Have a cruise coming up?
Keep an eye on the news for events that might affect not only whether your ship will alter its itinerary, but also if you might need to take extra safety precautions while in any ports.

Calls can be cancelled for various reasons - political unrest, weather, natural disasters.

But, even when a visit to a port isn't cancelled, it's wise to know what the current general conditions are there, so you don't have any unpleasant surprises!


For example, here are a couple of recent events that might affect someone's cruise experience.

EXCERPT FROM LONDON'S DAILY TELEGRAPH:

The International Maritime Organisation recently requested that cruise lines stop scheduling ships through "piracy-infested" waters following the rise in attacks on commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden.

AND ANOTHER

Last week's terrorist attacks in Mumbai have also prompted some cruise lines not to stop at the Indian city.
Royal Caribbean International cancelled a planned stop at Mumbai last Sunday (November 30) and Seabourn Cruise Line has cancelled a scheduled call at the city on Sunday (December 7). A planned call by an Azamara Cruises ship, on Sunday (December 7), is also being reviewed

If you should become aware of current events that may affect someone's Safety at Sea, or have an effect on one or more ports of call (either a cancellation, or a need for additional precautions), please post them in either Safety at Sea or Safety in Port

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Another issue are labor problems. On my first trip to Hawaii on a group tour, we were informed by the tour leader that there was a hotel strike going on. I hadn't known about it. It didn't bother me, as I was away from work for nine days , but other people seemed put out by the idea that the hotel restaurants (at least for the hotels we were booked at) replaced their meals with buffets, and the bed linen wasn't going to be changed everyday.

With a cruise, a portworkers' strike can make things difficult for cruise ship passengers.

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You are absolutely right, Patty - thanks for adding that!

For example_ -
Recently, one of the Royal Caribbean ships had to skip their stop at Labadee because of a worker strike. It was thought that the issue was settled, but was learned after the ship was already at anchor off Labadee and ready to disembark passengers that they would be affected.

So, the passengers that day got to see Labadee - from the ship.

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These are both great points. I had not really thought about the labor aspect of things until Patty raised the idea.

The world is getting smaller, yet more competitive. Cruising, as it always has, places visitors in the midst of new cultures and destinations and I think we sometimes forgot, as tourists, that life goes on everywhere...and things like piracy, labor struggle, war, famine and disease define existence in some top cruise locations.

What can we do to help resolve some of these matters? Is there anything cruisers can do to aid in stopping piracy and unfair labor practices throughout the world?

thanks for sharing, ladies. interesting.

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