Cunard Line has reached out to visitors booked on a portion of Queen Mary 2‘s World Voyage a few dramatic itinerary change that can now bypass the troubled Pink Sea area.
As a substitute, the ship will sail up the west coast of Africa, which doubles among the present itinerary and adjustments a month of the cruise’s route. Friends are being supplied with beneficiant compensation for the in depth shift.
Queen Mary 2 World Voyage Itinerary Change
The enduring ocean liner Queen Mary 2 started her 100+ evening world crusing earlier this month, and visitors at the moment are knowledgeable that just about one-quarter of the in depth voyage is being rerouted with a whole itinerary change.
It is a results of the continuing tensions within the Pink Sea – which have already impacted a number of ships from a number of cruise traces, together with different world voyages – and is a obligatory shift to make sure the security of the visitors, crew, and ship.
“Given current developments and following in depth session with world safety consultants and authorities authorities, we now have made the choice to reroute our itinerary to bypass the Pink Sea and the encircling space,” the notification defined.
The change in itinerary begins following the ship’s name on Colombo, Sri Lanka on March 31. After that time, the whole itinerary will shift. Somewhat than heading northwest to the Center East and on to the Pink Sea, Queen Mary 2 will as a substitute head southwest to the Cape of Good Hope and up the west coast of Africa.
Cunard Line is evident that the size of the voyage, in addition to the deliberate disembarkation in Southampton, UK on April 28, will stay the identical. Ports of name the ship will not be visiting embody locations in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Greece, and Spain.
As a substitute, Queen Mary 2 will now be visiting African ports in varied nations, together with Mauritius, South Africa, Namibia, the Canary Islands, and Portugal. Sadly, 4 of those port visits duplicate visits earlier within the crusing, because the ship is already crusing down the west African coast as the primary a part of the World Cruise.
This can be irritating to vacationers who’re onboard for the whole cruise, however will nonetheless be a brand new and thrilling itinerary for passengers boarding later within the voyage, albeit not the unique locations that had been deliberate.
Dubai Debarkation Impacted
For visitors who had solely booked a part of the voyage and deliberate to debark in Dubai on April 7, that debarkation is not attainable. As a substitute, these passengers will proceed on with the ship to debark in Cape City, South Africa on April 13. The additional six days of the itinerary are complimentary.
Airfare preparations will be sophisticated, although Cunard Line will help visitors who’ve paid for air journey by way of the cruise line. Actual preparations, together with potential reimbursement for change charges, will fluctuate relying on how visitors booked their journey after debarkation.
Compensation Supplied
Friends scheduled for the impacted a part of the World Cruise are being supplied beneficiant compensation for the adjustments within the itinerary.
Cunard Line is providing on board credit score of $500 (USD) per particular person (quantities might fluctuate relying on particular person bookings), and all visitors crusing on the voyage may also obtain a future cruise credit score valued at 15% of the cruise fare paid for the times of the voyage impacted. Future cruise credit are good for any new Cunard Line reservation booked by January 30, 2025.
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All pre-booked shore excursions organized by way of the cruise line for ports that at the moment are cancelled can be robotically refunded to the unique type of cost. If visitors have made impartial preparations, they might want to contact their tour operators for choices. New excursions for the brand new ports of name can be made accessible by way of visitors’ on-line accounts within the coming days.
“Our apologies as soon as once more that it has been essential to amend our itinerary,” the notification concludes. “Please know that our whole crew can be working onerous to make sure you have a beautiful trip on board.”
The 149,215-gross-ton Queen Mary 2 can welcome 2,695 passengers aboard, and can be dwelling to greater than 1,200 worldwide officers and crew members. These itinerary adjustments haven’t been made evenly, however are at all times made with the security of visitors and crew in thoughts.
