Is the Asia cruise season in jeopardy? At least one line is pulling out
One of the world's biggest cruise lines has canceled all its Asia cruises for the rest of the year and the first half of 2023, citing the continued uncertainty around when ports in the region will reopen.
Miami-based Celebrity Cruises late Monday sent a notice to travel agents that the upcoming deployment of its 2,850-passenger Celebrity Solstice to Asia in September for seven months would no longer take place.
The ship, which was scheduled to operate all of Celebrity's Asia cruises for the coming year, instead will stay close to home, operating sailings to the Mexican Riviera.
"Due to the ongoing uncertainty regarding the restart of international operations in the Asia region, we have made the difficult decision to cancel our Celebrity Solstice sailings in this part of the world," the line said in a letter sent late Monday to travel agents.
The anouncement comes as travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to snarl travel in some parts of Asia.
Even as most ports in North America and Europe have reopened to cruise ships over the past year, many ports in Asia remain closed to cruise ships due to COVID-19 concerns. Some countries in Asia have implemented much stricter policies to reduce COVID-19 cases than have been seen in other parts of the world.
Related: Canada finally reopens to cruise ships
Longtime industry watcher Mike Driscoll, editor of Cruise Week, said he wasn't surprised that Celebrity canceled its upcoming Asia sailings, given the stricter policies.
"It's not a big surprise that Celebrity is pulling Solstice out of Asia due to multiple factors, including ports are not reopening there as fast as expected, COVID policies are stricter in Asia and the current COVID situation in China is of concern for the broader region," Driscoll told TPG early Tuesday.
China has seen a massive surge in COVID-19 cases over the past month, from around 1,000 cases a day to more than 25,000 cases a day.
Driscoll said he expected more lines to cancel upcoming Asia sailings in the coming months, given the situation.
Some lines, such as Royal Caribbean, already have cut back their Asia deployment plans for the coming year while not pulling out completely. Royal Caribbean earlier this year said its 4,269-passenger Voyager of the Seas would return to North America later this year after spending 10 years sailing in Asia and Australia.
Royal Caribbean's 5,622-passenger Spectrum of the Seas remains in Asia, operating short cruises of Singapore aimed at the local market.
Princess Cruises also has canceled several Asia cruises that had been scheduled to take place on the 2,670-passenger Sapphire Princess between late August and late October. Princess still plans cruises around Japan for the coming winter on the 2,670-passenger Diamond Princess.
In 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic began, the world's cruise lines deployed about 9% of their capacity to Asia, according to Cruise Lines International Association data. But that percentage already is down to around 5% to 7% for this year, Driscoll noted.
The trend in cruise ship deployments for this year is "less Asia, including virtually no China, [and] more Caribbean, Europe, Alaska and Mexican Riviera," Driscoll said.
Celebrity Solstice had been scheduled to operate departures to Asia out of Vancouver, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong from Sept. 16, 2022 through April 21, 2023.
Instead, Celebrity Solstice will take over the Mexican Riviera sailings that had been planned for the 2,218-passenger Celebrity Milennium starting in September. Celebrity Millennium, in turn, will reposition to the Caribbean in September.
The net effect will be an increase to Celebrity's capacity in both the Mexican Riviera and the Caribbean, as Celebrity Solstice is a bigger ship than Celebrity Millennium.
In its letter to travel agents, Celebrity said passengers on affected Asia sailings could reschedule their Asia trips for the following year. Alternately, they can request a full cash refund for the canceled sailing. One caveat: Passengers who booked one of the canceled Asia cruises with a future cruise credit will not be eligible for a cash refund. They will instead have their future cruise credit reinstated.
Cruise lines that still have ships scheduled to visit Asia later this year include Viking, Silversea Cruises, Oceania Cruises, Windstar Cruises, Holland America, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn and Azamara.
Some of the ships only are scheduled to visit Asia briefly as part of a repositioning from Europe to Australia, or as part of an around-the-world cruise.
Asia cruises often begin in major Asian cities such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo and include stops in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, South Korea and Japan. Other countries found on some Asia itineraries include India, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar.
Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:
- The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
- The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
- A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
- 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
- 15 ways cruisers waste money
- 12 best cruises for people who never want to grow up
- What to pack for your first cruise
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.