Ports closed to cruise ships in the Middle East

[gnld]

We're on the March 17th r/t Dubai cruise. I just talked with a very helpful Azamara rep. She confirmed Dubai port is closed to cruise ships. But Azamara is in contact with them as to how long. We also know Doha, Qatar has closed its port to cruise ships. And I've read Bahrain and Oman have closed their ports, too. Well, that's all the countries on our cruise! The rep said they'd have something out by the end of today (Monday) regarding cruise status. We're scheduled to fly to Dubai on Thursday. We're waffling anyway, so I told her we'd need to know the situation by tomorrow at the latest. Sittin' on pins & needles...

[nigelc]

2 minutes ago, gnld said:

We're on the March 17th r/t Dubai cruise. I just talked with a very helpful Azamara rep. She confirmed Dubai port is closed to cruise ships. But Azamara is in contact with them as to how long. We also know Doha, Qatar has closed its port to cruise ships. And I've read Bahrain and Oman have closed their ports, too. Well, that's all the countries on our cruise! The rep said they'd have something out by the end of today (Monday) regarding cruise status. We're scheduled to fly to Dubai on Thursday. We're waffling anyway, so I told her we'd need to know the situation by tomorrow at the latest. Sittin' on pins & needles...

Thank you for your update - it is really appreciated. All I am getting from both my TA and Azamara UK, is that there are no changes to the itinerary. 

[Lindy028]

27 minutes ago, nigelc said:

Thank you for your update - it is really appreciated. All I am getting from both my TA and Azamara UK, is that there are no changes to the itinerary. 

Can I add my thanks to gnld, it is very much appreciated, as all our information is coming from members on these boards. We have also been told that there are no changes to the itinerary, Azamara’s handling of this has been less than helpful. 

[lparent71]

15 minutes ago, Lindy028 said:

Can I add my thanks to gnld, it is very much appreciated, as all our information is coming from members on these boards. We have also been told that there are no changes to the itinerary, Azamara’s handling of this has been less than helpful. 

My hubby was just told by Azamara that the security people are having a meeting about the situation and we will hear by 4-5pm Eastern standard Time whether it's a go or not.

[Lindy028]

9 minutes ago, lparent71 said:

My hubby was just told by Azamara that the security people are having a meeting about the situation and we will hear by 4-5pm Eastern standard Time whether it's a go or not.

Thank you for that, hopefully we will know one way or the other what is happening before too long, it is this uncertainty which is very unsettling.

[Chilcotin]

Here is a copy of the letter from the captain yesterday on the Quest.

[Chilcotin]

1 minute ago, Chilcotin said:

Here is a copy of the letter from the captain yesterday on the Quest.

Sorry copy of letter won’t load.

Edited March 9, 2020 by Chilcotin

[Twiga]

My travel agent just spoke with Azamara and was told that there will be a decision about the March 28th Quest cruise out of Dubai later today (Monday).  I assume it will also include the March 17th cruise.

[Baynanno1]

Riocca : Your questions are indeed pertinent and we need answers from Azamara sooner rather than later. Likewise we will not be happy if strung out to the last minute. We are due to leave home on Saturday morning, 4 days from now.

 

Lindy028 : Indeed trying to get information from either Azamara or our Travel Agent (one we said nearly a year ago we would not use again due to communication difficulties). We spent much of the day on the phone either on hold for up to half an hour before giving up on Azamara. The one time I did get to speak to someone, I was “transferred” back on hold. Several calls to the TA have not been returned. The word Ostrich comes to mind!

 

Gnld : thanks for the update via your helpful Azamara rep. A rare creature at present. Fingers crossed!

 

Iparent71 : Thanks for your update post.. Hopefully there will be news from Azamara within the next couple of hours now!

 

This link has been posted in the Coronavirus thread :

https://splash247.com/uae-suspends-all-cruise-ship-operations/

 

 

Edited March 9, 2020 by Baynanno1
additional information

[Riocca]

Just picked this up from the Celebrity board, it looks like Jewel of the Seas has a modified itinerary so that it doesn’t leave UAE waters.

 

 

This might work on a 7 night itinerary but if Azamara managed to persuade the UAE authorities to allow them to dock 11 nights in 3 ports, one being a private island, would not really be acceptable.

[lparent71]

I have a feeling they are negotiating a revised itinerary. They confirmed they were aware this morning. If it was cancelled the answer would have been pretty quick I would think. I think of those passengers who aren't on these boards and have no clue....some maybe already traveling. Other cruise lines acted very quickly to notify.

[Baynanno1]

2 minutes ago, lparent71 said:

 I think of those passengers who aren't on these boards and have no clue....some maybe already traveling. Other cruise lines acted very quickly to notify.

 

We are 4 days away from leaving home.

Hopefully we will have a sensible communication from Azamara within the next hour or so.

[Riocca]

I would guess given the  situation their primary concern is where they can disembark the current passengers given they are coming to the end of a 26 night cruise, most of them spent at sea. 

[nigelc]

Looking on the Azamara UK web-site, it looks like there are currently 46 rooms available on the 17th March 2020 sailing.

[lparent71]

We are still going even if it's UAE ports and Oman. Don't want a FCC. They are probably reviewing the passenger lists and security protocols in the discussions. I would think they'll work it out if other bigger ships are allowed.

[Charlie Chan]

Our travel agent has just contacted us to say the Quest cruise departing 17 March has been cancelled. No information regarding the cruise on March 28 as yet. This puts all of us who are on back to back cruises in a very difficult position as flights etc will need to be rearranged. This will be a very expensive process for us.

 

We urgently need information about the March 28 cruise. We should be given the opportunity to cancel with a full refund, not a credit at this stage.

 

Thank you to everyone on CC who has kept this thread up to date. We contacted our travel agent yesterday and asked her to follow up the rumours/port closures.  The cruises were still showing as bookable on the Azamara site an hour or so ago.

 

Everyone needs to contact their travel agents to have this verified. We could not get through to Azamara by phone due to the high number of callers.

 

 

[Chilcotin]

Currently on the Quest somewhere in the Indian Ocean. It is 9:30 am, March 10 local time. We haven’t been told anything yet but the captain usually does a noon briefing.

[nigelc]

1 hour ago, Charlie Chan said:

Our travel agent has just contacted us to say the Quest cruise departing 17 March has been cancelled. No information regarding the cruise on March 28 as yet. This puts all of us who are on back to back cruises in a very difficult position as flights etc will need to be rearranged. This will be a very expensive process for us.

 

We urgently need information about the March 28 cruise. We should be given the opportunity to cancel with a full refund, not a credit at this stage.

 

Thank you to everyone on CC who has kept this thread up to date. We contacted our travel agent yesterday and asked her to follow up the rumours/port closures.  The cruises were still showing as bookable on the Azamara site an hour or so ago.

 

Everyone needs to contact their travel agents to have this verified. We could not get through to Azamara by phone due to the high number of callers.

 

 

Anyone else had it confirmed that the 17th March cruise is cancelled? 

[lparent71]

18 minutes ago, nigelc said:

Anyone else had it confirmed that the 17th March cruise is cancelled? 

Nope. But my agent said yesterday that I would get a notification directly if it's cancelled. If this is the case then shame on Azamara for not sending one out right away. There isn't any alert posted to my reservation either.

[MakingUpForLostTime]

March 10, 2020

Dear Azamara Guest,

We have some urgent information to provide regarding your upcoming 11-Night Arabia Intensive Voyage on March 17^th, 2020 aboard Azamara Quest

As we monitor global developments related to the coronavirus, our priority remains the health and safety of our guests and crew, as well as providing unforgettable vacation experiences. Each morning and throughout the day our executive team reviews daily updates from the CDC, WHO and local port authorities regarding the situation.

We have just been advised that the country of United Arab Emirates has closed all ports to cruise shipsuntil further notice. Therefore, we have made the necessary decision to cancel your upcoming voyage on March 17^th, 2020. Up until today we did not intend to cancel this voyage; however, must do so due to the local country restrictions recently implemented.

In order to compensate you for this cancellation, all booked guests will receive a full refund to their original method of payment and a 25% Future Cruise Credit (FCC). Please note, guests who have purchased the pre-or post-Stay Local land package in Dubai will also receive a full refund to the original form of payment.

If you pre-booked any shore excursions through Azamara, you'll receive a full refund to the original form of payment. Guests with independent arrangements should contact their travel advisors as soon as possible. If you pre-purchased any beverage, internet or specialty dining, you will also receive a full refund to your original form of payment.

Guests with air travel and hotel booked through ChoiceAir will be refunded automatically. Guests with independent air arrangements need to contact their air carriers directly to make all required cancellations. For any airline flight change fees incurred, you may receive up to $500 per person reimbursement. As a reminder, due to the current situation, airlines are being flexible with flight changes and the waiving of fees. In order to receive reimbursement, you must send us a copy of the air change fees assessed. Please email to, AzamaraCustomerService@azamara.com. 

We know how important your vacation time is and we sincerely regret for the inconvenience of this cancellation. Your safety and well-being are our highest priority. We hope to welcome you in the near future for an AzAmazing vacation.

In the meantime, should you have any questions about this voyage, please reach out to your travel advisor or contact us at 1-855-AZAMARA (292-6272), option 3.

Sincerely, 

AZAMARA

To view the affected itinerary, please click here.

[nigelc]

Just had an e-mail from Azamara confirming that the 17th March 2020 Quest sailing from Dubai has been cancelled with a full cash refund and 25% FCC. 

 

Can I thank all on CC for keeping us up to date during this stressful time.

[Kcbates]

Thank you for sharing the information. We are scheduled on the April 11 from Singapore to Dubai with no information coming from Azamara. We really appreciate the time and effort that you are putting into sharing info.

 

[Baynanno1]

We have also had email notification of cancellation of 17 March cruise, but nothing at this point in time relating to the 28 March cruise. Details as posted by MakingUpForLostTime post #70 above.

[uktog]

So sorry you lost your cruise.  It’s been galling to watch how poorly this has been handled.  Dithering lack of communication when an early decision could have won plaudits as it did for Azamaras competitors. 

Edited March 10, 2020 by uktog
Spelling

[Lindy028]

We too have just received notification that the 17th March is cancelled. So sorry for everyone who is missing out, but we are just relieved that we at least now know! My thoughts are now with those who are due on 28th March cruise especially those on both cruises, this must be a bit of a nightmare.