Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise cancel voyages amid omicron spread

Table Of Content

• All 2020 Alaska Cruises and Cruisetours for Star, Golden, Pacific, Coral, Royal & Grand Princess
• All Remaining Cruises through May 14, 2021
• Royal Caribbean Cancels Cruise Due to Red Sea Tensions
• Cruises to/from Vancouver (Gulf of Alaska Cruises, Alaska Cruisetours and Pacific Coastals)
• Royal Caribbean Cancels 4 Sailings Amid Omicron Spread — What to Know
• Coral Princess through January 17, 2022
• Second Icon-Class Ship Will Have a Furry Family Member
• Sapphire Princess Cruises in Asia and Australia Departing through October 29, 2022

Despite the setback, Witman says she's been able to form connections with other would-be passengers, who have been keeping in touch via apps and group texts. "In two days' time, we own this vessel," Life at Sea itinerary planner Robert Dixon said in late September, speaking in a promotional video from the bridge of a ship he called the "MV Lara." And rather than portioning the cruise for sale in smaller stages, the company required customers to commit to the full three years.

All 2020 Alaska Cruises and Cruisetours for Star, Golden, Pacific, Coral, Royal & Grand Princess

Nobody wants to have their cruise canceled that way, but neither should you want to board a ship that might be less than seaworthy. The events that cause this type of bump often make the news, possibly alerting you to your potential bump before it happens. That's small consolation for a canceled cruise, but it might allow you to begin rearranging your travel plans a bit sooner.

All Remaining Cruises through May 14, 2021

On her most recent cruise, two port calls had to be cancelled so that the ship could return to its homeport on schedule. Carnival Cruise Line has cancelled Carnival Panorama’s next four cruises due to an engine issue that is affecting the ship’s maximum cruising speed. The 4,000-guest ship will be temporarily taken out of service while repairs are made. “We booked the cruise last March and assumed that things would be getting back to normal... By mid-December, I was mentally prepared for a change of plans,” said Holly Bromley, a consulting arborist, who canceled her booking on Norwegian Epic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had last week advised people to avoid cruise travel after launching investigations into onboard cases on more than 90 ships.

Life at Sea's three-year cruise canceled; passengers awaiting refunds - USA TODAY

Life at Sea's three-year cruise canceled; passengers awaiting refunds.

Posted: Fri, 24 Nov 2023 08:00:00 GMT [source]

Royal Caribbean Cancels Cruise Due to Red Sea Tensions

They're also dealing with an extraordinary volume of refund requests due to simultaneous cancellations of sailings on all ocean, river and yacht vessels around the world into June. The omicron-led travel uncertainty is also causing guests on other sailings to cancel their bookings as a few ships have also had to skip ports due to onboard infections. Cruise lines may also offer additional compensation, such as a future cruise credit, though passengers could have to choose between that and a refund, depending on the company. Charter-related cancellations tend to take place with more notice than emergency dry docking, according to Joanna Kuther, a New York City-based travel agent and owner of Port Side Travel Consultants.

Cruises to/from Vancouver (Gulf of Alaska Cruises, Alaska Cruisetours and Pacific Coastals)

Storms sometimes cause cancellations, and even though cruise lines schedule routine maintenance and upgrades, unexpected problems do crop up between those scheduled dry docks. Think damage from collisions, fires, rogue waves or engine failures — all of which have happened on cruise ships, sending them to the repair dock and resulting in last-minute canceled cruises. Norwegian Cruise said guests, who were supposed to embark on the canceled sailings on the eight ships, will receive full refunds and bonus credits for future bookings. Margaritaville at Sea also scrapped sailings set to take place between May 22 and June 1 so its ship could go to dry dock, offering to rebook passengers at no incremental cost and giving them onboard credit, according to a spokesperson. Vantage Deluxe World Travel recently canceled multiple trips – some “due to the vessel’s readiness,” according to its website – leaving a number of passengers waiting on refunds.

What happens if your cruise is canceled, or you get bumped? - The Points Guy

What happens if your cruise is canceled, or you get bumped?.

Posted: Tue, 26 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

These penalties will vary from cruise line to cruise line and even based on the length of the cruise. In general, the longer before your cruise you cancel, the smaller the penalty fee will be. Just because you book the trip doesn’t mean you are obligated to actually sail. Of course, that doesn’t mean you are entitled to get all of your money back (more on this in a moment). Given the tremendous increase in distance, Anthem of the Seas will need to sail at top speed to make her schedule and have as little impact as possible on future itineraries. Instead, by cancelling the voyage altogether, Anthem of the Seas can move directly from Southampton down the western coast of Africa, ultimately a more fuel efficient and faster way to move the ship from Southampton to Dubai.

Coral Princess through January 17, 2022

The health agency starts a scrutiny if at least 0.1 percent of the guests test positive. Passengers may be able to transfer their booking to another cruise in place of a refund, Kuther said. If they are rebooked on a voyage that costs less than their original sailing, they would be refunded the difference, but if the new sailing costs more, they would need to pay the remaining balance.

The intense fallout is drawing comparisons to infamous debacles such as the Fyre Festival — the "luxury" music festival that was more like a "disaster relief area." When the Life at Sea cruise line failed to purchase the German cruise ship AIDAaura, seen here in 2020, its plans for a worldwide cruise embarking in November began to unravel. Soon after TPG contacted Grand Circle, one member of Johnson's group, Barbara Ballard, 64, of Tucson, unexpectedly received the refund she had been seeking from Grand Circle.

Sapphire Princess Cruises in Asia and Australia Departing through October 29, 2022

While this does provide guests with six months’ notice of the change, the news will undoubtedly be disappointing to many travelers. “Due to ongoing travel restrictions, we’ve had to modify a few sailings and unfortunately have had to cancel,” the 17-ship strong cruise operator said, with the embarkation dates for a few canceled sailings as far out as late April. Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled sailings amid rising fears of omicron-related coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry. The cruise lines says they can expect to receive refunds within 14 days after we process the cancellation. With the complexities of international air travel and border closures, it is with a heavy heart that we have to continue to cancel select cruises. We know you were looking forward to sailing with us, and we apologize and share in your disappointment over these cancellations.

Dry docking – when ships are taken out of passenger service for regular maintenance or refurbishment – is usually planned years in advance, according to Jared Feldman, owner of travel agency Jafeldma Travel. However, if a ship is damaged while in service, it may need to go to dry dock immediately for repairs. If you were really concerned about cancellations, you could purchase a "cancel for any reason" add-on to your insurance plan. These can be pricey and possibly not worth the cost just to protect against an unexpected bump. When you pay for your cruise, not everything your paying is the cruise fare. For instance, you pay the cruise fare, but also taxes, fees, and often other extras.

Cameron Mitchell was days away from an April Caribbean cruise when he got bad news. Royal Caribbean International canceled the sailing he and more than a dozen of his relatives were planning to take for his aunt’s 60th birthday because of ship maintenance. Despite the fact that cruise ships are no longer required to abide by CDC guidelines, the agency has very much warned against the mode of travel in the wake of surging COVID-19 numbers. When you choose to apply (and are approved) for a new credit card through our site, we may receive compensation from our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear.

The industry is expected to grow to 130 million global passengers in 2026, which is up from 73 million global passengers in 2022, according to a 2023 report from the Cruise Lines International Association. While Grand Circle has rebooked passengers on canceled sailings for next year, passengers will be able to change the dates that the company has chosen for them, Shannon added. The good news for those who are worried about their refunds is that refunds are happening. TPG has heard from readers on a number of canceled sailings who already have received their money back. At Miami-based Crystal, all employees -- not just refund processors -- have been working at home for weeks due to stay-at-home orders, spokesperson Susan Robison told TPG.