Princess Cruises is temporarily halting global operations of its 18-ship fleet for 60 days, which will affect itineraries scheduled to depart March 12 to May 10. The line said the decision to voluntarily pause its itineraries was in response to the "unpredictable circumstances regarding from the global spread" of the coronavirus.
Passengers who are currently onboard Princess ships that are scheduled to disembark in the following five days will continue with their itineraries through the end of the cruises so as not to disrupt post-cruise arrangements, Princess said. Itineraries that are currently underway and extend beyond March 17 will be "ended at the most convenient location for guests, factoring in operational requirements," the line added
"Princess Cruises is a global vacation company that serves more than 50,000 guests daily from 70 countries as part of our diverse business, and it is widely known that we have been managing the implications of COVID-19 on two continents," said Jan Swartz, the line's president. "By taking this bold action of voluntarily pausing the operations of our ships, it is our intention to reassure our loyal guests, team members and global stakeholders of our commitment to the health, safety and well-being of all who sail with us, as well as those who do business with us, and the countries and communities we visit around the world."
Guests affected by the pause ship operations will have the chance to transfer 100 percent of the money paid for canceled cruises to future cruises of their choice. They will also be offered future cruise credits, which can be used for cruise fares or onboard expenses.
Princess said it will "honor this offer for those guests who had made final payment and canceled their booking on or after February 4, 2020. " Future cruise credit can be used on any cruise departing through May 1, 2022.
The line is also protecting agent commissions on bookings for canceled cruises that were paid in full and for the total amount of the future cruise credits.
If the future cruise credit option is not viable for some guests, they can complete an electronic form on Princess.com to request a cash refund.
Princess is requesting that guests not contact the reservation call center due to high call volume and long wait times. The line agents and their clients will receive communications on how to manage cancellations and compensation.
Information and instructions for those requesting a refund are available online at http://www.princess.com.
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