You may have been watching the news and have some concerns about your February 7th, 2020 sailing. We appreciate the CDC’s abundance of caution and their partnership.
None of the four guests being tested by CDC showed any clinical signs or symptoms of coronavirus. One had tested positive onboard for Influenza A. Our records indicate the guests had not been in China since January 26.
We have also been cleared by authorities to depart, as usual. However, to reassure concerned guests, we will delay our departure until Saturday, February 8th, 2020, when we will receive the conclusive test results from CDC.
We know that you may be anxious about boarding the ship – we’re anxious too! So, we’ve decided to push our boarding to February 8th, 2020, at 5:00 PM EST, while we wait for the results from the CDC.
We’ve also made adjustments to our itinerary, which can be found below:
We’ll set sail from Cape Liberty at 10:00 PM on Saturday, February 8th instead of 3:00 PM on Friday, February 7th. Additionally, our visit to Port Canaveral will now be on February 11th from from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM and to Perfect Day at CocoCay on February 12th from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, we’ll be unable to visit Nassau, Bahamas.
| DATES | DAY | ORIGINAL ITINERARY |
REVISED ITINERARY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2/7 | Friday | Cape Liberty, New Jersey | - |
| 2/8 | Saturday | Cruising | Cape Liberty, New Jersey |
| 2/9 | Sunday | Cruising | Cruising |
| 2/10 | Monday | Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida | Cruising |
| 2/11 | Tuesday | Perfect Day at CocoCay | Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida |
| 2/12 | Wednesday | Nassau, Bahamas | Perfect Day at CocoCay |
| 2/13 | Thursday | Cruising | Cruising |
| 2/14 | Friday | Cruising | Cruising |
| 2/15 | Saturday | Cape Liberty, New Jersey | Cape Liberty, New Jersey |
Given that we have shortened the sailing and modified the itinerary, you’ll receive a 2-day refund in the form of an onboard credit. Plus a pro-rated credit, in the value of 2 days, for any pre-purchased packages such as beverage, internet, or dining. Both credits will be added to your Onboard Account and can be used anywhere on the ship.
Please also take a minute to review our screening and boarding protocols. We have been working with medical experts, public health authorities, and local governments, and in alignment with new stricter CDC protocols, we are tightening our measures to protect guests and crew. These steps are intentionally conservative, and we apologize that they will inconvenience some of our guests.
Until further notice, all ships in the Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. fleet will adopt these health screening protocols:
Introducing our Healthy Sail Panel
Introducing the Royal Caribbean Healthy Sail Panel — a team of cross-disciplinary experts enlisted to guide the cruise industry’s way forward in response to COVID-19. Comprised of globally recognized specialists in public health, infectious diseases, hospitality and maritime operations, the panel will ensure a science-backed plan for a healthy return to service that ensures the wellbeing of our guests and crew as well as the communities we visit.
Royal Caribbean Announces Global Suspension Of Cruising
At Royal Caribbean International, our guests and crew's safety and well-being are always our top priorities. After further consulting with our partners at Cruise Lines International Association and in conjunction with the CDC, we have decided to extend the suspension of sailings for our global fleet for all sailings through October 31st, 2020. Our goal is to resume operations on November 1st, 2020. However, the following circumstances have extended the suspension for the following ships and sailings:
• European & Transatlantic sailings through the end of November 2020.
• Australia sailings through December 31st, 2020.
• Odyssey of the Seas sailings from November 5th, 2020 through April 17th, 2021 will be cancelled. Given the closure of shipyards along with the disruption to the supply chain caused by this pandemic, we’ll need additional time to complete the Odyssey of the Seas’ scheduled construction.
• Liberty of the Seas’ amplification has been postponed to a later date, and the ship will now sail to Galveston earlier than planned. Regrettably, only one ship can dock at the Galveston pier at a time, so we have to cancel our February 14, 2021 Jewel of the Seas cruise.
We're now offering more options.
Below are some options for you, including one that has been very well received by our guests, as it provides a little something extra to use when we all start cruising again!
As a result of this change, we’re providing you with a 125% Future Cruise Credit to come back and sail with us by April 30th, 2022. Please re-book using your FCC by December 31st, 2021. We will automatically issue you your Future Cruise Credit (FCC) via email. So, there’s nothing for you to do!
• Please know, taxes & fees and any RoyalUp upgrades will be automatically refunded. You can expect to see these in 45 days.
• If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, you’ll receive a new Future Cruise Certificate for 125% of your total cruise fare value paid, including the value of your original certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
• How quickly will I get my Future Cruise Credit so I can rebook?
• How can I redeem my Future Cruise Credit?
If you prefer to move your existing booking to a 2021 sailing – we’re happy to move you! We will price protect the original pricing and/or promotion on the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category as your original sailing within 4 weeks (before or after) of the original sail date in 2021. For example, if you are moving from a July 30th, 2020 sailing, you can move to a sailing that is the same itinerary, length, product, and stateroom category, and the sail date between June 30th, 2021 – August 30th, 2021.
• If your sailing was cancelled on:
- September 15th, 2020, please contact your Travel Advisor or call us by September 28th to move to a new sailing.
• If we don’t hear from you, we will automatically issue your Future Cruise Credit.
• Only available for sailings cancelled as part of our global suspension on May 20th, 2020 or after.
• Complimentary Casino offers are not eligible for Lift and Shift.
If you prefer the lower value in a full refund instead of the 125% Future Cruise Credit, we’re happy to process this for you.
• We’ll then deactivate your Future Cruise Credit and process your refund to your original form(s) of payment, which will include any non-refundable deposits.
• To avoid waiting on the phone to cancel, please click here and we will get the process started for you. Note: Please know, once we receive your refund request, we unfortunately won’t be able to accept an FCC request if you change your mind.
• You can expect to receive your refund 45 days after you submit your request.
• Please note: If you used a Cruise with Confidence certificate on this sailing, and you request a refund instead, we’ll refund any NEW funds paid above the certificate amount, and we’ll reinstate your original Cruise with Confidence certificate.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Until when can I request a full refund?
If you purchased Cruise Planner Items, you can opt-in to receive an Onboard Credit in the value of 125% of the total Cruise Planner purchases on your reservation.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Until when can I request the 125% Onboard Credit?
• Is there an expiration date for my 125% Onboard Credit?
• Can I change my mind and request a refund after selecting the 125% Onboard Credit?
• How is the value being calculated for my 125% Onboard Credit?
For all sailings cancelled as part of our suspension of operations due to COVID-19:
• If you purchased refundable air or hotel accommodations through Royal Caribbean, they will be automatically refunded to you within 45 days after we process the cancellation.
• If you booked non-refundable air through Royal Caribbean or booked on your own, please contact the service provider directly for your options with them.
We know, this too shall pass, and we are optimistic that very soon you’ll be excited about planning your next cruise vacation. As always, the most important thing to us will always be the safety of our guests and crew. In the meantime, we’ll continue to monitor the global situation. We wish you good health and truly appreciate your continued loyalty.
For the most current U.S. government travel advisories, be sure to visit these sites:
U.S. Centers for Disease Control
Gesundheitsrichtlinien zum Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Gesundheitsrichtlinien zum Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Gegenwärtig konzentrieren wir uns auf zusätzliche Sicherheitsverbesserungen für die Zeit nach der Suspendierung. Bei der Entwicklung unseres zukünftigen Screening-Verfahrens und der aktualisierten Gesundheitsrichtlinien arbeiten wir mit staatlichen Gesundheitsbehörden, der Cruise Lines International Association CLIA und unserem eigenen Team von medizinischen Experten zusammen. Diese sind noch nicht abgeschlossen, aber wenn sie es sind, werden wir Sie und Ihr Reisebüro per E-Mail darüber informieren.
Wir wissen, dass unsere Gäste über 70 und diejenigen mit chronischen Krankheiten besonders daran interessiert sind, zu verstehen, wie Kreuzfahrten in Zukunft aussehen werden. Obwohl Änderungen vorbehalten sind, haben wir über die Cruise Lines International Association bestätigt, dass die früheren Beschränkungen Anfang April aufgehoben wurden, nachdem die Kreuzfahrtgesellschaften den Betrieb eingestellt hatten. Bei jeder Entscheidung, die wir treffen, und bei allen Feinabstimmungen, die wir vornehmen, steht Ihr Wohlbefinden im Vordergrund. Wir vermissen Sie - und können es kaum erwarten, Sie wieder an Bord willkommen zu heißen..
Verzögerung der Rückerstattung nach der Suspendierung
Als wir unsere weltweite Suspendierung der Abfahrten begannen, schätzten wir zunächst, dass die Rückerstattungen 30 Tage dauern würden. Leider verzögern sich die Rückerstattungen und Gutschriften in einem noch nie dagewesenen Umfang. Wir haben gewissenhaft daran gearbeitet, die meisten Probleme mit dem Auftragsvolumen zu lösen, und arbeiten rund um die Uhr daran, den Rückstand aufzuarbeiten, damit Sie Ihre Rückerstattung so schnell wie möglich erhalten. Gegenwärtig dauern einige Rückerstattungen bis zu 45 Tage ab dem beantragten Datum.
Bitte beachten Sie, dass jeder einzelne Antrag mit der gleichen Sorgfalt und Genauigkeit bearbeitet wird. Und seien Sie versichert, Ihre Rückerstattung wird honoriert, und sie kommt - es dauert nur etwas länger als erwartet, und das tut uns sehr leid. Wir danken Ihnen für Ihre Geduld und Ihr Verständnis während dieser Zeit.
