Carnival subsidiaries cease sailings well into 2021 following CDC bulletin

The move comes after the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a bulletin recommending passengers avoid travelling on cruise ships, including river cruises.

Holland America Line has announced the suspension of sailings until 31 March 2021. A statement from the company said the line is currently preparing and developing plans to meet the CDC requirements.

The cruise line also cancelled itineraries of eight days or longer that make port calls in the United States until 1 November 2021. Longer voyages in South America, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Asia will also be cancelled through mid-April 2021, with some rescheduled to similar dates in 2022.

Princess Cruises has extended its operational pause on all cruises across the globe through 31 March 2021 for similar reasons. The company’s president Jan Swartz said “We are focused on preparing our ships to meet the CDC health and safety requirements for our eventual return to service. We also appreciate the continued support we have received from our guests, partners and travel advisors, reinforcing for all of us why we do what we do."

An outbreak aboard the company’s Diamond Princess in Yokohama was one of the industry’s first high-profile cases of Covid-19. Princess Cruises added that cruises longer than seven days departing from the US have been cancelled until 1 November 2021. Additionally, the company cancelled cruises in Japan through 25 June 2021.

Carnival Corporation’s luxury line Seabourn has cancelled certain itineraries on its vessels Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Quest.

Select voyages on Seabourn Odyssey are cancelled from 16 January 2021 to 5 November 2021. However seven-day Alaska/British Columbia and Pacific Coast sailings remain unaffected.

All Seabourn Quest voyages longer than seven days and calling at US ports are cancelled from 22 July 2021 to 6 November 2021. Seabourn president Josh Leibowitz said “We’re fully committed to meeting the requirements necessary to bring guests back to our ships. Our team is grateful for the continued support we are seeing from guests, the travel advisor community, our partners and everyone with an interest in the hundreds of destinations we visit. Stay tuned for releases of alternative voyage options in the months ahead as conditions permit.”

Across the Atlantic, British operator P&O Cruises has extended its suspension in operations through to April 2021 citing “current uncertainty around European ports of call”. This impacts sailings on Iona, Britannia, Azura, Ventura, Arcadia and Aurora.