Cruise ships divert to avoid unrest

A new wave of demonstrations and violent protests in north Africa has led to the cancellation of some cruise ship visits in Egypt and Tunisia, placing Alexandria and La Goulette off-limits to passengers.
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth diverted to the Greek island of Rhodes instead of visiting Egypt’s second-largest city at the weekend, while Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas – due there today for an overnight stop – will instead call at Messina in Sicily, and the island of Malta.
Holland America’s Nieuw Amsterdam is in Cagliari, Sardinia today instead of La Goulette, although MSC Splendida is visiting the Tunisian port as scheduled.
The latest unrest appears to have begun in reaction to a YouTube video deemed to be offensive to Muslims. Cruise ships have yet to return to Libya, where the US ambassador was killed in an attack on the embassy in Benghazi last week.
The Foreign Office advises that “while most visits to Tunisia are trouble-free, all travellers should be aware of the current political and security situation and that restrictions may be imposed. A State of Emergency still exists and curfews or other temporary movement restrictions may be imposed or changed with little or no notice.”
The FO warns that demonstrations take place frequently across Egypt, particularly on Fridays, and says there is a general risk of indiscriminate attacks including public places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers, such as resorts, hotels and restaurants.