Olivia: I thought so too about air fare not purchased through the ship but here is FDR's response to Ellen ( from CC board today ).. so seems to cover all basis?
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To put rumors to rest, we are NOT, as of today, changing ANY itinerary. We will go to Istanbul and Kusadasi as planned.

Please note that rapidly changing world circumstances could dictate future itineray adjustments, and if this does happen, we will address the SPECIFIC situation on an individual basis.

Should an embarkation port have to be changed for any reason, the company will bear the cost of re-directing our guests air or ground transportation to and from the ship.

And in response to another related thread I just read, ship captains don't dictate itinerary changes, HQ does. A captain can and will only make a specific decision on whether or not to change a particular port call based on either last minute local knowledege, wheather related factors, mechanical reasons and such.

Happy sailing.

FDR