Tag: suspension

P&O Cruises announces plans to halt operations into April 2021

P&O Cruises has said that it has extended the suspension of operations into April 2021 in response to the current uncertainty around European ports of call.

All guests with bookings on a cancelled cruise will be notified and will automatically receive an enhanced 125 percent Future Cruise Credit or alternatively a 100 percent refund by filling out a web form.

P&O Cruises president Paul Ludlow said: ‘With hopeful news headlines clearly we do not want to extend our pause in operations any further than absolutely necessary, but given the ever-changing guidance around international travel and the varying regulations in many European ports of call we felt it prudent to cancel these additional dates.

‘In addition, as the final payments are due for these cruises very soon we felt it was the right thing to do for our guests.

‘We are so sorry to disappoint those who were due to travel but really hope they will re-book for later in the year or for our new programme of 2022 holidays which went on sale earlier this month with strong demand, showing great confidence in cruising in the future.’

Part of Carnival Corporation & plc, P&O Cruises visits over 200 destinations worldwide and offers itineraries generally ranging from two to 17 days, along with an annual world cruise. P&O Cruises sails to Australia & New Zealand, Baltic, the British Isles, Canada, the Spain, Portugal & the Canary Islands, the Caribbean, Central America, the Far East & Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, South America, the South Pacific, the United States and Western Europe.

In 2021, P&O Cruises will launch Iona, the new LNG-powered ship with 5,200-guest capacity. The largest ship built to serve the UK market, Iona will feature enhancements and newly developed features, including a three deck atrium in the heart of the ship as well as SkyDome – an exclusively designed glass dome by Martin Francis.

Cunard extends suspension of operations

Cunard, the luxury British cruise line, has said that as a result of the continued impact of Covid-19, it will be extending the suspension of its operations.

Cunard currently operates three ships: Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, with destinations including Europe, the Caribbean, the Far East and Australia. For its ships Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria, Cunard is cancelling all sailings that were due to depart up to and including 1 November, 2020 and for Queen Elizabeth, departures up to and including the 23 November, 2020.

Cunard President, Simon Palethorpe, said, ‘With many differing restrictions across countries, people’s ability to move freely and safely across borders remains seemingly someway in the distance. For Cunard, where we celebrate having a truly international mix of guests and sail all over the world, this becomes particularly impactful. We also need to better understand the implications Covid-19 will have on board our ships. We are therefore working, at the highest level possible, with government bodies, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – the CDC – and Public Health England, as well as the industry collective body – CLIA – and other expert medical professionals to review every aspect of a holiday with us.’

‘Whilst we have always taken pride in having the highest levels of health and safety, we are looking at enhanced protocols across all aspects of ship life and experiences on shore. We will only return to service when we have a comprehensive restart protocol with the stamps of approval and accreditation from the most trusted and informed sources,’ Palethorpe added.

Cunard will be communicating with all guests, and their travel advisors, who are booked on affected voyages, it said. As Cunard has done earlier during this pause period, guests who are booked on cancelled voyages will automatically be given a 125 percent Future Cruise Credit. This can be redeemed against any new booking made by the end of December 2021 on any voyage that’s on sale at the time of booking.