Where on earth are we going?

It's Day 72 and once again we're crossing the Equator. Thankfully, there are no initiation rites for us this time, as we have been Trusty Shellbacks since our first crossing in 2023.

Friends keep asking us "how will your itinerary change, given the war in the Middle East?" Good question! We too have been wondering how the current situation will affect our itinerary. So I will share a letter we received from Oceania a couple of days ago.

Dear Around the World Cruise Guests,

In light of the current political situation in the Gulf States, we want to provide you with an update on our robust security protocols and the airline disruptions that have arisen due to the situation. 

First and foremost, the safety and security of our guests and crew is our number one priority. In addition to the security teams onboard, we have a highly experienced shore side Security Operations team that works hand-in-hand with the foremost law enforcement, security, intelligence, and military agencies across the globe. 

At the moment, we are making daily assessments of the impacts of the ongoing situation in the Gulf States and Eastern Mediterranean region, and with this in mind, we may need to adjust ports of call and associated land programs or shore excursions.

At this time, there are no changes to our published Around the World voyage itinerary. However, as we communicated to you in June 2025, thoughtful contingency planning is essential.

The first planned ports of call in the Gulf States and subsequent passage through the Red Sea are not scheduled until early May, and if a revision is to be made, our goal is to make that decision by end of this month. The most likely adjustment would take effect with our departure from Singapore on April 27. In this scenario, Oceania Vista would sail to Phuket for an overnight stay, then onward to Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, and Madagascar. The voyage would continue to South Africa, with calls in Durban, Port Elizabeth, Mossel Bay and a two-day stay in Cape Town.

From there, the ship would journey up Africa's west coast, visiting Namibia, Angola, Sao Tome, and Gambia, then on to the Portuguese islands of Cape Verde and Madeira. After a call in Lisbon, Oceania Vista would sail north to Vigo, Spain and cross the Bay of Biscay to Southampton on the south coast of the United Kingdom.

From Southampton, the ship would resume her originally published itinerary, sailing around the British Isles and Ireland before crossing the Atlantic to Iceland, Halifax, New York City, Charleston, and  ultimately concluding in Miami. 

In an abundance of caution, our itinerary planning team is currently finalizing a detailed day-by-day itinerary and confirming port and short excursion availability for the alternate passage around Africa if needed.

On behalf of all of us at Oceania Cruises, we hope you continue to enjoy your Around voyage and thank you for your patronage.

Warm regards, 

Jason Montague 

SO...there you have it. None of this above comes as a surprise. We've had a very strong feeling that this will indeed be our itinerary going forward. It's disappointing in that we will miss some of the places we thought we would get to visit, and we will re-visit some places along the west coast of Africa that we visited in 2023. But either way, we feel privileged to get to see so many beautiful people and places while developing friendships all along the way.