Do you think Regent will go to Yangon next month considering the political climate and possible violence?

SD

They d--- well better since that is one reason we booked.

I think they may wait and make a last minute decision; apparently there were 100,000 marchers and many police watching them, and now the military junta is starting to make threats to the monks to stop their protest. I can not imagine how there could be any sort of shore excursions under these circumstances, let alone under the possibility of violence. While I would love to go there, my safety is paramount.

If you read the latest news update from there, it would not only be foolish, but risky to visit during this turmoil. Soldiers in full battle gear were deployed today into the area and a curfew is in effect. Having sailed right after 9/11 and having some stops canceled, this situation sounds even more ominous. I would be upset if Regent DID stop there with all this taking place.
Remember - Navigator bypassed Casablanca this past spring and Voyager was able to stop.
Imagine from a personal viewpoint - what would be the value you put on your own safety and life, and then imagine a cruise line with that same responsibility for several hundred lives.

Two monks dead and over a hundred injured in Yangon, looks like a no go to me.

We're on that segment as well. I wonder what they could substitute for a 2 overnight stop in that region of the world - perhaps Borobudur in Indonesia?
Jim

Borobudur is wonderful but an overnight stop is just not necessary. There is nothing there but the one gigantic temple with its myriad stupas. A short distance away is a restaurant where they provided entertainment with the lunch. It was so interesting to me that it was rediscovered by Raffles. A day trip is sufficient.

Captain Phillipe was talking about that today during the captain's reception on PANDA. He said that it's a day to day decision and that they're still deciding. He also said that there are multiple backup plans in case they decide that they don't go.

Masaki

How about an overnight in Kuala Lumpur if it's got a port or is close to one? that's a great city and the Genting Highlands resort area is a short drive.
Jim

Sounds good.

In last night's passages - letter dated Sept 27, 2007 from Mark Conroy:

Statement regarding Myanmar (Burma)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises is closely monitoring the current situation in Myanmar, given that Seven Seas Mariner is scheduled to call at that country's port of Yangon (Rangoon) from October 29 - 31 as part of its Grand Asia Pacific voyage. We are in frequent communication with our ground operator in that country and our security consultants, and are receiving regular updates on the situation.

In the spirit of our brand promise of providing unique and memorable experiences for our guests as Luxury Goes Exploring around the world, we would ideally wish to maintain the scheduled call. However, the safety of our guests, crew and ship remains our primary concern, and should the current situation continue, or deteriorate further, we are in the process of developing an alternative itinerary which excludes the port of Yangon, but offers highlights of the region, including Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

In the meantime, we are hopeful that the situation will return to the point where we can provide our guests with an enjoyable and memorable experience in Myanmar, and our current published schedule remains unchanged.

Good update Anne.

Jim, On the '07 WC we stopped in Kuala Lumpur, it's about 1/2 hour drive from Port Kelang as I recall so very doable if Myanmar is scratched.

If our hearts are set on Myanmar and this trip is cancelled, one must then book the Navigator next fall! What a tragedy!

Nothing yet on board. If I see something, I will post it ASAP. It must be very frustrating not knowing exactly what ports and experiences the ship can deliver with enough safety for crew and passengers alike. I am not hearing a lot of buzz about it amongst the passengers as of yet. Let's keep the people of Myanmar in our thoughts and prayers. It sure sounds bad, but I know nothing more than what I hear on CNN.

Cheers, Anne

FYI-The military junta running the country call it Myanmar but the local people still refer to it as Burma.

Yes Ardis, I agree, a terrible tragedy for this country - Anne they are in my thoughts and prayers -

The news from Myanmar is very dire. We've been watching the tragic events unfold on the news.

We, too, are keeping the people living there in our thoughts and prayers. The real tragedy is the impact this has made on people's lives as opposed to the impact made insofar as a cruise destination.

I cannot imagine anyone stressing over it being a cruise destination given the news on CNN few minutes ago -

This is so sad for those people. But at the risk of sounding political, I would not visit a country with this kind of regime, period.

I'm with you, Wendy. As much as I'd like to go, I'll wait until it's Burma again.

Wendy, I felt the same way about Zimbabwe. However, we can't always wait for the perfect time to see the places we want to see. The Cambodian government is having problems as well as the Myammar government (and both look angelic compared to Zimbabwe). I almost booked the upcoming cruise just to go to Rangoon, Bagan, and Mandalay. If Rangoon is cancelled, I would be part of a "significant minority" seriously considering cancelling the cruise and expecting full reimbursement of cruise fare. I know no port is guaranteed. However, a three day visit is a major focus of a cruise.

I hope to get to Myammar in the near future. I hope to do it via a cruise ship. I am really interested in seeing the final outcome with respect to the Mariner.

MARC: Navigator next fall is planning on going to Myanmar. If this year fails, perhaps next year is an option.

Ardis

Whether to travel to a country with a restrictive or oppressive government is
a philosophical and personal choice. We
visited Myanmar during a leg of Regent's
WC. [It definitely was a country where I
felt more comfortable on tour than travelling
individually.] As eye-opening as the visit was for us, I feel that it can be equally so for Myanmar's citizens. Perhaps seeing us, talking with us about our lives and profiting from an infusion of tourism dollars will lead them to push for a more open society.

This is a tough call. It is very disappointing when you book a cruise because of the ports specifically and not because of timing or cruiseline or price, etc and then find out that the itinerary has changed. Of course, cruiselines usually have very good reasons for changing ports, but it is still disappointing. I have developed a philosophy that if I really want to be sure I visit a place, I will not book a cruise to go there. It is just too iffy. So, Marc and Ardis I really hope that you do get to go to Myanmar as you wish. As for me, we did visit Myanmar last year. For those who may be curious about it, the link below is of our 3 days there.
http://journals.aol.com/dfriia/West...arch-13-at-sea-dock-at-yangon--4-pm-/282
We still have very mixed emotions about our visit. On the one hand, it was a very rare and special place to visit and on the other was the oppressive situation and the feeling that our visit was financially benefitting people we would prefer not to help. To this day, I cannot forget seeing all the roads being built manually! Now, having read about the forced labor, I really feel awful about those people we saw doing that road work. It was a very strange visit and to this day we still aren't sure if we are glad we went!
Debbie

This entire part of the world is rare and special to me. We may not understand all that is in their minds but we may act as ambassadors to them and let them know that all Americans are not "ugly". My personal feeling is that the underdeveloped areas of the world hold an attraction that is lacking in the spoiled civilized areas. But that is just my opinion. Thank you, Debbie, for reminding us of your blog.

Ardis

Ardis,
Then make sure you get to Cambodia. The 3 days we spent doing the overland trip there were really special. We were really amazed and impressed. The people were great. It is a place we would love to return to and spend more time.
Debbie

Debbie, I have just reread this portion of your journal. It's facinating reading, you are so lucky to have been there and expierenced it all. Looking forward to your journal from this years trip.