Miami, Florida-based Royal Caribbean Group has removed Israel from its 2024 itineraries as a result of geopolitical unrest in the area, according to an email that was sent to travel agents on Thursday November 2nd and seen by Reuters, . RCG became the second major US cruise operator to alter its plans as a result of the Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7th and the Israeli response in the Gaza Strip. It is modifying itineraries running thorough to as far ahead as October 2024 for its Royal Caribbean International unit that stops in Israel, the email said.
Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings had told travel agents on Tuesday that it was removing Israel from its 2024 itineraries.
Royal Caribbean had told investors shortly after the outbreak of the conflict that itineraries that included Israel account for less than 1.5% of its capacity for 2024.
RCG chief executive Jason Liberty said on October 26th in an earnings call that “we don’t know how long this conflict is going to go on for, which could very much inform where the consumer wants to go next year”. The company will redeploy a ship meant to sail in Israel in 2024 for cruises out of Boston, Massachusetts, the email to its agents said.