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Odyssey re-deploying due to Middle East conflict?

Tolkmit
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dani negreanu

dani negreanu

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, SeaHunt said:

maybe Dani N and others can look at his article from 4/22 and see if it would be a fair reporting of Israeli sources (without having to use google translate, like me):

 

So Dani N looked at and read all the articles in Hebrew which were linked in your [link]post, and her conclusion is that Royal Caribbean are "amateurs", and that's an understatement...

 

Before touting a "first" of cruises originating from Israel, for which we've been waiting for years, Royal didn't ensure the "basics" -- a "fully vaccinated crew" as advertised:

 

"Some crew members arriving in Israel have not actually yet been vaccinated, although the company has ensured that they are fully vaccinated".

 

The crisis in Israel provided Royal with the "perfect" excuse to back out, since they didn't make sure that the crew will be "fully vaccinated".

 

Nowhere is it mentioned that Royal even tried to make a deal with the Israeli Ministry of Health so that the crew will be vaccinated here....

 

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RonPaula

RonPaula

Posted
Posted

I completely understand everyone’s disappointment with the Odyssey’s redeployment. I was dealing with the same just a few months ago when Odyssey was sent to Israel from Italy. We were to be on the TA from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. You were cheering your good fortune while we were dealing with the sadness of yet another canceled cruise. And now things in Italy and Europe are looking up. Maybe could have made that TA. This whole Odyssey has been a disaster. 
Paula

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Sunshine3601

Sunshine3601

Posted
Posted
4 hours ago, Roger88 said:

Cant wait to go to Bermudas as well. I am sure it will be geat. This year will be the best year to visit Bermudas. I heard some of the major lienrs will also travel there 

Yes, we are really excited too!  We booked a b2b on Vision for 8.07 thru 8.21.  Love Bermuda!  And will enjoy our sea days with our wrap around corner aft balcony.    

As I recall there is a small terminal building at the royal naval dockyard and there is a large building in that area that was unused last time I was there fall 2019 so they should be able to coordinate embarkment/disembarkment fairly easy.

And they have shuttle bus for airport transfers you can arrange thru a2s.  

 

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Etta1213

Etta1213

Posted
Posted (edited)
3 hours ago, RonPaula said:

I completely understand everyone’s disappointment with the Odyssey’s redeployment. I was dealing with the same just a few months ago when Odyssey was sent to Israel from Italy. We were to be on the TA from Rome to Fort Lauderdale. You were cheering your good fortune while we were dealing with the sadness of yet another canceled cruise. And now things in Italy and Europe are looking up. Maybe could have made that TA. This whole Odyssey has been a disaster. 
Paula

I hope your future plans work out for you! There has been so much disappointment over the past year. I remind myself, though, that it's nothing compared to what Israeli citizens are going through with the missle attacks night after night.

Edited by Etta1213
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Biker19

Biker19

Posted
Posted
4 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I'm not sure if that is bravery or stupidity on your thinking. Is taking a cruise really that important to you?

It's a risk management decision, just like Haifa is very removed from the danger in the current drama in Israel, life goes in other parts of the country/state in US when something happens elsewhere.

 

Also, if things were not very safe or politically correct, like in Haifa, the cruise line will cancel before most folks would.

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Jimbo

Jimbo

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

 just like Haifa is very removed from the danger in the current drama in Israel

Thank God, Royal Caribbean doesn't think like you. They thought much different then you.

Not sure how comforting it is to live in that country right now not knowing where the next missle will hit.........Guess if you can live with that, you go cruising.

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Biker19

Biker19

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

Guess if you can live with that, you go cruising.

If you read a few of the earlier posts from folks living there, they seem to share that view and are quite disappointed RCI canceled the season. 

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Jimbo

Jimbo

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Biker19 said:

If you read a few of the earlier posts from folks living there, they seem to share that view and are quite disappointed RCI canceled the season. 

I think if they really think on it longer they may change their mind with the people aiming the missles wake up one day and say hey, lets do a little target shooting today.........Let see it we can hit that large cruise ship out there in the middle of the ocean.............no where to run on a cruiseship when the sirens go off.

I think they are better off NOT on a cruiseship at this time. JMO

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Biker19

Biker19

Posted
Posted (edited)
9 minutes ago, Jimbo said:

I think if they really think on it longer they may change their mind with the people aiming the missles wake up one day and say hey, lets do a little target shooting today.........Let see it we can hit that large cruise ship out there in the middle of the ocean.............no where to run on a cruiseship when the sirens go off.

It is difficult for some to see the context of Israel, or any potentially danger situation and may be very risk averse.

 

I assume you will never book a repo cruise which travels in the Gulf of Aden, where RCI typically embarks extra armed staff and the ship sails with lights out to mitigate the threat of Somali pirates?

Edited by Biker19
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Jimbo

Jimbo

Posted
Posted
1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

I assume you will never book a repo cruise which travels in the Gulf of Aden, where RCI typically embarks extra armed staff and the ship sails with lights out to mitigate the threat of Somali pirates?

Yes,  we wouldn't to many sea days. We like to be more active seeing things onshore.

.

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Kbonner

Kbonner

Posted
Posted

Regardless the crew vaccinated or not, it is the safety for ship and passengers that drives a cruise company to take such drastic measures like removal from a port.

Remember in July 2014 the cruise liner Aidadiva was hit in Ashdod port by missile debris. Passengers run for cover and filmed the cowardly Palestinian terror attack on Ashdod. Luckily an Israeli anti missile battery intercepted the terror weapon, but debris from both vehicles hit the cruise liner. So RCI pulling out is somehow understandable.

In the link you can watch 2 videos from the Aidadiva being involved and you see the debris on one of the outer decks

Video: AIDAdiva Raketenangriff in Ashdod: Raketenteile auf dem Schiff (schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de)

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dani negreanu

dani negreanu

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I think if they really think on it longer they may change their mind with the people aiming the missles wake up one day and say hey, lets do a little target shooting today.........

 

Indeed, that's what "they" had been doing....

 

BUT, as mentioned before, the port of Haifa and its "safety borders" are not, and I repeat, NOT in the missiles' range.

 

Nobody among those booked was even thinking about canceling their cruises -- it's a matter of just boarding the ship and sail way into the Mediterranean Sea.

 

 

2 hours ago, Kbonner said:

Regardless the crew vaccinated or not, it is the safety for ship and passengers that drives a cruise company to take such drastic measures like removal from a port.

Remember in July 2014 the cruise liner Aidadiva was hit in Ashdod port by missile debris. Passengers run for cover and filmed the cowardly Palestinian terror attack on Ashdod. Luckily an Israeli anti missile battery intercepted the terror weapon, but debris from both vehicles hit the cruise liner. So RCI pulling out is somehow understandable.

In the link you can watch 2 videos from the Aidadiva being involved and you see the debris on one of the outer decks

Video: AIDAdiva Raketenangriff in Ashdod: Raketenteile auf dem Schiff (schiffe-und-kreuzfahrten.de)

 

The port of Ashdod, on the other hand, is indeed in the missiles' range. This ship docked right in the middle of the 2014 conflict. This stop should have been cancelled.

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mpdog42

mpdog42

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Jimbo said:

I think if they really think on it longer they may change their mind with the people aiming the missles wake up one day and say hey, lets do a little target shooting today.........Let see it we can hit that large cruise ship out there in the middle of the ocean.............no where to run on a cruiseship when the sirens go off.

I think they are better off NOT on a cruiseship at this time. JMO

Then that is a desision for the Israeli Citizens to make! Not some Civilian in Virginia....God Speed IDF!! 

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dani negreanu

dani negreanu

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, cruise wizard said:

Doesn't the US  State Department put out warnings on International travel? I know that these cruises were just for Israeli citizens - is there something similar in Israel?

 

Of course.

 

But Cyprus and Greece [the original itineraries for the cruises out of Haifa] are not included....😉

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Tolkmit

Tolkmit

Posted
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Posted
4 hours ago, dani negreanu said:

 

Indeed, that's what "they" had been doing....

 

BUT, as mentioned before, the port of Haifa and its "safety borders" are not, and I repeat, NOT in the missiles' range.

 

Nobody among those booked was even thinking about canceling their cruises -- it's a matter of just boarding the ship and sail way into the Mediterranean Sea.

 

 

 

The port of Ashdod, on the other hand, is indeed in the missiles' range. This ship docked right in the middle of the 2014 conflict. This stop should have been cancelled.

 

About 12 hours before Royal Caribbean announced the change in plans to the crew, there were rocket attacks that ended up in the Mediterranean close enough to be heard from Haifa. The fact it's refugees in Lebanon launching occasional attacks might make Haifa "safe" compared to the areas actually within range of the front; but it's not "safe" when compared with the other places she could be sailing, like the Caribbean.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/three-rockets-launched-toward-israel-lebanon-no-damage-israeli-military-2021-05-13/

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