After docking on April 21 at the Haifa port, the "Royal Caribbean" company announced at the beginning of the week that its new ship "Odyssey of the Seas" is changing its maiden destination from the Haifa port to Florida in the USA, due to the tense security situation in the region.
The new Odyssey of the Seas ship of the "Royal Caribbean" company, the destination of which was the port of Haifa on June 2nd, changed its route to Florida in the USA, following the security situation in the region. For the first time, the ship docked in the port of Haifa on April 21st and since then began preparations In preparation for the maiden voyage. The preparations required stocking up on food, vaccination of the crew members and assessments with the Israeli suppliers. From the port of Haifa the ship sailed intermittently to Limassol in Cyprus and back. With the worsening of the security situation, the company saw that it would not be able to complete all the necessary preparations for the start of the voyage, which involves large financial expenses and made the decision to change course.
Michael Bailey, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean:
We understand the disappointment that may be caused to the Israeli vacationers whom we expected to receive on the ship, but the decision to change reflects our strong commitment to offer a vacation that is safe and equally unforgettable. We hope to continue to see our Israeli guests on other ships in the region and around the world. Our guests, staff and the communities we visit will always be our top priority. It's a challenging decision but we have to be quick to decide in the current environment.
The company also stated that the change in the cruise line's plans stemmed from a desire to maintain the safety and well-being of the guests, the crew, and the surrounding communities. An announcement about the new Odyssey of the Seas sailings will be made at a later date. Royal Caribbean will continue to closely monitor the changing situation in Israel, hoping to return to this popular destination in the future. The passengers and guests registered on the cruises, who will be affected by this decision, are currently receiving information and assistance on the refund process.
Uri Shanval, the franchisee of Royal Caribbean in Israel:
This is the first time that an American company of this size was supposed to bring its own ship and chose the port of Haifa. At the moment this sailing program is unfortunately cancelled. We will be optimistic about next year.
How do you join??? can't find you
Half of what is listed is incorrect, the company is simply lying to us, the customers. They were unable to reach an agreement with Israel to sell them vaccines after they did not have time to vaccinate the crew on the ship. The captain announced that the route to Israel was already canceled on May 13.5, that they were moving to Florida because they were unable to vaccinate the crew in Haifa. They are organizing a class action lawsuit against the company. 400 people have already purchased vacations. There is a group on Facebook. Anyone who purchased should join.