Carnival Cruise Line is notifying guests of additional cruise cancellations and the extension of its pause in all operations from U.S. ports through June 30, 2021. Booked guests and travel advisors are being notified directly of the cancellations and the options for a future cruise credit plus onboard credit package, or a full refund.
To provide flexibility for guests booked on July itineraries that remain on the schedule, Carnival is extending final payment deadlines for all July sailings to May 31, 2021, with the ability to cancel without penalty.
“We know that this is very disappointing to our guests who continue to be eager to sail, and we remain committed to working with the [Biden] Administration and the CDC to find a workable solution that best serves the interest of public health," says Christine Duffy, president, Carnival Cruise Line, in a press statement.
Duffy said Carnival "is asking that the cruise industry be treated on par with the approach being taken with other travel and tourism sectors, as well as U.S. society at large." That same message was sent earlier this week in a Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) letter to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In the past few weeks, CLIA and elected officials, including many in Florida (home to the world's top three busiest cruise ports), have turned up political heat on the CDC and the Biden Administration to create a workable solution so that cruises can restart from U.S. ports. The alternative is a strong economic loss for U.S. ports, destinations and maritime workers. Some cruise lines are now sending their ships to other nations for home porting. The latest on Tuesday was Norwegian Cruise Line, which will home port three ships this summer in Greece, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Duffy provided a clear picture of what's at stake: "While we have not made plans to move Carnival Cruise Line ships outside of our U.S. homeports, we may have no choice but to do so in order to resume our operations, which have been on ‘pause’ for over a year."
She also said the line appreciates the continued patience and support from loyal guests, travel advisors and business partners as Carnival works on a return-to-service solution.”
In response to Carnival's decision and the CLIA statement earlier in the week, the CDC said in a statement provided to Travel Agent: "[The] CDC is committed to working with the cruise industry and seaport partners to resume cruising following the phased approach outlined in the conditional sailing order. This goal aligns with the desire to resume passenger operations in the United States expressed by many major cruise ship operators and travelers; hopefully, by mid-summer with restricted revenue sailings.
"COVID-19 vaccination efforts will be critical in the safe resumption of passenger operations, especially as more variants emerge and spread around the world."
For more information, visit www.carnival.com.
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