Uncertainty is the word of the year in the cruise industry. When the CDC released a framework for a safe return to cruising, the industry cheered (and continues to do so), yet it’s difficult to celebrate something so specifically vague. Still, I continue to believe that now is the best time to book a cruise, and NCL extending their Peace of Mind policy helps me make that case.

I have booked (and re-booked) multiple cruises since the beginning of the pandemic and have encouraged my clients to do the same. Why? Because each cruise line has it’s own version of what NCL calls Peace of Mind, for one, and on top of these policies, the incentives for accepting future cruise credit instead of a refund has been strong.

Norwegian’s Peace of Mind policy is intended to encourage guests to book their next cruise while realizing people having different thresholds for risk tolerance. Right now, even taking out the big question of when cruises will resume, there is a lot of uncertainty about what a cruise vacation will look like in the wake of Covid. At the moment there are lots of guesses (but very little known) about safety protocols and everyone will have a different opinion about how they will affect safety and experience of a cruise.

Today Norwegian extended its Peace of Mind Policy for bookings made by January 31, 2021, for any voyage through October 31, 2021. POM allows guests to cancel qualifying cruises as close as 15 days from embarkation without penalties. Under the policy, if a guest cancels a qualifying cruise they will receive 100% future cruise credit toward another cruise. Normally penalties begin at the final payment date (usually 120 days from embarkation) and get more severe the closer to the sail date.

In this case, Peace of Mind does exactly what the name implies. Guests can book their next cruise now to take advantage of current promotions (or just to have something to look forward to!) with the comfort of knowing they can cancel their cruise at the last minute if they’re uncomfortable with the protocols.