CLIA Comments On Ukraine
With the situation in Ukraine continuing to unfold, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) said in a statement that along with its member lines, it is “closely monitoring the situation unfolding in Ukraine.
Said CLIA: “We share with the world the concerns over the conflict in the region. As always, the safety and security of guests, crew and the communities we visit are of utmost importance and continue to be the criteria on which our cruise line members base their itinerary decisions.”
The industry association noted that: “Most itineraries that include stops in the impacted areas are not scheduled to begin until late spring or summer. Current sailings are in the process of being reevaluated or have already been adjusted.”
And its statement added: “As always, our members strive to provide to travelers memorable experiences that prioritize safety and make cruising the best way to see the world.”
CLIA concluded: “We encourage travelers with current bookings for the area to check with their travel advisor or cruise line for more information on the status of their booked or intended cruise.”
Norwegian Cruise Lines also issued a statement.
A spokesperson for NCL said that: “The safety and security of our guests, crew and communities we visit is our top priority. Due to the escalated situation between Russia and Ukraine we have made the decision to alter itineraries and remove calls to St. Petersburg, Russia from our 2022 sailings.”
The cruise line continued: “We are currently working to confirm replacement ports and will advise all impacted guests and travel advisors as soon as possible.”
Atlas Ocean Voyages is also making changes to two late-summer 2022 itineraries in the Baltic as a result of the situation in Ukraine.
The cruise line is adjusting two late-summer 2022, Baltic itineraries. On both the Hamburg-to-Kiel itinerary, departing Aug. 26, 2022 and Kiel-roundtrip itineraries, departing Sept. 7, World Navigator will drop St. Petersburg, Russia, and now call at Kotka and Mariehamn, Finland.
The August 26 voyage includes a transit of the Kiel Canal, while the Sept. 7 departure will now also add Saaremaa, Estonia.
Alberto Aliberti, president of Atlas Ocean Voyages, said the cruise line’s “top priority is the safety and comfort of our guests and crew. With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages and replaced our Russia calls with … destinations in Finland and Estonia.”
