Tampa Girl Posted April 14, 2022 #26 Share Posted April 14, 2022 13 hours ago, arosetti said: I guess people haven't heard there is a war in that part of the world, soon could be a WWIII, maybe you could understand that it MIGHT be dangerous to get close to Russia right now. Cancel the damned cruise and stop complaining about a missed port and educate yourself when you call "small" cities, major and beautiful cities in that particular country. Thank you! My thoughts exactly. A war is going on in the vicinity and there is a question of why some ports are being cancelled? Common sense should prevail. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare cruisequeen4ever Posted April 14, 2022 #27 Share Posted April 14, 2022 If I were someone booked on a Baltic cruise, I’d cancel and wait til the war is over, and it’s safe to visit the main Baltic ports. We did it in 2019, and it was spectacular. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 14, 2022 Author #28 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Well, it's no longer a Baltic cruise ... just Scandinavian, I guess you'd say. You're right, I haven't researched those cities ... because I'd been researching the other countries! OK, back to the Rick Steves book. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindancer Posted April 14, 2022 #29 Share Posted April 14, 2022 On 4/13/2022 at 1:41 AM, LindaJ+ said: Less than 4 weeks out. Cancelled Latvia, Estonia, Finland. Added Oslo and a couple small towns in Sweden St. Petersburg was cancelled before ... OK, special circumstances. Are they anticipating a Russian attack on the Baltics? It's like ... you sign up for a cruise that sounds interesting and had places you want to visit ... and then they can change things around any which way. It's like ... what's the point of going on a cruise? I certainly don't find being on the boat all that wonderful. Tangential question: if we paid for an excursion and they change the date we are in that port, will our reservation be automatically transfered to the new date? Tell me about it! My Aug. 9 cruise from Venice to Venice is not going to Venice at all now. They changed the embarkation and debarkation to Trieste, which is 90 miles away and are "doing us the favor" of busing us to and from the Venice airport directly to the ship. The itinerary on this cruise used to include a day in Venice (the day before the cruise ended) but no longer does. I have been to Venice before but wanted my grandson to see it. Now it won't happen. HAL has us over a barrel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 14, 2022 Author #30 Share Posted April 14, 2022 Yeah, I kind of suspected that about Venice with articles I've read recently. But HAL must have known this for some time ... the whole "keep the cruise ships out" was a topic before COVID. If you had known you could have included an extra day in your plans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare ontheweb Posted April 14, 2022 #31 Share Posted April 14, 2022 2 hours ago, Lindancer said: Tell me about it! My Aug. 9 cruise from Venice to Venice is not going to Venice at all now. They changed the embarkation and debarkation to Trieste, which is 90 miles away and are "doing us the favor" of busing us to and from the Venice airport directly to the ship. The itinerary on this cruise used to include a day in Venice (the day before the cruise ended) but no longer does. I have been to Venice before but wanted my grandson to see it. Now it won't happen. HAL has us over a barrel. I think it is more of a case of Venice (maybe technically Italy) has the cruise lines over a barrel. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartgrove Posted April 14, 2022 #32 Share Posted April 14, 2022 3 hours ago, Lindancer said: Tell me about it! My Aug. 9 cruise from Venice to Venice is not going to Venice at all now. They changed the embarkation and debarkation to Trieste, which is 90 miles away and are "doing us the favor" of busing us to and from the Venice airport directly to the ship. The itinerary on this cruise used to include a day in Venice (the day before the cruise ended) but no longer does. I have been to Venice before but wanted my grandson to see it. Now it won't happen. HAL has us over a barrel. Is it before the Cancellation Date or Final Payment date? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartgrove Posted April 14, 2022 #33 Share Posted April 14, 2022 4 hours ago, LindaJ+ said: Well, it's no longer a Baltic cruise ... just Scandinavian, I guess you'd say. You're right, I haven't researched those cities ... because I'd been researching the other countries! OK, back to the Rick Steves book. Don't you still sail on the Baltic Sea? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silversneakers Posted April 15, 2022 #34 Share Posted April 15, 2022 On 4/13/2022 at 2:41 AM, LindaJ+ said: Less than 4 weeks out. Cancelled Latvia, Estonia, Finland. Added Oslo and a couple small towns in Sweden St. Petersburg was cancelled before ... OK, special circumstances. Are they anticipating a Russian attack on the Baltics? It's like ... you sign up for a cruise that sounds interesting and had places you want to visit ... and then they can change things around any which way. It's like ... what's the point of going on a cruise? I certainly don't find being on the boat all that wonderful. Tangential question: if we paid for an excursion and they change the date we are in that port, will our reservation be automatically transfered to the new date? Acquaintances in Estonia tell they are building bomb shelters so I would say that is dangerous territory that HAL does not want to enter. Don't be surprised if Sweden and Finland are eliminated as cruise ports. I believe there is a real threat to those countries 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taters Posted April 16, 2022 #35 Share Posted April 16, 2022 20 hours ago, silversneakers said: Acquaintances in Estonia tell they are building bomb shelters so I would say that is dangerous territory that HAL does not want to enter. Don't be surprised if Sweden and Finland are eliminated as cruise ports. I believe there is a real threat to those countries The Rotterdam cruise departing May 8th added 2 ports in Sweden - Visby and Gothenburg, and we already have 2 days in Stockholm. Maybe they will cancel those and take us to more places in Norway (we are already going to Oslo), or take us farther west to Scotland? I am mentally prepared for an announcement of change in plans when we board the ship in a few weeks. I'm okay with wherever they take us. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 16, 2022 Author #36 Share Posted April 16, 2022 5 hours ago, Taters said: The Rotterdam cruise departing May 8th added 2 ports in Sweden - Visby and Gothenburg, and we already have 2 days in Stockholm. Maybe they will cancel those and take us to more places in Norway (we are already going to Oslo), or take us farther west to Scotland? I am mentally prepared for an announcement of change in plans when we board the ship in a few weeks. I'm okay with wherever they take us. Ha! Funny! If they suddenly decide to go up the coast of Norway ... when we have already gone up the coast of Norway on the May 1-8 cruise ... this will be my last cruise ever! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouisCruisers Posted April 16, 2022 #37 Share Posted April 16, 2022 3 minutes ago, LindaJ+ said: Ha! Funny! If they suddenly decide to go up the coast of Norway ... when we have already gone up the coast of Norway on the May 1-8 cruise ... this will be my last cruise ever! You never know! One of the very best cruises we've ever taken was almost all Norway. Fourteen Norway ports, Copenhagen, and roundtrip out of Ijmuiden, the Netherlands. Spectacular scenery! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeeSun&Sea Posted April 17, 2022 #38 Share Posted April 17, 2022 On my boarding pass, the May 8th Rotterdam cruise is no longer Jewels of the Baltic -- it is Jewels of Scandinavia. And yes, we need to have a medically viewed covid test 24 hours before boarding. So my purchase of 6 emed tests is not a waste! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 17, 2022 Author #39 Share Posted April 17, 2022 I'll just go with their tests at the pier. Maybe test at home before getting on the plane. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heartgrove Posted April 17, 2022 #40 Share Posted April 17, 2022 12 hours ago, LindaJ+ said: Ha! Funny! If they suddenly decide to go up the coast of Norway ... when we have already gone up the coast of Norway on the May 1-8 cruise ... this will be my last cruise ever! Where do you propose they go instead? 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Girl Posted April 17, 2022 #41 Share Posted April 17, 2022 15 hours ago, LindaJ+ said: Ha! Funny! If they suddenly decide to go up the coast of Norway ... when we have already gone up the coast of Norway on the May 1-8 cruise ... this will be my last cruise ever! Have you considered postponing this "Baltic" cruise until the world is a little quieter? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjeknor Posted April 17, 2022 #42 Share Posted April 17, 2022 15 hours ago, LindaJ+ said: Ha! Funny! If they suddenly decide to go up the coast of Norway ... when we have already gone up the coast of Norway on the May 1-8 cruise ... this will be my last cruise ever! I’m glad the HAL is making the effort ( of course they need the revenue) of putting a worthwhile and safe cruise together. They would of course have very much preferred the original itinerary as the people in Ukraine would have very much to be spared the horrors of war in their country. I would suggest to just take it as it comes. Good for your blood pressure as well. Who knows what happens between now and may 22 when we dock in the Netherlands again. They may have to change the route again. But I consider myself lucky just to be able to cruise again. 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dismomx5 Posted April 17, 2022 #43 Share Posted April 17, 2022 2 hours ago, rotjeknor said: I’m glad the HAL is making the effort ( of course they need the revenue) of putting a worthwhile and safe cruise together. They would of course have very much preferred the original itinerary as the people in Ukraine would have very much to be spared the horrors of war in their country. I would suggest to just take it as it comes. Good for your blood pressure as well. Who knows what happens between now and may 22 when we dock in the Netherlands again. They may have to change the route again. But I consider myself lucky just to be able to cruise again. This is one of those times when I wish that there was a LOVE button along with the LIKE. 💙 Such wise words. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 17, 2022 Author #44 Share Posted April 17, 2022 I guess I am so used to my own [okay - obsessive-compulsive] travel planning that it is upsetting to have no control over the changes. But I'm sure we'll have a nice time and see many interesting things. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipWalker Posted April 17, 2022 #45 Share Posted April 17, 2022 (edited) It's gotten to the point that if there isn't at least one port change on my cruise I now get suspicious. 😂 Edited April 17, 2022 by ShipWalker 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rotjeknor Posted April 18, 2022 #46 Share Posted April 18, 2022 12 hours ago, Dismomx5 said: This is one of those times when I wish that there was a LOVE button along with the LIKE. 💙 Such wise words. Thank you 😊 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tampa Girl Posted April 18, 2022 #47 Share Posted April 18, 2022 23 hours ago, LindaJ+ said: I guess I am so used to my own [okay - obsessive-compulsive] travel planning that it is upsetting to have no control over the changes. But I'm sure we'll have a nice time and see many interesting things. I completely understand since I am much the same. My way of dealing with it - forget cruising until this is past and we are not subject to frequent testing. The Baltic would be next on my list, but that will obviously have to wait until, to quote someone (whom I cannot remember), "all this recent unpleasantness is over." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LindaJ+ Posted April 18, 2022 Author #48 Share Posted April 18, 2022 Probably wouldn't have thought of it but we've never visited any of Scandinavia and our local TA promoted this B2B opportunity over a year ago ... when we thought oh, COVID will be over by then! Plus the group booking benefits a local charity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CATandSQUID Posted April 19, 2022 #49 Share Posted April 19, 2022 On 4/12/2022 at 11:41 PM, LindaJ+ said: Less than 4 weeks out. Cancelled Latvia, Estonia, Finland. Added Oslo and a couple small towns in Sweden St. Petersburg was cancelled before ... OK, special circumstances. Are they anticipating a Russian attack on the Baltics? It's like ... you sign up for a cruise that sounds interesting and had places you want to visit ... and then they can change things around any which way. It's like ... what's the point of going on a cruise? I certainly don't find being on the boat all that wonderful. Tangential question: if we paid for an excursion and they change the date we are in that port, will our reservation be automatically transfered to the new date? The world cruise industry is worried about the Russians mining the coastline or just firing missiles at random ships in retaliation of the sunken missile cruiser Moskva. The Russians are very unstable at this time. It is good to stay clear of this area. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wendy-Europe Posted April 19, 2022 #50 Share Posted April 19, 2022 (edited) Moreover, the shipping companies of the world are worried, not without reason, that a Western ship that would dock in St. Petersburg would also be chained as "revenge" for the seizure of Russian goods in the world. And this is not a hypothetical concern. And as you can see, the Russian government is not squeamish about civilian "collateral damage." It could easily happen that passengers are used as a bargaining chip to push an agenda. I guess no passenger wants to be a forced "guest" of the Russian government for a longer period of time? Edited April 19, 2022 by Wendy-Europe 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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