Marina November 1 “Holy Lands and Treasures” Itinerary Changes

[terry&mike]

On 10/21/2023 at 6:53 PM, susiesan said:

This will be my 5th African safari. They have become my favorite type of vacation. I'm sure the safari operator will come up with an alternate itinerary if it's not safe to visit QENP in late January.  Because we have a day of gorilla trekking in the plan, and it's a bucket list item, I really really want to make the safari.

Hey susiesan, we have gorilla trekking booked as well, ours in Feb. 2024, and it's a bucket list experience for us. We've also been on several African safaris, and love them.

I'm aware that the local tour operators are monitoring the situation, and will make itinerary changes if needed to avoid Queen Eliz NP, or other troubled areas. Although tragic, the incident was a rare one. As the gorillas are in Bwindi NP, all should be good there, and we'll likely encounter greater security when we reach the QENP area a couple of days after Bwindi. 

Our Uganda safari is part of a longer 10 week trip that starts in Rwanda, then Uganda for gorilla and chimp trekking plus a bird safari for the Shoebill Stork. Then we'll head to Kenya & Tanzania for a big game safari. On to Zanzibar to relax. Next up to Antalya, Turkey to an apartment we've rented for a couple of weeks. Then we'll spend 2 weeks traveling across Poland by train, and a few days in Berlin. We'll end by joining a group of friends in Amsterdam for a bike and barge trip through the Netherlands during tulip time. Lots of moving parts, logistical considerations, and a couple of areas that could pose a problem if things turn bad, but (as we always do), we'll keep an eye on things and check and adjust as needed. 

[susiesan]

Terry&Mike could you please email me off CC to share Africa info 

susiesan8 at gmail.com

[terry&mike]

3 hours ago, susiesan said:

Terry&Mike could you please email me off CC to share Africa info 

susiesan8 at gmail.com

Done!

[dock]

@GeorgiaPeach51, thank you for the update. 
I would’ve felt exactly the same.

Good luck with planning your next

cruise with O.

[barbdea]

Although we are on a different cruise (Riviera, end of Nov, Istanbul to Dubai), our issues are very much like the OP’s.  We were offered FCC late last week, had decided to wait to see if perhaps the cruise might be canceled altogether), and O pulled that offer as of this morning.  So we are now  skipping stops in Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Oman, visiting 6 Greek islands and spending 9 days at sea through the Suez Canal, the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, the Arabia Sea and the Gulf of Oman…which to us is also at least somewhat unsafe.  We are told that we either can go, or forfeit our money (about $25,000).  We are looking into actions we may be able to take to receive at least some of our money back.  Again, I understand, like the OP the need to cancel these stops, but wish we could have received some money for a FCC.

[Harry Lake]

31 minutes ago, barbdea said:

O pulled that offer as of this morning.

So did they give you a reason...even a crummy one?

[ColoradoCruiser88]

Write to Carlos Ortega.  I understand about the port changes, but do not understand why we have to be held hostage during 9 days transiting the Suez Canal and Red Sea when it is in effect a war zone.  Last week the U.S. navy ship USS Carney shot down 4 cruise missiles and 14 drones fired by Yemen aiming for Israel.

 

Carlos Ortega’s rhetoric in a letter responding to a poster on another post stated “the safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit remains paramount”.

 

The canceled ports in Israel, Jordan and Egypt are deemed not safe and therefore canceled.  How is it that the Suez Canal and Red Sea (which has seen military fire just last week) deemed safe?  You can have armed guards onboard to protect against pirate attacks.  What protection do you have against military fire shooting down hostile missiles overhead?

 

The FCC should be offered to all who request it.

 

 

 

[Vineyard View]

3 hours ago, ColoradoCruiser88 said:

Write to Carlos Ortega.  I understand about the port changes, but do not understand why we have to be held hostage during 9 days transiting the Suez Canal and Red Sea when it is in effect a war zone.  Last week the U.S. navy ship USS Carney shot down 4 cruise missiles and 14 drones fired by Yemen aiming for Israel.

 

Carlos Ortega’s rhetoric in a letter responding to a poster on another post stated “the safety and security of our guests, crew and the communities we visit remains paramount”.

 

The canceled ports in Israel, Jordan and Egypt are deemed not safe and therefore canceled.  How is it that the Suez Canal and Red Sea (which has seen military fire just last week) deemed safe?  You can have armed guards onboard to protect against pirate attacks.  What protection do you have against military fire shooting down hostile missiles overhead?

 

The FCC should be offered to all who request it.

 

 

 

100% agree. It’s  Totally unacceptable. 
 

I would love to know if Carlos would sail that itinerary with not just himself, but his family! 
 

Shows zero class as a leader, and as a business decision. Basically says that the word of him or the organization is worth a grain of salt in pulling those FCC offers. 

[barbdea]

14 hours ago, Harry Lake said:

So did they give you a reason...even a crummy one?

No, just that the “decision was made yesterday”

[Harry Lake]

15 hours ago, Vineyard View said:

Shows zero class as a leader, and as a business decision. Basically says that the word of him or the organization is worth a grain of salt in pulling those FCC offers. 

That's as straightforward, tell it like it is description. As some others have said I'll be following this and making a decision before our final payment is due.

[Vineyard View]

10 hours ago, barbdea said:

No, just that the “decision was made yesterday”

So to clarify, you were offered a FCC. When you were offered this, were you given a deadline to respond?  How many days after being offered the FCC did they rescind the offer? I want to be sure that the position I have taken with my comments are based on facts, and not  on a misinterpretation of what I believed to understand after reading several posts 

[barbdea]

29 minutes ago, Vineyard View said:

So to clarify, you were offered a FCC. When you were offered this, were you given a deadline to respond?  How many days after being offered the FCC did they rescind the offer? I want to be sure that the position I have taken with my comments are based on facts, and not  on a misinterpretation of what I believed to understand after reading several posts 

I might be a day out two off on this, but our agent at Oceania told us late last week (Thursday?) that we could take the FCC, and we had until Nov 30 to book the next cruise and had to take that cruise by the end of 2025.  No deadline to respond, and we told him we wanted to think about it.  By Tuesday when we called back to take it (because we had read here that they were no longer offering it, and thought we’d try), he said he was informed that morning it was no longer available.

[Vineyard View]

Thanks again for this clarification. I appreciate it. Again, it is how I understood it to be. 

[Abby0651]

On 10/14/2023 at 9:38 PM, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

“@FlatbrushFlyer

And, finally, you have no idea what Onis going to eventually do (if anything) in terms of compensation for your situation.”
 

Of course.  That is obvious!  But all I can deal with is what O is telling me NOW.  My hope is that they will eventually do something before it is too late.

 

“Whether you like it or not, a cruise is more than just the ports.”  
 

This is far from fact, though you state it to be fact.  That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but it is not a fact.  For many people a cruise is ALL about the ports, whether you like it or not.  

 

@GeezerCouple…..

I have never before purchased a cruise and had the itinerary changed BEFORE sailing.  Not once in more than 25 cruises.  So this is a totally new and unexpected and very unwelcome surprise.  For those of you who have more experience, or perhaps less luck than I, obviously this wouldn’t bother you in the least, but I am not among you.

 

Joanie

 

[Abby0651]

Agree, my Holyland cruise now has no Holyland ports and it is weeks away

without a doubt, people who need to because of safety, Eg.Turkey antisemitism, and others should be able to defer this cruise to next year or the following year.

[Tommy Glynn]

On 10/15/2023 at 12:38 AM, GeorgiaPeach51 said:

“@FlatbrushFlyer

And, finally, you have no idea what Onis going to eventually do (if anything) in terms of compensation for your situation.”
 

Of course.  That is obvious!  But all I can deal with is what O is telling me NOW.  My hope is that they will eventually do something before it is too late.

 

“Whether you like it or not, a cruise is more than just the ports.”  
 

This is far from fact, though you state it to be fact.  That is your opinion, and you are entitled to it, but it is not a fact.  For many people a cruise is ALL about the ports, whether you like it or not.  

 

@GeezerCouple…..

I have never before purchased a cruise and had the itinerary changed BEFORE sailing.  Not once in more than 25 cruises.  So this is a totally new and unexpected and very unwelcome surprise.  For those of you who have more experience, or perhaps less luck than I, obviously this wouldn’t bother you in the least, but I am not among you.

 

Joanie

 

[Tommy Glynn]

Regarding no-one making changes before cruise starts, FYI Viking World Cruise Changes from published itinerary: Nicaragua (still unrest); Maui (probably excursion operators not available); Tasmania (scheduled arrival date conflicts with big yacht race); Mayanmar (still unrest).  Haven't heard about mid east but expecting cancellation of all port stops.  We are still excited about the trip; horrified about all the violence in the affected countries; and consider ourselves fortunate despite the disappointments.

[Falfurrias]

https://www.elliott.org/advocacy/my-cruise-line-changed-my-itinerary-can-you-help-me-fix-it/

[Harry Lake]

6 hours ago, Falfurrias said:

https://www.elliott.org/advocacy/my-cruise-line-changed-my-itinerary-can-you-help-me-fix-it/

Well done. And I think doing the credit card 'thing' is a great way to go. And as they said this will likely wind up in court.