Virgin Voyages is making changes to Resilient Lady's repositioning voyage taking place on March 27, 2024.
The cruise, meant to sail through the Middle East, will now travel from Sydney, Australia, to Europe via Africa.
The sailing will now be a once-in-a-lifetime journey along the coast of Africa with a brand-new route stopping in Eden and Fremantle (Perth) in Australia, Port Louis (Mauritius Islands), Durban and Cape Town (South Africa), Walvis Bay (Namibia), Praia (Cape Verde), Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spain), Casablanca (Morocco), Barcelona (Spain), Valletta (Malta), as well as Santorini and Piraeus (Athens) in Greece — all with extended time at sea.
In a statement, Virgin Voyages said: "The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority. Like many other cruise brands, we have been watching the current conflict in the Middle East closely, connecting regularly with global security experts to consider the impacts to the repositioning voyages planned for Resilient Lady in 2024. We remain concerned about potential escalations in this part of the world over the next 12 months and the risk that this presents for safe passage through the region."
Passengers who booked the repositioning voyage will have guaranteed spots on the new sailing at no additional cost and with a price protection commitment in place.
If the dates no longer work, travelers can receive a future voyage credit based on their paid balance or receive a full refund.
"We know that based on our conversations with passengers and travel partners, they understand the complex geopolitical challenges that have arisen, making this change necessary," read the Virgin Voyages statement.
First Mates (travel advisors) will have their commissions protected as well.
The statement concluded, noting that Virgin is assessing future sailings in the region: "With the very likely continuation of this escalated regional conflict top-of-mind, and in an effort to minimize further disruptions to our passengers’ future vacation plans, Virgin Voyages is now conducting a full review of other geographically similar repositioning voyages and linked sailings. We will provide an update in the coming weeks on any further changes we will need to make."
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