Travel

[Kachina624]

Do you still want to go cruising?  I've heard there's a real concern about terrorists seizing a cruise ship, which makes me wonder what the cruise lines are doing to prepare for such a situation.  They could easily attach explosives to the bottom of a ship while it's in harbor. 

Tourists on a luxury cruise were suddenly subject to a dusk-till-dawn blackout by the captain and ordered to go without the standard entertainment and trappings for ten days because of a “pirate threat”.

The 1,900 passengers aboard the Sea Princess, who had paid more than £30,000 for a 104-day world cruise departing from Sydney, were apparently stunned to learn that all curtains must be drawn and shutters closed as the vessel was turned into a “ghost ship”.

Describing the ordeal, Carolyne Jasinski, a passenger, said the blackout occurred for ten days as the ship travelled across the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Suez Canal.

She said Captain Gennaro Arma addressed the ship and apologised for alarming passengers but insisted the threat was real and the ship “must be prepared for a pirate attack”.

[santorini]

Cruising is not something I've ever wanted to do.  When I travel, I like to get to know the places I'm staying.  I want to see how the locals live, eat where they eat, and to be able to experience the feeling of being there on my own time schedule without having to be herded back onto a ship that leaves before sunset.  My friends who love to cruise always use the old "you only have to pack once" line.  That's just not an issue for me.  Happy cruising if you love it, but I don't ever want to experience a cruise.

[dex]

Just not safe to go many places these days.i wonder what it will take to put SN end to this or if there can be one.

[bonnielu]

In the past we went on one cruise a year... We go with a group of square dancers and everything is planned for us.  Last time around there was some sort of delay.. lots of law enforcement before we boarded which held us up.  Apparently someone getting off the cruise before us was doing something they should not have.  No details.

We really have always felt safe and cared for.  NO fears on or off the ship.

This last cruise I just spoke of was almost all mirrors and I fell on the dance floor and then tripped in the theatre.. a day apart.  The crew was not all that helpful and the passengers were rather rude. I will never ever travel with the MSC line again. I spent two months when I got home with piriformus syndrome... sciatic nerve pain. 

[boston terrier mom]

The words piriformus syndrome and sciatic pain really grabbed my attention.

Can you describe the location/symptoms?

I'm dealing with pain located right where hip meets body, on the front side of the leg, a bit into the groin area. Walking is difficult. Pain subsides during the night, then escalates through the day. I'm trying to postpone a doctor's visit until Medicare starts on September 1st, so I'm doing as much investigating as I can to figure out how to deal with the pain until then.

I appreciate any help you can give me in putting a name to this pain.

[Alter Ego]

I think that people complain about a lot of things that, had they done even a minimal amount of research, would find that this is a very common procedure when traveling in this part of the world. I would think that cruisers on a 100+ day cruise would be a little more ... seasoned than a typical 7-day first time Caribbean cruiser, but I guess I would be wrong. Nevertheless, I can't really imagine they were "suddently subject" to a horrifying experience, but then again anything else wouldn't be very newsworthy.

I actually don't mind stories like this because (1) I get to roll my eyes at the silly comments and (2) it does bring the danger to the forefront for those who don't cruise regularly...and don't read Cruise Critic daily.  Ha ha!!

I do recall reading a trip report from someone who went through these procedures and wish I could remember more about it.  There is definately a bigger security presence on board during this route!

Otherwise, I certainly don't worry any more or less about getting on a boat than anything else.  There's security in ports just like at an airport, so it's not going to be so easy to attach a bomb to the hull!!  I have read that more people are being stopped for items that they previously were able to sneak on board (booze, for example), so that does make me feel a little better too! 

[Desertdi]

I got seasick on The Star of India  (but I did better on the Queen Mary)

[software]

I have no desire to cruise or travel to resorts in third world countries.

[Lipstickdiva]

My DH and I went on our first cruise in May and we both have every intention of going on another.  We loved it.

[millieshops]

I think pretty much like @dex -  if there's a safe place, a safe mode of travel, I don't know it.  Within reason, I go where my own body and my bank account  allow.  That won't be a 3 month cruise any time soon, but I'd still go on shorter trips.