Ascension Island Flights Cancelled; Oceanwide Issues Cruise Updates

The cancellation of all flights from Ascension Island has forced passengers to remain onboard Atlantic Odyssey voyages from Oceanwide Expeditions

According to a letter provided to Travel Agent, Oceanwide Expeditions passengers booked on Atlantic Odyseey voyages PLA33-18 and PLA35-18 will have to remain onboard on voyage PLA36-18 from Ascension to Praia, Cape Verde, for six nights. From Praia passengers will be able to depart for their outbound flights. 

Passengers already booked on the affected Atlantic Odyssey voyages will receive a 50 percent discount on the original cruise fare for the Ascension to Praia voyage. For new bookings, Oceanwide Expeditions will offer a 20 percent discount on the original cruise fare of the Ascension to Praia voyage. 

Due to the flight cancellations, voyages PLA32-18 and PLA34-18 have been canceled. 

All flights have been cancelled from the British-run Ascension Island until at least 2019 because of potholes on the island’s only runway, The Guardian reports. Additionally, flights to the Falklands will have to be rerouted because the Airbus A330 Voyager that operates the route is too heavy for the damaged runway. 

According to the official website of the island’s government, the RMS St. Helena continues to provide the main access route to the destination by sea. The ship will continue its route from Cape Town, South Africa, to St. Helena and then Ascension Island. The service is currently scheduled until February 2018, or until the St. Helena air service is in place. 

Ascension Island is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, just south of the equator and 700 miles northwest of St. Helena, the United Kingdom territory by which it is administered. 

Related Stories

Luigi De Angelis Named Captain of Carnival Horizon; What’s Next for Ship

Slideshow: Inside CroisiEurope’s New MS Douce France II

This Week in Cruise: Three Newly Renovated Cruise Ships Debut

The Art of Cruise Upselling: Top Tips From Avoya Travel's Tammie Rice