U.S Evacuates Its Nationals From Israel By Sea On Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship

A Royal Caribbean International cruise vessel has helped evacuate the U.S. nationals on Monday from Israel.

The fleet’s Rhapsody of the Seas had been sailing in that region but cancelled itineraries due to the Israel-Hamas war.

With better safety precautions in place, the vessel is offering free passage, including food and accommodation, for the Americans in the region wanting to leave and find safer ground, per Jason Liberty, the CEO and president of the line’s parent firm, the Royal Caribbean Group, mentioned in an email to the employees that was shared with the USA TODAY.

The evacuation was executed in collaboration with the U.S. State Department, per Liberty. 

Video Credits: Good Morning America

The U.S. Embassy in Israel said in a security alert on Sunday that the boarding would start for arrival on Monday at around 8:00 a.m. local time, and the vessel would be sailing to Limassol in Cyprus from Haifa.

The Rhapsody of the Seas ship can easily accommodate over 2,400 guests, per Royal Caribbean’s official website.

Each guest has to be a U.S. national or an immediate family member (spouse or partner, children below age 21) of a U.S. national and must bear a valid passport; read the alert. The embassy stated that travellers would also be responsible for arranging their accommodations as well as travel all the way from Cyprus, but chartered flights were being arranged.

This has been an exceptional effort as the teams worked endlessly over the last week to make the mission successful, Liberty mentioned over email. 

Liberty also sent out heartfelt to all those who were involved, particularly to the vessel’s officers and crew members for their unending support of the call to serve others in the middle of the unimaginable tragedy.

Many cruise lines have altered their itineraries after the conflict, in some situations, suspending the stops in Israel. The State Department has an advisory for the region, warning against any kind of travel to Gaza and urging guests to reconsider travelling to Israel and also the West Bank.

References: USA Today, WSJ

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