Cruise ships won’t restart U.S. sailings until Sept. 15

Cruise lovers, brace yourself for cancellations of summer sailings. The trade group Cruise Lines International Assn. announced that cruises won’t restart at U.S. ports until at least Sept. 15. It says the industry needs more time to fine-tune safety procedures to protect passengers and employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The additional time will also allow us to consult with the CDC on measures that will be appropriate for the eventual resumption of cruise operations,” an announcement said.

The CDC extended its no-sail order for U.S. ports until July 24. The order, which affects ships with more than 250 passengers, was first issued March 14. Canadian ports have extended their ban until Oct. 31.

Carnival, which had hoped to start some sailings in August, now has cancelled cruises through Sept. 30. It has dropped any sailings from San Francisco through 2020, and sailings aboard Carnival Sunrise through Oct. 19 and Carnival Legend through Oct. 30.

Royal Caribbean canceled cruises through July 31 but said on its website that its “goal is to resume operations on August 1st, 2020 for the majority of our fleet.” However the cruise line canceled Canadian sailings through Oct. 31 (because of port closures) and China sailings through June 30. Voyager of the Seas sailings are canceled through Sept. 30 too.

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April 27, 2020

Disney Cruise Line canceled most cruises through Sept. 15 and dropped sailings on Disney Magic through Oct. 2.

If your cruise is canceled, you may be eligible for a refund or a value-added cruise voucher. Contact your cruise line or travel agent for more information.