Questions - if they cancel Istanbul

[harrowgirl]

It is my understanding that it is possible that Istanbul & Ephesus *may* be switched to Messina & Dubrovnik.

 

I'm fine with that possibility (actually - my husband would PREFER Messina!). My concern is - do they switch around the days for the other port stops as well?

 

I have a private tour booked for our stop in Athens. I would rather take the private tour - but if I can't guarantee the day I'll be in Athens, I guess that it won't really work.

 

I can't imagine that they would switch around the other port days, but seeing as how Messina & Dubrovnik are not that close together, I can't imagine that they would simply change the Istanbul/Ephesus days to Messina & Dubrovnik.

[wwinfl91]

On the Europe board there is a post from someone on an RCL cruise and they were told RCL was cancelling Turkey port stops. On their cruise they replaced Kusadasi with another port but in order to do it meant rearranging almost all their port stops which meant people with private tours missed them.

 

Unfortunately that may be a big plus to doing tours with the ship lines instead of private ones.

 

I would suggest contacting Celebrity and see what they say.

 

Have a great next cruise anyway.

[novafish]

We are on the Galaxy for 10/30 for the Eastern Med. I'm assuming you have the same itinerary. Our agent checked with Celebrity. One September cruise skipped Turkey. Cruises departing on other dates are not supposed to change but see story in CNN today on bombing in Kurdish city in Turkey and be alert to possible changes. Please note State Dept alert for Turkey expires 11/01.

 

Anyway, if you look at a map you will see that it is possible to substitute Dubrovnik and Messina for the Turkey stops, bearing mind that the Turkey stops involve 3 days and the stops in Dubrovnik and Messina would be on 2 days. So that leaves a possible day at sea to get around. Other stops are not supposed to change.

[Elaine0138]

Just recently returned from the eastern Med, our stop in Turkey was cancelled and port days WERE jiggled around, as Dubrovnik had been subsituted.

[Sheik]

I think all ports in Turkey are cancelled for the end of the year. It's very unsafe at this moment and I find it really sad that our wine butler from Istanbul can't visit his family due to the unrest.

[harrowgirl]

Yes - I am on the 10/30 Galaxy cruise

 

Sounds like I am going to have to cancel my Athens tour :( I was really excited for that one!!

 

How far in advance do they let you know about the itinerary changes?

 

Also - I also have a private tour booked for Naples. Naples is the last port before we return to Rome. I assume that this port won't change??

 

Thanks!

[WooKeef]

We are leaving on the sept. 25 voyage on Galaxy and we thought the stess was over with the cancellation of Turkey. I read yesterday that 16 more people were killed in a suicide bomber attack, but it was on the Syrian border so may not effect us this time.

Oh well, roll with it is all we can do.

[WooKeef]

I think all ports in Turkey are cancelled for the end of the year. It's very unsafe at this moment and I find it really sad that our wine butler from Istanbul can't visit his family due to the unrest.

Actually the u s state dept. lifted the ban from Turkey. We were told we were going, of course now I am not so sure.

[Chick's pal]

Can you please elaborate more on your comments? I am not sure I understand.

 

Do you mean the scheduled Turkish dates were just substituted with Dubrovnik and Messina with an extra sea day?

 

OR do you mean that the Greek and Italian port schedule was actually re-ordered?

 

Would you providing showing a "before" and "after" schedule?

 

(I ask because we are sharing port tours with people on other ships!)

 

Thanks alot.

[harrowgirl]

The way I understand from the other posters, and the poster on the Europe board referred to above, the port stops are actually reordered. They have to do this because it wouldn't make sense to substitute Croatia and Sicily for Istanbul & Ephesus (look at a map and you'll see why). If they eliminate Istanbul & Ephesus, I think it will be difficult for you to share tours with people from other ships.

 

For example (this is COMPLETELY made up, for examples sake)

 

i.e. if the original tour was:

 

Rome (Civitavecchia),

At Sea

Mykonos, Greece

Rhodes, Greece

Santorini, Greece

Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul, Turkey

Ephesus (Kusadasi),

Athens (Piraeus), Greece

At Sea

Naples/Capri, Italy

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

 

The revised tour might be:

Rome (Civitavecchia),

At Sea

Dubrovnik

Mykonos, Greece

Rhodes, Greece

Santorini, Greece

At Sea

Athens (Piraeus), Greece

At Sea

Messina, Sicily

Naples/Capri, Italy

Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

 

or something like that....

[Chick's pal]

Well, Harrowgirl, I do understand the point you are making "geographically." Our shared tour is in Naples, however, and I am speculating (dangerous, I know) that Naples will continue to be the last stop--and therefore the same date--before returning to Civitavecchia.

 

If anyone was on the re-ordered sailing, it would be wonderful to have some more specific insight.

 

We also have private tours for all days in Turkey. Luckily, these are not shared. But I am also wondering how anyone dealt with contacting their private tour companies if they did not know about elimination of ports before boarding.

[Sheik]

I really can't imagine that Naples will be shuffled too. Naples is soo close to Rome, I think Naples will stay the last port of call.