Richard, I don't think the thrust of Claudia's question was political, but rather the damage the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis have caused in this area of the world, and how it might affect port calls.

On the cc news, there is an article about how this event has impacted the cruise industry. For now, one ship is substituting Langkawi and Penang for Pukhet, so perhaps there was no damage in those areas. They are wonderful ports, and I really enjoyed them from the Shadow in March. I will also add that I felt completely safe in all the ports I visited in Malaysia and Thailand, and I didn't use any ship excursions. We hired taxi's every day, and really loved the warmth of these people.