and disembarking, you're probably more of a target on shore while on the cruise company tours. There you, and several other tour groups, are an easy target with the tour guide with paddle raised high, etc, going to see some iconic sight. I'm picturing just outside the Louvre, at the entrance to Sacre Cours, Eiffel tower, the Garnier Opera.

 

We're scheduled for an Eastern European river cruise next spring with a pre-cruise extension in Prague. After seeing the pictures of the Budapest train station overrun with refugees, I had my doubts about taking it. But decided to just let it play out. We've got trip insurance, so should be covered. Decided things would have to get worse in order to cancel. But soooo glad I'm not in Paris or Brussels right now! Feel for those who are.

 

It's such a sad and tragic state of affairs in these times we are living. I liked the good old days when all you had to worry about were airline strikes and water levels!

[JVilleGal]

I was in the Budapest train station on Sept 26th and did Not see a single crowd or a refugee for that matter either in the train station or in Budapest.

There is of course the possibility that some people I saw were refugees but they looked like everyone else....

[TrulyBlonde]

I just had a news flash that the US has issued a worldwide travel alert for all Americans thru February.

[Host Jazzbeau]

I just had a news flash that the US has issued a worldwide travel alert for all Americans thru February.

 

"Worldwide" as in the whole wide world? Then I guess I just have to stay in the house until then! But I'm not sitting through a NY winter, even if it is a security risk to travel to Florida and Alabama. :D

[JVilleGal]

All over the news here :(

[CPT Trips]

I was in the Budapest train station on Sept 26th and did Not see a single crowd or a refugee for that matter either in the train station or in Budapest.

There is of course the possibility that some people I saw were refugees but they looked like everyone else....

 

We used the train stations in both Hamburg and Flensburg Germany in late October. There were refuges transiting in Hamburg, and "camping out" in Flensburg apparently attempting to head further north, out of Germany. That said, their presence had no effect on our trip.

 

We did notice many hand written sign, in English and what I think was Arabic in the train stations providing instructions about what type of ticket was needed and cautioning not to sit in the first class cars without first class tickets. We also observed a group of several women and children who were sitting in first class getting put off the train.

 

Our PD also pointed out two refugee settlements/camps in Dresden. One was at a closed factory and the other at a closed shopping mall. The woman that hosted our home visit, in Wittenburg, was teaching German to refugees in preparation for them to begin job hunting/training.

 

The crisis is real. The actions of many of our Governors is not helping?

[Hydrokitty]

"Worldwide" as in the whole wide world? Then I guess I just have to stay in the house until then! But I'm not sitting through a NY winter, even if it is a security risk to travel to Florida and Alabama. :D

 

Yeah I heard that on the Nightly News tonight. A "world wide travel alert" has been issued...so I can understand you risking your neck to travel down south, but where in Alabama are you headed? I ask because DH was stationed with Corps of Engineers at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville back in the 60's and of course I was with him. This was a very interesting time to be in Alabama. George Wallace was Governor and the entire NASA Space Program was headquartered there so of the 100,000 total population 50,000 of them were involved in the Space Program! We lived about 10 miles from post and when they tested the rockets our whole building shook!!

Edited November 24, 2015 by Hydrokitty

[TrulyBlonde]

I have a Tauck Danube river cruise April 2016 and right after that will be on O for Adriatic in early May. I have already paid for my Business class airfare and am considering canceling both and will contact British Airways to see if I can use the tickets for 2017. I have traveled most of the world and do not like to go on vacation feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

Maybe we can join Jazzbeau in FL. ;-))...This is really bothersome and sad.

[capriccio]

I just had a news flash that the US has issued a worldwide travel alert for all Americans thru February.

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/worldwide-travel-alert.html. This is in addition to a Worldwide Caution that has been in effect since last July (replacing an earlier one dated last January).

 

In my opinion the most important advice - especially for anyone nervous about traveling - is

 

• See the State Department's travel website for the Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, Travel Alerts, and Country Specific Information.
  
• Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  

Americans understandably began to feel threatened after the first World Trade Center bombing in 1993 and even more so after 9/11 but unfortunately terrorism isn't something new. The rest of the world has been dealing with it for decades if not longer. In the last 30 years I have lived in many places in Europe and traveled extensively. In that time I

 

 

• visited Cairo, Egypt the week after the Achille Lauro hijacking and the murder of Leon Klinghoffer
  
• knew someone killed in the Fiumicino Airport terrorist attack of 1985
  
• my son's high school girlfriend (a baby at the time) and her mother missed the flight (due to a delayed connecting flight) that exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland
  
• had to explain to my 2 kids (11 and 8) what they were seeing as the front of the Israeli Embassy in London was blown off 3 blocks from us in 1994 (injuring 20 people)
  
• I worked 1 mile from the Pentagon on 9/11 (and drove by the impact site twice a day) - a friend watched the plane hit the building. The husband of a friend of my sister died at the Pentagon.
  
• In October 2002 the Washington Snipers (who I would classify as domestic terrorists) killed 10 people in metro Washington including a woman in the parking lot of the Home Depot I had been in earlier in the day - in the same row I had parked in.
  

Life can be dangerous and unpredictable. Unfortunately terrorism looks like it isn't going away. But as many have said here and in the press, the terrorists win if people react by hiding in their homes trusting no one. It is also important to give both moral and financial support to the victimized areas. We are still going to France next May.

[Host Jazzbeau]

Yeah I heard that on the Nightly News tonight. A "world wide travel alert" has been issued...so I can understand you risking your neck to travel down south, but where in Alabama are you headed? I ask because DH was stationed with Corps of Engineers at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville back in the 60's and of course I was with him. This was a very interesting time to be in Alabama. George Wallace was Governor and the entire NASA Space Program was headquartered there so of the 100,000 total population 50,000 of them were involved in the Space Program! We lived about 10 miles from post and when they tested the rockets our whole building shook!!

 

We go to "LA" [Lower Alabama] -- specifically the city of Fairhope on the Eastern shore of Mobile Bay, which was founded by disciples of economist Henry George of "single tax" fame [and therefore not particularly "southern" in outlook]. Fairhope today is an artist colony and has a lot of interesting things to do for a small city. But last February it was unusually cold, so this year we are starting out in Sarasota, Florida -- which seems to be equally interesting culturally and runs about 10 degrees warmer in the winter [and costs about twice as much to rent a similar house].

Edited November 24, 2015 by Host Jazzbeau

[RainyDay1]

I have a Tauck Danube river cruise April 2016 and right after that will be on O for Adriatic in early May. I have already paid for my Business class airfare and am considering canceling both and will contact British Airways to see if I can use the tickets for 2017. I have traveled most of the world and do not like to go on vacation feeling uneasy and uncomfortable.

Maybe we can join Jazzbeau in FL. ;-))...This is really bothersome and sad.

 

We were due to sail with Viking on Nov22 but with the low water issues and especially The terrorists attacks in Paris we cancelled. Our travel agent was able to get travel vouchers for the entire cost of the cruise. We did forfeit our airfare but it was a bargain so not as painful as Business class would be to forfeit. We will sail in Europe again but waiting until 2017. Good luck with your decision.