Royal Caribbean, Norwegian cruise lines change 2024 itineraries as Israel-Hamas war continues

Royal Caribbean International and Norwegian Cruise Line have made changes to 2024 itineraries as the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East continues.

In an emailed statement Friday afternoon, Royal Caribbean International said all calls to Israel on the Celebrity Infinity are canceled through April 2024 while itineraries have been changed for three ships in summer and fall of 2024. Redeployments of two other ships sailing next summer and fall were also announced.

“The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority. Our global security team continues to closely monitor the evolving situation in the region, and due to the continued uncertainty in the area, we’re adjusting several itineraries in 2024. Impacted guests will be notified directly,” the cruise line’s statement said.

The itinerary modifications are for the following ships and dates:

•Odyssey of the Seas: May 5, 2024, Sept. 3, 2024, Oct. 10, 2024 and Oct. 22, 2024.

•Anthem of the Seas: Oct. 23, 2024.

•Voyager of the Seas: June 17, 2024, June 24, 2024 and Aug. 19, 2024.

•Jewel of the Seas: Redeployment from the city of Haifa in Israel to Boston from July to October 2024.

•Grandeur of the Seas: Redeployment from Boston to Tampa from August to November 2024.

•Celebrity Infinity: Calls to Israel canceled through April 2024.

The statement did not provide further details about what the changes are.

In a conference call Wednesday to discuss third-quarter earnings, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings President and CEO Harry Sommer said all calls to Israel were canceled for the rest of 2023 when the Israel-Hamas conflict began to escalate. The line has since canceled all calls in Israel for 2024, Sommer said on the call.

Sommer said the company was seeing more cancelations and lower bookings for the region “as the conflict is ongoing and still front and center in the consumer psyche.” Later in the call, he said the company has no plans to “fully cancel or lay out any of our ships because of this disruption.”

Israel declared war on Hamas after its Oct. 7 attack, which killed more than 1,400 people. Hamas has been classified a terrorist group by the United States, Canada and the European Union. The Associated Press reported Friday that the Palestinian death toll since the war began last month has reached over 9,200.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.