Cruise Lines Extend Operations Suspensions Due to COVID-19

MSC Cruises joins the list of cruise lines that extended their cruise suspensions into summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“MSC Cruises announced today a further extension of the halting of all its cruise departures fleet-wide through to 10 July,” the cruise line said in a press release posted on April 29th. The company previously anticipated that it would resume cruises on May 29th.

“MSC Cruises is offering guests affected by this measure a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) where they have the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled cruise to a future cruise of their choice – on any ship, for any itinerary – through to the end of 2021. In addition, guests will receive a credit benefit of between €100 and €400 per cabin, depending on the length of their original cruise,” said MSC Cruises.

Fox Business reported that the top three cruise lines in the U.S. are holding out for sail dates in June. These three are Carnival Corp, Royal Caribbean Cruises, and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings.

A “No Sail Order for Cruise Ships” was issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 9th. This is meant to be in effect through July or until the end of the pandemic. In addition, cruise companies are required to share the sanitization protocols they are implementing. They also need to reveal the number of ill or dead passengers or crew.

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