Royal Caribbean has extended its suspension on cruise operations through September, which is in line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) extended “No Sail” order.
Royal Caribbean Cancels Further Cruises
Royal Caribbean has extended its pause on cruises through September 2020 due to the extended “No Sail” order announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The further cancellations do not impact cruises out of China, which are still set to resume before the end of September.
Royal Caribbean stated in details to travel agents:
The well-being of our guests, travel partners, crew and the communities we visit remains our utmost priority here at Royal Caribbean. We are committed to health, safety and doing our part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Therefore, in alignment with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the suspension of all cruise operations is now extended through September 30, 2020 (excluding China sailings).
So here is the situation as it stands for when Royal Caribbean aims at resuming sailings, depending on the region. For the United States, cruises will not be resuming until the end of the CDC “No Sail” order date.
- Bermuda sailings suspended through October 2020.
- Any cruises touching on a Canada port (such as Alaska & Canada/New England) have been suspended through October 2020.
- China departures on Spectrum and Quantum of the Seas are suspended through July 2020.
- Voyager of the Seas is paused through September 2020.
- Odyssey of the Seas sailings departing November 5, 2020 through April 17, 2021 cancelled.
The extended order by the CDC will allow extra time for Royal Caribbean to implement new safety and health measures for when cruises do eventually resume. The Royal Caribbean Group is already working with authorities to make sure the proper procedures are followed. Cruise Hive readers can read more about the new “Health Sail Panel” which is a joint effort between Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Those guests impacted due to extension have a number of options available to them, including a 125% Future Cruise Credit. It is based on the total amount paid for the cruise fare but does not include taxes and port fees, which will be automatically refunded. There is also the option to shift the booking to 2021 with the same itinerary type, cabin category, and sailing length. A full cruise refund can also be requested if guests no longer wish to go ahead with a cruise vacation.
