Norwegian cruise line cancels voyages to İstanbul over security concerns
A major Norwegian cruise line has announced that it has cancelled all 61 port stops the company had scheduled for Istanbul and other Turkish ports this year over security concerns.
According to USA Today, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises ships will not be traveling to Turkey in 2016 after parent company Norwegian Cruise Lines Holdings canceled all the 61 port calls.
Frank Del Rio, president and CEO of NCLH, was quoted as saying that the decision to remove Turkey from itineraries was "painful," but was due to security concerns.
"It's the right thing to do, but I feel terrible about it," he was further quoted as saying. "We're hopeful by 2017 we will once again have the confidence to return to Turkey."
Several of the cruises were to embark or disembark from Istanbul. The other Turkish ports the ships were to visit were Kuşadası, Antalya, Alanya and İzmir. Instead, the lines will substitute ports including Athens.
Crystal Cruises also announced last week that it was cancelling stops in Turkey for two upcoming voyages.
The company said in a statement that it was cancelling visits to İstanbul and Kuşadası, which had been planned stops for one of its ships, Crystal Symphony.
In September, another cruise line, Celebrity Cruises, announced that it would replace all overnight stops in İstanbul in 2016 with additional ports of call.
Royal Caribbean International says it is "closely monitoring" the situation in Turkey but has not modified any upcoming sailings to İstanbul.
