Istanbul Update - cancelled port

[TheBozzies]

Cunard now confirmed officially it is Volos and Marmaris. No real complaints from TheBozzies! Roll on 16 July

[Csardas]

From the Lonely Planet website about Marmais:

 

 

A popular resort town that swells to over a quarter-million people during summer, Marmaris is loud, brash and in your face all over town all of the time. It's one of the few places along the coast where you might leave feeling more stressed out than when you arrived... READ MORE

 

 

Are Cunard kidding?!? I wouldn't go to that place if paid. In despair.

[TheBozzies]

We have visited Marmaris several times and yes it is big and brash but the front is delightful and there are numerous options for a day off the ship! No its not Istanbul but were more than happy with Cunard's short notice rescheduling.

[Camgirl]

I think the main gripe is being held over a barrel.

 

If you booked a package holiday to a hotel in Turkey, and the travel agent then said 'Oh sorry you are now going to Tenerife! Don't worry, the hotel standard and climate is the same' then you have a right to change/cancel your holiday as it is not what you paid for.

 

It is (in my opinion) incorrect that the same should not apply for a cruise. Regardless of the cruise companies reasons for doing so, there will be some people that agree and some that disagree. As a paying customer for a service, you should have the rights to cancel if that service changes to what you paid for. Yes they cover all this in your t&cs but it is still not right.

 

But you have not booked a holiday to Turkey, you have booked a cruise that had Turkey on the itinerary. A cruise itinerary is ALWAYS subject to change for various reasons, possibly at the last minute.

 

We were also on a cruise in 2012 when our Egypt ports were all cancelled. It was also extremely windy for most of the cruise. The itinerary changed virtually daily with the captain coming over the cabin speakers each morning to announce the next change. It actually ended up as one of our favourite cruises ever, despite not going to the main attraction which had been Egypt.

 

The ship is a massive target for terrorists, I would rather be alive and visit a different port than acting as a target because a few customers were not happy with an itinerary change.

[Kericruisetravel]

Hello All, Haven't visited CC in awhile but now trying to put together a great tour to Meteora from Volvos. We are rolling with the changes as we feel that Cunard has made choices based on passenger safety. I've found a tour company but would like to have some larger numbers to bring to them for a private tour share. I'm looking for 4-6 pax who would like to share a private tour to Meteora. If you are interested please contact me at keritravel@gmail.com this is a preliminary email as I've just received the confirmation from Cunard. I will get more information on pricing depending on interest. We are looking for others who are up for a new adventure. Thanks.

[Despegue]

Funny that people who have never been to Marmaris are bashing it.:rolleyes:

 

It is one of the best destinations in the Eastern Med. and the approach and sailaway are stunningly beautifull.

 

Great little town, nice seafront and harbour, friendly people.

Take the dolmus to a nearby beach or go via Kaik.

 

10x better than Volos and better than Kusadasi.

[Kericruisetravel]

Hello All, Haven't visited CC in awhile but now trying to put together a great tour to Meteora from Volvos. We are rolling with the changes as we feel that Cunard has made choices based on passenger safety. I've found a tour company but would like to have some larger numbers to bring to them for a private tour share. I'm looking for 4-6 pax who would like to share a private tour to Meteora. If you are interested please contact me at keritravel@gmail.com this is a preliminary email as I've just received the confirmation from Cunard. I will get more information on pricing depending on interest. We are looking for others who are up for a new adventure. Thanks.

 

Sorry meant Volos.

[DreamflightPat]

I think the main gripe is being held over a barrel.

 

If you booked a package holiday to a hotel in Turkey, and the travel agent then said 'Oh sorry you are now going to Tenerife! Don't worry, the hotel standard and climate is the same' then you have a right to change/cancel your holiday as it is not what you paid for.

 

It is (in my opinion) incorrect that the same should not apply for a cruise. Regardless of the cruise companies reasons for doing so, there will be some people that agree and some that disagree. As a paying customer for a service, you should have the rights to cancel if that service changes to what you paid for. Yes they cover all this in your t&cs but it is still not right.

You should read the terms and conditions. It does state in there that the cruise line reserves the right to change ports. This can happen when on the trip as well. Accept it you signed you accepted the rules and regs.

[DeniseAtBeach]

Nothing from Cunard but noticed our VP has been updated:

 

28Aug at sea; 29Aug Volos; 30Aug Thessaloniki; 31Aug at sea; 1Sep Rhodes

 

Too bad we could not spend an extra night in Athens or Rhodes, instead.

Edited July 3, 2016 by DeniseAtBeach

[TheBozzies]

Check again Denise as this is not what my VP indicates! What does everyone else see?

[fantasy51]

I accept the disappointment of those who really wanted to see Istanbul. Like Camgirl, I too had Egypt cancelled on my first attempt. It happens. I think safety is extremely important.

 

Just so you can compare and put this in perspective: I have booked on a Celebrity cruise for 25th August, starting in Athens and ending in Istanbul. When the news of the Istanbul bombings first broke, I checked out the CC Celebrity pages and found that Celebrity already had an alternative booking at Athens for the end of our cruise. It seems they had been pre-emptive and had booked both ports so they could change if needed. It took them until the end of the day to confirm all this with passengers.

 

Now comes the difficult part because Istanbul was the end of our cruise and some passengers had already booked hotels there and have to decide whether to stay in Athens or whether to fly from Athens to Istanbul and keep with their original flights home. Celebrity has offered up to £185 (on production of receipts) per passenger to compensate for fees due to changed flights. This doesn't help those who have been quoted an extra $3,000 to get home! For them, the cheapest thing is a flight from Athens to Istanbul and then rejoin their original flight. In the case of Celebrity this will definitely NOT be a cost-saving exercise. I looked at the cost of flights from Athens to London on that day and they are horrific.

 

In my case, I am very glad that we are going home from Athens. Of course that's easy for me to say as I would not have seen anything of Istanbul anyway. I purposely booked my flights through Celebrity, knowing it would cost me more than doing it myself, in case of changes due to terrorism. I am still waiting to hear about my flights home. I am hoping I still get the midday timeslot for which I paid extra, but I recognise that there may be a shortage of flights at this point and I might not get home until midnight.

 

I hope everyone can find good things to enjoy in their new ports.

[DeniseAtBeach]

Check again Denise as this is not what my VP indicates! What does everyone else see?

 

==============

TheBozzies, just rechecked and here is what our VP shows:

 

29 August Day 10 Volos

Arrive early morning

Depart early evening

Dining:20:30

 

Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

30 August Day 11 Thessaloniki

Arrive early morning

Depart early evening

Dining:20:30

 

Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

[TheBozzies]

Ahhhh yes you are an a later cruise. Our cruise departs on July 16th!! All clear now. Thank you

[Dorset Cruiser]

Received our amended itinerary for our 16th July cruise from Cunard today. Volos and Marmaris but no excursions as yet

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

Edited July 4, 2016 by Dorset Cruiser

[Csardas]

We depart this Saturday, the 9th, and still nothing from Cunard.

[DeniseAtBeach]

Ahhhh yes you are an a later cruise. Our cruise departs on July 16th!! All clear now. Thank you

 

Just received the official notification from Cunard and they have changed our VP port call in Thessaloniki to Marmaris...

 

29 August Day 10 Volos

Arrive early morning

Depart early evening

Dining:20:30

 

Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

 

30 August Day 11 At Sea

Depart evening

Dining:20:30

 

Dress: Informal (Jacket Required)

 

31 August Day 12 Marmaris

Arrive early morning

Depart evening

Dining:20:30

 

Dress: Formal

Carnival Ball

[Lindypops]

We booked a guarantee balcony for QV leaving Athens on 16 July

and received confirmation of a cabin number over a week ago.

 

Just looked at VP now and the ports are correct at last , still no excursions, but our cabin number has disappeared.

 

E ticket not available due to cabin not being assigned and consequently no luggage labels .

 

What is going on?

[Dorset Cruiser]

We booked a guarantee balcony for QV leaving Athens on 16 July

and received confirmation of a cabin number over a week ago.

 

Just looked at VP now and the ports are correct at last , still no excursions, but our cabin number has disappeared.

 

E ticket not available due to cabin not being assigned and consequently no luggage labels .

 

What is going on?

 

You are probably being upgraded 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Lindypops]

You are probably being upgraded 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD[/quote

 

 

We were guaranteed a BF but we got a BB on deck 8 and that has gone now.

 

 

I will not hold my breath 😳

[Dorset Cruiser]

We were allocated BB 5109 (booked a BC guarantee). Hope you are upgraded and not downgraded. Keep checking 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Lindypops]

We were allocated BB 5109 (booked a BC guarantee). Hope you are upgraded and not downgraded. Keep checking 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

 

Just spoke to TA who was on hold for an hour waiting for Cunard to answer.

They said the cabin we had been allocated 8058 has been given to someone else and we will get a cabin eventually sounds like a downgrade on its way.

 

Also she asked why we have not been notified of itinerary change ,they sent her a pdf with the new intinerary and this comment.

 

 

 

I am sure you are aware of several terrorist incidents in recent months in Istanbul, most recently the attack on Ataturk International Airport.

As a result, and following advice from the relevant authorities, we have taken the decision to remove Istanbul from our itineraries for the foreseeable future, including the planned call on your cruise.

We will be replacing Istanbul with a call to Volos on the Greek mainland

and adding an additional call to Marmaris in Turkey. Please see below for full details regarding your revised itinerary.

 

 

A shore excursion programme for these new ports will be available to book via your Voyage Personaliser shortly. We apologise for any disappointment this change may cause, however, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our priority.

We look forward to welcoming you on board Queen Victoria.

[Dorset Cruiser]

Is BF the lowest grade of balcony? If it is. Then you will either get what you booked or an 'upgrade'. Think positive 😀

 

We booked a BC guarantee as I was a bit worried we would get one of the metal-fronted forward balconies if we booked the lowest grade. It cost us a little extra but it was worth it to us. As it was we only avoided an obstructed midship balcony (due to lifeboat equipment) by a couple of cabins - would have been annoyed if we had been allocated one of those. Fingers crossed for you but I am sure you will get a nice surprise 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[NJ-Traveler]

Hi All

 

I completely understand the elimination of the Istanbul port from the itinerary.

 

I am disappointed, but have no complaints. I don't agree and continue to voice my complaints on Twitter and Facebook about the new ports. I think they are sub-par and third tier choices. I have emailed Cunard customer service and finally received a phone call back. The rep actually admitted these would not ever be on a regular itinerary. They are documenting all calls about the change and forwarding on to "upper management". I told her that if they were I bet only 25% of a ship would be sold.

 

I also asked for a fuel charge refund since we are not traveling as far and the fuel consumption would be less. Not that it would matter, but I had to ask.

 

I would urge anyone who is upset with the new ports to please call Cunard and voice your unhappiness. Hit Twitter @cunardline and facebook as well. It's amazing the power of social media today.

 

I will board the ship and enjoy my vacation and will not take my anger out on the staff, but until then Cunard will.

 

Here are some of my hashtags:

#cunardfail #terribleports #armpitsofthemed #cunardstandardsdropped #cunardlostourbusiness #toolatetocancel #cunardhidesbehindthefineprint

#cunardsucks #cunardyoulostourbusiness

[Lapin2121]

The customer service representative was wrong. Volos has always been a port of call for Cunard. I was on Queen Victoria 5 years ago and visited Volos ( Meteora) during a regular East Mediterranean cruise.

[antique sailor]

I have just seen this on the Cruise Critic news - although no official confirmation from Cunard yet. I am booked on this cruise.

 

"Cunard has canceled all calls in Istanbul. Queen Victoria was due in on July 18 to spend a night in Istanbul, however the line has altered the itinerary and the ship will now call in at Thessaloniki and an additional call to Volos. A spokeswoman said: "Following advice from the relevant authorities Cunard has taken the decision to remove Istanbul from the planned itineraries on Queen Victoria in July and August. The calls to Istanbul will be replaced by Thessaloniki and an additional call to Volos. A shore excursion programme for these new ports will be available in the next few days. Any shore excursions booked for Istanbul will be refunded."

 

IT'S REGRETTABLE THAT ISTANBUL WILL BE OFF THE SCHEDULED STOPS