6 major cruise lines cancel December sailings in wake of CDC order
You'll now have to wait until at least January to take a cruise with Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises or Silversea. Ditto for Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises and Regent Seven Seas Cruises.
The parent companies of the six brands, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, on Monday said they would extend their seven-month-long halts to cruise operations at the lines through at least Dec. 31.
Until today, the companies only had canceled sailings for the lines through the end of November.
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Also canceling most sailings through the end of the year on Monday was MSC Cruises.
The cancellations for Royal Caribbean were for all sailings worldwide except a handful of voyages scheduled out of Singapore in December aimed at locals.
The announcements come just three days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lifted its longstanding "no-sail" order for cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters -- a seemingly positive sign for the cruise industry. But the CDC replaced the no-sail order with a new "framework for conditional sailing" order that will require lines to jump through a number of hoops before they can resume sailing.
Among the requirements of the new order is that cruise lines apply for what the CDC is calling a Conditional Sailing Certificate at least 60 days before they want to resume sailing. That means that even if a cruise line applies for a certificate today, it wouldn't be able to resume sailing in U.S. waters until at least Jan. 1 at the very earliest.
There are a number of other requirements in the new order that could push back the resumption of cruising for some lines even further in a best-case scenario.
Related: How to book a cruise with points and miles
The announcements also come as COVID-19 case counts in both Europe and North America are soaring. The U.S. in recent days has been recording more than 80,000 new coronavirus cases per day, on average.
Cruising has resumed in a very limited way in recent months in parts of Europe, led by Europe-based lines such as MSC Cruises, Costa Cruises and TUI Cruises. A handful of lines in other parts of the world including French Polynesia also have resumed limited sailings.
But a surge of COVID cases in Europe in recent days, and resulting lockdowns in some countries, is prompting a growing number of ocean and river lines operating there to shut back down.
Germany-based AIDA Cruises last week canceled all sailings through the end of November just days after restarting limited operations in Europe. Costa Cruises last week also canceled a significant number of cruises and scaled back plans to expand voyages in the coming months. River cruising across Europe in recent days has essentially ground to a halt.
Related: A preview of new COVID-related cruise restrictions
The CDC's new order on Friday suggested that the epidemiologists at the CDC continue to see cruise ships as places that are inherently more likely to be hotspots for COVID-19 transmission than other settings.
“Current scientific evidence suggests that, absent mitigation measures of the type needed to prevent further transmission, cruise ships would continue to pose a greater risk of COVID-19 transmission than other settings,” the order said.
Related: These 9 cruise lines have resumed limited sailings
All cruise lines around the world halted departures in March as the coronavirus outbreak grew and many have yet to restart operations. Norwegian, Oceania, Regent, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Silversea are among the lines that haven't operated a single departure since March.
Due to the CDC's "no-sail" order, there has been no cruising since March in North America.
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| 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. |
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
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 $6,000 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.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.