Celebrity Cruises is taking extraordinary steps to keep its Galapagos customers safe. Silversea is canceling a cruise in the Red Sea. From South America to the Middle East, political unrest continued to keep the cruise industry—and the travel advisors who sell its products—on their toes last week.

Celebrity, last week, issued an advisory asking guests booked on Galapagos cruises on Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Xploration and Celebrity Xpedition to not arrive in the country until the day before their sailing.

c, the pre-departure arrival point for many guests, is considered its most dangerous, as its ports have become a hub for drug smuggling. Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has declared a state of “internal armed conflict” and imposed a nationwide state of emergency and nighttime curfew after a wave of gang violence in which armed men interrupted a live TV broadcast and took more than 100 prison staff hostage.

Lindblad Expeditions has cancelled two cruises in the region that were scheduled to sail on January 12 and 13, National Geographic Endeavour II and Islander II “out of an abundance of caution,” and noting a “lack of clarity” regarding air travel. Celebrity Cruises is taking extraordinary steps to keep its customers safe. Silversea canceled a call in Manta, Ecuador, on Silver Nova, which is sailing a 71-day roundtrip sailing around South America, and Azamara canceled a stop as well. Intrepid and G Adventures posted travel alerts on their websites informing travelers of the 60-day state of emergency and noted they are monitoring the situation carefully.

Celebrity issued an advisory asking guests booked on Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Xploration and Celebrity Xpedition to not arrive in the country until the day before their sailing.

In a letter sent January 10, Celebrity stressed that cruises are not cancelled But, guests who feel uncomfortable can cancel their bookings with a full refund and have the opportunity for price protection on future voyages when they book a new cruise before 2025. Celebrity Cruises also will reimburse guests for any fees they incur for changing their inbound flights.

Guests who are sailing on the three ships will be housed at the new Holiday Inn, in a secure area near the airport, and are asked not to leave the hotel. Celebrity staffers will escort guests as they transfer to the hotel and on to their flights to Baltra.

All pre- and post-cruise excursions in Ecuador have been suspended.

“Any Celebrity pre- or post-cruise packages in Ecuador will be cancelled and refunded, as these will no longer take place. For independently purchased pre- or post-cruise purchases, we recommend you cancel these, and we will review refund requests,” Celebrity Cruises said in the letter.

Celebrity says it is closely monitoring the situation and may still cancel cruises if the situation deteriorates.

Mariscal Sucre Quito International Airport in Quito and José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil remain fully operational, but American Airlines, JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and United Airlines all have canceled some flights, and American, Delta, LATAM and United have issued waivers for travel to the country.

In the Middle East, meanwhile, trouble in the Red Sea and Yemen has more cruise ships scrambling to find alternative routes.

After making changes to the itinerary of the last sailing, Silversea last week canceled Silver Moon’s January 16-26 sailing of the Silver Moon Muscat-Dubai itinerary and is “in the process of informing affected guests and their travel agents of the reprotection options. Our global security team continues to closely monitor the situation in the region and will make any additional changes if required,” a spokesperson told TRO.

The cruise was scheduled to visit several destinations in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Bahrein, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Affected passengers will receive different compensations, including refund of the fate of the cancelled cruise portion, and Future Cruise Credits (FCCs).

But the January 26-February 11 sailing remains scheduled, as are future voyages.

MSC Cruises, meanwhile, has rerouted MSC Poesia’s 115-day world cruise, which now will circumnavigate Africa instead of passing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea.

Add the Galapagos to the list of countries fighting back against overtourism.

The International Galapagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) has asked the government of Ecuador to limit land-based tourism to the islands, and proposed raising the $100 park entrance fee “to help curb ever-growing visitor demand.”

The request follows a July UNESCO World Heritage Committee report that noted concerns over “a steep and continuous increase of visitor numbers” endangering the islands (State of conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List (unesco.org), in the section on the Galapagos starting on page 106). It “renewed its call upon the government of Ecuador to fulfill its commitment to implement a zero-growth Galapagos tourism strategy and to address the issue of land-based tourism growth.”

The report notes that the total capacity of passengers arriving by sea was capped in 1998 —but that just resulted in an “ever increasing popularity of land-based tourism in the islands, facilitated in part by a huge increase in the available number of available hotels and overnight rentals operating in the islands.”

“More people arriving and moving between islands, without concomitant improvements to biosecurity phyto-sanitary controls, greatly increases the possibility that new and potentially devastating invaders could come with them,” the IGTOA website notes. “And land-based tourism, according to the report, ‘carries even larger risks of introduction and dispersal of alien species compared with ship-based tourism.’ Beyond this, explosive tourism growth fuels migration from the mainland, and necessitates more and more shipments of food and other goods from the mainland, a primary vector for the introduction of new and invasive species.”

Executive director Matt Kareus says the group has “repeatedly and publicly called upon Ecuador’s government to implement policies to regulate land-based tourism as effectively and admirably as it has managed ship-based tourism, and to adopt other strategies to curb visitor demand,” and has asked the government to raise the $100 park entrance fee, which “has not been raised in decades and is a fraction of what other top tier national parks around the world charge, to provide much needed funding for biosecurity and park management and to help curb ever-growing visitor demand.”

Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic has unveiled the newest addition to their award-winning fleet, National Geographic Islander ll. With just 48 guests, and the spirit and soul of a private yacht, the all-suite ship will make her inaugural voyage in the Galápagos on August 18, 2022 for year-round expeditions in the islands.

“I had the pleasure of being in Galápagos for the first time last week and you could feel the Lindblad- National Geographic legacy in these iconic islands—from the second-generation Galápagos crew aboard, to the locally grown food on the table to stories of the role we have played in supporting conservation in the archipelago,” stated Dolf Berle, President and CEO of Lindblad Expeditions. “With the new National Geographic Islander II, we will be able to build on that legacy and offer an even greater connection to Galápagos and its people for just 48 guests.

Formerly the Crystal Esprit, the sleek and elegant National Geographic Islander ll’s top-to-bottom refit will elevate the guest experience to an entirely new level. Travelers will find encircling teak decks that gracefully connect the indoor and outdoor spaces, a well-outfitted observation deck, indoor-outdoor dining options, 26 light and airy suites, and new expedition amenities including a marina and Science Hub.

Elegantly appointed, each of the 26 suites features large windows, convertible king/twin beds, sofa, marble double-sink bathrooms, stocked mini-bar, Wi-Fi, flat-screen TV, and ample closets. The four Islander Suites, three of them brand new, have four windows, separate living rooms, and bathrooms outfitted with a tub and rain shower. Connecting suites are available, plus four dedicated solo suites and triple options. The Santa Cruz Islander Suite can be reserved as a family suite with a connecting double suite.

The reimagined Cove lounge will be the gathering spot for pre-dinner recaps, crafted cocktails, and enriching presentations. Dining will be offered in the newly expanded al fresco Patio Café and sophisticated Yacht Club Restaurant.

The ship will celebrate Lindblad’s deep connection to the islands, Ecuador, and its people. From the carefully considered food and beverage program that highlights the four regions of Ecuador with locally sourced ingredients, to artwork and decor created by local artists and artisans, on National Geographic Islander II, guests will experience the beauty and wonder of Ecuador on and off the ship.

Guests can expect the same best-in-class expedition experiences and adventures that are at the heart of every Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic voyage. Designed for active exploration, National Geographic Islander II carries a fleet of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, a custom-built glass-bottom Zodiac and flotilla of versatile Mark V Zodiacs — so that everyone can be out exploring at once.

The new Science Hub — outfitted with an interactive video display, lab benches, and seating — will connect guests to the Lindblad-National Geographic legacy of supporting conservation and research. Two Cabins for Conservation Suites, designated exclusively for Galápagos community members, local and international researchers, educators, storytellers, and other experts, will provide guests a deeper connection to people and place.

Named to honor the much-beloved National Geographic Islanderthat she will replace, the best-in-class expedition ship will offer a 1-1 guest-to-crew ratio, expanding on Lindblad’s renowned shipboard services. Her celebrated expedition team will include an expedition leader and four Naturalists, including an undersea specialist, certified photo instructor, and trained field educators who run the acclaimed National Geographic Global Explorers family program.

The National Geographic Islander II is a true ocean-going vessel, 280 feet long, 46 feet wide, and is equipped with stabilizers for smooth sailing. The refit of the ship for Galápagos includes key environmental and fuel-efficient upgrades like reduced outdoor lighting, special paint, and recycled water from new air conditioning systems.

For reservations or additional information on Lindblad Expeditions voyages to some of the most beautiful and fascinating places on Earth, visit www.expeditions.com, call 1-800-EXPEDITION (1-800-397-3348) or contact your travel advisor.

As the world moves unsteadily toward eliminating the threat of COVID-19, navigating the world can seem like moving across a map on which all the countries are different colors. The pandemic has been global, but the response to it is highly fragmented. There is no standard international code for how to create a safe environment while COVID continues to be present. Every country is going about it in its own way.

That’s great for the spirit of independence, but it creates a whole lot of annoying complications for travelers who, a couple of years ago, used to cross many international borders with ease. For Dan Austin, president of Austin Adventures, an operator of tour programs on several continents, it has become like an endless series of changing conditions Read the rest of this entry »