Unrest in Tunisia Prompts Cruise Changes

 

Costa Magica Location courtesy of Costa Cruises / Google Maps

Updated March 10, 2011     Travel Alert  Tunisia 

A travel alert remains in effect for Tunisia, due to the ongoing social and political unrest. Unrest has diminished and public order has returned in many areas; however, spontaneous and unpredictable events, such as work stoppages and demonstrations, have recently occurred. (click link above for US Dept State alert)

Costa Cruises drops Tunisia, Egypt, Israel for rest of year due to unrest in region 

On Mediterranean 7-day cruises including a one day call at Tunis (Tunisia), this call has been replaced by a one day call at Palma de Mallorca (Spain) Malta or Cagliari (Italy).
 

Update: February 14, 2011

Additional cruise cancellations have been made by MSC Cruises.  The following ships are affected: 

• MSC Fantasia from the 16th of April to the 15th of October 2011 
• MSC Splendida from the 10th April to the 06th of November 2011 
• MSC Lirica from the 18th of April to the 07th of October 
• MSC Sinfonia from the 04th of June to the 15th of October 

In case that the situation gets back to normal, the original itinerary will be respected and the call at Tunis will be operated as usual. Updates will  be posted on MSC's website.

Related Blog Post:
SeaDream II Skips Tunisia


Costa Magica Skips Tunisia

Costa Magica's scheduled port of call to Tunis on Monday was cancelled and replaced with Ajaccio due to the political unrest in Tunisia.  Fortunately this is low season for Europe cruises so this is the only impacted cruise ship.    There were several cruises scheduled to call in Tunis over the next few weeks.   Passengers will be informed of additional changes.

Travel Warning for Tunisia

The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens about the current political and social unrest in Tunisia and recommends deferring non-essential travel to Tunisia at this time. A state of emergency was declared in Tunisia on January 14.

The civil unrest has recently spread to Tunis and all major cities, including popular tourist destinations. These spontaneous and unpredictable events have degenerated on several occasions into violent clashes between police and protesters, resulting in multiple deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.

Travel Summary for Tunisia
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth office advise against all but essential travel to Tunisia. 

A State of Emergency was declared on the afternoon of 14 January under which it is illegal for more than two people to congregate in a public place, including in cars. Parliamentary Speaker Foued Mbazaa has taken over as interim president. It was announced on 17 January that a Government of National Unity had been formed.

The situation overnight (18-19January) in Tunisia was quieter but incidents of violence and looting are still possible. There were further demonstrations in a number of cities across the country yesterday and these are expected to continue today (19 January). The risk of sporadic violence and looting remains.

Consult either the UK or US sites for additional information.

Travel advice by country (UK)
Country Specific Information for Tunisia (US)

Warning - You Could be Denied Boarding

The day you've been waiting for is finally here. You arrive at the Miami International Airport and meet

the Carnival Cruise Line representative who directs you to a waiting shuttle bus for the ride to the Port of Miami. The excitement builds; you are just minutes away from boarding the ship for a fabulous cruise to South America. At the door to the terminal, the guard checks your Carnival Fun Pass and photo identification and directs you to the check-in line. There aren't many people ahead of you, so this shouldn't take long you think. Finally, it's your turn. You present your paperwork and passport to the agent who begins checking you in. It won't be long now. 

The port agent is very jovial as he starts processing your embarkation. All of a sudden, his face becomes serious and he asks you to wait a minute. He goes over and talks to someone else and both of them return. The second agent, his supervisor, asks if you have a visa stamp for Brazil. You tell him no, that you didn't know you needed one and in fact, you weren't planning on disembarking the ship in Brazil so why do I need one. 

An eternity passes, and he says, "I'm sorry, without the Brazilian visa stamp in your passport, you are denied boarding". You plead with him, again saying that you don't plan to leave the ship. That doesn't matter he says, and explains that they are not allowed to board any passengers without the visa stamp. He says how sorry he is but there is nothing he can do. You ask if you can't purchase the visa when you get to Brazil and he tells you that is not possible. Walking away from the counter, you shake your head, you can't believe what just happened. This can't be possible. Unfortunately, this is not a dream; it did just happen to you and in fact several more passengers recently suffered the same fate at the Port of Miami.

Passengers Headed for South America Denied Boarding

That story has been in the trade press and prompted me to write this post. Hopefully, you are reading this before heading to Miami for a South America voyage and it's not too late for you.

Update: This could no longer happen for someone going to Brazil, but I've used Brazil for this story, because that was the circumstances around this recent incident (at the time of posting).

There are other countries that require a visa of passengers entering that country. Even if you do not plan to leave the ship when it arrives for a daylong stop in that country, you will not be permitted to board the ship if you have not obtained a visa for that country.

Don't let this happen to you

Next time you book a cruise, determine in advance whether you will need a particular visa for a country on the cruise ship’s itinerary. If one such country does require a visa, and does not honor a "group visa" issued by the cruise line (like St. Petersburg, Russia does), then be sure to obtain a visa for the visa-requiring country.

How do you know if one of the countries on your itinerary requires a visa? That's pretty simple to find out. Consult the Foreign Entry Requirementson the U.S. Department of State website. While you are on their website, also pay attention to the Latest Travel Alerts and Warnings.

The direct link for Brazil Information shows some other information which you also need to check. Besides providing the information about the visa requirements, there is information about potential vaccinations you may be required to obtain for entry. In particular, if you have traveled to certain countries within the last 90 days, you'll be required to get a Yellow Fever vaccination. For example, after visiting the Galapagos in Ecuador, I would have needed to get that vaccination to go to Brazil.

Traveler's Health Topics

You'll want to check Traveler's Health on the Centers for Disease Control website. Check for any warnings and also for information about health precautions and vaccinations. If vaccinations are required, discuss with your family doctor or a doctor that specializes in infectious diseases.

Obviously you'll not have to worry about water supply or food while on the cruise ship, but when you are in port, or if you extend your stay, you'll want to be aware of health safety. We had no problems in Quito before or after our cruise to Galapagos. We drank bottled water and not the tap water as was suggested. Following a few simple tips can make the difference between a good or bad cruise vacation.

Closing Thoughts

Ideally the cruise line and / or the travel agent that books your trip will supply you with information such as visa requirements and vaccinations. If they don't volunteer that information, you can ask them for advice, however the responsibility rests with you to check for yourself. Often information changes, and it is advisable to get the latest information directly from the country's website. I hope this warning prevents you from standing forlorn at an embarkation port, denied boarding because you didn't meet necessary requirements.