Cruise lines delay sailing, await new virus guidelines
Several major cruise lines have again extended suspensions of operations as the industry continues to await federal guidance on when cruising can resume from U.S. ports.
Royal Caribbean Group announced it canceled sailings scheduled in May on three lines — Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises. Sailings aboard Azamara, a luxury line that Royal Caribbean recently sold to a private equity firm, have been suspended through June 30.
Excluded from the extension are four Royal Caribbean International ships — Quantum of the Seas, Odyssey of the Seas, Spectrum of the Seas and Voyager of the Seas — and their scheduled sailings from China, Singapore and Israel.
Recently, Royal Caribbean announced plans for its new Odyssey of the Seas to depart Israel in May with all passengers above age 16 vaccinated.
The earliest sailing from the United States is Explorer of the Seas’ planned June 2 departure from Galveston, Texas. Several trips are planned in June to depart Port Everglades, Port Miami, Port Canaveral and Port Tampa Bay.
Industry leader Carnival Corp., meanwhile, announced it was extending suspensions for three of its brands.
Holland America’s planned sailings in May and June from Europe aboard Nieuw Statendam, Volendam and Westerdam have been canceled. Schedules from U.S. ports are unaffected, as the cruise line does not plan to resume sailings from the United States until Oct. 23, when Nieuw Amsterdam is slated to depart Port Everglades for a weeklong Western Caribbean tour.
Princess Cruises canceled cruises planned in May from Port Everglades, Los Angeles and Rome. And ultra-luxury brand Seabourn canceled European sailings scheduled before July 3.
“We understand guests are eager to travel and, even though we have extended our pause in operations a bit further, we continue to prepare to welcome them back once again,” said Josh Leibowitz, Seabourn’s president.
Flagship Carnival Cruise Line, however, was not among the Carnival Corp. brands with extended suspensions.
The popular “fun ship” line is continuing to book voyages scheduled to depart United States ports in June. The first still scheduled to leave Port Canaveral for a fournight Bahamas trip aboard Carnival Liberty
Cruise lines continue to wait for reopening guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last week, Forbes quoted a CDC spokesman who said the agency is working with cruise lines “to implement the initial phase requirements of testing all crew and developing onboard laboratory capacity.”
Major cruise lines have made it easy for guests to reschedule canceled cruises or get their money back. Details are available on cruise lines’ websites.