Fred. Olsen adapts Egypt port calls
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Fred. Olsen has changed the itinerary of its ‘Red Sea Voyage to Petra’ cruise in line with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) travel advice to Egypt.
The cruise, which departs on 18 November, will continue to stop at Sharm el Sheikh and Safaga but will not call at Alexandria and Port Said.
Instead the 30-night voyage will visit Ashdod (for Jerusalem) and Haifa in Israel; the latter a first for the cruise line.
In a letter to affected customers, the cruise line said the on-going political situation and the FCO advice had led to the decision.
Nathan Philpot, sales and marketing director at Fred. Olsen told Cruise News: “We appreciate that this change of itinerary to our forthcoming ‘Red Sea Voyage to Petra’ will be a disappointment to our guests, but of course, our primary concern must always be the safety of all our guests and crew. Due to the heightened political tension in Egypt and acting upon the advice given by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, we have had no option but to revisit this itinerary and make adjustments to ensure the safety and comfort of the entire ship’s complement.
“However, we trust that the inclusion of Ashdod (for Jerusalem) and Haifa in Israel, which we have never visited before, will offer a suitable alternative and will provide our guests with an enormous wealth of history and culture.”
Fred. Olsen is the latest of several cruise lines and tour operators that have cancelled holidays to certain areas of Egypt amid political protests.
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