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Dangerous excursion


yogagal47
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 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 . 

464F9847-133B-4199-99C5-51523A954270.png

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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

 

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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

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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. 

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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.👏👍

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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.

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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.  

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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."

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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

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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.

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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 by DRJVH
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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. 

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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 

 

 

 

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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.

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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. 

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