AOV-Atlas Ocean Voyages (managed by Mystic Cruises USA) announced that, as a result of current regional tensions in Russia and Ukraine, the cruise line was adjusting 2 late-summer 2022, Baltic itineraries.
On both the Hamburg-to-Kiel itinerary, departing on August 26, 2022, and Kiel-roundtrip itineraries, departing on September 7, World Navigator will drop Port Sankt-Petersburg (Russia) and will now call at Kotka and Mariehamn in Finland.
The August 26 cruise includes a transit of the Kiel Canal (Germany). The September 7 departure will also add Saaremaa (Estonia) where World Navigator is expected to dock in the city center, adjacent to the Medieval Castle of Kuressaare.
Alberto Aliberti, President of Atlas Ocean Voyages, said the line's top priority was the safety and comfort of their guests and crew.
“With unrest in Eastern Europe, we have adjusted our voyages and replaced our Russia calls with equally exciting and charming destinations in Finland and Estonia. Guests will enjoy these unique and rarely visited destinations and immersive shore excursions to take in the rich cultures and breathtaking vistas of the Baltic.”
World Navigator will sail the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and The Arctic in summer 2022; Central & South America in the autumn; and sail back to Antarctica for her winter 2022-2023 season. The 2nd ship, of Atlas, World Traveller, launches in November 2022, with 3 additional sisterships, World Seeker, World Adventurer & World Discoverer, to join the fleet through 2024.