Cruise ship warnings

There is a very troubling article in the "Consumer Traveler" about the dangers of cruise ship terrorism

http://consumertraveler.com/columns..._campaign=Feed:+tripso+(Consumertraveler.com)

As I once said to my in-laws who never travelled...
Yeah, going anywhere is quite dangerous.
No telling what will happen, but staying inside is not the answer, either.
A meteor or airplane could fall on us while we're sitting here.

We dropped our eastern European trade requests and decided to not head to Istanbul. There is just too much anti American sentiment in the area. Cruise ships, trains and public transportation in these areas can be problematic in regards to terrorist attacks.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/worldwide-caution.html#Europe

U.S. citizens are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems and other tourist infrastructure. Extremists have targeted and attempted attacks on subway and rail systems, aviation, and maritime services. In the past, these types of attacks have occurred in cities such as Moscow, London, Madrid, Glasgow, and New York City.

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http://news.yahoo.com/female-suicide-bomber-killed-istanbul-attack-163250485.html

stanbul (AFP) - A female suicide bomber on Tuesday killed herself and a Turkish policeman in a strike on the heart of Istanbul's tourist district, the second attack on police to shake city within a week.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...can-troops-in-istanbul-draws-u-s-condemnation

Attack on American Troops in Istanbul Draws U.S. Condemnation

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Bill

Turkey ranks 5.98 (#17) in the Global Terror Index. For comparison, Britain ranks 5.17 (#27), the United States ranks 4.71 (#30), and Mexico ranks 4.66 (#32).
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/#/page/indexes/terrorism-index/2013/TUR/OVER

The rankings are not weighted by population, but solely by the respective numbers of a nation's terror incidents, and corresponding deaths, injuries and property damage over a five year span.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Terrorism_Index#GTI_Scoring_System

I remember changing our safari plans at the last minute due to reported unrest in Congo at the time, as published by the State department. Ironically, I ended up sitting next to a state department official on the flight from JoBerg to Harare and he gave their 'cheat sheet' on Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswanna to keep with me and look at to avoid problem areas.

Over the decades, I've found the info from the State Dept. to work out well. Sure, random problems like those cruise pax on landside buses can happen.

Here's there current Tunisia spec sheet, in part:

"Terrorism also remains a significant concern. Tunisian nationals have been involved in international terrorism, and international terrorist organizations have on multiple occasions called for attacks in North Africa, including in Tunisia. On August 27, 2013, the Tunisian government officially designated the group Ansar As-Sharia in Tunisia (AAS-T), a group with known anti-U.S. and anti-Western sentiments, as a terrorist organization. The Tunisian Government continues security force operations against AAS-T and al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). Most attacks by these terrorist organizations have targeted Tunisian security forces and government installations but attacks in tourist areas remain a possibility. The U.S. Embassy recommends that U.S. citizens in Tunisia continue to maintain a high level of vigilance.

U.S. citizens should exercise caution when frequenting public venues that are visited by large numbers of foreigners, such as hotels, shopping centers, tourist sites and restaurants. U.S. citizens should also be alert to the possibility of kidnapping. U.S. citizens should monitor local events, report suspicious activity to the local police, and take appropriate steps to bolster their personal security."


IMO, if we tuck tail and retreat to our homes and other purportedly safe havens, they've won. Prudence? Sure. Staying alert? Definitely. I first learned that in Africa many years ago.

Let's bring it closer to home...

Just found this warning on the Bahamas.
http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2015/0...er-critical-crime-warning-for-nassau-bahamas/
We will be on Carnival Magic docking in Freeport on April 29 and Nassau on April 30. My wife doesn't even want to get off the ship.

denverbob said:

Just found this warning on the Bahamas.
http://www.cruiselawnews.com/2015/0...er-critical-crime-warning-for-nassau-bahamas/
We will be on Carnival Magic docking in Freeport on April 29 and Nassau on April 30. My wife doesn't even want to get off the ship.

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I see they listed it as the most dangerous port. It's amazing that Disney still stops there so often. We were pretty blown away by how crappy it was when we were there a few years ago (disney cruise). I spent the day at Atlantis, but the driver (hired by Disney) was horrible and dangerous and I'm surprised we weren't in an accident. It's a really good port stop to decide to stay on the ship and enjoy some peace and quiet while most people are out exploring.

I couldn't see the article because the link is broken. But i would definitely say when we are not aware of safeties during the travel according to the circumstances of this era there is a lot which we need to take care of.