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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has once again extended the suspension of its sailings in response to the ongoing coronavirus health crisis, and is now aiming for a return-to-service date of August 1.
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“Given ongoing global public health circumstances, Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. has decided to extend the suspension of most sailings through July 31, 2020, with the exception of sailings from China, which will be suspended through the end of June,” the cruise line wrote in a press release issued Wednesday.
“We are working with our guests and travel partners to address this disruption to their vacations, and we are genuinely sorry for their inconvenience.”
Royal Caribbean had previously been aiming for a return-to-service date of June 12.
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News of the extended suspension comes after Royal Caribbean announced earlier on Wednesday that the company had been forced to cancel two planned sailings for June on the Vision of the Seas and the Anthem of the Seas, as both were still assisting with the repatriation of Royal Caribbean cruise workers.
The cancellations extend to all of Royal Caribbean Cruise Ltd.’s subsidiaries, including Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.
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Royal Caribbean had initially suspended all sailings in response to the coronavirus outbreak on March 14, before voluntarily extending the suspension on March 24, with the intention of resuming service on May 12. In mid-April, Royal Caribbean once again extended its suspensions through June 11, before ultimately extending suspensions on Wednesday through July 31.
“While we all wish we were cruising, health and safety are our top priorities as we focus on our comeback,” the cruise line wrote in a statement shared to its website.
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Affected guests on any of the latest batch of canceled sailings are also being extended a 125-percent credit toward a future cruise booked before the end of 2021.
More information about canceled itineraries can be found on Royal Caribbean’s website.