Category: News

Here is where you can find the latest updates on news in the cruise & travel world.

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE EXTENDS SUSPENSION OF VOYAGES



As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact communities around the globe, and given the travel and port restrictions in various parts of the world, Norwegian Cruise Line has decided to further suspend voyages as follows:

  • All voyages with embarkation dates from August 1 through August 31, 2020
  • All voyages with embarkation dates from September 1 through September 30, 2020; except for Seattle-based Alaska sailings on Norwegian Bliss and Norwegian Joy which continue to be scheduled to operate
    • ​​​​​​Note: We are hopeful that through the support of the Alaska delegation and openness of mayors in Alaska port towns, we have the potential to resume voyages in September.  For this reason, we have excluded the September voyages aboard Bliss and Joy.
  • All voyages in October 2020 to Canada/New England and cruises embarking in Vancouver, including:
    • Norwegian Bliss: October 12, 2020
    • Norwegian Joy: October 4, 2020
    • Norwegian Breakaway: October 4, 2020 and October 11, 2020
    • Norwegian Gem: October 2, 2020 and October 9, 2020 

NCL states “We remain optimistic and expect to relaunch cruise operation in the near future.  Given the fluid and evolving nature of the circumstances, we are making decisions as quickly and thoughtfully as possible and, as always, we are keeping our guests’ and travel partners’ best interests at heart”.

All guests with current and active bookings during this current suspension period will automatically receive their refund in the form of a future cruise credit (FCC) valued at 125% of the fare paid.  These FCC’s will be issued no later than Thursday, June 25, 2020, and can be applied anytime within one year of issue date and toward any Norwegian Cruise Line voyage through December 31, 2022.
 
A lesser value refund is also available for guests who elect not to retain the bonus FCCs provided.  These guests can elect to receive a 100% refund of the fare paid to be reimbursed to the original form of payment 90 days after the request for a refund has been submitted.  All refund requests for this current suspension period must be received via the web form, which will be made available starting at 9:00 am EST on July 6, 2020, up until 11:59 pm EST on July 17, 2020.

DISNEY PARKS BEGIN TO REOPEN…

As the Disney Parks begin to reopen, here is a message from Josh D’Amaro Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences & Products.

The magic is returning,

With the announcement of the proposed reopening dates for the Disneyland Resort, we are one more exciting step closer to reopening all of our Disney parks and experiences around the world.  Throughout the past few weeks, we have reopened Shanghai Disneyland, Disney Springs and several Disney stores, and set dates for both Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, with more announcements coming soon.

We are purposefully taking baby steps during this very intentional phased approach.  As one of the first major theme parks to close our operations and the last to reopen, we have been deliberate about keeping the health and safety of our cast, guests and local communities top of mind. And as we look forward to bringing our cast members back to work, and welcoming you back as cherished guests – we know it will take all of us working together responsibly to recapture the magic.

We’re fortunate to be guided by a talented team of professionals who’ve helped us implement a variety of new health and safety measures reflecting the guidance of local health and government authorities. These are designed with both the cast and guests in mind for the unique environments of each of our parks, resorts and stores.

While certain aspects of your visit may change, I assure you the quality of our storytelling, magic of our experiences and the caliber of our cast members has not. We recognize the trust that you have in the Disney brand, and we will continue to earn your trust every day.  

My confidence comes in part from all of the hard work our teams have been doing behind the scenes in the past few months… as well as by the early successes we have seen at Shanghai Disneyland, the first of our theme parks to reopen. Guest satisfaction has been extremely high, and we will continue to make sure that as we bring back experiences, our attention to promoting your safety, maintaining your trust and providing unique ways for you to come together with family and friends to create new memories remains high as well.

Walt Disney once said that it takes people to make the dream a reality, and as we prepare ourselves to reopen his original park, I want you to know how eternally grateful I am for all of you who have made Disney parks, stores, hotels, cruise lines, guided tours and vacation properties part of your lives, as well as for the cast members, crew members, Imagineers, and employees who have brought them to life for the past 65 years.  

I know this has been a difficult year due to the impacts of COVID-19, but I can’t help but feel a great sense of hope and optimism. And like many of you, I look forward to hearing the laughter and seeing the joy of families making memories together… and I can’t wait to see you when the magic returns to all of our parks and resorts. 

Be well, 
Josh D’Amaro
Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences & Products

ALLURE OF THE SEAS AMPLIFICATION POSTPONED



Due to the impact of COVID-19 and given the closure of shipyards along with the disruption to the supply chain, Royal Caribbean has made some updates regarding Allure of the Seas, Explorer of   the Seas, Liberty of the Seas,  and Adventure of the Seas.

  • The Allure of the Seas Amplification has been postponed until further notice. Additionally, due to pier construction delays in the Galveston terminal, the pier will unfortunately not be ready to welcome an Oasis Class ship. Therefore, Allure will no longer sail from Galveston, Texas, and rather, local fan-favorite Liberty of the Seas will assume Allure’s itineraries in late 2021.
  • The Adventure, Explorer and Liberty of the Seas Amplifications have also been postponed until further notice. All Explorer sailings will be cancelled through August 2020 to complete a technical dry dock.

    Royal Caribbean would like to Thank their guests for understanding that today’s ever-changing environment has led to decisions beyond their control and appreciate all of their guests continued support of Royal Caribbean.    All guests and travel advisors will be notified of these changes.

CANADA EXTENDS BORDER CLOSURE | ALASKA SEASON CANCELLED

Well it looks like the hopes of an Alaska or Canada/New England cruise this summer has come to an end.   Canadian authorities have officially cancelled the rest of the 2020 cruise season in Canadian waters due to the Covid-19 pandemic.   They are banning any ships with overnight accommodations that carry more than 100 passengers from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020.

The ban of cruise ships in Canadian waters makes Alaska itineraries impossible due to the law stating any foreign flagged ship that sails from the a US port must make a stop at a foreign port before returning to the US.

This announcement came from Minister of Transport Marc Gareau as he stated “Our Government is committed to protecting Canadians, particularly during these challenging times. It is for that reason I am announcing updated measures for cruise ships and other passenger vessels in Canada, which includes prohibiting larger cruise ships from operating in Canadian waters until October 31, 2020”. 

Canada is taking the suspensions very seriously in hopes that the Covid-19 virus does not continue to spread.

So what does this mean for all the cruise lines….

It looks like Princess & Holland America have already made the decision before the announcement came out. Princess had cancelled all Alaska and New England/Canada sailings through summer of 2020.

Holland America went a little further with cancelling all Alaska, Canada/New England and even Europe itineraries through the rest of the year in 2020.  Now this does not surprise me due to facts showing that the Covid-19 tends to take a little more of a toll on the elderly and Holland Ameria is known for having an older demographic crowd.

Carnival has also taken down all of their Alaska sailings through the rest of the summer. 

So it looks like Royal and NCL were holding out until the end and even booking cruises for July when it was announced prior to this that the Canadian authorities had closed the borders through July 31st.  So now with this announcement extending the border closure in Canada through Oct 31st 2020, hopefully we will be seeing some more cancellations with Royal, Celebrity and NCL possibly sometime this coming week.

This has obviously taken a big hit on the Canadian and Alaskan economies for 2020 as the summer and fall seasons are their high tourist seasons. Many people have re-booked for 2021, and I’m sure their economy is looking forward to all the tourists that will be visiting Canada and Aalaska next year in 2021.

Sharon Asmus