Princess Joins Other Cruise Lines in Canceling Tunisia Visits

Jan115 · March 24, 2015

Princess Cruises is joining the list of cruise lines canceling calls in Tunisia in the wake of Wednesday's terrorist attack.

The California-based company tells USA TODAY that a June 1 visit to the Tunisian capital of Tunis scheduled for the 3,080-passenger Emerald Princess will be replaced by a stop in Naples, Italy.

Half a dozen other calls in Tunis scheduled for later in the year also "are being evaluated," Princess added in a statement sent to USA TODAY. "The safety and security of our guests and crew is our foremost priority."

Seventeen cruisers from Costa Cruises and MSC Cruises ships visiting Tunis for the day were killed in Wednesday's attack, which took place at the city's Bardo National Museum. More than 20 other cruisers were wounded.

Princess is joining six other lines -- Holland America, Costa, MSC, Star Clippers, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises and Aida Cruises -- in canceling upcoming calls in Tunisia. Some of the lines have canceled all future visits to the country while others only have dropped calls taking place in the next few months.

Two other lines that market to North Americans -- Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises -- have ships scheduled to call at Tunis over the coming year.

A spokesperson for Regent and Oceania, which are owned by the same company, tells USA TODAY the lines are "in the process of reviewing all future calls" in Tunisia.

Norwegian Cruise Line dropped calls in Tunisia last year after Israeli passengers on one of the line's ships were not allowed to disembark at the port.

Source: Gene Sloan (USA Today, March 24, 2015, "Princess Cruises Cancels Tunisia Calls in Wake of Attack”)

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