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Wildfires that have been burning across parts of France and Spain since last week have forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes so far.
In France, the main fire is burning in the Gironde region near Bordeaux, where about 55,000 residents were ordered to leave their villages overnight. Across France, more than 200,000 have now been displaced.
The situation prompted French President Macron to call for a crisis meeting on Monday as the wildfire spreads closer to the city of Bordeaux.
Meanwhile, firefighters in Spain battled a new fire that broke out on Sunday, near the city of Valencia, where at least 15,000 people were evacuated.
An estimated 90,000 people were evacuated from regions around Madrid and Ávila since the fire started. However, the situation west of Madrid is reportedly improving, where firefighters have been making progress in bringing the blaze under control.
Still, according to The Guardian, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday that difficult hours lie ahead amid worsening weather conditions and temperatures expected to reach 44C.
However, it appears that tourists need not be alarmed just yet, at least according to the French minister for international partnerships, Éléonore Caroit, who urged travelers not to cancel their travel plans despite the "exceptionally intense" fire season.
Despite the reassurances, the situation has raised questions among cruisers visiting affected regions this summer.
At this time, there are no confirmed cruise itinerary changes or port closures linked to the wildfires in these two countries.
Members of the Cruise Critic community took to the message boards to discuss disruptions, potential itinerary changes and whether or not to continue with their travel plans.
One cruiser with an upcoming Saga sailing said they noticed what appeared to be a possible itinerary change.
"It would seem that the Spirit of Adventure will now head for Bordeaux on the 10th of August and stay in port until late the following day... rather than go to Pauillac... which is not far from where the Gironde wildfires, that have been widely reported and dramatically pictured in the press, are still very active, wrote twotravellersLondon. "Pauillac is still on SAGA's website but the port booking on one of the marine sites now seems to be for Bordeaux."
The same member also raised concerns about the potential impact on Bordeaux and surrounding areas, citing reports from French media about the worsening wildfire situation.
"Just seen the news in the French press that Bordeaux City Council is considering a total evacuation of the city. Nearby areas have already all been evacuated as the fire is pushed on by a 12 mph wind from the west blowing the fire towards the city. Thoughts very much with the local people there... hundreds of thousands already evacuated and more being asked to leave... must be devastating."
Another member on the same voyage said they had not yet received any official updates from Saga but was awaiting further information, particularly the potential impact on ports in France and northern Spain.
"Yes, we are on this cruise but have not had any information as yet from Saga about a revision of the itinerary," said arlowood. "However I was wondering myself if any ports might be affected both in France and Northern Spain where they are also experiencing wild fires. Currently Bilbao and Gijon appear to be less affected but there are several fires close to Vigo. I'll await the input from Saga as I'm sure they will be monitoring the situation daily."
