Royal Caribbean's cruise lines extend voluntary suspensions amid coronavirus outbreak
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In response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, Royal Caribbean has extended the voluntary suspension of its cruise operations into May.
The update applies to all three of the cruise lines owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., which are Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“We know, this too shall pass, and we are optimistic that very soon you’ll be excited about planning your next cruise vacation," the cruise line wrote in its announcement. (iStock)
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On March 14, Royal Caribbean had announced it would be suspending all U.S. and international sailings for a period of 30 days. On March 24, the company extended the estimate, announcing plans to push back the suspension through May 11, with plans to resume service the following day.
“We know, this too shall pass, and we are optimistic that very soon you’ll be excited about planning your next cruise vacation," the cruise line announced. "As always, the most important thing to us will always be the safety of our guests and crew. In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor the global situation. We wish you good health and truly appreciate your continued loyalty."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The decision applies to all three of the cruise lines owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., including Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises. (iStock)
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises also announced further changes to specific routes and sailings due to modified service or closed ports. All three of the cruise lines are offering impacted guests a 125-percent cruise credit good toward any sailing before Dec. 31, 2021.
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Carnival Cruise Line acknowledged the extended suspensions of Royal Caribbean’s sailings on Tuesday, saying its own decision was expected Friday.
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“We are aware of the decision by other cruise lines to extend the suspension of operations. We expect a decision by Fri., March 27 to share. We appreciate your patience and advise our guests and travel agent partners to watch their email and check Carnival.com for updates.”
Several cruise operators, including Royal Caribbean, Carnival, MSC Cruises and the Norwegian Cruise Line, announced on March 13 that they would be halting all trips for the following 30 days as a result of the global coronavirus outbreak. The cruise industry has also seen a dramatic decline in bookings since news of the pandemic broke.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Both the CDC and the U.S. State Department have since advised that Americans avoid traveling by cruise ship.
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Fox News' Louis Casiano contributed to this report.