Amid the nationwide surge in COVID-19 infections impelled by the Omicron variant, cruise lines are finding themselves obliged to cancel more and more sailings as we head into the third week of 2022.
Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International, two Royal Caribbean Group brands, have been forced to call off planned departures over the past few days because of COVID-related concerns.
Celebrity Eclipse's return to service will be delayed because the company has just cut its four, seven-day Pacific Coast sailings that had been scheduled to start at the end of March. According to The Street, the newly impacted voyages are:
- March 26: Round-trip from Los Angeles, calling at Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Ensenada and San Diego.
- April 2: Round-trip from Los Angeles, calling at Catalina Island, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada.
- April 9: Round-trip from Los Angeles, calling at Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, San Diego and Ensenada.
- April 16: Departing from Los Angeles, calling at Catalina Island, San Francisco, Astoria, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver.
Celebrity spokesperson Susan Lomax told USA Today late Sunday that the ship will resume sailing at the end of April, and it's scheduled for two 11-day voyages between Vancouver and Honolulu prior to starting its Alaska season in mid-May, according to CruiseMapper. Lomax said that the company made its decision as, "part of our continuous review of our operating plans as we return to service."
Guests who hold reservations aboard Celebrity Eclipse's impacted voyages are being offered a full refund, or can alternatively opt to "lift and shift" their departure date to a "coastal" sailing aboard the Celebrity Millennium, USA Today reported.
Royal Caribbean International was likewise compelled to cancel another cruise after already announcing earlier this month that it was axing several departures on four of its vessels through early March. The latest cancellation was a two-night cruise aboard Independence of the Seas that had been set to sail on January 22, but had to be cut, "as a result of the ongoing COVID-related circumstances," the cruise line said in a statement.
Over the weekend, Norwegian Cruise Line had to cancel Norwegian Gem's latest 10-day sailing, which departed January 9 from New York for the Caribbean, mid-voyage, due to "COVID-related circumstances". The cruise effectively ended on January 13 after making a single port call in St. Maarten, but passengers and crew are set to remain at sea through January 19, when they will disembark back in New York, as scheduled. For their trouble, guests will have their full booking fare returned to them, as well as a 50-percent discount on a future cruise, valid through May 31, 2023.
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