Hurtigruten has extended its temporary suspension of operations due to the ongoing impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the expedition cruise line announced Monday.
Last month, Hurtigruten announced it was halting operations until the end of April. However, the cruise line is now suspending all voyages until May 12. The cancellations include the MS Fridtjof Nansen's sailing from Hamburg, Germany on April 29 and MS Spitsbergen's departure from Longyearbyen on May 6.
The cruise line also confirmed that its Alaska expedition cruise season will be postponed to July due to new travel restrictions from Canadian authorities. As a result, MS Roald Amundsen's Alaska departures scheduled for May 17, May 31, June 12, June 24 and July 1 have all been canceled.
Hurtigruten's operations on the Norwegian coast will also be suspended through May 20, with the first roundtrip departure from Bergen scheduled for May 21.
In the meantime, Hurtigruten-which has not had any confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases on any ships-has deployed the newly upgraded MS Richard With and MS Vesteralen to transport critical supplies and goods to local Norwegian communities deeply affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions.
"The situation is affecting virtually everyone in one way or another. Hurtigruten is no exception. This is a setback for us, for the local communities we work with and for our guests. But the setback is only temporarily," said Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam in a statement.
Guests affected by the temporary suspension will be offered a future cruise voucher worth 125 percent of amounts paid, including fees, and will also receive a 10 percent discount on any future Hurtigruten expedition or Norwegian coast cruise between July 1, 2020 and December 2021.
Meanwhile, guests booked on voyages through September 30, 2020, can rebook without a fee and receive a future discount of 10 percent for any future expedition or Norwegian coast departures between July 1, 2020 and December 2021.
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