US arranges cruise ship evacuation from Israel

Wednesday, 16 Oct, 2023 2

With airline seats limited, the US State Department has partnered with Royal Caribbean to evacuate Americans from Israel.

Rhapsody of the Seas is in Haifa Monday morning to transport Americans in Israel to Limassol, Cyprus.

The sea crossing to Cyprus is about 12 hours.

From there they will be able to continue their journey home by scheduled or charter flights.

The arrangement was made on the request of the US Embassy in Israel and the number of US residents allowed is on space available.

US consular staff will be in the ship to help with onward travel beyond Cyprus.

The Rhapsody of the Seas last week cancelled cruise calls in Israel due to the conflict.

About 30 Americans have been killed since Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israel over a week ago.

At least 15 more are listed as missing, the State Department said.

With no scheduled flight services from US and many other airlines, a small number of specially arranged flights have been arriving back in the US.

White House spokesman John Kirby said charter flights to Europe began at the weekend, connecting with scheduled services from major European cities.

TravelMole Editorial Team

Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.

Family-owned Olympic Holidays has been arranging holidays to Greece, the Greek islands and Cyprus for more than half century. The company is unrivalled...

Atout France guides and supports the French regions with their development strategy and helps set up investment projects in order...

Welcome to Qatar Airways Qatar Airways is proud to be one of the youngest global airlines to serve all...

Some describe it as a natural playground. Some say, it’s simply unique as it offers a great array of travel...

City Cruises is a leading operator of sightseeing, dining and charter services operating in London, York and Poole. We offer...

Palladium Hotel Group is a renowned Spanish hotel chain that first emerged towards the end of the 1960s. Currently present...

Celebrating its 30-year anniversary in 2022, Regent Seven Seas Cruises® offers guests An Unrivaled Experience® with every luxury included. Carrying...

IHG Hotels & Resorts: Redefining Hospitality Excellence IHG Hotels & Resorts is a globally renowned hospitality company that stands at...

For over 18 years and over 106 completed events, the Travel & Adventure Show has connected over 2.5 million travel...

Home to America’s Best Beaches, a vibrant arts community and amazing outdoor experiences, St. Pete/Clearwater is a sunny destination that...

At Wilderness Safaris we believe in creating life-changing journeys and have been doing so for over 39 years. Our purpose...

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels...

Chargebacks911 offers scalable solutions that are customized for any business of any size in any industry. With the flexibility to...

Nium was founded on the mission to build the global payments infrastructure of tomorrow, today. With the onset of the on-demand...

We’re the number one choice for travelers to the Greek Islands and Eastern Mediterranean – a fact we love to...

Centara Hotels & Resorts is Thailand’s leading hotel operator. Its 93 properties span all major Thai destinations plus the Maldives,...

ECOMMPAY is an international payment service provider and direct bank card acquirer, engineering bespoke payment solutions for clients worldwide. Our...