As coronavirus fear spreads, more ports are turning away cruise ships
Many Americans are sticking with plans for cruises in the coming weeks, despite new advisories from the U.S. Department of State and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that they should stop cruising for now.
But not everything is looking upbeat for their upcoming voyages. In the wake of the advisories, a growing number of ports are weighing whether to turn away cruise vessels for the time being.
The port towns of Santa Barbara and Monterey, in California, on Monday became the first U.S. ports to announce they would stop cruise ship arrivals. Both cited the CDC advisory.
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Canadian officials also are considering whether to stop cruise ship arrivals at all Canadian ports, according to Bonnie Henry, the top health official in British Columbia.
"There is ongoing discussions" on the topic, Henry said at a press conference on Monday, noting the decision is being made at the federal level with input from her and other regional health officials. She said a decision could be coming in a matter of days.
"We are in a very critical time around the world," Henry added, before suggesting that she was in the camp calling for a temporary halt to cruise ship arrivals. "It is my belief that we should be delaying our cruise season until we are in a safer place internationally."
If Canada took such action, it would join a growing number of countries that are banning cruise ship arrivals outright. The latest is India, which implemented a ban on cruise ship arrivals over the weekend. The United Arab Emirates also made a similar decision in recent days.
The bans on ships arriving in India and the United Arab Emirates resulted in the early end to a voyage of a Celebrity Cruises vessel that was sailing from Dubai to India. Some passengers were left scrambling to try to find a way home from the region.
Other countries that have stopped cruise ship arrivals include Malaysia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, South Korea and Taiwan.
Cruises to Israel also effectively are off the table, now that the country is requiring all visitors to undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival, and cruise lines have begun curtailing cruise stops in Italy in the wake of this week's country-wide lockdown.
Visit TPG’s guide to all coronavirus news and updates
The world's biggest cruise destination remains open
The good news for would-be cruisers is that all major cruise destinations in the Caribbean, the world's most popular place to cruise, remain open to cruise ships. But, even here, cruise ships are starting to be turned away at even the slightest hint of an illness onboard.
On Monday, a Costa Cruises vessel was turned away from Antigua due to coronavirus concerns. The port of Grand Turk in the Turks & Caicos turned away a Carnival Cruise Line ship on Friday, citing worries about ill passengers.
Other Caribbean destinations that have turned away cruise ships in recent days due to concerns about sick passengers include the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica.
Puerto Rico has said cruise ships must confirm they have no passengers on board with symptoms consistent with coronavirus before docking.
Related: The extreme measures cruise lines are taking as coronavirus concerns spread
The impact on California cruises
Monday's announcements by the cities of Monterey and Santa Barbara will have the most immediate affect on cruising in North America.
The decision has forced Princess Cruises to cancel Monterey calls scheduled for its 3,560-passenger Royal Princess on March 31, April 14 and April 28. Holland America has canceled an April 29 visit scheduled for its 1,258-passenger Maasdam.
“The City of Monterey has an obligation to ensure the public health of our residents, employees and visitors, and we appreciate the cruise ship companies taking action on behalf of our request,” Monterey city manager Hans Uslar said Monday in a statement.
Santa Barbara still is in the process of reaching out to cruise lines to cancel calls in the city. The city on Monday said Princess already had canceled a March 24 visit by the Grand Princess.
"To protect the safety of residents, the city will contact other cruise lines to request cancellation of their upcoming cruise visits to Santa Barbara, until the [CDC] removes their travel advisory for cruise ships," the city said in a statement.
Holland America, Celebrity Cruises and Windstar Cruises also have upcoming calls in Santa Barbara on their schedules.
What could happen if Canada bans cruise ships?
A shutdown of cruise ship stops in Canada would have far bigger implications for the cruise business. Two of the country's ports on the West Coast, Vancouver and Victoria, are integral to many cruise voyages to Alaska.
By law, foreign-flagged cruise ships cannot cruise in American waters without stopping at least once per voyage at a foreign port. What this means for Alaska cruising, on a practical level, is that the ships operated by Princess, Holland America, Royal Caribbean and most other big players in Alaska cruising cannot cruise there unless their itineraries include at least one stop in Canada.
Unless a waiver to the rule is granted, a halt to cruise visits to Canada could mean a temporary end to many Alaska cruises.
The Alaska cruise season is just weeks away from beginning.
U.S.-flagged vessels such as those operated by small-ship cruise operators UnCruise Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions and American Cruise Lines still would be able to operate in Alaska.
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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.