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Worried about the safety situation in Turkey, for the rest of the cruise season, Celebrity Cruises will not be stopping for the evening in Istanbul.
"Due to the security concerns taking place in Turkey, Celebrity Cruises has canceled overnight stays in Istanbul," the Miami-based cruise line said in a statement. "We appreciate our guests' understanding and cooperation, and (look) forward to welcoming them aboard."
"We will continue to closely monitor the situation in Turkey and have been contacting guests and their travel agents (regarding) modifications to their upcoming itineraries. The safety and security of our guests and crew members is always foremost in our minds."
The decision comes on the heels of a travel warning issued by the U.S. government.
"U.S. citizens traveling to or residing in Turkey should be alert to the potential for violence," the warning states.
In all, three cruise ships - Celebrity Reflection, Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Constellation - and eight itineraries will be impacted by the cancellation.
The Celebrity Equinox will be the first ship affected by the change. A 13-night sailing from Barcelona that departed Monday will spend an extra day at sea rather than making an overnight stop in Istanbul. The ship will then depart Istanbul a day earlier on Sept. 19 and spend a day at sea.
Select September and October sailings on the Celebrity Reflection and Celebrity Constellation will also feature altered overnight stops and extra days at sea.
Celebrity Cruises joins Costa Cruises in canceling stopovers in Istanbul for the remainder of the cruise season. The Italian cruise line made a similar announcement last month.
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