Princess Cruises' Diamond Princess is expected to call on the port of Laem Chabang on October 23, 2011. The problem is that Bangkok, Thailand is bracing for a major flood. How will this affect their upcoming itinerary?
The New York Times reported on October 21, 2011 that water has already flooded one-third of Thailand's provinces and is heading towards Bangkok. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has requested Bangkok to open their flood gates to allow the water to pass through the city's canals to the sea in the Gulf of Thailand. There is a risk the canals will not be able to handle the volume of flood waters.
Also this morning TravelGov tweeted "#Thailand: Flooding continues and becomes widespread in #Bangkok metro area."
Located on the north end of the Gulf of Thailand, the port of Laem Chabang is approximately 80 miles from Bangkok. Princess Cruises' 115,875-ton Diamond Princess is expected to call on Laem Chabang (for Bangkok) on October 23 during its 16-day cruise that started in Tianjin (Beijing) on October 10, 2011. Bangkok is the Diamond Princess' last port of call before the cruise ends in Singapore on October 26th.
Diamond Princess is also scheduled to visit Laem Chabang on October 29, November 24 and November 30, before the ship repositions from Asia to Australia/ New Zealand for their Christmas cruises.
Carrying close to 3,000 guests, Diamond Princess will also lose shore excursion revenues if the ship must abort their only Thai port on that itinerary. Featuring many popular sites, the Grand Palace, Wat Trimitr, Wat Pra Keo & Cruise excursion costs $129 per adult. The bus tour includes a drive to Bangkok, a visit to the Temple of the Golden Buddha and the Royal Chapel of the Emerald Buddha.
Another excursion that Princess Cruises offers their passengers from this port of call is the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo tour. The zoo is located in Pattaya, a popular tourist resort on the Gulf Coast of Eastern Thailand approximately one hour from the port .
With two days before the ship is due to call at Laem Chabang, the situation is changing rapidly and can be monitored by following the Embassy of the United States in Bangkok's website. The website informs, "Flooding continues in central Thailand and is becoming more widespread in the Bangkok Metropolitan area. It is unknown how long these conditions will persist."
Yet, the question remains, will Thailand's flooding impact Princess' cruise ship?
Renee Ruggero - Renee is a published travel writer and cruise industry insider with more than 1,000 days on cruise ships, visiting over 50 countries.
