Terms and Conditions Ultimate World Cruise

Table Of Content

• Red Sea Attacks and Ongoing War Lead to More Canceled Cruises in Middle East
• Royal Caribbean cancels cruise because of Houthi Attacks in Red Sea
• MORE: 3-year cruise canceled weeks before setting sail, prompting passenger backlash
• Norwegian Cruise Line Explains After Switching Port
• Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
• CRUISE HIVE NEWSLETTER

Rumors that the ship would need to change her route have been circulating for weeks, but the decision has now been made that a change is essential for the safety and well-being of guests and crew members. Guests on the cruise will have the opportunity to vote on how their itinerary changes and what ports of call they visit, an unprecedented way for the cruise line to handle the situation. Instead of going through the Middle East, the MSC ships will sail with no passengers on board and go around Africa. While cruises in the Middle East do not constitute a major region for sailings, it's certainly impacting many lines and people's vacations.

World's First Three-Year Cruise Runs Into Rough Waters - Cruise Critic

World's First Three-Year Cruise Runs Into Rough Waters.

Posted: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Red Sea Attacks and Ongoing War Lead to More Canceled Cruises in Middle East

3-year cruise for remote workers cancelled as organizers admit they have no ship - Fortune

3-year cruise for remote workers cancelled as organizers admit they have no ship.

Posted: Mon, 27 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Royal Caribbean previously told PEOPLE that it was reviewing alternative routes for the Serenade of the Seas. She covers all things travel and home, from celebrities' luxury mansions to breaking travel news.

Royal Caribbean cancels cruise because of Houthi Attacks in Red Sea

The votes have now been counted and the winner is the unique “Immersive Africa” option that will visit a wide range of ports from the Seychelles to the Canary Islands. Royal Caribbean confirmed it will not be cutting short its famed Ultimate World Cruise, the 274-night voyage around the world, despite recent rumors that have been circulating online. Prices started at just under $30,000 per year for each guest based on double occupancy when the cruise was announced earlier this year, including meals, drinks, Wi-Fi and more.

MORE: 3-year cruise canceled weeks before setting sail, prompting passenger backlash

MSC is offering passengers the option to move to a new sailing or cancel for a full refund. The line becomes the third cruise operator to fully pull its ships out of the region due to the ongoing conflict. In its statement, Virgin Voyages said that passengers on the former legs of the original repositioning voyage will have guaranteed spots on the new sailings at no additional cost and a price protection commitment in place. Cruisers also have the option to receive a future cruise credit based on their paid balance or a full refund. The cruise, which was originally scheduled to depart from Istanbul on Nov. 1 and visit nearly 400 ports, was scrapped earlier this month.

The cruise departed from Miami on Dec. 10, 2023, to weave through the Caribbean and sail down the east coast of South America. The cruise then traveled around Cape Horn and braved the tempestuous Drake Passage near Antarctica; it then made its way up the Americas' west coast and concluded its first segment in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Adita’s video on these rumors has been viewed more than 85,600 times and is one of her more popular videos documenting this extreme journey. Other videos include showing weather conditions it the Drake Passage, tips for organizing and storage for such a long trip, and other tidbits that bring viewers along on the spectacular sailing. MSC Cruises, which maintains a strong presence in the Arabian Gulf with cruises aboard MSC Opera, also told Cruise Critic in an email that those voyages – which operate far removed geographically from the current conflict – would continue as planned.

Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.

Holmes relayed the information in a 15-minute video given to passengers, one of whom provided it to CNN. Royal Caribbean has canceled the entire Middle East season aboard its Rhapsody of the Seas, which is now being used for humanitarian aid in the region since it was previously operating sailings out of Haifa. Windstar Cruises, which was to deploy its Star Legend on its first series of Middle East voyages next month from Dubai, sent a note to passengers on October 16 advising them that their cruises had been canceled. Some brands, like Princess, are re-routing ships away from the conflict areas and opting to travel around the horn of Africa. Others, like Costa, have elected to sail ships empty through the Suez Canal en-route to their spring European cruise seasons.

CRUISE HIVE NEWSLETTER

Cruise lines have begun canceling itineraries scheduled to call on the Middle East as the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip escalates. The line has canceled three repositioning ‘Grand Voyage’ sailings in April from South Africa and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Europe. Queen Mary 2 will maintain its existing itinerary until after its call in Colombo, Sri Lanka. At that point, the ship's itinerary will sail south along the east coast of Africa before rounding the horn and coming up the western coast of the continent. “Compensation will be provided to our guests who are sailing and those who choose to cancel as a result of the update,” Royal Caribbean said. Guests onboard the ship reported cheering and general celebration when the winning route was announced.

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Carnival Corporation rerouted itineraries for 12 ships across seven brands for voyages scheduled to sail through the Red Sea through May. Guests booked on the October 14, 2024 sailing of Anthem of the Seas were informed by Royal Caribbean that they have decided to cancel a Middle East cruise because of concerns for the ship's safety. On Nov. 19, two days after Holmes’ announcement, guests received another message, this time from Vedat Ugurlu, the owner of Miray International, who also stated that the cruise would not be departing, per CNN. Instead, Life at Sea planned to buy a larger ship, the AIDAaura, which was set to be renamed the MV Lara, per CNN. After telling its passengers that the sale was taking longer than expected, however, news broke that another cruise company, Celestyal Cruises, bought the ship on Nov. 16.

Virgin Voyages Reroutes Resilient Lady's Repositioning Voyage

"The Ultimate World Cruise has given guests the opportunity to see the world in a unique way, and we have loved watching their reactions to this incredible experience," Royal Caribbean's statement said. "This adventure will complete its first segment in February, and we can't wait to kick off the next part of the journey shortly after and begin exploring Asia." Captain Stig, who guided the journey on its first leg around South America, shared an update with passengers about the possibility of major itinerary changes during a send-off ceremony on Feb. 7. According to drjennytravels, the captain said Royal Caribbean would be making an announcement on Feb. 16 regarding the changes.

Go from postcard-perfect Caribbean shores—including the ABC islands —to viewing abundant wildlife like sea lions, penguins and whales roaming glacier-studded Antarctica as you round Cape Horn. Along the way, discover World Wonders in South America, including man-made marvels and extraordinary natural phenomena. It’s seven continents, more than 60 countries, 8 World Wonders, and endless adventures — all one voyage.

"In looking ahead at potential itinerary adjustments, we are currently reviewing alternatives for Serenade of the Seas, which is currently scheduled to transit the Suez Canal in May. Our guests and travel partners will receive an update from us in mid-February." The cruise line confirmed to PEOPLE that it has decided to cancel the nine-month voyage's original itinerary through the Red Sea and Suez Canal in May to keep its passengers and crew members safe. Instead, the cruise is presenting passengers with two alternative itineraries to gauge which route change is preferred among cruisers for the third leg of the voyage. Cruise lines had initially canceled ports of call in Israel like Ashdod and Haifa following the attack on Israel by Hamas in early October. Now, with the conflict showing no signs of resolving, some cruise lines have begun making sweeping changes to current and upcoming deployments in the Middle East and the Arabian Gulf. In recent weeks, shipping vessels in the Red Sea have been attacked by Yemen's Houthi movement, prompting the US to send naval forces to support ships traveling through the Suez Canal.

The ensuing conflict sparked the Houthis to launch their own attacks on interests in the region as a sign of support. Royal Caribbean announced its 9-month world cruise would be re-routed around Africa as well. The cruise industry has had to reroute and cancel cruises as a result of violence in the area. Anthem of the Seas was to sail through the Suez Canal as part of a repositioning from Southampton, UK to her new homeport in Singapore. Instead of sailing through the Suez Canal, Anthem of the Seas will sail without any passengers around Africa.

In June, Life at Sea announced it had acquired a larger vessel for the trip, allowing it to accommodate 200 additional passengers. With that ship, the MV Lara, the company raised the price of the trip from $30,000 to $38,513. “They will receive compensation for the adjustment, and guests who prefer to not sail on the updated itinerary will receive a full refund and support for their travel arrangements,” the statement from Royal Caribbean concluded. Instead of sailing through the Middle East, Serenade of the Seas will transit Africa and offer its guests an immersive tour of the continent. The 42-day route will visit a number of countries around Africa, including the Seychelles, South Africa, Namibia, Ghana, and Senegal. Passengers who signed up for the headline-making voyage — which was originally due to depart from Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 1 and visit seven continents, 135 countries and 375 ports — received news of its cancellation on Nov. 17, CNN reported.

All passengers booked on the three repositioning cruises have been, or are in the process of being, contacted directly or through their travel agent and can transfer their booking to a future Grand Voyage of a similar duration for free. Alternatively, affected passengers can rebook to any other cruise in the company’s global network, with either a partial refund or additional payment for the difference in price of the original booking or receive a full refund with no cancellation fee. Since the start, it's been our aim to provide the latest cruise news covering all the major cruise lines. We make sure cruisers are fully prepared for their cruise vacation with tips on ships and ports.Millions of travelers rely on Cruise Hive in the United States, Europe, Australia, and around the world. To reserve a stateroom on the Ultimate World Cruise a non-refundable deposit is required, deposit amount varies by stateroom category booked. For bookings created within 180 days prior to cruise departure, final payment must be received within 48 hours of booking.

Affected departures include Celestyal's "Three Continents" voyages sailing aboard Celestyal Journey on October 21, 28; November 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2023. “We were on tour of Galilee region at Jordan River when we were all recalled to the ship,” writes CNSJ on Cruise Critic’s Holland America Line message boards. Carnival Corporation announced on January 30, 2024 that it would re-route 12 individual cruise ships across its family of brands in order to avoid the Red Sea and conflict in the Middle East. "We appreciate how disappointing this news will be and therefore all impacted customers will be contacted by their booking agent to discuss the options available to them. Options include being able to rebook with a £200 per person reduction or receive a full refund." British line Marella Cruises is the latest in a string of cruise lines to adjust itineraries amid the ongoing Red Sea conflict and crisis in the Middle East.