Due to the “significant risks” posed by the coronavirus, Princess Cruises has put its ocean voyages on hold for two months while Viking Cruises has also stopped operations until May.
The US-based Princess announced that its 18 cruise ships will remain in port until May 11. Two of its ships had suffered virus outbreaks, most well-known among these being the Diamond Princess in Japan.
Ships that are already at sea will head for their home ports if they will be done before March 17 or dock somewhere else if the cruise will last longer than that date.
Three Britons had tested positive on one-off Viking Cruises’ vessels in Cambodia this week, also prompting the company to suspend trips until May.
The most notable case of an outbreak was on the Diamond Princess, owned by Princess Cruises, which had 705 cases.
The ship was quarantined in Yokohama but it was a failure. At one point, the ship had the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world outside of China.
Another Princess Cruises ship was quarantined off the US when a former passenger on the Grand Princess died from the coronavirus. Subsequent testing revealed 21 more people abroad had been infected.
“It is widely known that we have been managing the implications of Covid-19 on two continents,” said Princess Cruises president Jan Swartz.
“By taking this bold action of voluntarily pausing the operations of our ships, it is our intention to reassure our loyal guests, team members and global stakeholders of our commitment to the health, safety, and well-being of all who sail with us, as well as those who do business with us, and the countries and communities we visit around the world.”
Cruises that are on-going will still proceed to their planned destination as long as the cruise will end on March 17. Should the cruise last longer than that, passengers will be sent to “the most convenient location for guests, factoring in operational requirements.”
“Princess will do everything possible to return each guest home with the greatest amount of care possible,” a statement said.
“For those who affected by this business decision, Princess is offering guests the opportunity to transfer 100 percent of the money paid for their canceled cruise to a future cruise of their choice.
“To add a bonus incentive for guests to accept this offer, the company will add an additional generous future cruise credit benefit which can be applied to the cruise fare or onboard expenses.”
Replaced!