Lazysol Posted October 15, 2023 #1 Share Posted October 15, 2023 Is anyone else concerned about travelling down the Suez Canal and Egypt with the current unrest in the area? I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazysol Posted October 16, 2023 Author #2 Share Posted October 16, 2023 Spoke to TUI today still insisting it is safe and will not change. Asked if they would be happy sailing down the Suez Canal….. no reply! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted October 16, 2023 #3 Share Posted October 16, 2023 We are booked on same cruise. No concerns as yet with revised routing. If the situation escalates as it may our feelings may change. It could end up as a repositioning cruise with no/even fewer port visits! Marella has reacted quickly so far and will no doubt do so again if safety dictates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vwgolf Posted October 17, 2023 #4 Share Posted October 17, 2023 We had an Egypt stop cancelled a few years ago by Marella (or Thomson's as they were then) for safety reason. Ironically, we ended up going to Israel instead! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted November 4, 2023 #5 Share Posted November 4, 2023 Hi Lazysol Have you heard any more fromTUI. Assume still no need for visa obtained in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazysol Posted November 4, 2023 Author #6 Share Posted November 4, 2023 I haven’t heard anything else and as far as they are concerned there isn’t any danger. We have decided not to go if they stick to this route. Seems morally wrong as well as dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted November 5, 2023 #7 Share Posted November 5, 2023 We are still going … Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FuzzyDuckUK Posted November 5, 2023 #8 Share Posted November 5, 2023 I can't see the issue, the Suez canal is a long way from the Gaza Strip and since this part of a relocation cruise to get the ship to the far east, unless the Suez area was a war zone there is no way they would take the long way round. Not sure where morals come it to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted November 8, 2023 #9 Share Posted November 8, 2023 And now the ports of call have changed again - no surprise. Sharm el Sheik instead of Jordan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 8, 2023 #10 Share Posted November 8, 2023 Hi, I haven't received a notification re this change yet. This is for the Aegean cruise on 15 November? Are there any other changes? Thanks for your help. Karen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazysol Posted November 8, 2023 Author #11 Share Posted November 8, 2023 Yes there are no stops in Jordan, diverted to more ports in Egypt. Apparently we will receive a phone call with options. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 8, 2023 #12 Share Posted November 8, 2023 Many thx indeed for update. I’ve still received no notification - glad to hear that there maybe alternative options as well. Let’s see what happens tomorrow!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted November 9, 2023 #13 Share Posted November 9, 2023 I have had two chats with Marella. They offer a fee free change to another cruise or cancellation with money back. With the former they would refund or charge for any price difference as may be the case. I looked at alternative cruises on similar dates and surprise, surprise, what had the day before been great advertised last minute bargains rapidly increased in price & they say, now sold out! I conclude many have cancelled. I have suggested they offer an upgrade to those who do not change or pull out. To me that would be a good move for them as an alternative to losing business through cancellation. Not able to offer that yet they say. I do not know if Marella ever does do upgrades, free or otherwise, anyway. Anyone have experience of that? I would guess the ship is not full or near it. This cruise does not seem to have been advertised for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 10, 2023 #14 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Many thanks for your update. We have now received an email offering us the option to cancel and transfer to another cruise, which we definitely want to do. We are waiting to hear back from the Retention Team re transferring onto another trip and different itinerary. We are very relieved to be able to change, especially as we had read that other cruise companies have already cancelled all voyages to Egypt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 10, 2023 #15 Share Posted November 10, 2023 Actually, we haven't been given the option to cancel and get a refund. We booked through Planet Cruise - can I ask if you booked directly through Tui? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4524 Posted November 10, 2023 #16 Share Posted November 10, 2023 I have been contacted by Iglu cruises and they said I would get a full refund Marella have also emailed me to advise that the shore excursions will be refunded in 10 days… Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simonthesailor Posted November 10, 2023 #17 Share Posted November 10, 2023 5 hours ago, Hoare said: Actually, we haven't been given the option to cancel and get a refund. We booked through Planet Cruise - can I ask if you booked directly through Tui? Yes, we booked directly through TUI (well, via Topcashback!) and Marella cruise folk are quite easy to talk to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lazysol Posted November 11, 2023 Author #18 Share Posted November 11, 2023 TUI rang me and offered a refund to be received within 7 days. Booked directly with them via their app. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D4524 Posted November 18, 2023 #19 Share Posted November 18, 2023 Did anyone go on this cruise? I can see it is sailing to the Oman on the cruise tracker just wondered if there were many passengers on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pensioncruiser Posted November 23, 2023 #20 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Is it just me but tracking ceased on D2, 5 days ago when she entered the Red sea.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 23, 2023 #21 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Hi - my husband's been tracking Marella Discovery 2 on Cruise mapper. According to this, the ship is currently moored at Sharm Ash Sheik (not Sharm El Sheik). Yesterday, it looked like it was sailing randomly round the red sea! We're very relieved indeed to have been able to cancel the trip but also wondered how many people went ahead Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pensioncruiser Posted November 23, 2023 #22 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Thanks for your reply it is a worrying situation and my personal feelings are that you took the right decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DodoSails Posted November 23, 2023 #23 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Yes, we were so relieved that we were able to cancel the trip. We were very anxious ourselves and so were the family. Now re-booked on a lovely cruise for the new year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pensioncruiser Posted November 23, 2023 #24 Share Posted November 23, 2023 Hope you have a great cruise and perhaps in the future you will do the Red sea, we can certainly recommend it , Petra is unbelievable and Cairo is something else but even when we went, many years ago, we had problems, armed guards etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pensioncruiser Posted November 26, 2023 #25 Share Posted November 26, 2023 Hopefully all onboard are ok , tracker is showing armed security onboard. Fingers crossed for everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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