A while ago, Norwegian announced its Jade — which sails in Europe year-round — was canceling 15 Holy Land cruises this winter because of passenger concerns about unrest in the Middle East.
In light of last weekend’s horrific tragedy in Oslo, will travel to Norway suffer?
Who knows? It’s only been a few days, and already the Costa Magica is bypassing Oslo for another Norwegian port, for this week at least.
There are threats all over the world. Mexico. Honduras. Greece. If cruise passengers (or travelers of any description) feel they’re going to be at risk by visiting a foreign country, 
many will choose to take a pass. That’s what happened to people booking — or not booking — passage on the Jade.
It’s all about the odds, isn’t it? What is the likelihood you’ll be a victim? Nobody could have foreseen the actions of one extremist in such a peaceful country as Norway. Chances of such an incident are slim. Chances that you, as a visitor, will be in the wrong place at the wrong time in Norway are even slimmer.
Yet every time a bomb goes off, or a semi-automatic weapon kills, the guard goes up again. Travelers get the jitters. Cruise lines get the jitters, and so does everybody connected to the travel industry.
Fortunately, it’s not often that a ship like the Jade, or Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas, cancels a season of sailing. The Jade, incidentally, will go into dry-dock for an upgrade instead, then sail 12-day Canary Islands cruises out of Barcelona instead. NCL’s plan is to return the Jade to the Holy Land market next year.
Hopefully.