Royal Caribbean Cancels Fully Vaccinated Cruises From Israel Over Unrest

Table Of Content

• Latest News
• Melissa McCarthy defends ‘wonderful’ pal Meghan Markle: She’s ‘incredibly threatening to some people’
• US says Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for possible strike on Israel, reports say
• Thousands march across Europe in support of Palestinians
• Revamped Carnival Glory headed to Port Canaveral
• Travel
• Rafah crossing may open at short notice and for a "limited" time, US Embassy says

The journey is estimated to take about hours, with food and Wi-Fi available during the evacuation voyage. Speaking to CNN’s Erin Burnett from Ramallah in the West Bank, Palestinian Red Crescent Director General Marwan Jilani said food, water, medicine, and fuel are in critically short supply. Without mentioning Israel, he said, “the right to self-defence should be exercised in compliance with international humanitarian law and not at the expense of innocent civilian casualties,” according to a Chinese Foreign Ministry readout.

Latest News

"We are devoted to the defense of Israel. We will support Israel," he added. On Friday, the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah fired 40 rockets into Israel from its Lebanon base, some of which were shot down by Israel's Iron Dome defenses, reports said. Iran's Revolutionary Guard also seized an Israeli-affiliated container ship near the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, adding to the tensions in the region. Both sources said Iran had been moving military assets, including drones and missiles, in preparation for a possible attack on the Jewish state. In March, Royal Caribbean committed to "fully-vaccinated" for sailings on Odyssey of the Seas.

Melissa McCarthy defends ‘wonderful’ pal Meghan Markle: She’s ‘incredibly threatening to some people’

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday reiterated Beijing’s support for an independent Palestinian state as a way out of the conflict in Israel and Gaza. As the conflict reaches unprecedented heights, protests in support of both Israelis and Palestinians have been seen around the world — some resulting in violent clashes. About half a million people have left northern Gaza for the south following Israel's evacuation notice on Friday, an Israel Defense Forces spokesperson said Sunday. Travelers have been asked to sign an “Evacuee Manifest and Promissory Note” as an agreement to repay the US government for the cost of the evacuation travel, though the costs of the travel are not immediately available. In Cyprus, American evacuees will be able to board commercial flights to take them the rest of the way home.

US says Iran readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for possible strike on Israel, reports say

The American Embassy in Jerusalem announced on its website that it was facilitating the departure of Americans and their immediate family members with valid travel documents from Haifa, arranging for their transportation to nearby Cyprus. US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan on Sunday warned of the risk of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East as Israel pounds Gaza with airstrikes in response to Hamas' unprecedented surprise attacks. Shelters are overloaded and the area is experiencing shortages of food, water and fuel.

Royal Caribbean sends cruise ship to rescue Americans from Israel - Orlando Sentinel

Royal Caribbean sends cruise ship to rescue Americans from Israel.

Posted: Mon, 16 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Thousands march across Europe in support of Palestinians

Department of State in the assisted departure of American citizens,” said a statement from Royal Caribbean. Local time and was available on a first-come, first-served basis, according to embassy officials. The US Embassy in Israel announced the evacuation plan Sunday, offering the 2,500 Americans and their immediate family members still in Israel a chance to leave by sea. Tensions between Israel and Iran have ramped up since Israel's military campaign in the Gaza Strip, following the October 7 terrorist attacks, when Hamas militants killed an estimated 1,200 people in Israel.

Revamped Carnival Glory headed to Port Canaveral

The Odyssey of the Seas, the cruise line's newest ship, had planned sailings from Haifa beginning June 2 and continuing through October. Instead of sailing from Israel, the ship will spend its inaugural season with sailings in Florida. While air travel to and from Israel had come to a screeching halt, notably with major U.S. airlines temporarily suspending their flights to Tel Aviv, a cruise ship was the most viable alternative. In a letter to employees, Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty announced that Rhapsody of the Seas would be used to safely evacuate American citizens. The ship had its sailings in the region canceled after the Hamas attack from Gaza Strip on Israel last week and the Israeli response that together have left thousands of Israelis and Palestinians dead. Its cruise ship, the Rhapsody of the Seas (78,878 gross tons) which had been idled in Cyprus, was dispatched to Haifa overnight.

U.S. Embassy Organizes Emergency Evacuation by Ship for Americans Wanting to Leave Israel - Israel News - Haaretz

U.S. Embassy Organizes Emergency Evacuation by Ship for Americans Wanting to Leave Israel - Israel News.

Posted: Sun, 15 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

That voyage is a 14-night transatlantic cruise to Fort Lauderdale, visiting Alicante, Malaga, the Canary Islands, and Freeport in the Bahamas along the way. The 78,878-gross-ton, Vision-class Rhapsody of the Seas is currently homeported from Haifa, Israel, but the remainder of the ship’s Mediterranean season has been cancelled due to the regional violence. With no sailings for the next few weeks, the ship is available to assist in such emergency evacuation options. The US has responded to the latest threat with plans to dispatch its warships, including the aircraft carrier the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, a cruiser, and two destroyers, closer to Israel, reports said. Royal Caribbean had been eyeing the chance to offer sailings from Israel "for quite some time," Michael Bayley, Royal Caribbean's president and CEO, said in a March press release.

Travel

One of the people said that US officials believe Iran could be readying as many as 100 cruise missiles for an attack, the report said. "Due to the unrest in Israel and the region, we have not been able to complete the preparation required to operate," the cruise line said on May 15 in its updated suspended sailings list. Royal Caribbean has canceled a series of fully vaccinated cruises from Israel amid the surging Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Department of State, Rhapsody of the Seas arrived in Israel early Monday morning to evacuate Americans and their immediate family members with valid travel credentials. The State Department said Sunday the number of Americans killed in the conflict since it began has risen to 30, and that it believed several Americans were among the nearly 200 people Hamas kidnapped after the surprise attack on Oct. 7. Israel has long accused Iran of engaging in a form of proxy war by backing groups — including Hamas — that have launched attacks on its shores.

Rafah crossing may open at short notice and for a "limited" time, US Embassy says

The State Department has an advisory in place for the region, warning against travel to Gaza and urging travelers to reconsider going to Israel and the West Bank. A Royal Caribbean International cruise ship helped evacuate U.S. nationals from Israel on Monday. Royal Caribbean International is canceling its first-ever planned sailings from Haifa, Israel due to unrest, the cruise line announced Saturday.

Thousands of Americans fleeing the war in Israel raced to board a cruise ship Monday that would take them to neighboring Cyprus. Royal Caribbean had planned for its new Odyssey of the Seas ship to begin sailing in June out of Haifa, Israel. The cruise series — unveiled in March — served as Royal Caribbean's first fully vaccinated cruise announcement, and would have been the cruise line's first voyage from Israel.

The cruise line has said that 100% of crew will be required to be fully vaccinated, Sierra-Caro told USA TODAY. However, Royal Caribbean has not yet announced vaccine protocol for passengers sailing from the United States. Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said in the release that while the decision was challenging to make that the safety of passengers, crew and the communities the cruise line visits remains priority. Several foreigners in the country were stranded as airlines canceled service to the beleaguered country. The US Embassy reported that the boarding process commenced on Monday morning, and the ship Rhapsody of the Seas was assigned to transport Americans to Limassol Cyprus.

Cruise Radio prioritizes well-balanced cruise news coverage and accurate reporting, paired with ship reviews and tips. “Now, with enhanced safety precautions in place, our ship is providing free passage, including accommodation and food, for Americans in the region wishing to leave and find safer ground,” Liberty wrote. Department of State to send a cruise ship to Israel to rescue Americans who have not been able to leave the country. A ship for American citizens wishing to leave Israel will be departing from Haifa on Monday morning, the U.S. Cunard Line took delivery today, April 19, from Fincantieri on its first new cruise ship built for the storied brand in 14 years. All travelers must be either a US national or the immediate family member of a US national, including spouses or children under the age of 21.

When the conflict between Israel and Hamas initially erupted, RCI began canceling scheduled cruises that were meant to operate to and from Israel. In a span of less than a week, the cruise line canceled the remaining portion of the Israel cruise season, which was centered around the Rhapsody of the Seas. The Rhapsody had initially planned to offer cruises from Haifa to the Greek islands through early November. Embassy personnel were trying to guide the process, but at times recommended people leave and return later in smaller groups. They were being told that food and Wi-Fi would be available onboard and the U.S. consular staff would be traveling to assist the people evacuating from Israel.

The Combined Maritime Force (CMF) CTF 150 which is currently being led by the Canadians reports India recently undertook its first interdiction of illicit narcotics as a member of CMF. The Indian frigate Talwar contributed to Focused Operation Crimson Barracuda which CTF was undertaking to interrupt the smuggling of illicit narcotics in the Arabian Sea. Under normal circumstances, Rhapsody of the Seas can accommodate 1,998 guests for a typical cruise at double occupancy, and up to 2,416 travelers when fully booked with all berths filled. This is not a typical situation, however, and the numbers of evacuees are yet unknown. The passage from Haifa to Limassol Port in Cyprus was expected to take between 10 and 12 hours, with food and internet service available to passengers on board.

There were also widespread Palestinian protests Friday in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli forces shot and killed 11 people. Since Monday night, Hamas has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, which has pounded the Gaza Strip with strikes. In Gaza, at least 139 people have been killed, including 39 children and 22 women; in Israel, eight people have been killed, including a man killed by a rocket that hit in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, on Saturday. Royal Caribbean has canceled the remainder of the season from Haifa, Isreal. The flight was organized by an international rescue nonprofit group called Project Dynamo.