A number of cruise lines including MSC Cruises, P&O Cruises and Fred. Olsen have amended upcoming Baltic sailings due to the ongoing Russia and Ukraine war.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has already caused airspace closures, while the Foreign Office has changed its advice warning Brits against all travel to Russia.
Cruise lines have already begun to amend their itineraries as a result of the conflict.
MSC Cruises has announced it is suspending ports of call to St Petersburg, while Carnival Corp - the group behind the likes of Princess Cruises - said it would be modifying itineraries, adding in a statement, 'We stand for peace".
Meanwhile other companies such as P&O Cruises and Fred Olsen have also announced plans to amend sailings - Fred Olsen is already revising a May itinerary onboard cruise ship Balmoral.
We take a look at the cruise lines amending Baltic cruises below...
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MSC Cruises
MSC Cruises has announced that it will be suspending four ships' ports of call to St Petersburg in Russia.
The cruise line has said that it will be suspending ports of call to the city planned between May and October, "due to recent developments in the region and related security concerns".
Currently none of the MSC ships call at St Petersburg, but the city was on the itinerary for sailings this summer on MSC Preziosa, MSC Grandiosa, MSC Poesia and MSC Virtuosa.
The company said that the health and safety of its passengers and crew was its "top priority", and that it was already working with other destinations to find alternative ports such as Stockholm, Helsinki and Tallinn.
It added that affected customers will be contacted directly by travel agents to discuss the exact details and new arrangements.
Carnival Corporation
Carnival Corporation, the parent group to brands such as Princess Cruises, said in a statement: "In light of the recent attacks by Russia in Ukraine, Carnival Corporation brands will be modifying our itineraries in the coming week once alternative ports can be confirmed. We stand for peace.”
Viking Cruises
A Viking spokesperson told the Mirror: "We are deeply opposed to the unfolding conflict in Ukraine and are heartbroken for all the people who are impacted. On 24 February we cancelled all 2022 departures of our Ukraine river itinerary. On 1 March we made the decision to cease all operations in Russia in 2022. Therefore, we have cancelled all 2022 departures of our Russia river itineraries—and will replace scheduled stops in Russia for all 2022 ocean itineraries. Guests and their travel agents on impacted departures are in the process of being notified.
"As a company that has been helping people explore the world for 25 years, we strongly believe in the power of travel to build connections between cultures. At this time, we are continuing to evaluate our 2023 itineraries. We remain hopeful for a quick resolution to the current conflict. Our team is actively monitoring the situation and will keep our guests up to date as necessary."
Fred. Olsen
Peter Deer, Managing Director at Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said in a statement: "The safety of our guests and crew is always our number one priority, and we are monitoring the situation in Russia and Ukraine very closely.
"Our first cruise calling into either of these nations was due to be in May, aboard our ship Balmoral, and we have already taken the decision to revise this itinerary. Rather than visiting the Russian city of St Petersburg as planned, we have changed our course and our guests will now call into Stockholm and Visby in Sweden.
"We remain in close contact with our destination partners in this part of the world and will continue to monitor all of our sailings to this region. We will, of course, keep our guests informed of any changes to their cruises."
P&O Cruises
P&O Cruises said that it will be amending its Baltic cruises itineraries, although it hasn't yet shared specific details.
A statement from the cruise line explained: "In light of the current situation with Russia and Ukraine we will be amending itineraries on Baltic cruises.
"Our top priority is compliance, environmental protection and the health, safety and well-being of our guests, crew members, shoreside employees and the people in the places we touch and we will advise guests of the changes as soon as possible."
Royal Caribbean
The cruise line is "monitoring events" and has planned for alternative ports of call. A spokesperson for the company said: "The safety of our guests and crew is always our top priority. We are continuously monitoring events taking place around the world, including the situation in Ukraine.
"With the recent events, we have made the decision to cancel our visits to St. Petersburg, Russia on all Summer 2022 itineraries. We have planned alternative ports and will communicate itinerary changes in the next few days to our guests and travel partners. Guests can feel comfortable knowing they are able to reschedule their cruise with our Cruise with Confidence program."
