More cruise lines cancel Istanbul calls in wake of attack
If you’re planning a trip to Europe, you can take steps to stay safe in the wake of recent attacks.
USA TODAY
Several cruise lines including Celebrity and Windstar on Wednesday canceled ship visits to Istanbul for the rest of the year, citing Tuesday’s terrorist attack at the city’s Ataturk Airport.
Celebrity said two vessels that were scheduled to use Istanbul as an occasional base for Eastern Mediterranean cruises over the next five months instead will operate out of Piraeus, Greece, the port for Athens. Seven sailings are affected.
Windstar’s single ship in the region, the 148-passenger Wind Star, also will sail out of Piraeus instead of Istanbul, and the line also is dropping calls at other Turkish ports including Kusadasi, the gateway to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Sixteen sailings are affected.
Also canceling calls in Istanbul for the rest of the year was Cunard. The decision affects just two sailings of the 2,014-passenger Queen Victoria scheduled for July and August.
Two other lines, Seabourn and Princess, each canceled a single visit to Istanbul scheduled to take place in the next few days.
Seabourn said a cruise on the 450-passenger Seabourn Odyssey scheduled to begin Saturday in the city instead would begin in Piraeus. The line didn’t made changes to four other departures from Istanbul scheduled between July 30 and Oct. 22, and the line will continue to call at other ports in Turkey.
Princess said it would drop a call in the city scheduled for July 7 by one of its biggest ships, the 3,600-passenger Royal Princess. Additional calls in Istanbul scheduled for later this year “will be evaluated over the next couple of weeks,” the line said in a statement. Princess ships will continue to call at Kusadasi.
The five lines were among just a handful of cruise operators that still had Istanbul and other Turkish ports on the schedule for 2016. Many lines dropped Turkey calls months ago after an earlier string of terrorist incidents in the country.
Crystal Cruises, Disney Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, MSC Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises all had previously canceled visits to Turkey for 2016. Norwegian, Regent and Oceania also have dropped calls in Turkey for 2017.
The world’s two biggest cruise lines by passenger capacity, Royal Caribbean and Carnival, don’t send ships to Istanbul but operate cruises that stop in Kusadasi. Both lines plan to go ahead with the Kusadasi visits.
Other than Seabourn and Princess, the only major lines still calling at Istanbul this year in the wake of Wednesday’s announcements are Holland America and Silversea Cruises.
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTRaw: Memorials At Istanbul Airport, Taxi Stand | 1:37
Memorial services were held for the victims of Tuesday’s gunfire and suicide bombing attack at the Ataturk Airport in Istanbul. Colleagues of two taxi drivers who were killed also held a memorial for them at the airport’s taxi stand. (June 30)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTIstanbul airport attack: What we know | 1:18
Turkish authorities say the three suicide bombers who carried out the deadly attack on Istanbul’s main airport were nationals of Russia, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
VPC
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTRaw: Protest in Turkey After Airport Attack | 0:45
About 200 people demonstrated in Istanbul, Turkey on Wednesday. The demonstrators said they don’t feel safe after more than a dozen attacks over the past year. (June 29)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTPassengers from Istanbul reunite with families in U.S. | 0:36
Passengers from a flight that departed from Istanbul just before the terror attack reunited with their loved ones at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTCIA director: Istanbul attack bears mark of ISIL | 0:40
CIA Director John Brennan says the attack on the airport in Istanbul bears the hallmarks of Islamic State militants. (June 29)
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTRaw: Suspects Detained After Istanbul Raids | 0:49
Turkish state media reports 13 suspects were detained in connection with the Istanbul Airport attack. Police in Istanbul conducted raids on Thursday, targeting Islamic State group suspects. (June 30)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTObama, Pena Nieto talk Turkey, immigration | 2:25
The leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico convened a summit Wednesday intended to reaffirm their close cooperation at a time of rising extremist threats around the globe and isolationist calls in the American presidential campaign. (June 2
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTIncreased airport security coming this holiday weekend | 1:41
After the bombing at an Instabul airport, expect increased security across the United States heading into one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTRaw: Video shows moments after Turkey blast | 0:40
Video filmed in the immediate aftermath of the suicide attack on Turkey’s Ataturk Airport shows bodies lying on the floor and emergency workers at the scene. (June 29)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTPresident Obama on Istanbul attack | 1:59
Obama spoke on the attack after a meeting with the president of Mexico.
Time
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTFirst look inside Istanbul Airport | 1:11
Officials on Wednesday began assessing the damage caused to the terminal at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, which was attacked by suicide bombers. (June 29)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORT‘Like Hell’: Istanbul airport attack witnesses describe bloody scene | 1:27
The attack at Ataturk Airport on Tuesday killed 41 people and injured more than 200.
Newslook
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTAnxious travellers react to deadly Istanbul airport attack | 1:07
A triple suicide bombing and gun attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport has killed scores of people, including foreigners, with Turkey’s prime minister saying early signs pointed to an assault by the Islamic State group.
Newslook
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTFrance’s Hollande condemns the Istanbul airport attack | 0:38
French President Francois Hollande condemns the Istanbul airport attack that left at least 41 dead.Video provided by AFP
Newslook
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTTimeline of terror: Attacks across Europe since 2004 | 2:16
The deadly explosions in Istanbul are just the latest in a series of terror attacks on European soil in recent years.
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTDozens killed in Istanbul airport terror attack | 1:18
The death toll continues to rise after multiple explosions rocked Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport. At least 3 suicide bombers were involved and officials suspect the Islamic State might be behind the deadly attack.
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTSuicide bombers kill over 30 at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport | 1:20
The explosions happened just one day after the U.S. Department of State updated its travel warning for Turkey.
Newslook
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTRaw: Tight Security at Istanbul Airport | 0:47
Security was tightened at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport Wednesday after an attack killed dozens. Turkish officials say they believe Tuesday’s suicide attack was carried out by three suspected Islamic State group militants. (June 29)
AP
SUICIDE ATTACK AT ISTANBUL AIRPORTAt least 28 killed in Istanbul airport attack | 0:48
A terrorist attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk airport has killed at least 28 people and wounded some 60 others. (June 28)
In a statement issued Wednesday to USA TODAY, Holland America said it was assessing its schedule of Istanbul calls. There are no Holland America ships scheduled to visit Istanbul until July 23, when the 2,104-passenger Eurodam is set to arrive.
“Should any decisions be made regarding itinerary changes, it will be closer to the scheduled call date and communicated with booked guests and their travel agents,” Holland America said in the statement.
A statement from Silversea Cruises issued Wednesday said the line was closely monitoring the situation.
The two Celebrity ships affected by the line’s announcement Wednesday are the Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Constellation. Equinox was scheduled to sail from Istanbul on July 9, July 16, Aug. 29 and Sept. 16. Constellation was sailing from the city on Oct. 10 and 21, and on Nov. 14.
Celebrity said passengers on the sailings who booked flights to Istanbul through the line will be rebooked on flights to Piraeus at no cost. Passengers who have flights to Istanbul that were not booked by the line will be reimbursed for any airline change fees up to $250.
In a statement, Windstar said it was in the process of contacting all affected passengers and their travel agents with details of itinerary changes and will assist with changes to travel plans.
USA TODAY in April sailed out of Istanbul on the maiden voyage of Viking Cruises’ newest ship, the Viking Sea. For our first-look tour of the vessel, scroll through the carousel below.
Posted!
- 1 of 99
- 2 of 99
- 3 of 99
- 4 of 99
- 5 of 99
- 6 of 99
- 7 of 99
- 8 of 99
- 9 of 99
- 10 of 99
- 11 of 99
- 12 of 99
- 13 of 99
- 14 of 99
- 15 of 99
- 16 of 99
- 17 of 99
- 18 of 99
- 19 of 99
- 20 of 99
- 21 of 99
- 22 of 99
- 23 of 99
- 24 of 99
- 25 of 99
- 26 of 99
- 27 of 99
- 28 of 99
- 29 of 99
- 30 of 99
- 31 of 99
- 32 of 99
- 33 of 99
- 34 of 99
- 35 of 99
- 36 of 99
- 37 of 99
- 38 of 99
- 39 of 99
- 40 of 99
- 41 of 99
- 42 of 99
- 43 of 99
- 44 of 99
- 45 of 99
- 46 of 99
- 47 of 99
- 48 of 99
- 49 of 99
- 50 of 99
- 51 of 99
- 52 of 99
- 53 of 99
- 54 of 99
- 55 of 99
- 56 of 99
- 57 of 99
- 58 of 99
- 59 of 99
- 60 of 99
- 61 of 99
- 62 of 99
- 63 of 99
- 64 of 99
- 65 of 99
- 66 of 99
- 67 of 99
- 68 of 99
- 69 of 99
- 70 of 99
- 71 of 99
- 72 of 99
- 73 of 99
- 74 of 99
- 75 of 99
- 76 of 99
- 77 of 99
- 78 of 99
- 79 of 99
- 80 of 99
- 81 of 99
- 82 of 99
- 83 of 99
- 84 of 99
- 85 of 99
- 86 of 99
- 87 of 99
- 88 of 99
- 89 of 99
- 90 of 99
- 91 of 99
- 92 of 99
- 93 of 99
- 94 of 99
- 95 of 99
- 96 of 99
- 97 of 99
- 98 of 99
- 99 of 99
Leave a Reply