Princess Cruises extends cancellations for nearly two more months
Princess Cruises is the latest line to reign in plans for a summer restart.
The world's fifth-largest cruise line on Wednesday canceled nearly all its departures through Aug. 21, citing uncertainty about whether it would get approval to restart operations in the coming months from government regulators.
Until Wednesday, the 14-ship brand only had canceled sailings across the board through the end of June.
In making the announcement, Princess on Wednesday said it still hoped to restart Alaska cruises in July in a small way with up to two vessels sailing out of Seattle.
Princess is one of the leaders in Alaska cruising, but it's currently being blocked by sailing in the state by both U.S. and Canadian regulators.
The Alaska cruise season is very short, lasting roughly from May through September, and Princess already has canceled most of its Alaska sailings for the year.
"Princess continues its discussion with various [U.S.] and Canadian government officials to try to preserve a portion of the Alaska 2021 cruise season," the line said in a statement accompanying its announcement.
Like many lines, Princess hasn’t operated a single cruise departure since March of 2020, when the coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic.
Cruise lines are struggling to restart operations in many parts of the world due to travel restrictions imposed by various countries, states and local entities.
In the U.S., the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been blocking cruise ships from sailing out of U.S. ports for more than a year in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Last week, the CDC issued new guidelines for a cruising restart in U.S. waters that suggested a concrete path to a cruising comeback. But the guidelines left many cruise executives flummoxed.
“We continue to have constructive discussions with the CDC but still have many questions that remain unanswered," Princess president Jan Swartz said in a statement accompanying Wednesday's announcement. "We are working diligently to resume sailing in the U.S. and meet the CDC guidelines.”
Swartz said the company appreciated the continued patience of customers while it worked to resume sailings.
"We know our guests are just as eager as we are to begin sailing," she said.
Princess's announcement comes as the prospects for a July or even an August restart for cruising out of U.S. ports become dimmer. In recent days, executives at Princess rival Norwegian Cruise Line have said there's now no chance they could restart in July, given the time it will take to prepare vessels for service once regulators approve of a cruising restart.
In addition, Princess sister brand Carnival Cruise Line this week canceled a wide swath of cruises through the end of July.
Still, while a restart of cruising out of U.S. ports in the early- to mid-summer appears increasingly iffy, many lines are moving ahead with plans to restart sailings in the coming months in other parts of the globe -- most notably, the Mediterranean.
In recent weeks, nearly half a dozen major cruise brands including Norwegian and Celebrity Cruises have announced plans to resume Mediterranean sailings out of Piraeus over the next three months.
The restarts include the first Silversea sailings in 15 months, starting on June 18, and the first Seabourn sailings in 16 months, starting on July 3.
The restarts are happening as Greece moves forward aggressively with a plan to reopen widely to tourists in advance of the summer travel season, and other countries around the Mediterranean get closer to broader reopenings to tourists, too.
Several lines including Crystal Cruises, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean also have announced plans to restart Caribbean sailings in the coming months with trips out of non-U.S. ports such as Nassau in the Bahamas.
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- 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.
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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. |
| 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. |
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Why We Chose It
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.