Tag Archives: Coronavirus

P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises

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P&O Cruises and Cunard have “temporarily” stopped selling cruises due to depart before 21 June as the lines look to the government for greater clarity on when travel will be allowed to restart.

The date was laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday (22 February) as a potential milestone for when all Covid restrictions in England could be lifted.

Johnson said a relaunched Global Travel Taskforce would examine how and when international travel could be restarted through a newly commissioned report, due on 12 April – with travel not currently slated to resume until at least 17 May.

In a statement released on Friday (26 February), P&O and Cunard said sales for itineraries before 21 June had been halted as the lines “await more clarity on likely dates for domestic and international cruising”.

The brands said they were seeking “additional clarification to fully understand the requirements” announced by the prime minister earlier this week.

“These cruises have not been cancelled and there is no action required from any guests booked on these cruises,” a spokesperson said.

“Should it be necessary to extend our pause and cancel any more cruise dates then we will advise our guests as soon as possible.”

Royal Caribbean Business Update Call Preview: What Matters

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Royal Caribbean Group has scheduled a business update call for investors, as well as report 2020 fourth quarter and 2020 full-year earnings, on Monday, Feb. 22.

It’s a key call for the investment community, with the company approaching the one-year mark without ships in service from U.S. ports, and only a small percentage of its fleet operating, with the Quantum of the Seas sailing from Singapore while TUI Cruises and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises have seen smaller restarts.

Company executives are expected to provide a 15 to 25-minute presentation and then will open it up to question from financial analysts. 

What to Listen For:

  • Restart: When will ships actually start sailing in mass in the United States and Europe? Company executives will be pressed to answer or provide a realistic timeline. Previous remarks about restarting in 2020 did not pan out. 
  • CDC: Will company executives provide an update regarding ongoing discussions with the CDC and its Conditional Sailing Order. Since being issued in late October there have been no further public updates nor promised technical regulations. 
  • Biden Administration: After the industry had high-profile meetings with Vice President Mike Pence in 2020, as well as a teleconference in October, what has been the relationship with the new U.S. administration so far with President Joe Biden in office?
  • Azamara: Company executives will need to comment on the sale of Azamara to a private equity company. Will other sales of ships or brands follow?
  • Alaska: How will the Canada cruise ship ban impact the Alaska season and is the idea of a waiver to operate without calling on a foreign port realistic?
  • Occupancy: When the ships do restart, what occupancy will they sail at, and what occupancy do they need to sail at to generate positive earnings?
  • Deployment: Could 2021 and possibly 2022 lead to a seismic shift in deployment as cruise lines stay even closer to home and embrace short cruises?
  • Cash Burn: Royal Caribbean Group opted not to provide an exact cash burn figure in its last earnings release, but offered a range that averaged out to $270 million a month. Investors will be looking for an update.
  • Startup Costs: Among Wall Streets, key concerns will be the startup costs per vessel as well as the timeline to get a vessel ready to cruise with guests.
  • Lay Up: Will the company elaborate on further cold lay-up scenarios for the vessels that may return to service last? 

Crystal Cruises to Require COVID-19 Vaccine for Guests

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Crystal Cruises has confirmed it will now require all guests to be fully inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days prior to their Crystal cruise.

Guests will need to provide proof of vaccination before embarkation and must have received both doses of the vaccine if recommended by the manufacturer by that timeline, the company said.

“We are encouraged by the progress being made with the COVID-19 vaccines and what this means for our Crystal Family and the travel industry as a whole as we eagerly look forward to exploring the world again,” said Crystal’s interim president and CEO, Jack Anderson. “We know that peace of mind is the greatest luxury; and the vaccine requirement is simply the best way to ensure the safest possible Crystal Experience for all onboard. This sentiment is underscored by conversations with our guests and travel partners and a recent Cruise Critic survey of cruisers that revealed that more than 80 percent of respondents would cruise if a vaccine were required.”

Crystal’s crew, who hail from dozens of countries around the world, will be expected to be vaccinated as well when the company resumes sailing, however, this may not be a viable option for all crew members given their age and/or the availability of vaccines in their home countries, the company said, in a statement. 

“As part of the company’s Crystal Clean+ 4.0 measures, crew members will be tested for COVID-19 prior to leaving their home location to join the ship and must receive a negative result. They also will take a COVID-19 test at embarkation; quarantine for seven days upon arrival; be tested again at the end of that seven-day period and must receive a negative result before beginning their duties,” Anderson noted. “When vaccines are widely available, they will be a requirement of employment for crew which must be completed at least 14 days prior to service.”

In addition to providing verified documentation of their COVID-19 vaccine at the time of boarding, guests will complete an online form acknowledging this requirement before their cruise tickets will be issued. Crystal has published a frequently asked questions document on the advisory alert section of its website for further reference.