The U.S. Department of State regularly updates its travel advisories to countries all over the world, advising American citizens who might travel there about the destinations. But, how worried should a traveler, and particularly a cruise ship traveler, be based on the U.S. government’s travel advisory?
On June 22, the US Department of State issued a “Worldwide Caution” security alert. “The conflict between Israel and Iran has resulted in disruptions to travel and periodic closure of airspace across the Middle East. There is the potential for demonstrations against U.S. citizens and interests abroad. The Department of State advises U.S. citizens worldwide to exercise increased caution,” it states.
The U.S. Department of State issues travel advisories for every country to give travelers a sense of what to be aware of in their destination.
There are four levels that are determined by factors such as crime, terrorism, disease, civil unrest, and natural disasters. Level 1 indicates the lowest level of risk, level 2 recommends increased caution and possibly heightened risk, level 3 means you should reconsider travel to the country, as there might be serious risks, and level 4 means that you should not travel to the country. Level 1 and 2 advisories are reviewed every 12 months, while level 3 and 4 are reviewed every 6.
The worldwide caution is more unusual.
Cruise ships generally do not travel to countries designated as Level 4, but many do travel to countries that are listed at Level 2 or 3.
For travelers planning cruises in the near future, it is advisable to look at the U.S. travel advisories for the destinations that will be visited, however it’s important to keep in mind that the places visited on cruises are often not the places that cause the travel advisory level to rise. For example, though Egypt is ranked at Level 3, Nile River cruises remain popular and the risk to travelers who do not have dual American-Egyptian citizenship is low.
In comparison, various Caribbean destinations are ranked at Level 2, and some, including The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos, have noted risk of violent crime in areas where cruise ship ports are.
Cruise ship companies won’t take their clients into a war zone, and beyond that each traveler needs to weigh the information and risks to decide for themselves what they are most comfortable with on their cruise itinerary. Travel advisories are meant to inform a traveler if they should be more alert than usual, not necessarily to deter a visitor from the country.
