Royal Caribbean is second cruise line to cancel US-based sailings; 4 ships affected
Following an uptick in COVID-19 omicron cases, Royal Caribbean is pausing cruises on three of its vessels and delaying the scheduled return of a fourth, making it the second line — after Norwegian Cruise Line — since the industry's largely successful restart to cancel several sailings out of the U.S.
"As a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, and in [an] abundance of caution, Royal Caribbean International is pausing operations for [Vision of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas, Jewel of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas]," the line said in a statement. Affected voyages include:
- Vision of the Seas' sailings through March 7, 2022
- Serenade of the Seas sailings from Jan. 8–March 5, 2022
- Jewel of the Seas sailings from Jan. 9–Feb. 12, 2022
- Symphony of the Seas sailings from Jan. 8–22, 2022
The line was strategic about the ships it selected, opting to delay the restart of Vision of the Seas, which hasn't yet come back into service since the 2020 shutdown. Its return will now be delayed until March 7, 2022. The line also chose Serenade of the Seas, which was scheduled to enter dry dock shortly and, therefore, would have been out of service for a time anyway. It will now return, post-dry dock, on April 26, 2022.
Passengers on affected sailings are being notified, and they will be given compensation options, which include full refunds.
TPG asked Mark Tamis, Royal Caribbean's senior vice president of hotel operations, why the line decided to proactively cancel sailings. He said the move allows Royal Caribbean to do two things. "One is [that] crew who test positive and are asymptomatic are able to serve their quarantine period on one of these ships. It also allows us to have these additional crew members who then can supplement the crew who are not able to work for those 10 days in order to make sure that we're able to deliver a great vacation and a full experience -- all the while protecting our guests, our crew, the ships and the places that we visit, as we have done since our healthy return to service."
The cancellations are not because the cruise line is concerned that passenger health is compromised on board more than it would be on land. In fact, of the 1.1 million passengers who have sailed on all Royal Caribbean group lines (Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises and Silversea Cruises) since the return to cruise in 2021, Tamis says they've had only 1,745 cases of passengers testing positive (about 1.6% of the guest population). The crew is all vaccinated, with tests at least weekly, and all passengers but the youngest must be vaccinated and test negative to sail.
The issue at hand is operations. The cruise line wants to ensure that its guests get the full vacation experience they paid for, for which it needs a full complement of crew. And with the frequent testing catching asymptomatic crew cases of COVID-19 that otherwise would go unnoticed, the line needs a place to house crew members while they wait out their isolation.
By taking four ships out of service, healthy crew can help support their coworkers on operating ships and COVID-19 positive crew have a place to stay, away from paying guests, where they can quickly return to their ship when their quarantine period is up.
It was not a decision Royal Caribbean takes lightly. "We feel terrible when we have to cancel a vacation," Tamis said. "When we have to do something like this, we feel awful."
Other cruise lines are in the same boat, so to speak. On Wednesday, Norwegian Cruise line canceled voyages on eight of its vessels, some of which hadn't even come back into service yet.
Other cancellations of cruises from foreign ports have come in recent days from lines that include MSC, Costa, Oceania and Regent.
Although it's unlikely we'll see another industrywide shutdown, we're keeping a close eye on other lines that might be considering cancellations soon.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 3X | Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Delta SkyClub access when flying Delta
- Annual companion ticket for travel on Delta (upon renewal)
- Ability to earn MQDs through spending
- Various statement credits for eligible purchases
Cons
- Steep annual fee of $650
- Other Delta cobranded cards offer superior earning categories
- Earn 100,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $6,000 or more in purchases with your new Card within the first 6 months of Card Membership and an additional 25,000 bonus miles after you make an additional $3,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months, starting from the date that your account is opened. Offer Ends 04/01/2026.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members receive 15 Visits per Medallion® Year to the Delta Sky Club® when flying Delta and can unlock an unlimited number of Visits after spending $75,000 in purchases on your Card in a calendar year. Plus, you’ll receive four One-Time Guest Passes each Medallion Year so you can share the experience with family and friends when traveling Delta together.
- Enjoy complimentary access to The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. and select international locations (as set forth on the Centurion Lounge Website), Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge in the U.S. (see the Centurion Lounge Website for more information on Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge availability), and Escape Lounges when flying on a Delta flight booked with the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card. § To access Sidecar by The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 90 minutes of their departing flight (including layovers). To access The Centurion® Lounge, Card Members must arrive within 3 hours of their departing flight. Effective July 8, 2026, during a layover, Card Members must arrive within 5 hours of the connecting flight.
- Receive $2,500 Medallion® Qualification Dollars with MQD Headstart each Medallion Qualification Year and earn $1 MQD for each $10 in purchases on your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card with MQD Boost to get closer to Status next Medallion Year.
- Enjoy a Companion Certificate on a Delta First, Delta Comfort, or Delta Main round-trip flight to select destinations each year after renewal of your Card. The Companion Certificate requires payment of government-imposed taxes and fees of between $22 and $250 (for itineraries with up to four flight segments). Baggage charges and other restrictions apply. Delta Basic experiences are not eligible for this benefit.
- $240 Resy Credit: When you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card for eligible purchases with U.S. Resy restaurants, you can earn up to $20 each month in statement credits. Enrollment required.
- $120 Rideshare Credit: Earn up to $10 back in statement credits each month after you use your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card to pay for U.S. rideshare purchases with select providers. Enrollment required.
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card Members get 15% off when using miles to book Award Travel on Delta flights through delta.com and the Fly Delta app. Discount not applicable to partner-operated flights or to taxes and fees.
- With your Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, receive upgrade priority over others with the same Medallion tier, product and fare experience purchased, and Million Miler milestone when you fly with Delta.
- Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees. Enjoy international travel without additional fees on purchases made abroad.
- $650 Annual Fee.
- Apply with confidence. Know if you're approved for a Card with no impact to your credit score. If you're approved and you choose to accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.
- Terms Apply.
- See Rates & Fees