Another major cruise line drops Baltic cruises in wake of Ukraine war
Make that three of the world's biggest cruise lines that have pulled the plug on a wide swath of Baltic sailings in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Europe-based MSC Cruises on Wednesday canceled all Baltic cruises for the year on its 4,842-passenger MSC Grandiosa — one of several ships it had scheduled to operate in the region.
The 2-year-old vessel instead will sail to the Norwegian Fjords, the line said.
Two more MSC Cruises ships, the 3,502-passenger MSC Preziosa and 2,550-passenger MSC Poesia also will adjust their schedules to spend more of the year in the Norwegian fjords instead of the Baltic.
The announcement from MSC Cruises came just two days after Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruises canceled a significant number of their Baltic sailings for the year.
Norwegian on Monday notified travel agents it had canceled all Baltic departures scheduled to take place from June 14 to Oct. 9 on the 3,963-passenger Norwegian Getaway.
Norwegian also canceled additional Norwegian Getaway departures scheduled to take place in other parts of Europe between Oct. 18 and Nov. 27.
Norwegian Getaway will be redeployed, but Norwegian has yet to say where.
Princess on Monday dropped all round-trip Baltic sailings out of Copenhagen, Denmark, on the 3,660-passenger Enchanted Princess for the year.
All of the world’s major cruise lines, including MSC Cruises, Norwegian and Princess pulled calls at St. Petersburg, Russia, from Baltic itineraries in the days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, citing safety concerns for passengers and crew. But initially the lines were adamant that the Baltic cruises would still operate, albeit with slightly changed itineraries.
“The Baltic ships will stay in the Baltic, [and] the Med[iterranean] ships will stay in the Med,” Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings president and CEO Frank Del Rio told Wall Street analysts during a conference call on Feb. 24, the day Russia’s invasion of Ukraine began.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is the parent company of Norwegian, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Oceania Cruises.
This week’s cancellation of large swaths of Baltic cruises at MSC Cruises, Norwegian and Princess is a sign the lines were struggling to hold on to bookings for the itineraries without St. Petersburg on the schedule.
Related: The ultimate guide to picking a cruise line
Known as Russia’s cultural capital and famous for its historic palaces and museums, St. Petersburg is considered the main attraction of Baltic sailings. Cruise ships that sail in the region often dock in the city for two or three days to allow for extended touring.
In a statement, Princess acknowledged the booking downturn, saying it canceled the Baltic sailings on Enchanted Princess “due to commercial considerations related to this ship’s full season of Baltic cruises.”
Noting “stronger demand for cruising from the U.K.” for the coming summer season, Princess said it would move Enchanted Princess to Southampton, England, for non-Baltic sailings.
Princess will continue to operate select Baltic cruises on two other vessels based in Europe for the coming summer, the 2,200-passenger Island Princess and 3,660-passenger Sky Princess.
Norwegian also will continue to operate a handful of Baltic cruises, including a few early season sailings on Norwegian Getaway and several more sailings scheduled to take place on its 2,340-passenger Norwegian Dawn.
Another major Baltic cruise operator, Viking, on Monday announced that it was significantly revamping its 14-night Baltic itinerary — known as Viking Homelands — for the summer. The itinerary now will be much more focused on Norway and Denmark.
In addition to dropping St. Petersburg from the itinerary, which was previously announced, Viking on Monday said it would drop Helsinki, Finland, and Tallinn, Estonia, from the itinerary. Added stops include an overnight stay in Oslo, Norway, and a visit to Bornholm, Denmark.
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.