Ukrainian Unrest - Black Sea Cruise April 25, 2014

[UKCruiseJeff]

Later laws always supersede earlier laws where earlier laws contradict later laws. They only need to be read together in areas that do not overlap.

 

This thread is exactly the right place as UK customers are effected by this as well. i am only responding because your advice that contradicted mine is incorrect and therefore unhelpful.

 

Calling a national consumer advice line will be a complete waste of time. They will be sympathetic, tell you to write to he company and if they don't help, make a small claim. They will do no more. You also incorrectly said that if the issue was outside of the control of SS then no further compensation would be payable. It could be if they failed to inform you as early as they reasonably could for issues arising between when they could have informed you and when they actually did. They are most certainly responsible for any expense caused by avoidable delays in informing you.

Edited March 24, 2014 by UKCruiseJeff

[rosepark]

the Silversea website for this trip is still showing Sevastopol and Yalta on the animated map BUT the text of the itinerary shows these 2 ports removed and replaced by Sinop. Were you always scheduled to go to Batumi, as it is on there as well?

Still seems to go to Sochi and to Odessa. Have you been informed of this by SS? Our cruise in September still shows the Crimean ports as destinations.

RP

[bohaiboy]

Yes, I have received a fax from TA from SS. And yes, Batumi was already there. Previous stay in Sochi was until 600, now 1000. Don't know what they were thinking because one cannot leave the ship without a tour guide in Russia, so it is pretty much worthless to stay that late.

[LarCar]

We interrupt this insurance/consumer protection discussion to revert to the original post concerning SilverSea Black Sea itineraries.

I've just received an update from our travel agent that, as expected, some ports of call have been substituted for our cruise. All other aspects of the cruise remain unchanged.

Good luck to everyone as we press ahead with "Plan B".

 

Larry

[wripro]

Of course, the substituted ports were the reason for booking this cruise in the first place.

[bohaiboy]

Attached itin from SS Website

[tring]

UK cruisejeff

 

I do not know where your 'legal knowledge' comes from, but my posts were written in conjunction with someone who has spent 38 years working in UK consumer protection, (most of it in a senior position), so has up to date knowledge of what is what and great experience of court work and knowing how things tend to get interpreted in the courts. We were thinking of people who could become misguided, but then my posts have done that.

 

Regarding your last paragraph, yes consumer advice advise of your position and would advise how to take a case to the small claims court (if a case is valid). As I said, that is what needs done with a civil matter and a case cannot be made unless it has first been taken up with the company, but the wording of letters is important and advice can be given about that wording. I would have thought unecessary delay would be a very difficult one to pull as the events are still unfolding and ports need reorganising. Other cruise companies were not much earlier giving details of their changes for this spring. Autumn sailings are still uncertain, the situation could be quite different by then so changes are unlikely to be considered yet. In fact I am wondering what may happen in Turkey, given there is concern of criticism on twitter - that could be no go as well by the autumn.

 

 

End of story from me, I have made my point and people can read that along with any posts you have made and make their own decisions. Anyone with any sense would not take details from a forum as a true legal position and would seek advice from a reliable source.

 

Glad to see things are now being sorted on the cruise for April and sorry to interupt.

 

Cheers

[NJ Cruiserman]

Attached itin from SS Website

Very sorry to see that. Those were two of the best ports on my Black Sea cruise. I hope that SS is offering some compensation or penalty-free cancellation. On my HKG-SIN cruise we missed a port call in Vietnam due to storm and wind, and that is unavoidable and not Silversea's fault. However substituting an extra day's sailing on the Black Sea (a big lake) without recourse is unacceptable.

[GatorGal]

So finally we know. It's all good. Am very happy SS kept Odessa. In fact, I don't mind the extra night in Istanbul. Imagine being "stuck" in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It just gives me more time to buy rugs.:D One month to go! Can't wait!

[NJ Cruiserman]

So finally we know. It's all good. Am very happy SS kept Odessa. In fact, I don't mind the extra night in Istanbul. Imagine being "stuck" in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It just gives me more time to buy rugs.:D One month to go! Can't wait!

Two places one should visit every year: Istanbul and Hong Kong. Some would add Paris, but I disagree.

[Mysticalmother]

So finally we know. It's all good. Am very happy SS kept Odessa. In fact, I don't mind the extra night in Istanbul. Imagine being "stuck" in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. It just gives me more time to buy rugs.:D One month to go! Can't wait!

 

Hope you - and everyone else - on this voyage have a wonderful trip - and that you do in fact make it into Odessa...

We are (were) booked on the August 20 voyage on the Spirit, but have , with regret, now decided to cancel before any real penalties kick in as for us, the trip without Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa is an unacceptable one. We had already booked a precruise 3 night stay in Istanbul so, assuming similar substitutions would potentially be made for our trip, makes the revised cruise not for us this time. I have got enough rugs.....:p

Hopefully we will be able to get there in 2015 instead:)

[UKCruiseJeff]

Istanbul is one of the most magical places on earth .... anyone that get's extra time there should not feel in any way cheated. Success in Istanbul is all about reading up as much as you can in advance and asking questions .... there's nothing worst than visiting somewhere just onjce in your life and finding afterwards there was something you missed.

 

Hope everyone gets substitutes of this quality ...... and have lovely cruises!

 

:)

[GatorGal]

Hope you - and everyone else - on this voyage have a wonderful trip - and that you do in fact make it into Odessa...

We are (were) booked on the August 20 voyage on the Spirit, but have , with regret, now decided to cancel before any real penalties kick in as for us, the trip without Yalta, Sevastopol and Odessa is an unacceptable one. We had already booked a precruise 3 night stay in Istanbul so, assuming similar substitutions would potentially be made for our trip, makes the revised cruise not for us this time. I have got enough rugs.....:p

Hopefully we will be able to get there in 2015 instead:)

 

I must take exception . . . one never has enough rugs. ;)

[wripro]

Just ask Rip Taylor!!!!!

[bohaiboy]

For the April 25 cruise Sochi was already there. They added Sinop. Also extended hours in Trabzon and Sochi which it totally worthless unless one has a visa for Russia. I am surprised SS left or added Sochi as there is a lot of anti American propaganda being spread around by the Russian govt..

[Mark_K]

"effected" - is it a British thing? Just wondering......:p

The whole reason journalists turned the word impact into a verb was because they couldn't figure out whether to use affect or effect.

 

 

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[Mysticalmother]

Is anyone reading this currently on the Wind? I have a friend on board and understand that Odessa was today's port of call. In view of the today's tragic events in Odessa I am curious as to whether the port visit went ahead - presumably the troubles kicked off late in the day. And if so, hope everyone is safely back on board and have not been caught up in the violence.

[beckaboo]

I'm Facebook friends with several of the entertainers on the Wind and they are reporting that it was scary as hell ... Tear gas, shooting etc erupted out of a show of force demonstration. No violence there previously... Just erupted today. The ship's security officer was in the main square and the Artists were in a cafe nearby - everyone raced to the shuttle and back to the ship safely. 38 people reported dead in the fighting (no word that everyone on the ship is ok but it sounded like it)

 

I know Silversea tries to strike the balance between itinerary and safety (we went thru this last year losing Egyptian ports) but I'm surprised they even went to Ukraine... Really feel horrible for everyone who went thru this on vacation or as part of their job...

 

 

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[Silver Spectre]

Also saw the FB reports and thankful that all escaped unscathed. Cannot see that SS can go anywhere in the Ukraine now for the foreseeable future.

[wripro]

I agree. That was probably the last port visit in Ukraine for a long time.