Turkish Ports

[maddie2312]

Also got the email this evening. This cruise is now very different and we only booked a month ago. We wouldn't have chosen this new itinery and we now have a day at sea. Whilst I understand Seabourns position the FCO is not stopping travel. I guess it is what it is.....

 

Day Port Arrival Departure

Piraeus (Athens) Greece 1700

01 Pátmos, Nisos Pátmos, Greece 0800 1800

02 Rhodes, Nisos Rhodos, Greece 0700 1500

03 Limassol, Cyprus 1100 2000

04 At Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

05 Thíra, Nisos Thíra (Santorini), Greece 0800 1700

06 Spétsai, Nisos Spétsai (Spetses), Greece 0800 1700

07 Piraeus (Athens) Greece 0700

[rwilmeth]

While I will miss Turkey, I don't mind the new itin and like the addition of a sea day. Cyprus is great! I would be more annoyed, I suppose if I'd never done Ephesus and if I hadn't had a strong suspicion that these changes were on the way.

 

On the plus side, received a check today for the change fee expenses which I submitted only 10 days ago. So ready for some Seabourn pampering.

[swixpat]

When is this latest change taking place? We're boarding this Saturday and haven't received a further change after the replacement of Istanbul and Bozcadaa.

[maddie2312]

Hi Swixpat

 

The email says for the remainder of 2016. I only received it two hours ago. We are on the 27/8 departure. Here is.

 

After a very careful and thorough review of events this past week, Seabourn has decided to cancel our port calls in Turkey for the remainder of the 2016 season. The company analyzes information regarding safety and security from many sources in making these decisions, which includes liaising with government intelligence agencies and on-the-ground port security assessments. The safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority and we appreciate our guests’ understanding.

 

For your sailing, this means we are replacing the ports of Myrina, Cesme and Bodrum with a sea day and port calls to Pátmos and Limassol. Our revised itinerary for this sailing is as follows:

Edited July 21, 2016 by maddie2312

[Db85]

Its my first post on here and also my first seabourn cruise, we had changes a few weeks ago. Tonight they emailed us again with further changes. We were meant to be Athens to Istanbul on the 20th August.

 

Now they are really upsetting us as it was nice to have the Seabourn moment in Kusadasi, which has had no mention of being replaced in any way and they now put a whole sea day in the program! Thats over one and half days extra at sea as the new Cyprus port we leave at 2PM!

 

The original was:

Day Port Arrival Departure

Piraeus (Athens) Greece 1700

01 Agios Nikólaos, Crete, Greece 0900 1900

02 Marmaris, Turkey 0800 1700

03 Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey 0700 2300

04 Pátmos, Nisos Pátmos, Greece 08:00 1700

05 Mykonos, Nisos Mykonos, Greece 08:00 1800

06 Bozcaada (Tendedos), Turkey 08:00 1700

07 Istanbul, Turkey 0700

 

The first update:

Day Port Arrival Departure

Piraeus (Athens) Greece 1700

01 Agios Nikólaos, Crete, Greece 0900 1900

02 Marmaris, Turkey 0800 1700

03 Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey 0700 2300

04 Pátmos, Nisos Pátmos, Greece 08:00 1700

05 Mykonos, Nisos Mykonos, Greece 08:00 1800

06 Náfplion, Greece 08:00 1700

07 Piraeus (Athens) Greece 0700

 

The NEW and latest update

Day Port Arrival Departure

Piraeus (Athens) Greece 1700

01 Agios Nikólaos, Crete, Greece 0900 1900

02 At Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

03 Limassol, Cyprus 0700 1400

04 Rhodes, Nisos Rhodos, Greece 1000 1800

05 Mykonos, Nisos Mykonos, Greece 0800 1800

06 Náfplion, Greece 0800 1700

07 Piraeus (Athens) Greece 0700

 

I hope they realise these are massive changes, I do not think they have really thought about these too much and have done them very quickly. It would have been nice to have not reduced the number of ports. I hope they let us know what they are doing instead of the "Evening at Ephesus with private classical concert".

[rols]

When is this latest change taking place? We're boarding this Saturday and haven't received a further change after the replacement of Istanbul and Bozcadaa.

 

If you're boarding this Saturday then you'll definitely have changes because we're boarding a week after you and the first 7 days are changed. So here's what it looks like for the 14 days of our cruse now, which starts with the second week of your own.

 

Piraeus (Athens) Greece 1700

01 Pátmos, Nisos Pátmos, Greece 0800 1800

02 Rhodes, Nisos Rhodos, Greece 0700 1500

03 Limassol, Cyprus 1100 2000

04 At Sea (Mediterranean Sea)

05 Thíra, Nisos Thíra (Santorini), Greece 0800 1700

06 Spétsai, Nisos Spétsai (Spetses), Greece 0800 1700

07 Piraeus (Athens) Greece 0700 1700

08 Monemvasia, Greece 0800 1700

09 Katakolon (Olympia), Greece 0800 1800

10 Nydri, Nisos Lefkáda, Greece 0800 1700

11 Kérkira, Nisos Kérkira (Corfu), Greece 0800 1700

12 Dubrovnik, Croatia 0800 1800

13 Primosten, Croatia 0700 1600

14 Venice, Italy 0700

 

good thing we didn't book a trip in Rhodes yesterday as we were just about to as we'd have lost out on that.

 

@rwilmeth - that's good - we submitted ours around the same time and got a mail agreeing the charges and requesting we send a form to hal refunds, but were told it would take another 4 weeks. I'll chase them.

[rols]

While I will miss Turkey, I don't mind the new itin and like the addition of a sea day. Cyprus is great! I would be more annoyed, I suppose if I'd never done Ephesus and if I hadn't had a strong suspicion that these changes were on the way.

 

On the plus side, received a check today for the change fee expenses which I submitted only 10 days ago. So ready for some Seabourn pampering.

 

What's good to do in Cyprus? I just checked the Seabourn site and they have tours for Patmos (not that any appeal at this point) but nothing for Cyprus, assume they don't usually go there. All I found on Viator were some all day trips out of Limassol and didn't really feel like spending the whole day on a bus.

 

Didn't mind much about the original first two ports, was looking forward to Bodrum.

[fudge]

We sail on Saturday from Athens, the itinerary has changed a lot.

 

In answer to the Cyprus question, we actually live in Cyprus, Limassol is not the nicest port/town you could visit unfortunately, talk about coming home!!! A day on the ship beckons for us.

[rols]

Limassol is not the nicest port/town you could visit unfortunately, talk about coming home!!! A day on the ship beckons for us.

 

See you by the pool.

[jimmyw9]

On the plus side, received a check today for the change fee expenses which I submitted only 10 days ago. So ready for some Seabourn pampering.

 

Thats very good. I submitted ours on 1 July and no response yet and not even sure it will be successful as "Reasonable Expenses" gives plenty of scope for get out.

 

jimmyw9

[rols]

Thats very good. I submitted ours on 1 July and no response yet and not even sure it will be successful as "Reasonable Expenses" gives plenty of scope for get out.

 

jimmyw9

 

we submitted ours on July 7th and got a mail back from guest relations a few days laters telling us everything we'd submitted was reimbursable, so they were very reasonable about what was reasonable (and I think we did the best we could to keep the change costs to a minimum). We then had to fill in another form with bank account details and send that to HAL reimbursement division and that's where it's been for the last two weeks.

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Interesting to see if this change to itinerary continues throughout september and october. Hopefully it will.

Edited July 22, 2016 by Tillylovesseabourn

[rols]

Interesting to see if this change to itinerary continues throughout september and october. Hopefully it will.

 

It does - that was in the email which was quoted in full earlier today in this thread

 

"for the remainder of the 2016 season"

[jimmyw9]

we submitted ours on July 7th and got a mail back from guest relations a few days laters telling us everything we'd submitted was reimbursable, so they were very reasonable about what was reasonable (and I think we did the best we could to keep the change costs to a minimum). We then had to fill in another form with bank account details and send that to HAL reimbursement division and that's where it's been for the last two weeks.

 

Well we were originally booked on BA to Istanbul and same back from Athens. I wasn't about to book on to Easyjet and did what was easiest for me. I therefore booked BA to Athens and in fact booked exactly the same flight that I was originally booked on back from Athens. Obviously BA would not allow any changes to my original booking as that was non refundable. Needless to say, at this late stage BA was not cheap (in Club). Maybe mine will be rejected as I did not show any effort in trying to "be reasonable".......... Anyway, I guess it will be interesting listening to stories of who was and who wasn't successful once on the ship.

[fudge]

We have just called out TA to find out if we can cancel the Cruise! We now have two days a t sea, which we didn't want, two days in Limassol (where we live)!!! Two days in Rhodes separate days, not a happy chappy at all.

[fudge]

I have just had a reply from our TA. Seabourn are basically saying tough, we are giving you a free excursion take it or leave its your choice! :mad:

[Db85]

Hello

 

Have they offered you a free excursion on top of the $300 credit they offered after the first change?

[Tillylovesseabourn]

Thanks Rols, i am pleased to hear that.

Sorry for those who are missing the evening at Ephasus,which is fabulous, but in these troubling times safety is surely the biggest concern.

[fudge]

Hello

 

Have they offered you a free excursion on top of the $300 credit they offered after the first change?

 

Yes they have, a lousy free excursion, for all those changes? Basically we are now bobbing around in the med with virtually no where to go, this is NOT the cruise we planned. :mad:

[Db85]

We haven't had any offer yet, we are on our honeymoon and were happy with ocean view because we were off the boat everyday.

 

Now we are 1 full day at sea and leaving Cyprus at 2pm!

 

Its not the honeymoon we hoped for, we normally use NCL and go in a spa mini-suite, part of me wishes we just had have done that now. Very disappointed as we spent so much extra money over NCL and now i feel cheated.

[rols]

We haven't had any offer yet, we are on our honeymoon and were happy with ocean view because we were off the boat everyday.

 

Now we are 1 full day at sea and leaving Cyprus at 2pm!

 

Its not the honeymoon we hoped for, we normally use NCL and go in a spa mini-suite, part of me wishes we just had have done that now. Very disappointed as we spent so much extra money over NCL and now i feel cheated.

 

Fudge only was given an offer of a free tour because they complained to Seaborn about the change and asked if they could cancel. Seabourn aren't just offering everyone a tour for this latest change, but if you complain you may get something offered, or you may not.

 

Don't mind a sea day myself, they'll put together some activities and keep everyone entertained. And I do like lying by the pool when the ship is cruising along, very relaxing.

[fudge]

I feel so sorry for you, this will be our last cruise with Seabourn no doubt about that! We will be happy to return to Silversea where they do care about their customers. What a lousy cruise we are now looking forward to, cancellations the day before we cruise is just not on!!! :(

[Db85]

If they just upgraded us to a balcony then we would be over the moon as we will have a nice sea day on the balcony. They still want €650 for the upgrade when we asked

 

But we booked seabourn only because we were off the boat every day and one evening. we wouldn't need a balcony. We couldn't afford the difference as seabourn is the top of our price range anyway

 

 

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Edited July 22, 2016 by Db85

[rols]

I feel so sorry for you, this will be our last cruise with Seabourn no doubt about that! We will be happy to return to Silversea where they do care about their customers. What a lousy cruise we are now looking forward to, cancellations the day before we cruise is just not on!!! :(

 

Well you've been particularly unlucky with this set of changes, especially as you live in Limassol and if I understand correctly will be going back there twice. That does suck.

 

What gets me most is the Turkish coastal resorts have been unaffected and I don't think they are unsafe to visit at all. I'd happily go there. The advice from the State Department and FCO hasn't really changed and the FCO even points out that resorts are unaffected.

 

Moving embarkation out of Istanbul, that made a lot of sense, but taking the other Turkish ports off the itinerary doesn't make so much sense to me.

 

I'm even about the sea day, there's ports we won't get off anyway I'm sure, but perhaps Seabourn should have tried to replace 3 ports with 3 ports because lots of people seem to really care about getting off the boat every day.

[galeforce9]

I sympathise but what are seabourn to do? The med is hopelessly overcrowded with cruise ships all wanting the reduced number of ports!