Israel dropped for the rest of 2011 by Costa

[sidari]

Well today i had my TA, TC ring Costa over another related matter to our cruise, i also asked if they could find out what the situation was with Tunisia and Libya! the reply from Costa was that the Itinery has not been changed and that they are still going to Tunisia and Egypt!!

 

I asked when we would be told if it would be changed? the answer was about 1 week before the cruise! maybe a way of stopping people canceling ..... :rolleyes:

[Goldryder]

:eek:

so i've just had same reply as above poster

they must be sending out directives from head office...

reply is.......

"""""""We fully understand how removing Israel from your itinerary is upsetting and we would like to forward you the statement recently issued from Costa Cruises in Italy with regards to this.

 

Since the beginning of the crisis that hit some North Africa and Middle East countries, many Guests have expressed their choice to cancel their booking for the cruises which include Israel within their itinerary, signalling a big concern and uncertainty in term of consumer confidence. Given this situation the Company regretfully had to cancel its scheduled calls to Israel until Fall 2011 so to meet the several requests received from its Guests. We truly understand the disappointment of those who wanted to visit Israel but the pressing requests for reassurance raised by a great number of our Guests forced us to take a decision aimed to guarantee their full serenity. We have already confirmed all scheduled calls in Israel for our 2012 season and we are confident our cruises in Israel will continue to be successful and appreciated as they have always been.

 

Costa Cruises does reserve the right to amend itineraries at any time providing that the embarking and disembarking ports do not change. We are extremely dissapointed to have had to remove Israel and do hope all passengers will still have an enjoyable experience onboard.

 

Many thanks and kind regard""""""

 

so its customers fault?? so why would you book a cruise to israel - its had 62 years of troubles - and its not got anything going on at moment - so why would customers not want to go at moment??? seems like a crock to me.. bs..total bs!!

 

I have known cruises to be re-routed before due to passenger worries....only last year Fred Olsen removed the Gulf of Aden due to passengers booked on the cruise being worried about piracy...so it certainly is NOT bs at all.

 

No line would do this without good cause or without substantial advice from their government.

 

If enough people were worried about going to Israel and the line contacted the Italian foreign affairs office and asked for their guidance and it came back as 'play safe' then that is what the line ultimately must do.

 

Just something that you get used to when cruising.......nowt anyone can do but go with the flow.

[starjumpr]

:eek:

so i've just had same reply as above poster

they must be sending out directives from head office...

reply is.......

"""""""We fully understand how removing Israel from your itinerary is upsetting and we would like to forward you the statement recently issued from Costa Cruises in Italy with regards to this.

 

Since the beginning of the crisis that hit some North Africa and Middle East countries, many Guests have expressed their choice to cancel their booking for the cruises which include Israel within their itinerary, signalling a big concern and uncertainty in term of consumer confidence. Given this situation the Company regretfully had to cancel its scheduled calls to Israel until Fall 2011 so to meet the several requests received from its Guests. We truly understand the disappointment of those who wanted to visit Israel but the pressing requests for reassurance raised by a great number of our Guests forced us to take a decision aimed to guarantee their full serenity. We have already confirmed all scheduled calls in Israel for our 2012 season and we are confident our cruises in Israel will continue to be successful and appreciated as they have always been.

 

Costa Cruises does reserve the right to amend itineraries at any time providing that the embarking and disembarking ports do not change. We are extremely dissapointed to have had to remove Israel and do hope all passengers will still have an enjoyable experience onboard.

 

Many thanks and kind regard""""""

 

so its customers fault?? so why would you book a cruise to israel - its had 62 years of troubles - and its not got anything going on at moment - so why would customers not want to go at moment??? seems like a crock to me.. bs..total bs!!

 

I am sorry but it sounds like a load of BS to me. If customers don't want to go there because they are worried then don't book the cruise in the first place OR if you do, don't get off the ship. PROBLEM SOLVED.

[Goldryder]

Well looking at these reports...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12746333

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12742761

 

It seems that things might not be so calm in Israel afterall.

 

So maybe, just maybe, the cruise line is right to remove Israel from the itineraries, since problems similar to that in other Arab countries have emerged in Palestine, and the arms ship has been intercepted.

 

Just cos things do not make the media, does not mean a problem doesn't exist. Til today there had been no word of any of this, but Italy's intelligence services probably realised something was not quite right and passed it to Costa when they requested guidance.

[worldtravelers1999]

Now I am officially annoyed. I am supposed to be leaving on 4 April for a Holy Land Tour for my honeymoon on Costa. They have already canceled a stop in Egypt (For a very good safety reason) but now they are going to cancel a stop in Israel! I specifically booked this cruise for the stops in Israel and Egypt…. and have not heard of any GOOD reason why they should cancel the stops in Israel. If I wanted to take a Greece/Italy cruise I would have signed up for one. I believe it is time to have my TA call Costa and figure out what is going on.

 

 

we are supposed to be going as well.....my ta said all they are offering is a 100 dollar us on board credit or a 200 us dollar voucher for a future cruise....um...i don't even want to go on this one now. do they really think i want to go on another one? ...the other alternative they gave us was to allow us to go on the cruise leaving on march 24th. at first they said they were taking israel off the itinerary for "safety precautions due to tension in the region" but yet they are still going on the 13th and 24th? helloooo......something is seriously wrong. also they renamed the cruise on their website as "greece, cyprus" from the original "holy land"....sounds like "bait and switch" to me! I have an attorney looking into the contractual agreement to see if there is any way to get our money back. I already spent 1200 usd on flights to rome (where we have been twice already) and don't want to spend any more money on a trip we didn't want to go on. we booked it for egypt and israel not cyprus and rhodes and marmaris! extrememly frustrating. this is extrememly bad business on costas part! they should at least be covering the cost of the 3 extra ports excursions to cover the fact that we had no intention on spending valuable money and valuable vacation time in these places that were not scheduled ports. BAD BAD BUSINESS! ....anyone who has any more luck than we did please Help!!! ......ps....best of luck with your wedding!

[worldtravelers1999]

I called Costa after receiving the e-mail and a phone message that the 2 stops in Israel were changed to ports I had never heard of and would have never picked. After asking several times the reason for canceling the 2 stops in Israel I was first told that Costa did not feel it was safe. When I mentioned that I understood their reason for cancelling Egypt but not Israel since there is nothing in the news regarding Israel, I was told by the Costa representative that several passengers had expressed their concern about going to the area. I don't feel they gave me a solid reason and will continue to inquire about it. The main 2 reasons we were taking this cruise was to go to Egypt and Israel and now I am so dissapointed and frustrated that both stops were cancelled and I am spending so much money on a cruise I would not have picked if the iterinary included the stops that Costa now picked for us. In addition, the custumer service was very poor and a $200 discount is offered, but for a next cruise within 18 months, instead of offering it for this one. As if one could afford taking a cruise like this every year.

 

 

we were offered by costa to go on the cruise sailing on march 24th that is still scheduled for israel in place of the 4th of april....now if things were so tense in israel why wasn't the itinerary changed as of immediate? hmmmm.......they are full of it! we are having an attorney look at the contractual agreement now!

[Goldryder]

Sheesh......

 

I am sorry that you are so upset and angry at losing a couple of ports on a cruise...I mean, how positively awful and life changing it will be for you....

 

You booked a cruise consisting of a set number of days, that is what you will get...itineraries change all the time and if you must go to a specific port, then go on a land trip, as cruises are never guaranteed to go to any port listed in the itinerary.

 

Consulting a lawyer....<sigh>

 

Save your money for that land trip to Israel.....or better still use that money wasted on lawyers on sending a donation to the Japanese people who have lost their homes, their lives, the livelihoods, their families.....they deserve help, they deserve to be upset and angry about what has happened...but you know what? They take it in their stride, they are a proud nation, they don't act like cry babies when they don't get their own way...they accept life for what it is and when something goes wrong they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and they help each other to survive.

 

Whining about a couple of missed ports on a cruise when millions of people are fighting to survive after the greatest natural disaster in history makes me ashamed to be a human being.

 

Get some perspective, for goodness sakes...two ports is not the end of the world!

[happy trailer]

Well looking at these reports...

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12746333

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12742761

 

It seems that things might not be so calm in Israel afterall.

 

So maybe, just maybe, the cruise line is right to remove Israel from the itineraries, since problems similar to that in other Arab countries have emerged in Palestine, and the arms ship has been intercepted.

 

Just cos things do not make the media, does not mean a problem doesn't exist. Til today there had been no word of any of this, but Italy's intelligence services probably realised something was not quite right and passed it to Costa when they requested guidance.

 

 

From someone who is living here, let me repeat what has been said before:

 

Things are calm in Israel. Tourists and tour buses are all over, cruise ships are continuing with their port stops in Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat, and we have no worries. [bTW, tourists, especially those on cruise excursions, do not travel in the areas mentioned in your second link.]

 

My husband works in the West Bank, side by side with Palestinians, and everyone has been working as usual all week. There is no indication, worries, concerns, etc etc etc that anything is amiss. As to the arms laden ship that was stopped- it's not the first time something like that has happened, and it likely won't be the last (previous incidents are mentioned in your first link).

I felt from the very first that Costa's decision to cancel their stops in Israel was purely a financial reason, and I still firmly do. Once they canceled their Egypt stops, a decision was made to save on fuel costs by canceling the only other scheduled stops in this part of the Mediterranean.

 

Do you really think that only Costa passengers would have expressed concern to their cruise line regarding the safety of visiting Israel? Do you think that only Costa passengers contacted their cruise line in such numbers that the decision was made to cancel the ports? Do you really think that Italy's intelligence agencies are that superior to those of other countries- and that they wouldn't share relevant information with other countries regarding the safety of keeping Israeli ports in their intineraries?? And- do you think that if there was even the slightest indication of potential danger, the Israeli intelligent agencies would keep that information to themselves, instead of warning ALL cruise lines against stopping here??

 

To reword what you said:

 

Just cos things make the media, does not mean a problem exists.

 

BTW- the BBC has absolutely no credibility in Israel. Years of biased reporting, filled with inaccuracies (several times the BBC has retracted and/or apologized for its Israel reports) have Israelis rolling their eyes at mention of the BBC. So, if the BBC is your main source of news information for this part of the world, I suggest you try some other sources.

[Marian Paroo]

From someone who is living here, let me repeat what has been said before:

 

Things are calm in Israel. Tourists and tour buses are all over, cruise ships are continuing with their port stops in Haifa, Ashdod, and Eilat, and we have no worries. [bTW, tourists, especially those on cruise excursions, do not travel in the areas mentioned in your second link.]

 

My husband works in the West Bank, side by side with Palestinians, and everyone has been working as usual all week. There is no indication, worries, concerns, etc etc etc that anything is amiss. As to the arms laden ship that was stopped- it's not the first time something like that has happened, and it likely won't be the last (previous incidents are mentioned in your first link).

I felt from the very first that Costa's decision to cancel their stops in Israel was purely a financial reason, and I still firmly do. Once they canceled their Egypt stops, a decision was made to save on fuel costs by canceling the only other scheduled stops in this part of the Mediterranean.

 

Do you really think that only Costa passengers would have expressed concern to their cruise line regarding the safety of visiting Israel? Do you think that only Costa passengers contacted their cruise line in such numbers that the decision was made to cancel the ports? Do you really think that Italy's intelligence agencies are that superior to those of other countries- and that they wouldn't share relevant information with other countries regarding the safety of keeping Israeli ports in their intineraries?? And- do you think that if there was even the slightest indication of potential danger, the Israeli intelligent agencies would keep that information to themselves, instead of warning ALL cruise lines against stopping here??

 

To reword what you said:

 

Just cos things make the media, does not mean a problem exists.

 

BTW- the BBC has absolutely no credibility in Israel. Years of biased reporting, filled with inaccuracies (several times the BBC has retracted and/or apologized for its Israel reports) have Israelis rolling their eyes at mention of the BBC. So, if the BBC is your main source of news information for this part of the world, I suggest you try some other sources.

 

Agree, totally.

 

And the two of us don't always agree on things on the other board here that we hang on (((giggle))) :p;)

 

I don't feel that badly 'bout the Beeb though, but I'm sentimental from years of listing to the world service. :cool: I find the best foreign source for news in English here is CNN International, which one can't get in the States.

 

For me Fox is only good for sensational crime updates.

[G.M.T.]

Agree, totally.

 

I don't feel that badly 'bout the Beeb though, but I'm sentimental from years of listing to the world service. :cool: I find the best foreign source for news in English here is CNN International, which one can't get in the States.

Ah the god old days of the BBC World Service when you had very little financial programs but the likes of Outlook, Merchant Navy Program, Discovery, Science in Action etc. etc.

 

Also the corresponts who seemed to stay for years in one place. Michael Elkins - Jeruselm, John Osborne - Nairobi, David Willie - Rome. It's been so long, the memories are fading.

 

Ron

[nezbleu]

goldryder - do you work for costa???

 

its the fact they offer nothing in way of apology - have changed their story - are still travelling there for two more cruises.... it all stinks

carnival are losing money ... this is a great saving for them ... we are getting a poorer cheaper version of cruise we signed for - its not like a Caribbean cruise where 1 island is easily replaced by another - this is a holyland cruise where the 2 star stops were israel and egypt (not easily replaced as these had so much to see and do) .. and now we are on a med cruise - a much cheaper less exotic version. poor showing.

[nezbleu]

also to bring up japan is awful.absolutely no need for that. this is a cruise critic forum. poor choice - if you wish to cancel your cruises and donate then good for you - i'd feel better about your stance..

there is no comparison. we have spent money and haven't received what we paid for. why not bring up the starving on africa while we gorge on food onboard???

its the fact if i buy a pair of jeans online and they send a skirt then its wrong... simple. no need for overblown comparison. we wouldn't do anything frivolous if we were to look at what is going wrong in the world. and no one who takes advantage of their wealth should judge another -

[acer67]

Here Here!!

 

The itinerary change hardly compensates for the two key holy land ports being dropped. A $100 onboard credit is a complete joke.

[Marian Paroo]

I know the not so fine print allows for changes at the whim of the company (in anything, not just cruises), but it does seem a bit bizarre to bill a cruise as a "Holy Land Cruise" without the place that is considered the "Holy Land" by the cruisers.

 

I think that in that case a good argument could be made for bait and switch if a refund isn't given.

[Goldryder]

No I do not work for Costa...I worked in the tourist industry for 15 years here in the UK and it was the constant whining about itineraries changing, not enough of this, that or the other that ended it for me. Life is too short to continually moan about things that we have no control over.

 

As for two missed ports...EVERY cruise line has a right to do so for ANY reason. Think yourselves lucky that Costa have replaced the ports with others rather than have you floating about in the Med for those two days...which I bet they wish they had done.

 

I do wish I had never posted the information in the first place and left you all to find out the hard way...ie once you got yourselves on board, but then you would have taken it out on the crew instead, which in my book would be disgusting (I saw such behaviour last year, mob mentality due to a swapped port - its pathetic and shameful bully-boy behaviour).

 

Just go on the cruise, make the best of it. Then save up for a more expensive line...Princess or HAL...who have Isreal in their itineraries, then moan like wotsits when they too drop them like hot bricks.

[nezbleu]

therefore you are in agreement that the way costa has changed without any notification is poor??

also if any cruise line can change for any reason then they are all out of order... in any other business this is not acceptable. i didnt realise that cruise lines have a different sale of goods act.

no way have i ever gone mob handed to complain - or make frivolous complaints regarding lack of this or the weather etc... my mate worked at tui head of complaints - so i know the problems.

this isnt whining for whining sake - they are still running to israel for two more cruises?? they have changed story.. they might have law on their side - but its not right. if that is the law applied to cruise lines then the law is an a ss.

weird way to treat paying customers beforehand..

i've sailed before so do have experience.

[Goldryder]

therefore you are in agreement that the way costa has changed without any notification is poor??

also if any cruise line can change for any reason then they are all out of order... in any other business this is not acceptable. i didnt realise that cruise lines have a different sale of goods act.

no way have i ever gone mob handed to complain - or make frivolous complaints regarding lack of this or the weather etc... my mate worked at tui head of complaints - so i know the problems.

this isnt whining for whining sake - they are still running to israel for two more cruises?? they have changed story.. they might have law on their side - but its not right. if that is the law applied to cruise lines then the law is an a ss.

weird way to treat paying customers beforehand..

i've sailed before so do have experience.

 

OK....I will be on Costa Victoria in a few days time. I watch the ship webcams alot and last Saturday Victoria got into difficulties, she was treading water for around 5 hours, then she turned back towards Buenos Aires as it was obvious that she could not get to Rio de Janeiro on the Sunday within the time available. She arrived in Punta del Este yesterday, a day early, and is still there now. Her next cruise is tomorrow from Buenos Aires.

 

Now when I get to Buenos Aires, I know that there could be a problem with the itinerary back to Savona if whatever went awry has not been fully corrected. There could be ports missed...who knows?

 

I will not be worried or upset by missing ports...why?

 

I will be on a cruise ship for 21 days, in weather warmer than where I live, I will be fed & watered without the preparation or washing up...but...most importanly to me I can relax when cruising, forget the hassles of home, forget the bills, the laundry etc....I can finally let go and just be me for a few days.

 

However, if ports are dropped/swapped...chances are there will be some mob mentality on board. What I saw last year was absolutely disgusting...grown men cornering a crewmember, using expletives and making her cry for something she (and the crew) had no power over...a swap from Sharm to Hurghada.

 

Taking out frustration on crew is unacceptable, especially over ports.

 

Yes...even TUI Cruises & Thomsons cruise...and Princess, HAL, RCI, Celebrity, Azamara etc change ports if they feel a need or requirement is appropriate. It goes with the territory, no port is ever guaranteed...it says as much in the contract and in the brochures when you are choosing a cruise...always has been the same, always will and no amount of foot stamping and teddybear launching will ever alter than stance.

 

I suggest that everyone read this...its on the Costa website...

 

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Info/itineraries-egypt-tunisia-bahrein.htm

 

Scroll down to Egypt & Israel cruises....3 ships affected...Pacifica, Mediterranea & Allegra.

 

No line WANTS to change ports around, but sometimes it is unavoidable for a multitude of reasons. They know it upsets people, it upsets their crew too since they are in the front line having to deal with nastiness from passengers on a daily basis.

 

Whatever the reasoning for losing Israel will not be a financial one, it will be a safety/security one. And before anyone sparks up saying there is no trouble in our country...even the Israeli population doesn't know everything (for that matter, no nationality knows everything that goes on in their country or why decisions are made).

 

So as much as you hate swapping ports....get over it or change the type of holiday you choose, cos whether its the Med or the Caribbean or the Middle East or South America...ports are NEVER guaranteed on ANY ship on ANY cruise line.

[nezbleu]

so why are they sailing to israel for two more cruises?? if its safety?? its not a mechanical problem - not a port problem - its a head office desicion not to go to a place deemed safe by all western government foreign offices - yes i did check!

it doesnt make it right that they cann just say - we can do it - if you are ok with that fine - but its not right..i chose this cruise because of port stops - and two main ones , im ok with egypt as i can see safety but not israel. if there was a problem then hey ho i'd go with it and not complain.but this is different. as i saaid cruising must have a completely different operating law to all other travel/and other businesses. i do not accept that well i'll make most of it - if they dont have obligation to try and fufil what was sold then its wrong, that is my point. israel has been dropped for no real reason - if it was safety then why are they going next week???

[Capricruiser]

I fully agree with Goldryder because that's the way it is. No itinerary with any cruise line is guaranteed. I've had four port cancellations in my cruises that I can remember, one because the sea was too rough to enter, and another because there was an accident on the dock we were supposed to use and no other space was available that day, and another due to a unscheduled strike by port workers. The last one was last month when the Costa Romantica couldn't dock at Nosy Be, Madagascar due to a cyclone. If the port authorities or the captain of the ship decide to cancel the port call, the passengers just have to bite the bullet and hope there will be another occasion in the future. The same analogy occurs when flying - if the pilot or the airport manager decides that it's too dangerous to land the plane goes on to another airport. It's just one of the risks of flying - or of cruising in our case.

We don't know why Costa came to this decision and while I admit I'm curious why other cruiselines (including the other Italian line, MSC) haven't cancelled Israeli ports, I would hope that Costa makes some better attempt to compensate their upset guests.

[Goldryder]

so why are they sailing to israel for two more cruises?? if its safety?? its not a mechanical problem - not a port problem - its a head office desicion not to go to a place deemed safe by all western government foreign offices - yes i did check!

it doesnt make it right that they cann just say - we can do it - if you are ok with that fine - but its not right..i chose this cruise because of port stops - and two main ones , im ok with egypt as i can see safety but not israel. if there was a problem then hey ho i'd go with it and not complain.but this is different. as i saaid cruising must have a completely different operating law to all other travel/and other businesses. i do not accept that well i'll make most of it - if they dont have obligation to try and fufil what was sold then its wrong, that is my point. israel has been dropped for no real reason - if it was safety then why are they going next week???

 

Write to them and ask why they have dropped Israel....

 

COSTA CROCIERE SPA

VIA XII OTTOBRE 2

GENOVA

ITALY

Tel:+39.0105483664

 

Seems to me that you will not accept that cruise lines are at liberty to alter itineraries. Ask your mate about Thomson Spirit/Island Escape debacle last month...where they cancelled Spirit's Red Sea cruises at a couple days notice with just a hundred quids worth of OBC.

 

You may not like it, but they can legally do it cos they put on all itineraries that they cannot be guaranteed. The writing is there as per the law requires, it is a bugbear that we who love to cruise take in our stride and get on with. End of story.

 

http://www.costacruises.co.uk/B2C/GB/Support/term/2011/generalconditions_2011.htm

 

5.1 If, before departure, the Company is constrained to makeany significant alteration to an essential element of thePackage, including the price, the Company will notify thePassenger immediately. The following are significantalterations: an increase in the price of more than 10% and anyalteration of elements that are fundamental to the enjoymentof the Package when considered as a whole. In relation to thisclause 5.1 and clause 5.3 the following are not considered assignificant alterations: (i) change of airline carriers, flighttimetables and itineraries, provided the departure and arrivaldates remain unchanged and the Passenger may embark anddisembark the vessel as scheduled; (ii) the substitution of thevessel as referred to in clause 5.4; (iii) the modification of theitinerary of the cruise as referred to in clause 5.5; (iv) a changeof cabin as referred to in clause 12; (v) a change in hotelaccommodation, providing that the hotel is in the samecategory; (vi) changes to the programme of shows and otherforms of entertainment on board the vessel (vii) delay orcancellation of regional flights.

5.2 A Passenger who is advised of a price increase of morethan 10% of the Contract price may withdraw from theContract and receive a full refund (excluding insurancepremiums), or accept the alteration, and its affect (if any) onthe Holiday Price. The Passenger must inform the Company ofhis/her decision in writing (if necessary through the travelagent) within the time specified from the date of notificationof the alteration failing which the alteration shall be deemedto have been accepted.

5.3 If, after departure, and for reasons other than thePassenger’s own fault, the Company cannot supply asignificant proportion of the services envisaged in theContract, the Company shall make suitable alternativearrangements, compatible with the technical requirementsand safe navigation, at no extra cost to the Passenger. If theservices supplied are of a considerably lower value than thosecontracted for, the Company shall refund the difference invalue to the Passenger. If no alternative arrangements arepossible, or if the Passenger rejects the arrangements madeby the Company for good reason, the Company will whereappropriate provide, equivalent transport to the departurepoint, or to another place that may be agreed upon at no extracost to the Passenger. The Company shall refund thePassenger the value of the services not supplied lessexpenses sustained by the Company.

5.4 If it is necessary for technical, operative or other goodreason, the Carrier may substitute the vessel with anotherwith similar characteristics. The exercise of this right by theCarrier is not a significant alteration as referred to in thisclause.

5.5 The Carrier, and, on behalf of the same, the Captain of thevessel, may also modify the itinerary of the cruise for reasonsof force majeure, or for reasons of the safety of the vessel orof navigation. The exercise of this right by the Carrier is not asignificant alteration as referred to in this clause.

5.6 Except for low cost airline bookings, the Passenger canrequest the Company for alterations to the Package after ithas been confirmed up to 56 days before departure, subject toan administration charge of £40 per Passenger and anyadditional costs charged to or incurred by the Company as aresult of the alteration by the Passenger (i.e. airline ticketingfees). Alterations requested within 56 days of departure willincur cancellation charges.

 

Its in the small print and it is you as the consumer's responsibility to read that small print as once you book the trip and pay the deposit, you have accepted that small print.

[nezbleu]

its not force majeure or safety though. as safety would determine they wouldnt cruise there next week..and it is definitly not force majeure. that was my point.

i understand as capricruiser has wrote about not going to 4 ports - all out of control of the line or company - if you cannot berth oe rwesther is poor then thats understandable. we had same problem last year in bahamas on xmas day - took 2 hours for disney to dock at own port - due to weather..no complaints - it was beyond control. this isnt.

i love cruising but this is a poor show by this company... and yes i know i will not travel with them again. customer services have been terrible - something that appears a lot in other threads.

[Marian Paroo]

Actually, I would suggest that you all just come here for a land tour.

 

You need more time to see the country than you would have on a cruise even with an overnight stay, and there are a lot of terrific non-holy things to see in this country.

[G.M.T.]

Actually, I would suggest that you all just come here for a land tour.

How many of us can you accommodate?:eek::D

 

Ron

[Capricruiser]

If the price is right, sign me up!

[Eyris]

 

I will not be worried or upset by missing ports...why?

 

I will be on a cruise ship for 21 days, in weather warmer than where I live, I will be fed & watered without the preparation or washing up...but...most importanly to me I can relax when cruising, forget the hassles of home, forget the bills, the laundry etc....I can finally let go and just be me for a few days.

 

However, if ports are dropped/swapped...chances are there will be some mob mentality on board. What I saw last year was absolutely disgusting...grown men cornering a crewmember, using expletives and making her cry for something she (and the crew) had no power over...a swap from Sharm to Hurghada.

 

Taking out frustration on crew is unacceptable, especially over ports.

 

 

I totally agree with you. I am a first time cruiser, along with my husband, and we fully researched before booking our April 4th "Holy Lands" cruise on the Pacifica.

 

We realized when we booked anything could change at a drop of a hat due to weather or who knows what (wouldn't have predicted the uprising in Egypt, though).

 

I'm not concerned about the change in itinerary -- we are taking an awesome vacation and we're going to have an amazing time. That's that.

 

I'm now more concerned that I'm going to have a bunch of grumpy complainers surrounding me for 11 days, due to missing ONE PORT. I say one port because no one balked at canceling Egypt and only started complaining now about Israel. If Israel is the only thing you cared about seeing on this cruise, why would you only want to go for ONE out of ELEVEN days? (11 days for the Pacifica cruises, anyway)

 

I really hope that I do not see the kind of attitude and bullying that Goldryder saw. I'm really looking forward to this trip (it's my first time in Europe) and I don't want it spoiled by bad attitudes. I hope the people who will be cruising with me can understand that changes were made, get on with it and have a good time. You know that when people come into something with a bad attitude, EVERYTHING is going to be in a negative light to them. I guess I can just look forward to the crew liking my husband and I for being a ray of sunshine! =P