yogagal47 Posted December 10, 2019 #1 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Looks like Azamara is still offering a white island excursion on its website . https://www.azamara.co.uk/shore-excursion-details/TRB3 There is a discussion about cancellations subject to weather but no warnings about the dangers inherent in such a tour . This is such a tragedy and should be a warning to any of us adventure travelers who have visited active volcanoes and maybe considering doing it in the future . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #2 Share Posted December 10, 2019 This is awful. I never noticed this as part of the excursions. Well it is out of our price range so maybe that's the reason. Makes you wonder anyway.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #3 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Attn, Bonnie. I expect this Excursion will be taken off imediately. In hindsight it does not reflect well on Azamara or the company providing the flight. "a truly once-in-a-lifetime chance to walk through an active volcanic crater. " Gives me the chills 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florisdekort Posted December 10, 2019 #4 Share Posted December 10, 2019 Although painful it’s a bit harsh to expect this to have been removed within 24 hours. Also, lots of tourists today on the quite active volcano on Hawaii... 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #5 Share Posted December 10, 2019 54 minutes ago, florisdekort said: Although painful it’s a bit harsh to expect this to have been removed within 24 hours. Also, lots of tourists today on the quite active volcano on Hawaii... I would expect them to pull the excursion, but knowing what swiftness means in the Azamara-way it will probably take years https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/incidents/royal-caribbean-pulls-ad-for-398-white-island-tour-in-wake-of-volcanic-eruption/news-story/774347457329adce1fd7223b4b5034eb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBMacLaird Posted December 10, 2019 #6 Share Posted December 10, 2019 The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority; after learning about yesterday’s incident we immediately began an audit of tours that offer a visit to White Island, all of these tours have now been removed from our website. Any guest booked on the White Island helicopter tour will be contacted directly. We are devastated by yesterday’s events and our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #7 Share Posted December 10, 2019 1 hour ago, BBMacLaird said: The safety of our guests and crew is our number one priority; after learning about yesterday’s incident we immediately began an audit of tours that offer a visit to White Island, all of these tours have now been removed from our website. Any guest booked on the White Island helicopter tour will be contacted directly. We are devastated by yesterday’s events and our hearts go out to all those affected by this tragedy. Thank you, Bonnie. I apologize for doubting Azamara’s ability to act without delay in these sad circumstances.👏👍 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragesinn Posted December 10, 2019 #8 Share Posted December 10, 2019 When I see posters overreact whether this situation or some other unforeseen event I wonder whether those posters were as proactive in their jobs or just like to nitpick every issue in life. Personally the excursion looked interesting but not in our price range, but we like to explore and not worry about this unlikely event. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted December 10, 2019 #9 Share Posted December 10, 2019 It's hardly as if Azamara was the only cruise line offering this excursion – or as if this was the only dangerous excursion/activity available to travelers. White Island is offered on my upcoming Ponant circumnavigation of New Zealand, "Depending on the level of volcanic activity and sea state, guests will have the opportunity to land on White Island and take a guided walking tour through the crater and around the ruins of the old sulfur mine." Nobody was forcing anyone to sign up – but now all the nannies are piling on to take choice away. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #10 Share Posted December 10, 2019 I would never critisize the companies for having the excursion on offer as long as it was always operated in s safe manner. I meant to point out that it should be pulled given the tragic circumstances. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinaro44 Posted December 10, 2019 #11 Share Posted December 10, 2019 2 hours ago, oddjob16 said: I would never critisize the companies for having the excursion on offer as long as it was always operated in s safe manner. I meant to point out that it should be pulled given the tragic circumstances. But you certainly did criticize Azamara when you wrote what I'm quoting below before even giving Azamara 24 hours to "pull" the excursion. "Attn, Bonnie. I expect this Excursion will be taken off imediately. In hindsight it does not reflect well on Azamara or the company providing the flight." 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare oddjob16 Posted December 10, 2019 #12 Share Posted December 10, 2019 38 minutes ago, marinaro44 said: But you certainly did criticize Azamara when you wrote what I'm quoting below before even giving Azamara 24 hours to "pull" the excursion. "Attn, Bonnie. I expect this Excursion will be taken off imediately. In hindsight it does not reflect well on Azamara or the company providing the flight." Yes, and I should have used other words. It came out wrong. I intended to point it out for Bonnie. Sorry. No malice intended 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogagal47 Posted December 11, 2019 Author #13 Share Posted December 11, 2019 20 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: It's hardly as if Azamara was the only cruise line offering this excursion – or as if this was the only dangerous excursion/activity available to travelers. White Island is offered on my upcoming Ponant circumnavigation of New Zealand, "Depending on the level of volcanic activity and sea state, guests will have the opportunity to land on White Island and take a guided walking tour through the crater and around the ruins of the old sulfur mine." Nobody was forcing anyone to sign up – but now all the nannies are piling on to take choice away. The company offering this tour was offering the trip even when threat was at level 3 https://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/whiteisland If you are worried about the "nannies" I am sure you can find plenty of opportunities to walk around a live volcano. here's one in Nicaragua: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g551472-d646709-Reviews-Masaya_Volcano_National_Park-Masaya_Masaya_Department.html and here is one you can see by yourself: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g642173-d3381782-r622420773-Scalata_al_Cratere-Isola_Vulcano_Aeolian_Islands_Islands_of_Sicily_Sicily.html No "nannies" to stop you there. As for me personally, I would be reassured to hear that my cruise line does their own due diligence when they offer some potentially high risk excursions and not assume that the local tour operator is extremely cautious about offering such trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baynanno1 Posted December 11, 2019 #14 Share Posted December 11, 2019 The threat was at level 2 when the excursion took place. The threat was raised to level 3 the day after the eruption when further geothermal activity was detected. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRJVH Posted December 12, 2019 #15 Share Posted December 12, 2019 (edited) 19 hours ago, yogagal47 said: The company offering this tour was offering the trip even when threat was at level 3 https://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano/whiteisland If you are worried about the "nannies" I am sure you can find plenty of opportunities to walk around a live volcano. here's one in Nicaragua: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g551472-d646709-Reviews-Masaya_Volcano_National_Park-Masaya_Masaya_Department.html and here is one you can see by yourself: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g642173-d3381782-r622420773-Scalata_al_Cratere-Isola_Vulcano_Aeolian_Islands_Islands_of_Sicily_Sicily.html No "nannies" to stop you there. As for me personally, I would be reassured to hear that my cruise line does their own due diligence when they offer some potentially high risk excursions and not assume that the local tour operator is extremely cautious about offering such trips. I think you need to look at the first link. The alert level was at 2 not 3 as you stated. Geonet upgraded White Island’s alert level from 1 to 2 on 18 November. Edited December 12, 2019 by DRJVH 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
florisdekort Posted December 12, 2019 #16 Share Posted December 12, 2019 As others have said, the alert level wasn’t 3 but 2. Tour operators don’t decide when tours are allowed to operate, government policy stipulates what can and can not happen at each alert level. As for “cruise lines doing their own due diligence”, yeah right, they all have volcanic experts on their teams 🙄 Like tour operators, cruise lines rely on government policy to guide them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
excitedofharpenden Posted December 12, 2019 #17 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Because it was the result of a dramatic natural disaster that was caught on camera(s) this story seems to have gotten a lot of coverage. What happened is awful, but truth be told you probably have more chance of being killed on a bus. https://cruisefever.net/12-cruise-passengers-dead-tour-bus-crashes-mexico/ https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/24/nyregion/bus-plunge-that-killed-12-in-chile-echoes-in-new-york-area.html Phil 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogagal47 Posted December 12, 2019 Author #18 Share Posted December 12, 2019 (edited) Edited December 12, 2019 by yogagal47 mistake 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted December 12, 2019 #19 Share Posted December 12, 2019 Meanwhile a Chilean military transport went down over the Drake passage – during the height of the cruise season to Antarctica. Should all cruises to Antarctica be cancelled? Travel has always been dangerous [ask Saint Paul]. Adults should be free to make their choices – and bear the responsibility. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yogagal47 Posted December 13, 2019 Author #20 Share Posted December 13, 2019 Perhaps this discussion ( CNN does a far better job of raising the issue and clearly elucidating the key points than I) may give skeptics here something to consider. https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/white-island-should-tourists-have-been-on-new-zealands-most-active-volcano/ar-BBY1s12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRJVH Posted December 13, 2019 #21 Share Posted December 13, 2019 13 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: Meanwhile a Chilean military transport went down over the Drake passage – during the height of the cruise season to Antarctica. Should all cruises to Antarctica be cancelled? Travel has always been dangerous [ask Saint Paul]. Adults should be free to make their choices – and bear the responsibility. Yes you’re right, we as adults make those choices and we should bear the responsibility, but people will still say the tour companies or cruise companies are at fault for allowing these types of excursions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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