Greece Turmoil

RedSox68

Retired 2021 -- All the Time to Travel Now!
Joined
Mar 16, 2009
Since the cruise is a year and a half away we will just have to wait and see. Although I don't know if that means it should be taken into consideration when purchasing travel insurance or if they will just skip ports in case of widespread civil unrest.
 
Along similar lines - I'm booked on a cruise in April 2013 that sails through the Suez Canal and stops in 3 ports in Egypt. I may very well move it to something else when more 2013 Europe itineraries are released.
 
DCL will follow the situation carefully and will alter ports if needed (they canceled Tunisia in 2011). I don't see how a poverty situation will impact things--Mexico is certainly poor--but civil unrest will. If DCL feels that the ports may be unsafe OR if the US government issues any warnings, those ports will not be visited.

That said, the cruises are 17 months away and a lot can happen in that time.
 


TDC Nala: I love your icons BTW.

Yes, a lot can happen in a year, which is why I'm not concerned right now. But it was unsettling to see the hospital hallways filled with people waiting for care -- some having been there more than 48 hours. It's just heartbreaking to see this country plummeting. I hope they can meet their deadlines and can start to strengthen again.

I know that Disney will make all the right decisions as time nears. If they can't go there, I hope they just tack on Venice and Croatia like the other cruises. I'd be fine with that, too. ;)

so when they cancelled Tunisia in 2011, did they add another port to replace it?
 


DCL went to Sicily instead.

That's an awesome alternative!!!

The unrest in Greece has been ongoing for over a year now. I remember watching videos of riots going on in Athens on tv last summer and I wondered, sine there were rumors that ABD was going to Greece this year, if it will push through. Well, they still announced their Greek Odyssey itinerary and so far, they have not pulled out, as well as other tour companies.

The cruise is over a year from now and things can change. Most likely, if things will turn from bad to worse, they would just have to go to a different port.
 
DCL will follow the situation carefully and will alter ports if needed (they canceled Tunisia in 2011). I don't see how a poverty situation will impact things--Mexico is certainly poor--but civil unrest will. If DCL feels that the ports may be unsafe OR if the US government issues any warnings, those ports will not be visited.

That said, the cruises are 17 months away and a lot can happen in that time.

I totally agree and if its just the economics of a country having the ship in port would be good for them. Unsafe is just another story... I'm on the cruise going to Greece and wont change because I trust that Disney will make the right call.

Although I really wan to see Venice as well!! So wherever we end up be it Greece, Sicily or Venice.. I'm still going to be a very happy happy girl...:goodvibes
 
Well, Greece certainly needs our business! I hope that Disney going there will help the local economy at least a little:)
 
greece may need the businnes but they need to act like it and not stop working before 60 they put them selfs in this mess and now others need to get them out
 
We sailed the DCL Med cruise last August. I booked it 8 months out. It was the most stressful 8 months of our life!! Barcelona was having strikes, first February, then threatened to in April (right before the Pope was to tour). Other proposed strikes thought out the summer on various dates.

Italy is in an economic turmoil. Just because you aren't hearing about it as much as Greece, it is happening. Strikes and protests were happening in Rome when we were visiting. Greece is just about ready to default, despite being bailed out by Germany (I think).

After last year, we will never sail back to any part of Europe with these financial situations going on.
 
While demonstrations can be annyoing, especially when you have to use trains or plans, they are usually not very dangerous, and you would make a detour anyway.
I didn't feel particularly safe when I got in the middle of the occupy wallstreet demonstration on time square a few months ago accidentally (I thought I could make it to the Disney store easily, how stupid :rolleyes:) but I don't think I was in any real danger, it was just a huge discomfort.
Demonstration or strikes are a rare occurrence in my country, too, but in Greece and Italy, even France they had been part of the every day life long before the economical crisis and probably always will be. They occur more often now but I don't remember even one holiday in Italy without anybody being on strike (and I even lived in Rome for a while).
As long as you are informed where not to go, on what public transport not to rely on, it shouldn't be too bad.
 
I will have to somewhat disagree with you. The strikes were MAJOR hassles. People didn't know whether to reschedule airline tickets, hotel rooms, etc. There was a transportation strike in other parts of Spain. How were tourists to get around? DCL does NOT stop the cruise if you can't get there.

Our protesters in Rome were walking right by us, yelling, chanting. Sorry, they were very distruptive. Bersculoni is still in power, so I don't know if anything has changed.

Thefts are extremely high, especially in Barcelona. When people don't have money to eat, they steal.

Sorry, its just a little bit more than an inconvenience.


While demonstrations can be annyoing, especially when you have to use trains or plans, they are usually not very dangerous, and you would make a detour anyway.
I didn't feel particularly safe when I got in the middle of the occupy wallstreet demonstration on time square a few months ago accidentally (I thought I could make it to the Disney store easily, how stupid :rolleyes:) but I don't think I was in any real danger, it was just a huge discomfort.
Demonstration or strikes are a rare occurrence in my country, too, but in Greece and Italy, even France they had been part of the every day life long before the economical crisis and probably always will be. They occur more often now but I don't remember even one holiday in Italy without anybody being on strike (and I even lived in Rome for a while).
As long as you are informed where not to go, on what public transport not to rely on, it shouldn't be too bad.
 
I spoke about dangers to life and health, chanting is disruptive but not dangerous. Of course it's a major hassle, I experienced this many times in Italy as well as France, being informed is key.
And as I said, demonstrations and strikes are something very common in Italy, always have been, that's nothing new. People are poorer than before but I doubt that they are starving.

What do you mean wirh Berlusconi is still in power :confused:? The new premier minister in Italy is Monti.


I don't say that the situation isn't bad but I get the feeling that it's getting blown out of proportion on this board.
 
We were on Mediterranean cruises in 2010 and 2011 (not DCL) that had scheduled stops in Greece.

In 2010, we did not know until the evening before whether we would go to Piraeus (Athens). The ship was in contact with the ship's agent and local authorities to determine whether it was safe for passengers to go ashore. We went ashore and had a fantastic time visiting the Acropolis (including the Parthenon), Ancient Agoura, and National Archeology Museum.

In 2011, while onboard, we watched CNN coverage of the protests in front of the parliament building in Athens, and were very concerned about the unrest. The evening before we were to arrive, the captain announced that he was in contact with the local authorities who determined it would be safe to visit.

From the port, we went to the Parliament building, and even watched the changing of the guard -- the full parade spectacle with hundreds of guards marching in formation. We could not believe it -- just days earlier there were tens of thousands of protesters. What changed? Well, we were there on Sunday, and as it turns out, they don't protest on weekends when Parliament is not in session. That makes sense.

Woody
 

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