Aida Cruises and Costa Cruises have both announced extensions on their pause on cruise operations through all of July 2020.
Major Cruise Lines in Europe Extend Cancelled Cruises
Costa Cruises, which is based out of Italy, and Aida Cruises, which is a German-based cruise line, have both announced a further extension on the pause of operations. Both are owned by Carnival and are major cruise lines in Europe.
Aida Cruises
Aida Cruises has now cancelled all sailings through July 31, 2020, with the first cruises commencing from August 1. This is due to the ongoing pandemic and the situations with many cruise ports.
The cruise line has stated that international tourism is still being adjusted and the specific conditions for a restart have not been fully clarified yet. The cruise line had previously suspended operations through all of June.
Aida Cruises will be informing all guests on the impacted cruises and bookings will be processed chronologically according to the departure date. A travel credit will be on offer and a bonus of 10% on top of the payment already made. The credit can be used for bookings until December 31, 2021.
Costa Cruises
Costa, which is a huge cruise line not just in Europe but around the world, has also announced a further pause on operations. Cruises are cancelled through July 31, 2020. This means the first sailings are set to depart from August 1.
The extension is linked to the uncertainty of a gradual reopening of ports to cruise ships. It’s also due to restrictions that may still be in place for the movements of people due to the pandemic. Costa had previously announced the extension would be through all of May.
Also Read: What’s Going on With My Cruise Refund?
August is the Month of Return
So it now seems the trend for when all the major cruise lines will begin cruises is from August. However, not all ships will just start sailing again and it will be a phased in return for many larger cruise lines. We already know that Carnival Cruise Line is only starting with eight cruise ships from August 1, and further details on other lines are sure to be announced in the coming weeks.
