Within the wake of escalating violence in Ecuador, Celeb Cruises has issued an advisory for friends booked on Galapagos cruises aboard the Celeb Flora, Celeb Xploration, and Celeb Xpedition.
This comes amid a backdrop of accelerating unrest within the nation, significantly in Guayaquil, the place a state of emergency has been declared and the arrival level for friends crusing onboard one of many three cruise ships.
Whereas cruises haven’t been cancelled presently, Celeb Cruises is advising friends to reach within the nation at most someday earlier than their cruise units sail.
Celeb Cruises Responds to Unrest in Ecuador
The escalating violence in Ecuador is having a severe impression on cruises crusing to the Galapagos Islands. Celeb Cruises, which has three cruise ships crusing within the space, is monitoring the state of affairs carefully, and has, for now, determined to run the cruises as scheduled.
Celeb Cruises despatched a communication to friends and journey advisors on January 10, outlining the state of affairs relating to their Galapagos cruise itineraries. The letter stresses that whereas cruises should not cancelled, friends can cancel their bookings with a full refund and have the chance for value safety on future voyages after they ebook a brand new cruise earlier than 2025.
The corporate emphasised the significance of security, advising friends to reach in Ecuador not more than a day earlier than their cruise. To help, Celeb Cruises will reimburse friends for any charges they incur for altering their inbound flights.
Celeb Cruises says: “As a result of political unrest in Guayaquil, Ecuador that started Tuesday, January 9, 2024, a state of emergency has been declared by the Ecuadorian authorities. Although the airport stays open, in an abundance of warning and on your security, we strongly advocate all friends arrive someday earlier than our crusing.”
Visitors aboard the Celeb Flora for the January 14, 2024, crusing are suggested to reach no sooner than January 13, 2024. Visitors onboard the Celeb Xploration or Celeb Xpedition sailings departing on January 13, 2024, are anticipated to reach no sooner than Friday, January 12, 2024.
After they do arrive in Ecuador, friends will keep within the new Vacation Inn close to the airport, which is a part of their cruise bundle. The friends are requested to not depart the lodge till it’s time to depart for the Galapagos Islands. Pre and post-cruise excursions in Ecuador have been suspended.
“Any Celeb pre or post-cruise packages in Ecuador might be cancelled and refunded, as these will not happen. For independently bought pre- or post-cruise purchases, we advocate you cancel these and we are going to evaluate refund requests,” Celeb Cruises stated within the letter.
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To help friends, Celeb Cruises has organized for a one-night pre-cruise keep on the Vacation Inn close to the Guayaquil airport, a safe space designated by native authorities. The corporate’s staff will meet friends on the airport and facilitate transfers to the lodge and subsequent flights to Baltra, from the place they may embark on their cruise ships.
Escalating Violence in Ecuador
The present state of affairs in Ecuador is advanced and distressing. The nation has skilled a major escalation in violence as a result of actions of narcotic gangs and the involvement of worldwide cartels.
President Daniel Noboa declared a state of “inner armed battle” and imposed a nationwide state of emergency and nighttime curfew in response to those developments.
The turmoil in Ecuador presents a difficult state of affairs for the tourism trade, significantly for cruise operations within the Galapagos. Celeb Cruises, whereas prioritizing visitor security, is carefully monitoring the state of affairs. Ought to the state of affairs deteriorate, or show unsafe, the cruise line should select to cancel the cruises crusing this week, or different upcoming voyages.
No less than one different cruise line working within the space, Lindblad Expeditions, has cancelled two cruises within the area scheduled to sail on January 12 and 13.
