What happens to booked cruises longer than 7 days?

[RubySlippers102]

I’m booked on the 9-day Oasis for 7/30/21. Assuming ships are even sailing, they still will not be allowed longer than 7 days by then if I’m understanding correctly. This particular cruise is no longer showing up in searches so it doesn’t appear it can be booked by anyone, but it’s still showing as booked in my portal. I reached out to my TA and she has heard nothing. Does anyone know what the plan is for these longer cruises?

[Tree_skier]

13 minutes ago, RubySlippers102 said:

I’m booked on the 9-day Oasis for 7/30/21. Assuming ships are even sailing, they still will not be allowed longer than 7 days by then if I’m understanding correctly. This particular cruise is no longer showing up in searches so it doesn’t appear it can be booked by anyone, but it’s still showing as booked in my portal. I reached out to my TA and she has heard nothing. Does anyone know what the plan is for these longer cruises?

Nobody knows yet.  There is lots of speculation but until Royal issues a statement and cruises are actually scheduled to commence your guess is good as the next poster.

[Ourusualbeach]

14 minutes ago, RubySlippers102 said:

I’m booked on the 9-day Oasis for 7/30/21. Assuming ships are even sailing, they still will not be allowed longer than 7 days by then if I’m understanding correctly. This particular cruise is no longer showing up in searches so it doesn’t appear it can be booked by anyone, but it’s still showing as booked in my portal. I reached out to my TA and she has heard nothing. Does anyone know what the plan is for these longer cruises?

Royal has not released any plans other than to stop more people from booking them. 

[RubySlippers102]

I’m wondering if shortening the itinerary is a possibility or if it’s more likely they will go straight to cancellation.

[HBE4]

Probably do what they have been doing for the past 10 months. Close their eyes, cross their fingers and hope the rules change.  That way no refunds to issue and they can open the booking. 

[sandebeach]

I would like to know what they are planning to do. I would then make plans for something else if they are going to cancel the 8-night cruises.  

[Biker19]

12 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

I would like to know what they are planning to do.

When RCI figures it out, they may tell you.

[not-enough-cruising]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

When RCI figures it out, they may tell you.

“May”

[sandebeach]

1 minute ago, Biker19 said:

When RCI figures it out, they may tell you.

That would be helpful!!! 

[exm]

If ships do sail, but for 7 days only, they'll probably change the itinerary and give passengers the option for a refund or some sort of credit. I'm booked on the 8 days 8/21 Symphony, so I'm also waiting.

[PelicanBill]

It's not worth their trouble to lay out a replacement cruise schedule yet.  Each month that passes creates more disruption, so why set up new cruises and take bookings only to have to cancel again... 

 

It's got to ve very difficult to simply shorten cruises >7 days. The downstream scheduling for ports and passengers becomes very difficult.  I would bet on all such cruises being canceled and a new slate of cruises scheduled.

[bourbon52]

43 minutes ago, sandebeach said:

I would like to know what they are planning to do. I would then make plans for something else if they are going to cancel the 8-night cruises.  

My 8 night cruise is in August on Symphony, hope it sails even if they shorten to 7 nights.

[sellwingri]

I’m booked on 8 day cruises on Independence in July and in August.  The cruises before and after are 6 days.  It would be soooo easy to change the 6 day cruises to 7 days and the 8 days to 7.  Celebrity made these changes several months ago.  I don’t understand why the same company can’t make the same change. 

[Jeremiah1212]

14 minutes ago, sellwingri said:

I’m booked on 8 day cruises on Independence in July and in August.  The cruises before and after are 6 days.  It would be soooo easy to change the 6 day cruises to 7 days and the 8 days to 7.  Celebrity made these changes several months ago.  I don’t understand why the same company can’t make the same change. 

 

I bet RCL would love to have you on staff if you know how to do this so simply 🙂. The domino effect this 'simple' change creates is immense.  Ports change (if there are even any open ports at all), provisioning get changed, everyones arrival and departure dates change. Customers who can't change travel dates need compensated....

 

Celebrity is still selling 8, 9, 10+ day Caribbean cruises this summer FWIW. It's also somewhat of a waste of effort to reschedule and announce these changes, knowing that new restrictions with ports alone are going to come up. 

[compman9]

At first, I wondered why 7 days or fewer - It would surely make sense if everyone is tested before and during, the longer the cruise, the better

 

Then, they penny dropped - Anyone that tests positive after the cruise, Royal can absolve themselves of responsibility

 

 

 

 

[not-enough-cruising]

35 minutes ago, compman9 said:

At first, I wondered why 7 days or fewer - It would surely make sense if everyone is tested before and during, the longer the cruise, the better

 

Then, they penny dropped - Anyone that tests positive after the cruise, Royal can absolve themselves of responsibility

 

 

 

 

Your theory would hold water IF the 7 day policy was set by the cruise lines, but it wasn’t. 

[LB_NJ]

Royal will probably do whatever it takes to keep the cash as long as possible, they probably have a cashflow problem.  Therefore they will not cancel until they no longer have a choice.

 

Also, no one really knows what July will be like.  How well the vaccine rollout goes, how effective the vaccines are on the new virus strains, what US and foreign ports will be open by then, etc.

 

Why would Royal do anything now with this much uncertainty. Right now it looks like they aren't really cancelling anything more than 3 months out (except where the ship has been sold or placed in a different market).  So it looks like a rolling 3 month cancellation.

[LB_NJ]

FYI, longer cruises (eg, 12 nights) are showing up for US ports for Nov. and Dec. of this year.  Nothing before then.

[Ourusualbeach]

Just now, LB_NJ said:

FYI, longer cruises (eg, 12 nights) are showing up for US ports for Nov. and Dec. of this year.  Nothing before then.

The CDC requirement ends Nov. 1 which is why you see longer cruises in Nov and Dec

[exm]

4 hours ago, PelicanBill said:

It's not worth their trouble to lay out a replacement cruise schedule yet.  Each month that passes creates more disruption, so why set up new cruises and take bookings only to have to cancel again... 

 

It's got to ve very difficult to simply shorten cruises >7 days. The downstream scheduling for ports and passengers becomes very difficult.  I would bet on all such cruises being canceled and a new slate of cruises scheduled.

 

They won't cancel any cruise unless the CDC tells them to. If they shorten a 9 day cruise to 7 days, the cruise would simple arrive 2 days earlier at the destination port, unload and probably wait out at sea for the remaining 2 days. Passengers can cancel or will get compensated. Why would they cancel?

[LB_NJ]

1 hour ago, exm said:

 

They won't cancel any cruise unless the CDC tells them to. If they shorten a 9 day cruise to 7 days, the cruise would simple arrive 2 days earlier at the destination port, unload and probably wait out at sea for the remaining 2 days. Passengers can cancel or will get compensated. Why would they cancel?

This assumes there is room at the port to dock 2 days early to let off passengers.  Not always true.  There might be ships already scheduled for the port so there might not be a free spot.  Depends on the port.

[PelicanBill]

17 hours ago, exm said:

 

They won't cancel any cruise unless the CDC tells them to. If they shorten a 9 day cruise to 7 days, the cruise would simple arrive 2 days earlier at the destination port, unload and probably wait out at sea for the remaining 2 days. Passengers can cancel or will get compensated. Why would they cancel?

I will explain why I believe this.  The CDC isn't telling the cruise lines to cancel cruises at this time. If they change the date on the no sail order that is an order.   When they do restart, if that rule holds, I don't see them just shortening these cruises. Just my educated guess that they won't want a ship sitting idle 3 days between cruises. Many of the longer cruises would be seriously disrupted in their itinerary. They cannot go to the farthest point in the sailing - so they visit the first 1 -3 ports, and need a different port or 2 on the return in order to make it back.  Also, There are some cruises that have big limitations. Long cruises with reservations at the Panama canal won't work. Long cruises from NY are hampered, as you can only reach the Bahamas and Bermuda, which means port congestion becomes a possible problem as everyone tries to accommodate 7 day visits from Boston and NY at the same time.  I think they will choose some ships and simply cancel a large number of sailings, reposition the ship and offer new itineraries.

[ATG]

In my case, Freedom sails 9 day Canada/New England and 5 day Bermuda cruises.  I hope they can change to 7 / 7 sailings.  I’m on the 9 night and would rather lose 2 nights than the whole cruise.  Of course the optimal solution is for the CDC to allow the 9 nights.

[not-enough-cruising]

49 minutes ago, ATG said:

In my case, Freedom sails 9 day Canada/New England and 5 day Bermuda cruises.  I hope they can change to 7 / 7 sailings.  I’m on the 9 night and would rather lose 2 nights than the whole cruise.  Of course the optimal solution is for the CDC to allow the 9 nights.

In your case you have bigger problems—the Canadian government 

[bourbon52]

On 1/25/2021 at 9:48 AM, exm said:

If ships do sail, but for 7 days only, they'll probably change the itinerary and give passengers the option for a refund or some sort of credit. I'm booked on the 8 days 8/21 Symphony, so I'm also waiting.

I'm booked don that cruise too! Hoping it sails!