Cunard and P&O, both divisions of Carnival Corporation, have dropped Turkey from all their cruises for 2017. Like many lines, they had previously cancelled stops in Istanbul; they are now canceling port stops along Turkey’s Mediterranean coast.
(Late Breaking: Holland-America, also a Carnival brand, has also cancelled Turkey for 2017)
The exodus from Turkish ports comes in the wake of a year that has seen terrorist attacks in Istanbul and Ankara, as well as the aftermath of an attempted coup last summer.
The two lines will substitute port calls in Greece, and in Sarande, Albania. Some stops have also been cancelled at Greek ports near Turkey, such as Rhodes, but those are due to planning economically efficient routes rather than concerns.
Both the British Foreign Office and the U.S. Department of State have cautioned against unnecessary travel to Turkey, especially to the area along the southeast border where Turkey meets Syria.
Photo: Turkey’s coast, not on next-year’s cruise itineraries
