Breaking: German Cruise Ship Rocket Attack

AIDAdiva Cruise Ship      Courtesy: Meyer Werft

German Cruise Ship AIDAdvia 

Under Rocket Attack

Israel's Port of Ashod

Global Travel Industry news outlet, eTurboNews, is reporting that the AIDAdiva cruise ship, filled with German passengers, was struck by rocket debris as it was leaving the Israel port of Ashod today.

According to the article the source of the rockets was unclear.  They could be from either the Hamas or the Israel Defense Force who have been trying to suppress the rocket attacks in the region.
In related news, AP is reporting that the Israeli Army has launched offensive on Gaza Strip to quell rocket attacks.

No Reported Injuries / Damage

According to the report, fortunately there were no casualties or significant damages to the cruise ship. We will monitor this story and provide any updates.

AIDA Cruises has canceled all port calls in Israel for the remainder of the 2014 cruise season.
Santorini, Greece will replace Ashod port call.   Passengers have been notified.

About AIDAdiva

Tonnage	69.200 gt
Overall Length	252 m
Width	32,2 m
Decks	13
Engine Power	36.000 kW
Speed	22 knots
Number of Passenger Cabins	1.025
Number of Outside Cabins	666
Passengers	2.050

MEYER WERFT delivered the AIDAdiva in April 2007

AIDA Statement

A statement released by AIDAdiva voices its regret. The cruise liner said no travel alert was issued by German authorities prior to them sailing to Israel. After the incident, German authorities issued an alert.

AIDA offers cruises to North America, Northern Europe, Western Europe, Southeast Asia, Canary Islands, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic Sea, Red Sea, Black Sea and Dubai cruises.  https://aida.de/

Lobsters Keep Cruise Ship from Entering National Park

Celebrity Xpedition Cruises Temporarily Suspended 

  

June 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd Cruises Canceled

With all the cruise line stories in the news this year, here is one for the books.  Twenty-six pounds (12 kilograms) of frozen lobster has prevented Celebrity Xpedition from entering the protected waters of Galapagos National Park.  Authorities have suspended the ship's license when it was discovered that the ship was transporting the frozen lobster out of season.   The lobsters were purchased legally during season, but according to a recent change in the laws, should have been consumed within 5 days of the end of the season.

Celebrity Cruises contends that it wasn't aware of the law change and both the cruise line and the authorities did confirm the purchase had been made legally within the season.   A $2,000 fine has been levied against the line along with a 45 day suspension.  Celebrity is appealing the fine and suspension and at press time it isn't known when this matter could be resolved and sailings continue.

According to the line "Celebrity Cruises is committed to complying with the rules and regulations of the Galapagos, which are put in place to protect and safeguard this unique and pristine environment"
We know this first-hand from our Xpedition cruise.  The naturalists onboard explained all the rules and regulations and carefully monitored passengers to be sure all were in compliance.

Booked on a Future Cruise? 

Celebrity Cruises is hopeful that the license can be restored sooner, so they are making decisions on a cruise by cruise basis. June 16th passengers should monitor the situation. We'll provide updates here as we have updates.

Celebrity also has a travel alert dedicated to this topic on their site. Consult this for updates.

Booked guests can also contact them directly at 1-888-829-4050 in the U.S. and 1-408-916-9001 internationally.

Passengers are being compensated for the canceled cruises and also being provided with future credit equal to 50% of cruise fare.  They will have 2 years to rebook.

We hope that Celebrity Xpedition will soon be sailing again in the Galapagos.   This is an amazing voyage - see our series of articles to learn more about visiting the land where Darwin explored.

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

Azamara Quest

Japan Closes

Ports of Call 

Impacts Azamara Quest

The devastating earthquake and the resulting tsunami that struck off the coast of Honshu, Japan yesterday, caused widespread death, injury, and damage leaving the country in a state of emergency. 

Related Blog Posts: 

Cruise Lines Return to Japan  (six months later, some cruise lines have returned)

Strong Quakes Continue to Rattle Japan

Another Strong Quake Hits Japan

After the Tohoku Earthquake

Severe Tsunami Impacting Japan & Hawaii 

Azamara Quest Skips Osaka Call

QM2 Skips Nagasaki Sails to China

 

[NOTICE] For overseas visitors traveling Northeastern Japan and the surrounding areas including Tokyo

 

U.S. State Dept. Travel Alert - Japan (issued March 11, 2011)

 

Azamara Quest was in Nagasaki, Japan at the time of the earthquake and resulting tsunami. It was on the Northeast side of Japan, in a protected bay far away from danger. The ship sailed into deep waters about an hour after the earthquake and was in no danger. The next scheduled port of call was Osaka, which is 38 hours sailing time from Nagasaki.

Azamara Club Cruises released the following statement today, as it cancelled the Quest's next port of call:

"The entire country of Japan is still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami. While initial reports suggest that Kyoto (Osaka) did not sustain major damage, we feel that the recent events and continuing aftershocks have the potential to seriously disrupt Azamara Quest's experience and our operations in port."

Cruise lines that have upcoming calls in Japan will be monitoring the situation and making itinerary changes as necessary.   We will provide updates as we learn of any changes.

Several cruise lines issued statements in the wake of the disaster  (read more here)