While cruise lines work on meeting the CDC’s new guidelines so they can resume cruises out of the U.S., the CDC is proposing not allowing sailings over seven days long.
While the seven day cap on cruises would likely be temporary and not permanent, a couple of cruise lines have put cruises eight days and longer on hold and stopped taking new bookings.
Carnival Cruise Line has closed all 8 day and longer cruises from the U.S. for bookings. Carnival’s Brand Ambassador John Heald said that the cruise line has not canceled these cruises, they just stopped taking new bookings on them as they continue discussions with the CDC.
He went on to say that they will communicate with their guests and travel professionals after they decided what to do with these sailings.
Princess Cruises issued the following statement today to members of the media about cruises longer than a week: “Princess Cruises has reviewed the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Framework for Conditional Sailing and is seeking additional clarification to fully understand the requirements. While we await further information, we have (temporarily) stopped selling all cruises eight days and longer which call upon a U.S. port and depart January 1 through November 1, 2021. For those who are currently booked on one of these cruises, we ask for your patience to receive further information from Princess Cruises on whether your cruise is impacted.”
If the CDC does temporarily limit cruises to seven days, it would only apply to cruises that depart from U.S. ports.
All cruises from U.S. ports have been canceled through the end of the year. The CDC replaced their No Sail Order with a Conditional Sail Order. Cruises will begin a staggered restart once cruise lines receive approval from the CDC.
