Following the suicide bombing that killed 10 tourists in Istanbul, many cruise lines are altering their Turkey itineraries and monitoring the situation closely for the safety of their guests.
Celebrity Cruises
An Associated Press report indicates that, Celebrity Cruises had, "announced that it would replace all overnights to Istanbul in 2016 with additional ports of call."
Crystal Cruises
On January 15, Crystal Cruises said, "in response to ongoing security concerns for travel within Istanbul, Crystal Cruises announced today that it will reroute two of its upcoming voyages set to call in Turkish ports."
Crystal Symphony was scheduled to visit Istanbul and Kusadasi on its April 24 and May 1 sailings, but has now replaced those stops with calls on Greek ports. Also, the line's new Crystal Esprit luxury yacht will be changing its April and November itineraries to bypass Turkey.
"The safety and peace of mind of our guests are our primary concerns, and we do not take any risks with either," said Crystal CEO & President, Edie Rodriguez. "The itinerary changes will allow our guests to continue with their planned vacations in the same standard of excellence and luxury, without the added worry of security in a particular destination."
READ MORE: Everything You Need to Know About Turkey
Holland America Line
When TravelPulse reached out to Holland America Line, Director of Public Relations Erik Elvejord responded with the following statement:
"No ships are cruising in Turkey at this time and the first ship call of 2016 will be April 1 with ms Prinsendam. Should adjustments to upcoming itineraries be deemed necessary, the decision will be made closer to the call dates."
MSC Cruises
Today, MSC Cruises has announced that, "it had decided to suspend its calls in Turkish ports until further notice."
As a result, MSC Magnifica's original weekly stops at Istanbul and Izmir beginning in March 29, 2016 from Venice, Italy will be replaced with calls on Athens and Mykonos, Greece.
READ MORE: Turkey Thrives Despite Challenges
Royal Caribbean International
The aforementioned AP report says that Royal Caribbean International has not changed any of its upcoming cruises to Istanbul but is "closely monitoring" the situation in Turkey.
Seabourn Line
Also, when TravelPulse reached out to Seabourn Line, the line released the following statement:
"Seabourn is closely monitoring the recent situation in Istanbul, Turkey. Should adjustments to upcoming itineraries be deemed necessary, the decision will be made closer to the call dates. The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. Seabourn Odyssey is scheduled to sail in the region between May and October 2016."
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