Dangerous Tunis stop?

We like the Noordam itinerary for this summer. We thought the Tunis stop would be something interesting, but now we are really worried about Tunis. Per the news there are riots and some governments are warning about the possibility of kidnappings, etc. What does HAL do when something like this happens?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110112/ap_on_re_af/af_tunisia_riots

Thanks!

We like the Noordam itinerary for this summer. We thought the Tunis stop would be something interesting, but now we are really worried about Tunis. Per the news there are riots and some governments are warning about the possibility of kidnappings, etc. What does HAL do when something like this happens?

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110112/ap_on_re_af/af_tunisia_riots

 

Thanks!

If HAl feels that it is too dangerous and passengers are at risk, they will not stop there. They may divert to another port or you may just have another sea day. They don't take undue risks. they may even change the itinerary before then if they feel it is warranted. No worries.

Itinerary is important to us so I think we will wait until this settles or HAL decides what to do. Another sea day in lieu of seeing Carthage and Tunis isn't the trade off we want to make. We'll see what trade off HAL comes up with. Fortunately, we have plenty of time. We were hoping that there would be more details, but alas I guess it is too early.

Thanks again!

Obviously if the situation was dangerous for guests and crew then the ship would not call.

Does anyone have any suggestions or preferences where they would like to go instead? I assume it would have to be a non European Union port for the cruise to keep its tax free status or does calling at Monaco make the non-EU qualification? I know Monaco is not in the European Union but they share a lot of things with France and use the Euro as currency.

Dubrovnik is not on the Euro. We were in Tunis (A touch of Africa it was called) on another ship in 2002.

While Carthage is interesting and the Mosaic Museum is nice, it seemed like a very prosperous place to us. Nearly all homes and apartments had satillite TV dishes, very high end cars, etc.

We were also taken to a souk where we had to sit through a very aggressive sales talk of carpets. We even refused their free tea. The vendors in the souk, or bazaar, were also very aggressive, selling total garbage.

One thing, do not buy stuffed toys there. They have been known to be stuffed with hospital waste. It happened to someone in GB and they were visited by the haz mat team to remove the stuffed camel.

Oh, if you want to take pictures in Tunis, you must pay a fee!

Oh, if you want to take pictures in Tunis, you must pay a fee!

I just wondered if anyone else "borrows" photos from the Flickr website. I don't do it specifically because of fees, but there are sometimes special shots or places that I didn't capture on the cruise. I have found Flickr to be a terrific place to copy other people's photos to "fill in the blanks." For instance, the site has 73,000 shots of Tunis.

While Carthage is interesting and the Mosaic Museum is nice, it seemed like a very prosperous place to us. Nearly all homes and apartments had satillite TV dishes, very high end cars, etc.

We will be on the Noordam in September so will also be interested in what happens at Tunis as this was a key port for us too.

To your assertion that satellite TV is a measure of prosperity. It was for me too until we cruised the Nile and saw virtual hovels with satellite dishes. Our guide said it was a detriment to agriculture in that area as the farmers watched TV postponing their farming chores and endangering their own livelihoods.

According to the news the situation has become worse with several people being killed including an American journalist. Apparently, it has been simmering for quite some time, so hopefully HAL will announce a plan/alternative port soon. The cruise we are looking at already stops very close to Monaco, so that wouldn't be a substitute for Tunisia. Monaco is already an excursion offered on the port day. If we can't sort the itinerary, we are likely to switch to another line/cruise offered near the same time.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110113/ap_on_re_af/af_tunisia_riots

Itinerary is important to us so I think we will wait until this settles or HAL decides what to do. Another sea day in lieu of seeing Carthage and Tunis isn't the trade off we want to make. We'll see what trade off HAL comes up with. Fortunately, we have plenty of time. We were hoping that there would be more details, but alas I guess it is too early.

 

Thanks again!

at any port, you may not know if you're going to make until you tie up at the dock. safety, at any port, is paramount and often a fluid situation.

Dubrovnik is not on the Euro. We were in Tunis (A touch of Africa it was called) on another ship in 2002.

 

While Carthage is interesting and the Mosaic Museum is nice, it seemed like a very prosperous place to us. Nearly all homes and apartments had satillite TV dishes, very high end cars, etc.

 

We were also taken to a souk where we had to sit through a very aggressive sales talk of carpets. We even refused their free tea. The vendors in the souk, or bazaar, were also very aggressive, selling total gar

You were much smarter than we were!:D:eek:

Went with DD, SinL and grandkids to Morroco. They gave us tea, which was very tasty, but caused both SinL and I to spend a LOT more than we would have otherwise.:o:mad: The rugs had to be left outdoors for a long time to get rid of the smell!:o

Thanks all for the posts. I know port changes are cancelled at the last minute and anything can happen, but we are going to change our booking before the cancellation period, unless of course HAL announces what plan B is. I hear that is rare, so I guess I am back to cruise shopping. That is always fun, so it isn't a horrible thing.

Although there are many fluid situations (strikes, weather, etc.) the news and State Department are reporting this has been brewing for many months with ever increasing violence. This isn't a last minute, unforeseen, lack of advance notice situation.

With thanks,

Netta7

P.S. With all the posts on aggressive carpet sellers I am already plotting how to avoid them. Thanks for the great advice!

P.S. With all the posts on aggressive carpet sellers I am already plotting how to avoid them. Thanks for the great advice!

keep moving, don't make eye contact and whatever you do - don't accept any coffee or tea from them. :eek:

We were on a 17 day HAL/Noordam this summer and went to Tunis twice-my two least favorite of all cruise stops EVER. Now that this recent thing happened there, I would just stay on the ship. Never felt comfortable and was always concerned about everything around us-never would do it again!

Now Donna, it wasn't that bad :D. We were on the same cruise (Donna knows this) and stop one we took the tram to Carthage and Sidi Bu Saud. Interesting but not earth shattering. On the second stop we took a cab to Bardo Museum, some of the best mosaics we have ever seen. We did hear many other who like Donna were not comfortable and I understand why, the culture there is very different than what we were used to. I would agree after having seen the things we saw that there is nothing else to see and we would not want to go again.

Kirk

I look forward to visiting Tunis this year and seeing Carthage and the Bardo Museum. However, I disagree that this is all there is to see.....

I also hope to see the fabulous Roman amphitheatre in el-Jem (supposedly rivals the Colosseum....), and the spectactular Roman city of Dougga, whose temple has been called "the most beautiful single Roman monument in all North Africa."

If HAl feels that it is too dangerous and passengers are at risk, they will not stop there. They may divert to another port or you may just have another sea day. They don't take undue risks. they may even change the itinerary before then if they feel it is warranted. No worries.

This is one of our ports in May, 2011. We'll probably stay on the ship or just get off in the terminal area at most. Just wondering....would writing HAL to ask them about what they plan to do help get an answer? Has anyone ever written (I'm ex-ing out calling because I don't think a vacation planner would have any idea) and gotten a reply with some useful information?

I guess I'm just a control freak and want to know what I'm going to be doing! ;) Thanks in advance for your ideas/advice.

The United Kingdom has just banned all travel to Tunisia and is trying to return all visitors back home because of the troubles

14 January 2011 Last updated at 17:13 GMT

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Tunisia riots: Britons start to return to the UK

Protesters have set fire to vehicles and caused damage to many buildings

Continue reading the main story Related stories

• Tunis protests urge leader's exit
  

Britons have started arriving home from Tunisia, with the Foreign Office advising against all but essential travel to the north African country.

Thomas Cook said it was bringing home all its UK customers from Tunisia, but First Choice and Thomson said they were not implementing a full repatriation.

Thomas Cook has strongly advised its 1,800 UK and Irish tourists to take up the offer of return flights on Friday.

Violent protests in Tunisia have left dozens of people dead.

Thomas Cook has cancelled its next scheduled departures to Tunisia which would have taken place on 16 January.

A spokesman for First Choice and Thomson said its next departures on the same day had been cancelled, and one flight would depart from Monastir to Manchester on Friday evening to allow any passengers wishing to come home to do so.

Abta, which represents UK travel agents and tour operators, said it believed there were about 5,000 British tourists currently in a number of different resorts.

14 January 2011 Last updated at 17:13 GMT

Share this page

• Facebook
  
• Twitter
  
• Share
  
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Tunisia riots: Britons start to return to the UK

Protesters have set fire to vehicles and caused damage to many buildings

Continue reading the main story Related stories

• Tunis protests urge leader's exit
  

Britons have started arriving home from Tunisia, with the Foreign Office advising against all but essential travel to the north African country.

Thomas Cook said it was bringing home all its UK customers from Tunisia, but First Choice and Thomson said they were not implementing a full repatriation.

Thomas Cook has strongly advised its 1,800 UK and Irish tourists to take up the offer of return flights on Friday.

Violent protests in Tunisia have left dozens of people dead.

Thomas Cook has cancelled its next scheduled departures to Tunisia which would have taken place on 16 January.

A spokesman for First Choice and Thomson said its next departures on the same day had been cancelled, and one flight would depart from Monastir to Manchester on Friday evening to allow any passengers wishing to come home to do so.

Abta, which represents UK travel agents and tour operators, said it believed there were about 5,000 British tourists currently in a number of different resorts.

The latest CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/africa/01/14/tunisia.protests/index.html?hpt=T1

It indicates elections to be held "within 6 months." That would put the elections in the June/July timetable, making summer travel to Tunisia uncertain. I am not dying to see Tunisia, but I don't want another sea day. We are going to the Med for a reason. If I wanted more sea days, there are many less expensive cruises to take.

I contacted HAL, but only got the answer of "we won't stop if it is dangerous." This goes without saying so it didn't really provide any insight.

I look forward to visiting Tunis this year and seeing Carthage and the Bardo Museum. However, I disagree that this is all there is to see.....

 

I also hope to see the fabulous Roman amphitheatre in el-Jem (supposedly rivals the Colosseum....), and the spectactular Roman city of Dougga, whose temple has been called "the most beautiful single Roman monument in all North Africa."

You are right about Dougga, we tried to setup a tour for there for one of our two stops in Tunis but could never find any guides. Now Dougga is not exactly in Tunis it is almost two hours away if memory serves me right.

Of course with everything going on right now I doubt the cruise ships will be stopping there for a while. We were told the cruise lines like that stop because it has cheap fuel.

Kirk

Now Donna, it wasn't that bad :D. We were on the same cruise (Donna knows this) and stop one we took the tram to Carthage and Sidi Bu Saud. Interesting but not earth shattering. On the second stop we took a cab to Bardo Museum, some of the best mosaics we have ever seen. We did hear many other who like Donna were not comfortable and I understand why, the culture there is very different than what we were used to. I would agree after having seen the things we saw that there is nothing else to see and we would not want to go again.

 

Kirk

Note: Kirk and his family were more adventurous than most of us-and they seemed to enjoy everything. Great family-enjoyed cruising with you all!

The latest news is that the President of Tunisia has fled the country and the Prime Minister is now in power.

Cruise Critic has just posted a story on this: http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4316

Looks like Costa is the only line stopping in Tunisia over the next 6 weeks; they are quoted as saying they'll change to Ajaccio if the situation continues to be bad.

Has HAL ever gone to Ajaccio? I wonder what HAL's substitute would be? I read something that implied HAL needed a scheduled non-EU stop for tax reasons?

Looking forward to peace everywhere.