Royal Caribbean suspension updates

Cruising has been in the past and will again be a fantastic way to explore the world. Cruising is fun, exciting, and affordable. When it is safe to resume cruising, Royal Caribbean will have the health and safety of guests, crew, and the workers and population at each destination at the top of their priority list.

Royal Caribbean Suspension Update: October 6, 2020

As we continue to prepare for the cruise industry’s healthy and safe return, Royal Caribbean has made the decision to voluntarily suspend sailings through November 30, 2020. With each day that passes, we are one step closer to the other side of this operational pause and our continued work with notable health organizations and government authorities will ensure our readiness to resume, placing health and safety at the forefront. This additional time will allow us to continue to steadily make progress through all facets of the guest experience as we not only reinforce current standards, but also set new ones at every turn.

Royal Caribbean

Along with this announcement Royal Caribbean has extended it’s Cruise With Confidence refund policies. 125% Future Cruise Credit, Lift & Shift (same cruise next year with same pricing), full refund.

As always, if you are impacted by this announcement or have questions about the voluntary suspension including how to (re)book your cruise, use the contact form or call 844-483-6669 and I will happily give you unbiased information, advice and assistance.

Royal Caribbean Suspension Update: September 15, 2020

In response to recent guidance shared by the Australian government, the tough decision has been made to further pause cruise operations for all departures from Australia / New Zealand between November 1 – December 31, 2020.  Additionally, to allot additional time to prepare for a healthy and safe return, Spectrum of the Seas’ China sailings departing October 1-31, 2020 have also been cancelled.

Royal Caribbean

With the latest announcement, your options remain unchanged from prior sailing suspensions: an automatic 125% FCC of the amount paid, a 100% refund (request must be made by a specific date, check your paperwork), or Royal Caribbean’s Lift & Shift (move your cruise to a similar cruise next year while keeping the current promotions) which does have some fine print you need to be clear about.

Royal Caribbean Suspension Update: August 27, 2020

Our most recent plan was to resume cruise operations on October 1, 2020 for our Australia and New Zealand departures; however, the decision has now been made to extend this through October 31, 2020, which aligns with the guidance provided by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Additionally, we’ve decided to suspend our China itineraries on Spectrum of the Seas through the end of September and Quantum of the Seas through October 1, 2020.

Royal Caribbean

Related: Celebrity voluntary suspension information

August 5, 2020

Due to the current global environment, we’ve made the tough decision to voluntarily suspend cruise operations through October 31, 2020 (excluding Australia sailings). Additionally, the remainder of the 2020 Europe season and the fall Transatlantic sailings have also been cancelled, along with an additional pause in our China itineraries through September 13, 2020. This will allot additional time to solidify our safety measures as we work to welcome you and your clients back onboard. We are thoughtfully analyzing every aspect of the cruise experience and, as you can imagine, this takes time but we are steadily making progress.

Royal Caribbean Announcement

The Royal Caribbean Cruise with Confidence policy has been extended as well giving guests the opportunity to “lift and shift” to the same cruise next year, request a future cruise credit in the amount of 125% of cruise fare, or request a refund. Note that there are some deadlines and specific steps that need to be taken. Call your travel advisor for details, or if you booked directly with Royal (or any of their brands), reach out to them or, for unbiased advice and assistance use the contact form and I’ll help you navigate these choppy seas.

July 17, 2020

In a move that surprises nobody, Royal Caribbean Group has extended the Royal Caribbean suspension including (as of 10:45 am on 7/7/20) Celebrity Cruises. This decision to continue the suspension of operations comes a day after the CDC extended the No Sail Order through September 30.

The Royal Caribbean Cruise with Confidence policy has been adjusted for this latest extension. There are deadlines and procedures to be followed when taking advantage of the three options (Lift and Shift, Future Cruise Credit, and refund). If you have questions contact your travel advisor or, if you don’t have a travel advisor, use the contact form and I’ll assist you.

Read: CDC No Sail Order Extended

Statement from Royal Caribbean:

The well-being of our guests, travel partners, crew and the communities we visit remains our utmost priority here at Royal Caribbean. We are committed to health, safety and doing our part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, in alignment with the guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the suspension of all cruise operations is now extended through September 30, 2020 (excluding China sailings).

June 30, 2020

Today (June 30, 2020) Royal Caribbean announced the (expected, frankly) delay of Odyssey of the Seas. After all, how could construction of a ship continue when production and delivery of the parts needed to complete the ship are put on hold, not to mention the shipyard workers who have been furloughed while the yard shut down? The answer was obvious, delay delivery of the newest ship to the fleet.

Statement from Royal Caribbean:

The [Covid-19] health crisis has unfortunately … impacted shipyard operations, as well as our supply chain. As a result, the debut of our newest fleet member, Odyssey of the Seas, will be delayed, resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of all sailings between November 5, 2020 – April 17, 2021.

Guests booked on Odyssey of the Seas between these dates are able to take advantage of the “current standard” policy, which is either 125% future cruise credit or a refund. There is some fine print here relating to multiple cancellations and sailings, check with your travel advisor, Royal Caribbean, or use the contact form and I’ll assist you.

June 23, 2020:

Royal’s statement is below, but to sum it up, Royal Caribbean is expecting to resume sailing September 16, 2020 in a gradual return to service. What that return to service will look like is a complete guess. However what Royal Caribbean has confirmed is a continued suspension of Bermuda itineraries on Grandeur of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas through October 31, 2020.

In response to the recent statement circulated by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Royal Caribbean will now suspend all cruise operations through September 15, 2020 as we work towards a healthy and safe return-to-service. Exceptions to this timeline include China sailings paused through July onboard Spectrum of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas, as well as the further suspension of the 2020 Bermuda season onboard Grandeur of the Seas and Adventure of the Seas through October 31, 2020. Aligned with CLIA, as well as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we are committed to industry safety and will not sail until we are confident in the protective measures put in place to welcome guests back aboard.

For guests who have not previously cancelled under the “Cruise With Confidence” policy, Lift and Shift, 125% future cruise credit, and 100% refund remain as options for guests currently confirmed on sailings departing August 1 – September 15, 2020, as well as impacted Bermuda and China itineraries. Cruise With Confidence details are below.

May 20, 2020: Official Royal Caribbean suspension updates for Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara:

With health and safety at the forefront, we are committed to doing our part to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and have therefore confirmed that the suspension of all cruise operations is now extended through July 31, 2020. This decision is in alignment with guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and will allot ample time to further develop our comprehensive return to service measures to protect our guests and crew as we adapt to a “new tomorrow.”

For those currently confirmed on sailings departing June 12–July 31, 2020, and not previously cancelled under our Cruise with Confidence offer, a few options have been prepared for consideration.

LIFT & SHIFT:

Our NEW Lift & Shift option is ideal for guests wishing to move their existing reservation to next year, protecting their original price and promotion. Select next year’s sailing on the same itinerary type, sailing length, stateroom category, and within the same 4-week window of the original cruise date and your clients are all set. Act quickly — option expires on July 10, 2020!

125% Future Cruise Credit:

To account for the inconvenience this has caused, a 125% Future Cruise Credit (FCC) that is based on the total cruise fare paid at the guest-level and will be automatically issued on-or-before June 30, 2020 — if neither of the other options is selected. Taxes and fees, as well as any pre-purchased amenities or onboard packages will be automatically refunded to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. 

If guest previously opted to take advantage of our Cruise with Confidence policy, the 100% FCC will stand, and this new option is ineligible. Additionally, if your clients redeemed their Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on a sailing that is now cancelled, their original FCC will be reinstated, plus 125% of any amount paid by the guest on the cancelled reservation.

REFUND:

We are happy to return the funds paid per guest when requesting this option on-or-before December 31, 2020. Guests can expect their refund to the original form of payment within 45 days from the cancellation date. No need to rush on deciding — the 125% Future Cruise Credit will remain active until the point when a refund request is submitted, at which time it will be deactivated. 

If guests redeemed a Cruise with Confidence Future Cruise Credit on an impacted sailing and would now prefer a refund instead, we are happy to process this request in the amount of any new funds paid above the original certificate and, in turn, will reinstate the Cruise with Confidence FCC for future use.