Here Are All of Ocean Cruising’s Israel Changes

With more than 10,000 dead or wounded on both sides after Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, cruise lines quickly canceled immediate future calls on Israeli ports of call, namely Haifa and Ashdod. With the violence showing no signs of ending soon, cruise lines are now extending their cancellations, in some cases all the way through the end of the year.

Here’s a list of what each cruise line is doing.  

Azamara Cruises
Azamara has changed the itineraries for three upcoming voyages: the Oct. 17 Israel Intensive sailing on Azamara Journey, the Oct. 27 Ancient Trade Routes sailing on Azamara Journey, and the Oct. 23 Ancient Civilizations sailing on Azamara Pursuit. All port calls to Israel have been canceled and will be replaced with alternate ports of call. 

Celebrity Cruises
Celebrity has replaced calls to Israel and Egypt on its Oct. 16 sailings of Celebrity Apex with calls to Santorini, Mykonos, and Rhodes in Greece, and Bodrum, Turkey. Other canceled calls for Celebrity Apex include Haifa on Oct. 20 and a two-day visit to Alexandria that was scheduled for Oct. 22/23.

Celestyal
Celestyal has suspended all port calls to Israel through the end of November 2023. The change in itinerary is valid for the seven-night Three Continents sailings that depart on Oct. 21 and 28, and Nov. 4, 11, 18, and 25. 

MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has revised the East Mediterranean itineraries for MSC Sinfonia and MSC Musica. Starting Oct. 21 and lasting through the Jan. 6, 2024 departure, MSC Sinfonia’s eight 11-night voyages will see Haifa replaced by Istanbul, which also requires that the scheduled visit to Rhodes be replaced by Piraeus, Greece, and Izmir, Turkey will be replaced by Limassol, Cyprus.

Prior to Oct. 21, the ship’s planned call to Haifa on Oct. 16 has been replaced with the port of Bodrum, Turkey.

Through early November, MSC Musica’s future seven-night voyages from Piraeus, Greece will see Haifa replaced by Rhodes on Oct. 18 and 25, and Marmaris in Turkey on Nov. 1. 

Norwegian Cruise Line
Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled all calls to Israel for the remainder of 2023. The line is working through alterations for affected itineraries and is communicating changes to guests and travel advisors as they are confirmed. 

Oceania
Plans are currently being made to change the itinerary of Marina’s Nov. 1 sailing, which was supposed to have two days in Israel. 

Regent Seven Seas Cruises
Regent has amended the itineraries for Seven Seas Voyager’s Oct. 3 itinerary, canceling the planned call to Haifa on Oct. 14/15 and instead sailing to Istanbul, where the sailing will conclude on Oct. 15. The Oct. 15 sailing will now begin in Istanbul, instead of Haifa, with its planned call to Ashdod on Oct. 16/17 canceled. The ship will sail directly to Cairo, arriving on Oct. 18 to resume its previously scheduled itinerary. 

Royal Caribbean
Two Rhapsody of the Seas sailings, which were due to depart from Haifa this month, have been canceled.

Silversea Cruises
Silversea has adjusted the itinerary for the Oct. 18 sailing of Silver Spirit, which had been scheduled to stop in both Haifa and Ashdod. 

Windstar Cruises
Windstar has changed the itineraries for the Oct. 20 and Oct. 28 sailings of Star Legend, which were scheduled to either begin (Oct. 28) or end (Oct. 20) in Haifa.  The Oct. 20 sailing will see the ship sail roundtrip from Athens, skipping its port of call in Ashdod and replacing its overnight stay in Haifa with a day in Santorini. The Oct. 28 sailing will also sail roundtrip from Haifa with the same changes as Oct. 20, except in reverse.