RCCL extends 48 hour cancellation policy to 1 September

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

Category: More News More News

Published: 31 March 2020 31 March 2020

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCCL), the world’s second largest cruise shipping group, said it has decided to extend its Cruise with Confidence cancellation policy through 1 September, 2020. 

“The updated policy enhances planning flexibility by allowing cancellations up to 48 hours prior to sailing for any reason.  Guests will receive a full credit for their fare, usable on any future sailing of choice in 2020 or 2021,” RCCL said in a statement.

Introduced on 6 March, the policy was first intended to remain in place until 31 July.

"Guests are reacting positively to our Cruise with Confidence policy," says company chairman and CEO Richard Fain, "because it enables them to make informed decisions and to better manage complicated travel plans during this unprecedented time of uncertainty."

The extension applies to both new and existing cruise bookings. In addition to easing concerns of booked guests, Fain says the policy enhances consumer confidence to schedule new bookings, knowing last-minute travel adjustments will incur no penalty.

"We want our guests to feel they can safely keep their existing cruise bookings or schedule new sailings," says Fain, "because this policy gives them more freedom and flexibility."

The policy applies to all cruises with sailing dates on or before 1 September 2020, and applies to the company's global brands Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Azamara. 

MSC Cruises extends fleet-wide halting of operations through to May 29

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

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Published: 30 March 2020 30 March 2020

MSC Cruises has decided to further extend the halting of all its new cruise departures fleet-wide through to May 29, in light of the continued extraordinary circumstances the world is facing in connection with the Covid-19 virus global health emergency.

The company previously announced the temporary halting of all its ships globally through to April 30. As governments across the globe have since further strengthened ashore public health and safety measures to protect local populations and contain the further spread of the virus, today’s decision by MSC Cruises to further extend this extraordinary measure aims to mirror and further support the effectiveness of such efforts.

MSC Cruises is working tirelessly with all guests and their travel advisors to address the impact of this necessary decision to their bookings on our ships up to May 29 and it is genuinely sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause them. By announcing this now, the company intends to provide travel advisors and guests who are booked on affected sailings with as much time as possible to move their booking to a future cruise.

MSC Cruises is offering guests affected by this extraordinary measure the opportunity to transfer the full amount paid for their cancelled vacation plus an additional generous credit benefit to a future cruise of their choice at any point through the end of 2021.

P&O Cruises and Cunard Line extend fleet standstills

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Written by Kari Reinikainen Kari Reinikainen

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Published: 30 March 2020 30 March 2020

P&O Cruises and Cunard Line, both parts of  Carnival Corporation & plc group,  have decided to extend  pause of the operation of their fleets from 11 April to 15 May due to the coronavirus pandemic, the two companies said in separate statements.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: “It is clear that our original date of April 11 to resume sailings, which would have been a 30 day pause in operations, is just not feasible in light of the government announcements last week.”

“Regrettably, therefore, we are now extending this pause until May 15. Given the current guidelines it is prudent and practical to extend the pause until normal operations can be resumed.

“As we work through the evolving restriction on ports around the world future itineraries may be subject to change and so we are looking at how we phase our ships back into service.”

Simon Palethorpe, President, Cunard said, “The impact of COVID-19 is affecting personal routines and businesses as well as placing significant travel restrictions around the world. Everyone in the Cunard team is aware of the need to support the management and containment of COVID-19 globally. This includes protecting the health and safety of our guests and crew. It is therefore right we extend the pause in operations.”

He added: “It is too soon to know exactly how this situation will evolve. But I do know that we, the Cunard team, will commit all our resources, energy and talent to weather this storm and come out stronger than ever for our guests.  We have been sailing for 180 years and we look forward to many more. We will get through these tough times together and look forward to welcoming our guests back on board again soon, when the time is right.”

 

 

 

P&O Cruises extends its temporary suspension in operations in Australia and New Zealand

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: More News More News

Published: 29 March 2020 29 March 2020

P&O Cruises announced this week it was extending its voluntary pause in operations across Australia and New Zealand as the cruise line plays its part in supporting the global effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.

The details around the temporary pause are different for guests in Australia and New Zealand to reflect the different approaches from each government in managing the resumption of international cruising.

President Sture Myrmell said our approach was about making it as simple as possible for guests in both Australia and New Zealand to have confidence in booking future cruises.

“We’re living in a period of rapid change with governments having to make decisions each day that are dramatically changing the way businesses and broader communities are going about their everyday lives,” Myrmell said.

“We took this step today out of respect for our guests and to give them some certainty at a time when so much is shifting around them," Myrmell said on Wednesday.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for our guests to make their future cruise plans by updating our approach to reflect what is happening at the moment.”

Myrmell also thanked our passionate guests for their encouraging emails and calls of support because it showed we would be back stronger than ever at the right time.

“We are living through an unprecedented period in world history, which is making it challenging for all of us in many different ways,” he said. “However, we will come through this stronger than ever alongside you, our valued guests.”