Cruise Lines Skip Over Turkey After Istanbul Airport Attack
By Tina Hodges of cruiserschoice.com
Cruise lines are not taking any chances when it comes to the safety of their ship passengers and crew members, so many are opting to skip cruise ports in Turkey following the Istanbul airport attack.
The change in cruise ship itineraries is due to this week’s attack at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport, which left 41 people dead, and more than 230 injured.
Late on Tuesday, three attackers came into the Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport terminal entrance and opened fire, after authorities began to fire back at them they blew themselves up.
Seabourn Odyssey, was one of the cruise line’s who decided to change their itinerary. They were scheduled to stop in Istanbul on Friday; however, they have decided to stop in Piraeus (Athens) instead.
Seabourn said the decision was made after analyzing “information regarding safety and security from many sources, which includes liaising with government intelligence agencies and on-the-ground port security assessments.”
Cunard Cruise Line is also taking no chances of dealing with future attacks, they will be completely removing Istanbul from their Queen Victoria’s itinerary for at least the next 2-months. That Istanbul port of call will be replaced with Thessaloniki and an additional call to Volos.
“We apologize for any disappointment this change may cause, however, our first priority is always the safety and security of our guests and crew,” Cunard said.
