Carnival Cruise Lines extends coronavirus-related cancellations
Carnival plans to resume operations on June 27
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Carnival Cruise Line is extending the suspension of North American operations as the world continues to battle the spread of COVID-19.
The cruise line announced Monday that it plans to resume some of its cruises on June 27.
"We will use this extended pause to continue to take care of the crew that on board and continue to bring non-essential crew home," Carnival said. "We are dedicated to maintaining confidence in our commitment to protecting the health and safety of our guests, crew and the communities we serve."
Earlier last month, Carnival paused operations after a few of its vessels became hot spots for the fast-spreading virus.
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Carnival Victory Cruise Ship departs the Grand Turk Cruise Terminal in the Turks and Caicos Islands on April 3, 2014. (iStock)
Cruise lines were among the first to take a hit during the pandemic as travelers canceled or delayed trips and governments restricted travel to mitigate the spread of the virus.
In early March, the State Department advised against any travel on cruise ships, particularly for those with underlying health conditions. The advisory said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted an "increased risk of infection of COVID-19 in a cruise ship environment."
Carnival Cruise Line is canceling the following sailings:
- All ships sailing through and including June 26, 2020
- All San Francisco sailings through 2020
- All Carnival Sunrise sailings through and including Oct.19, 2020
- All Carnival Legend sailings through and including Oct. 30, 2020
- All Carnival Radiance sailings through and including Nov. 1, 2020
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Monday's announcement from the cruise line comes just after the CDC extended its “No Sail Order” last week for all cruise ships.
According to the agency, the renewed order will last until the novel coronavirus is no longer a public health emergency, the CDC rescinds the order or in 100 days.
In response to the unprecedented crisis, Carnival is offering guests whose cruise has been canceled either future cruise vouchers or a full refund. These options pertain to customers who canceled their booking on or after March 6.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.