New Ocean Princess Itinerary change for Africa

[ibfern]

I just got this notice from Princess about next years Ocean Princess cruise from Capetown to Dover:

 

As you may know, there has been an epidemic of Ebola virus disease in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. As the safety and well- being of our guests and crew are our top priority, and in working closely with and following the guidance issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we have made the necessary decision to cancel our calls to Cotonou, Benin; Lome, Togo; Tema, Ghana; and Dakar, Senegal. Instead, Ocean Princess will now call to Luanda, Angola; Madeira (Funchal), Portugal; Malaga (for Grenada), Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal. In order to accommodate these changes, the call dates and times in Sao Tome, Mindelo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Casablanca, and Ceuta have been amended. The revised itinerary displays in full at the end of this notification.

 

 

 

This is disappointing news, so many ports gone, for good reason but still a bummer for me who has not been to Africa except Morocco! I wonder if the price will be reduced?

[MandE-UK]

I just got this notice from Princess about next years Ocean Princess cruise from Capetown to Dover:

 

As you may know, there has been an epidemic of Ebola virus disease in the West African countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. As the safety and well- being of our guests and crew are our top priority, and in working closely with and following the guidance issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we have made the necessary decision to cancel our calls to Cotonou, Benin; Lome, Togo; Tema, Ghana; and Dakar, Senegal. Instead, Ocean Princess will now call to Luanda, Angola; Madeira (Funchal), Portugal; Malaga (for Grenada), Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal. In order to accommodate these changes, the call dates and times in Sao Tome, Mindelo, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Casablanca, and Ceuta have been amended. The revised itinerary displays in full at the end of this notification.

 

 

 

This is disappointing news, so many ports gone, for good reason but still a bummer for me who has not been to Africa except Morocco! I wonder if the price will be reduced?

We did this cruise last year and in my humble opinion without these ports it is hardly worth the effort!

[Pia1913]

Unfortunately we had to cancel this cruise in May. As MandE-UK just stated, I can't imagine anyone accepting the new itinerary. When you book a West Africa cruise, you want West Africa. :rolleyes: I can foresee this whole new itinerary going kaput.

[paul929207]

We did this cruise in 2010 and for us the big draw was the West Africa ports. We would have been devastated to lose them all.

[beg3yrs]

We did this cruise along with MandE-UK. While I agree the missing ports were great to see, IMHO they were great to see once and only once. I'd personally now consider this revised itinerary as it now includes other fascinating places to which I haven't yet been.

[baggal]

We did this cruise in 2010 and for us the big draw was the West Africa ports. We would have been devastated to lose them all.

 

Apologies in advance for what you might perceive as "attitude," but how devastated would you be if you contracted ebola?

[whatcruiseisnext]

Unfortunately we had to cancel this cruise in May. As MandE-UK just stated, I can't imagine anyone accepting the new itinerary. When you book a West Africa cruise, you want West Africa. :rolleyes: I can foresee this whole new itinerary going kaput.

 

We did this cruise in 2010 and for us the big draw was the West Africa ports. We would have been devastated to lose them all.

 

 

Why would anyone want to go to West Africa now in view of the Ebola issues?

[Roses2]

This can only be a result of the Ebola hysteria.

 

There have been no reported cases of Ebola in Ghana, Togo, or Benin (less cases than have occurred in the USA). There was a case of a traveler to Senegal. Nigeria also had one case of a traveler and was cleared by the World Health Organization before the United States.

 

The cruise is scheduled for next year. Who in Princess or elsewhere for that matter can accurately prophesy the health conditions anywhere in the world a year in advance?

 

Just a note: We lived in Africa for 13 years including 5 of those years in West Africa (2 in Liberia).

[Pia1913]

Why would anyone want to go to West Africa now in view of the Ebola issues?

 

 

I guess you could also say. "why would anybody want to travel?" Some don't, and they are cancelling. Some fear fear itself. The aforementioned ports have no issues and I think Princess is being extremely premature. But I still can't go, so I'll just keep quiet.

[ssawjo]

This can only be a result of the Ebola hysteria.

 

There have been no reported cases of Ebola in Ghana, Togo, or Benin (less cases than have occurred in the USA). There was a case of a traveler to Senegal. Nigeria also had one case of a traveler and was cleared by the World Health Organization before the United States.

 

The cruise is scheduled for next year. Who in Princess or elsewhere for that matter can accurately prophesy the health conditions anywhere in the world a year in advance?

 

Just a note: We lived in Africa for 13 years including 5 of those years in West Africa (2 in Liberia).

 

Totally agree!

[paul929207]

Apologies in advance for what you might perceive as "attitude," but how devastated would you be if you contracted ebola?

Since there is a much better chance of being shot to death in the US than getting Ebola, that seems like a Chicken Little question

[shredie]

Apologies in advance for what you might perceive as "attitude," but how devastated would you be if you contracted ebola?

 

Since there is a much better chance of being shot to death in the US than getting Ebola, that seems like a Chicken Little question

 

True. There is a much better chance of dying of the flu in your own bed than catching Ebola in a country where there have been no cases reported. This hysteria is getting out of hand.

[cherylandtk]

This reminds me of the on-again off-again itinerary with Cairo as a port a couple of years back. Princess has to make port commitments well in advance of knowing what the political or health situation is going to be a year or more in advance. They are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

But at least individual passengers have plenty of time to decide if the new itinerary is a game changer, or not.

[CCFC]

Madeira (Funchal), Portugal; Malaga (for Grenada), Spain; and Lisbon, Portugal.

 

Now missing those ports is just beyond madness imo.

Edited October 22, 2014 by CCFC

[shredie]

Now missing those ports is just beyond madness imo.

 

These are the ports on the West Africa portion of the European continent. ;):rolleyes::p

[cboyle]

Since there is a much better chance of being shot to death in the US than getting Ebola, that seems like a Chicken Little question

Paul, you are absolutely right. Also, people are also more at risk of dying from complications of influenza, which can be prevented or ameliorated by a simple immunization.Perhaps this graphic will put the risk in perspective:

Edited October 23, 2014 by cboyle

[Wehwalt]

I have cancelled the Africa orbit, Dover to Rome, because of the itinerary change. Instead, I will do the Baltic voyage on the Ocean just before, and the Emerald transatlantic.

[KarateMan]

As someone who travels a lot and is not afraid of travel to remote, unusual, different and hard to reach places. I personally would not travel to the continent and surrounding countries where this virus is prevalent.

 

There are a number of reasons why it is not safe to travel there and I think Princess has made the right decision based on passenger safety.

 

When you think of it the continent has no water borders and people are able to travel great distances. It is possible in theory that people wanting to escape the virus could travel overland and great distances to avoid it and that the people who travel with it could be infected.

 

Also the method of transmission from bats to humans was mentioned in a news report recently where the investigators believed that bush meat (cooked bats) that had the virus were consumed by humans which gave them the virus. The report went on to state that bats are natural carriers of the virus and have an immunity to it but their immune system has not been able to eradicate it. When humans consumed the infected bats they contracted the virus.

 

Bats can fly great distance also and it is reasonable to assume that there could be strains of the virus in undetected areas.

 

The stop at Cotonou - Cancellation quite reasonable given the country is about 1,000km from the infected areas.

 

Lome - Again a quite reasonable cancellation of a port even closer to the infected countries than Benin where Cotonou is.

 

Tema - Even closer still - This place is getting to within 900km if the virus infected areas.

 

Dakar - Even worst this place is 500km from infected areas.

 

I think Princess made the right decision. If you look at these places on a map. Look at google earth and look at where they all are and I think Princess did the right thing to cancel these ports.

 

Further to the above even in the rare event that Princess did go there and someone caught the virus. Well to be perfectly honest Princess lacks the medical standards to look after the virus and they would only endanger their medical staff and other passengers.

[shredie]

 

Also the method of transmission from bats to humans was mentioned in a news report recently where the investigators believed that bush meat (cooked bats) that had the virus were consumed by humans which gave them the virus. The report went on to state that bats are natural carriers of the virus and have an immunity to it but their immune system has not been able to eradicate it. When humans consumed the infected bats they contracted the virus.

 

 

That's it! I am swearing off bat burgers for good! ;):p:rolleyes:

[ibfern]

I went on Princess.com this morning and the prices are way up for the new African cruise, yesterday a balcony was just over $7000 and this morning its up to $7899! I'm expecting the prices to drop, do you think they are using reverse psychology??? :rolleyes:

[ssawjo]

That's it! I am swearing off bat burgers for good! ;):p:rolleyes:

 

Good one, LOL!!!

[ssawjo]

I went on Princess.com this morning and the prices are way up for the new African cruise, yesterday a balcony was just over $7000 and this morning its up to $7899! I'm expecting the prices to drop, do you think they are using reverse psychology??? :rolleyes:

 

Ibfern, it may be because the port costs for the new destinations are higher; otherwise, it may be reverse psychology.

[cherylandtk]

And now today, it is the Ukraine ports that have been removed from several upcoming itineraries. (On the Emerald, next Aug/Sep)

Edited October 23, 2014 by cherylandtk

[paul929207]

At least that gives people time to make other plans if the revised itinerary is not to their liking

[AE_Collector]

We had Alexandria (for Cairo) removed from our 2011 "Egypt and Aegean" cruise and ten reinstated just a couple of months prior to the cruise. We got in and out and soon after Egypt was again not being visited.

 

Point is, they can reinstate the West African ports net year if things are back under control by then but best to get people ho are booked on this cruise to start thinking about the possibility of cancelled ports.

 

I think Princess is being "Responsible".

 

The screaming i've heard on here about ONE Hawaiian port missed on a cruise! Geeezz....

 

Terry