Does the situation in Europe affect your future travel?

[GottaKnowWhen]

We too have a TA booked on the Silhouette at the beginning of November next year. We have been to all of the major ports of call and have private tours booked taking us outside the major cities except for Tenerife. I am concerned about flying into Rome and spending a few days there again. It is time for me to book hotel and air for pre-cruise. I'm very concerned. I am one who sailed and flew just months after 911. I am just not sure which way to go.

 

 

We are booked on that TA. I just really see no reason why we should not continue with our planning for that trip. I think Italian pickpockets are far more danger than terrorists or Ebola ( the prior major "threat"). A few mentally deficient/disturbed crazies can cause some harm, but so can a bus accident. Dead is dead and the circumstances really don't matter.

[mcrcruiser]

Today ,the US State Dept has put the world on high alert to all US citizens traveling abroad :o

 

We definitely are NOT considering any travel in Europe or close to the ISIS controlled regions .

 

Our next cruise is first a repo cruise on Island Princess May 8th ,3 seas days to Vancouver & then Celebrity Millennium 8 night cruise to Seward from Vancouver on May 12th :D We are certainly looking forward to our 5th Alaska cruise & trip into the interior :D following our Alaska cruise & interior trip ,we then fly to Calgary Canada to visit friends for a week:D

[snowyboy]

This will now change following today's new of Russian plane shot down by Turkey, I have also just read Celebrity have withdrawn all visit to Istanbul for 2016.

[slg1979]

Short answer - yes.

 

Long answer - I did have a European cruise planned for next May and, after many conversations with my husband and family, this morning I chose to cancel. If that action makes me a coward and/or let's "them" win, I'm good with that. My actions may not be "right", but they're right for me and those I hold dear. I thought it foolish to spend thousands of dollars on a cruise when I wasn't going to enjoy it. Maybe in time, but not this time.

 

 

[emoji106] like

Could not have stated it better.

[norwegianwood57]

Seems the world situation is worse since I originally posted the topic.

 

Istanbul was a major port for Celebrity. They really must be scrambling to make changes to european itineraries.

 

Still would love to see many Pacific Coastals offered, instead of just 2 as in previous years.

[cruisemom42]

This will now change following today's new of Russian plane shot down by Turkey, I have also just read Celebrity have withdrawn all visit to Istanbul for 2016.

 

....and yet they have added Bodrum, another port in Turkey and closer to the Syrian border by a great deal than Istanbul. And Kusadasi seems to remain on the itinerary as well.

 

Edited to add: I just saw on the Istanbul thread that the reason Celebrity is giving for the cancellation in Istanbul is port construction (which is true, as far as it goes, but I suspect not every line is cancelling....)

 

:rolleyes:

Edited November 24, 2015 by cruisemom42

[Cruise Junky]

....and yet they have added Bodrum, another port in Turkey and closer to the Syrian border by a great deal than Istanbul. And Kusadasi seems to remain on the itinerary as well.

 

Edited to add: I just saw on the Istanbul thread that the reason Celebrity is giving for the cancellation in Istanbul is port construction (which is true, as far as it goes, but I suspect not every line is cancelling....)

 

:rolleyes:

 

I'm stunned they added Bodrum. And, yes...construction seems to be the reason for cancelling Istanbul this far out ;)

[Higgy64]

Bodrum is 1,000 miles from Syria.

[besberry]

Today ,the US State Dept has put the world on high alert to all US citizens traveling abroad :o

 

We definitely are NOT considering any travel in Europe or close to the ISIS controlled regions .

 

Our next cruise is first a repo cruise on Island Princess May 8th ,3 seas days to Vancouver & then Celebrity Millennium 8 night cruise to Seward from Vancouver on May 12th :D We are certainly looking forward to our 5th Alaska cruise & trip into the interior :D following our Alaska cruise & interior trip ,we then fly to Calgary Canada to visit friends for a week:D

 

Um, isn't Canada abroad? It certainly isn't part of the US.

[perditax]

This will now change following today's new of Russian plane shot down by Turkey, I have also just read Celebrity have withdrawn all visit to Istanbul for 2016.

 

Worth mentioning it was not a civilian plane.

[Can'tstopcruising]

Today ,the US State Dept has put the world on high alert to all US citizens traveling abroad :o

 

We definitely are NOT considering any travel in Europe or close to the ISIS controlled regions .

 

Our next cruise is first a repo cruise on Island Princess May 8th ,3 seas days to Vancouver & then Celebrity Millennium 8 night cruise to Seward from Vancouver on May 12th :D We are certainly looking forward to our 5th Alaska cruise & trip into the interior :D following our Alaska cruise & interior trip ,we then fly to Calgary Canada to visit friends for a week:D

 

Actually, the alert is for travel WorldWide. That includes the US, especially since this will be a very busy holiday week.

 

Safe travels to all.

[angeleyes27]

No, I heard from the news last night that they urge people to feel free to carry on as normal for domestic travel.

[CYNSport]

No, I heard from the news last night that they urge people to feel free to carry on as normal for domestic travel.

 

 

Despite what you heard on the news, this is a Worldwide Travel Alert and certainly applies to domestic travel within the US.

 

 

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/worldwide-travel-alert.html

 

That said, we are not cancelling our planned trip to Italy and France.

Edited November 24, 2015 by CFCTampa

[Jacs]

This will now change following today's new of Russian plane shot down by Turkey, I have also just read Celebrity have withdrawn all visit to Istanbul for 2016.

 

A Russian fighter jet was shot down at the Turkey/Syrian border for alegedly invading Turkish airspace multiple times, it's not like Turkey downed a civilian aircraft. It was a defense manouver in a warzone area.

[Redtravel]

I will be in Europe for a 13 day cruise out of Barcelona in July 2016. I plan to return to Europe in 2017 for another cruise. I will not be traveling to Turkey though. I love the time I spent there there in the last four years. At the same time I do not want to be vacationing where the effects of war are more and more apparent. It has nothing to do with safety but with trying to vacation as usual despite the changes the war has brought to that region.

I have never been to Paris, but I do want to go there in the next year for a week vacation on land.

 

BTW I will not go to Russia. So I am having hard time finding a Baltic Northern European curise without St. Peterburg as a port.:(

 

These are just my personal criteria for traveling these days.

I also do want to sail into any Russian port. I disagree with Russian politics. I looked for a Baltic cruise that did not go to Russia. There are some good options. I am on a Windstar next summer. Just got an Oceania brochure that had some Baltic cruises that did not go to Russia.

[angeleyes27]

The news last night said that it seemed to be contradictory because they said normal domestic travel but stay away from large crowds. I am only quoting what I heard. I feel that an attack may happen on Friday. They seem to happen on Fridays. There is a hostage situation right now in northern France.

[florisdekort]

Having traveled through Amsterdam, London, Brussels, Barcelona and (yes) Paris the past 8 days for work, this thread continues to baffle me. Yes - of course I'm more cautious and conscious of my surroundings, but not more so than I would be in New York or in any major city in the U.S. Saying things like "I'm avoiding Europe in 2016" are equally ignorant as saying "I'm avoiding North America" was in 2002. There are tens and tens of millions of people living totally normal lives here each and every day :)

[Cruise Junky]

Having traveled through Amsterdam, London, Brussels, Barcelona and (yes) Paris the past 8 days for work, this thread continues to baffle me. Yes - of course I'm more cautious and conscious of my surroundings, but not more so than I would be in New York or in any major city in the U.S. Saying things like "I'm avoiding Europe in 2016" are equally ignorant as saying "I'm avoiding North America" was in 2002. There are tens and tens of millions of people living totally normal lives here each and every day :)

 

 

Shssssss. Stop posting sense. Some of us are looking for deals from all this hysteria ;)

[sandav]

The news last night said that it seemed to be contradictory because they said normal domestic travel but stay away from large crowds. I am only quoting what I heard. I feel that an attack may happen on Friday. They seem to happen on Fridays. There is a hostage situation right now in northern France.

 

 

Police sources say the situation is not linked to this month's terror attacks in Paris. The armed men may have been planning a robbery, reports say.

A police operation is under way and an area of the town has been cordoned off.

[Hlitner]

Interesting thread and it is influencing our own decision making. Normally, we would look to book a long spring cruise (sometime between March and May) which would most likely involve Europe. But after reading this thread we are thinking that perhaps a lot of folks will cancel or not book cruises. So we shall just wait until the cruise lines hit the panic button and start offering some great last minute deals. We would be fine going to Europe, the Middle East or Asia...although DW now does prefer to avoid North Africa.

 

In the past we have often taken advantage of "travel panic" and booked some tremendous deals for both cruises and just land trips.

 

Hank

[TomTN]

Interesting thread and it is influencing our own decision making. Normally, we would look to book a long spring cruise (sometime between March and May) which would most likely involve Europe. But after reading this thread we are thinking that perhaps a lot of folks will cancel or not book cruises. So we shall just wait until the cruise lines hit the panic button and start offering some great last minute deals. We would be fine going to Europe, the Middle East or Asia...although DW now does prefer to avoid North Africa.

 

In the past we have often taken advantage of "travel panic" and booked some tremendous deals for both cruises and just land trips.

 

Hank

 

Same here. It would be nice for us not to pay large $$$ for hotels in Paris. But then I hate it for the Parisians. We have been treated well there, and it is a beautiful city.

[Higgy64]

As awful as last weeks events were the Parisiens have suffered much worse in the past and bounced back with great resolve. This is only a temporary situation I'm sure

[kerryincork]

As someone who lives in Europe I am finding this discussion kind of strange. I'm sad about the Paris attacks, but I don't feel particularly frightened by it, terrorism is such a rare occurrence the probability of myself being caught up in an attack is pretty small. I would not be concerned about travelling through Europe, though I would try to be aware of my surroundings.

On the other hand I always feel a bit scared going to USA. it seems like every week we hear about another shooting in America, whether it's some poor sod who's flipped their lid and gone on a killing spree or a little kid who's gotten hold of a gun and shot their friend/mun/dad/sister/brother. What with 30,000 (about) people being shot each year I can assure I am a lot more concerned about a random with a gun suddenly deciding to shoot me! All the police and army are constantly looking for terrorists, so less concerned about them.

Also I might point out that about 30,000 people are killed each year on American roads, but you never hear that's it I'm never getting in car again, because no one is afraid of cars. Just something to think about.

[Davey Interweb]

I’m not changing any of my plans, I have a Paris - Provence river cruise coming up in the spring and I know it will be terrific.

 

To be perfectly honest, I’m more apprehensive about travelling within the US. Sadly, America seems to be saturated with crazy these days.

[Lois R]

I am going on my first River Cruise in April:D and will not be cancelling

anything. I am sailing out of Amsterdam with stops around the Netherlands

and Belgium......it is called "Tulip Time":)......can't wait!!!!