Oct-Nov 2019 Persian Gulf and Hormuz Straight

[Marylebone37]

Hi all, any comments on what Regent might do on their Barcelona to Dubai leg this year - in the event tensions continue to escalate in that region?  I know it’s still several months away, but I’m getting more than a little concerned about safety and security given all the recent issues (with more to come unfortunately, I’m sure).  I doubt things will calm down by October.  Thank you.

[Kinkajou]

Watching this also, already made plans for an extra day at the end of the cruise. 

Edited July 19, 2019 by Kinkajou
Auto correct got me Fixed it.

[GrJ Berkshire]

Very difficult to see how at present cruises will go onto Dubai and not terminate at Muscat, Oman. I cannot see cruise ships using the strait of Hormuz in and out !!

[Hambagahle]

There is no way of knowing what the political situation will be in the Gulf at the end of September.  IF there is any danger Regent will re-route the ship and change the ports.  If there is not they will likely stick to the published itinerary.  Until end September anything else is speculation!  Just trust Regent.  They are not going to put peoples lives in danger.   NOR will they want to endanger their ship!

[Marylebone37]

Thank you both for your comments.

[Travelcat2]

Agree 100% with Gerry but want to add that if the ship cannot get to Dubai and Dubai is your final port, Regent would have to find another port from which to disembark.  This would affect flight for passengers going home as well as those that planned on boarding the ship in Dubai/

 

Cases like this is a main reason that we book flights through Regent (except domestic flights).  If there is a change if embarkation or disembarkation ports, there is no cost to the passenger for the new flights that Regent will arrange.  People that booked their own flights get to deal with penalties and flight changes.

[Marylebone37]

Good point.  We did book our own flights.  But hopefully if there is a new disembarkation port in this general area of the world, it will be easy enough to purchase a one way ticket from the new port to Dubai - so that we can stick to our original long-haul flights home.  Oman Air and Emirates (and flydubai) seem to have lots of options in the region.

[Travelcat2]

12 minutes ago, stines said:

Good point.  We did book our own flights.  But hopefully if there is a new disembarkation port in this general area of the world, it will be easy enough to purchase a one way ticket from the new port to Dubai - so that we can stick to our original long-haul flights home.  Oman Air and Emirates (and flydubai) seem to have lots of options in the region.

 

That is a wonderful suggestion - one that I wish I had thought of when we had to change flights to a different cities.

[Floridiana]

Our guide in Oman said he always flies directly to Frankfurt. This may be an option for some. I am pretty sure they have flights to Dubai. I think ports in Oman are the only close-by option when a ship can't go through the Straight of Ormuz. Mumbai is further away.

 

We were on a cruise from Dubai along the coast to Abu Dhabi, Quatar, Bahrein and then to Oman and back to Dubai.  One of the ports was Khasab, right at the tip of the Straight. We spent the early morning hours watching small open boats unload sheep from Iran. They sell them in Khasab and return in the evening with refrigerators and other appliances. It is dangerous for them to cross the Straight at night in those small fishing boats. They also have to dodge customs if I understood our guide correctly.

 

I am sure cruise lines watch this area closely. 

[DaveFr]

I've been thinking about this issue recently because I am on the cruise after the TS's (Dubai to Singapore beginning on Nov. 16).  Our first port is Fujairah in the UAE on Nov. 17.  Fujairah is on the opposite side of the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai.  I checked and it takes about 90 minutes to drive between Fujairah and Dubai.

 

So, assuming Regent could work out the logistics, the following could be a solution for both cruises if the Strait of Hormuz is not usable:

1.  The Voyager will leave Muscat on Nov. 14 as scheduled.

2.  Instead of sailing to Dubai, the Voyager will disembark passengers in Fujairah on Nov. 15.  Passengers will be bused to Dubai for an overnight as scheduled.  Passengers will have to be housed in hotels in Dubai.

3 . The Voyager will spend the night of Nov. 15 docked in Fujairah.

4.  Passengers on the Barcelona cruise may then leave Dubai as previously booked.  No necessity to change flights.

5.  On Nov.16, passengers on the Dubai to Singapore cruise will be bused from Dubai to Fujairah to embark the Voyager.

6.  The Voyager will either spend another night docked in Fujairah or can leave Fujairah and cruise around before returning to Fujairah on the morning of Nov. 17.

 

I'm sure there are numerous althernatives but the point is that the inability to traverse the Strait of Hormuz can be worked around without deleting Dubai as the disembarkation and embarkation port respectively for the two cruises.  Hopefully things will calm down in the region and a workaround will not be needed.

 

Dave

[Floridiana]

16 hours ago, DaveFr said:

Instead of sailing to Dubai, the Voyager will disembark passengers in Fujairah on Nov. 15.  Passengers will be bused to Dubai for an overnight as scheduled.

 

That should be a nice drive through the mountains and the desert.

[etual324]

32 minutes ago, Floridiana said:

 

That should be a nice drive through the mountains and the desert.

What is the source of your information ?

[Floridiana]

Photos taken by friends and posted on FB. They went to the mountains. Our own travel to the Abu Dhabi desert hinterlands.,

[etual324]

17 hours ago, DaveFr said:

I've been thinking about this issue recently because I am on the cruise after the TS's (Dubai to Singapore beginning on Nov. 16).  Our first port is Fujairah in the UAE on Nov. 17.  Fujairah is on the opposite side of the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai.  I checked and it takes about 90 minutes to drive between Fujairah and Dubai.

 

So, assuming Regent could work out the logistics, the following could be a solution for both cruises if the Strait of Hormuz is not usable:

1.  The Voyager will leave Muscat on Nov. 14 as scheduled.

2.  Instead of sailing to Dubai, the Voyager will disembark passengers in Fujairah on Nov. 15.  Passengers will be bused to Dubai for an overnight as scheduled.  Passengers will have to be housed in hotels in Dubai.

3 . The Voyager will spend the night of Nov. 15 docked in Fujairah.

4.  Passengers on the Barcelona cruise may then leave Dubai as previously booked.  No necessity to change flights.

5.  On Nov.16, passengers on the Dubai to Singapore cruise will be bused from Dubai to Fujairah to embark the Voyager.

6.  The Voyager will either spend another night docked in Fujairah or can leave Fujairah and cruise around before returning to Fujairah on the morning of Nov. 17.

 

I'm sure there are numerous althernatives but the point is that the inability to traverse the Strait of Hormuz can be worked around without deleting Dubai as the disembarkation and embarkation port respectively for the two cruises.  Hopefully things will calm down in the region and a workaround will not be needed.

 

Dave

 

[etual324]

What is the source of your information ?

[mrlevin]

1 hour ago, etual324 said:

What is the source of your information ?

 

Just go to google maps and you can see only about 90 minute drive between Dubai and Fujarah.  Dave's hypothesis makes perfect sense to me.  Drive to Muscat would be over four hours but Fujarah is close and no international borders to cross.

 

Marc

[etual324]

2 hours ago, mrlevin said:

 

Just go to google maps and you can see only about 90 minute drive between Dubai and Fujarah.  Dave's hypothesis makes perfect sense to me.  Drive to Muscat would be over four hours but Fujarah is close and no international borders to cross.

 

Marc

What I mean is did Regent officially change the itinerary have not heard from my TA,what he says makes sense to us but we go where the ship goes 

[DaveFr]

35 minutes ago, etual324 said:

What I mean is did Regent officially change the itinerary have not heard from my TA,what he says makes sense to us but we go where the ship goes 

 Regent has not changed the itinerary of both cruises at this time.  I was only proposing a way Regent could keep both cruises going without major changes in the event the Strait of Hormuz could not be used. 

 

Dave

[Marylebone37]

Thanks everyone for all the great information & possible alternatives - if we can’t pass through the Hormuz Straight.  Looks like it’s not going to be a serious inconvenience if tensions in that region remain at high levels.

[blondietoo]

On 7/20/2019 at 12:35 PM, DaveFr said:

I've been thinking about this issue recently because I am on the cruise after the TS's (Dubai to Singapore beginning on Nov. 16).  Our first port is Fujairah in the UAE on Nov. 17.  Fujairah is on the opposite side of the Strait of Hormuz from Dubai.  I checked and it takes about 90 minutes to drive between Fujairah and Dubai.

 

So, assuming Regent could work out the logistics, the following could be a solution for both cruises if the Strait of Hormuz is not usable:

1.  The Voyager will leave Muscat on Nov. 14 as scheduled.

2.  Instead of sailing to Dubai, the Voyager will disembark passengers in Fujairah on Nov. 15.  Passengers will be bused to Dubai for an overnight as scheduled.  Passengers will have to be housed in hotels in Dubai.

3 . The Voyager will spend the night of Nov. 15 docked in Fujairah.

4.  Passengers on the Barcelona cruise may then leave Dubai as previously booked.  No necessity to change flights.

5.  On Nov.16, passengers on the Dubai to Singapore cruise will be bused from Dubai to Fujairah to embark the Voyager.

6.  The Voyager will either spend another night docked in Fujairah or can leave Fujairah and cruise around before returning to Fujairah on the morning of Nov. 17.

 

I'm sure there are numerous althernatives but the point is that the inability to traverse the Strait of Hormuz can be worked around without deleting Dubai as the disembarkation and embarkation port respectively for the two cruises.  Hopefully things will calm down in the region and a workaround will not be needed.

 

Dave

We are on the same cruise Dave.....you have really made me feel better about it all as we have booked our own flights to Dubai. Fingers crossed all works out.

 

Blondietoo (Sheena)

[fluckey]

No way of knowing anything at this point, but if there is real trouble in the region, Regent may not want to be anywhere near the Straight which would eliminate disembarkation at Fujairah.

[JPR]

Is spellcheck “correcting” Straits of Hormuz to “Straight of Hormuz” in everyone’s posts?

[Travelcat2]

Regent is likely on top of the situation with their security experts but they could learn a few things if they read this thread.  I don't think that Regent would mind if it had to end the cruise somewhere other than Dubai.  That may be easier to do than to transport all of the passengers with their luggage (and they likely would need lots of security for the buses).  Also, while I am not sure where your cruise is ending (is it Dubai?), there will be passengers waiting to board the ship (if they can get flights which is iffy right now).

 

I'm watching this thread because we are doing a cruise that ends in Dubai next year.  While things will like be resolved (to the extent that it can be) by then, we are on a sailing that has been full for a while and I wonder if there will be some cancellations.

 

However it works, I hope it does not inconvenience passengers too much,

Edited July 22, 2019 by Travelcat2

[snorkle lover]

I have a question concerning the comment by TC about booking your own flights. We will be booking our flight to Barcelona

in a couple of weeks for our cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in April. We are planning to deviate in order to pick our flights. Is this still considered booking through Regent and not booking our own flights?

[Travelcat2]

2 hours ago, snorkle lover said:

I have a question concerning the comment by TC about booking your own flights. We will be booking our flight to Barcelona

in a couple of weeks for our cruise from Barcelona to Lisbon in April. We are planning to deviate in order to pick our flights. Is this still considered booking through Regent and not booking our own flights?

 

When you deviate, you are still using Regent air and it is not considered booking your own flights.  So, there I nothing to worry about