Amid coronavirus uncertainty, some cruise lines now are canceling sailings well into the fall
It's been a tough week for cruise fans eager to get back on the high seas.
Even as a handful of small river lines and small-ship cruise specialists moved ahead with plans to resume sailings in the coming weeks, some of the world's biggest cruise operators pushed back their restart dates well into the fall.
Among the most notable announcements in recent days came from Cunard Line, the storied brand that operates the iconic Queen Mary 2. The three-ship line on Tuesday said the iconic vessel and its smaller sister, Queen Victoria, wouldn't resume sailings until at least Nov. 1. Cunard said its third ship, Queen Elizabeth, will remain out of service until at least Nov. 23.
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Until this week, Cunard only had canceled sailings through the end of August.
Also pushing pack its return to service in a major way was luxury line Silversea. The line on Wednesday said three of its seven vessels -- Silver Explorer, Silver Cloud and Silver Wind -- wouldn't resume operations until at least the second half of October or November. A return to service for its four other vessels -- Silver Shadow, Silver Whisper, Silver Muse and Silver Spirit -- has been pushed back to September.
Two more Silversea vessels scheduled to debut this year -- Silver Origin and Silver Moon -- are now scheduled to debut on Aug. 22 and Oct. 2, respectively.
Related: The most exciting new cruise ships of 2020
Until this week, most Silversea ships were scheduled to resume operations in July.
In addition:
- Holland America on Thursday canceled September and October sailings out of Vancouver to the Panama Canal, Pacific Northwest, Mexico, Hawaii, South America and Japan. The cancellations affect sailings on six of Holland America's 15 ships. The line also canceled two Hawaii sailings out of San Diego scheduled to take place in January and February of 2021.
- Crystal Cruises on Wednesday canceled all river cruises through Sept. 6. Until this week, the line only had canceled river sailings through the end of June. Crystal also recently canceled all New England and Canada sailings scheduled to take place on Crystal Serenity (one of its two main ocean ships) through the end of October. The ship will reposition to Miami with the hopes of starting sailings out of that port on Oct. 1.
- Disney Cruise Line on Monday canceled all remaining Europe departures through Oct. 2. Until this week, the line only had canceled Europe sailings into July. Disney also canceled all sailings from Canada for the rest of the year.
What most of these lines canceling sailings deep into the fall have in common is that they specialize in far-flung itineraries around the world that often involve stops at multiple countries and require long-distance travel to reach. Most of the lines also rely on a mix of passengers from multiple countries to fill their ships.
In this new era of coronavirus-related travel restrictions -- Americans aren't welcome in most European countries right now, for instance -- operating far-flung voyages to multiple countries that are designed to appeal to a wide mix of passengers has become a logistical challenge, cruise executives say. The situation is made even more complex by the fact that some ports have announced plans to reopen to cruise ships while others have said they would remain closed for an extended time.
In an announcement of its newest cancellations, Holland America, for instance, specifically cited the expectation of "travel and port restrictions continuing for the near future due to global health concerns" as a factor in its decision.
Related: How to book a cruise using points and miles
Holland America is particularly known for its wide-ranging itineraries. With its new cancellations, the line now has canceled every sailing on its schedule through Sept. 27. Only nine of its 15 vessels now are scheduled to return to service by the end of October.
The Holland America cancellations include every sailing for the rest of the year in Europe, Alaska and the Canada/New England region.
Other lines that have canceled all or most sailings well into the fall include Seabourn, Princess Cruises, Windstar Cruises and startup line Virgin Voyages.
The small river lines and small-ship cruise specialists that are moving ahead with plans to restart cruising in coming weeks generally are offering easy-to-reach sailings aimed at a local market that often focus on a single country. As a result, they face fewer of the travel restriction hurdles that lines offering more wide-ranging, multicountry voyages face.
In North America, the first cruise by any line is scheduled to take place on June 20. Small-ship cruise specialist American Cruise Lines plans to resume river sailings in the Pacific Northwest with a single ship, the 90-cabin American Song.
American Cruise Lines also is eyeing a resumption of cruises on the Mississippi River and in Alaska by the end of July with similarly small ships.
Small vessels such as American Song are exempt from a 100-day “no-sail” order for cruise ships sailing in U.S. waters issued in April by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The order only applies to cruise ships that carry more than 250 passengers and crew.
Additional resources for cruisers during the coronavirus outbreak:
- Why you shouldn't expect bargain-basement cruise deals anytime soon
- How to cancel or postpone a cruise due to coronavirus
- Expecting a refund for a canceled cruise? Here's how long it will take
- Good news for cruisers worried about strict new boarding rules
- Some of the year's hottest new ships could be delayed
- Stream these 13 movies, television shows to get your cruise ship fix
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- 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.