Princess cancels cruises until July
Princess Cruises has extended its cruise cancellations for a further seven weeks to the beginning of July.
It has also delyaed the delivery of its newest ship, Enchanted Princess, since the Fincantieri yard where it is being built in Italy remains closed. No new delivery date has been set, leading Princess to cancel its naming ceremony in Southampton on June 30 and cancel all cruises on the Enchanted Princess until August.
All other cruises have been cancelled until July 1 due to the impact of Covid-19 and the recent ‘no sail’ order from the US Centers for Disease Control.
In addition, Princess Cruises has cancelled all Princess Alaska Gulf cruises and cruisetours. The five wilderness lodges, trains and buses operated by Princess in Alaska will not open this summer, it said, but it will continue its roundtrip sailings from Seattle to Alaska on Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess.
President Jan Swartz said: "This global outbreak continues to challenge our world in unimaginable ways. We recognise how disappointing this is to our long-term business partners and thousands of employees, many of whom have been with us in Alaska for decades.
"We hope everyone impacted by these cancellations – especially our guests, travel agent partners, teammates, and the communities we visit – understand our decision to do our part to protect the safety, health and well-being of our guests and team. We look forward to the brighter days and smooth seas ahead for all of us."
Each ship will have a unique return to service date based on the previously published cruise itineraries with some modifications, departing after July 1. Details about the cancelled voyages can be found here.
Princess Cruises is offering two cancellation options. Guests currently booked on these cancelled voyages, who have paid in full, will receive a Future Cruise Credit (FCC) equivalent to 100% of the cruise fare paid and as an added incentive, an additional 25% FCC. Guests must use their credits on a cruise that sails on or before May 1, 2022. No action is required for guests to receive this offer and they will be notified by email once the credits have been issued.
Alternatively, guests can receive a full refund for all monies paid in full on their booking through this online form. Requests must be received by May 31, 2020, or they will receive the Future Cruise Credit option. Guests who have not yet paid in full will receive a refund.
Princess said it will protect travel agent commissions on bookings for cancelled cruises that were paid in full, ‘in recognition of the critical role travel agents play in the cruise line’s business and success’.
The cruise line has asked guests to delay calling its reservations centre due to high call volumes. Guests and their travel agents will be sent communications on how to manage cancellations, rebook another voyage, or request a refund, it said.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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