It has been nearly per week since Canada banned cruise ships for one year, so why hasn’t Royal Caribbean cancelled these sailings but?
Many cruise followers have been asking this query, and the reply seems cruise strains are nonetheless exploring different choices to permit these cruises to go.
Royal Caribbean’s Senior Vice President, Gross sales, Commerce Help and Service, Vicki Freed, addressed this concern with journey brokers throughout a web based webinar.
She stated she had a dialog with Royal Caribbean Worldwide President and CEO Michael Bayley in regards to the matter, and he indicated they’re on the lookout for different methods to get across the ban.
“We do not have data and we do not have solutions but. However we’re possibly there’s a chance for an exemption, possibly there’s not.”
“We’re dedicated to sharing our plan with you as soon as we have evaluated all choices for the impacted itineraries to Alaska and in addition these departing from the northeast. So extra particulars to come back.”
The exemption that Ms. Freed referred to is the concept the Passenger Vessel Service Act (PVSA) of 1886 may very well be briefly waived for cruise ships in 2021.
Generally known as the Jones Act, the PVSA requires overseas flagged cruise ships to make a cease out of the country when working closed-loop cruises from the USA.
Along with cruise line’s efforts to get a waiver, two U.S. Senators and one Congressman announced they’re “exploring all potential avenues, together with altering present legal guidelines.”
Furthermore, Canada did depart open the opportunity of rescinding the ban if the worldwide well being disaster improves earlier than the ban is about to run out.
Royal Caribbean may very well be holding off canceling Alaska cruises due to optimism associated to the distribution of vaccines within the United States and Canada. By summer time, the scenario may very well be vastly totally different than in the present day, which may open the door for a restricted cruise season.
Within the meantime, Royal Caribbean has already pulled down the 2021 Alaska and New England sailings from their web site.
Whereas the 2021 cruises aren’t but cancelled, you’ll be able to not e-book the sailings both by way of the cruise line web site.
There are nonetheless just a few months earlier than Royal Caribbean’s cruise season in Alaska would start, and the fallout of Canada’s ban is beginning to get consideration. So there’s nonetheless numerous runway left for cruise strains to find out if there are any choices left for them to salvage the Alaska cruise season in 2021.
What do you have to do you probably have a 2021 cruise booked?
At this level, you probably have a 2021 cruise to Alaska or New England booked, my recommendation is to carry onto it.
It’s much more profitable to have Royal Caribbean cancel the cruise than so that you can cancel it by yourself. By ready for Royal Caribbean to cancel, you’ll get the choice for a full money refund, 125% onboard credit score, and even Elevate and Shift.
In the event you cancel by yourself, you might be topic to the usual refund insurance policies. For these with non-refundable cruise deposits, this implies a penalty for canceling the cruise.
