All seabourn Cruises cancelled for a further 30 days

[lydiamight]

Received the following from Seabourn

 

Dear Seabourn Guest, The entire Seabourn team extends our well-wishes during these uncertain times. In response to the unpredictable circumstances evolving from the global spread of COVID-19, we have extended the voluntary pause of our global ship operations for an additional 30 days, which includes sailings scheduled to depart through May 14, 2020.This effectively cancels your booking: XXXX We realize you were looking forward to sailing with us and appreciate your disappointment at this news. The health and safety of all who travel with us is a top priority.  We are offering two choices of compensation for you to choose from: Option #1 – We would love to welcome you back on board a future Seabourn cruise under better circumstances. As an incentive to plan another voyage, you can choose to defer a refund and instead receive a future cruise credit for 125% of the base cruise fare paid, which can be applied toward any future cruise(s) through December 31, 2021.  Please note that Seabourn Flight Ease®, Seabourn pre- or post-cruise hotel packages or transfers, prepaid shore excursions and amenities purchased through Seabourn, and taxes, fees, and port expenses will be refunded to the original method of payment used for the original purchase. The terms and conditions of the Future Cruise Credit appear below. Option #2 – If you do not wish to receive the 125% future cruise credit, a 100% refund of all monies paid to Seabourn will be reimbursed to the original form of payment. This includes Seabourn Flight Ease air, Seabourn pre- or post-cruise hotel packages or transfers, prepaid shore excursions and amenities purchased through Seabourn, and taxes, fees, and port expenses.   We suggest that you contact your travel advisor to discuss these options. It is important to make your decision promptly. If you do not respond by June 1, 2020, you will be deemed to have elected a 125% future cruise credit as outlined in Option #1 above.  The internet portal for selecting the option you prefer is available at https://book2.seabourn.com/cp/.  If any portion of your travel was not booked through Seabourn, other booking and cancellation conditions and policies may apply. Most airlines and other travel-related services such as hotels, transportation, and tours are allowing refunds or waiving change fees due to the COVID-19 pandemic; please work directly with those operators regarding their charges. Please note that, due to the unprecedented volume of bookings impacted by cancellations that our team is managing, processing your election of Option 1 or 2 and your request for reimbursement may take up to 60 days as our team works through each booking. For more information on Seabourn's pause of global ship operations pause, please visit Seabourn's News page. Should you have any questions, please contact us at the appropriate office: Seattle Office (USD/CAD Currency): Contact us at 800-929-9391 or 206-626-9190 (local) We are available: Monday – Friday 6:00am to 5:00pm PST Saturday 6:00am - 3:30pm PST Sunday 6:00 am - 3:30pm PST Rotterdam Office (EUR Currency): Contact us at 00800 1872 1872  We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm  Southampton Office (GBP Currency): Contact us at 0344 338 8615 We are available Monday – Friday 9:00am to 6:00pm Sydney Office (AUD Currency): Contact us at 1 300 987 323 We are available Monday – Friday 8:30am to 7:00pm March 26, 2020, 4:52 PM Again, we extend our most sincere apologies for this cancellation. Please know that we share your disappointment and we truly appreciate your patience and understanding of these exceptional circumstances that were beyond our control. We sincerely hope to have the opportunity to meet and exceed your expectations on board one of our ships in the near future. Kind regar

[zelker]

Just saw this on their website, too.  Figured they'd extend it another 30 days.  Guess we'll be waiting for the next announcement for our cruise (May 23rd).

[Mark56]

Canceled. Feels good. Now the wait for the money to actually get sent back to our cc.

[zelker]

39 minutes ago, Mark56 said:

Canceled. Feels good. Now the wait for the money to actually get sent back to our cc.

 

I bet.  This watching and waiting is just another stressor no one needs at the moment.  Saw Viking just extended all their ocean and river cruise suspensions through the end of JUNE!!  Wish Seabourn would just rip the bandage off and go for it too.

Edited March 30, 2020 by zelker

[Paulchili]

11 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

I bet.  This watching and waiting is just another stressor no one needs at the moment.  Saw Viking just extended all their ocean and river cruise suspensions through the end of JUNE!!  Wish Seabourn would just rip the bandage off and go for it too.

As I just posted on another thread - Oceania is cancelling only till May 10 (an outlier from other lines) and my cruise is May 13 - Just my luck!

[Pavovsky]

Would love if they were back in action then but expect Viking may be right. 

[Fletcher]

Seabourn Odyssey is currently alongside at Bridgetown, Barbados, with the Quest not far away.  There must be a dozen or so cruise ships at Barbados - are they agreeing to bunkering for these empty ships I wonder?

[zelker]

From the world of CCL - Costa announced today (4/9/20) that they are extending their "pause" until May 30th (originally it was announced on 3/25/20 that it would be April 30).  Hopefully Seabourn and other CCL lines will follow suit shortly.

 

https://www.cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/22759-costa-extends-cruise-pause-through-may-30.html

 

and from Costa's website 

 

COSTA EXTENDS THE SUSPENSION OF ITS CRUISES UNTIL MAY 30 
Genoa, April 9, 2020 - Costa announces the further suspension of its cruises until May 30, 2020. Due to the continuation of the emergency situation linked to the global pandemic of Covid-19 and with the continuation of containment measures such as closing ports and restrictions on the movement of people which do not actually allow to operate, the Company extends the suspension to the whole month of May.  
 
Costa Crociere is taking steps to inform both travel agents and guests affected by the changes. They will be guaranteed a reprotection in accordance with the applicable legislation, which offers the greatest guarantee in this contingency situation. 
 
For further information:  Costa Cruises Press Office Tel. +39 010 5483523 / 010 5483068 - costapressoffice@costa.it   Gabriele Baroni – Communication Director – cell +39 349 7668013 - baroni@costa.it   Davide Barbano – Media Relations Manager – cell +39 334 6525216 - barbano@costa.it   Cristiano de Musso – Head of Communication – cell +39 334 6805095 demusso@costa.it www.costapresscenter.com 
 
 

 

 

[Paulchili]

Then there is this:

 

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/s0409-modifications-extension-no-sail-ships.html

 

I wonder how strictly can or will this be enforced.

[wesport]

The Saudis bought 8% state in CCL with the assumption that sailings would not start until November.  However they think some around 25% would start during the summer. 100 days puts you in the middle of the summer. Maybe by the August September time frame things will start to sail.

Edited April 10, 2020 by wesport
spell

[robertmartha]

Not surprised at this most recent announcement by the CDC.

I seriously could not see how the industry was expecting to start up again in the next 5 weeks (mid May) -

until this worldwide crisis is under control (and how do you define that?) the thought of ships sailing even half full (which is being discussed) seemed crazy. I still think so much is still not known about this virus - I for one would not step foot on a ship in the very near future. I completely understand the industry wanting to start up again but how enjoyable would a sailing be having temp checks, social distancing, and always having that thought in ones head that someone you come in contact with (fellow passenger or crew member) could be carrying this virus?

I ask myself every day how are we all going to come out of this - just getting back to work in the office without the possibility of getting sick seems daunting at this point. All it takes is one person as we all know.

 

My wife said she would not step on a ship until there is a vaccine out and she has been inoculated.  I know that it is still not a guarantee that one will not catch this  - but it's a start.

 

No one wants to book a sailing for the future more then I do - but for now I'll be sitting on the sidelines watching how this continues to unfold.

 

Bob in New York

 

Edited April 10, 2020 by robertmartha
Spelling!

[zelker]

I read the CDC amended orders but that only governs ships in US ports.  And yes, of course it can be enforced.  But what about all the ships that embark/disembark in the rest of the world?  Is there an international or even country-specific version of the CDC that is ordering similar cessations, I wonder?

[BuckGood]

6 hours ago, zelker said:

I read the CDC amended orders but that only governs ships in US ports.  And yes, of course it can be enforced.  But what about all the ships that embark/disembark in the rest of the world?  Is there an international or even country-specific version of the CDC that is ordering similar cessations, I wonder?

We are supposed to board the Quest on May 25th in Monte Carlo for a 14 night cruise to Dover for my 60th! 😬

[zelker]

1 hour ago, BuckGood said:

We are supposed to board the Quest on May 25th in Monte Carlo for a 14 night cruise to Dover for my 60th! 😬

 

And we're supposed to board Ovation in Lisbon on May 23rd for 28 nights.  Will you still go if they don't cancel it?  We will not.

 

[BuckGood]

9 minutes ago, zelker said:

 

And we're supposed to board Ovation in Lisbon on May 23rd for 28 nights.  Will you still go if they don't cancel it?  We will not.

 

Also depends on the Flight if it’s going on DL, right now it still is! 

[zelker]

We've only been home 3 weeks from 31 days on a HAL cruise and spent the second half worried about whether we'd remain a healthy ship (we did) and if we'd get to dock and disembark as scheduled in San Diego (we did) but it really made for a less-than-relaxing cruise and nothing we want to repeat anytime soon.  Therefore, we have no desire to get back on a ship, fly anywhere (especially internationally), and then worry about getting turned away at ports, the ship getting sick, having to be quarantined on the other side of the planet, or worse. But that's us.  If you go, hope you have a good - and HEALTHY - experience.

[robertmartha]

I have to believe other countries will follow similar extensions of closures..for their own sake.

What a logistical nightmare for the lines - what countries/ports are open, which ones are not? and if a ship is allowed to dock - passenger screenings getting off? - what sites will be open ? And as a passenger - who are you exposing yourself to on organized excursions or out on your own - and what if you are exposed and then once back on the ship - could you start to infect other passengers and then the whole cycle starts up on the ship?

Really no easy answer for this.....

[norm2002]

54 minutes ago, robertmartha said:

 

What a logistical nightmare for the lines - what countries/ports are open, which ones are not? and if a ship is allowed to dock - passenger screenings getting off? - what sites will be open ? And as a passenger - who are you exposing yourself to on organized excursions or out on your own - and what if you are exposed and then once back on the ship - could you start to infect other passengers and then the whole cycle starts up on the ship?

Really no easy answer for this.....

 

This is what worries me.There can be no peace of mind until it is largely eradicated from all the counties visited and/or an effective vaccine is available. And I do not see what passenger screening at every port does to help. It only shows if someone has a temperature. There is no current screening (as opposed to testing) for being infected or being a carrier and the symptoms may not show for some days. I was actually tested as a routine requirement of my insurance company because they were notified of my arrival at an airport. The test was taken about two weeks after my arrival and it took a week to get the (negative) result. The test was only a snapshot at the day it was taken. What we may end up with is that cruise lines may insist on a vaccination certificate but, of course, that can only be when there is one.

[rallydave]

On 4/10/2020 at 7:43 AM, zelker said:

I read the CDC amended orders but that only governs ships in US ports.  And yes, of course it can be enforced.  But what about all the ships that embark/disembark in the rest of the world?  Is there an international or even country-specific version of the CDC that is ordering similar cessations, I wonder?

Equally important to the no sail order in the order is the requirement for a complete update to the ships procedures regarding what they have to do and when.  It covers 3 pages in the order required to be provided to the CDC by next Thursday  and sure other countries will adopt that and probably the other wording as ships cannot have multiple procedures depending on their location.  They most likely have a single procedure that includes the most stringent rules of any country where they might travel to.  With the order none of the ships currently ported in US ports will be allowed to leave port as the order covers all US waterways.

 

Should be an interesting 4 or more months.

[Fletcher]

Current positions are:-

 

Encore - sailing from Asia towards Red Sea and Suez Canal

Odyssey - for several days moored off the NW coast of Barbados

Ovation - alongside at Piraeus/Athens

Quest - for several days moored off the NW coast of Barbados

Sojourn - sailing through Kiribati waters towards Hawaii

 

Edited April 14, 2020 by Fletcher

[zqvol]

Seabourn needs to go ahead and cancel its Alaska sailings and anything that sails out of the US at least until the middle of July. Canadian ports are closed to ships even as small as Soujourn and Alaska has a 14 day quarantine for anyone entering the state.  The CDC has an order that doesn't allow any cruises in US ports until mid July.

 

I'm not sure that I understand the delay.

[Paulchili]

49 minutes ago, zqvol said:

I'm not sure that I understand the delay.

It's called "hold on to the cash as long as you can" - and then some.

Edited April 14, 2020 by Paulchili

[Stereojeff]

Yesterday's news:  Carnival Cruise Line tweeted on Monday that it would resume cruising on June 27.  While this may be wishful thinking by CCL, I believe all of their cruise lines including Seabourn will adopt the same date.

 

Jeff

[zqvol]

1 hour ago, Paulchili said:

It's called "hold on to the cash as long as you can" - and then some.

Canceling has nothing to do with holding onto cash. It will allow people to cancel other arrangements.

Edited April 14, 2020 by zqvol

[zqvol]

26 minutes ago, Stereojeff said:

Yesterday's news:  Carnival Cruise Line tweeted on Monday that it would resume cruising on June 27.  While this may be wishful thinking by CCL, I believe all of their cruise lines including Seabourn will adopt the same date.

 

Jeff

They won't go before July 15th which is when the current 100 day order expires, at least they won't sail into or out of the US before then.