Marketing vs. Shipboard Navigation

[CNSJ]

A few months ago we heard on this forum of the routing of a HAL ship around Vancouver Island as opposed to the inside passage which they blamed on the "main office."  I came across this cruise offering (see image below)  in the new 2026 Europe voyages.  It is called a "10-Day Adriatic Antiquities: Greek Isles and Istanbul."  I hope the marketing department is well separated from operations and safe navigation as no part of this voyage enters the Adriatic Sea.  

 

For the geographic novices, the Adriatic Sea lies between Italy and Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania.

 

Never trust the name of the cruise. 

[crystalspin]

Yes, I was booked on that cruise and started the Roll Call with that observation! 

[CNSJ]

I did see it called on Kos, which is on my list of ports to visit one day.

[CNSJ]

2 minutes ago, crystalspin said:

Yes, I was booked on that cruise and started the Roll Call with that observation! 

Which makes me wonder why HAL didn't catch and change it.  I assume they have a person in Seattle that monitors Cruise Critic. 

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

8 hours ago, CNSJ said:

Which makes me wonder why HAL didn't catch and change it.  I assume they have a person in Seattle that monitors Cruise Critic. 

Not in that department.

[syesmar]

How much trouble would it be for HAL to update the name to “Aegean” from “Adriatic”? I know some things are already in print, but it would seem the description for digital materials could be corrected. Anyone here know what all goes in to a name correction?

 

Also, how does a mistake like this happen in the first place? Has this been the itinerary since Day 1, or did it ever have different ports?

Edited August 3 by syesmar

[NCTribeFan]

Sadly, it seems many people don't have any idea where either the Adriatic or Aegean Seas can be found on a map.

 

To many, it's all the Mediterranean sea.

 

This past spring, I did a TA on Virgin.  Spent 3 nights in Barcelona then flew to Athens for a 10 nights sailing on another Virgin ship that included Kotor & Dubrovnik as well as Bodrum, Turkey, and several Greek islands.  People I talked with had no idea we were in the Aegean and Adriatic and not the Mediterranean and didn't seem to have ever heard of those two!  And these weren't particularly young people.  It appears that many never look at a world map.

 

I'd love to do that sailing shown above, despite the incorrect name.  I really want to go to Istanbul and I haven't been to Kos or Rhodes, either.  Hmm.  I'm only booked up through Spring 2026. 😄

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, NCTribeFan said:

Sadly, it seems many people don't have any idea where either the Adriatic or Aegean Seas can be found on a map.

 

To many, it's all the Mediterranean sea.

 

This past spring, I did a TA on Virgin.  Spent 3 nights in Barcelona then flew to Athens for a 10 nights sailing on another Virgin ship that included Kotor & Dubrovnik as well as Bodrum, Turkey, and several Greek islands.  People I talked with had no idea we were in the Aegean and Adriatic and not the Mediterranean and didn't seem to have ever heard of those two!  And these weren't particularly young people.  It appears that many never look at a world map.

 

I'd love to do that sailing shown above, despite the incorrect name.  I really want to go to Istanbul and I haven't been to Kos or Rhodes, either.  Hmm.  I'm only booked up through Spring 2026. 😄

I believe both the Adriatic and Aegean Seas are part of the Mediterranean Sea.  I'll agree though that a lot of people couldn't identify them on a chart/map.

[carolina_yankee]

It's very easy to make those mistakes, simply by being rushed or absent-minded. But it's a very bad look for such a noble cruise line with decades if not centuries of history in the region! As long as the captain knows where to go . . .

 

I've noticed other cruise lines have questionable itinerary names. I can't remember if it's Celebrity or Princess, but one of the Alaska CruiseTour itineraries is named something like "National Park Intensive" and has only one night in Denali and no other parks.  OK, then!