R619 Aurora itinerary change

[pete14]

Just been notified that due to the situation in Turkey, Kusadasi (Ephesus) is now not safe enough for us to travel there in November. No problem with that although I really wanted to see Ephesus. Instead, we are calling at Sarande on the Albanian Riviera. I don't know if this is a new port to P and O but it allows us to tick off another country!

 

Well done to P and O for being proactive and making an early decision and also for being imaginative enough to take us to Albania! It does have the benefit of being non-EU.

[HTP]

I'm on this cruise and have not heard from P&O yet.

 

Having checked my Cruise Personaliser, they have definitely switched the ports. I had booked an excursion at Kusadasi (Ephesus), which has now been erased from my booked excursions.

 

Rather more worrying is the excursion I have booked in Rhodes has gone as well, which has left me wondering what is going on.

 

At the moment the excursions for both Sarande and Rhodes are unavailable to book.

 

I am not surprised that they have done this and just hope they don't mess around with the rest of the cruise, especially Rhodes. :confused:

[bee-ess]

We go to Kusadasi with Celebrity in 3 weeks time and at present they have not cancelled the port. With land based beach resort holidays in Turkey still readily available in the UK I would not have expected P&O to cancel this port

[pete14]

I'm on this cruise and have not heard from P&O yet.

 

Having checked my Cruise Personaliser, they have definitely switched the ports. I had booked an excursion at Kusadasi (Ephesus), which has now been erased from my booked excursions.

 

Rather more worrying is the excursion I have booked in Rhodes has gone as well, which has left me wondering what is going on.

 

At the moment the excursions for both Sarande and Rhodes are unavailable to book.

 

I am not surprised that they have done this and just hope they don't mess around with the rest of the cruise, especially Rhodes. :confused:

 

Rhodes is now Nov 11th and excursion bookings will be transferred across. Sarande is the next day. Presumably you booked through an agent which is probably why you did not receive the email.

[jeanlyon]

Sarande is very nice. We went in on Oriana. I have friends there, so didn't do an excursion, but Butrint National park is interesting or further afield to Girokaster.

[pete14]

We go to Kusadasi with Celebrity in 3 weeks time and at present they have not cancelled the port. With land based beach resort holidays in Turkey still readily available in the UK I would not have expected P&O to cancel this port

 

Personally I am pleased that P and O appear to be more concerned about passenger safety than Celebrity. I was really looking forward to Kusadasi as I have not been to Ephesus before but if P and O think it is right to be cautious, I support and applaud their decision. The change of itinerary cannot have been easy because it affects our call to Rhodes which has been rescheduled.

[jeanlyon]

I agree. wouldn't want to go anywhere in Turkey right now.

[jh1809]

Just been notified that due to the situation in Turkey, Kusadasi (Ephesus) is now not safe enough for us to travel there in November. No problem with that although I really wanted to see Ephesus. Instead, we are calling at Sarande on the Albanian Riviera. I don't know if this is a new port to P and O but it allows us to tick off another country!

 

Well done to P and O for being proactive and making an early decision and also for being imaginative enough to take us to Albania! It does have the benefit of being non-EU.

 

I too am on that cruise and got the notification this morning. It's a pity that I shan't be able to see Ephesus, but I understand why P&O felt they had to make this decision. And going to an Albanian port (which I'd not previously heard of) will be interesting.

[sogne]

I too am on that cruise and got the notification this morning. It's a pity that I shan't be able to see Ephesus, but I understand why P&O felt they had to make this decision. And going to an Albanian port (which I'd not previously heard of) will be interesting.

 

Cunard has cancelled Kusadasi for 15th Oct with QE replaced with Heraklion Crete and Sarande

[mickey89]

We go to Kusadasi with Celebrity in 3 weeks time and at present they have not cancelled the port.

 

That's surprising as Celebrity Silhouette cancelled all its Kusadasi stops weeks ago.

[mickey89]

Personally I am pleased that P and O appear to be more concerned about passenger safety than Celebrity. I was really looking forward to Kusadasi as I have not been to Ephesus before but if P and O think it is right to be cautious, I support and applaud their decision. The change of itinerary cannot have been easy because it affects our call to Rhodes which has been rescheduled.

 

Celebrity informed their passengers back in July that all itineraries with any Turkish port would be changed. All American cruiselines cancelled calls to Kusadasi after the Military coup in July, surprised to hear P&O have waited so long to tell their passengers.

check out http://chaniapost.eu/2016/07/19/cruise-lines-cancel-more-turkey-calls-after-attempted-military-coup-many-cruise-ships-come-to-crete/

[daiB]

Celebrity informed their passengers back in July that all itineraries with any Turkish port would be changed. All American cruiselines cancelled calls to Kusadasi after the Military coup in July, surprised to hear P&O have waited so long to tell their passengers.

 

check out http://chaniapost.eu/2016/07/19/cruise-lines-cancel-more-turkey-calls-after-attempted-military-coup-many-cruise-ships-come-to-crete/

 

 

Because P&O do not make knee jerk decisions as the US lines do. They tend to wait until the situation is clear or rather clear what exactly is happening.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[bee-ess]

That's surprising as Celebrity Silhouette cancelled all its Kusadasi stops weeks ago.

 

Duplicate post, sorry

Edited September 7, 2016 by bee-ess

[bee-ess]

That's surprising as Celebrity Silhouette cancelled all its Kusadasi stops weeks ago.

 

Haven't heard anything to say that the port is cancelled. There is another one in October as well on Silhouette and on both the roll calls people are still booking Ephesus trips. I think it was a temporary thing to miss out the port just after the coup happened. As land based holidays to beach resorts are going ahead as normal I am not unduly worried.

Edited September 7, 2016 by bee-ess

[bee-ess]

Because P&O do not make knee jerk decisions as the US lines do. They tend to wait until the situation is clear or rather clear what exactly is happening.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

 

I would still like to know the reason for cancelling if I was on this cruise - land based holidays are going ahead as normal to the Turkish coastal resorts from the UK.

[pete14]

I would still like to know the reason for cancelling if I was on this cruise - land based holidays are going ahead as normal to the Turkish coastal resorts from the UK.

 

They say they have been monitoring the situation carefully and that there are still security concerns. If that is now they feel, then they have no alternative but to cancel. Imagine if the worst happened and a cruise liner was attacked in a Turkish port. The excuse 'we had some security concerns but were monitoring the situation' would cut little ice with victims and their families. Maybe land based holidays shouldn't be going ahead as normal. The tragedy that happened in Tunisia could just as easily happen in Turkey, especially as the country witnessed a coup a couple of months ago and therefore has an unstable government. Best not to take chances, especially with a multi million pound ship and 2500 people (or 50 people on an excursion coach).

 

In light of this, I would have thought the reason for cancelling was obvious (and yes, Ephesus would have been a highlight for me as I have never been there and I find ancient cities fascinating).

[bee-ess]

They say they have been monitoring the situation carefully and that there are still security concerns. If that is now they feel, then they have no alternative but to cancel. Imagine if the worst happened and a cruise liner was attacked in a Turkish port. The excuse 'we had some security concerns but were monitoring the situation' would cut little ice with victims and their families. Maybe land based holidays shouldn't be going ahead as normal. The tragedy that happened in Tunisia could just as easily happen in Turkey, especially as the country witnessed a coup a couple of months ago and therefore has an unstable government. Best not to take chances, especially with a multi million pound ship and 2500 people (or 50 people on an excursion coach).

 

In light of this, I would have thought the reason for cancelling was obvious (and yes, Ephesus would have been a highlight for me as I have never been there and I find ancient cities fascinating).

 

I agree to a point, but who can predict where these incidents will happen, could just as easily happen in the place you have transferred to. Who would have considered it happening in Nice, would anyone have had any qualms about docking there. I can understand not visiting Istanbul and totally agree with any decision to miss Istanbul out of a cruise but not Kusadasi when there is no advice from the Foreign Office not to travel to coastal resorts in Turkey. Just my opinion, don;t expect others to agree but life has to go on and every time another place gets missed out then the terrorists are winning.

[missalto]

Soane

 

Would be interested to hear where your information came from since we too are on QE in Oct and our personaliser is still saying Kusadasi for 15th Oct.

 

Having been to Ephesus before we were looking forward to a revisit.

[sogne]

Soane

 

Would be interested to hear where your information came from since we too are on QE in Oct and our personaliser is still saying Kusadasi for 15th Oct.

 

Having been to Ephesus before we were looking forward to a revisit.

 

email sent by Cunard at 0815 today VP not yet changed

 

if you booked via TA that may account for later notification

 

we booked this cruise on board direct with Cunard

[sogne]

Soane

 

Would be interested to hear where your information came from since we too are on QE in Oct and our personaliser is still saying Kusadasi for 15th Oct.

 

Having been to Ephesus before we were looking forward to a revisit.

 

PS

 

on Cunard WS the changes are there when you search for voyage Q618