Several Major Cruise Lines Cancel Upcoming Cruises

Several of the biggest names in the cruise industry have been forced to cancel some of their upcoming cruise offerings as the cruise world endures some choppy waters once more. The blow comes following the industry’s ongoing battles with the spread of Covid-19 on board, which has been a persistent struggle in the wake of the easily-spread Omicron variant, and has even led to some Caribbean islands refusing to allow the cruise ships to dock over fears of the virus.

Whilst cancellations are never welcomed by passengers, the more recent cancellations this week by Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises have at least come prior to the cruise ship departing – which is more than can be said for Norwegian, who canceled one of their cruise offerings mid-trip. Here’s a closer look at all the details surrounding the most recent cancellations, plus a look at other cruise cancellations that have made headlines.

Cruise Trips Canceled – Information For Travelers

The most recent cancellations have affected Celebrity Cruises and Royal Caribbean International – both of which are brands belonging to the Royal Caribbean Group, one of the largest cruise lines in the world. The cancellations by Celebrity only affect cruises set to restart in a few months, but Royal Caribbean International’s cancellations are set to have a more immediate impact, affecting cruises that were scheduled to be departing in just a matter of days.

A two-night cruise aboard the company’s Independence of the Seas vessel – a 15-deck ship capable of carrying more than 4000 passengers – was scheduled to depart on January 22nd, but it has now been cancelled and will not be going ahead. According to Royal Caribbean spokesperson Lyan Sierra-Caro, the cruise has been cut due to “ongoing COVID-related circumstances,” and passengers will be able to choose from a range of compensation options, including a full refund.

Also affected by the most recently announced cuts is Celebrity’s Eclipse ship. The cruise line had planned to offer seven day long tours across the West Coast of the US and Mexico and from the US to Canada, but the 17-deck, 2850 passenger-capacity cruise ship will be forced to wait a while longer until it returns to the waves once more.

The cruises affected are as follows:

  • March 26th, April 2nd and April 9th departures, each calling at: Los Angeles, Catalina Island, Santa Barbara, San Francisco, Ensenada, San Diego and Los Angeles
  • April 16th departure, calling at: Los Angeles, Catalina Island, San Francisco, Astoria, Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver

In a letter addressed to guests of the cruises, Celebrity said:

“Celebrity Cruises has been working closely with health and government authorities, in each country we sail from, to continuously evaluate our operational plans and ship itineraries. As a result, we will be suspending four Celebrity Eclipse sailings departing March 26, 2022 through April 16, 2022.”

It’s not just Celebrity and Royal Caribbean they have been blighted by cancellations in recent weeks. A Norwegian cruise ship had been forced to return to New York due to Covid-19 related conditions, leaving passengers frustrated and confused on board. All passengers on board were given a full refund plus extra credit to be used towards sailings in the future.

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