Today, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line announced that the decision has been made to extend its current suspension of sailing operations through October 1.
Commenting on the cruise line's protracted non-operations, CEO Oneil Khosa said: "As you know, we recently announced that we would finally return to sea this August-offering travelers the chance to enjoy a much-needed, two-night getaway to paradise. However, given the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) extension of its No Sail Order, we have no choice but to delay our resumption of cruise operations to October 1, 2020."
"While we are disappointed that we are not able to sail as planned, we will, of course, continue to work side by side with the CDC," he added. "Since the outbreak of COVID-19, we have remained one of the few cruise lines that reported no cases of the virus onboard our ships. We have also followed all required guidelines, including adhering to strict requirements for our onboard crew members, and installed the best safety protocols in the industry across our fleet to protect our guests and crew, who are always our top priority."
The CDC's extended No Sail Order prevents cruise ships from sailing through September 30, 2020.
Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line remains the nation's first and only cruise line to be granted the CDC's "green status", based on its No Sail Response plan, meaning that it met the CDC's requirements for establishing a safe environment for its crew members and they are permitted to disembark using commercial travel methods.
An announcement from the Bahamian government made yesterday, banning virtually all U.S. travelers from entering the islands from July 22, would also have effectively prevented Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line (which sails exclusively to Nassau and Grand Bahama) from resuming operations, at least for the present.
Bahamian authorities have promised to continuously monitor the COVID-19 situation, both at home and on a global level, and will adjust the country's policies moving forward in accordance with the current wisdom at that time.
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