More cruise ships cancel trips over COVID-19
CDC's Framework for Conditional Sailing Order expired over the weekend
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The spread of COVID-19 has forced several cruise ships to cancel trips over the past week.
Royal Caribbean Group's Celebrity Cruises reportedly canceled Pacific Coast sailings on its Celebrity Eclipse.
A spokesperson for Celebrity told USA Today on Sunday that it had pushed the ship's resumption of sailing from the end of March to the end of April, canceling four sailings in between as a result.
Royal Caribbean did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for more information regarding the cancellations.
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The decisions were made as a "part of [the] continuous review of [Celebrity's] operating plans [it returns] to service," according to the spokesperson.
The outlet said travelers with canceled plans can either get a full refund or choose to "lift and shift" their departure to a "coastal" sailing on the Celebrity Millennium.
A worker cleans the side of the Independence of the Seas cruise ship on its first trip in the Canary Islands of Tenerife on May 10, 2008. The ship belongs to the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. (DESIREE MARTIN/AFP via Getty Images)
On Friday, Royal Caribbean International announced that, "as a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances around the world, and in an abundance of caution," it would cancel a Jan. 22 sailing on the ship Independence of the Seas.
Earlier this month, the company said it had called off planned trips on the Symphony of the Seas, Serenade of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas.
The Vision of the Seas' return to cruising was delayed until March.
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| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RCL | ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP | 234.60 | +2.74 | +1.18% |
"We regret having to cancel our guests’ long-awaited vacations and appreciate their loyalty and understanding. Our top priority is always the well-being of our guests, our crew and the communities we visit," Royal Caribbean International said.
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises require passengers who are eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccines and younger passengers who are ineligible to test negative before sailing.
FOX Business' Ashley Webster speaks with Canaveral Port Authority CEO Captain John Murray regarding the CDC's warning to Americans looking to travel via cruise ship.
On Thursday, a 10-night trip to the Caribbean aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's Gem ship was canceled mid-voyage due to "COVID-related circumstances." The
Norwegian has canceled several other sailings.
Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has discouraged anyone from boarding a cruise – vaccinated or not – the agency's Framework for Conditional Sailing Order expired on Saturday.
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The agency has now transitioned to a voluntary COVID-19 risk mitigation program for cruise ships.
The CDC's maritime unit will work closely with participating cruise ships, monitoring COVID-19 preventive measures and onboard cases through daily enhanced data collection and inspections. Meanwhile, ships that operate in U.S. waters and sail on international itineraries that choose not to participate in the program will be designated as gray under the agency's Cruise Ship Color Status webpage, indicating that the CDC has not reviewed or confirmed the cruise ship operator’s health and safety protocols.
Those sailing only in U.S. waters will not be listed.
FOX Business' Lucas Manfredi contributed to this report.