Anyone Booked to Dock in Sri Lanka?

[tring]

We are booked for a holiday there in Jan/Feb 2020 and to embark Fred Olsen's Boudicca in Colombo on 6th Feb.  Early days yet and all may have settled by then, but wondering if anyone else is due to dock there this year (Sea Princess seems to be due in Colombo on 30th May this year). 

 

Would be interested what changes may be made by any cruise lines before our visit.  I do not see any changes for us in the next few months, but will post on here if and when we do hear anything.  Since we have a change over I am a bit perplexed as to what Fred may do with our cruise, but should be a major change if embarkation country changed, so we would hopefully be able to cancel without loss.  Our next port would be Cochin in India and I am wondering if that could be used as a change over base for  small ship like Boudicca (there will be back passengers staying on the ship as well, so not a full turnaround).

 

Such tragic news regards all those killed and injured and the aftermath will include major problems for the island's economy and those involved in the tourist industry.  We had a holiday in Sri Lanka about 3 years ago and loved the place and it's people.  

[mom says]

You've likely already seen this (or similar) article about Tui, and their response to the current situation in Sri Lanka.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/sri-lanka-travel-ban-tui-flight-rescue-foreign-office-advice-no-go-a8887071.html

 

I would imagine the cruise lines will take whatever actions they deem prudent. Everyone planning a land or sea vacation to Sri Lanka will want to monitor the situation closely.

[tring]

Thanks, accessed that on their own website as The Independent wanted me to agree to cookies.  Yes all companies will be bringing people home and cancelling short term hols and likely not booking any new hols to Sri Lanka (will not have a choice on that).  Tui say they will alter or refund hols planned to travel before 12th May.  We have a land stay pre cruise booked with Kuoni and their website says they are contacting people due to depart by  21st May.  Even at that the holiday companies will be very busy.

 

What interests me is what sort of changes may, at a later stage, be made to cruise visits, especially any turnarounds like ours (our ship is due in for 3 days) as there cannot be much in the way of options to change that.  I know this will not necessarily be the same as other companies will do, but can be of interest.  With the new facility to 'follow' a thread on here, then any later postings can be monitored if anyone else, like me is interested in doing that.  I can see a one day call is neither here nor there, but for us it is a bit more complicated as we have the land stay/flights booked with Kuoni and the cruise through the cruise company.  I am sure we will be safe and will get a refund from one source or other if the travel advice is still in place, as our insurance covers terrorism, which is not the case for all insurance policies, but it could be a long waiting game.  If the advice is in place for a few months, I suspect all plans will be pulled, but Kuoni may leave them in place a tad longer than others as they use schedule airlines (though flight options likely to be  reduced).

 

Just checked on one of the websites which lists cruise visits/turnarounds and looks like the only turnaround before ours is Hapag Lloyd, so even less chance than I thought of finding anyone in the same position as us 🙂 

Edited April 28, 2019 by tring

[R**T]

Our ship the Sapphire Princess is scheduled to be in Colombo on December 2, 2019.  I am watching, waiting, and hoping it is not cancelled.  We will need to get visas soon.

[tring]

Thanks for your post R**T.  Yes, lets hope all is well - looks like yours is just a one day stop so decision could be made quite late.  As ours is a turnaround I would hope they decide a decent time before - particularly before our balance is due in late Oct, if there are to be any changes.  Even if advice changes and they still go, I suspect it will put people off making new bookings, though things seem to be quietening down now and the curfews have been stopped.

 

Will post here if I hear anything,

 

Barbara

[Capricruiser]

Our cruise on the MSC Splendida has a port call at Colombo scheduled for 3 March 2020.  So far it is still on the itinerary.

[tring]

3 hours ago, Capricruiser said:

Our cruise on the MSC Splendida has a port call at Colombo scheduled for 3 March 2020.  So far it is still on the itinerary.

 

Thanks for the post.  I have been reading a bit about the situation and am beginning to feel a bit more optimistic regards the situation, which seems to be settling a bit.  There is a fair while yet for all of us, but as ours is a turnaround the cruise company will not want to risk needing to change the flights last minute and as some people, like us, have booked cruise only they will need to make a change a while before they are due to dock there.  Just keeping my fingers crossed all will be OK.

 

  

[Dobby_The_Ship_Elf]

On 5/2/2019 at 6:14 PM, R**T said:

Our ship the Sapphire Princess is scheduled to be in Colombo on December 2, 2019.  I am watching, waiting, and hoping it is not cancelled.  We will need to get visas soon.

 

Following this thread, as we are in the same boat (ship)    😎

 

Visas are free for us so it is not such a big deal however any change to itinerary well that's just pure speculation!

[R**T]

The Sea Princess, currently on a world cruise, had a May 30, 2019, stop in Columbo cancelled.  The change was announced as they were leaving Brisbane on May 16, 2019.  Instead, the Sea Princess stopped in Port Kelang, Malaysia, on June 1, 2019.

[tring]

2 hours ago, R**T said:

The Sea Princess, currently on a world cruise, had a May 30, 2019, stop in Columbo cancelled.  The change was announced as they were leaving Brisbane on May 16, 2019.  Instead, the Sea Princess stopped in Port Kelang, Malaysia, on June 1, 2019.

 

Thank you for that information.  That one had to call off but some distance/time on the Port Kelang.

 

No movement by the UK FCO, or as I understand it the US or Australia, which have the bulk of tourists to Sri Lanka, but it has been reported on the Trip Advisor forums that a number of countries have relaxed their travel advice to allow tourist travel over the last week or two.  China, India and Switzerland came first, followed within a week  by Germany, Italy, The Netherlands and Sweden.  So hopefully the others will follow in the not too distant future.

[tring]

Uk travel advice now changed to allow tourist travel.  If US and Australia advice not changed yet, it will hopefully follow soon.