Oceania Cruises today became the latest line to cancel upcoming calls in Japan as the country reels from the impact of last week's earthquake and tsunami.
Oceania's 684-passenger Nautica will replace calls this week in Hiroshima and Kobe, Japan with additional days in Shanghai, China and Kaohsiung, Taiwan as well as a longer, overnight stay in Hong Kong at the conclusion of the voyage.
Oceania is following in the wake of Cunard and Azamara Club Cruises, which both canceled calls in Japan scheduled for this past weekend.
"As the situation in Japan remains serious and (its) government is focusing all available resources on the rescue and recovery effort, our most prudent course of action is to bypass our scheduled calls in Hiroshima and Kobe," Oceania executive Tim Rubacky tells USA TODAY.
Rubacky says the Nautica will go ahead with a call planned for Saturday in Naha, on the Japanese island of Okinawa, which is well south of the Japanese mainland and far from the area impacted by the disaster. The ship is on a 15-night voyage from Beijing to Hong Kong that began on Friday and includes calls in China, Taiwan and South Korea.
"Our sympathies and prayers go out to the nation and people of Japan during this time of need," Rubacky says.
Azamara Club Cruises skipped a call scheduled for Sunday in Osaka, Japan planned for the 694-passenger Azamara Quest, and Cunard's 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 bypassed Nagasaki on Saturday.
"The entire country of Japan is still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami," Azamara noted in a statement issued Saturday. "While initial reports suggest that Kyoto (Osaka) did not sustain major damage, we feel that the recent events and continuing aftershocks have the potential to seriously disrupt Azamara Quest's experience and our operations in port."
No other Azamara itinerary has been modified due to the earthquake, the line said in the statement.
The cancellations come even as at least one major port in Japan is putting out the word it was unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami on Friday and remains able to accept cruise vessels. Industry watcher Seatrade Insider today reports officials from the port of Osaka are trying to get out the message that the city is hundreds of miles away from the areas in northern Japan that were hit by the disaster and is "ok."
Two Princess ships, the Sun Princess and Ocean Princess, are scheduled to call in Osaka in the next month.
"I really hope they are still coming to Osaka, and enjoy our Kansai region," Seatrade Insider quotes a port official as saying.
Oceania's 684-passenger Nautica will replace calls this week in Hiroshima and Kobe, Japan with additional days in Shanghai, China and Kaohsiung, Taiwan as well as a longer, overnight stay in Hong Kong at the conclusion of the voyage.
Oceania is following in the wake of Cunard and Azamara Club Cruises, which both canceled calls in Japan scheduled for this past weekend.
"As the situation in Japan remains serious and (its) government is focusing all available resources on the rescue and recovery effort, our most prudent course of action is to bypass our scheduled calls in Hiroshima and Kobe," Oceania executive Tim Rubacky tells USA TODAY.
Rubacky says the Nautica will go ahead with a call planned for Saturday in Naha, on the Japanese island of Okinawa, which is well south of the Japanese mainland and far from the area impacted by the disaster. The ship is on a 15-night voyage from Beijing to Hong Kong that began on Friday and includes calls in China, Taiwan and South Korea.
"Our sympathies and prayers go out to the nation and people of Japan during this time of need," Rubacky says.
Azamara Club Cruises skipped a call scheduled for Sunday in Osaka, Japan planned for the 694-passenger Azamara Quest, and Cunard's 2,620-passenger Queen Mary 2 bypassed Nagasaki on Saturday.
"The entire country of Japan is still assessing the extent of the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami," Azamara noted in a statement issued Saturday. "While initial reports suggest that Kyoto (Osaka) did not sustain major damage, we feel that the recent events and continuing aftershocks have the potential to seriously disrupt Azamara Quest's experience and our operations in port."
No other Azamara itinerary has been modified due to the earthquake, the line said in the statement.
The cancellations come even as at least one major port in Japan is putting out the word it was unaffected by the earthquake and tsunami on Friday and remains able to accept cruise vessels. Industry watcher Seatrade Insider today reports officials from the port of Osaka are trying to get out the message that the city is hundreds of miles away from the areas in northern Japan that were hit by the disaster and is "ok."
Two Princess ships, the Sun Princess and Ocean Princess, are scheduled to call in Osaka in the next month.
"I really hope they are still coming to Osaka, and enjoy our Kansai region," Seatrade Insider quotes a port official as saying.