Does Oceania have a Crystal Ball?

[flygirl1420]

I know that this post may incur some serious wrath, however, I just have to ask......Oceania has cancelled the Cairo stop for a cruise which was not scheduled to arrive in Cairo until NOVEMBER 7th! Can they predict the future?

Some of you may reply that there is a travel advisory for Cairo, well, the advisory has been in place for some time. Why cancel now? Also, and here is what makes me think that something else is up, NCL Star is still stopping there a day later! (NCL owns Oceania) I would love to know what others think.....:)

[LHT28]

I would never book a cruise going to any of those ports if I really wanted to see those places

Too unpredictable

 

Go by land

 

it would be good if they just took them out of the loop altogether then no worries about upsetting passengers when the ports are cancelled

 

of course it is not my call :rolleyes:

[ORV]

These posts seem like Deja Vu all over again as we see them about this time every year for the past 3 or 4 years. As has been stated, if you really want to see these places don't book them on a cruise. That's goes for just about any cruise line, not just Oceania.

[flygirl1420]

I have been to Cairo......I object to the fact that the stop was cancelled due to the "geopolitical situation". How can Oceania predict the situation over two months in advance? Secondly, if its not safe for Oceania passengers, why is it safe for Norwegian passengers?......

[Hawaiidan]

I have been to Cairo......I object to the fact that the stop was cancelled due to the "geopolitical situation". How can Oceania predict the situation over two months in advance? Secondly, if its not safe for Oceania passengers, why is it safe for Norwegian passengers?......

 

How can really any rational, logical person predict Egypt 3 years from now...

Well since the 80's it has been unstable and getting worse year by year and the ISIS force has in the past year expanded over the whole region from Sudan to, Algeria... And no one is really doing anything to stop it... If you take that and the the past 50 years of volatility.... actualy make that 1000 years....I think its reasonable to conclude that the region wont be stable for a decade...or decades maybe never as the radical zelots of Islam grow in numbers so large even our political and military has been forced to not tell the public how scary it is so as to not cause panic... and no one has any plan on how to make is safer......none Id say its a safe bet no more egypt is a safe call

[pinotlover]

I am doing an eight (8) day combo river and land cruise of Cairo and the Nile in February of 2017 with Uniworld river cruises. That line is very comparable to Oceania in quality and standards. If you really want to see Egypt, I would recommend considering options other than Oceania.

 

I had once hoped to do a cruise with Oceania either originating or terminating in Istanbul. That is no longer possible. I am therefore searching out other options to see this ancient city for next fall or 2018.

[Classiccruiser777]

I suspect O's sales are down for Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean cruises which is most likely the reason for the cancellation. O's customer demographics are also not the same as Norwegian's.

[Gogie]

I am doing an eight (8) day combo river and land cruise of Cairo and the Nile in February of 2017 with Uniworld river cruises. That line is very comparable to Oceania in quality and standards. If you really want to see Egypt, I would recommend considering options other than Oceania.

 

My wife and I did a similar tour/cruise in February 2008 with Uniworld. Our trip was 10 days including a 7 day cruise on the Nile. We thoroughly loved the trip and I'm sure you will too. We had a dedicated guide for the entire time (both on land and on the cruise). Our guide also had an assistant who was with us most of the time for security - he carried a sidearm with him and generally looked after us when we were touring. The cruise boat had a large machine gun bolted to the end of the top deck and was manned by two security personnel. The funny thing was after first seeing the security I never really noticed it after that and I always felt completely safe.

 

You can see the barrel of the machine gun pointing out over the back of the the boat in the attached photo.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Gogie
Added photo.

[pinotlover]

Sorry Gogie, it's a twelve day cruise with Uniworld, with eight of those days on the Nile and the other four (4) in Cairo. Out in the heat and humidity to long today! :D

[Cybercsp]

I understand your disappointment as we, too, had Egypt cancelled this year. In my opinion, better to know now so that you can plan excursions for the replacement ports. (We were scrambling.). If it helps, know that we had a lovely cruise after the initial disappointment (discovered as we boarded). Enjoy your cruise!

Nancy

[Gogie]

Sorry Gogie, it's a twelve day cruise with Uniworld, with eight of those days on the Nile and the other four (4) in Cairo. Out in the heat and humidity to long today! :D

 

FYI, I've added a photo to my previous post showing the machine gun at the rear of the boat.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Gogie

[PaulMCO]

Sorry Gogie, it's a twelve day cruise with Uniworld, with eight of those days on the Nile and the other four (4) in Cairo. Out in the heat and humidity to long today! :D

 

February is a great time of year for Cairo. Not too hot..

If you remember please do a review. We are interested in doing same. Just have to find the time to take off from work. :D

[kitty9]

Well, at least you've been given fair warning. My cousins booked a Holy Land cruise last year and didn't find out that all the ports in Israel and Egypt were cancelled until the morning of their departure. Their entire cruise was nowhere near to the one they booked a year earlier.

[Paulchili]

I know that this post may incur some serious wrath, however, I just have to ask......Oceania has cancelled the Cairo stop for a cruise which was not scheduled to arrive in Cairo until NOVEMBER 7th! Can they predict the future?

Some of you may reply that there is a travel advisory for Cairo, well, the advisory has been in place for some time. Why cancel now? Also, and here is what makes me think that something else is up, NCL Star is still stopping there a day later! (NCL owns Oceania) I would love to know what others think.....:)

 

A better - and more important - question would be - did they cancel it before final payment.

If so, you have the option to cancel the cruise without major penalty; if not, you are out of luck.

[durante]

We don't know that NCL won't cancel their Cairo stop at the last minute...

[BillPizzaiolo]

I am doing an eight (8) day combo river and land cruise of Cairo and the Nile in February of 2017 with Uniworld river cruises. That line is very comparable to Oceania in quality and standards. If you really want to see Egypt, I would recommend considering options other than Oceania.

 

I had once hoped to do a cruise with Oceania either originating or terminating in Istanbul. That is no longer possible. I am therefore searching out other options to see this ancient city for next fall or 2018.

 

We did that one last year and it was great. Would do it again. We were treated like VIP's.

[pinotlover]

Bill;

 

I read your write up of your Egypt cruise before we signed up for it. Having cruised and private toured with you before (OZ and NZ), I knew that if you liked, and were impressed with the Uniworld cruise, we would be also. Thanks for that trip review! :D Looking forward to that cruise!

[lorene1]

I see an Oceania brochure for 2017 starting in Abu Dabi and heading back up to the Med. Sea which includes Oman, Safaga, etc. but omits Port Said. I am on the Nov. 1 cruise and think they have decided for various reasons that Cairo is not worth it. I just hope they keep Safaga so we can get to Luxor. And that they make the additional time in Haifa decently longer so we can actually do something with the extra time. We already have enough sea days to kill....

[floridatravelersforlife]

Despite the expressions of machoism in this thread, do what you want. If Oceania doesn't stop, do it on your own. Oceania will act to protect the majority of pax and the ship. If you want to brave the risk, then cancel the ship and do it on your own. I have been throughout the mideast in times of conflict, ie Golan Heights during Israeli wars, and it's better to travel individually by land. Plan a subtle trip by yourself and not in bus , full of tourists. Be prepared for delays and issues. If the roll of the dice is in your favor, then you will have a great time. if not it's your bad.

[iamheisenberg]

In 2024, Britney Spears will be the President of Egypt.

 

You may rely on it.

[shedridt]

There are other places to go in this world that are safer than the Middle East. As a tourist, I wouldn't touch this part of the world until there's a great turnaround in the current situation.

 

This pains me a great deal, as I was fortunate enough to experience Egypt years ago when only Mummy Tummy was the thing to be feared. It's a fabulous trip, but I wouldn't go anywhere near this part of the world just now, not having a death wish.

 

Don't blame the cruise lines for keeping you out of this area! They're doing you a favor.

[BenMurphy]

Hi

 

the distance from Port Said (which is probably where you'll dock) to Cairo is 121 miles by road. It will be very hot and stops limited. Buses are escorted by armed guard and once in Cairo (museum and pyramids?) you will be escorted by tourist police.

If it is antiquities that you are hoping to see visit a museum (many hold lots of them and some even reconstructed temples) in your home city/country.

Or for a more relaxing trip do as someone has suggested take a Nile cruise. A lot of peoples living are at stake and you will be treated well. Possibly the worse that will happen is a child mooning from the bank!

 

What ever happens have a great cruise

Jxx