Royal Caribbean has announced it has extended the suspension of cruises from the U.S. through September 15, with the first cruises resuming September 16, 2020.
Royal Caribbean Cancels More Cruises from the United States
The cruise line has followed other major cruise lines by canceling further cruises from the United States. This follows an announcement by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) of a voluntary extension of the suspension of cruises from U.S. ports.
Royal Caribbean is now planning on restarting cruises from the U.S. on September 16, 2020. This applies to the majority of the fleet, with some exemptions. With Canada banning cruise ships for much longer, sailings from that country are cancelled through October 31, 2020. There are a number of cruises out of Copenhagen, Denmark cancelled in August and Bermuda cruises are also cancelled through October 31, 2020. Details from the cruise line include:
- Canada sailings will be suspended through October 31, 2020, due to the Canadian government’s extended travel ban on cruise ship travel.
- Explorer of the Seas’ revitalization will take place August 2020 given the closure of shipyards along with the disruption to the supply chain caused by this pandemic. As a result, Explorer’s August 2020 sailings will be cancelled and the revitalization will be a technical dry dock where only routine maintenance work will take place.
- Cruise terminals will remain closed in Copenhagen, Denmark and as a result, on June 11th, 2020 we decided to cancel the following sailings: Jewel of the Seas August 8th, 16th, and 23rd, 2020 sailings, & Brilliance of the Seas August 21st, 2020 sailing.
- Bermuda sailings will be suspended through October 31st, 2020.
- And, after further review with CLIA, the CDC and local governments, we decided to cancel Voyager of the Seas sailings through September 30th, 2020, along with Spectrum of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas sailings through July 2020.
To make up for the cancellations the cruise line is offering a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC). Guests can re-book using the offer by December 31, 2021, and the credit will be valid on departures through April 30, 2022.
Also Read: Cruises from the United States Cancelled Until Middle of September
A regular amount full refund can be requested by guests who no longer want to go on a cruise vacation. This can be done using an online form right here. The refund process is expected to take 45 days, according to the cruise line, though in these extenuating circumstances, refund delays may occur, particularly if additional sailings are cancelled.
Royal Caribbean Ltd., which also includes Celebrity Cruises, has released a statement of the extension which means this does not just impact Royal Caribbean International:
Given ongoing global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Group has decided to extend the suspension of most sailings through September 15, 2020, excluding sailings from China, suspended through the end of July, and sailings to Bermuda, suspended through October 31, 2020.
We are working with our guests and travel partners to address this disruption to their vacations and are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience.
Carnival Cruise Line has also extended its pause on cruises through September 30, 2020, which is also due to the CLIA statement late last week. MSC Cruises has also extended its halt on operations from the U.S. and more cruise lines are expected to follow this trend as well in the coming days.
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