Cruise ships that restarted in Europe over the summer are shutting back down
The comeback of cruising that began over the summer in Europe started to stall in October as coronavirus cases surged. And now it's in full reversal mode.
Two of the biggest lines to restart limited sailings in Europe in recent months -- MSC Cruises and Costa Cruises -- this week said they would pause all voyages in the coming days due to growing travel restrictions brought on by higher coronavirus case counts.
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MSC Cruises on Friday canceled three departures of the only ship that it currently has operating, MSC Grandiosa, that are scheduled to take place between Dec. 20 and Jan. 10.
The 4,842-passenger cruise ship -- one of the world's largest -- had resumed sailings on Aug. 16 out of Genoa, Italy, in what at the time was considered a major milestone in the post-COVID comeback of cruising. MSC Cruises was the first major cruise line to restart sailings in the Mediterranean since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
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MSC Cruises on Friday also pushed pushed back plans to bring a second vessel into service in the Mediterranean on Dec. 18. The line now is targeting Jan. 15 for the first COVID-era voyage of the 2,550-passenger ship, MSC Magnifica.
The MSC Cruises cancellations came a day after Costa announced it was canceling all sailings from Dec. 20 through Jan. 6. The line restarted limited operations out of Italy on Sept. 6 and has had as many as three ships sailing out of Italy at times over the past three months.
The line plans to restart operations with just a single vessel, Costa Smeralda, on Jan. 7.
The cancellations at the two lines come in the wake of new COVID-related travel restrictions in Italy announced on Wednesday. The new restrictions include a complete ban on travel between Italian regions from Dec. 21 through Jan. 6. The Italian government also is forbidding its residents from leaving their home towns on Christmas Day, Dec. 26 and New Year's Day.
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The Italian government is hoping that a complete stop of travel over the holiday period, when many Italians have time off from work, will help stop the spread of the new coronavirus in the country. New COVID cases began surging in Italy in early October and remain high, though they have started coming down in recent weeks.
"Costa ... joins the further efforts requested to the country and to all Italians during the next Christmas and New Year holidays by suspending its activities," the line said in a statement.
MSC Cruises and Costa are just the latest lines forced to pull back on efforts to revive cruising due to growing travel restrictions.
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More than a half dozen other ocean cruise and river cruise lines that had restarted operations in Europe since the summer have had to cancel sailings in recent weeks due to growing travel restrictions in Germany, France and other European countries.
The travel restrictions have been driven by soaring coronavirus case counts.
River cruising in Europe, which began coming back for locals only in June, has ground to a halt since October.
The reversal of the restart to cruising in Europe in recent weeks comes as cruise lines that operate in North America continue to push out the date when they expect to resume sailings in the region.
Nearly every major cruise line that operates in North America including Royal Caribbean, Carnival Cruise Line, Norwegian Cruise Line and Disney Cruise Line this week canceled sailings in the region through at least the end of February. Some lines have canceled North American sailings even further into 2021.
All cruise lines around the world halted departures in March as the coronavirus outbreak grew and many have yet to restart operations anywhere in the world. Carnival, Norwegian and Disney are among the lines that haven’t operated a single departure since March.
Related: What we learned from the SeaDream outbreak
Royal Caribbean only has resumed sailings with a single ship, Quantum of the Seas. The vessel began short voyages out of Singapore on Tuesday for local Singapore residents only. Singapore is one of the few places in the world that has almost completely eliminated the new coronavirus.
Due to restrictions imposed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been almost no cruising since March in North America.
In November, a small line that focuses on small-ship cruising, SeaDream Yacht Club, attempted to restart cruises in the Caribbean out of Barbados on a single ship, the 112-passenger SeaDream 1. But its plans were derailed after a COVID outbreak on the first sailing.
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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.