Because of very fluid worldwide pandemic situation, travel industry, especially the cruise industry is finding it very hard to plan for the coming months. This is one segment of the travel sector, which has suffered a lot and which does not see any relief in the foreseeable future. That is the reason that postponements have become order of the day. In past few days at lease three cruise lines have delayed their return to sea in Australia.
P&O Cruises Australia has extended its rolling pause in operations from Australia to 2 December this year as the cruise line continues to take guidance from authorities, public health experts and society on restarting sailing. P&O Cruises President Sture Myrmell said extending the rolling pause until 2 December (inclusive) – and the start of summer – was aimed at providing our guests with an opportunity to plan ahead.
“It is clear that society is not yet ready to return to sailing and we will continue to liaise with governments and public health experts as all align on how people should gather and holiday,” Mr Myrmell said.
And to support guests’ peace-of-mind during these times, P&O has extended its flexible payment and cancellation policy – called ‘P&O Assurance’ – even further to the end of next year’s summer holidays. Guests can now cancel their booking for any reason up to 48 hours prior to the scheduled date of departure for sailings to 31 January, 2021 and receive a future cruise credit to the value of the fare paid.
Similarly, Carnival Cruise Line has said that in light of continuing Australian travel restrictions, it is extending its pause in departures from Australia through 2 December 2020 for Carnival Spirit and Carnival Splendor. Carnival had previously announced pauses through 29 October and is now notifying guests and travel agents about these new cancellations.
Carnival will resume cruising when the time is right and will do so with enhanced health measures developed in conjunction with government authorities, public health experts, local ports of call and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
Third cruise line to delay the operations in Australia is Princess Cruises. It has announced that due to the continued progression of COVID-19 and related decisions of various governments, health authorities, and airlines regarding travel restrictions, it is extending its pause in cruise operations in Australia through December 12, 2020 which includes cruises throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Guests who have paid in full on these cancelled voyages will receive a refundable Future Cruise Credit (FCC) equivalent to 100% of the cruise fare paid plus an additional non-refundable bonus FCC equal to 25% of the cruise fare paid. To receive the above FCCs, no action is required by the guest or their travel advisor. For guests who have not paid in full, Princess will Double the Deposit, providing a refundable FCC for the money currently on deposit plus a matching bonus FCC that can be used on any voyage through May 1, 2022. The matching bonus FCC is non-refundable, will not exceed the base cruise fare amount of the currently booked cruise, and will have a minimum value of $100 per person. Alternatively, guests can forfeit the bonus FCC offer and request a refund for all money paid on their booking by using this online form. Guests have until September 30, 2020 to elect a refund, or they will automatically receive the default offer listed above.
Earlier, due to restrictions and limitations with border and port access determined by government and health authorities and the continued uncertainty of airline travel, Princess Cruises had also cancelled its early 2021 World Cruises and Circle South America cruises on two ships:
- Island Princess 2021 World Cruise sailing from North America, including associated segments and remaining voyages sailing immediately prior,
- Pacific Princess 2021 Circle South America sailing from Australia, including associated positioning cruises.
“We share in the disappointment of this cancellation for guests of our world cruises because it’s a pinnacle cruise vacation experience, booked by some of our most loyal guests,” said Jan Swartz, Princess Cruises president.
Princess Cruises is an international premium cruise line and tour company operating a fleet of 18 modern cruise ships, carrying two million guests each year to 380 destinations around the globe, including the Caribbean, Alaska, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Europe, South America, Australia/New Zealand, the South Pacific, Hawaii, Asia, Canada/New England, Antarctica and World Cruises. A team of professional destination experts have curated 170 itineraries, ranging in length from three to 111 days. The company is part of Carnival Corporation & plc.
Elsewhere, UK’s third largest cruise line, Marella Cruises, announced the extension in the operations pause until November 15. The company said the ongoing uncertainty around COVID-19 travel restrictions prompted the decision. Marella Cruises had previously been expected to return to operation at the end of next month. All customers whose bookings are impacted by the latest decision can choose from a range of flexible options. There are currently five ships in the Marella Cruises fleet, Marella Dream, Marella Discovery, Marella Discovery 2, Marella Explorer and Marella Explorer 2.
In a rare good news for the cruise industry, MSC Grandiosa returned to the seas in the Mediterranean last week, as the European cruise sector tested the water for the first time since the Covid-19 shutdown.
