Israeli Ports and The Gem

[Dr_Moos]

57 minutes ago, OctCruise11 said:

Insurance through Norwegian has 75% FCC for CFAR .   Also for other parts of the insurance the war exclusions would not apply (innocent bystander) as the exclusions state following: 

Loss caused by or resulting from:

1....

2. war, invasion, acts of foreign enemies, hostilities between nations (whether declared or not), civil war. This exclusion does not apply if You are an innocent bystander to these events.

From "innocent bystander" to "Innocent victim" - very short way... 

[Panhandle Couple]

11 hours ago, Dr_Moos said:

No insurance in the world covers cancellation due to war situation. Not even those with "Cancel For Any Reason". Just find and read small print.
Quote from Nationwide CFAR insurance policy Q&A: "The policy does not offer coverage for the threat of a Terrorist Incident or any war-related activity. See the policy for further details."

NCL is waiting, calculating. Unfortunatelly the situation will get more complicated. This is not just another local incident. Israel can not back up, they will go to all the way, otherwise they will have rockets again shortly.  NCL will have to cancel at the end. They do not have any right to force people to travel the dangerous part of the world. Who will in behalf of NCL declare GEM next cruises as safe? Who will take responsibility if incident happens - NCL CEO? By prolonging their decision to do the inevitable, they are doing more damage to the people, because they will, at best, have to modify their flights, and pay fees to do that. Some will lose their money due to non refundable fares. Someone here wrote "Ships are still calling to Alexandria and Middle East ports. Yes they do, those that have to pass the Suez channel. But who will dare to take a whole day bus tour to Cairo. Such a great target, bus full of US tourists, and plenty of time and places to do the job. NCL will wait until the end. At the end they will have to refund... Calculating till the very end NCL are doing damage to them self. According to some post here I am sure that NCL people are reading this forum. I read many times here - "No more NCL". Not good for future company image.

What are the other cruise lines doing?

 

Is NCL the only one "calculating till the very end"?

 

Has the rest of the industry offered full refunds, no questions asked?  That seems to be what everyone complaining here wants.

 

My guess is no, that is not happening at this time.

 

[DCGuy64]

11 minutes ago, Panhandle Couple said:

What are the other cruise lines doing?

RCCL is similar, there's a thread right now about someone who lives in Israel and can't get out to make his cruise (it's in December, FYI). He's being told his only option is to cancel for a 75% cancellation fee.

[DaisyJ214]

Hi we have been booked on the 11/22 Gem sailing, our primary reasons for picking this cruise was  the Pyramids and Holy Land itinerary. We do not want to take this cruise and be told that we will be given extra Sea Days, or different Turkish or Greek islands which is what they have done so far.

we also booked the 3day land package for Turkey. I certainly don't feel safe touring around Turkey when it is an Ally of Hamas, and America supports Israel. The whole area is unsafe for Americans at this time!!
We have taken insurance but as mentioned above, nothing covers Acts of War or Terrorism, not even the Amex travel ins. 
NCL is putting our lives at risk!

Perhaps a class action law suit would get attention for those passengers that don't want to go and feel strongly that a refund should be offered.

[Dr_Moos]

3 minutes ago, DaisyJ214 said:

Hi we have been booked on the 11/22 Gem sailing, our primary reasons for picking this cruise was  the Pyramids and Holy Land itinerary. We do not want to take this cruise and be told that we will be given extra Sea Days, or different Turkish or Greek islands which is what they have done so far.

we also booked the 3day land package for Turkey. I certainly don't feel safe touring around Turkey when it is an Ally of Hamas, and America supports Israel. The whole area is unsafe for Americans at this time!!
We have taken insurance but as mentioned above, nothing covers Acts of War or Terrorism, not even the Amex travel ins. 
NCL is putting our lives at risk!

Perhaps a class action law suit would get attention for those passengers that don't want to go and feel strongly that a refund should be offered.

They do not care for your safety out of the ship or their shore excursions. They will sail to Alexandria and do the overnight there. Lot of people will remain on the ship and will not go to Cairo. The GEM November cruises were booked by most of guests especialy for Egypt and Israel. Calling to Alexandria and not seeing the pyramides is terrible. Costa Pacifica was scheduled to be in Alexandria today, but they did not. They were in Volos today.

[ColeThornton]

20 minutes ago, DaisyJ214 said:

NCL is putting our lives at risk!

Perhaps a class action law suit would get attention for those passengers that don't want to go and feel strongly that a refund should be offered.

 

Good idea.  Go ahead and get that started and let us know how to proceed.

 

p.s.  Welcome to the forum.  😉

[Vitrbt1103]

29 minutes ago, DaisyJ214 said:

Hi we have been booked on the 11/22 Gem sailing, our primary reasons for picking this cruise was  the Pyramids and Holy Land itinerary. We do not want to take this cruise and be told that we will be given extra Sea Days, or different Turkish or Greek islands which is what they have done so far.

we also booked the 3day land package for Turkey. I certainly don't feel safe touring around Turkey when it is an Ally of Hamas, and America supports Israel. The whole area is unsafe for Americans at this time!!
We have taken insurance but as mentioned above, nothing covers Acts of War or Terrorism, not even the Amex travel ins. 
NCL is putting our lives at risk!

Perhaps a class action law suit would get attention for those passengers that don't want to go and feel strongly that a refund should be offered.

Just called NCL a few minutes ago, still no updates. Our cruise is on 11/1.  Yes, let us know how to proceed for a class action law suit.

[Bella65]

2 hours ago, DaisyJ214 said:

Hi we have been booked on the 11/22 Gem sailing, our primary reasons for picking this cruise was  the Pyramids and Holy Land itinerary. We do not want to take this cruise and be told that we will be given extra Sea Days, or different Turkish or Greek islands which is what they have done so far.

we also booked the 3day land package for Turkey. I certainly don't feel safe touring around Turkey when it is an Ally of Hamas, and America supports Israel. The whole area is unsafe for Americans at this time!!
We have taken insurance but as mentioned above, nothing covers Acts of War or Terrorism, not even the Amex travel ins. 
NCL is putting our lives at risk!

Perhaps a class action law suit would get attention for those passengers that don't want to go and feel strongly that a refund should be offered.

I totally agree that NCL is putting our lives at risk! We are a week away from our flights - Canada to Istanbul, a Hamas supporter, with 2 days prior to the cruise in a very unsafe place.  I have no words to describe our concern for what is going on in the region, but do not feel safe to travel in that region at this time.
The right thing for NCL to do is to provide us with an alternate and equivalent cruise, or credit for another time. But that's the right thing so instead we get tons of upgrade emails and representatives with no answers. Packing or not packing? so frustrating.

[LadyWalkTall]

1 hour ago, ColeThornton said:

 

Good idea.  Go ahead and get that started and let us know how to proceed.

 

p.s.  Welcome to the forum.  😉

 

1 hour ago, Vitrbt1103 said:

Just called NCL a few minutes ago, still no updates. Our cruise is on 11/1.  Yes, let us know how to proceed for a class action law suit.

Unfortunately, the US Dept of Transportation does not do oversight on the cruise lines. However, I think an official complaint to the Federal Trade Commission would have more traction. Or a lawsuit on damages from false advertising. 
 

1. NCL says in it’s “Free at Sea” packages includes free excursions, free drinks and BOGO free airfare. All of which are grossly untrue. 
 

NCL gives a $50 discount on every excursion one purchases. They have no excursions that cost $50 or less. So no excursion is ever free. 

 

With the “free” drinks package NCL charges $400 for gratuities up front. It not based on the actual number of drinks you purchase, it’s based on the maximum amount of drinks you could purchase. 
 

The BOGO free airfare is a farce. Let’s say NCL charged $1,400 for the first passenger and the second person flies for $0 (on paper.) However, NCL states on their website that single passengers  get a 50% discount on air. So they pay $700. So the price when you buy one is $700.  So really there is no second passengers fly free air. 
 

Also, NCL puts a countdown on the website saying this deal is only good for 3 days to pressure people to buy. Four days later…same deal. Two weeks later…same deal. 
 

Go on their website and they’re still advertising the November 1 to Israel. They know that’s incorrect and they’re not going to fix it? 
 

The price for my cruise went down by almost 50% from what I paid for it. I called NCL and the CSR said yeah, I can upgrade you or give FCC. She said let me get it approved. Her supervisors would not approve it because they said it was too late to rebook the air. About a month later my airline itinerary changes and I have an 8 hour layover. I call NCL and they rebooked my air. 🤦‍♀️

And I will be filing a formal complaint, it’s free and the FTC has to respond. 
 

[petebiker]

My wife and I are booked on the 11/01/23 NCL Gem leaving from Istanbul.

 

It is, unfortunately, a terrible situation in Israel and the surrounding areas right now. I feel badly for innocent people in close proximity to the conflict.

 

As many have mentioned above, I just wish NCL would give passengers some information...something...anything. In talking with customer service this week on multiple occasions, the only consistent message I got (although not concrete) was that there WILL be a cruise, but the revised itinerary is unknown. Bad news is usually disseminated at the last minute, so I am expecting an updated itinerary that includes 5 to 7 days at sea. I am guessing at this late date, NCL can't find any other ports to visit.

 

Vacationing is like gambling, I suppose. Don't spend money you can't afford to lose entirely.

[OctoP]

Just passing on an update. According to my cruise consultant, the new itinerary for the 11/1 cruise might post on Tuesday but probably not any sooner.

[petebiker]

2 minutes ago, OctoP said:

Just passing on an update. According to my cruise consultant, the new itinerary for the 11/1 cruise might post on Tuesday but probably not any sooner.

Thanks very much. I'll take any info I can get. 

[yakcruiser]

I believe people are going after the wrong culprit here. They should be writing letters to the top executives at Hamas letting them know that they have messed up 1000's of people's vacation plans. And if people don't get a satisfactory result maybe an attorney would take up a class action lawsuit against Hamas.

[DaisyJ214]

1 hour ago, LadyWalkTall said:

 

Unfortunately, the US Dept of Transportation does not do oversight on the cruise lines. However, I think an official complaint to the Federal Trade Commission would have more traction. Or a lawsuit on damages from false advertising. 
 

1. NCL says in it’s “Free at Sea” packages includes free excursions, free drinks and BOGO free airfare. All of which are grossly untrue. 
 

NCL gives a $50 discount on every excursion one purchases. They have no excursions that cost $50 or less. So no excursion is ever free. 

 

With the “free” drinks package NCL charges $400 for gratuities up front. It not based on the actual number of drinks you purchase, it’s based on the maximum amount of drinks you could purchase. 
 

The BOGO free airfare is a farce. Let’s say NCL charged $1,400 for the first passenger and the second person flies for $0 (on paper.) However, NCL states on their website that single passengers  get a 50% discount on air. So they pay $700. So the price when you buy one is $700.  So really there is no second passengers fly free air. 
 

Also, NCL puts a countdown on the website saying this deal is only good for 3 days to pressure people to buy. Four days later…same deal. Two weeks later…same deal. 
 

Go on their website and they’re still advertising the November 1 to Israel. They know that’s incorrect and they’re not going to fix it? 
 

The price for my cruise went down by almost 50% from what I paid for it. I called NCL and the CSR said yeah, I can upgrade you or give FCC. She said let me get it approved. Her supervisors would not approve it because they said it was too late to rebook the air. About a month later my airline itinerary changes and I have an 8 hour layover. I call NCL and they rebooked my air. 🤦‍♀️

And I will be filing a formal complaint, it’s free and the FTC has to respond. 
 

Yes their advertising is infuriating, i am getting ads to book the november “ Cruises to Israel” 

starting at $699.  They are still trying to fill the cabins and advertising unavailable ports.

[rocamar]

On 10/17/2023 at 1:19 PM, Dr_Moos said:

New warships are arriving. Few days from now there will be a total of at least 10 US warships in the area. If they force us to cruise Greek islands, it will be a cruise between aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and many other interesting things to see... 

Hello, I am on the same cruise party of four, and we agree that taking a cruise to be in the middle of a warzone would be insane! Vacations are to be enjoyed and relaxed. It is incredible not to have any communication from NCL at all. 

[sailingships]

The Israeli Embassy in Cyprus was bombed. Cyprus is one of the POC for the Gem in fact NCL gave us a 2nd port there to replace Israel. Now what ?

 

Cyprus is in 2 parts. The south belongs to Greece, the north to Turkey.

Edited October 22, 2023 by sailingships

[Jetstreamer]

If people avoid the areas around Israeli embassies then they won't encounter most of the incidents people here seem to want to highlight as "proof" that this cruise is not safe.

 

The above incident was in Nicosia (nowhere near the coast). Thousands of tourists continue to fly into Cyprus every day as they do to Egypt and Turkey. 

 

Israel has never been truly safe yet the same people happy to go there 3 weeks ago now complain that other ports on the itinerary are too dangerous! 

 

Always exercise caution when travelling. That advice never changes. Most of all look for the positives and have a great cruise. 

[Dr_Moos]

18 minutes ago, Jetstreamer said:

If people avoid the areas around Israeli embassies then they won't encounter most of the incidents people here seem to want to highlight as "proof" that this cruise is not safe.

 

The above incident was in Nicosia (nowhere near the coast). Thousands of tourists continue to fly into Cyprus every day as they do to Egypt and Turkey. 

 

Israel has never been truly safe yet the same people happy to go there 3 weeks ago now complain that other ports on the itinerary are too dangerous! 

 

Always exercise caution when travelling. That advice never changes. Most of all look for the positives and have a great cruise. 

It is up to you if you want an "adventure" cruise or not. Maybe you like to cruise with a helmet on your head. I do not. For me a cruise should be a relaxation. I am still at home one week from my flight to Istanbul, which NCL still can not confirm as embarkation port. All they respond for Istanbul is "At the moment - yes". Am I relaxed...? Hell -No.
Shall I be more relaxed when I board the Gem and sail into insecure area. Hell - No. I do not demand a refund. I asked to be re-routed to another ship, or given a FCC. They refuse to do so, while not providing information nor solutions. Those who want to go - have a nice cruise!
The others should be given a choice, because their fears are justified. What we are looking at the moment in Israel and surrounding countries might turn into major catastrophe. Unfortunatelly, some people are not taking this seriously... 

[CiCi1328]

15 hours ago, rocamar said:

Hello, I am on the same cruise party of four, and we agree that taking a cruise to be in the middle of a warzone would be insane! Vacations are to be enjoyed and relaxed. It is incredible not to have any communication from NCL at all. 

I agree 100%

[Bella65]

I just received the new itinerary for November 1-11 - how sad that they are actually thinking this is the cruise we wanted. Sharing what I just received: 
 

Day Destination Arrive Depart   Wed ISTANBUL, TURKEY   7:00 pm   Thu KUSADASI, TURKEY 1:30 pm 7:30 pm   Fri AT SEA       Sat ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT 6:00 am 8:00 pm   Sun PORT SAID, EGYPT 6:30 am 9:00 pm   Mon ASHDOD, ISRAEL 7:00 am 11:00 pm   Tue HAIFA, ISRAEL 6:00 am 8:00 pm   Wed LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 7:00 am 3:00 pm   Thu ALANYA, TURKEY 7:00 am 6:00 pm   Fri RHODES, GREECE 7:00 am 3:00 pm   Sat PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE 6:00 am

Revised Day Destination Arrive Depart   Wed ISTANBUL, TURKEY   7:00 pm   Thu KUSADASI, TURKEY 1:30 pm 7:30 pm   Fri AT SEA       Sat ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT 6:00 am Overnight   Sun ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT Overnight 6:00 pm   Mon LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 10:00 am 5:00 pm   Tue ALANYA, TURKEY 7:00 am 6:00 pm   Wed HERAKLION, GREECE 12:00 pm 8:00 pm   Thu RHODES, GREECE 8:00 am 6:00 pm   Fri MYKONOS, GREECE 8:00 am 4:00 pm   Sat PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE 6:00 am

We understand that itinerary changes can be frustrating. We share your disappointment and regret that this situation has prevented us from delivering the vacation that both we and our guests imagined. As a genuine acknowledgment of the inconvenience caused and to thank you for your continued loyalty, we have arranged for a $200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom. This will reflect as a $100 non-refundable onboard credit for guest one and guest two on your onboard account.

SHORE EXCURSIONS
Shore excursions booked through NCL for Port Said (Cairo), Egypt, Jerusalem (Ashdod), and Tel-Aviv (Haifa), Israel, will be automatically canceled, and a full monetary refund of the fare paid will be issued to your onboard account; no further action is required. Shore excursions booked through NCL for Limassol, Cyprus, Alanya, Turkey, and Rhodes, Greece will be automatically adjusted to coincide with the new dates/times in port; no further action is required. Shore excursions for Alexandria, Egypt, Heraklion, Greece, and Mykonos, Greece will be available as soon as possible. If you are interested in booking new excursions for your upcoming vacation, please login to your MyNCL account, contact us directly at (866) 625-1167, or visit the Shore excursions desk on deck 7. Guests residing outside of the U.S. or Canada should visit www.ncl.com for local contact information.

 

 

[Vitrbt1103]

I just called NCL and no refunds if you cancel as we have a contract that said port visits are all subject to change. Not sure what to do at this point. Turkey and Egypt are not safe.

[DCGuy64]

24 minutes ago, Bella65 said:

I just received the new itinerary for November 1-11 - how sad that they are actually thinking this is the cruise we wanted. Sharing what I just received: 
 

Day Destination Arrive Depart   Wed ISTANBUL, TURKEY   7:00 pm   Thu KUSADASI, TURKEY 1:30 pm 7:30 pm   Fri AT SEA       Sat ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT 6:00 am 8:00 pm   Sun PORT SAID, EGYPT 6:30 am 9:00 pm   Mon ASHDOD, ISRAEL 7:00 am 11:00 pm   Tue HAIFA, ISRAEL 6:00 am 8:00 pm   Wed LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 7:00 am 3:00 pm   Thu ALANYA, TURKEY 7:00 am 6:00 pm   Fri RHODES, GREECE 7:00 am 3:00 pm   Sat PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE 6:00 am

Revised Day Destination Arrive Depart   Wed ISTANBUL, TURKEY   7:00 pm   Thu KUSADASI, TURKEY 1:30 pm 7:30 pm   Fri AT SEA       Sat ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT 6:00 am Overnight   Sun ALEXANDRIA (CAIRO), EGYPT Overnight 6:00 pm   Mon LIMASSOL, CYPRUS 10:00 am 5:00 pm   Tue ALANYA, TURKEY 7:00 am 6:00 pm   Wed HERAKLION, GREECE 12:00 pm 8:00 pm   Thu RHODES, GREECE 8:00 am 6:00 pm   Fri MYKONOS, GREECE 8:00 am 4:00 pm   Sat PIRAEUS (ATHENS), GREECE 6:00 am

We understand that itinerary changes can be frustrating. We share your disappointment and regret that this situation has prevented us from delivering the vacation that both we and our guests imagined. As a genuine acknowledgment of the inconvenience caused and to thank you for your continued loyalty, we have arranged for a $200 non-refundable onboard credit per stateroom. This will reflect as a $100 non-refundable onboard credit for guest one and guest two on your onboard account.

SHORE EXCURSIONS
Shore excursions booked through NCL for Port Said (Cairo), Egypt, Jerusalem (Ashdod), and Tel-Aviv (Haifa), Israel, will be automatically canceled, and a full monetary refund of the fare paid will be issued to your onboard account; no further action is required. Shore excursions booked through NCL for Limassol, Cyprus, Alanya, Turkey, and Rhodes, Greece will be automatically adjusted to coincide with the new dates/times in port; no further action is required. Shore excursions for Alexandria, Egypt, Heraklion, Greece, and Mykonos, Greece will be available as soon as possible. If you are interested in booking new excursions for your upcoming vacation, please login to your MyNCL account, contact us directly at (866) 625-1167, or visit the Shore excursions desk on deck 7. Guests residing outside of the U.S. or Canada should visit www.ncl.com for local contact information.

 

 

Looks like they changed only 3 ports (it's obvious with the situation over there that they aren't stopping in Ashdod or Haifa, that's a given). If I were you, I'd be grateful to be going anywhere. It goes without saying that a cruise line would never recklessly attempt to send 1,000s of passengers into an active war zone. I'm sure you realize that. Have a good time on your trip.

[OctoP]

9 minutes ago, Vitrbt1103 said:

I just called NCL and no refunds if you cancel as we have a contract that said port visits are all subject to change. Not sure what to do at this point. Turkey and Egypt are not safe.

Here’s a couple of good articles regarding safety in Turkey and Egypt right now. 
 

http://travelinglifestyle.net/is-it-safe-to-travel-to-egypt-now/

https://www.travelinglifestyle.net/is-it-safe-to-travel-to-turkey-now-during-israel-conflict/

 

[Dr_Moos]

50 minutes ago, Vitrbt1103 said:

I just called NCL and no refunds if you cancel as we have a contract that said port visits are all subject to change. Not sure what to do at this point. Turkey and Egypt are not safe.

Charge back on your Credit Card. You purchased online one thing they are delivering something else. It's like you purchased sandals, and they are delivering boots...

Edited October 23, 2023 by Dr_Moos
typo

[schmoopie17]

11 minutes ago, Dr_Moos said:

Charge back on your Credit Card. You purchased online one thing they are delivering something else. It's like you purchased sandals, and they are delivering boots...

Good point...however, when you purchase sandals, you don't have a contract with the seller that states they can make substitutions, if necessary.