11/17 from Athens Any News re:Libya

Crazy Shirley · November 10, 2005

Does anyone have any late info as to whether we are going to be able to tour Benghazi and Tripoli?:confused: Any other fer shure changes that we should know about?

drwong · November 11, 2005

According a conversation I had with Oceania's personnel late today, we're on schedule to spend two days in Alexandria. However, to compensate us for the last-minute change and inconvenience, they are arranging Egyptian visas for the entire passenger list, without charge. (They usually charge for the cost of the visas, plus a little service fee for themselves - but then again, Zirer charges you a service fee if they obtain a visa on your behalf).

Crazy Shirley · November 11, 2005

Thanks very much for the reply. Very disappointing news, but I know we will get over it. :confused: :D

Portolan · November 11, 2005

According a conversation I had with Oceania's personnel late today, we're on schedule to spend two days in Alexandria. However, to compensate us for the last-minute change and inconvenience, they are arranging Egyptian visas for the entire passenger list, without charge. (They usually charge for the cost of the visas, plus a little service fee for themselves - but then again, Zirer charges you a service fee if they obtain a visa on your behalf).

I appreciate the challenge that Oceania has dealing with this, but to characterize the provision of visas for Egypt as compenstation is inappropriate. Would you consider the cruise to be equivalent to what you signed up for if they divert to Egypt...but you can't go ashore. That would be equivalent to replacing Libya with 3 days of steaming in circles. Oceania was covering the Libya port calls with a group visa and it is only appropriate to do so with Egypt and not to make it sound like they are going above and beyond.

I feel the pain of those on these two cruises (not) to Libya. We are on the May Insiginia cruise, chosen specifically (probably like you all) for the Libya visits. If one of these November trips worked out then we'd feel optimistic about May. Now we'll have to really think about the cruise (before the Feb final payment date).

drwong · November 11, 2005

Access to Libya, unfortunately, is something beyond their control, similar to bad weather making tendering impossible. In contrast, when they cancel a port call because of fears of terrorism or some other factor that makes landing possible but may put passengers at risk, that's a call within the cruise line's discretion.

And at least they're putting us ashore somewhere, instead of sailing in circles for three days, as some other cruise lines have done to their passengers.

And concerning the visa situation, Oceania, as a rule, doesn't provide complimentary visa services for its passengers - at least they didn't on our cruise visiting Russian ports, and they won't on our upcoming cruise that stops at Turkish and Ukrainian ports.

Hopefully by May the diplomatic row will be resolved and you'll have to post your photos online for us to enjoy! (Mr Aujali of the Libyian "embassy" has not responded to my email yet regarding the nature or extent of the dispute).

drwong · November 11, 2005

By the way - we're still planning to gather in the Horizon Lounge at 3 pm on the 18th. Also, the Oceania rep believed that Dave Shermet was going to be our cruise director - his bio is posted on the Oceania Club members webpage.

Rickey 88 · November 11, 2005

Richard and others.....

The following was in today's Seatrade Insider regarding Libya.....

Libya -- one of the industry’s hottest destinations this year -- continues to lose cruise business because of a political dispute with the U.S. Half a dozen operators have dropped calls after being notified that U.S. citizens would not be allowed ashore following a spat between the U.S. and Libyan governments.

Maltese agent Samuel Mifsud, director of SMS Travel & Tourism -- which handles Libyan calls for Oceania Cruises, Silversea Cruises and Orient Lines –- was informed that no blanket visas for American cruise passengers will be issued. ‘So far four Oceania calls, two Silversea and one call of Marco Polo have been canceled,’ he told Seatrade Insider.

Discovery World Cruises has been able to assist some U.S. passengers in obtaining individual travel visas in advance of their cruise. Americans with individual visas have been assured they will be allowed off the ship, said Discovery World vp Mark Flager.

Maria Mifsud, director of Libya Cruise Services, said Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II recently called with 48 U.S. and 550 European citizens. The Americans were not allowed ashore. Ships that have diverted include Sea Cloud ll, Marco Polo, Le Ponant, Le Levant, Silver Wind and Regatta.

Oceania spokesman Tim Rubacky said his company was told the spat broke out when the U.S. denied entry to a Libyan diplomat. 'As a retaliatory move, the Libyan government is denying visas for U.S. citizens,' Rubacky said.

Oceania’s Regatta had been scheduled to call in Tripoli and Benghazi this week. The cancellation caused some hard feelings on board, mostly because some guests apparently had not received advance notice of the decision Oceania emailed and faxed to customers and travel agents on Oct. 28, Rubacky said. He added: 'Overall, there's a level of disappointment because Libya had been the focus of this voyage.'

For Insignia's Nov. 17 cruise from Athens to Barcelona, Oceania will replace Libya with a two-day visit to Alexandria.

Silversea replaced Tripoli and Benghazi with Tartous, Syria, and Beirut, Lebanon. 'Prior to last week's voyage, we operated three very successful calls to Libya earlier in the summer,' said Silversea spokesman Brad Ball, who was aboard the recent cruise. He said most guests were 'very pleased with the ports that we substituted.' The sailing was Silversea's last scheduled visit to Libya in 2005. 'No decision has been made for the nine voyages that we have planned for Libya in 2006,' Ball told Seatrade Insider. Oceania’s Rubacky said his company expects a resolution of the dispute and eagerly anticipates returning to Libya. He added: ‘Our three cruises to Libya in 2006 are selling extremely well.’

Rickey 88 · November 11, 2005