Bahrain cruise visits cancelled

More cruise ship calls are being disrupted by the spread of unrest in the Arab region. Following demonstrations in Bahrain, which led to the deaths of four protestors. Costa has amended the itineraries of its cruises on Deliziosa and Luminosa, affecting about 4,500 passengers.
The ships will this weekend spend an extra day in Dubai. Next week the changes may involve an additional overnight in Muscat or Abu Dhabi, says Costa Crociere, whose spokesperson added: “Costa Cruises will resume calling at Bahrain only when the relevant international authorities and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have declared stability, and safety has been restored to the region.”
Royal Caribbean, whose ship Brilliance of the Seas also cruises in the region, dropped Bahrain from its itineraries this season after passenger complaints about being overcharged by taxi drivers last year.
Bahrain, with a population of about one and a quarter million, receives eight million tourists a year. The opening race of the 2011 Formula One Grand Prix season, due to take place at Bahrain’s Sakhir Circuit on March 13, is also in doubt because of the protests.